Theme 1 x THEME 1: Off to Adventure!
CHALLENGE ACTIVITIES FOR Off to Adventure! Selections 1 Cliff Hanger 2 The Ballad of Mulan 3 The Lost and Found THEME 1: Off to Adventure! 1
SELECTION 1: Cliff Hanger THEME 1/Cliff Hanger Challenge Master CH 1 1 1. How High Can You Climb? 150 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL (Social Studies) Materials: encyclopedia or other reference sources and Graphic Organizer Master 4 1. How High Can You Climb? Goal: Give an oral report on rock climbing. Gather Details Reread pages 28 32 of Cliff Hanger. Fill in a K-W-L chart about rock climbing. Fill in facts you know from the story and from your own experience. Brainstorm a list of questions you d like answered. For example, What kinds of rock climbing are there? Begin research. Check the encyclopedia, magazines, or other reference sources. Work on your chart, adding facts and questions as you go. Prepare Notes About Climbing Make an outline of your main ideas. Write notes on index cards. Follow your outline, and use your K-W-L chart. Use visual aids such as pictures, maps, or charts. Share What You Know Tell your classmates what you have learned. Look directly at your audience. Speak loudly, clearly, and not too fast. Practice using your visual aids. Be sure letters on posters and charts are large enough for the audience to see. CH 1 1 Challenge Master Focus on ways to learn safe rock climbing skills. Make drawings or diagrams to illustrate your ideas. Grade 3 Theme 1: Off to Adventure! A good oral report will a well-organized presentation specific, clearly explained details about safe rock-climbing skills graphic organizers to clarify ideas Gather Details Use graphic organizer. Emphasize its value to students as a way of focusing their work. Tell students to take their time brainstorming questions. Remind students to take notes as they read. Tell them to check what they already know for accuracy. Prepare Notes About Climbing Tell students to use note cards only as a guide while speaking. They shouldn t write their speech word-for-word on the cards, or try to put all the details on them. Provide the following guidelines: Write one important idea on each card. Write important details that are hard to remember on the cards, such as statistics or quotations. Number the cards in the order in which they will be used. English Language Learners: Have students check their pronunciation of difficult words in a dictionary and practice saying the words aloud. You may want to pair them with a primary English speaker who can help them with pronunciation and word choice. Share What You Know Explain to students that speakers are sometimes unaware of the speed or volume of their voices. Stress that the goal is to speak at an appropriate volume and at an easy, conversational pace. If possible, allow students to use an overhead projector or tape their visual aids someplace where they can be easily viewed by the whole audience. 2 THEME 1: Off to Adventure!
2. Book Talk 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL SMALL GROUP Materials: adventure books Remind students that when discussing in small groups they should speak slowly and clearly not interrupt each other allow everyone in the group a chance to participate 3. Dag s Story 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL Before students write, have them focus on the part of the story that tells about the cliff. Tell them to think about what their own parent might think about allowing them to climb the cliff why a parent would decide that climbing the cliff was okay English Language Learners: Cliff Hanger s many words related to climbing. Have students review the story and list these words. They can use the list as a word source while writing. Additional Independent Work Connecting/Comparing Literature Have students compare the Leveled Reader selection Regina s Ride with the anthology selection Cliff Hanger, using what they have learned about Cause and Effect. Students may discuss or write about their comparisons. A good book discussion will comparisons to books the students have already read specific details that make the book appealing an opinion of the book that s its strengths and its weaknesses A good rewrite will the scene told from the point of view of Dag details that develop Dag s personality and support his point of view Challenge Master CH 1 2 Other Activities Theme 1 Assignment Cards A, 1, 2, 3 TE p. 42, Literature Discussion TE p. 47, Using a Map Scale TE p. 49E, Challenge Word Practice TE pp. R9, R15, Challenge Education Place: www.eduplace.com More activities related to Cliff Hanger Accelerated Reader, Cliff Hanger THEME 1/Cliff Hanger 2. Book Talk Goal: Discuss adventure books. Meet with a group and discuss your favorite adventure books. Before you meet, plan ahead what you will say about your book. Think about questions like these: Why do you like the book? Who are the main characters? Do you like them? Why? What is one paragraph you could share with the group? When others present books, ask questions. 3. Dag s Story Goal: Rewrite Cliff Hanger from Dag s point of view. Rewrite the part of the story that tells about the climb from Dag s point of view. Think about these questions: Compare your book to other books or stories your classmates have read. Do not tell too much about the plot. Let others discover it for themselves. Read the story again. Take notes about Dag. How is Dag s point of view different from his son s? Why? Why does Dag change his mind about letting Axel climb the mountain? What was Dag thinking as he watched Axel descend? Why did he say, That was so close, I can t talk about it? How does Dag feel when Axel safely reaches the bottom of the mountain? Grade 3 Theme 1: Off to Adventure! Challenge Master CH 1 2 SELECTION 1: Cliff Hanger 3
