Summary:In 2001, a Maasai Student in New York Witnessed the Horrific Events of 9/11. When

Summary:In 2001, a Maasai student in New York witnessed the horrific events of 9/11. When he returned to his village,he brought with him the sad story from America. The tribe’s grief at the news quickly turned to a plan to help asKimeli Naiyomah’s people offered the most precious gift they could think of to those who lost so much: their cows.In Kimeli’s words, to heal a sorrowing heart, give something that is dear to your own. This story has indeedconveyed a message of hope and healing across the world, and continues to inspire acts of compassion bycommunities everywhere.

—peachtree-online.com

The Reading Strategy Focus for September is Making Connections.14 Cows for Americawas selected as our Book of the Month in September because 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11.Although most of our students were not even born in 2001, this story is important for two reasons: it offers us an opportunity to teach them about an important event in our history and it also imparts a message about compassion and generosity. Classes should be able to make all three kinds of connections (text to text, text to self, and text to world) using 14 Cows for America.

Having schema (background knowledge) allows our thinking to go deeper, faster…Using what kids already know can help us do what we do better. We just need to invite them to make meaningful connections, and they will riseto meet us.—Tanny McGregor in Comprehension Connections

Students who make connections while reading are better able to understand the text they are reading. It is important for students to draw on their prior knowledge and experiences to connect with the text. Students are thinking when they are connecting, which makes them more engaged in the reading experience.—Debbie DeSpirt at

Many ideas shared in this packet come from from the Teacher’s Guide at Use these websites - they’re great!

Ideas for Implementation

You will be reading this book (in whole or part) multiple times during the month. To keep it from being a bore for you and for the students, make sure that you set a specific purpose for each reading (like a strategy lesson, vocabulary, skill practice, etc.). Below are some ideas to help you select a focus.

Introducing the Strategy

Introduce Making Connections (Developing Schema)with concrete experiences(from Comprehension Connections by Tanny McGregor)

Schema Roller (lint roller with sticky tear-off sheets and small slips of paper 1”x2”): Start by telling students that they are one of a kind, then ask them to talk with a knee partner about what makes them so unique. If you overhear a lot of simple responses (hair type, favorite food, name), encourage students and ask them to go deeper, what makes them different on the inside? Have them share out and recognize that lots of people may have the same hair or eyes, but “no one has experienced life in just the way you have.”This makes your background knowledge – or schema – different from any other person’s. Then offer to show what schema is like, pretending that the lint roller is your brain and it is ready to stick to anything it comes in contact with. Show the students what you have written down on several little pieces of paper - things that have stuckto your brain over the years. They could be thoughts, feelings, relationships, experiences, and passions. Then sprinkle the papers across a tabletop and roll the schema roller over them to demonstrate how the millions of things you’ve experienced and felt in your life have rolled together in your brain, creating your schema. Tear off your schema sheet and offer a student(s) the opportunity to try it out.

You could also use the image of a spider web – Show students pictures of spider webs (or ask them to think about spider webs they’ve seen and describe them to knee partner). Ask students, “How are spider webs like thinking?”(ex. you may hear: Spider webs connect [things] and my thinking connects my brain to books. Sometimes a web catches things a spider wants, and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes I think of things that are good and sometimes I think of bad memories.)

Sensory Exercises

One-Minute Schema Determiner: Make a large T-chart, labeling the left side Disney World. Tell students they will have 30 seconds to call out their thoughts, feelings, opinions, and experiences about the topic. Write as many of their connections as you can on the chart, calling time at 30 seconds. Then explain that you will repeat the exercise with a new topic (pick some place you know about, but they likely do not). Students may just ask questions; write down their comments, stopping at 30 seconds again. Recognize the difference between the two sides of the chart and ask students to be metacognitive (think about their thinking). What was their thinking like when they saw the first topic? Tell what you noticed, too. Then ask what was going on in their minds when they saw the second topic and share what you noticed. Then ask students to turn and talk about why there was such a different reaction to the two topics.Listen in on conversations, then offer to sum it up in one word, writing SCHEMA down the left hand column (over their list). Explain that schema (BK) makes all the difference. It’s everything you’ve experienced and stored in your brain, and your schema is different than anyone else’s. The chart shows that the class has a lot of schema for Disney World, but none for ___. Share your schema for that place. When readers access and activate their personal schema, their chances for meaningful interaction with the text are boosted…and if we, as teachers, recognize that they have no BK for a particular topic, we need to help them develop some before reading the text.

