All Lesson Plans

Education

Suggested lesson plan for "Ferguson kids
study reading with YSL website"

Readability: Sixth grade level

Possible hard words:
Proper names: Ar'Terrance Hall, McCluer High School, Jennifer Weir, Ferguson Middle School, Candice Evans, Ashley Green, Denzel Bishop, Tracy Rohlfing, Garfield Dictionary
Other words: professional, psychologist, motivates, scavenger hunt

BEFORE READING: To insure that the young reader can deal with the names and vocabulary, have him or her read the list above. Provide help where needed. Then suggest that the young reader read the article aloud to you and be prepared to discuss it afterward.

DURING READING: Be prompt at providing any words that impair reading fluency.

AFTER READING: Use question such as those that follow to check for understanding and to stimulate discussion.

1. What does Ar'Terrance Hall like about using the website in his reading class?
2. Where do the words come from that are used in the crossword puzzles on the website?
3. What was special about the dictionary talked about in the article?
4. If you are discussing this article, you have been using the YSL website also. What do you think about it?

Entertainment

Suggested lesson plan for "St. Peter's
girl will star in move at 12"

Readability: About sixth grade

Possible hard words:
Proper names: Kayla Doeren, Muny Theater, Gershwin, Nancy St. James, Cindi Gormley, Tony Coleman, New York University, Robert and Carolyn Doeren, Austin
Other words: start-up, potential, investors, production, auditioning, shoe-string, residential, dubbed

BEFORE READING: Have the young reader read the names and words from the list, helping out where help is needed. If no more than three terms cause a problem, have the young reader read the article silently. If four to seven words cause problems, have the young reader read the article to you. If eight or more are missed, you offer to read the article aloud. In all cases, indicate that questions will be raised after the reading.

DURING READING: For the child reading silently, offer to help with any words if asked. For the child reading aloud to you, supply any troublesome words immediately to keep the reading as smooth and fluent as possible. If you read the article aloud, model expressive and fluent oral reading.

AFTER READING: Use questions such as these to stimulate discussion and check for understanding.

1. What experience led Kayla from athletics to stage performing?
2. What are some of her performance credits that she has already?
3. Why was Kayla glad to "dub" the singing part?
4. Do you think it's a good idea that Kayla has another career picked out? Why?

Books

A serious book about Pearl Harbor
written for kids

"Air Raid - Pearl Harbor" is a 191-page paperback with a list price of $6.00 that treats the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The book can be found under the intermediate age range in the children's books section of bookstores. It presents a serious treatment of the events that led up to the bombing attack and a factual description of what went on during and after the attack. The author, Theodore Taylor, was also involved in the production of the movie, "Tora! Tora! Tora!" the popular movie about the December 7th attack.

From the description above, you can probably determine that "Air Raid - Pearl Harbor" is not your usual children's book. It would appeal to that child who is interested in history, especially in those events related to warfare or the military. Its reading requires a high level of reading ability. Among other things, it contains a large number of Japanese leaders' names, many of which are especially difficult to pronounce. But for that child who has the interest and the ability, the book provides a succinct and vividly written account of the Pearl Harbor attack. A parent also would find the book interesting and useful in providing a relatively brief but accurate depiction of this historical event. The book provides some maps but other than the one on the cover does not have illustrations or photographs.

A prize-winning kid's book that's so well written you may want to read it yourself

"When Zachary Beaver Came to Town" is the second book by Kimberly Willis Holt whose first publication was "My Louisiana Sky," which was awarded a number of awards for best fiction for children and young adults. Her second book is a National Book Award winner.

What makes the book so extraordinary is that Ms. Holt takes a cast of colorful small town characters and brings them to life in a plot that is so true to life because of its seemingly unlikely juxtaposition of events. The story is told through the eyes of Toby, an insecure boy of junior high school age. Toby develops empathy for the Zachary Taylor, a reclusive 15-year-old boy who has been brought to town to be exhibited as "the world's fattest boy." It appears that Zachary has been abandoned by his scam artist manager and left to fend for himself in the small Texas town of Antler. Toby strives to get to know the real Zachary and, later, to protect him from embarrassment and lead him into some kind of life beyond exploitation as a sideshow freak.

The Zachary Taylor part of the plot is interwoven with the story of a housewife who leaves her son and husband to pursue her ambition to be a country music star. There is a subtly interwoven plot about a husband and father who left the large city and a high-pressure career to live a quiet life in a small town. There is a story of the hopeless crush of a young adolescent for a slightly older girl, who in turn, is involved in a romance with an early-maturing classmate, who is trying to cope with his own identify problems because of his family's ethnic background. The dissonance in society's view of the Viet Nam war is brought in through making part of the plot the combat service of the small town's favorite son

This is another one of those children's literature award winners that is probably best experienced by a young person who can discuss it with an adult who has also read and appreciated the book.

Is your son or daughter one of those kids who never saw an animal they didn't like?

