Text Set. Theme: Adventure

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Isabel Freeman
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1 Text Set Theme: Adventure 1. The theme of this text set is adventure. We chose this theme because it meets the needs and interests of sixth grade boys and girls. This theme will encourage our sixth grade students to get out of their comfort zone and explore their surroundings. When they do this they will be able to discover new things about the world around them and about themselves. This theme is appropriate for sixth graders because they are at a developmental stage when they are trying to discover who they are in the beginning stages of adolescence and through adventure the student learns about him/herself. We ve chosen a variety of books with different kinds of characters so that each of our students is able to identify with whatever character they like best. At this developmental stage many students struggle to identify their interests. We chose this theme because adventure and exploration encourages the discovery of new interests. We were able to find a substantial number of books around the sixth grade reading level which allowed us to create a meaningful text set. The theme of adventure is not limited to our text set, so it will be easy to add more books in the future to adjust to the needs of our students in the coming years. We have a range of genres and reading levels so that each student is able to actively engage themselves in reading and examining the theme of adventure. Maturation and Discovery of Environment through adventure o The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe o The Slave Dancer o The Adventure of Tom Sawyer o Where the Wild Things Are o Flotsam o The Sign of the Beaver o The Alchemyst o The Golden Compass o The Lightning Thief o Harry Potter 1-7 o Where the Sidewalk Ends Self discovery through adventure o Bud, Not Buddy o Island of the Blue Dolphins o Walk Two Moons o Mississippi Bridge o The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed o The Golden Compass o Hoot o The Lightning Thief o Harry Potter 1-7 Forming close bonds through adventure 1

2 o The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe o Bud, Not Buddy o Where the Wild Things Are o Zia o Stuart Little o Bridge to Terabithia o The Sign of the Beaver o The Alchemyst o The Lightning Thief o The Wanderer o Harry Potter 1-7 o Captain Underpants Facing fears in adventure o Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry o Julie of the Wolves o Where the Wild Things Are o Island of the Blue Dolphins o The Witch of Blackbird Pond o Book of Three o The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed o The Big Book of Adventure o The Golden Compass o The Lightning Thief o Harry Potter 1-7 o Where the Sidewalk Ends This set of big ideas create an understanding that through adventure one can form close bonds, face one s fears, mature, and discover oneself and be successful. In most of these pieces of literature the reader will experience a loss of innocence from the character while he or she is embarks on the adventure. This proves that adventure helps the adolescent to grow. Finally, this set of big ideas helps students realize that friendships and bonds with family can be developed and strengthened through adventure. TEXT SET: ADVENTURE Title/Author Publisher and Date Published or Picture Book? Genre Multicultural, Winning Reading Level and Leveling System 1. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by M.D. Taylor The Dial Press, 1976 Instructional Books Multi-Cultural Winner 920L 6-7 th Grade 2

3 2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 3. Julie of the Wolves by J. Craighead George 4. The Slave Dancer, by P. Fox 5. Bud, Not Buddy Harper Collins, 1950 Harper and Row, Publishers, 1972 Bradbury Press, 1973 Delacorte Press, Fantasy 940L 6-7 th Grade Fantasy Multi-Cultural Winner, 1973 Multi-Cultural Winner, 1974 Multi-Cultural Newbery Winner, L 4 th grade 5.9 Copyright Page 6.4 Microsoft Word 6. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by M. Twain Press, 1969 Coretta Scott King, L 7 th Grade Read Aloud Books 1. Island of the Blue Dolphins by S. O Dell Yearling, 1960 Multi- Cultural Winner 1961 V 5-6 th Grade FOCAL 1981 William Allen White Book 3