Concentric Circles of Connection: see the anchor chart below. Now that the class identified the strategy of accessing prior knowledge, introduce them to the 3 kinds of connections readers make and how those connections can make the text come alive. Consider using a short piece with meaningful text, like a song with lyrics: “Rachel Delevoryas” by Randy Stonehill, “We’re Going to be Friends” by the White Stripes, “Popular” by Kristin Chenoweth, “Old Blue” by the Byrds, or “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” by Randy Newman – any song with a message that kids can connect with easily. After listening, give students time to write a connection or thought on a sticky note, turn and talk, or share out. Talk about the concentric circles chart with students and have them place heir sticky notes on the chart in the appropriate circle. You may notice that students place more thoughts in the text-to self circle. Point this out, maybe we are more comfortable making this type of connection, lead them to make other connections, as well, offering students time to talk about the meaning of the text.

Norman Rockwell paintings or Mercer Mayer’s wordless picture books could also be used to provide students with practice in making connections. They could use the concentric circles again or use a Thinking Stems anchor chart (see below) to help get them make the 3 types of connections.

Making Connections Anchor Charts and Mini-lessons:(See next page for 2 examples)

-A T-chart with the ideas from the text on the left and reactions/connections on the right. This could also be used as a double-entry journal (writing assignment).

-Schema Thinking Stems

-Concentric Circles of Connections

Before reading

Display or share some items that relate to the book as “hooks” and ask students to predict what they might have to do with the story. Some examples:a picture/model of NY skyline, including the Twin Towers; a small American flag; a cow; an African cloth/beads. After reading, talk about the meaning of these hooks and send the students home with a “hook” to share the story with their families, like a cutout or small picture of a cow.

Create a display of books about Africa or 9/11 or books by Carmen Agra Deedy for students to visit once their appetites have been whetted.
Preview the book with aNoticings-Wonderings T-Chart.
To inform yourselves and your students about the Maasai culture, visit the links found at: This site includes a link to a video of Maasai warriors jumping. (It is on You Tube, but you should be able to view it. As with all media, please preview before showing your students.).
It is very likely that most of your students, if not all of them, have no background knowledge about the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01. The story does not give much information about the attack, and it is not necessary to know a lot about it to understand the story. The following website gives a brief, kid-friendly summary of the events of 9/11: links below the article at Class Brain may be helpful also.

Another website offers some advice on what is important for adults to consider when trying to explain 9/11 to kids:

Vocabulary development: Most of the words selected for explicit teaching relate to the Maasai. Display the words in a word splash and ask students to provide meanings or connections for any words they may know. Through discussion, help them define all of the words.

remote (multiple meaning word),village, warrior, nomadic, elders, fierce, embassy, diplomat, knoll

- For a pronunciation guide for Maa words used in the story, visit:

Questions to pose before reading (from

What do you know about September 11?

2. Was anyone you know affected by 9/11? Were your family or friends affected?

3. Who else do you think was affected by the events of 9/11?

4.Let’s look at a map. Where did the events happen?

5. Where did the victims of 9/11 live?

6. Where is Africa? Can you find Kenya on a map?

Note to Teacher: Transition from Q & A to reading book by saying, “Today we’re going to learn about a small villagein Africa and how they were affected by the events of 9/11.”

During and After Reading

** Make sure you share the afterword from Kimeli Naiyomah. It provides more background and insight.

Strategy Activities

Strategy Think-Alouds for MAKING CONNECTIONS

As you are reading the text,stop occasionally to share the connections that you make (prepare ahead of time on post-its). Use the Concentric Circles anchor chart to demonstrate.

More onCONNECTIONS:
Ideas for Readers Workshop:
The last page of this packet has a rubric for assessing students’ ability to use the making connections strategy.

Comprehension Activities–some of these could be good center activities

Explore theme and practice making text to text connections by comparing 14 Cows for America to the “Mouse and the Lion” fable (print version: animated version: The message that even the smallest friend can help the biggest (or big needs little) is clear in both stories. Continue the connections with text to self (a time you helped someone bigger than you or you were helped by someone smaller/weaker) and text to world (another example of small/weak helping big/powerful).
If you were to write a news report based onthis book, what would you include? Gather the facts: who, what, when, where, and why?

Create a cause and effect T-chartusing events in the story.

