The Polar Express by Chris Allsburg

The Polar Express

By Chris Van Allsburg

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=v2WRVMjB&id=9D33D327A19EA8DB58D5E7C91304045110775D87&thid=OIP.v2WRVMjBUPHsM2qnzNyGPAEsDt&mediaurl=http%3a%2f%2fecx.images-amazon.com%2fimages%2fI%2f91dr8vQ-LRL.jpg&exph=1350&expw=1707&q=Polar+Express+book&simid=608040055382868034&selectedIndex=7&ajaxhist=0

Lexile Level

520L

Grade Level

K-3

Book Review

First, I would say if you don’t have this book in your personal collection at home or at school, you need to get it. This is a classic picture book for the Holidays. I personally own the one in the picture above, so we also have a CD with Liam Neeson which is also a nice addition to the book. The detail in the pictures are exquisite. Chris, the author, also illustrated the book. When you see the pages of the train travelling through the snowy mountains, you really feel you are in that moment. There is a website polarexpress.com that has a variety of activities for students to do. If I were to use this in the school, I would use this as an introduction to the Holiday season. I know some schools watch this movie right before break, so I would connect with the teachers so the students can get the best of both worlds.

The Illuminated Adventures of Flora and Ulysses: A Book Review

By: Charlene V. Martoni

Title: The Illuminated Adventures of Flora and Ulysses
Author/illustrator: Kate DiCamillo
Genre: Graphic novel
Age Range: 8-10
Grade Level: 3-7
Lexile Level: 520L








MLA 8 Citation: DiCamillo, Kate. Flora and Ulysses. Candlewick Press, 2013.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL BOOK REVIEW SLIDESHOW😀

CLICK HERE FOR THE LEARNING ACTIVITY OUTLINE.

Flora & Ulysses Lesson Plan -Tanya Beers

Tanya Beers

IST571: Children's Literature Lit Kit

Book: Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Lesson Plan:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oEGAVAxsoNZ1CzvVlGtyPxVjY7kdE6fb5R4Wd0MBiNg/edit

Book Talk:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx77YIjj3mbtbnJxNFY2TWF1OTQ/view

Tanya Beers

BookTalk - IST 571-Children’s Literature

September 14, 2017

Newbery Medal Award Winning Book

Title: Flora and Ulysses

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Lexile Level: 520L

Age Range: 8 to 10 years old

Grade Level: 3rd  through 7th grade

Flora Buckman is a young girl whose parents are divorced and she lives with her mother, 
Phyllis. One day, Phyllis vacuums up a squirrel in the yard and Flora rescues him, gives 
him CPR and brings him back to life. She decides to name the squirrel Ulysses and keep 
him as a pet. However, something magical happened when Flora brought Ulysses back to 
life; something which makes Flora’s life and the people’s lives around her an exciting 
adventure! Through faith, love, and a little magic, this story reminds readers that we all 
have people in our lives that love us and need us.

Learning Standard:

Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy.

Writing Standards K-5:

3.1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

a. Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an 
organizational structure that lists reasons.

b. Provide reasons that support the opinion.

c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect 
opinion and reasons.

d. Provide a concluding statement or section.

 

3.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information 
clearly.

a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to 
aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.

c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within 
categories of information.

d. Provide a concluding statement or section.

3.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective 
technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

a. Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence 
that unfolds naturally.

b. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and 
events or show the response of characters to situations.

c. Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.

d. Provide a sense of closure.

(https://www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-p-12-common-core-learning-standards-
for-english-language-arts-and-literacy/file/736).

Lesson for 3rd graders:

There are two parts to this lesson. Part 1: Students are asked to write a 2-page essay based 
on Flora and Ulysses. The essay will be answering the following questions:

1. Do you feel Ulysses helped Flora in her life? If so, how?

2. Do you think Flora has healed inside by the end of the book? Why or why not?

3. If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?

Part 2: Students will read the novel’s “Squirrel Poetry”- “What It Said” (p.65) and from the 
epilogue, “Words for Flora” (p.233).  The will either write their own squirrel poem from Ulysses 
to Flora or a poem response to Ulysses poem from Flora to Ulysses.

Learning Goal:

Students will engage in analyzing the characters in Flora and Ulysses to determine how the 
characters evolve by the end of the story. The student’s observations will be written in an essay. 
Students will also be able to identify with the characters by writing a poem from one character 
to another as that character.

