March 2002     Vol.3 Issue 3

All Lesson Plans

Ball Kids

Suggested lesson plan for "Two Eureka
boys are Young Saint Louis.com ball kids"

Readability: About sixth grade reading level

Possible hard words: Proper names: Eureka, Missouri Valley Conference, Bobby Belleville, Peter Simon, Savvis Center, Billikens, LaSalle Springs Middle School, Mizzou, Duke, Jared Jeffries, Hearnes Fieldhouse, Hannibal, Matt Foster, Gene Myers
Other words: tournament, refreshments

BEFORE READING: Have the young reader read the list of names and words. Provide help where needed. Since it is a fairly short article, ask the child to read the article aloud to you. Point out that questions will be raised afterward.

DURING READING: Provide words if needed to keep the reading fluent.

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

1. How did Bobby and Peter get picked to be ball kids at the Missouri Valley Conference tourney?
2. How will this experience differ from the boys' other experiences at the Savvis Center?
3. Do you think these two boys will be likely to become good high school and college basketball players? Why?
4. Are you a basketball fan through either playing or watching games? Explain.

Lifestyle

Suggested lesson plan for "Local kids
contribute to traveling peace project"

Readability: Sixth grade reading level

Possible hard words: Proper names: Republic of Uzbekistan, Russia, Lloyd Kleine Harvey, International Museum of Peace and Solidarity, Afghanistan, Warren G. Harding Elementary School, Wyland Elementary School, Ballwin, Father Dunne's Boys Home, Florissant, County Juvenile Detention Center, Clayton, LeClede Pre-School and Kindergarten, Patrick Ritchey, Mike Long, Parson's School of Design, MacIntosh
Other words: recycled, exhibit, original, recruited, emphasis, terrorist, tragedy, spontaneously, expectations

BEFORE READING: Have the young reader read the items from the list of possible hard words. Provide help where needed. There are over twenty items on the list. If no more than four cause a problem, ask the child to read the article silently. If five to eight words cause problems, suggest the child read the article aloud to you. If nine or more terms cause problems, you offer to read the article aloud. In all instances indicate questions will be raised and the article will be discussed.

DURING READING: For the child reading silently, note that help with any words will be offered if asked. For the child reading aloud, provide words fairly quickly when needed to keep the reading fluent. If you are reading aloud to the child, model fluent, expressive oral reading.

AFTER READING: Questions such as these can be used to check comprehension and stimulate discussion.

1. Why will some of the artwork be exhibited in Uzbekistan?
2. How did the East St. Louis kids show in their answers that world peace is something that is close to home for them?
3. What kind of materials does Harvey use in his projects?
4. Would you like to create an art project using recycled materials? Why or why not?

News

Suggested lesson plan for "Two kids go
different ways in Science Fair competition"

Readability: About Sixth grade reading level

Possible hard words: Proper names: Emily Mahon, John Ellebrecht, Greensfelder Recreation Center, Queeny Park, St. Justin the Martyr School, University of Missouri - Rolla, Iowa, Wildwood, Babler State Park
Other words: competition, allocated, solvents, experimental, mussels, dulcimer, medieval, accompany, mechanism, pendulum, submarine, resurface, submersible, hatchery, processed, alfalfa

BEFORE READING: Have the young reader read the items from the list of possible hard words. There are twenty-five items. If the reader has problems with four or fewer terms, have him or her read the article silently. If there is a problem with five to eight items, suggest that the child read the article aloud to you. If nine or more items are missed, you offer to read the article aloud. In all instances, note that questions will be raised afterward.

DURING READING: For the child reading silently, simply offer to help with any words if asked. For the child reading aloud, supply any words fairly quickly that seem to be impairing a fluent reading of the article. If you read aloud, model fluent and expressive oral reading.

AFTER READING: Use four or five questions to check understanding and stimulate some discussion. The following are examples.

1. How do Emily and John differ in the way they are preparing for this year's science fair?
2. Describe Emily's project.
3. Describe John's experiment this year?
4. What kinds of things do Emily and John do besides preparing for the science fair?
5. Have you considered entering the science fair? What kind of experiment interests you?