SELECTION 2: The Ballad of Mulan Challenge Master CH 1 3 THEME 1/The Ballad of Mulan 1. Mulan: The Play 150 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL SMALL GROUP (Social Studies) Materials: cardboard, paper, markers, glue, and scissors 1. Mulan: The Play Goal: Rewrite the legend of Mulan as a play and perform it. Start Gathering Details List the characters in The Ballad of Mulan and describe them. Use an inference chart like the one on page 32 of the Practice Book to help you. Note details about the setting. List each of the events in the order in which they happen. Take notes of dialogue and actions you want to use. Now plan what you ll use in your play. What events will you show or tell about? How many characters will you use? Begin Writing Remember, you have to tell the whole story through dialogue. Dialogue is what actors say to each other. Write dialogue that sounds real. Sometimes you will have a change in time or place. Have your actors leave the stage briefly to mark the end of a scene. Perform the Play Present your play to your class. First give a reading of the play. Allow classmates to read the different parts. Read the play aloud, but don t act it out. Gather your actors and choose actions to go along with the dialogue. Rehearse the play the way you want it to be. Make some basic costumes from cardboard, paper, or other materials. Now perform the play. CH 1 3 Challenge Master Don t use too many locations for your play. Keep each piece of dialogue short. Grade 3 Theme 1: Off to Adventure! A good play will a plot that tells the legend of Mulan realistic dialogue characterization that reflects familiarity with the characters personalities Start Gathering Details Have students become thoroughly familiar with the story. Emphasize that they do not have to every event described in The Ballad of Mulan. They can also elaborate on events that they think are especially interesting or dramatic. Begin Writing Check with students on their progress. Tell students that their plays will not have sets, so they must provide all the information through the dialogue, actions, and gestures of the actors. Explain that scene changes are important to help the actors and audience move from one place or time to another place or time. Refer students to Henry & Ramona on page 396 of Horizons as an example of how dialogue and action are written in plays. English Language Learners: Tell students to draft quickly rather than pausing to find the exact word for every line. Once they have their basic ideas in place, they can revise to improve word choice and phrasing. Have them consult with more proficient English speakers to achieve realistic dialogue. Perform the Play Provide class time for the presentations. 4 THEME 1: Off to Adventure!
2. Abigail s Drum 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL (Challenge Theme Paperback) Materials: encyclopedia, library materials, drawing paper, markers (optional), and Graphic Organizer Master 2 Have students begin by reviewing the descriptions of Scituate Lighthouse in Abigail s Drum. Remind them to reread the Afterword. Have students use a Venn diagram to organize points of comparison for their paragraphs. A good paragraph will references to Scituate Lighthouse specific details comparing Scituate Lighthouse to other lighthouses 3. Dear Diary 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL Tell students to use the skill of making inferences to learn more about Mulan. Have students list ideas about how Mulan might feel and things she might think about while she is gone from home. Additional Independent Work Connecting/Comparing Literature Have students compare the Leveled Reader Ida Lewis and the Lighthouse with the anthology selection The Ballad of Mulan, using what they have learned about Making Inferences. Students may discuss or write about their comparisons. Other Activities Challenge Theme Paperback, Abigail s Drum Theme 1 Assignment Cards 4, 5, 6, 7 TE p. 82, Literature Discussion TE p. 89, Art/Language/ Writing TE p. 89E, Challenge Word Practice TE pp. R6, R11, R17, Challenge Education Place: www.eduplace.com More activities related to The Ballad of Mulan Accelerated Reader, The Ballad of Mulan THEME 1/The Ballad of Mulan A good diary entry will the probable thoughts and feelings of Mulan reference to story details to support ideas and feelings expressed in the entry Challenge Master CH 1 4 2. Abigail s Drum Goal: Write a paragraph about lighthouses. Do research to learn more about lighthouses. Compare Scituate Lighthouse in Abigail s Drum to other lighthouses. Think about these questions: How is Scituate Lighthouse like other lighthouses? How important were lighthouses and are they still useful? 3. Dear Diary Mulan lived away from her family for ten years. She faced many hardships. How do you think she felt? What might she have thought about? Write a diary entry as if you were Mulan. Think about Mulan s circumstances: her loneliness her dangerous life her responsibilities her secret Compare lighthouses by telling how they are alike and different. Use drawings to show details about lighthouses. Goal: Write a diary entry that Mulan might have written. First, list what you know about Mulan s personality and character. List her experiences while she was in the army. Use your notes to write the diary entry. Grade 3 Theme 1: Off to Adventure! Challenge Master CH 1 4 SELECTION 2: The Ballad of Mulan 5