Compare/contrastthe Maasai culture and ours using a Venn diagram. (See SS Connections.)
Make a timeline of events using details from the text.
Discuss theauthor’s purpose, providing reasons for responses.
Look for figurative language within the story (run with the speed and grace of cheetahs, the cow is life, (the story) has burned a hole in his heart, the tale unfolds, leaping like fish from a stream, etc.). Why did the author use these phrases? How do they help the reader? The story?
Talk about point of view. How could the Maasai understand the events of 9/11 (with their schema)? How can we understand/visualize their experience (with our own schema)?
If you have access to edhelper, there is a 9/11-themed Reader’s Theater called “What is a Hero?” (for 4th grade level):
Discussion questions:

1. How do you think the Maasai felt when they heard the story of 9/11?

2. Why do you think Kimeli gave his only cow to the United States?

3. Why did the others join in to add 13 more?

4. What did the gift of the 14 cows do for the United States?

5. Can you think of a time when you did something nice for someone who was suffering?

Other books formaking connections:

Writing Connections

Write another fable with the same messageas “The Lion and the Mouse” and 14 Cows. (Big needs little or no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.)
Discuss what it means to be a hero, like the heroes of 9/11 and Kimeli and his Maasai tribe. Create a Hall of Heroes by writing about a hero you know (or know about) and draw a portrait if him/her. Display your Hall of Heroes for others to see.
Write about the ceremony depicted in 14 Cows for America from the perspective of the cows.
Write a story that begins with the sentence “I had to do something to help.”
Journal: What does the tragedy of 9/11 mean to you?
Journal: When have you given someone a gift of compassion, like the gift the Maasai gave to the United States?
Write a cinquain poem ( at end of guide).

Science Connections

Life science: SeeActivity 3: To the Maasai, the cow is life( directions at end of guide).

Social Studies Connections

History: Resources for teaching about September 11:
History: Scholastic also has a piece from the one year anniversary that may be useful to you: the links).
Geography: Identify places of importance to the story on a world map. (or see map activity in peachtree-online TG)
Culture: Read through 14 Cows for America, paying close attention to the characters’ appearance and surroundings.Now go through our Maasai Cultural Overview, found at lead a discussion around these questions: What would your life would be like if you lived in Maasailand?What would you wear and eat every day? What would your house be like, and how would you help?

your family and tribe?Communication: How do ideas/news travel? Through the illustrations and videos found online and at discuss how news might travel to and from parts of the world that don’t have electronics (TV, computers, etc.)

Art and Music Connections

Read through 14 Cows for America again as a class, paying close attention to the illustrations.What media did Thomas Gonzalez use in his illustrations? What colors does he use? Where can you find the image of the twin towers hidden in the illustrations?

Complete Activity 4: Maasai cattle brands(found at the end of the peachtree-online TG).

Character Connections

Ubuntu has been described as humaneness - a philosophy of life that emphasizes showing empathy for fellow humans.(see Create an ubuntu display, identifying examples of ubuntu in texts, in current events, related to 9/11, in our own lives (making connections).
See the reading activity (Activity 7) at the end of the peachtree-online TG for character-related discussion questions.
How can we pay the gift of the cows forward?

Challenge Activity: Problem Solving

14Cows on Vacation:

The 14 cows given to the American people by the Maasai love their peaceful home in Enoosaen, but they’reready for a little adventure. They want to visit New York City! The cows have never traveled before and theyneed your help. Will you be their travel agent? Come up with three different plans to get all 14 cows fromtheir remote village in Kenya to New York City for their trip. How much will each plan cost? Don’t be afraid touse your imagination. Follow-up questions: What challenges did you encounter in imagining these plans? Doyou think the Americans and the Maasai made the right decision to keep the “American” cows in Enoosaen?

Name ______Date ______

Reading Rubric for Making Connections

Needs Improvement

Good

Great!

Marvelous!

Preparation / Rarely prepared with connections to share from the assigned reading / Sometimes prepared with connections to share from the assigned reading / Usually prepared with connections to share from the assigned reading / Always prepared with connections to share from the assigned reading
Participation &
Active Listening / Rarely shares connections from the assigned reading or reactions to others’ comments about the book / Sometimes shares connections from the assigned reading or reactions to others’ comments about the book / Usually shares connections from the assigned reading or reactions to others’ comments about the book / Always shares connections from the assigned reading or reactions to others’ comments about the book
Explanation of Connections / Rarely explains how connections help to understand the text / Sometimes explains how connections help to understand the text / Usually explains how connections help to understand the text / Always explains how connections help to understand the text
Variety of Connections / Rarely makes a variety of connections / Mostly makes one kind of connection / Usually makes a variety of connections / Always makes a variety of connections