1. TUCK EVERLASTING READ ALOUD ACTIVITIES CONSTRUCTIVIST BASED
EDUC 650 Content Reading
Jacinda VanHorn
6/28/2013

3. RATIONALE
These activities support the read aloud of Tuck Everlasting as a supplement to my middle school Read180 class.

4. OBJECTIVES Enjoy a read aloud Demonstrate paragraph writing skills
Increase descriptive vocabulary

5. COMMON CORE STANDARDS
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

6. STUDENTS: paper, pencil TEACHER: sticky notes, Smart board and copies of writing prompt, example paragraph, paragraph graphic organizer (8 sentence), Smart board of six word memoir organizer, example memoir, art paper and various art supplies.
MATERIALS

7. ACTIVITIES During read aloud:
a. Expect authentic listening- teach, demonstrate, practice at beginning.
b. After first day, when students come into class, take a sticky note and write prediction for day’s reading and stick to board – predictions reviewed/discussed at end of read aloud for the day.
c. Teacher prompts students at specific descriptive paragraphs for students to write down descriptive words that they hear – first time this is modeled by teacher, then next paragraph do as a class, remaining paragraphs complete on own. Keep list running through read aloud.

8. ACTIVITIES After read aloud completed:
a. In pairs, students choose two vocabulary words, discover meaning by any method, and discuss with their partner. Next, students pick one word and represent its definition in a drawing/painting/collage. These will be presented to class when finished. After art work is presented, students write their own descriptive sentence of a physical place they enjoy spending time at. They will share these with their table groups.
b. Review six-word memoir from previous lesson. Direct students to create a six word memoir for one of the characters. It can be about their life after the book ends or create a different ending to the story. Teacher shares examples. Provide students with planning sheet and rubric. Students will illustrate their memoir on the computer and present to the class. Classmates will use a rubric to grade peers memoirs.

9. 6 WORD MEMOIR EXAMPLES Winnie: Lived a full life. No Regrets.
Too lonely. Drank water. Found Jessie
Jessie:
Life continues. Always waiting for Winnie.
Circle unbroken. Happiness brought by Winnie.

10. DESCRIPTIVE PASSAGE EXAMPLE
"The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone. There is no thunder, no relieving rain. These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after."

11. FINAL ACTIVITY
Students will be given a writing prompt, eight sentence paragraph graphic organizer (for those students who need it) and a rubric. The expectation is to produce an eight sentence paragraph (minimum). Teacher will review paragraph expectations. Students will have time to plan and discuss their ideas with table mates. When finished, they will self-evaluate their paragraph using the rubric. A final copy will be turned in, hand written. (this theme has been discussed during the read aloud during impromptu discussions)

12. WRITING PROMPT
In the book Tuck Everlasting, Winnie Foster is faced with a very difficult decision. Should she drink from the magic spring water with it’s promise of immortality or should she listen to Pa Tuck and stay on the wheel, letting the normal cycle of life and death run it’s course. Put yourself in Winnie’s shoes? What would you do? At first it would seem a rather easy decision, but there are so many things to consider when you stop and think about it. If you choose to drink the water, at what age would you do it, and why? How would you deal with the problem of keeping the water secret and avoiding the attention that would surely come with your body’s ability to avoid the aging process and death by any means. What would be your reasons for not choosing to drink the water? Make a decision, one way or the other and defend it with good reasons that are supported with specific examples and relevant details.

13. LANGUAGE ARTS
Reading - prediction, read aloud, research vocabulary definitions 
Writing -six word memoir, descriptive sentences, final paragraph
Speaking- present vocabulary art, present six word memoir, discuss ideas with other students
Listening-listen to read aloud, listen to other students ideas and presentations, listen for descriptive vocabulary
Viewing Visuals- view other students products 
Producing Visuals-vocabulary art, six word memoir  

14. WI EDUCATOR STANDARDS
# 1 Teachers know the subjects they are teaching.
#2 Teachers know how children grow.
#3 Teachers understand that children learn differently.
# 7 Teachers are able to plan different kinds of lessons.

15. CONSTRUCTIVIST QUALITIES
1. allow for personal perception of the world 2. provides opportunity for invention 3. provides for active involvement in the learning process 4. creates opportunity for transferring learning 5. accommodates individual and social construction in the learning process 6. provides opportunity to defend ideas 7. knowledge is constructed, not transmitted 8. is self-motivating 9. teacher serves as facilitator rather than director 10. there is more focus on learner than the subject 11. is a hands-on activity 12.does not require extensive memorization 13. involves students on authentic tasks 14. encourages use of dialogue 15. provides multiple prospective on reality 16. makes use of cognitive terminology such as create, predict, analyze 17. technology is useful 18. provides motivation to succeed/learn 19. allow for self reflection 20. involves students in language rich activities 21.Cooperation/collaboration are valued as opposed to competition