Schema: stories that teach a lesson, folktale, stranger danger
The story is written as a modern day folktale featuring the Boo Hag from the Gullah culture of South Carolina. The Boo Hag is a legendary spirit or shape-shifter that wants to live in another person’s body, or it is also described as riding a person [...]
Schema: Marines, miracles
Author’s purpose: The author is sharing his journey with Nubs because it is a miracle that he was able to get the dog from there back to his home in San Diego.
Because Nubs did not give up on finding Major Dennis, the effect is that Major Dennis did not give up on him.
Characterization: [...]
Schema: folktales, purpose of folktales
Author’s purpose: the original author’s purpose may have been to illustrate what happens when we don’t think ahead or make a plan
Drawing Conclusions: What conclusion do you think Henny Penny came to, and what evidence from the story supports it?
Because the fox sneezed, the effect is that the animals were expelled [...]
Schema: math, school, Boston terriers
Text-to-Self Connections: homework, eating jellybeans
Author’s Purpose: The author uses her story and the events in it to explain the mathematical concept of probability.
Predicting: Have your students predict along with the students in the book.
Summarizing and Synthesis: Ask students to summarize the story and explain what they have synthesized about probability.
Schema: apples, snow storms, Christmas
Text-to-Self Connections: making applesauce
Author’s Purpose: The author shares what life was like in the late 1800’s in rural Michigan. Students will see how people had to provide shelter for their animals before they built their own homes, and how the food and animals on the farm sustained the family.
Cause and Effect: [...]
Schema: origami, making a wish
Author’s Purpose: to share the experience of learning about Christmas in Japan.
Mental Images: The mother describes the lights and trees in California to her son.
Organizational Strategy: Flashback: the book begins with the narrator telling the reader that he had not been back to the pond since he was not old enough [...]
Schema: Christmas trees, theme of the White House Christmas tree
Author’s Purpose: Gloria Houston and her family grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina; the historical fiction story depicts what life was like in the early 1900’s during World War I.
Characterization: Characterize the mother in the story and use example from the text as [...]