4 2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (Illustrator and Author) 3. Flotsam by David Wiesner (Illustrator and Author) Harper and Row, Publishers, 1963 Clarion Picture Book Fantasy Caldecott Winner, 1964 Picture Book Fantasy Multi- Cultural Caldecott Winner, 740L 4 th Grade Picture Book Ages 5-8 Barnesandnoble.com Best Illustrated Book s, Book Sense Book of the Year, American Association Notable Books for Children, Publisher s Weekly Best 2006 Publisher s Weekly Best Books of the Year, 2006 Quill s, 4

5 Red Clover, Zia by S. O Dell 2. Stuart Little by E.B. White 3. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech 4. Book of Three by L. Alexander 5. Bridge to Terabithia by K. Paterson 6. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by E. George Speare 7. The Sign of the Beaver by E. George Speare Houghton Mifflin Company, 1976 Harper and Row Publishers, 1945 Harper Collins, 1994 Henry Holt and Company, 1964 Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1977 Houghton Mifflin Company,1 958 Houghton Mifflin Company, 1983 Classroom Multi-Cultural 790 L 4-5 th Grade Fantasy R 4 th Grade Newbery Winner 1995 Ages Back cover of book Fantasy 770L 4-5 th Grade Newbery Winner 1978 Winner 1959 Multi-Cultural Newbery Honor, 1984 S 4-5 th Grade W 5-6 th T 4-5 th Grade 8. The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed by H. Vogel Frederick 9. The Big Book of Simon and Schuster 2002 Sterling, 2006 Compilation of Illustrated Scott O Dell 1984 Leslie Bradshaw for Young Readers 2003 Ages 8-12 Barnesandnoble.com Ages 8-12 Barnesandnoble.com 5

6 Adventure by A. Heyman 10. The Alchemyst by M. Scott 11. Hoot by C. Hiaasen 12. The Golden Compass by P. Pullman 13. The Lightning Thief by R. Riordan Random House Random House 2002 Random House 2001 Hyperion Publisher, 2005 s Fantasy 890L 5-6 th Grade Eco- Honor 2003 Fantasy Carnegie Medal 1995 Publisher s Weekly Best Books of the Year 1996 Fantasy School Journal Best Books of the Year L 4-5 th Grade Z 7-8 th Grade Foutnas and Pinnell Ages 10+ Borders.com 14. The Wanderer by S. Creech Harper Collins Publishers, 2001 American Association Notable Books for Children 2006 Honor Winner L 5 th Grade 15. Harry the Sorcerer s Stone by J.K. Rowling 1997 Christopher Book s 2001 Fantasy Arizona Young Reader s 2000 School Journal Best Books of the V 5-6 th 6

7 Year Harry the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling 17. Harry the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 18. Harry the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling Fantasy Nestlé Book Prize 1998 School Journal Best Books of the Year 1999 Fantasy Nestlé Book Prize 1999 Fantasy ABC Book Sellers Choices s 2001 V 5-6 th V 5-6 th Fountas and Pinnel Ages 8-12 Barnesandnoble.com 19. Harry the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling 2003 Publisher s Weekly Best Books 2000 Fantasy Golden Archer 2005 American Association Notable Books for Children L 7 th Grade 20. Harry the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 2005 Fantasy New Your Times Notable Books of the Year L 8 th Grade 7

8 21. Harry the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling Fantasy American Association Notable Books for Children Fry 22. The Adventures of Captain Underpants by D. Pilkey 23. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein TOTALS Scholastic Inc., 1997 Harper Collins Publishers, 1974 Graphic Collection of Poems 5 Picture Books Graphic American Poetry Mythopoeic Fantasy for Literature 2008 Pennsylvania Young Reader s Choice 2000 Golden Archer Genres 8 Multicultural 720L 4 th Grade Ages 9+ Amazon.com 6 Leveling Systems 27 s 26 Winning Books Instructional Books: Annotations Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry- This story takes place in the 1930s, when segregation and prejudice were very prevalent in society. The main character, Cassie, faces trials and tribulations because of her race. The story highlights the events of a year full of burnings, night riders, escapes, and humiliation. Cassie and her two younger brothers discover their place in society and how to survive in a world in which they are viewed as inferior. Here we have a very strong female main character. Through her eyes, we see how she confronts her fears in the face of adversity. In different parts of the story, Cassie ventures into areas she is specifically told not to go. This is where her first battle to overcome her fears occurs. We think this story fits our theme nicely because our students will be able to see how one can overcome fears and mature in the process. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe- Four siblings discover an unknown world when they step into a wardrobe. In that world, they grow closer to each other as they explore Narnia and help the citizens of Narnia fight their unjust queen. In the end of the story, the siblings have almost forgotten that they belong in their world and only accidently stumble upon it when riding their horses through a forest. This is perhaps one of the most adventurous novels in our set of instructional texts. This story fits nicely with our theme because the characters form close bonds 8

