Standards Aligned Literature Grouping with Rationale Assignment

The Great Depression

Fiction Book 1 The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis


Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Mighty Miss Malone. Scholastic, 2014.

Lexile Level: 750L
Age/Grade Level: 6th grade
Summary:
As an African American growing up during the Great Depression, twelve year old Deza Malone and her family have had their share of misfortunes. Deza, her older brother Jimmie and their parents live in a rented apartment. Deza’s father can not find work and leaves the family to find a job. Without her father’s paycheck, the family is soon kicked out of their apartment so Deza’s mother decide they must go find her father. With no money, the Malones have to “ride the rails” and find themselves living in a “Hooverville” as they search for Deza’s father. Deza’s brother Jimmie is an amazing singer and leave his mother and sister to try and make it as a professional singer. Deza’s mother eventually lands a job and she and Deza are able to move into a shared apartment. Deza misses her brother and father and checks the post office every day hoping that one of them has written them a letter. As the weeks go by without a letter from her father or brother, Deza begins to fear that they will never see them again. Deza and her mother must find a way to navigate the world without them.

Fiction Book 2 Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse



Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. Scholastic Press, 1997.

Lexile Level: 1040L
Age/Grade Level: 6th grade

Summary
This book is written in verse. Billie Jo and her parents live on a farm during the dust bowl in Oklahoma. The entire town is struggling to survive in this harsh environment. Billie Jo wants to leave the town and the dust behind. When tragedy strikes her family, Billie Jo finds she can not leave the dust behind.

Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9
Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

Goal:
Student will know what the great depression was and how it affected Americans, children in particular.

Objectives:
Students will understand the Great Depression and the ways life changed for American. (Cognitive)
Students will understand how the Great Depression affected children (Cognitive)
Students will be able to express the feelings a child may have during the Great Depression in a letter. (Affective)

Outcome:
Students will write a formal letter to Mrs. Roosevelt pretending to be either the main character from The Mighty Miss Malone or the main character from Out of the Dust.

Nonfiction Alignment 1

Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s by Michael L. Cooper


Cooper, Michael L. Dust to eat: drought and depression in the 1930s. Clarion Books, 2004.

Lexile Level: 1120L
This book gives a more personal account of what it was like to live in the dust bowl. The book combines factual information alongside personal narratives and pictures from this time period. Students will be able to understand what the Dust Bowl was and how it was related to The Great Depression.

Nonfiction Alignment 2 

An Album of the Great Depression by William Loren Katz



Katz, William Loren. An album of the great depression. Watts, 1979.

Lexile Level: 1120L
Students will understand what the Great Depression was. The book gives an in depth explanation on how the Great Depression affected Americans, not just children. Students will be able to have a better understanding of the issues facing Americans during this time period.

Nonfiction Alignment 3 

Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman


Freedman, Russell, Children of the Great Depression. Clarion Books, 2005

Lexile Level: 1170L
Students will be able to get a clearer picture of how the Great Depression affect children. The book combines factual information alongside personal narratives and pictures from this time period.The students can use the pictures in the book for the second activity.

Nonfiction Alignment 4

Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: Letters from Children of the Great Depression by Robert Cohen
Cohen, Robert, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: Letters from Children of the Great Depression. Univ. of North Carolina Press, 2005.
Students will be able to understand how the Great Depression affected children. After reading the letters to Mrs. Roosevelt, the students will have a better idea of what their letter to Mrs. Roosevelt should look like.

The following videos may also be used in conjunction with the nonfiction books.

History Brief: Daily Life in the 1930s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkAfjRolNCI&feature=youtu.be

An Overview of the Great Depression--A Child's Point of View
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNKa2qKOnAg

Children of the Great Depression
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QQhzWePqnw

Procedure
After reading the two books, The Mighty Miss Malone and Out of the Dust, students will begin to have an understanding of how the depression affected Americans, children in particular. Students will complete a character analysis for Deza Malone and Billie Jo.

