Book Study Unit - Minnesota State University Moorhead
Book Study Unit
A book study is a structured series of lessons and activities designed to teach a children’s novel as literature to a class for which the novel is appropriate. The lessons and activities are designed to provide a comprehensive unit of study and will serve as a model for teaching other children’s novels. The study of this novel will connect to other curricular areas, such as history, geography, art, science, and music; but primarily the work will be studied as a work of literature. This book study unit will help you teach children’s literature and will be a guide for your students to better understand and appreciate literature.
The Assignment
1. Form groups of three to work on the book study unit. Remember that this will be a very important assignment and teamwork and cooperation will be essential. Each member of the group will be expected to make a significant contribution to the unit. Each member of the group will receive the same grade on the project. More importantly, you will want to have this unit carefully and thoughtfully constructed so you can use it in your classroom or use it as a model for other book study units.
2. Select, read and analyze a novel from the list provided.
3. Prepare the book study unit for any grade from the third through sixth grade.
4. Prepare and submit two copies of your book study unit. One to be graded and returned with comments and the other for my files. On a separate sheet of paper, provide addresses so I can send out comments and your grade since the book study unit is due during the final exam session.
Note on Using Source and Reference Materials and Academic Integrity
You will use many resources for this unit. This is expected and entirely appropriate. You are not expected to create all of the materials or create original ideas for your book study unit. Make use of the resources available in the library, in the ERIC database, in books, in journal articles, and on the Internet.
However, the first rule of academic integrity is to give credit where credit is due. Document all resources used and be sure to give credit for ideas, background materials, pictures, or graphic organizers. If you take a general idea or activity and adapt it for your novel be sure to credit the source of the idea. If you use a worksheet or activity, be sure to include the information for the original resource on the worksheet or activity sheet.
Include all resources used in the bibliography for your book study unit. Use MLA style of citation.
Format for the Book Study Unit
I. Title Page.
Design a title page reflective of your novel and unit of study. Include the following information on your title page as it fits into your design.
A Book Study Unit on ________________________ (title of the book) by __________________ (author of the book) prepared by ________________________________________ (members of your group).
II. Goals and Objectives (include this section verbatim in your unit)
Major Goal
Through the integration of reading literature and writing, students will progress in their quest for their own identity and their role in society.
Objectives
1) Students will experience new ways of “getting into” the literature which they may apply to other reading.
2) Students will:
a) Respond personally to literature;
b) Interact with the literature itself and with others who have shared the reading;
c) Make comparisons between this work and other works.
3) Students will engage in various kinds of writing which arise from, relate to, and go beyond the literature:
a) They will write individual personal responses to the literature;
b) They will write specifically about the literature itself which requires that they go back into the selection for a closer look;
c) They will create creative pieces which go beyond the literature and are uniquely their own.
II. Specific Goals and Objectives
Besides the general goals and objectives, your book study will also include specific goals and objectives. These specific goals and objectives should articulate those literary elements and aspects of the particular book you teach, focusing on exactly what you expect your students to learn. Goals are what you plan for your students to accomplish through your book study, the outcomes you desire them to achieve. Objectives are the means you devise by which they will attain these goals. Activities then need to reflect on the goals and objectives.
Your specific goals and objectives should be expressed in terms of desired outcomes for students’ learning. Use the major goal and objective statements and the outline above as a structural model. You should have approximately one page of goals and objectives.
III. Introduction
Write an introduction for your book study unit. The introduction should include the following:
1) Overview of the Book written in a paragraph, brief and to the point.
2) A Paragraph about the Population to whom you will be teaching the book. Describe your grade level, the type of school, classroom size, and the community. You can create this class to be anything that you would like. This is the only time you will be able to “pick and choose” your classroom.
Teaching Activities for the Book
Design your teaching activities to be meaningful work to introduce, discuss, and follow-up on the teaching of your book. This section should include the following:
Pre-Reading Activities. Activities designed to get students ready for the reading and study of the book. Include each of the following:
1) Lead-in Book. Select a book that has a close connection to the book you will be teaching in your book study unit. Include the author, title, and publication information for your lead-in book. You may choose a picture book, folktale, short story, or poetry. Be sure that it has some connection to and provides a lead into the book you will be teaching. This work must be short enough to be read aloud and discussed with students in one or two class periods. Include a rationale for why you selected the lead-in book and how you intend to use it with the class.