"Raccoons on the Roof" is one title in a series of books authored in England that deal with pre-teens and their infatuation with animals of all different kinds. This particular book features a young English girl who visits Florida with her grandparents. Her grandmother was the closest friend of an English war bride from World War II and had waited decades to visit her friend in the United States. The American friends had lived in a rather remote part of Florida and, with their children and grandchildren, had tried to preserve the natural beauty and animal habitats of their home area. They were now dealing with the encroachment of non-nature lovers who were developing home sites and driving out the animal life.

Although numerous animals indigenous to Florida are featured in the book, the main focus is on a family of raccoons, who especially fascinated Mandy, the granddaughter of the English friend of the war bride. Most of us here in Missouri know how mischievous and destructive raccoons can be around a bird feeder or the garbage cans. So we can be somewhat sympathetic to the new neighbors who haven't learned to live along side of wild animals and appreciate the animals' rights to remain on the land.

The publisher reports a fourth grade level of reading difficulty for the paperback. There is enough plot and action to appeal to girls and boys who are above that grade level. Scholastic publishes the books in the U.S. They cost less than a movie admission ticket and can be found in the intermediate section of most bookstores.

Would you be happy if your kids read shortened and rewritten versions of the "classics"?

Many of the classic titles in English and American literature have been published in rewritten and shortened versions repeatedly over the years. Some of us can remember reading "Classic Comics" versions. The really elderly among us can remember the "Big Little Books" of the 1930's and 40's, with a full-page picture for each page of text. The most recent redone classics have been issued as the "Bullseye Step into Classics" series, published as inexpensive paperbacks by Random House.

For the children's review, Bullseye's "Robin Hood" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" were chosen as examples. The publisher reports a primary grade level of readability (2.4 grade equivalent) on the back cover for both paperbacks. This certainly understates their reading difficulty, as publishers of children's books are prone to do, but both books would not overtax the reading skills of middle graders with some reading problems.

Kids should be exposed to the characters and plots of these classic stories as early as possible. A reading of a simplified version is just as likely to predispose a young reader to read the original as it would be a cause for him or her to coast through life on a reading of a 'dumb downed" version. Many of us can remember reading a revised classic as a third or fourth grader and, then, eagerly reading the "real" volume in seventh or eighth grade. Sharing one of these paperbacks with a child can revive for a parent his or her memory of an early reading of a favorite classic like "Little Women, "Black Beauty," or ""The Three Musketeers."

Sports

Suggested lesson plan for "Twelve-year-old competes in national golf meet"

Readability: Sixth grade level

Possible hard words:
Proper names: Kelsey Meyer, Columbia, Mo., Orlando, Fla., Belleville, Ill., Jerry Meyer, Haley Meyer, University of Dayton, Lexington, Ky., Morgan Pressel, Ascension Catholic School, Chesterfield
Other words: tournament, competition, putted, scheduled, interior decorator

BEFORE READING: Have the young reader read the list of terms above. Provide help where needed. If no more than four terms cause trouble, suggest the young reader read the article silently. If five to seven words cause difficulty, ask the young reader to read the article aloud to you. If eight terms or more are missed, offer to read the article aloud. Inform the child that questions will be raised afterward.

DURING READING: Indicate to the child reading silently that you will help with any words if asked to do so. For the child reading aloud, supply words quickly when called for to keep the reading fluent. If you read aloud, model good oral reading.

AFTER READING: Ask questions such as the following to promote a discussion of the article.

1. Why do you think the story about the broken right arm was included in the article?
2. What is the hardest part of golf for Kelsey?
3. What does Kelsey expect to happen that she thinks will make golf easier for her?
4. What is Kelsey backup plan if a golfing career doesn't work out for her?

Lifestyle

Suggested lesson plan for "Historic
family fun at International funfest"

Readability: Sixth Grade Level

Possible hard words:
Proper names: Lindell Ave., Barnes Bradshaw, Milligan Stew, Ensemble Esphahan, Mojo Moyo, Trio La Violette, Mensur Hatic, Intrigue Visual Music, Old Tyme Toys and Games, Thomatrope, Dr. Tada, Terry Richison
Other words: participation, ethnic, demonstrations, bocce ball, audience, illusionist, manipulation, caricature

BEFORE READING: Have the young reader read the list of names and words. There are twenty terms altogether. If the reader misses no more than four, suggest that he or she read the article silently. If five to eight cause difficulty, suggest that he or she read the article aloud to you. If nine or more terms are missed, you offer to read the article aloud. In all instances, indicate questions will be raised afterward.

DURING READING: For the child reading silently, indicate before they start that you will help with any words if asked. For the child reading aloud, supply any words as needed to keep the reading fluent. If you read the article aloud, try to model expressive and fluent oral reading.

AFTER READING: Use questions such as these to stimulate discussion and check comprehension.

1. What are the several features of the International Funfest?
2. What is cork ball?
3. What is an illusionist?
4. What do you think all these events have to do with St. Louis history?
5. Do you have any kind of ethnic game, music, dance, or other activity that you are familiar with from your background and could contribute to a Funfest event? Describe.

