Thursday, August 12, 2010
Group B Reader Response Discussion
Please make a plan as to how you might share this book with the rest of the class. To what does the book lend itslelf? How can you develop a feasible and engaging group share:PoemsCharacter websPerson on the Street InterviewDifferent Endings: ABC book (electronic format?)Act out a dramatic scene from the bookPlease respond to each other's entries on how to share this book.
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I think this book lends itself to research and taking a stand and defending your thoughts. I started reading this book to my students after they asked me if I believe in the Lochness monster. I said I didn't know enough about it to make an informed decision. So this got me thinking...my students could reseach the Lochness monster, read interviews, close encounters, pictures, newspaper articles, books, studies conducted in the waters, etc. Then have students decide if they believe in the Lochness and support their decision with a final project. They could choose from a pamphlet made on the computer, write a picture book about the Lochness or debate against other students.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jmarino:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post on how this book truly lends itself to research. I think this would make a great book to start a unit on the methods of scientific inquiry. As we know, the steps of the scientific method always begin with an essential question. Students are surely to be interested in learning how to go about the process of observing, hypothesizing, experimenting and theorizing if their essential question is, "Does the Lochness monster really exist?" Students could further research witness accounts and study water mammals to form theories about this seemingly mythical creature. They may even want to create a fiction-fact story similar to Vanessa's and use her story as a mentor text.
In response to Jmarino:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post, also. This book could definitely lend itself to research. The teacher can pose the essential question Christina talked about in her posting but take it further by asking "why do you think it really exist?" Then they would need to support their opinion with evidence they found in their research. They would need to write an expository paper. They can also support their paper by creating a painting of what they think the Lochness monster looks like from their research. You can also take it to the next step by making the students investigate other animals that are extinct or a mystery to the world.
In the younger grades, the students can create an ABC book with all the different locks, areas of Scotland, and of Nessie that was talked about in the book. They can call it the "ABC of Lochness." The student can be given a topic then paired up with another student. They can research the topic then illustrate their letter.
I am a third grade teacher who has multiple special education and ELL students in my classroom this year. I have contemplated whether or not to use this book as a read aloud due to the sensitive topic of parent loss. I have some very sensitive students with anxiety issues and I was hesitant to bring this heavy issue into play. After hearing how other people have used the book in their own classrooms at a primary level, I have chosen to use Loch Ness as a read aloud. I do plan though on giving a brief student to my sensitive students to prevent any breakdowns!
ReplyDeleteI could use this book in multiple different ways. One of the first things I would talk about with my students would be what genre they think this book falls into. I would have them predict the genre after reading the prologue to them. We could discuss this as we read the book and then make a final judgment when we finish the book.
This book can also lend itself to disusing personal connections. I can foreshadow my students making personal connections with Vanessa’s loss of a parent, traveling to a foreign country, having two brothers, having a woman in her father’s life that she is not keen on (at the beginning of the story), etc… One of the reading strategies we are focusing on right now is making connections while reading. I have used multiple picture books so far during my reading block to model making connections; however, I think that this chapter book would be a good one to use with my current students. They have a high interest in “monsters” and other imaginary things. This book would also spark a discussion on the credibility of the information that is out there, both online and through different texts. This could go into a whole lesson on being critical readers.
Currently, my students are also working on alphabetical order (quite the challenge)! To kick the challenge up a notch for my higher level learners, I could pick out some of the more robust vocabulary and challenge them to put those words in ABC order.
Incorporate this in an interdisciplinary way is also quite feasible. This would be a great way to incorporate reading and art. I would love to see how my students illustrate/create Nessie. I have some true artists this year and I think that this would be extremely powerful for them. We are required to do 4 interdisciplinary lessons per year (gym, music, art, and dance). I feel a co-teaching lesson coming on .
The possibilities really seem endless…
For those of you that have shared this book with your students already, were there any questions that arose that surprised you?
