Lessons Learned and O-W-I

Yesterday, we read The Sweetest Fig  by Chris Van Allsburg. The students loved it! I started with a PPT   that I found on this link. I adapted to my class and played mystery type music at first. The students love to think, pair, share. I used the second portion of the PPT to compare and contrast France. We discovered the location of France using world maps found in our Social Studies book atlas. We discussed the differences and similarities in  France and the United States using the concepts from the PPT. Then, I proceed to read the book. I stopped at the pages according to the last page allowing the students to make inferences and write/tell how they reached their inferences (pictures, conversation/dialogue, and/or narration). We continued to read and discuss the story. The students were appalled with the ending. Last, we discussed the lesson learned from the story: Treat others as you want to be treated. writ

Today, we read Probuditi! Again, we made many observations, wonders, and predictions. We created a O-W-I graphic organizer by folding a piece of notebook paper "like a cylinder" to form three columns. We labeled the first column Observe. Column Two was labeled Wonder. Column Three was labeled Infer. (Sorry-I do not have any pics of the student work or our anchor chart so I am trying to explain--just in case you want to try this during reading comprehension strategy.)As I read, I would pause and ask the students to complete the chart writing what they observe (literal inferences). As students we writing, I would call on some students to share. Then, the students wrote about what they wondered based on their observation(s). Again, I would have students share. Last, students wrote down what they "thought might happen and why" to complete the infer section. Students also shared this portion.  We continued to do this in various spots in the story.  At the end, we summarized from our O-W-I chart and predicted what might happen if the story continued. Next week, we will finish our Chris Van Allsburg. Stay Tuned!