Sports

Suggested lesson plan for "Wonders of
Outdoor World comes to St. Louis"

Readability: Sixth grade reading level

Possible hard words: Proper names: Springfield, Babler State Park, Holly Berthold, Department of Conservation, Busch Wildlife Area, Rockwood Reservation, Meramec River
Other words: tuition, scholarships, accommodations, primitive, etching, cordage, orienteering, emphasized, binoculars, canoeing

BEFORE READING: Check the young reader's ability to cope with the vocabulary in the article by asking him or her to read the list above. If the child has a problem with no more than three of the terms, suggest that he or she read the article silently. If four to six terms cause difficulty, ask him or her to read the article aloud to you. If seven or more appear too difficult for the child to read, you offer to read the article aloud to him or her. Inform the child that questions will be raised after the reading.

DURING READING: For the silent reader, offer to help with any words if asked. For the child reading aloud, provide any words as needed to keep the reading fluent. If you read aloud, model expressive and fluent oral reading.

AFTER READING: In order to promote discussion and check for understanding, use question such as the following:

1. What is a general description of Wonders of the World?
2. Why is the $50 dollar fee considered to be quite economical?
3. What varied sleeping choices are available to families?
4. Do you think you and your family would be interested in such an experience? Why or why not?

Writing

Readability: Sixth grade reading level

Possible hard words: Proper names: Patricia and Fred McKissack, Brittany Woods Middle School, Jessica Jackson, Kwanza, African-American, Amina Larara, Bashir Kalayeh, Maulana Karenga, Muslim, Ramadan, Algeria, Arabic, French, Iran, Farsi, German
Other words: critiques, closed-circuit, factual, fiction, principles, participate, veterinarian, immigrant, career

BEFORE READING: Have the young reader read the list of names and words from the list. Provide help where needed. Since this is a fairly short selection, ask the young reader to read it aloud to you. Indicate that questions will be raised after the reading and the article will be discussed.

DURING READING: Provide any troublesome words fairly quickly if reading fluency seems to be impaired.

AFER READING: Use questions such as these to promote a discussion as well as check for understanding.

1. What was the writing assignment that the McKissacks gave the middle graders?
2. Why would Jessica Jackson's story be considered to be fiction?
3. What kind of work did Amina Larara want to do when she gets older?
4. How has the writing assignment changed the way Bashir Kalayeh now reads a story or a book?
5. What kind of writing do you like to do? Have you had a chance to do much of it? Discuss.

Books

This month's book reviews

An exciting sports book for
the girl who likes basketball

There seem to be plenty of books for middle grade girls who like to play soccer. A good basketball paperback like "Long Shot" is harder to find. Author, Timothy Tocher, in this 2001 publication by Meadowbrook Press, has produced a book that combines a number of elements - basketball as a girls' sport, moving, single-parent families, father-daughter relationship, generation gap (with grandmother and grand daughter), new school adjustment, and pre-teen friendships. That's a lot to squeeze into one sports story paperback. Tocher does it very well.

• Buy this book from Amazon.com

A great book for kids who want
to read a short book that is not "babyish"

Brian Selznick is an author and illustrator that produces books that seem to catch kids' imaginations. "The Boy of a Thousand Faces" is a Harper Trophy book, published in 2000, that really intrigues kids that like monster movies and stories about the abominable snowman or the Lock Ness monster. The paperback is heavily illustrated and only runs about forty pages long.

Kids can appreciate the humor in the book and yet not feel that the author is putting down those who really like to view horror movies or read scary stories.

Parents just might feel taken back to their own imaginative childhood as they share this book with their kids. For those middle grade kids who feel threatened by long books, this one can get them into reading an entire book without their investing a lot of time.

• Buy this book from Amazon.com

How to imbed a "save the endangered species" message in a fast-reading adventure novel

"The Last Lobo" by Roland Smith is a paperback adventure novel that's probably going to appeal more to boy readers than to girls. The main character is a teen-age boy who has been charged by his father to take responsibility to "see to" his elderly and ailing grandfather. It just happens that his father studies exotic animal species all over the world. Without a mother in the picture, Jacob, our hero, has been bouncing around the globe helping out in his father's work.

To make it even more interesting, Jacob's grandfather is a Hopi Indian who left the reservation to fight in World War II. Since his mother had been a Navaho, he had been a Code Talker who took part in the Pacific War. The "Code Talkers" has used their Navaho language as a code the Japanese were unable to break. After the war, the grandfather became an ironworker in New York City and spent his adult life away from his Indian forebears.

Anyway, there are certainly enough grounds for adventure in this little paperback novel to keep any pre-teen or teenaged boy engrossed in its entire 178 pages.

