Finding Magic with Mary Pope Osborne

An Author Study

Katy Carroll

LAE 4416

July 2012

Introduction:

I decided to use Mary Pope Osborne because my 9-year-old nephew was really into the books. I knew he liked the Magic Tree House series but I never knew much about it. I picked up some new Magic Tree House books for him one day and I decided to read one myself. I quickly learned why he was so intrigued by these books. When I learned that we would be doing an author study for this class I didn’t have to think twice about which author I wanted to use. The way this author integrates real life and history into a fictitious story is awesome. She takes a subject and makes it interesting to learn. I can’t wait to use her books in my future classroom. If I cannot integrate them into my curriculum then I will definitely have them in my classroom library for my students to explore and go on these various adventures with the main characters Jack and Annie!

For this author study, I decided to choose 3^rd grade students as my intended audience. The two main characters, Jack and Annie, are 7 and 8 years of age so I think the students will be able to relate to the characters. I am planning this author study to be a month long. I want to give enough time for the students to read each book and be able to reflect on it without worrying about short time constraints.

About the Author:

Mary Pope Osborne is an author most know for her popular Magic Tree House series, but Mary has written over a hundred books. It all started in Fort Sill, Oklahoma on May 20^th, 1949 when Mary was born. Her father was a colonel in the United States Army so she got to travel all over the world. She has lived in Austria, Florida, Oklahoma, and four other army posts in North Carolina and Virginia all by the age of fifteen. She has a very close relationship with her parents, older sister, younger brother, and her twin brother, so moving was never difficult for her. As a teenager she spent most of her time at the local community theatre in North Carolina either acting or working backstage. She moved on to college to study drama but soon found interest in the world of mythology and comparative religion. She changed her major in her junior year and eventually graduated in the early 1970’s from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

After college she still craved excitement and adventure and decided to travel the world. She spent a while in Crete camping in a cave until she met a group of young European people. She joined their group and traveled through 11 different Asian countries. Some of the places she visited include Afghanistan, Kabul, and Katmandu. While in Katmandu she became ill with blood poisoning and had to stay in a hospital for two weeks. She decided to return home after her illness. She began living an adventure at home and worked a number of jobs over the years including working as a window dresser, a medical assistant, a Russian travel consultant, a waitress, bartender, taught acting classes at a nursing home, and an assistant editor for a children’s magazine.

She started writing poetry in her late 20’s and never thought about writing books until one day she began writing a story about an 11-year-old girl who was a lot like her. A lot of the incidents the girl in her story experiences were similar to things that happened in Mary’s own life. This was her very first book titled Run, Run as Fast as You Can. She has written multiple other books before she began writing the popular Magic Tree House series. She began writing the Magic Tree House series because it was suggested to her. She dreamed up Jack and Annie, but did not think of the tree house until one day she passed by one on a walk with her husband. She decided that would be the perfect place for Jack and Annie to go on adventures. Now she enjoys writing because she can take the reader on their very own adventures. She connects her life to the books because she is always looking for adventure in her life. She says now she can go on daily adventures with Jack and Annie and still be home by dinner time. There is a great companion website to go along with this series. The website is www.themagictreehouse.com . Children can create an account and explore all the Magic Tree House books. After each book they read they can take a mini quiz and collect badges. These books have a great adventure theme and through their adventures Jack and Annie always learn something new. She has won multiple awards for her books including American Library Association Notable Award, Notable Social Studies Trade Book Award, and The Orbis Pictus Honor.

References

www.marypopeosborne.com/biography

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/mary-pope-osborne-0

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/pdf/AuthorBioMPOsborne.pdf

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/catalog/author.pperl?authorid=22894&view=sml_sptlght

http://www.nypl.org/author-chat-mary-pope-osborne

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/578.Mary_Pope_Osborne

http://www.dawcl.com/search.asp (Search Osborne, M. under author/illustrator section)

Guiding Questions:

1. What is the author’s purpose for writing each of her books?

2. Does the author follow any type of format?

Annotated Bibliography:

Mummies in the Morning - MTH Series #3 (1993)

Jack and Annie go on a mission back to Ancient Egypt. They meet a ghost queen who needs their help to get to the other side. But their adventure is just beginning. After helping the ghost queen, they run into a real mummy and get lost and separated while running away. They find their way back to each other and eventually back to the tree house. This is a good book to use when studying Egypt. One characteristic of the author is using a historical place as a setting.