Students will then read the first three nonfiction books. These books give a better idea of how the Great Depression affected Americans. As the students read each nonfiction book, they can begin to complete a graphic organizer as a way to record the important facts from each book. As they do this, the students should be starting to get the bigger picture about the Great Depression. The last book the students should read is Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: letters from children of the Great Depression. After reading this book, the students will be required to write their own letter to Mrs. Roosevelt. The students will pretend to be either Deza Malone or Billie Jo. They must write their letter to Mrs. Roosevelt explaining how the Great Depression has affected them. They must also think of one way their character’s life could have improved. In the letter, the students must include this information along with a request to Mrs. Roosevelt for help in making their life better.

An additional activity:

Student can choose one picture from either Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s by Michael L. Cooper or Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman. The students will analyze their chosen picture. They will then answer the following question:

What information does the picture tell us about the Great Depression?
What do you think the child’s life was like?

The students can then write a short essay explaining their thoughts.

Bibliography

andya405. YouTube, YouTube, 7 Dec. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QQhzWePqnw.

Cohen, Robert, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: Letters from Children of the Great Depression. Univ. of North Carolina Press, 2005.

Cooper, Michael L. Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s. Clarion Books, 2004.

Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Mighty Miss Malone. Scholastic, 2014.

Freedman, Russell, Children of the Great Depression. Clarion Books, 2005

Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. Scholastic Press, 1997.

Katz, William Loren. An Album of the Great Depression. Watts, 1979.

“New Deal.” C3 Teachers, www.c3teachers.org/inquiries/new-deal/.

readingthroughhistory. “History Brief: Daily Life in the 1930s.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Nov. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkAfjRolNCI&feature=youtu.be.

“Teaching History.Org, home of the National History Education Clearinghouse.” Children's Letters to Mrs. Roosevelt | Teachinghistory.Org, teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/lesson-plan-reviews/19089.

YouTube, YouTube, 26 Feb. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNKa2qKOnAg.

Greek Gods and Goddesses Book talk

As I was thinking about what theme I wanted to explore for this topic, I reviewed some of the curriculum for sixth graders. My youngest son is currently a sixth grader. During this year, our Middle School does a unit on Ancient Greece. The ELA and Social Studies Teacher collaborate with many of these lessons. All of my sons have loved this unit and were interested in learning more about Greek Gods and Goddesses. I then looked up the Social Studies Standards and Framework of New York State and realized I had a theme!


NYS Social Studies Standard:

Standard 2: World History

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

New York State K-6 Framework

6.5 COMPARATIVE CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS IN THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE (ca. 600 B.C.E. – ca. 500 C.E.): As complex societies and civilizations change over time, their political and economic structures evolve. A golden age may be indicated when there is an extended period of time that is peaceful, prosperous, and demonstrates great cultural achievements.


I have found that many students including my own children, find the Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses to be exceptionally interesting. Many students want to learn more about Ancient mythology. There are many resources a teacher can use, both nonfiction and fiction to supplement this unit. What better way to encourage them to continue learning about them through reading. I think it is important that students are encouraged to explore a topic they are learning in class on their own. The books I have chosen to use for my book talk are all fiction and I feel they can definitely do this.

I have chosen the Percy Jackson Olympians series for this assignment. I feel this series is a fantastic way to encourage students to read and learn about this subject. The books are jammed packed with information about Greek Gods and Goddesses plus lots of mythical creatures, action, and adventure. The main character in the Percy Jackson’s series is a 12 year old demi-god, half-god, half-mortal or half blood as some may say. Percy knew nothing of demigods or the fact that gods can produce offspring with humans. Many children who are demi-gods do not know who their God or Goddess parent is. The children will start to develop characteristics similar to that parent.

There are five books in this series. I know students love to discover books that are part of a series. This helps There are graphic novels of these books as well. These graphic novels may appeal to reluctant reads. If a child is a reluctant reader, it may not be that they aren’t interested in a topic but they may not like to read or may not be strong readers. These novels might be a bit overwhelming for some students, there are 375 pages in The Lightning Thief alone. Student who do not have strong reading comprehensive skills may be less intimidated by a graphic novel. The graphic novels have the same story but I think it can be more appealing to some students. I think these books are a wonderful opportunity for students to learn a little bit more of the topic covered in class. We wouldn’t want a child to miss this opportunity just because they might be put off reading a 375 page book.

