Responding to Literature
Houghton Mifflin
Grade 3
D. Crisler 2012/2013
Prediction
•Use the words below to predict what thisstory might be about.
boulderscanyoncauldron
ledgesrapidsscouted
sheerbanks
•What do you know that influenced your prediction?
The Waterfall
Strategy Focus: predict/infer Comprehension Skill: cause and effect
Predictions as you read….
Prediction
Reference
Outcome
Encourage students to use background knowledge to support predictions. Language: Ithink..because…, I’ll bet…because…, I wonder if…because…, Iimagine…because…, I suppose…because…, I predict…because…
Examples:
I think they are going camping because on page 95 it looks like the dad is packinga tent.
I wonder if anyone will get sick because on page 96 it says there is poison oak.
All About Mountain Lions(Nonfiction connection)
The narrator had trouble sleeping his firstnight. That was because a mountain lion wasprowling nearby. Was the boy in danger?Find out. Begin by making a K-W-L chart.Then do some research and learn aboutmountain lions. Write a report, and share itwith a group.
What I Know
What I Want to Learn
What I Learned
Resources for Mountain Lions
Appearance
Habitat
Diet
Other Interesting Facts
Frame for nonfiction report
While reading about mountain lions Ilearned many things. One thing I learned waswhat they look like. _________________Another thing I learned was what they eat.________ . I also discovered where mountainlions live. __________________________. Ilearned many additional interesting facts. Forinstance, did you know ___________? ClearlyI learned many things about mountain lions.
Detail/Fact
Quote
Explain Quote
Here…
Analysis
This shows…..
This Proves….
It seems...
Was the boy indanger? What areyou thinking?
paragraph
Based on what you learned about Mountain Lions ,do you thinkthe boy was in danger? Support your answer with evidence fromthe nonfiction text.
Example:
After reading about mountain lions, I thinkthe boy in The Waterfall was/was not in anydanger. In paragraph ___the article stated,“_________”. Here I learned ________. Thismeans __________________. Clearly, basedon this new knowledge about mountain lionsthe boy was/was not in danger because…
Let’s Go CampingAuthentic Literacy Connection
Imagine that the boy in The Waterfall is a friend of yours. Heand his family are going camping again this summer. Theyhave invited you to join them. What will you bring?Remember, you have to carry it in a backpack. Make a list.Then meet with other students and compare your lists. Didyou all bring the same things? Explain your choices. You maytake no more than 10 items. Justify your choices and rankthem in order of importance.
Item
Justification (Why is it important?)
Additional Extensions
You may want to choose one of the extensionactivities on the following slides to focus onadditional skills or to help students makeconnections.
Just Because
In The Waterfall, different things happen fordifferent reasons. See for yourself. Play a cause andeffect game with two or three classmates.
•One of you goes first and reads a sentence from thestory.
•The next student tells what the effect is. The effectmust be found in the story.
•The player gets one point for finding the effect.
•The second player now reads a sentence, and the thirdlayer gives the effect.
•Continue taking turns. Play until someone scores sixpoints.
Whose Story Is It?
The Waterfall is told from the point of view ofone of the boys. You see everything throughhis eyes. How well do you really know him?Draw a picture of the narrator in the center ofa piece of paper. Leave plenty of spacearound the picture. In the space, write wordsto describe the narrator. Reread the story tofind clues. Think about his personality and hislikes and dislikes.
Dear Mr. London
Write a letter to the author, Jonathan London.What would you like to know about him or hisstory? What would you like to tell him aboutyourself? Here are some ideas:
•What do you like or dislike about the story?
•What would you like to know about theauthor’s other camping experiences?
My Souvenir
The boy in The Waterfall works hard to bringback a great souvenir. It was worth it. Itreminds him of his wonderful adventure at thewaterfall. What souvenir have you broughthome from and adventure? How did you getit? What does it remind you of? How does itmake you feel? Write a paragraph describingyour souvenir.
Adventure Collage
A collage is a kind of picture made from manythings. The things all tell something about atopic or idea. Make a collage about theWaterfall.
•Pick a topic from the story
•Write your topic at the top of a piece of paper.
•Cut words and pictures from a magazinewhich remind you of the topic. Past them onthe paper.
•Put your collage on the bulletin board.
“Hiking Collage”
Cut out things from a magazine that you may see on a hike.
Materials:
•Magazines suitable for cutting pictures from
•Paper
•Glue sticks
Directions:
•1. Explain to students what a collage is, with visual examples ifpossible.
•2. Pass out paper and magazines to students.
•3. Have students cut out things they would see in nature andarrange pictures in a collage on their
•background paper.
Outdoor Adventurers
The Waterfall tells about adventures in theoutdoors. You and your classmates haveprobably had outdoor adventures as well.Find out. Interview a classmate.
•Ask questions about his or her outdooradventures.
•Take careful notes.
Now write a paragraph comparing yourfriend’s adventure to the adventure in TheWaterfall.
Resources