Aboutthe

TheShadow BookLila’sclassisonafieldtriptothezoo.Whilebusyingherselfmakingshadowpuppetsontheground,Lilanoticesagroupofstudentspassbythat,strangelyenough,don’tcastanyshadows!Whenoneofthestudentsaccidentallydropsastrangependant,Lilaisafterhimtosolvethemystery.Thistextprovidesagoodintroductiontothegenreofsciencefiction.AbouttheTargetedReadingUsethereadingstrategyofvisualizing(creatingmentalpictures)tobetterunderstandUnderstandandidentifytheauthor’sUnderstandandidentifysubjectIdentifyandunderstandthemeaningofclosedcompoundGreentextindicatesresourcesavailableontheBook—TheShadowPeople(copyforeachChalkboardordryContentvocabulary,visualize,subjectpronounsDiscussionIndicatesanopportunityforstudentstomarkinthebook.(Allactivitiesmaybedemonstratedbyprojectingbookonin ctivewhitorcompletedwithpaperandpencilifbooksarereused.)Contentwhisked(v.)BuildUsetheoverheadprojectororaflashlighttocreateashadowpuppetonthewall.Askvolunteerstomakeothersforthegroup.Leadadiscussiononshadowsandlight.Askquestionssuchas:Whatcreatesashadow?Whatthingsdon’tcreateashadow?Whynot?Askstudentsiftheyhaveeverreadasciencefictionbookbefore.Ifso,askvolunteersto lthecharacteristicsofasciencefictionbook.Discusstheelementsofsciencefictionasagenre(usuallyinvolvesanothernetorworld,orpeoplefromanothernetorworld;oftensetinthefutureoran“alternatehistory”;usuallycontainssomeelementofrealscience).nTheShadownTheShadow)PreviewtheGivestudentstheircopyofthebook.Guidethemtothefrontandbackcoversandreadthetitle.Havestudentsdiscusswhattheyseeonthecovers.Encouragethemtoofferideasastowhattypeofbookitisandwhatitmightbeabout.Showstudentsthetitlepage.Discusstheinformationonthepage(titleofbook,author’sillustrator’sExintostudentsthatgoodreadersoftenvisualize,orcreatepicturesintheirmind,whiletheyread.Exinthatvisualizingisbasedonthewordsinthetextandwhata alreadyknowsaboutatopic.Readpage4aloudtostudents.ModelhowtoThink-aloud:WheneverIreadabook,Ialwayspauseaf gestocreateapictureinmymindoftheinformationI’veread.Thishelpsmeunderstandtheideasinthestory.WhenIreadaboutLilamakingtheshadowpuppets,Ipicturedhersittingonthestepsinacornerofthepenguinarea.Ipicturedhermovingherhandsindifferentpositionstomakeshadowanimalsonthesteps.Rereadpage4tostudents.Invitestudentstosharewhattheypictureintheirmindwhilehearingthewordsreadaloud.Showthemtheillustrationonpage4.Pointoutthateventhoughthepictureintheirmindmaynotbethesameastheoneinthebook,theywereeachabletocreateapictureintheirmind.Writethefollowingtermsonth:inform,entertain,persuade.Invitestudentstodefinethetermsintheirownwords.Encouragethemtogiveexamplesoftimeswhentheymighthavesaidsomethingtoinform,toentertain,ortopersuade.Pointoutthatwritersoftenhaveoneofthesethreepurposesforwriting.Modeleachpurposeforwritingbyreadingabriefpassagethatdemonstrateseach:aparagraphfromasocialstudiesorsciencebook(toinform),ahumorousfictionstory(toentertain),andanadvertisementfromamagazineornewspaper(topersuade).Think-aloud:Authorswritefordifferentreasons.Somewritetoprovidefactsaboutsomething.Forexample,thepassagefromthe(socialstudies/sciencebook)providedmewithinformation .However,thepurposeoftheadvertisementwastomakemethinkthatIneedtohavethisitem.Thepurposewasnottoteaesomething.Advertisementslikethisusewordsandpicturestopersuademetobuysomething.InthestoryIjustread,readersareentertained.Askstudentstopredictwhattheythinktheauthor’spurposemightbeforwritingTheShadowPeople.Askthemiftheythinktherecouldbemorethanonepurpose.Writethewordsfromtheglossaryonthechalkboardinalist.Pointtoeachword,readitaloud,andaskstudentstogivethethumbs-upsignaliftheyknowthewordorhavehearditbefore.Circleanywordsthatmoststudentsareunfamiliarwith.Exintostudentsthatmostofthetime,goodreadersusecontextcluestohelpfigurethemeaningofanunfamiliarwordinthetext.However,sometimestheywillnotfindenoughcontextcluestoclearlydef heunfamiliarword.Modelhowstudentscanusetheglossaryoradictionarytolocateaword’smeaning.Distributethecontentvocabularyworksheet.Instructstudentstocutoutthevocabularywordsacrossthebottomofthepagetomakewordcards.Havethemsortthewordsonthechartaccordingtohowwelltheyunderstandeachword:IKnowtheWord,IThinkIKnowtheWord,andIDoNotKnowtheWord.Havethemsetasidetheircharts.Exintostudentsthattheywilllearnthesewordsbet fterreadingthebookandusingcontextclues.lthemtheywillreturntotheirchartafterreading.Havestudentsthinkabouttheauthor’spurposewhilereading.Remindthemtovisualizeastheyread.DuringStudentGuidethereading:Havestudentsreadtoofpage7.Encouragestudentswhofinishearlytogobackandreread.Introduceandexinthevisualizeworksheet.ModelvisualizingpartsoftheThink-aloud:WhenIfinishedreading“IntheReptileHouse,”Ipausedtopictureinmymindhowthereptilehouselooks.Ipicturedhowdarktheroomswere.Ipicturedglass fullofslitheringanimals.Creatingapictureinmymindhelpedmeconnecttothestoryandbuildmyanticipationformighthappennext.Guidestudentstousetheirworksheettodrawasimplesketchofwhattheyvisualizedwhilereading.Invitethemtosharewhattheyvisualized.Reviewtheeventssofarinthestory.Discusswhatmightbetheauthor’spurposeforwritingthestory.Writetheexamplesonthasstudentssharethem.(Forexample:thestoryentertainsreadersbydescribingLila’striptothezooandherencounterwiththestudentsthatappearnottohaveanyshadows;thestoryinformsreadersbyexiningthemeaningofashadow.)Checkforunderstanding:Havestudentsreadtoofpage11.Havethemdrawontheirworksheetwhattheyvisualized.Invitevolunteerstoexinwhattheypicturedintheirmindwhentheyread.Reviewtheeventsofpages8through11.Discusshowtheeventssupportoneormoreofthethreepurposesforwritingastory.Askstudentstoreadtherestofthebook,stopeveryfe gestodrawasketchofwhattheyvisualizedwhilereading.Havestudentsmakeaquestionmarkintheirbookbesideanywordtheydonotunderstandorcannotpronounce.Encouragethemtousethestrategiestheyhavelearnedtoreadthewordandfigureoutitsmeaning.AfterAskstudentswhatwords,ifany,theymarkedintheirbook.Usethisopportunitytomodelhowtheycanreadthesewordsusingdecodingstrategiesandcontextclues.ReflectontheReadingAskstudentstoexinorshowhowthestrategyofvisualizinghelpedthemunderstandandrememberthestory.Think-aloud:WhenIreadaboutLilapullingthehypercubeoutofherpocketandholdingituptothesunlight,Ipicturedhowitshimmeredandglowedinherhand.Visualizingthestorywhilereadinghelpedmetoenjoythestory. tpractice:Havestudentssharetheircompletedvisualizeworksheet.Askstudentstoexintheirdrawingsusingthetexttosupporttheirsketches.ReflectontheComprehensionDiscussion:Askstudentstodiscusswhattheythinktheauthor’spurposewasforwritingthisbook.Ifstudentsonlyrespondtoentertain,promptthemtothinkabouttheothertwocategories.Ask:Wereyoupersuadedtothinkoractacertainwayafterreadingthisbook?(No);Didyoulearnanythingfromreadingthisbook?