September 2003     Vol.4 Issue 9

All Lesson Plans

News

Suggested lesson plan for "Kids influence
content of new shopping mall"

Possible hard words: Proper names: Regal Cinema, Kirby Middle School, Stephanie Blum., Larry Costello, ESPN Extreme Sports, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Meadowlands, New Jersey
Other words: installation, neighborhoods, primarily, miniature, specifications, collaboration

BEFORE READING: Have the young reader read the list of names and words from the list of possible hard words. Provide help as needed, while keeping track of the words requiring assistance. If no more than three items fro the list call for help, ask the child to read the article silently. If four to six items require help, ask the child to read the article aloud. If seven or more items need help, you volunteer to read the article aloud. In all cases, point out that questions will be raised afterward.

DURING READING: For the silent reader, just tell him or her that you will help with any words if asked for help. For those reading aloud, supply words that impair fluency rather quickly in order to keep the reading fluent. If you read aloud, model smooth, fluent oral reading.

AFTER READING: Use questions such as the following to check comprehension and to promote a discussion of the article.

1. What are some of the youth-influenced features that are to be included in the new Mills Mall?
2. Describe some of the six "neighborhoods" that make up the mall.
3. Why are the Mall builders trying to "appeal to a broader family" where "there's something for everyone"?
4. What do you think about kids being involved in the mall planning? Do you have any different suggestions to offer?

Lifestyle

Suggested lesson plan for "Kids help
protect Meramec River's beauty"

Possible hard words: Proper names: Daniel Fenton, Chris Cain, U. S. Corps of Engineers, Bourbeuse, Courtois, Huzzah, Justin Surati
Other words: tributaries, authorized, referendum, coordinated, armored, johnboat, accumulated

To make it easier to read the article, have the young reader read the list of names and words from above, Provide help where needed. Then ask the child to read the article aloud and be ready to discuss it afterward.

DURING READING: Provide any words fairly quickly that impair fluency.

AFTER READING: Use questions such as the following to check comprehension and stimulate a discussion of the article.

1. What was special about this year's Meramec River clean up?
2. What was the story behind the "biggest piece of junk" Chris had found?
3. Why are winter cleanups sometimes easier than other times of the year?
4. Would you have any interest in participating in Operation Clean Stream? Why or why not?

Outdoors

Suggested lesson plan for "Frontiers kids
learn about outdoors, conservation"

Possible hard words: Proper names: Rebekah Davis, Busch Conservation Area, Michael Maason, Robby Lass, Bass Pro Shop
Other words: enrollment, voluntary, beneficial, archery dedicated, poisonous, persistent, tubing

BEFORE READING: To make it somewhat easier for a young reader, have him or her read the list of possible hard words. Provide help where needed. Then ask the young reader to read the article aloud to you and be ready to answer questions about it afterward.

DURING READING: Provide any troublesome words fairly quickly in order to keep the reading fluent.

AFTER READING: Use questions to check for understanding and stimulate a discussion of the article. Examples follow.

1. What are two purposes of the Missouri Department of Conservation's Frontiers Program?
2. What are Frontier's points?
3. What was Michael Maason's best outdoor experience in Georgia?
4. Do any of the Frontiers' projects interest you? Why or why not?

Health

Suggested lesson plan for "Kids already
planning for Red Ribbon Days"

Possible hard words: Proper names: Taylor Horwitx, Tehylor Palley, Paige Johnson, Carole Crowell, St. John's United Methodist Church, Armory, Festus, Mo., Andy Shanker
Other words: competition, effective, lollipop, substances, asthma, bracelets, pediatrician, aquarium

BEFORE READING: To get a feel for how difficult or easy the article might be for the young reader, have him or her read the list of possible hard words. Provide help as needed while keeping count of the items requiring your help. If no more than three call for help, have the young reader read the article silently. If four to six cause a problem. have the young reader read the article aloud to you. If seven or more items cause problems, you offer to read the article aloud to the child. In all three instances, point out that questions will be raised after the reading.

DURING READING: For the silent reader, offer to help out with any troublesome words if asked for help. For the child reading aloud, provide any troublesome words fairly quickly in order to keep the reading fluent. If you read the article aloud, model fluent and expressive oral reading.

AFTER READING: Use questions to check comprehension and to promote a discussion of the article. Examples follow.

1. What are the Red Ribbon Days?
2. What are some of the activities that kids conducted during Red Ribbon Days?
3. What was the "noise" event?
4. Have you experienced Red Ribbon Days at your school? If yes, what form did they take? If no, would you like to see it promoted in your school? Why or why not?

Books

This month's book reviews

A fifth grader plays matchmaker
for his divorced mother

Harvey Ryan thinks his life is being ruined because his mother, a popular children's author, uses him for book ideas and then comes to his school and talks about it. If he and his friend, Seal, can come up with a boyfriend for his mother, who is divorced from his father, maybe she won't have time anymore to ruin his life. The plot and subplots are treated lightly with humor. But themes of divorce, remarriage of one parent, visitation rights, kid-parent relations, the interrelationship of divorced parents - all are worked into what on the face of it is a comedy romp.