SELECTION 3: The Lost and Found THEME 1/The Lost and Found Challenge Master CH 1 5 1. My Unusual Adventure 150 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL (Social Studies) Materials: magazines, encyclopedia, books, and other sources of pictures 1. My Unusual Adventure Goal: Gather ideas and write a story about an unusual adventure. Explore for Ideas Look at pictures of places in encyclopedias, magazines, or books. Pick some favorite ones. Imagine that something strange is hidden from view. Choose one picture as the setting of your story. Write some notes about what your story might be about. Begin Writing Read your notes. Organize and develop your ideas. Then write your story. Think about the plot, or what happens in the story. Write the events in the order in which they will happen. Describe the place. Think about what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. Share What You Know Decide how to share your story. You might: Read your story aloud to the class. Work with classmates to put all your stories together in one book. Place the book in your class library. CH 1 5 Challenge Master Write dialogue the words that the characters say to each other. Put quotation marks ( ) around their words. Describe your characters. Tell what they look like, how they act, or what they re feeling and thinking. Grade 3 Theme 1: Off to Adventure! A good story will a clearly and logically organized plot details that help readers and listeners visualize the setting and characters realistic dialogue Explore for Ideas Challenge students to use their imaginations to see the fantastic in ordinary places. Tell them to jot notes as they look at pictures. If they get stuck, remind students to ask themselves What if? questions. Begin Writing Tell students that the events in their stories should follow a logical order. Have them list the events in the order they will appear in the story. You might want to have students write a draft of their stories first so they can add or remove details where necessary. English Language Learners: Urge students not to spend time searching for the exact word as they draft their stories. They should focus on getting their ideas on paper. Explain that they can go back and choose better words as they revise. Share What You Know Tell students to practice reading their stories aloud before their presentations. Have them think about varying their reading speed, reading more quickly when the action speeds up and more slowly when the tension builds. You might want to publish their stories on your school or class website. 6 THEME 1: Off to Adventure!
2. Wait Until You Hear This! 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL Provide time for students to rehearse their presentations. If there is more than one presentation for each character, be sure to order the presentations to avoid having two of the same characters speak in a row. 3. There It Is! 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL Review with students the principal parts of a friendly letter: heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature. Have students review the selection and identify an item that they ve lost. English Language Learners: Allow students to work with a classmate who is proficient in English. Additional Independent Work Connecting/Comparing Literature Have students compare the Leveled Reader selection The Unusual Coin with the anthology selection The Lost and Found, using what they have learned about Sequence of Events. Students may discuss or write about their comparisons. Other Activities Theme 1 Assignment Cards 1, 2, 3 TE p. 114, Literature Discussion TE p. 121, Writing a Poem TE p. 121E, Challenge Word Practice TE pp. R13, R19, Challenge Education Place: www.eduplace.com More activities related to The Lost and Found Accelerated Reader, The Lost and Found THEME 1/The Lost and Found A good presentation will a clear understanding of the sequence of events in the story effective use of words signaling time sequence effective use of vocal expression A good friendly letter will an informal style story details that show familiarity with the story and characters a heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature Challenge Master CH 1 6 2. Wait Until You Hear This! Goal: Give a short oral presentation as one of the characters from The Lost and Found. Choose Mona, Wendell, or Floyd as a character you would like to roleplay. Prepare a short presentation telling about one of your adventures in The Lost and Found. Tell about events in the order in which they happened. Pick the most important events. Use words like first, next, a few minutes later, then, and at last. They will help the audience know the order of events. Use as much expression in your voice as possible. 3. There It Is! Goal: Write a personal letter to ask about something you have lost. Reread The Lost and Found and list all the major events. Number the events in the order they happened. Use your list to organize your presentation. Brainstorm a story of how you lost the item. List questions you Suppose that you saw something need answered in of yours in a picture in The Lost and order to find the item. Found. Write a friendly letter to one of the characters in the book asking about the item. Ask if he or she saw the item. Tell them how you lost it. Get directions for finding your way in the bin. Grade 3 Theme 1: Off to Adventure! Challenge Master CH 1 6 SELECTION 3: The Lost and Found 7