(Yes,aboutthe4thdimension,thedefinitionofashadow,themeaningofahypercube).Enduringunderstanding:Thisbookintroducedyoutosomeofthecharacteristicsofsciencefiction.Thenexttimeyougotothelibraryorbookstore,howwillreadingthisstoryhelpyoubeabletolifabookisconsideredsciencefiction?BuildWritethefollowingsentencesonth:Lilamadeapenguinshadowpuppet.Shemadeitdanceonthesteps.Underl hewordLila.Reviewwithstudentsthatanounisa ,ce,orthing.AskstudentstoidentifywhetherLilanamesa ,ce,orthing. inorreviewthatapronounisawordusedin ceofanoun.Underl hewordShe. intostudentsthatthewordShetakesthe ceofthewordLila.AskavolunteertoerasethewordLilafromthe tenceon andreceitShe.Havethegroupreadthesentencealoud,andaskifitmakesDiscussthereasonwhyauthorsusepronounsinceofnouns(tomakethewritingflowbetter,toavoidrepeatingthesamewords,tomaketheparagraphsoundbetter,andsoon).Writethefollowinglistofpronounsonth(she,he,we,they,it,you).Askstudentstoturntopage6.Readthesecondparagraphtogether.PointtothewordIt.ThenaskstudentstoidentifythenountowhichthewordItrefers(thereptilehouse).Checkforunderstanding:Havestudentsworkwithapartnertofindandcircleallthesubjectpronounsinthebook.Allowtimefordiscussionamongpairs.Remindstudentsthatsubjectpronounscomeatthebeginningofthesentence. worksheet.Iftimeallows,discusstheiranswers.Writethewordmailboxonth.Askstudentswhichtwowordstheyseeinthewordmailbox(mailandbox).Exinthatmailboxiscalledacompoundword.Acompoundwordcontainstwowordsthatmakeuponewordmeaning.Exinthatthedefinitionsofthetwoseparatewordscanhelpstudentsfigureoutthemeaningofthebiggerword(aboxwher isced).Havestudentsturntopage8andreadthethirdsentencealoudwhilestudentsfollowalong:Lilaquicklyscribbleddownafewlinesandthenleaptuptojoinherclassmates.Havestudentsidentifythecompoundwordinthesentence(classmates).Askthemwhichtwowordsarejoinedtogetherinthewordclassmates(classandmates).Askpairsofstudentstousethemeaningofeachseparateword lassmatestoidentifythemeaningofthewholeword(peoplewhoareinthesameclass).Discusstheiranswers.Checkforunderstanding:Havestudentsturntopage15andrereadthepage.Havethemidentifyandunderl hecompoundword(sunlight).Askstudentstocirclethetwowordscontainedinthecompoundwordandwritethemeaningofthewordonthepage.Discusstheword’smeaningwithstudents.BuildtAllowstudentstoreadtheirbooktly.Additionally,partnerscantaketurnsreadingpartsofthebooktoeachother.HomeGivestudentstheirbooktotakehometoreadwithparents,caregivers,siblings,orfriends.Havestudentssharewithsomeoneathometheauthor’spurpose(s)forwritingthisstory.NarrativeWritingandArtDiscusswithstudentshowtheauthorendedthebookleavingmanyquestionsinthereader’smind.Havestudentswriteacontinuationofthestoryoraparallelstorythatexinswhotheshadowchildrenare,wheretheycamefrom,orperhapsastoryaboutthecharacterofChad.Studentsmayillustratetheirstorywhenfinished.ScienceHavestudentsmeasuretheirshadowsatdifferenttimesthroughouttheday.Havethemdiscusstheirfindings.SkillDiscussioncardscoveringcomprehensionskillsandstrategiesnotexplicitlytaughtwiththebookareprovidedasanextensionactivity.Thefollowingisalistofsomewaysthesecardscanbeusedwithstudents:UseasdiscussionstartersforlitureHavestudentschooseoneormorecardsandwritearesponse,eitherasanessayorasajournalentry.Distributebeforereadingthebookandhavestudentsuseoneofthequestionsasapurposeforreading.Cutapartandusethecardsasg