Are you there god? It's me, Margaret, by Judy Blume

Blume, Judy. Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. New York; Atheneum Books, 2014.
Lexile Level: 570L

Target Age: Grades 5-7
Alignment:

Learning Standards	CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Learning Goals	Students will answer questions philosophical questions from different religious perspectives.
Learning Objectives	(Cognitive) Students will complete a Basic Beliefs Sheet  for their assigned religion. (Affective) Students will participate in roundtable discussion in which they will answer questions from the perspective of different religions and philosophies. (Psychomotor) Students will create an artifact that exemplifies their understanding of the concept of ritual.
Learning Outcomes	Students will engage in research and discussion about religious beliefs free from personal opinions and judgments.

Learning Activity:

Students will conduct research into Catholicism and Judaism, the two religions that are discussed in the book, as well as other philosophies and religions. When the students have explored all of the aligned texts, they will work in groups to come up with a Basic Beliefs Sheet for the religion/philosophy they are assigned. To synthesize what they have learned, we will hold a roundtable discussion where students will answer questions posed to the class from their basis of understanding of the religion/philosophy they are researching.
Possible questions:

·         What is your holiest day?

·         Tell us about a ritual you have.

·         What do you believe happens when we die?

·         What is the most important thing about your religion/philosophy that you think others should know?

Students will create an artifact with the theme of ritual. It does not have to be from any religion, but should show their understanding of what a ritual is. For example, a students might sew a pillow that they use to sit on and read in the morning before school.

Non-fiction Alignment 1

Charing, Douglas. Eyewitness Judaism. New York: DK Publishing, 2016.

Lexile Level: 600L

Students will read this text to get a better idea of what Judaism is all about. In the fiction book, Are you there god, it’s me, Margaret, the main character tries to decide if she might be Jewish. She looks up to her Grandmother, who is Jewish, and even tries to go to the temple with her. Students will look for key facts about Judaism to add to their Basic Beliefs Sheet.

Non-fiction Alignment 2

DK Publishing. What do you believe (Big Questions)?  New York: DK Publishing, 2011.

Lexile Level: 700L

This text will prepare students for the roundtable discussion at the conclusion of the unit. As they learn about the different religions in the texts, they can start to practice answering the big questions in this book from different religious perspectives.

Non-fiction Alignment 3

Baylor, Bird. Illus. Peter Parnall. The Way to Start a Day.  New York: Scribner, 1978.

Lexile: 690L

Awards: ALA Mildred L. Batchelder Award

 ALA Notable Children's Books

 Aesop Award

 Agatha Award Finalist

 Caldecott Honor Book

 Horn Book Fanfare

This book was chosen for this activity because it is more about rituals of how people all around the world welcome the new day. It will help students to see that rituals are a part of people’s spirituality, and that not every ritual is defined by a religion.

Non-fiction Alignment 4

Lynne, Courtney. I’m an atheist and that’s ok. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.

Lexile Level: 720L

Margaret, our protagonist from the fiction book, sees religion as a one or the other situation. She wants to know if she can join the YMCA or the Jewish Community Center. She does not seem to be aware of atheism. This non-fiction text explains what atheism is and answers questions about atheist’s beliefs. This will be a perspective that will be represented in the roundtable discussion at the conclusion of the unit.

Non-fiction Alignment 5

Education World. Lesson Planning Ideas: The World’s Religions. Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/world-religions-multicultural-diversity.shtml

To stop our research at Judaism, Christianity, and Atheism would give students the impression that those are the only choices of religion. This website features many different religions and some of their holidays. Students can research one holiday of their choice, preferably from a religion that they know little about. What they learn will be recorded in the Basic Beliefs Sheet and will be represented in the roundtable discussion.

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

Applegate, Katherine, et al. The one and only Ivan. Harper, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2017.