Learning Objective:

1. Students will imagine what Flora is feeling as she evolves throughout the book and write
down their observations in an essay. (Affective and Psychomotor)

2. Students will identify with the characters through a poem from one character to another 
(Cognitive).

Learning Outcome:

Students will be able to apply some issues within the reading to real life (love and support of 
loved ones, the meaning of family, loneliness).

Works Cited:

DiCamillo, Kate. Flora and Ulysses. Candlewick Press, 2013.

New York State. Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy.  
Retrieved from https://www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-p-12-common-core-learning-
standards-for-english-language-arts-and-literacy/file/736.

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, K.G. Campbell

(Image courtesy of amazon.com)
Title: Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
Author: Kate DiCamillo, Illustrated by K.G. Campbell
Lexile: 520L
Awards: 2014 Newbery Medal
Genre: Adventure, Humor
Summary: Flora a self proclaimed cynic, suddenly finds herself the saviour of the regular turned genius squirrel, Ulysses. Flora convinced that Ulysses has the markings of a superhero must protect her new squirrel friend. At each page the adventure churns and deepens in this unusual tale.

Selling Tool:
Bookmark https://www.canva.com/design/DAChWMu274o/nT_Tb0Mi7713EkTaIxAXDw/view?utm_content=DAChWMu274o&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton

Activity:
Throughout the novel Flora uses an eclectic language and often will define unfamiliar words. In the project throughout the reading of the book, the students would write down unfamiliar words in a journal. Later they will define the words and organize them in a glossary appendix to accompany the novel.

Standards:
Nysp12cclsela: Writing Standards: Grade 4-5, standard 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Goals:
Students will use domain specific organization and language in this project.

Objectives:
Students will understand the use of appropriate language and organization in developing a limited glossary of terms.

Outcomes:
Students will present a glossary of terms that is organized and concise to accompany Flora and Ulysses.

Zebra on the go, by Jill Nogales

Nogales, Jill. Zebra on the go. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, 2017.
Lexile Level: 520

Learning Activity:

                Children will be given a template of a zebra with no stripes after the first reading of the story. We will practice producing the phoneme /z/ together as a group. The next time the librarian reads the story, the kids will add a stripe (magic marker) to their zebra every time they hear the /z/ sound. Next we will take several common words such as pig, tag, sip, and as a group, pronounce these words with a z as the first letter. This will introduce rhyming words. We could extend the activity to another story that features the letter z. At the end of the story, we can all count our stripes and share how many we had.

Learning Standard: Arizona Learning Standard, Kindergarten, English Language Arts—

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

a. Identify and produce sounds (phonemes) in a spoken word.

b. Recognize and produce rhyming words

Learning Goal: Children will color a stripe on their paper zebra every time they hear the /z/ sound during the reading of Zebra on the Go.

Learning Objective:  Children will demonstrate phonemic awareness by coloring a stripe on their paper zebra every time they hear a /z/ during the reading of the story.

Learning Outcome: Children will pronounce the phoneme /z/, and identify the phoneme /z/ aurally, and demonstrate their awareness by coloring a stripe on their zebra every time they hear the phoneme /z/.

Flora and Ulysses by: Kate di Camillo

— 

Title: Flora and Ulysses: the illuminated adventures

Author: Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by K. G. Campbell

Award: 2014 Newberry Medal

Lexile Level: 520L

—Recommended for:

·  Ages 8-12 Years

·  Second Grade to Seventh Grade

Summary:

The book titled Flora and Ulysses: the illuminated adventures by Kate DiCamillo  and illustrated by K. G. Campbell is about a girl named Flora who rescues the life of a squirrel through resuscitating him, after recalling information from a book series called Terrible Things Can Happen to You! She names him Ulysses after the vacuum, Ulysses 2000x, that threatened his life after Flora’s neighbor vacuumed him, while utilizing it to vacuum her lawn. This novel focuses on her adventures with Ulysses. This bond of friendship is first developed through his communication with Flora, through nodding his head and typing letters.

     

This book contains illustrations through charcoal/pencil sketches that depict important scenes, throughout the story such as Ulysses typing poems on the typewriter, which belongs to Flora’s mother.