9 with one another through their adventures in Narnia. Also, the sudden change of environment and the challenges they face together force them to mature in unexpected ways. This story will help teach our students that going through adventures together can bring people together. It will also teach them that adventures are a part of growing up. Julie of the Wolves- Julie, an Eskimo 13 year-old girl runs away from an arranged marriage and gets lost in the Alaskan wilderness. There she makes friends with a family of wolves. She fights for her survival in the barren tundra by following the example of the wolves. Julie dreams of making her way to a harbor town that her pen-pal in San Francisco tells her about, but just as she is about to board the plane, her adopted wolf father is killed. When she arrives home she learns that her father is a hunter who uses planes to hunt whales and seals. Although her troubles are remarkable, her motivation and spirit live on. After running away from her arranged marriage Julie quickly has to adapt to an environment which immediately forces her to face new fears. This text fits our theme well because it teaches students about adapting to new environments and how overcoming fears is a part of the adaptation process. The Slave Dancer- This book is about a pre-civil War thirteen year-old New Orleans boy, Jessie, who is kidnapped and brought to a slave ship. He is forced to play his fife as the slaves on the ship exercise. Through the ship s travels, Jessie discovers truths of the world. After a shipwreck, the boy and a slave his age are the only survivors and must swim to shore and safety. After Jessie is kidnapped to go aboard a slave ship, he is exposed to a whole new world. As a result, he is forced to mature. As he adventures from country to country, each day introduces a new aspect about the world that Jessie didn t know before. This text fits our theme nicely because it can show students that sometimes when one adventures he/she will experience a loss of innocence which causes him/her to mature in an unexpected way. Bud, Not Buddy- Bud is a 10 year-old boy who is sent to live with a foster family after living in an orphanage since his mother s death. The other son in the foster family abuses Bud, but eventually Bud escapes and searches for his father, whom he has never met. The journey is full of narrow escapes until he finds the man he thinks is his father. When he introduces himself to his father he realizes the man is too old to be his dad, but rather is his grandfather. Bud lives a new life and accepts his new family. This book fits our theme well because through Bud s adventures to find his family, he discovers new characteristics about himself and learns about his family s history; therefore, forming closer bonds with the family members he does find. Students can see in this book that family may play an important role in adventure or exploration. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- The imaginative and mischievous Tom Sawyer is always getting into trouble, but he cleverly persuades other kids to take his punishments for him. He falls in love with a new girl in town. Shortly after meeting this new girl, he meets the son of the town drunk, Huckleberry Finn. Together the boys embark on many more mischievous adventures including sneaking out into the graveyard, only to witness a murder, and running away, making a promise to each other not to tell anyone what they have seen. This book is a good fit in our text set because Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn become close friends in their mischievous adventures. This teaches our students that through adventure, friendships can be formed. 9