Summary:

Ivan is a silverback gorilla who has lived in a cage at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade for long as he can remember. He is friends with many of the other animals that live there. Ivan is content with his life and actually draws with crayons given to him. One day a baby elephant named Ruby comes to live at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. She knows what life is like before and isn’t happy about living in a cage. As Ivan begins to see their situation, he realizes there is so much more . To help free Ruby and himself, Ivan tries to draw to bring awareness to their living conditions. Ivan’s drawings work and people begin to protest the animals’ living conditions. The fate of Ivan, Ruby and the other animals living at is about to change.

Lexile Level: 570L
Grades: 3rd and up

Domains:  Affective and Cognitive

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1

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

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Goals:

Students will be able to write a persuasive letter expressing their thoughts and feeling about a topic clearly and coherently.

Objectives:

Students will understand the structure and format of a form letter. (Cognitive)

Students will be able write a letter, uses examples from the text, to support their argument. (Affective)

Students will research the natural habitat of a silverback gorilla. (Cognitive)

Students will compare the living conditions of a silverback gorilla in their natural habitat and the living conditions of Ivan at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. (Affective)

Outcome:

Students will write a persuasive letter to Mack explaining their feelings regarding Ivan, Lucy and the other animals living conditions and quality of life. Students will include examples from the book, The One and Only Ivan as well as information from their research.

Procedure
After reading The One and Only Ivan, students will research the natural habitats of a silverback gorilla. Using a VENN diagram, students will compare and contrast the two different living environments, the natural habitat of the silverback gorilla and the living conditions of Ivan. Students will then write a persuasive letter to the owner of the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. The letter will include examples from the book, The One and Only Ivan as well as information from their research.



My Selling Tool

The official book trailer for The One and Only Ivan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtPdqV2crQ0

oneandonlyivan. YouTube, YouTube, 30 Dec. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtPdqV2crQ0.

The real gorilla behind the story The One and Only Ivan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly6UOKQDLvI

pauldinggov. YouTube, YouTube, 1 Feb. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly6UOKQDLvI.

The One and Only Ivan

“The One and Only Ivan”by Katherine Applegate

Applegate, Katherine.. The One and Only Ivan. New York: Harper Collins, 2012.

Lexile:570
 Recommended for: Grades 3-5

Selling Tool: Book Talk

Summary: This is a fiction story based on the real life of a gorilla named Ivan. Ivan is a silverback gorilla who lives in a mall and sees life through a glass window. He likes to draw but does it because he becomes bored being held captive in a Shopping Mall Arcade. Ivan spent 27 years being held captive either in a cage or behind a glass instead of living in his natural habitat. This book focuses on the struggles with self identify and self worth-which begs the reader to understand that no matter the situation that you’re in life, it is okay to be yourself and to be yourself to the best of your ability no matter what the odds are against you.

Activity: Animal Rights - this lesson will take a few classes to complete

This book would be great to use for a third grader reading above grade level to apply to a creating a Public Service Announcement on Animal Rights through written essay and student created IMovie.  Students will read this book and research the real Ivan’s story as well as regulations for animal rights in the United States.

Students will research and take notes through the use of a graphic organizer. They will develop their thoughts into a written essay on the Importance of Animal Rights and use Ivan’s life story (as details) from the text and independent research to support their claim.

Students will then create their own IMovie PSA on the importance of Animal Rights. We will share and present to other peers.

Learning Outcome: Students will read this novel and take a stand of action in support for Animal Rights. They will use details of Ivan’s life from the text and their own research to create a public service announcement in the form of an essay and a student created IMovie to present to other peers on the issue.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will write an essay using three or more details (from text or research) in support of  Animal Rights (Cognitive).
• Students will create an IMovie public service announcement presenting  their findings (Cognitive, Psychomotor).

  Assessments:

• Student essays with 3 or more details of evidence to support claim (either from text or independent research)
• Student create IMovies assessed by a rubric

Standards:

NYS Common Core:

Key Ideas and Details: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2

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

AASL:

2.3.1 Connect understanding to the real world.

1.1.5 Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.

2.3.3 Use valid information and reasoned conclusions to make ethical decisions.

Information Literacy Continuum:

3.3 Uses bookmarked Websites to find appropriate information.