Dolphins at Daybreak – MTH Series #9 (1997)

This is the first book where Morgan le Fay needs Jack and Annie’s help. Morgan le Fay needs Jack and Annie to become master librarians so they can help her collect books for her library. But first they must pass a test. They are given four riddles and to solve the first riddle they must go on adventure to the ocean. They ride a mini-sub, get in a tangle with an octopus, come up against a shark, and are saved by dolphins. A great book to use to introduce a unit on sea life and the ocean. One characteristic of the author is using a riddle for Jack and Annie to solve.

Ghost Town at Sundown – MTH Series #10 (1997)

This is the second book in which jack and Annie must solve a riddle on their journey to become master librarians and help Morgan le Fay build her library. In order to solve this riddle Jack and Annie are sent back to the Old West to a town called Rattlesnake Flats. Here they find a piano played by a ghost, a lost mustang colt, and a cowboy whose horses have been stolen. Jack and Annie decide to help the cowboy find his stolen horses and return the colt to his mother. This sends them on a wild adventure through the Old West. A characteristic of the author is introducing new words and enforcing them through repetition. This would be a book to use during a history lesson on the Wild West. Includes great descriptions on how life was during that time period.

Eve of the Emperor Penguin – MTH Series #40 (2009)

In this adventure Jack and Annie are trying to find happiness on their quest to save Merlin. The Magic Tree House sends them to Antarctica where they find they have not traveled back in time like usual. While in Antarctica they run into reporters, scientists, and penguins. Jack and Annie have to try to figure out how penguins have the answer to happiness. A characteristic of the author is Jack and Annie always use magic. This would a good book to use during a unit on continents and animals that live on different continents. Also can be used on a lesson about the differed types of penguins and the habitats they live in.

Dogs in the Dead of Night – MTH Series #46 (2011)

Jack and Annie are taken back to the 1800’s to the Swiss Alps on a quest to find an ancient flower that can save their friends life. They find Monks and Saint Bernard dogs and they soon learn that these dogs can help them find what they are looking for. During their quest Jack and Annie learn what Saint Bernard dog’s do, turn into dogs themselves to save a soldier from an avalanche, and even meet Napoleon Bonaparte who is a famous French ruler. A characteristic of this author is the main characters are always looking for something. This would be a fantastic book to use in a geography lesson or history lesson about Napoleon Bonaparte.

Midnight on the Moon – MTH Series #8 (1996)

Morgan le Fay is under a powerful spell. In order to release her from that spell Jack and Annie must find the last of the four items that are needed. To find this item Jack and Annie are sent to the moon. This book gives great descriptions of the moon and what it is like to be on the moon. This would be a great book when doing a unit on Space. One characteristic of the author is she always uses the same two main characters, Jack and Annie.

Thanksgiving on Thursday – MTH Series #27 (2002)

Jack and Annie are taken back to 1620 for the very first Thanksgiving celebration. They are asked by the pilgrims to help them prepare for the feast. Jack and Annie don’t know who to do anything and must learn quickly. While on this historical adventure they meet multiple people including pilgrims, Squanto, and others from the Wampanoag tribe. This is a fantastic book to use around Thanksgiving to teach students about the history of thanksgiving. It gives very detailed and accurate descriptions of events, people, and history. One characteristic of the author is she always gives detailed descriptions of clothing that is appropriate for the time period or area that Jack and Annie are in.

