Lesson Plans
Summer 2008 - The Golden Compass
Summary:
Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass is the first book in a triology about the young female protagonist, Lyra Belaqua. In the first installment of His Dark Materials, Lyra, an orphan living in the security of a college her uncle is affiliated with, leaves her home on a journey to rescue her long time friend, Roger, from the Gobblers. On her journey, Lyra makes some startling discoveries about who the Gobblers are, what their mission is, the concept of Dust, and about herself and her beliefs.
Comments:
Although this book contains complex ideas about religion as well as a fairly complex vocabulary, it is a book that my students seemed excited to read and talk about. The plot is exciting and action packed and the characters are well developed and compelling. Lyra is a relatable protagonist and a strong female lead whose journey leaves readers questioning their own ideas about strength, friendship, betrayal, and relationships. This book lends itself to creating activities addressing characterization, setting, plot, point of view, conflict, theme, vocabulary, and creative writing among others.
Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass is the first book in a triology about the young female protagonist, Lyra Belaqua. In the first installment of His Dark Materials, Lyra, an orphan living in the security of a college her uncle is affiliated with, leaves her home on a journey to rescue her long time friend, Roger, from the Gobblers. On her journey, Lyra makes some startling discoveries about who the Gobblers are, what their mission is, the concept of Dust, and about herself and her beliefs.
Comments:
Although this book contains complex ideas about religion as well as a fairly complex vocabulary, it is a book that my students seemed excited to read and talk about. The plot is exciting and action packed and the characters are well developed and compelling. Lyra is a relatable protagonist and a strong female lead whose journey leaves readers questioning their own ideas about strength, friendship, betrayal, and relationships. This book lends itself to creating activities addressing characterization, setting, plot, point of view, conflict, theme, vocabulary, and creative writing among others.
Summer 2009 - Hatchet
Summary:
Gary Paulsen's Hatchet is a coming of age tale about the male protagonist, Brian Robeson. After the divorce of his parents, Brian is sent to spend time with his father, and during his flight over the Canadian wilderness, his plane crashes. Brian must find a way to survive alone in this dangerous and unfamiliar place with nothing but the clothes on his back and the hatchet his mother gave him before he left.
Comments:
This book is a quick read and is accessible to readers with a variety of different reading skill levels. The plot keeps students captivated and provides opportunities for discussions about leadership, mental strength, survival, perseverance, and identity. The book is especially useful in discussing conflict, setting, characterization, and theme. This story also lends itself to outside-the-box, hands on activities that test students in ways that force them to think about and reevaluate their problem solving skills as well as their understanding of the self.
Gary Paulsen's Hatchet is a coming of age tale about the male protagonist, Brian Robeson. After the divorce of his parents, Brian is sent to spend time with his father, and during his flight over the Canadian wilderness, his plane crashes. Brian must find a way to survive alone in this dangerous and unfamiliar place with nothing but the clothes on his back and the hatchet his mother gave him before he left.
Comments:
This book is a quick read and is accessible to readers with a variety of different reading skill levels. The plot keeps students captivated and provides opportunities for discussions about leadership, mental strength, survival, perseverance, and identity. The book is especially useful in discussing conflict, setting, characterization, and theme. This story also lends itself to outside-the-box, hands on activities that test students in ways that force them to think about and reevaluate their problem solving skills as well as their understanding of the self.
Summer 2010 - The Giver
Summary:
Lois Lowry's The Giver is a story about 11 year old Jonas. Jonas lives in what appears to be a Utopian society where no one goes hungry, everyone is assigned a job, and everyone has a family. Although Jonas appreciates his community as a child, he begins to see the other, possibly more dangerous sides of his community after being assigned the very rare and very secret job of Receiver of Memory during the Ceremony of 12. Jonas embarks on a journey like nothing he has ever experienced as he visits The Giver to receive his training. As Jonas learns more about the community and life from The Giver, he begins to question everything around him and is faced with some difficult decisions.
Comments:
This book is one of my childhood favorites. It is a story that I have thought about many times over the years and one that I reconnected to in new and exciting ways as an adult and an educator. This story enabled our class to have some profound discussions about the meaning of love, the meaning of life, prejudice, risk, and identity. The possibilities for classroom activities are endless when using this book and it is a timeless story that adolescents and adults alike can connect with.
Lois Lowry's The Giver is a story about 11 year old Jonas. Jonas lives in what appears to be a Utopian society where no one goes hungry, everyone is assigned a job, and everyone has a family. Although Jonas appreciates his community as a child, he begins to see the other, possibly more dangerous sides of his community after being assigned the very rare and very secret job of Receiver of Memory during the Ceremony of 12. Jonas embarks on a journey like nothing he has ever experienced as he visits The Giver to receive his training. As Jonas learns more about the community and life from The Giver, he begins to question everything around him and is faced with some difficult decisions.
Comments:
This book is one of my childhood favorites. It is a story that I have thought about many times over the years and one that I reconnected to in new and exciting ways as an adult and an educator. This story enabled our class to have some profound discussions about the meaning of love, the meaning of life, prejudice, risk, and identity. The possibilities for classroom activities are endless when using this book and it is a timeless story that adolescents and adults alike can connect with.
Summer 2011 - Artemis Fowl
Summary:
Artemis Fowl is a 12 year old, Irish, criminal mastermind. After discovering a secret underground world of fairies, he blackmails them by stealing their secret and sacred book in order to reclaim his family fortune. Artemis and his man servant Butler encounter many strange an unusual events and creatures during their journey including Captain Holly Short and Commander Root - both fairies, and their centaur genius friend, Foaly.
Comments:
This book is the first of 8, making it a great pick for students who enjoy extended narratives. These complex characters grow and change throughout the series, making it a good book with which to do character analysis. This series does a riff on the traditional teen fantasy lit genre by making Artemis, the protagonist, an anti-hero of sorts. This positioning enables readers to see the changes that Artemis undergoes as well as the parts of himself that he maintains. It is a series about adventure, but, first and foremost, about identity.
Artemis Fowl is a 12 year old, Irish, criminal mastermind. After discovering a secret underground world of fairies, he blackmails them by stealing their secret and sacred book in order to reclaim his family fortune. Artemis and his man servant Butler encounter many strange an unusual events and creatures during their journey including Captain Holly Short and Commander Root - both fairies, and their centaur genius friend, Foaly.
Comments:
This book is the first of 8, making it a great pick for students who enjoy extended narratives. These complex characters grow and change throughout the series, making it a good book with which to do character analysis. This series does a riff on the traditional teen fantasy lit genre by making Artemis, the protagonist, an anti-hero of sorts. This positioning enables readers to see the changes that Artemis undergoes as well as the parts of himself that he maintains. It is a series about adventure, but, first and foremost, about identity.