Profile

Suggested lesson plan for "South County
girl in National History Day'

Readability: About sixth grade

Possible hard words:
Proper names: Maryland, Katy Connor, Smithsonian's Aerospace Museum, Washington, D.C., Sally Ride, Stanford University, California, St. Raphael the Archangel, Rosati Kane High School, University of Missouri - Rolla, John and Christy Connor, Cypress Swamp, Flag Pond, Solomon's Island, Chesapeake Bay
Other words: represented, accomplishments, autographs, professional

BEFORE READING: Have the child read all the names and words from the list above, helping with pronunciations where needed. Indicate these words will appear again in the article. Then suggest that the young reader read the article aloud to you. Alert him or her to the fact that questions will be raised afterward.

DURING READING: Supply words as needed to keep the reading fluent.

AFTER READING: Use questions such as those that follow to promote discussion and check for comprehension.

1. What did Katy do while she was in Washington, D.C.?
2. What did Sally Ride do to become famous? What does she do now?
3. Describe the competition that Katy Connor went through to get to go to Washington?
4. How did Katy react to a horseshoe crab?

News

Suggested lesson plan for "Camp kids get preview of new planetarium"

Readability: About sixth grade

Possible hard words:
Proper names: Robert Scobee, Will Rimel, Kristen Bengston, Jennifer Gaither, James S. McDonnell Planetarium, Boeing Space Station, Whitfield School, Crestview Middle School, Hixon Middle School, Webster Groves, Parkway District
Other words: remodeling, astronauts, architect, biotechnology, volunteer, constellations, psychologist, cellist

BEFORE READING: Have the young reader read the names and words from the list. If the child misses no more than three, suggest that he or she read the article silently. If four to seven words are missed, ask the reader to read the article aloud to you. If eight or more cause difficulty, you offer to read the article aloud to the young reader. Indicate that questions will be asked afterward.

DURING READING: Offer to help with any words causing a problem if asked by the child reading silently. For the child reading aloud, supply troublesome words when needed to keep the reading fluent. If you read aloud, model expressive and smooth oral reading.

AFTER READING: Use questions such as the following to stimulate discussion and check for understanding.

1. Why did the kids get a sneak preview of the new planetarium?
2. Describe the three levels of the remodeled planetarium?
3. What do you think your favorite exhibit would be at the planetarium?
4. Are you interested in astronomy and space travel? Why or why not?

Outdoors

Suggested lesson plan for "Neat outdoor camps for 'junior naturalists'"

Readability: Fifth grade level

Possible hard words:
Proper names: Babler State Park, Jennifer Woods
Other words: naturalist, mysterious, nocturnal, surroundings, condenses, pollen, recycled

BEFORE READING: Go through the list of names and words above with the young reader, providing help where needed. Then suggest that he or she read the article aloud to you and be prepared to discuss it later.

DURING READING: Supply any troublesome words right away to keep the reading fluent.

AFTER READING: Consider using questions such as the following to encourage discussion and check for understanding.

1. There are three "junior naturalist" camps planned. Name them and describe what they are about.
2. What does nocturnal mean? Name a couple of nocturnal creatures.
3. What is the "water cycle?"
4. How do animals and plants "need" each other?
5. Which of the three camps would you find most interesting? Why?

Reading

Suggested lesson plan for "Library reading program starts with fun and games"

Readability: About sixth grade level

Possible hard words:
Proper names: Jocelyn McLin Brittany Griffin, Sydney Cross, Dick Weber Bowling Lanes, Florissant, Maddie Harris, Eddie Harris, Faust Park, Salem Lutheran School, Bianca Roberts, Tyler Wesche, Trenton Wesche, Our Lady of the Presentation School, Willow Davis Roberts, St. Clare of Assisi School, Ellisville
Other words: karoake, competition, participated, incentives

BEFORE READING: Note that there are nineteen terms in the list above. Have the young reader read the names and words. Offer help as needed. If the child has difficulty with no more than three of the items, suggest he or she read the article silently. If the child misses four to seven items, suggest her or she read the article aloud to you. If eight or more terms are missed, you volunteer to read the article to the child. Always indicate questions will be raised after reading.

DURING READING: For the child reading silently, offer to help with any words as requested. For the child reading aloud, supply any words as needed to keep the reading reasonably smooth and fluent. If you read, model fluent oral reading.

AFTER READING: Use questions such as those that follow to promote discussion and check for comprehension.

1. What did a bowling alley have to do with the library's summer reading program?
2. What were the rewards at Faust Park for kids who showed up?
3. Do many kids take part in the summer reading program? Why do you think so?
4. How do the goals for reading differ with age groups?
5. What has been your experience with summer reading programs?

Answers to Fun and Games

Note that the words used in Young Saint Louis.com crossword puzzles are all taken from the articles appearing in this months issue.

Young Saint Louis.com - July #1

Young Saint Louis.com - July #2

Summer vacation

July Fourth