Polar Bears Past Bedtime – MTH Series #12 (1998)

The last of the four riddles Morgan le Fay gave Jack and Annie is addressed in this book. This riddle takes the brother and sister duo to the Arctic where they go on and icy adventure. They encounter a seal hunter, polar bears, and get stuck on rapidly cracking ice. Jack and Annie must figure out how to survive in the Arctic and must solve the last riddle to become Master Librarians. A characteristic of the author is Jack and Annie always travel through time. I would use this book during a lesson on the Arctic and habitats. The students can use the book to identify characteristics of the Arctic.

Good Morning, Gorillas – MTH Series #26 (2002)

Given a challenge by Morgan le Fay to find some special magic, Jack and Annie are taken to the mountains of Africa where they encounter mountain Gorillas. At first Jack and Annie aren’t sure if the gorillas are friendly or if they should run away. They soon learn that the gorillas are more than just beasts and they must figure out how to communicate. The more time they spend with the gorilla’s the more they learn about these amazing animals. One characteristic of the author is Jack and Annie are always faced with a dilemma. This is also a good book to use in a geography lesson, learning about animals and their habitats, and even introducing sign language.

Moonlight on the Magic Flute – MTH Series #41 (2010)

The Magic Tree House takes Jack and Annie back to eighteenth-century Austria where they must learn how to bring happiness to millions of people. They get into lots of interesting situations including figuring out how to fit into a party at a huge palace, tracking down animals that were let loose from the palace zoo, and a hunt for a musician named Mozart! This is Jack and Annie’s wildest adventure yet and they learn all about the world of music. This is a great book to introduce students to the classical era of music and a history lesson on Mozart. A characteristic of this author is each book she writes poses a mystery that jack and Annie have to solve.

Lesson One

1A. Sunshine State Standards:

LA.3.1.7.1: The student will identify a text's features (e.g., title, subheadings, captions, illustrations), use them to make and confirm predictions, and establish a purpose for reading;

LA.3.1.7.2: The student will identify the author's purpose (e.g., to inform, entertain, or explain) in text and how an author's perspective influences text;

LA.3.4.2.2: The student will record information (e.g., observations, notes, lists, charts, map labels, legends) related to a topic, including visual aids as appropriate;

1B. Goal 3 Standards

Standard 1 - Information Managers

Standard 8 - Cooperative Workers

2. Objectives

Students will:

1. Identify important information about Mary Pope Osborne, and discuss how it relates to her books. (Analysis)

2. Compile information discussed to create a trading card about the author. (Synthesis)

3. Assessment & Evaluation

Initial

Question the students to see if they know what an author does, and if they know who Mary Pope Osborne is and what books she writes.

Informal

1. Assess students understanding of the relation between the author’s life and her books through class discussion.

Assess students’ progress by observation of graphic organizer’s completeness and accuracy, during computer use, and discussion.

Formal

2. Students will turn in graphic organizers and trading cards. Graphic organizers will be assessed for accuracy of data and completeness of the organizer. Trading cards will be graded according to a check list.

CRITERIA	MET	NOT MET
Students used accurate information from graphic organizers.
Students used information from class discussion.
Students completed each category on the trading card.

4. Introduction to Lesson:

I will open the discussion and hook the class by asking this question:

Do you know how to be an author?

After recording student responses on the board and reinforcing participation by praising the answers, I will ask if anyone has ever read a magic tree house book. If there is any Yes’s I will ask them if they know who the author is and then announce that we will be learning about her. If there is any No’s I will announce that today we are starting a unit on Mary Pope Osborne, who is the award-winning author of the Magic Tree House series.

5. Materials

Computer

Internet access

Video

SmartBoard

Dry Erase Board

Dry Erase Marker

Graphic Organizer

Pencils

Printer

Printer Paper

Books by Mary Pope Osborne:

Mummies at Midnight

Polar Bears Past Bedtime

Ghost Town at Sundown

6. Technology Integration

Use computer, internet, and SmartBoard to display video (http://bcove.me/ps21qck4) for students to watch.

