Brock's Book Blog

Brer Rabbit - Jump on Over: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and His Family by Joel Chandler Harris

Citation:
Harris, J. C. (1989). Jump on over: The adventures of brer rabbit and his family. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers.

Summary:
Jump on Over by Joel Harris is a compilation of popular Brer Rabbit tales that highlight Brer Rabbit's relationships with Brer Bear, Brer Fox, and Brer Wolf. The language in this text is too advanced for second grade readers to independently read, but this would be a great choice for a read-aloud to learn new vocabulary or writing techniques. The illustrations in this text are also very unique, making this a perfect book choice for a picture-walk. These classic Brer Rabbit tales are entertaining for children, and the more advanced language can be a great tool for improving students' reading skills.

Lesson/Activity:
SC State Standards:
Social Studies Standard 2-1 - The student will demonstrate an understanding of cultural contributions made by people from the various regions of the United States.
Social Studies Indicator 2- 1.4 - Recall stories and songs about regional folk figures who have contributed to the development of the cultural history of the United States, including Pecos Bill, Brer Rabbit, Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, and John Henry. (G, H)

ELA Standard 2.3 - The student will use word analysis and vocabulary strategies to read fluently.
ELA Indicator 2- 3.1 - Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Lesson Objectives:
The student will use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Materials
1. Jump on Over by Joel Chandler Harris.
Procedures:
1. TTW pick a particular story from the text.
2. TTW find words that he/she thinks will be unfamiliar to his/her students.
3. Before reading the text aloud, TTW talk to the students about context clues (what it means, how we use context clues when reading, when we would use context clues, etc.)
4. TTW read the text aloud to the students. When the teacher encounters a vocabulary word that needs context clues, TTW engage the class in determining the meaning of the word.
5. TTW model for the class how to look at the context clues to find the meaning of unfamiliar words as he/she reads. Some examples of possible vocabulary words are brash, victuals, vow, etc.

Paul Bunyan - Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg

Citation:
Kellogg, S. (1984). Paul bunyan. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

Summary:
In Paul Bunyan, Steven Kellogg highlights the incredible legend of Paul Bunyan, the enormous, strong, blue-ox-bearing American hero. Steven Kellogg's Paul Bunyan is a particularly great text to use in the classroom because of the excellent illustrations. The illustrations dominate this book and really emphasize the exaggerration aspect of a tall-tale. Whether chosen for a picture-walk or a read-aloud, the illustrations and exciting story will keep students engaged and excited to learn about Paul Bunyan.

Lesson/Activity:
SC State Standards:

Davy Crockett - Davy Crockett: A Life on the Frontier by Stephen Krensky

Citation:
Krensky, S. (2004). Davy crockett: A life on the frontier. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing.

Summary:
Davy Crockett is born and the sun was so excited, it skipped the usual morning sunrise and jumped right up into the sky; Davy's grin was so enormous that it could change a blizzard into a rainbow; Davy saved the Earth from a comet by swinging it around and around and flinging it back into space - all of these captivating stories are part of Davy Crocket's legend and outlined in Stephen Krensky's Davy Crockett: A Life on the Frontier. To contrast these tall-tales, Krensky also provides students with an informative biography of Davy Crockett. This text is great for young readers because the simple language encourages successful reading, while the chapter book format helps the book to have a more mature feel. The contrast of biography and tall-tale keeps Krensky's version of the Davy Crockett legend engaging, fun, and educational.

Lesson/Activity:
SC State Standards:

1. Davy Crockett: A Life on the Frontier by Stephen Krensky (a copy for every student).

2. Pencils

3. Lined paper
Procedures:
1. After reading the text, TTW point out the journal entries described in the story. TTW discuss with the class that journal entries are a way to record how someone is feeling or events that are happening in someone's life. Davy wrote about his strict father, fighting with Native Americans, and other events in his life.
2. TTW split the students into small groups and assign each group one small section of the text.
3. The students in the group will re-read their assigned section (at this time, the teacher will be observing the groups, providing assistance, and helping students to gain a firm understanding of their section).
4. Each student will write a short journal entry about how Davy might feel in their section. For example, during Davy's fight with the Native Americans, students may write a few sentences about how Davy feels scared or angry.
5. After each student completes the journal entry, TTW help combine all the journal entries into one chronological journal. The journal will be placed in the class library for students to read during independent reading time.

