Renee Melendez Literacy Grades 7/8
Days 1-4
Learning Objective: Students will work collaboratively in groups to research trees and their importance to the environment.
The Giving Tree - Examining the book through different eyes
Big Ideas: Our dependence on trees
Vocabulary:
Deciduous Heartwood
Non-Deciduous Trunk
Crown Cambium
Roots Phloem
Xylem Bark
Pre- assessment
1. Pose questions:
a. What comes to mind when you think about trees?
b. How do trees shape the world around us?
c. What do trees provide us with?
OR
2. Write names of trees on the board or chart paper.
a. What do these words have in common?
b. What comes to mind when you think of a tree?
OR
3. Have students complete a word map (word tree) listing the names of all the trees they know.
Possible Misunderstandings
Students don’t understand the importance of trees
Knowledge of the environment – history, rainy years, dry years, how old
Assessment Evidence
After class discussion, create flexible groupings based on what the students now know.
Each group will have a Group Leader, Researchers, Layout Specialists, Writers, and Presenters.
Learning Plan
Each group leader will be asked to choose a face down index card.
Each card will be labeled with a species of tree. That tree will be the group’s primary focus.
The teacher will provide library books on specific trees for in class use.
Group leaders are responsible for sorting through books and choosing ones most appropriate for their group. Students can also use laptops for assistance.
Each group will be given teacher generated guide questions to help students conduct research.
Possible guide questions:
Is this tree deciduous or non-deciduous?
Where do these trees grow?
How long do these trees live?
Is the wood of this tree helpful to builders?
What do the rings of a tree indicate?
How is the bark of this tree helpful?
How do animals and insects use this tree?
Teacher will actively monitor each group.
Once the research is complete, students are expected to present their findings to their classmates through an engaging presentation.
Presentations
Powerpoint
Display board
Poster
Artifacts: bark, leaves, acorns
The group planning will take 3 days if the teacher has block periods. Group leader is responsible for assigning their group homework (assignments must be cleared with the teacher).
Presentations will be done on day 4.
Day 5
The Giving Tree
Learning Objective: Students will compare their non-fiction knowledge of trees with the fictional story about a tree in The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
Vocabulary
Anthropomorphize
Personification
Metaphor
Pre-assessment
Students will be called on to briefly discuss what they learned from each of the groups from yesterday’s presentation.
Explain that along with environmental benefits, trees can have personal connections to humans as well. Ask students if they’ve had a connection such as this, if so share. If teacher can, they will also share a personal story.
Show the cover of The Giving Tree and conduct a short survey. Ask, “How many of you have ever read this book, or have had this book read to you?”
For those who have prior knowledge, ask them not to spoil it for the others, but explain that they will now examine the story through different eyes.
Assessment Evidence
Each student will be given a copy of The Giving Tree. They will then be instructed to examine the title and the cover illustration.
Students will answer the following questions in their Writer’s Notebook:
1. What type of tree are we going to read about?
2. Prediction: Who is the person on the cover?
3. What does the title tell you? (Look at the branch of the tree and the stance of the boy.)
4. Do you find the colors, the cover illustration, and the title inviting? Explain
Learning Plan
Prior to reading, give a little background information on Silverstein. A great source is A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak.
Tell students to be aware of Silverstein’s use of metaphor and personification/anthropomorphize
Teacher will read aloud while students follow along. The readings will be broken down into the phases of the boy’s life.
First reading will be pages 1-24.
Students will now take a few minutes to review the pages the teacher read, paying special attention to the illustrations.
Students will work collaboratively in groups to answer the following questions:
1. How does Silverstein introduce personification/anthropomorphize to the reader? Why is this literary device important for the story?
2. What are the trees branches telling the boy on pages 5 and 6? By looking at the boy, what are his feelings about the tree?
3. Refer to the vocabulary from day 1. What is the crown of a tree? Why do you think Silverstein has the boy create a crown and become “King of the forest”? What do you notice about the tree’s branches above the boy as he plays the king?
4. Make a list of the ways the boy uses the tree. How does this make the tree feel?
Groups will share their responses with the class.
Homework
In the next part of the story, the boy enters his teenage years. Predict what will happen between the boy and the tree.
Day 6
Learning Objective: Students will compare their non-fiction knowledge of trees with the fictional story about a tree in The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
Pre-assessment
Students will briefly summarize what was read in class yesterday (pages 1-24 of The Giving Tree).
Students will share their predictions from last night’s homework.
Learning Plan
Teacher reads aloud pages 25-34 as students follow.
1. How have the needs of the boy changed? How does the tree
accommodate him?
2. Look at the leaves on pages 25 and 27. What does it look like the tree is doing?
3. Why is the tree still happy?
Teacher reads aloud pages 35-40.
Explain to students that just as the boy has transformed, our needs and attitudes as a society have changed. We often use up natural resources without regard for how it hurts the environment.
Brainstorm ideas on how we abuse the environment.
Write responses on chart paper.
Teacher reads aloud pages 41-46.
1. On page 41 it says, “…she whispered”. What can we infer about the tree?
2. “And the tree was happy…but not really.” How does the cutting down of trees/forests affect the environment?
Finish reading the story aloud.
Brainstorm ways in which we can help the environment.
Record responses on chart paper.
Homework
For those students who were already familiar with the story, were you able to see The Giving Tree through different eyes? Explain in a one page response.
For those who were unfamiliar with the story prior to the class reading, what are your thoughts on the story? Explain in a one page response