I have also included some graphic novels about different Greek Gods and Goddesses. They are written by a different author than the Percy Jackson series. I think they can complement the unit and the Percy Jackson series. These graphic novels might be easier for some students to read. They still have great information and are entertaining. readers.

I have provided a detailed summary of the first book. I then briefly summarized the main idea behind each of the additional books.


Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 1 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
This is the first book in the The Olympians series. Unbeknownst to the main character, Percy Jackson, he is what the book calls a Demi-God, which is what someone is called who is half-god, half mortal. Demi-Gods are people who have one mortal parent and one parent who is a God/Goddess. Strange things have always happened around Percy but he has never really questioned them. The story opens with Percy on a class field trip that he goes on with his peers at his sixth boarding school. At this point he starts to connect the strange occurrences but has no proof something is different. Percy is expelled from the school and goes back home to NYC to live with his mother. When Percy and his mother are on vacation on Long Island, he quickly realizes that Percy goes to a camp for children that are demi-gods called Half-blood camp. Camp Half-Blood is the only safe place for demigods. There is a protective shield around the camp that protects it from Monsters. It is here that he learns about his true parentage. He and the other campers realize Percy is the son of Poseidon, the God of the seas because he experiences magical abilities when he is in or near water.

At this time there is a war going on between the Gods/Goddesses. During this war, Zeus’ lightning rod has been stolen and Percy is a suspect. In order to clear his name, he and his friends Grover, a satyr, and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, must go on a quest to find the lightening rod. His quest takes him from Hades and the underworld to Mount Olympus as he tries to find the Lightning Rod and clear his name.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 2 The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Half-Blood camp is under attack! Somehow the protective barrier surrounding the camp has been broken. Percy, Annabeth and Grover have to figure out why this happened and how they can protect the camp.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 3 The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan
The evil Lord Kronos is stirring. He is slowly regaining his power. Percy and his friends must find out why this is happening. Kronos is the father of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. These Gods defeated him and sent him to eternal prison but he is starting to regain strength.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 4 The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Percy and his friends must go on a Quest to try and stop the evil Kronos. They must find their way through an elaborate Labyrinth which has deadly challenges.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 5 The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
This is the final showdown between the half bloods and the Evil Kronos.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan
This book is written from Percy Jackson's perspective. The book contains Percy's knowledge of the different Greek Gods and Goddesses and what Percy knows about the Greek Gods and their world.

Book Titles

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 1 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 2 The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 3 The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 4 The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and The Olympians Book 5 The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

Olympians Zeus: King of the Gods by George O’Connor
Olympians Ares: Bringer of War by George O’Connor
Olympians Hades: Lord of the Dead by George O’Connor
Olympians Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory by George O’Connor

Bibliography & Resources

“New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework.” New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework | EngageNY, www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-k-12-social-studies-framework.

O'Connor, George. Ares: Bringer of War: the graphic novel. First Second, 2015.

O'Connor, George. Hades: Lord of the Dead: the graphic novel. First Second, 2012.

O'Connor, George. Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory: the graphic novel. First Second, 2013.

O'Connor, George. Zeus: King of the Gods: the graphic novel. First Second, 2010.

Riordan, Rick, et al. The Lightning Thief: the graphic novel. Disney/Hyperion, 2010.

Riordan, Rick, et al. The Sea of Monsters: the graphic novel. Disney/Hyperion, 2013.

Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods. New York, Disney/Hyperion, 2014.

Riordan, Rick. The Battle of the Labyrinth. New York, Disney/Hyperion, 2008.

Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. New York, Disney/Hyperion, 2005.

Riordan, Rick. The Last Olympian. New York, Disney/Hyperion, 2009.

Riordan, Rick. The Sea of Monsters. New York, Disney/Hyperion, 2006.

Riordan, Rick. The Titan’s Curse. New York, Disney/Hyperion, 2007.