Text:

—I believe that the pace of the story is well-paced. The chapters are short, which allows readers to experience a sense of accomplishment.

This novel consist of sixty-eight chapters and an epilogue, which is a poem for Flora by Ulysses.

—This text allows students the opportunity to become connected with the characters, particularly Flora and Ulysses. For example, through the focus of the scene of Flora administering CPR to Ulysses, readers may experience emotions of sadness when they read that the squirrel was not breathing.

Throughout the novel, Ulysses is not was portrayed as an ordinary squirrel as well as possesses talent in his poem writing as well as utilizing the typewriter that belongs to Flora’s mother.

The throughout the story, Flora is portrayed as a quirky, independent young girl who cares about animals. This is seen through her kindness and empathy that she shows as she races off to the lawn as she attempts to save a squirrel.

Illustrations

Chapter Nine: The Whole World on Fire (DiCamillo 25).

         

Chapter Twenty-Three: Enter the Villain (DiCamillo 74).

                   

The novel begins with graphics, that are shown in panels, similar to a graphic novel. 

These illustrations explain what led Mrs. Tickham to the lawn with her vacuum, Ulysses 2000x.

The illustrations within this novel are black and white, charcoal sketches.

In the previous slide, the left image depicts Flora holding Ulysses after she saves him. She picks to him and calls him Ulysses. After being saved from the vacuum, Ulysses begins to complement his view on humans, which he was “terrified” of due to the prior mistreatment that he experienced. This image displays the beginning of their bond and the budding trust that he hold for each other.

—Quotation:

“She put her hand on him. She picked    him up. She cradle him in her left arm. He felt nothing but happiness. Why had he always been so terrified of humans? He couldn’t imagine.” (DiCamillo 24).

The illustrations within this novel allow readers to see detailed images of the reactions of characters.

In the previous slide, the image on the right depicts Flora’s father is utterly shocked when Flora’s mother tells him the following: “  ‘For the love of Pete, George!’ shouted her mother. ’Put the squirrel in the sack, and then hit him over the head with the shovel.’ ” (DiCamillo 73).

Learning Standards

“ 3. Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

 —5. Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

— 7. Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.” (Reading Standards for Literature K–5: Grade 2 students)

Learning Goals

• ——Students will obtain an introduction and knowledge about the basic principles of poetry.
• Students will identify the overall structure of a story.
• Students will identify the differences between a story and a poem.

—Learning Objective

         

Student will write a poem that displays Ulysses’ perspective, from their knowledge obtained through reading the novel titled Flora and Ulysses: the illuminated adventures by Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by K. G. Campbell. (Psychomotor)

Learning Activity

—This learning activity focuses on students learning how to write poems. Throughout the book, Ulysses writes poems. I believe that it would be a great opportunity to introduce the structure of poems and the various styles of poetry (e.g. Haiku, Free Verse, Sonnet, etc.). This activity  connects the reading of this book into an activity that supports the English Language Arts-Literacy Learning Standards.

The Flora & Ulysses Teacher’s Resource displays a few suggestions of activities can be utilized as part of a lesson plans. This guide states “Challenge them to try to write a poem as if they were Ulysses.” By reading this novel, students were able to learn about Ulysses and his personality. The challenge to write in his perspective is a fun way of the students utilizing their creativity and what they have learned through the novel to complete this assignment. Students will present their poem to their peers.

Learning Outcome

Students will be able to successfully identify the overall structure and compose a poem based on the structure necessary by the style of the poem. Students will be assessed by their level of creativity utilized to compose a poem in Ulysses' perspective, the correct usage of the structure of the poem’s style as well as the presentation of the poem to their peers.

Selling Tool

References

—English Language Arts Standards » Reading: Literature » Grade 4. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/4/

—Flora & Ulysses Teacher Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2017, from http://floraandulysses.com/media/fu_teachersguide.pdf

—Lexile Levels Made Easy. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2017, from http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/book-selection-tips/lexile-levels-made-easy

—Mid-Hudson Library System --Flora & Ulysses : the illuminated adventures / Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by K. G. Campbell. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2017, from http://search.midhudsonlibraries.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2053474__Sflora%20and%20ulysses__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&suite=cobalt

—New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2017, from https://www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-p-12-common-core-learning-standards-for-english-language-arts-and-literacy