Brer Rabbit - Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl

Citation:
Hamilton, V. (2003). Bruh rabbit and the tar baby girl. New York, NY: The Blue Sky Press.

Summary:
Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl by Virginia Hamilton is one of hundreds of versions of this folk-tale. What is special about this version is that it was collected from one of the Sea Islands right here in South Carolina and recorded with original Gullah words and dialect. In this tale, Brer Wolf tries to outsmart Brer Rabbit - He decides to catch his prey by creating a fake rabbit out of tar so that when Brer Rabbit touches the tar, he gets stuck. However, as it always happens, Brer Rabbit finds a way to come out on top in the end, symbolizing the cleverness and deterimation of slaves in the Plantation Era.

Lesson/Activity:
SC State Standards:

Social Studies Standard 2-1 - The student will demonstrate an understanding of cultural contributions made by people from the various regions of the United States.
Social Studies Indicator 2- 1.4 - Recall stories and songs about regional folk figures who have contributed to the development of the cultural history of the United States, including Pecos Bill, Brer Rabbit, Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, and John Henry. (G, H)
ELA Standard 2-5 - The student will write for a variety of purposes and audiences.
ELA Indicator 2-5.3 -Create written pieces that describe objects, people, places, or events and that use words that appeal to the senses.
Lesson Objectives:
The student will write a short paragraph using descriptive words in response to the story by Virginia Hamilton.
Materials:
1. Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl by Virginia Hamilton
2. Pencils
3. Crayons/Markers
4. Lined paper
Procedures:
1. After reading Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl, TTW ask the class to describe the way a rabbit looks. TTW record the observations on the board (students will come up with answers like small, big floppy ears, tail).
2. TTW then ask the students to describe the personality of the rabbit in the story. TTW record these observations on the board.
3. TTW tell the students that the words on the board are all descriptions of Brer Rabbit. Descriptions in writing make writing interesting and helps readers to understand the story and the character better.
4. TTW ask each student to do the same excercise for the Brer Wolf. TTW write the characteristics of the Brer Wolf on the board.
5. TTW ask the students to pick either Brer Rabbit or Brer Wolf and write a story about the character. They should include some of the descriptions on the board to create their story.
6. The students will illustrate the story after writing.

John Henry - John Henry by Julius Lester

Citation:
Lester, J. (1994). John henry. New York, NY: Dial Books.

Summary:
John Henry by Julius Lester chronicles the legend of John Henry from his birth when even the birds and the bears "ooohed and ahhhed" at his arrival, to his death resulting from hammering so hard and fast that he died of exhaustion. While the tall-tale is incredibly entertaining, what makes this book unique are the illustrations. This text is a Caldecott Honor book. The book is over-sized with the majority of the space taken up by larger-than-life pictures which compliment the larger-than-life story. The text of the story may be advanced for younger readers, but the excellent illustrations and over-sized format make John Henry a great choice for read-alouds or guided reading sessions.

Lesson/Activity:
SC State Standards:

Social Studies Standard 2-1 - The student will demonstrate an understanding of cultural contributions made by people from the various regions of the United States.
Social Studies Indicator 2- 1.4 - Recall stories and songs about regional folk figures who have contributed to the development of the cultural history of the United States, including Pecos Bill, Brer Rabbit, Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, and John Henry. (G, H)
ELA Standard 2.1 -The student will read and comprehend a variety of literary texts in print and nonprint formats
ELA Indicator 2 - 1.2 - Analyze a given literary text to make, revise, and confirm predictions.
Lesson Objectives:
The student will predict what happens in John Henry based on the illustrations.
Materials:
1. 1 copy of John Henry by Julius Lester
Procedures
1. TTW tell the students that they are going to make predictions about what happens in John Henry based on the illustrations.
2. TTW conduct a picture-walk of the story.
3. As the students look at the pictures, they will make predictions about what is happening in the story. TTW write the students' version of the story on the Smartboard.
4. After the picture-walk, TTW conduct a read-aloud of the text.
5. TTW initiate a discussion with the class about how their predictions differ from the actual story.