• Buy this book from Amazon.com

An old-fashioned fairy tale
spun by a modern writer

Every kid at one time or another thinks about writing his or her own version of the old fairy tales. Children's author, Patrice Kindl, lives out the fantasy in her little book, "Goose Chase." Alexandria, the heroine in Kindl's fairy tale, thinks like a twentieth century independent woman. She certainly isn't going to be victimized by events, but is bound to take charge even in the most unlikely and unexpected happenings in her life. Evil kings, stupid princes, ugly ogres, whatever, Alexandria is programmed to try to make the best of the situation and do it her way. The greatest fun for the author as well as the reader is in the telling of the tale, not in its ending or in trying to make sense of it all.

• Buy this book from Amazon.com

Outdoor adventure features a
rich boy and a hardheaded teacher

Take a lonely but spoiled rich kid, educated in exclusive private schools. Place him in a regular public school. Mix in a hardheaded science teacher who runs a wilderness camping experience for his fifth grade students each year. Have the teacher unjustly accuse the rich boy of bringing a forbidden knife to the camp. Have the rich boy run away into the woods. Send the outdoorsman teacher after him, but without adequate clothing and provisions to head into the wild. Lose them both. Have the kid turn out to be a hero by saving the teacher.

The children's author, Andrew Clements, does a good job of securing the reader's sympathy for a lonely and over-protected boy from an enormously wealthy family. Clements uses the device popular in kids' books of having the child turn out to save the very grown-up who has misjudged him. It makes for a good adventure story.

• Buy this book from Amazon.com

Busy popularity-seeking middle school
girl sorts out her values

Bess, the heroine in "Gracie's Girl" by Ellen Wittlinger, is a smart and independent middle schooler, who is working hard at balancing what she sees as the expectations of her peers and those of the adults in her world. She wants to be popular, but she is too serious-minded to join in the frivolous activity of many of the girls in her age range. The message of the book is that, surprisingly, kids can engage in worthwhile pursuits and still be popular and accepted by the group. Other messages deal with learning to better understand one's parents, penetrating the self-absorption of an older teen-age sibling, developing empathy for those driven to homelessness, and persistence in the accomplishment of worthwhile goals. With all these messages, the book still presents true-to-life characters and tells an engaging story.

• Buy this book from Amazon.com

Science

Suggested lesson plan for "Local
Challenger website opens this month"

Possible hard words: Proper names: Tasmyn Front, McCluer South-Berkeley High School, Paducah, KY.
Other words: priorities, organizations, memorial, reservations, capacity, curriculum

BEFORE READING: Ask the young reader to read the list of possible hard words with you providing any help where needed. Then ask him or her to read the short article aloud to you and be ready to discuss it afterward.

DURING READING: Supply and words fairly quickly that seem to be disrupting fluency.

AFTER READING: Use questions to check understanding and to stimulate a discussion of the article. Some examples follow.

1. How can you get a detailed preview of activities at the Challenger Learning Center before it opens?
2. How and why did these various Learning Centers come about?
3. Why does it appear that early reservations to visit the St. Louis Center would be a good idea?
4. Would you like to go to the Center with your classmates? Why or why not?

Sports

Suggested lesson plan for "Young
tennis player excelled this year"

Possible hard words: Proper names: Michelle Kedzierski, Boca Raton, Fla., Bill Kress, St. Joseph Academy, St. Ambrose Catholic School, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Serena Williams, Alexandria Lehman
Other words: tournament, consistency, opponents, competitors

BEFORE READING: To make reading the article somewhat easier for the young reader, have him or her read the list of possible hard words as you help with any troublesome words. Afterward, ask the child to read the entire article aloud to you. Point out before reading that questions will be asked later about the article.

DURING READING: Provide any troublesome words fairly quickly in order to keep the oral reading as fluent as possible.

AFTER READING: Use questions similar to these in order to check comprehension and to promote a discussion of the article.

1. Why is Michelle's success against older players a good sign for the future?
2. Why does Michelle especially like the Belgian pro Justine Henin-Hardenne?
3. What is the advantage that tennis players from California and the South have over mid-western players?
4. Why did Michelle quit playing soccer?

Profile

Suggested lesson plan for "Illinois teen
has sports, college goals set"

Possible hard words: Proper names: Mark Council, Edwardsville High School, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Florissant Valley Community College
Other words: accomplishments, defensive, offensive, regional, conditioning, instinctive, orthodontist

BEFORE READING: To make it easier for a young reader to read the article, have him or her read the list of possible hard words. Provide help as needed. Then ask the child to read the article aloud to you and be prepared for questions afterward.

DURING READING: Provide any troublesome words fairly quickly in order to keep the oral reading as fluent as possible.

AFTER READING: To check for understanding and to promote a discussion of the article, use questions such as the following.

1. How did his going to football games lead to Mark's college plans?
2. Other than sports, what other competitions has Mark competed in?
3. Why did Mark say he wanted to be an orthodontist?
4. Do you think Mark is likely to accomplish his goals? Why or why not?