Use computer, internet, and printer for students to create trading cards on Mary Pope Osborne. (http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/trading_cards_2/)

7. Teacher Presentation or Facilitation: (includes reviews and practice)

After passing out the graphic organizer and modeling how to use it, the students will be instructed to record at least two facts or two things they find interesting about the video. Video Link: http://bcove.me/ps21qck4

After the video, the class will discuss what they have written and I write their responses on the board.

Some responses should include information from her life, like growing up as a military child, or how she uses her imagination when she writes her books.

The students will be instructed that during discussion they will need complete their graphic organizer, making sure to include as much information about Mary Pope Osborne as they can because they will be using it for a later assignment.

Once the students have completed their graphic organizer they will pair with their shoulder buddy and have one minute to discuss how they can use a graphic organizer in their own writing.

After one minute I will announce that we will be reviewing three books and we will be looking for similarities among the books. I will quickly review last week’s lesson on elements of a story and making predictions.

We will look at Mummies at Midnight, Polar Bears Past Bedtime, and Ghost Town at Sundown. The students will look at the front cover and illustrations within the book. They will make a list on the back of their graphic organizers or things that they find similar among all three books. Some observations on the list should include: all books have two main characters, all books include a magic tree house, the main characters go to different places and/or time periods in each book.

The class will discuss the observations they made about the books to come up with a good list of characteristics.

The teacher will then pose the question: Using information from the interview video, how do you think Mary Pope Osborne’s life affects her writing?

Inform the students that they will be using all of the information from their graphic organizer as well as information discussed in class to create a trading card on Mary Pope Osborne, using the Trading Card Creator at http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/trading_cards_2/.

Once they have completed the trading card it will be turned in with the graphic organizer for assessment.

8. Differentiated Instruction

Students with physical disabilities that cannot use a computer or type on a keyboard will be given a print-off of the trading card format with question prompts.

Students with Visual impairments will be given an enlarged version of the graphic organizer and will be allowed to use technology to magnify the computer screen.

ELL students will benefit from class discussion and the interaction with peers. A translated transcript of the video interview can be given to the student if needed. The teacher will have a meeting with the student prior to beginning the unit to address any other accommodations that should be made.

Linguistic and interpersonal learners will benefit from class discussion.

Linguistic learners will also benefit from creating the trading card about the author.

Follow-up Reflection (completed after the lesson has been taught)

Content: What should I teach next or reteach?

Students: Who still needs support with this content?

Lesson Two

1A. Sunshine State Standards:

LA.3.2.1.5: The student will respond to, discuss, and reflect on various literary selections (e.g., poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction), connecting text to self (personal connection), text to world (social connection), text to text (comparison among multiple texts);

LA.3.5.2.1: The student will recall, interpret, and summarize information presented orally;

VA.3.O.3.1: Use symbols, visual language, and/or written language to document self or others.

1B. Goal 3 Standards

Standard 1 - Information Managers

Standard 2 - Effective Communicators

Standard 4 - Creative and Critical Thinkers

2. Objectives

Students will:

1. Formulate thoughts from the text and participate in class discussion after each chapter and at the end of the book. (Synthesis)

2. Demonstrate their understanding of content discussed in the book and class by completing a chosen product. (Application)

3. Assessment & Evaluation

Initial

Assess the student’s prior knowledge of Egypt by asking “How many of you know anything about Egypt?”

Informal

1. Students will be assessed for comprehension of reading through participation in class discussion.

Formal

2. Students will choose to write their name in hieroglyphics, draw a picture of their favorite part of the book, or write about a time in their life when they were scared like Jack and Annie when they encountered the mummy. Products will be graded according to a rubric.

	4	3	2	1
Completeness	Student uses hieroglyphics to represent each letter of the name, OR Student picture includes elements from book and is colorful, OR student writes at least one paragraph (5 sentences)	Student is missing one hieroglyph in name, OR student picture includes some elements and is colorful, OR student is missing one sentence from paragraph.	Student is missing two hieroglyphs in name, OR student picture includes some elements and is not colorful, OR student is missing two sentences from paragraph.	Student is missing two or more hieroglyphs in name, OR student picture includes no elements from the book and is not colorful, OR student is missing three or more sentences from paragraph.

