Artifact 8

Context: Over time, I have developed several novel units for a 6th grade Language Arts class. The ideas for activities included in these units were generated from RE5130 Teaching the Language Arts and RE 5730 Reading and Writing Instruction for Intermediate and Advanced Learners, both taught by Dr. Linda Kucan. Students became accustomed to receiving an invitation, following a rubric and working through the "writing process." Through these novels, the students journeyed across the United States with Salamanca Tree Hiddle, traveled back to 12th century Korea with TreeEar and to the northern tundra of Canada with Farley Mowat.

I have just included a sampling of activities from each novel.

Walk Two Moons

Traditional Chapter Summary
Students were initially given a 'model,' guiding template (outline) and were asked to include an interpretive illustration.
Postcard written from a main character's point-of-view
Students were asked to write 3 postcards (2 from Sal's p.o.v. and 1 from her mother's p.o.v.)
1-sentence chapter summaries on post-its
Students practiced summarizing a chapter in 1 sentence which were posted on the board and shared.
Collage
Towards the end of the novel, students created a collage which mapped Salamanca Tree Hiddle's journey as she followed in her mother's footsteps

A Single Shard

Word Poem
Invitation

Students created interpretive poems (collage of pictures and words) that 'showed' the first chapter.
Letter written from a main character's point-of-view
Rubric

Students wrote a letter from Craneman to TreeEar as he began his journey to the capital.
Alphabet book Rubric
Together, students brainstormed vocabulary words related to the novel and each created 3 pages for a collaborative alphabet book. This project allowed them to work primarily at the sentence level, and mesh words with a visual 'image.'

Never Cry Wolf

Journal entries written from the main character's point-of-view (for each chapter).
This allowed the students to not only restate the main idea of each chapter, but to take on the persona of the author; intimately becoming acquainted with the vagaries of his character and his research as a wildlife biologist.

Alignment A. Instructional Expertise: The candidate demonstrates instructional expertise by applying the theoretical, philosophical, and research bases for educational practice in P-12 settings to improve student learning. Activities in a novel unit can be layered and presented in a systematic way so that instruction is both challenging and cumulative. For each student there will be an activity that meets their developmental level while stretching them to grow.

Alignment B. Knowledge of Learners: The candidate incorporates knowledge of the nature of the learner, learning processes, variations in learning abilities and learning styles, and strategies for evaluating learning into the planning, delivery, and evaluation of instruction. Such an offering of activities offers students an opportunity to expand their skill base while fostering motivation to succeed. The creative and thoughtful output of students creates a classroom climate which is conducive to 'excellence.'

Alignment C. Research: The candidate uses research to examine and improve instructional effectiveness and student achievement. The incorporation of 'invitations' and rubrics that clearly lay out expectations allow both teacher and student to consistently assess the work that is produced. Constructive feedback supports future learning and understanding.

Alignment D. Content Knowledge: The candidate demonstrated advanced depth and breadth of knowledge and skills in the academic discipline and education. In order to make these novels come alive for the students as well as provide a foundation for the critical study of literature, a teacher must have indepth knowledge not only of the text but also of the literary genre. The universal messages of the novels can be extended across disciplines and applied to real life situations that the students may encounter.