-Katie Kurze
In response to Katie's question about things that arose that surprised us, I was happily surprised to discover my students now want to do more research about other supposed mythical creatures such as bigfoot. Also, I am doing a co-teaching lesson with the art teacher about Nessie and our research. Some students are going to create clay sculptures that resemble Nessie. Just another idea of how to use this book.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great book to use as a read aloud in a younger classroom. It is engaging, smart and opens up a myriad of topics/subjects that can be broached in different content areas. It seems to me it could be a great 'themed' unit: geography of Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal for social studies, and scientific method (as mentioned by Christina).
ReplyDeleteHaving the students use the book as a jumping off point for doing research projects on various cryptids (or any mythological creature) strikes me as an incredibly engaging way to introduce them to expository writing. It's a fresher take on the 'my favorite animal' reports. (Just be sure to do a minilesson pointing out the differences between facts on animals known to science and the 'facts' they encounter researching the 'yet to be discovered' animals.)
I liked what Katie K brought up about the sensitive issues surrounding the death of Vanessa's mother. That part of the storyline struck me, and I think that it could be the source of some higher level response questions, such as 'Why do you think Vanessa is reacting/reacted the way she did about Lee?" or "Why do you think Vanessa had a different reaction than her brothers?" or maybe a bit of 'what if' involving how the students believe the brothers reacted (since the book is in Vanessa's pov.) Obviously this is a serious and sensitive topic, and may not be for younger grade school students. I think slightly older students may be able to handle it (depending on your population...you need to know your students before you take this task on I think)
I personally have not shared this book with my class, but I could certainly see it as a great point for a genre discussion in the primary grades. Although the story line is realistic, it largely revolves around a mythical creature. We have a lot of dicussion about realistic vs. fantasy fiction and there could be some great defenses for both sides from second graders. Ultimately there would be a strong teaching point that although some of the focus is on an unrealistic creature, the story of Vanessa Day is probable.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to explore the idea of an ABC book that was mentioned. I know I have a few students who would love to research these topics further and could come up with some great letter pages.
I certainly agree with Katie and Theresa. I think this book would be a great springboard into a discussion of the characters in depth. We might ask questions such as, "Why did Vanessa behave in the way that she did when she found out Lee would be staying with them? We could expand to ask, "How could she have reacted differently?" We might ask how Vanessa was able to work out her feelings and realize how she had handled things in a different way from her brothers. We could delve into the feelings of despair she felt when she lost her mother, and how she was able to overcome her anger, and later form a connection with a woman she thought was trying to replace her mother. Of course, these questions and discussions would be age-appropriate. Furthermore, as Theresa said, knowing your student background is key.
ReplyDeleteI can foreshadow a lot of personal connections being made in my classroom this year with the subject of Vanessa’s father and Lee. I would say that more than half of my class has parents who have separated or lost a parent (it is a very emotional group this year)! Some students would be able to pick up on why Vanessa does not love the idea of Lee coming on the trip with them. This could springboard into a great discussion on what “family” looks like and how one person’s family can look different than someone else’s. I also love the idea of bringing the idea of Nessie into a co-teaching art class. What a great way to spark student’s interest and make connections with the arts.
ReplyDeleteWow I am blown away with the ideas you have for making use of the book in your classes, exploring the various strands of loss and grief etc and the use of art. As I am not a teacher its wonderful how creative you all sound. When I talk to students in schools on creative writing or my book (ages 9-13) I also always discuss the art work on the front cover and tell them about it, as some might have no interest in story writing but love the idea of being involved through art. The cover was designed by an art student in 4th year University. We set it up as The Cryptid Design Competition to find talented artists and I have the other 22 entries that I bring with me to discuss - talking the kids through what works and doesn't work as it is a book for boys AND girls, and I had strong views on it not being cartoon based. They love voting on which they might have picked and love the idea of designing a new cover themselves.
ReplyDelete