4. Introduction to Lesson:

The word MUMMY will be displayed on the SmartBoard in Hieroglyphics. The teacher will ask the students if they know what the word is. The teacher will tell the students what the word is and that it is spelled out using Hieroglyphics. She will announce that we will be reading a book that has mummies in it and that they students will learn to write their name in hieroglyphics as a project if they choose.

5. Materials

Computer

Internet access

Smart board

Mummies in the Morning book

Una Momia Al Amanecer Spanish translation

Hieroglyphic Alphabet (included in appendix)

Paper

Pencils

Colored Pencils

Markers

6. Technology Integration

Use of computer and Smart board to display Hieroglyphic word MUMMY.

7. Teacher Presentation or Facilitation: (includes reviews and practice)

The class will read aloud Mummies in the Morning during one school week. After each chapter the class will discuss the important events that occurred and make predictions on what may happen next.

After reading, the class will discuss the book and anything new that they learned from the book.

The teacher will introduce hieroglyphics to the entire class. Pass out the hieroglyphic chart (adapted from: http://www.greatscott.com/hiero/hiero_alpha.html ). The teacher will then go over the hieroglyphic alphabet and how each letter is used. The student’s will choose one or two letters to draw for practice on their own sheet of paper.

The students will be told that they are going to go back in time and pretend they are in Ancient Egypt like Jack and Annie. They have the option to write their own name in hieroglyphs, draw a picture of their favorite part of the book, or write at least one paragraph of an event from their own life that scared them like when Jack and Annie were scared by the mummy. The students will share their products with the class.

8. Differentiated Instruction (ESOL - Special Education - Diverse Learners)

Students with fine motor skill deficiencies will be allowed to: A. Point to hieroglyphics that will spell out students name, B. Can verbally describe to the teacher what his/her favorite part of the book was, using descriptive words, C. Verbally tell teacher what a scary event was from their own life.

Students with visual impairments will be given a larger print version of the book or will be allowed to use magnifying technology to read. Students with complete blindness will be allowed to listen to the read-aloud, or be given a Braille version of the book if available. These students will be assessed the same as students with fine motor skill deficiencies with the exception of option A.

For ELL students who can speak English but still have trouble with reading English they will be allowed to read Una Momia Al Amanecer the Spanish translated version of the book. They will also benefit from class discussion.

Linguistic and Auditory learners will benefit from the read aloud and class discussion.

Linguistic learners will also benefit from recalling and writing a scary event from their own life.

Spatial learners will benefit from drawing a picture depicting favorite part of the book.

Follow-up Reflection (completed after the lesson has been taught)

Content: What should I teach next or reteach?

Students: Who still needs support with this content?

Lesson Three

1A. Sunshine State Standards:

LA.3.6.1.1: The student will read informational text (e.g., graphs, charts, manuals) and organize information for different purposes, including but not limited to being informed, following multi-step directions, making a report, conducting interviews, preparing to take a test, and performing a task.

SC.3.N.1.1: Raise questions about the natural world, investigate them individually and in teams through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations.

1B. Goal 3 Standards

Standard 1 - Information Managers

Standard 2 - Effective Communicators

Standard 4 - Creative and Critical Thinkers

Standard 8 - Cooperative Workers

2. Objectives

Students will:

1. Formulate thoughts from the text and participate in class discussion after each chapter and at the end of the book. (Synthesis)

2. Evaluate information for accuracy and relevance to topic while conducting research on a given animal. (Evaluation)

3. Assessment & Evaluation

Initial

Assess prior knowledge by posing the question “Can you think of one thing a scientist in the Arctic might do?”