10 Read Aloud Books: Annotations and Reasons for Reading Aloud Where the Wild Things Are This is a story about Max, a little boy who takes a journey to a new world of Wild Things. Max s imagination grows and unfolds into a story of adventure with new creatures and the discovery of a new world. Max becomes the ruler of the Wild Things. He tamed them by showing them strong, fearless leadership. Max and the Wild Things regularly enjoy a wild rumpus throughout the land. In the end of the story, Max leaves his adventures with the Wild Things behind to return home where he finds dinner waiting for him. Why read this book aloud: Where the Wild Things Are is the perfect book to introduce the theme of adventure. Though it is a picture book, the ideas behind the story are very valuable. The main character, Max, dares to explore to new lands and through his adventures, he discovers something very important to him. By the end of the story, Max realizes the most important thing to him is his home and family. He is the perfect model of a character that matures through self discovery while on his adventures. Flotsam Though wordless, this picture book is packed with meaning, adventure, and discovery. When a young boy travels to the beach with his family, a wave crashes on the sand and leaves an antique underwater camera. The boy develops the film that he finds in the camera. Each picture reveals a secret underwater world unknown to mankind. The most exciting part about the camera; however, is that the boy discovers pictures that other children have taken of themselves. There are children from all over the world in the pictures; he even finds old pictures in black and white. At the end of the day on the beach, the boy takes a picture of himself with all the other pictures he found and throws the camera out to sea for other creatures and people to find. Why read this book aloud: The camera travels all over the world bringing new stories and surprising information to people from many nations. Through this story of pictures the student is given the gift of putting together their own version of whatever story they want to create. This is another great opener to the theme of adventure because the camera shows its journeys across the world. However, more importantly, the students go on adventure of their own when creating a story to coincide with the pictures. Island of the Blue Dolphins In the Pacific, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Blue dolphins make their habitat around this island, swimming and frolicking. Karana, an Indian girl, lived on this island alone for many years. This tale is about her unusual adventure of survival, natural beauty and personal discovery. After the death of her little brother, Karana takes on the roles of traditionally male tasks, such as hunting, making spears or building canoes in order to survive. During her stay on the island Karana discovers a friendship unfolding between her and a few wolves. The wolves help her in her adventures and keep her from loneliness. Why read this book aloud: With a courageous female character who teaches herself how to survive in the wild, this book will give the students a different perspective on women and women s roles. Also, it lays out a perfect foundation for adventure and finding inner courage and bravery to explore unknown worlds. Through her exploration, Karana discovers much about herself and that is one of the main goals of this adventure theme. The students should be able to identify any personal struggle and self discovery through her adventures as the plot unfolds. Island of the Blue Dolphins is an excellent fit to our 10

11 theme of adventure; however, the reading level of this book is in the 8 th grade range which is too advanced for the students, but the story plot is developmentally appropriate for our grade level. This is a good book to read aloud because, as teachers, we can help guide the students in making predictions, asking questions, identifying big themes, and making connections. We can also introduce vocabulary, model comprehension strategies, and encourage our students to maintain their motivation. Classroom : Explanation This set of classroom library books displays a wide variety of genres in the theme of adventure. The different themes include historical fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, poetry, graphic stories, and eco-fiction. There are many books that will meet numerous students ranges of reading abilities. Each story has an adventurous main character that demonstrates maturation, self discovery, the ability to overcome fears, and the ability to form close bonds with other characters. There is a good range of books with female main characters and there are a good amount of books in the library with male main characters. This is beneficial because students will have a nice choice of books to pick from with characters that they can best identify with. There are a total of five picture books, eight multicultural books, and most of the books are award winners. The benefit in having these kinds of books offers the students a choice and the ability to enrich and deepen their understanding of the world and literature. Every book follows the theme of adventure. There are new books in this library and there are books that were published many years ago. The purpose of this is to broaden the students horizons further than what is popular in today s realm literature. Through self-selection, the students have a number of options to deeper their understanding of the theme of adventure. 11

September Neil Gaiman. Stages Procedure Time

September Neil Gaiman. Stages Procedure Time September 2018 BOOKS AND READING Vol. 15 Issue 6 Stages Procedure Time 1. To practice Objectives a. identifying word meaning in context b. scanning and skimming for details c. writing a fantasy short story