Response to Literature #2

Read “Akiak”. Then, write about the lesson you believe the author wanted you to learn.

Shared Plan:

“Akiak” by

be determined to reach your goals / Akiak lead dog Iditarod team / sore paw
sent home / made it back to her team / time you were determined to reach a goal
/ - 10 years old
- tried 7 times
- last chance / - escaped
- ran through blizzard
- no scent or trail / - wrong way
- still leader
- finally won /
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-
-

Modeled Response to Literature:

It’s hard to imagine that a dog could teach me a lesson, but that’s what happened when I read “Akiak” by Robert J. Blake. Akiak reminded me of the importance of being determined to reach my goals. Akiak was the lead dog of her Iditarod racing team. She was ten years old, and she had tried seven times before to win. The team had placed, but they had never come in first. Due to her age, Akiak was in her final Iditarod facing her last chance to win.

A few days into the race, Akiak got a sore paw, so Mick, the musher, tried to send her home. However, Akiak was determined to continue racing, so she escaped from the handlers as they tried to get her onto the plane. She ran for days through a blizzard without a scent or a trail to follow because she wanted to get back to her team.

Eventually Akiak was reunited with her team, but she saw that they were going the wrong way. The rules prevented Akiak from being put back into the harness as the official leader, but nothing could stop Akiak from leading her team to victory. She got the team headed the right direction, hopped into the sled next to Mick, and rode past the finish line victoriously.

Just like Akiak, I have had to be determined when trying to reach a goal…It is important to follow your dreams no matter what it takes.

Mini-lesson:Point back to the theme- make sure that in each paragraph, the students refer back to the theme.

Scoring Guide:

Proficient

  • theme, brief summary, connection
  • at least 3 details in each paragraph
  • title, author, theme near or at beginning
  • no more than two sentences start with the same word
  • last sentence restates the theme
  • each paragraph has one phrase that points back to the theme

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