Informal

1. Students will be assessed for comprehension of reading through participation in class discussions.

Formal

2. Students will be assessed by completion of KWL chart and story writing that includes four facts

Criteria	MET	NOT MET
KWL chart is complete
“L” section includes at least two accurate facts about given animal
Story is well written and includes at least two different animals
At least two facts about each animal is included in story (Four facts total)

Alternate Assignment Assessment: Comic Strip or Illustration

Criteria	MET	NOT MET
KWL chart is complete
“L” section includes at least two accurate facts about given animal
Comic Strip/Illustration shows animal with adaptations.
Student includes accurate information about how the animal uses its adaptation.

4. Introduction to Lesson:

The students will be introduced to the book by viewing the YouTube video that has the same title as the book. The class will then discuss the video and make predictions about what might happen in the book.

5. Materials

Polar Bears Past Bedtime

Osos Polares Despues de la Medianoche Spanish translation

Computer

Internet access

YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TXbRYURLsg

KWL Chart

Pencils

Colored Pencils

Polar bears and the Arctic: A Companion Guide to Polar Bears Past Bedtime

Magic Tree House Research Guide: Exploring Adaptations worksheet: http://www.magictreehouse.com/teachersclub/

resource_center/pdfs/12-exploring-adaptations.pdf

6. Technology Integration

The internet, computer, and a Smart board will be used to display the introduction video located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TXbRYURLsg

Students will be using the computer to conduct research about a given animal.

7. Teacher Presentation or Facilitation: (includes reviews and practice)

The class will read aloud Polar Bears Past Bedtime during one school week. After each chapter the class will discuss the important events that occurred and make predictions on what may happen next.

After reading, the class will discuss the book and anything new that they learned from the book.

Explain that in order to write her books, Mary Pope Osborne has to do research so she can write accurate information about the topics of her books. Announce to the class that we will be doing research about different animals and will be sharing our research with the class. The teacher will review the SEARCH strategy with the students that they had learned in a previous lesson.

Students will be divided into nine groups. Each group will draw from a bag a piece of paper with an animal written on it to research. The animals include Polar bear, Arctic hare, Lemming, Snowy Owl, Arctic Wolf, Wolverine, Narwhal, Seal, and a Walrus.

Each group will be given a KWL chart to fill out the K and W portions of the chart for their given animal. After they research the animal they will complete the chart by writing what they learned in the section labeled L.

They will also be given the Exploring Adaptations worksheet and be instructed to cut out the icebergs with the words on them that go with the animal they have chosen. They will be allowed to use the book Polar Bears and the Arctic: A Companion Guide to Polar Bears at Midnight, which is co-authored by Mary Pope Osborne, to complete their research.

After researching the groups will present two facts to the class about their animal. They will also stick the corresponding icebergs to the pictures of their animal that will already be posted on the board.

After all groups have gone the class will review the adaptations on the board. The class will discuss whether they think all the adaptations are correct. The students will then “be an author” and write their own story using two or more of the animals on the board and must include at least two facts for the require animals in the story (total of four facts).

An alternate assignment would be to create a comic strip or illustration showing how the chosen animals adaptations and a brief explanation on how they use that adaptation in the wild.

8. Differentiated Instruction (ESOL - Special Education - Diverse Learners)

Students with disabilities that may not be able to use a computer will already be placed in a group that will be able to assist. Every student is not required to use the computer, but must contribute to the group.

For ELL students who can speak English but still have trouble with reading English they will be allowed to read Osos Polares Despues de la Medianoche the Spanish translated version of the book. They will also benefit from class discussion.

Naturalistic learners will benefit from the content of the book.

Spatial learners will benefit from the alternative assignment

Linguistic and Auditory learners will benefit from the read aloud.

Linguistic learners will also benefit from class discussion, presentation, and story writing.

Interpersonal learners will benefit from group work.

Follow-up Reflection (completed after the lesson has been taught)

Content: What should I teach next or reteach?

Students: Who still needs support with this content?

Lesson Four

1A. Sunshine State Standards:

LA.3.1.6.1: The student will use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly;

LA.3.1.6.3: The student will use context clues to determine meanings of unfamiliar words;

TH.3.F.3.1: Participate in a collaborative project to create a theatrical performance and reflect on the experience.