2) A Pre-Writing Activity that leads into book.
3) A Discussion or Discussion Question that lead into the book.
4) A Predictive Activity that gives students the opportunity to guess what might happen in the plot of the book.
During-Reading Activities. Activities to be used when teaching the book. This section of the book study unit will include representative samples of activities that you would use to teach the book. This section may include more activities than you would actually use when you teach the book. Think of this as a resource unit and include meaningful activities for your book. You may not have time to teach all of the activities, but you will have the materials and ideas ready.
For the purpose of this assignment, include one of each of the following.
1) An On-Going Reader-Response Activity or Activities. If you decide to have your students keep a journal, include the directions you would give them for journal writing or entries.
2) Two or More Discussion Questions for at Least Three Chapters of the Book. Focus on the goals that you have selected for the teaching of this book. Also, be sure that these are “REAL QUESTIONS” and focus on higher order thinking skills.
3) An on-going activity on the characters in the book.
4) Two activities for various appropriate stages of the book. Be sure to indicate at which points in the book you would do these activities and a rationale for doing them.
Post-Reading Activities. Activities to be used at the conclusion of teaching the book.
1) Two “REAL QUESTIONS” that apply to the book as a whole rather than from one chapter or section at a time.
2) Two different activities designed to teach specific aspects of your novel, for example, character, plot, setting, style, use of language, or themes in the book.
Integration of the Novel into the Curriculum.
1) One activity that will link this book with another content area. Design an activity that will tie the book to another content area -- for example, history, geography, mathematics, art, music, or physical education.
Concluding Activity.
1) A culminating activity to celebrate the teaching of your book and to bring closure to the unit.
Bibliography.
1) Bibliography of all resources consulted or used for the book study unit.
Be sure that your book study unit includes assignment and activities that will fulfill the general objectives and goals, as well as your specific ones.
Assignment based upon “Book Study Unit” created by Dr. Sarah Smedman for EECE 441.
Ideas and Resources to Get You Started
On Reserve in the MSU Moorhead Library.
1) Sample copies of book study units from previous EECE 441 classes. Examine these for models and ideas.
2) Activity Books. Examine these for ideas for pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading activities and ideas. Some of these books have models that can be photocopied and included in your units.
• Bromley, Karen D’Angelo. Webbing With Literature: A Practical Guide. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1991. (Reserve #ELC 461)
• Bromley, Karen D’Angelo. Webbing With Literature: Creating Story Maps with Children’s Books. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996. (Reserve #ELC 460)
• Johnson, Terry. Literacy Through Literature. Metheun, 1986. (Reserve #ELC 462)
• McCarthy, Tara. Teaching Literary Elements: Easy Strategies and Activities to Help Kids Explore and Enrich their Experiences with Literature. New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 1997. (Reserve #ELC 459)
• O’Brien-Palmer, Michelle. Great Graphic Organizers to Use with Any Book! Jefferson City, MO: Scholastic Professional Books, 1997. (Reserve #ELC 463)
Search the ERIC Database.
1) Search ERIC from the Library web page or on the SearchEric site on the Internet . You may be able to find specific teaching activities for your book or for teaching elements of literature.
Search WebPALS the Online Catalog.
1) Search for study guides or activity guides for your book. Do a keyword search on the title of your book to see what is available. Remember, you can search the entire PALS system and request materials from other libraries. You can also do a keyword search on your author to see what materials may be available.
2) Two series we have in the Library are called Novel Ties and Book Wise. Search for these and other materials available for teaching your book. If the library does not own a “Novel Ties” or “Book Ties” for your book, you can still look at these and adapt activities for your book. These have good examples for pre-reading, writing activities, discussion questions, and post-reading activities.
CHOICES for Book Study Unit
All were discussed in the chapters in your textbook.
Fantasy
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander*
The Giver by Lois Lowry
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien*
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle*
Realistic Fiction
Beat the Turtle Drum by Constance C. Greene
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson*
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen*
Holes by Louis Sachar
One-Eyed Cat by Paula Fox
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Where the Lilies Bloom by Vera and Bill Cleaver
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