Alisha Minton - Appalachian State University



Alisha Minton

Dr. Woody Trathen, Instructor

RE 3030: Text Talk Lesson for Stellaluna

7 October 2007

Text Talk Lesson for

Stellaluna

Written and illustrated by:

Janell Cannon in 1993

Summary: This book is about a little bat who is flying with his mother when an owl comes along and causes the mother to drop her baby, Stellaluna. Stellaluna spent that night alone and then the next day she landed into a mother bird’s nest that already had three babies in it. Stellaluna is forced to live like a bird in order to survive. She had to eat like a bird and sleep like a bird. Then one day when Stellaluna and her bird siblings are learning how to fly she becomes lost from them and is forced once again to spend the night alone; however, this time she find her real mother and makes some new bat friends who teach her that she is not a bird but a bat. Stellaluna is happy to learn that she no longer has to live her life like a bird and now she can be who she is without feeling ashamed.

Focus: The focus of this story is to teach children to be proud of who they are and not be something they are not just to please others.

Comments and Questions:

Cover: Show children the cover and read the author and illustrator. Ask the children what they might think the book is about and why.

Pages 1&2: A fruit bat is a type of bat that eats fruit.

1. If the mother bat is carrying Stellaluna clutched to her breast how would she be carrying her?

2. As you look at the picture on the first page what time of day do you think it is? Why do you think so?

Pages 3&4:

1. What do you think the owl is doing if she spied at the mother bat?

2. What do you think silent wings are? Why would it be important for the owl to have silent wings at this time?

3. What do you think happened to the mother bat? Why?

4. What do think is going to happen to Stellaluna now?

Pages 7&8: clambered means to climb with difficulty, especially on all fours.

1. What do you think makes the nest soft and downy?

Pages 9&10:

1. Why do you think that Stellaluna started acting like a bird?

2. What do you think might have happened to her if had not have?

3. Do you think that Stellaluna was bad because she was acting like a bat?

Pages 15&16:

1. Why do you think Stellaluna was embarrassed? Why?

Pages 19&20:

1. What does it mean when it says the three birds were anxious? (explain if needed)

2. What do you think is going to happen to Stellauna?

Pages 23&24:

1. Why was she confused?

Pages 29-40:

1. Why do you think Stellaluna decided to let go of the tree although she thought she would not be able to see?

2. Why did Stellaluna go find her bird friends and let them meet her family?

Pages 41&42:

1. Do you think that Stellaluna knew that they were different from her? Do you think she cared? Why?

Wrap up:

Now that we have read Stellaluna what are some of the things that Stellaluna taught us? Do you think that it is OK to be different? How are you different from your friends and does it really matter to you that you are different?

Vocabulary Exercise:

Sultry

Clambered

Anxious

1. Sultry: In the first sentence of the book it uses the words warm and sultry to describe the forest. The word sultry is a word used to describe a place that is very humid and hot. The author is trying to tell us that these bats lived in a place that was humid and hot or at least it was at the time of the year that the story takes place.

Say our word, sultry.

• North Carolina in the Summer that would be an example of sultry

• A rainforest or jungle would also be an example of sultry

• A snowy mountain would not be an example of sultry

• An air conditioned room would also not be an example of sultry

• A sauna would be sultry

• A freezer would not be sultry

What’s our word? Sultry

2. Clambered: The word clambered is used two times throughout the story to describe the way that Stellaluna and the other birds climbed in and out of the nest when mother bird returned. The first time it is used is in the sentence that says, “Stellaluna quickly clambered from the nest and hung out of sight below it.” Stellaluna might have clambered from the nest this time because she was unsure how mother would feel about her being there. Clambered means to climb with difficulty on all fours or an awkward climb. Stellaluna might have felt awkward because she felt like she did not belong there. The second time it is used was when Stellaluna was teaching the other birds to hang upside down from the nest. When the mother bird returned to the nest the book says that the birds clambered back into the nest as mother bird stopped Stellaluna to tell him not to teach her birds bad things.

Say our word: Clambered

Complete the sentences below based on what you have learned about the word clambered.

1. The robbers clambered out of the window because_____________

2. The boys clambered into bed and under the covers when________

3. The mountain climber clambered up the cliff because____________

4. The baby clambered out of her crib when____________________

5. The boy who took the money clambered to the principal’s office because________

Say our word again. Clambered

3. Anxious: In the story it says that the three anxious birds went home without Stellaluna. The word anxious is used describe the way the birds felt about leaving Stellaluna behind. They were uneasy because they were afraid that if they did not get home then danger might come to them and they were also afraid that danger was going to come to Stellaluna because they did not know where she was. Sometimes we can be anxious simply because we don’t know what might happen.

Say the word: Anxious

Which of these would make you anxious?

a. Going to the doctor or going to the movies.

b. Going to the fair or taking a test.

c. Having to get a tooth pulled or getting a haircut.

d. Starting a new school or going swimming with your friends.

What’s our word? Anxious

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