1B. Goal 3 Standards

Standard 1 - Information Managers

Standard 2 - Effective Communicators

Standard 4 - Creative and Critical Thinkers

Standard 8 - Cooperative Workers

2. Objectives

Students will:

1. Formulate thoughts from the text and participate in class discussion after each chapter and at the end of the book. (Synthesis)

2. Demonstrate understanding of book content and vocabulary by creating a skit or other product and presenting it to the class. (Synthesis)

3. Assessment & Evaluation

Initial

Assess prior knowledge by posing the question “How much do you know about the wild west?”

Informal

1. Students will be assessed for comprehension of reading through participation in class discussions and review of individual vocabulary worksheets.

Formal

2. Students will work in pairs to create a skit, write a story, or write a poem or song. Products will be graded according to a rubric.

Criteria	4	3	2	1
Contributions	Routinely provides useful ideas when participating in the group.	Usually provides useful ideas when participating in the group.	Sometimes provides useful ideas when participating in the group.	Rarely provides useful ideas when participating in the group.
Stays on topic	Stays on topic all of the time.	Stays on topic most of the time.	Stays on topic some of the time.	It was hard to tell what the topic was.
Vocabulary Use	Uses at least 3 new vocabulary words and uses them correctly	Uses 3 new vocabulary words and uses most of them correctly	Uses 2 new vocabulary words and uses most of them correctly	Uses at least 1 new vocabulary word correctly.

4. Introduction to Lesson:

The teacher will ask the students if they know anything about the wild west. The teacher will write student responses on the board to review at a later time. The teacher will tell the class that they will be watching a short video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-OOfW6wWyQ). The students will be told that while watching the video they should try to look characteristics like the environment, buildings, and how the characters dress. After the video the class will discuss the characteristics adding and taking away from the list they have already created. The teacher will then tell the students that they will be taking their last adventure with Jack and Annie to the wild west.

5. Materials

Ghost Town at Sundown

Atardecer en el Pueblo Fantasma Spanish translation

Vocabulary worksheet (located in appendix)

Dry Erase Board

Dry Erase Marker

Computer

Internet access

Smart board

Video from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-OOfW6wWyQ

Paper

Pencils

Rubric

Reporting Live with Jack and Annie worksheet:

http://www.magictreehouse.com/teachersclub/

resource_center/pdfs/0-reporting-live-with-jack-and-annie.pdf

6. Technology Integration

The internet, computer, and a Smart board will be used to display the introduction video located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-OOfW6wWyQ

7. Teacher Presentation or Facilitation: (includes reviews and practice)

Before reading students will be given a worksheet with vocabulary that is introduced in the book.

The class will read aloud Ghost Town at Sundown during one school week. After each chapter the class will discuss the important events that occurred, make predictions on what may happen next, and review vocabulary that has been introduced in the chapter.

After reading, the class will discuss the book, anything new that they learned from the book, finish and review the vocabulary worksheet.

Students will have three activities to choose from to complete for assessment.

Assignment 1: Students will work in pairs to come up with a skit using the “Reporting Live with Jack and Annie” worksheet.

Assignment 2: Students will work in pairs to create a poem or song relating to the book.

Assignment 3: Students will work in pairs to create a story that utilizes the new vocabulary introduced in the book.

*All three assignments must include at least 3 new vocabulary words introduced from the book and used correctly.

*Students will perform or present their product to the class.

8. Differentiated Instruction (ESOL - Special Education - Diverse Learners)

Students with visual impairments will be given a larger print version of the book if available. They will also be given a large print version of the worksheets.

For ELL students who can speak English but still have trouble with reading English they will be allowed to read Atardecer en el Pueblo Fantasma the Spanish translated version of the book. They will also benefit from class discussion.

Linguistic and Auditory learners will benefit from the read aloud.

Linguistic learners will also benefit from class discussion and any of the assignment choices.

Interpersonal learners will benefit from group work.

Follow-up Reflection (completed after the lesson has been taught)

Content: What should I teach next or reteach?

