Persevering in the Face of Adversity
Themed
Literature Unit
We
are about to begin our two week themed literature unit focused on persevering
in the face of adversity. Over the
course of this unit we will be reading numerous stories about characters and
events relating to this theme.
Your child will not only learn a variety of reading and writing
strategies, but will also gain an understanding of what it takes to persevere
and overcome challenges.
At
the end of the unit, students will be required to answer three basic questions
assessing their understanding of perseverance as well as reading strategies,
such as making inferences, collecting important information in text, making
connections and writing summaries. It would be really beneficial for your child
if you could encourage them to make inferences, connections and summarize when
they are reading at home.
Learning Targets:
1. Students will understand what it takes to
persevere in the face of adversity (generalization)
- When people believe in themselves and have
positive attitudes, they are able to overcome challenges
- People are better able to overcome challenges when
they work together and trust others
- It takes strength and courage to persevere in the
face of adversity
2. Students will be able to make inferences and
predict outcomes to aid their understanding of the text and perseverance
(skill)
3. Students will be able to summarize main ideas
from the text relating to perseverance with the use of post-its and mind maps
(skill)
4. Students will be able to recognize perseverance
in their own lives by making connections to the text (skill)
5. Students will be able to work cooperatively and
self-sufficiently in a group setting (skill)
Here is a list of literacy websites to support your
child’s learning at home:
http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/SRW.htm
Here is a list of books that we will be reading to enhance our
unit:
Coerr,
Eleanor. (1986) The Josefina Story Quilt. HarperCollin’s Publishers,
Inc.
The
story of a young girl named Faith and her pet hen, Josephina’s long, hard
journey along a wagon trail to California.
Corral,
Kimberly with Hannah. (1998) A Child’s Glacier Bay. Alaska: Graphic Arts
Center Publishing Company.
A
young girl named Hannah Corral tells her story about the challenges and
obstacles she and her family faced while on a trip along the coast line of Alaska’s Glacier
Bay.
Kimmel,
Cody. (1999)Balto and the Great Race. New York, New York: Random House
Inc.
A
sled Dog named Balto leads his team through a harsh winter in Alaska. Balto is remembered for his courage and
tenacity which helped him save many
lives.
Leeuwen,
Jean Van (2001) Across the Wide Dark Sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Company.
The
story about the hardships and challenges a young pilgrim boy faced as he
traveled across the sea to build a new life.
McCurdy,
Michael (2001) Trapped by the Ice. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
A
story about the perseverance of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men during their
long, journey across the ice and stormy seas.
Preus, Margi; Lunge-Larsen, Lise, Arroyo, Andrea.
(2004) The Legend of the Ladyslipper. Boston: Houghton Mifflin co.
A
Native American Folk tale about the perseverance and courage of a young girl
Williams, Mary (2005). Brothers in Hope, The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Lee and Low Books Inc.
A
story about a group of young orphans who travel to another country after their
village has been destroyed by war.
If you have any questions, you can reach me at aglenn@mail.lwsd.org
or 206-914-0435
J Andria Glenn
Seattle University MIT Program
Fall 2007
TEED 521