Help me give my students their own copy of the books "Poison Dart Frogs Up Close," "Deadly Poison Dart Frogs," "Peter Pan," and "One Well: The Story of Water on Earth."
My third grade students learn in a Title I school, of which over 90% receive a free or reduced lunch. They are enthusiastic readers who are building a base of knowledge and ideas about the world through books! I had most of these students in first grade, and we learned the foundational skills of reading and writing. I saw their interest in reading come alive through Mo Willems' "Elephant and Piggie" books series. They loved these books so much that I used my own money to buy them a copy of each one.
My third grade students are ready to take reading and writing to the next level!
We are using a rigorous curriculum as a jumping-off point to explore fiction and nonfiction texts. These are real pieces of literature that focus on character development, literary elements, science, and current issues around the world. I am excited to put real texts into their hands for them to read, write about, and think critically about for themselves. My students are getting the best of literacy and a global education at the same time!
My Project
Students will use their own copies of these books to complete three units of study. They will develop their literacy skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking about nonfiction and fiction texts.
In the first unit, students will read and write using the texts “Poison Dart Frogs Up Close” and “Deadly Poison Dart Frogs” along with another text we already received from our Global Readers II project.
Our guiding questions are: “What do experts do?” “How do I become an expert?” and “How do frogs survive?” Students will research with partners and then share their expertise by creating a research-based narrative in the form of a “freaky frog trading card” that will educate the class on how their frog survives.
Our second unit will use the classic tale “Peter Pan.” Our guiding question is: “How do writers capture a reader’s imagination?” Students will learn to analyze characters using evidence in the text. They will learn about the author’s use of dialogue and vivid language and will practice writing their own imaginative narrative scene. They will end the unit by comparing the book to a script of a "Peter Pan" play, performing in a Reader’s Theater, and writing an opinion piece about a character in “Peter Pan.”
In the final unit, students will learn about the importance of clean freshwater around the world when they read “One Well: The Story of Water on Earth.” They will write an informative piece after studying where water is found on the earth. They will compare texts about the water cycle and water sheds. Also, students will research challenges regarding clean water. Lastly, they will present their opinion in which they state the one thing they can do to conserve or protect clean water in the world.
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