Students: Who still needs support with this content?

Culminating Activity:

Students will write a letter to Mary Pope Osborne. They will use the letter template that is handed out and will answer the question prompts before writing the final letter. They will also include one suggestion for a new book and write why they suggest it. The letters will be sent to Mary Pope Osborne by the teacher. Each student will be presented with a Magic Tree House Reading Certificate.

Letter Template: http://www.magictreehouse.com/pdfs/teachers/mary-letter.pdf

Reading Certificate: http://www.magictreehouse.com/teachersclub/resource_center/pdfs/0-reading-certificate.pdf

Reflection:

I feel that I have learned a lot during the course of designing this unit. When I started this unit I thought it would be a lot different. I thought I would study the author and read a few books but it turned out to be much more than that. I didn’t know much about the author or the Magic Tree House series when I started working on the unit, I just knew that my nephew really liked the books and that they incorporated non-fiction material. I have learned so much more than I ever thought I would. I’ve learned a lot about the author and how she comes with ideas. I’ve learned about her personal life and how it influences her writing. I admire her and I connect with her on two levels. I feel like I can relate to her because she was a military child. I am not a military child, but I was in the military and know what it’s like to move a lot and have to make new friends. I also connect to her because she loves adventure, excitement and followed her dreams to travel the world. A big dream of mine is to travel the world find adventure, although I can do without the blood poisoning.

While exploring all 40+ Magic Tree House books and trying to find the ones that I wanted to use during the unit I discovered the fantastic and useful resources for teachers on the MTH website. I wanted to incorporate this resource into my unit plan while still trying to maintain originality. If I had not used this resource I feel like it would have been a waste or a great resource. I can relate this to FEAPS number 12: Technology. I have grown in my use of technology in the classroom, like using the YouTube video’s to introduce the students to the lesson and book and incorporating the online resources into my unit. I have also tried to increase the use of technology the students use in the classroom. Having the students create a trading card about the author and grouping them to do research are two examples of how I used it during this lesson.

The other FEAP I feel I have grown in is the critical thinking FEAP. I tried to write my objectives to reflect higher order thinking skills. I want my students to be able to think creatively and become real problem solvers, not just be able to recall information. I also tried to create assignments that would give students an option to best demonstrate their comprehension of the lesson. I know every student learns differently I tried to vary each lesson to meet these needs.

APPENDIX:

Alphabet characters were the basis for hieroglyphic writings. The basic hieroglyph characters are refered to as the ALPHABET. They 'spell out' names or anything which can't be represented by other characters. The alphabet characters are read as the sound of the object they represented.
Although vowels were used in the spoken language, they were not usually written unless a word begins with a vowel or where it might be confusing if left out…like with names.

The Hieroglyphic Alphabet

HIEROGLYPH REPRESENTS PRONOUNCED
HIEROGLYPH

REPRESENTS

PRONOUNCED

vulture
ah
(father)

reed

i
(filled)

two
reeds

y
(discovery)

arm &
hand

broad a
(car)

quail
chick

oo (too)
or
w (wet)

foot

b
(boot)

mat

p
(pedestal)

horned
viper

f
(feel)

owl

m
(moon)

water

n
(noon)

mouth

r
(right)

reed shelter

h
(hat)

twisted flax

h!
(ha!)

placenta

kh
(like Scotch 'loch')

animal's belly

ch
(like German 'ich')

folded cloth

s
(saw)

door bolt

s
(saw)

pool

sh
(show)

slope of hill

k
(key)

basket
with handle

k
(basket)

jar stand

g
(go)

loaf

t
(tap)

tethering rope

tj
(church)

hand

d
(dog)

snake

dj
(adjust)

Ghost Town at Sundown Vocabulary Worksheet

Instructions: During reading look for the words listed below. For each word write a definition for the word, a sentence from the book that uses the word and include the page number, and create your own sentence using the word.

1. Canteen Definition: __________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

(PG. # _____) From Book: ___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________