• Buy this book from Amazon.com

Finding fun in typical family day-to-day events

"Zooman Sam" is a hilarious little paperback about what goes on in a family as seen through the eyes of a five-year-old. It's nice to read a book that has no message - it's just supposed to be fun. It is one of a series of books about the fictitious Krupnik family. The big surprise is that the author is Lois Lowry, an award-winning writer of children and youth books that are noted for their seriousness and the societal messages they deliver - with the best-known probably being "The Giver."

"Zooman Sam" is one to share with your kid or kids as you laugh at events that come close to mirroring what very possibly has occurred in your own family.

• Buy this book from Amazon.com

Looking for a Dictionary with "Attitude?"
(Reprinted from our May, 2000 issue)

Beyond haranguing a kid to "use the dictionary," not nearly enough is done at home or at school to help a child grow and develop in using one effectively. Unfortunately, many adults have failed to learn to use a dictionary effectively and have not become happy and regular users in their lives. The Merriam-Webster and Garfield Dictionary provides a promising approach to addressing the problem. The publication is sophisticated enough to be useful to an adult user, while it, because of its size, ease of use, and the inclusion of the humor of Garfield comic strips, is appealing to middle grade kids, as well. For a middle grader who lacks reading proficiency partly because of his or her inability to recognize words, a dictionary is an essential tool.

An adult, who reviews the symbols in the pronunciation key with a middle grade child, is reviewing "phonics' skills that may not have been mastered in earlier grades. Referring back to the key when new or unrecognized words are met provides an excellent way to teach "phonics" principles and see them applied immediately. There are more expensive dictionaries and ones with color pictures in them. You won't find one that combines reasonable affordability, quality, ease of use, and a dash of humor, the way this one does.

• Buy this book from Amazon.com

Outdoors

Suggested lesson plan for "Ways you
can join Earth Day's All-Species Parade"

Readability: About sixth grade reading level

Possible hard words: Proper names: Missouri Historical Museum, Resource Recovery Project, Mini Boat Regatta, Susan Blandford, Harry S Truman Elementary School, Hoech School, Rittnour School District, University of Missouri - St. Louis' Ward E. Barnes Library, Bike Rodeo, Dodge 'em Drive, Renee Duenow
Other words: pavilion, decorate, participation, competitions, categories, floatable, patriotic, recyclable, contributors, personalized, creativity, hazards, collision, continuous

BEFORE READING: There are more than twenty items on the possible hard words list. Have the young reader read the names and words from the list, providing help where needed. If no more than four require help, suggest the child read the article silently. If five to eight terms require help, ask the child to read the article aloud to you. If nine or more items cause problems, you volunteer to read the article aloud. In all instances, note that questions will be raised after the reading.

DURING READING: For the silent reader, offer to provide help with words when asked for help. For the child reading aloud, supply any words as needed to keep the oral reading fluent. If you read the article aloud, model fluent oral reading.

AFTER READING: Use questions such as the following to stimulate discussion as well as check for comprehension of the article's content.

1. What are some of the things that kids are encouraged to do to participate in the Earth Day celebration?
2. What are the categories that will be used to judge the boats made from recyclable materials?
3. Since it's an "All-species" parade, what kinds of masks do you think kids are likely to make?
4. Would you have any interest in participating in this Earth Day celebration? Which event or events would you most like to take part in? Why?

Food

Suggested lesson plan for " School for
Blind kids help make real maple syrup"

Readability: Fourth grade reading level

Possible hard words: Proper names: Laura Engalls Wilder, Rockwood Reservation, Skily Smith, Webster Groves, Ellaun Williams, Keri Lanning, Amanda Stogsdill, Hillsboro, Kurt Elliott
Other words: frontier, artificial, concentrated, comparison, spigot

BEFORE READING: The vocabulary loading in this article is fairly light. Ask the young reader to read the words and names from the list, providing help where needed. Then, ask the child to read the article aloud and be prepared to discuss it afterward.

DURING READING: Provide any help with words that might be needed to keep the oral reading fairly smooth and fluent.

AFTER READING: Use questions to check for understanding and to promote a discussion. The following are examples.

1. Why is February a good month to collect maple sap?
2. How much maple sap does it take to make a gallon of maple syrup?
3. What was the fable that Indians told to explain why the sap was so watery?
4. Why are only larger maple trees used to obtain the sap?
5. Have you had experience in making maple syrup? Tell about it. If you haven't had the opportunity, would you like to try it? Why or why not?