Davy Crockett - A Picture Book of Davy Crockett by David A. Adler

Citation:
Adler, D. A. (1996). A picture book of davy crockett. New York, NY: David A. Adler

Summary:
A Picture Book of Davy Crockett by David Adler tells a little bit of the legend of Davy Crockett, but it is mostly a biography of the man. With this text, Adler combines information about the real-life of Davy Crockett with his legend. Adler describes Davy Crockett's real-life childhood and apprenticeship, his marriage to Polly Finley, his run for President, and his death at the Alamo. At the end of the biography, Adler informs readers about the tall-tales surrounding Davy - his pet bear, Death Hug, riding a sea serpent, and his ability to teach wild animals. I like that this text combines legend with truth so that students can see first hand the way that truth is exaggerated into legend by storytellers.

Lesson/Activity:
SC State Standards:

Social Studies Standard 2-1 - The student will demonstrate an understanding of cultural contributions made by people from the various regions of the United States.
Social Studies Indicator 2- 1.4 - Recall stories and songs about regional folk figures who have contributed to the development of the cultural history of the United States, including Pecos Bill, Brer Rabbit, Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, and John Henry. (G, H)
ELA Standard 2.4 - The student will create written work that has a clear focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English.
ELA Indicator 2 - 4.2 - Use complete sentences (including simple sentences with compound subjects and predicates) in writing.
Lesson Objectives:
The student will exaggerate a paragraph to create their own tall-tale.
The student will complete a paragraph with at least four sentences.
Materials:
1. 1 copy of A Picture Book of Davy Crockett by David Adler.
2. Selected paragraphs printed on a PowerPoint or Smartboard presentation.
3. Pencils
4. Lined paper
Procedures:
1. TTW read aloud A Picture Book of Davy Crockett by David Adler.
2. TTW talk to the students about exaggerations, using the text to contrast the truth from a tall-tale.
3. TTW choose one paragraph from the story and place it on the board.
4. TTW read one paragraph to the class. TTW explain that they are going to create a tall-tale out of the truth. TTW model to the students how to do this by adding exaggerations to the truthful paragraph to create a tall-tale.
5. After providing examples, TTW place another paragraph from the story on the board.
6. The students will exaggerate the paragraph and write their own tall-tale.
7. If they would like, the students can share their tall-tales with the class.

John Henry - John Henry by Stephen Krensky

Citation:
Krensky, S. (2007). John henry. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press, Inc.

Summary:
John Henry by Stephen Krensky tells the legend of John Henry, the strong railroad worker who was always seen with a hammer in his hand. John Henry describes the persistence and hard work that lead to John's expertise and strength with his hammer. This author does a nice job of choosing language that enables young readers to successfully read this text independently. This text is also a little different than most John Henry children's books and tells a more realistic tale.

Lesson/Activity:
State Standards:

Social Studies Standard 2-1 - The student will demonstrate an understanding of cultural contributions made by people from the various regions of the United States.
Social Studies Indicator 2- 1.4 - Recall stories and songs about regional folk figures who have contributed to the development of the cultural history of the United States, including Pecos Bill, Brer Rabbit, Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, and John Henry. (G, H)
ELA Standard 2.4 - The student will create written work that has a clear focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English.
ELA Indicator 2 - 4.2 - Use complete sentences (including simple sentences with compound subjects and predicates) in writing.
Lesson Objectives:
The student will organize the sequence of John Henry by Stephen Krensky.
The student will write two complete sentences to narrate a text.
Materials:
1. A copy of John Henry by Stephen Krensky for every student.
2. Photocopied illustrations from one story in the text for each group.
3. Pencils
4. Lined Paper
Procedures:
1. TTW arrange the students in small groups.
2. TTW give each student a copy of John Henry by Stephen Krensky.
3. TTW assign each group one story from the text.
4. The students in the small group will take turns reading one part of the story aloud.
5. After reading the story, the students will put the text aside.
6. The students will arrange the provided pictures that illustrate the text into the correct sequence of events.
7. After arranging the sequence of events, each student will write two sentences to describe one illustration (each student will complete a different illustration).