Thematic Units Thematic units are units that are centered around a book and have a general theme.

Goals Make reading enjoyable Make students familiar with the many kinds of genres Make students familiar with written works and famous authors

Developing Literature Units Align Common Core State Standards with your literary unit Reference the State comprehensive curriculum to follow grade level expectations and objectives that must be met Choose books that work well with your students reading levels.

Lesson Plans Objectives Procedures and methods Evaluation both formative and summative assessments

Unit planning Select vocabulary from each chapter and introduce them at the beginning of the novel and again as they get to the words when they get to the chapter. Create open ended response questions about the chapters as the students read them. Use book extensions, predictions and drawing conclusions to enhance the reading of the novel.

Reading Aloud Read aloud parts of the novel to the students to model good reading. Use inflection and emotion in your voice. Have students read parts in class aloud taking turns. Have students read aloud in their groups at their desks or in literature circles.

Independent reading Students can read independently at school during SSR or SQUIRT time. Students can be assigned chapters to read at home. Teachers should provide students with goals to achieve, questions to answer, and information to discover through their reading assignment.

Reading Comprehension Aids Keep a chart of characters and their roles in the novel Fill out a story map which maps out story elements Create a time line of events in the story

Content-area reading-reading text for information such as in social studies or history books and science. Reading to learn not learning to read. Trade books-used to introduce topics across the curriculum such as math, science, social studies

Responding to Literature Book discussions as a class Thinking critically about events and characters Written response Newspapers Creative drama Readers’ theater Plays

Book reports Gone are the days of the traditional book report to list who wrote it, what was it about, etc. Page copy these pages to use to create more engaging activities for book reports

Novel unit examples Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mr. Popper’s Penguins Charlotte’s web Island of the Blue Dolphins