Book Clubs

For a final project/presentation our TE 402 class is participating in Book Clubs. We will explore a book as a teacher planning for a literature unit. Each book club group has received information and sources of various instructional models for literature exploration.
When given book club group time, my group members Erika and Sarah decided to use a well known children's literature book by Roald Dahl called, Matilda. As a group we all enjoyed reading it when we were younger and especially loved the movie that was based on Roald Dahl's book. We all agreed that the book was entertaining, happy, sad, and other various emotions that students in grades 4/5 would enjoy and be able to relate too. Also the book holds many themes from personal struggle, educational value one holds, parental power, teacher power, ect.
We thought doing the instructional model of reading workshops would be best for our book. Here is also what are main ideas for doing our phase 2: Thinking Like a Teacher may look like:

Book: Matilda Roald Dahl
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Instructional Model: Reading and Writing Workshops
(2 week unit)
p.414 Tompkins

Possible activities:
1. Start off as a classroom read to get students started in the book
2. Read two chapters a night for homework.
3. Set time during the day
4. Reading Logs for homework everyday
5. Time to discuss in class
6. (Books on tape/books on CD for differentiation of all learners)
7. Movie at end of unit
8. Mini lessons within unit
9. Opposites Project (Expansion project) various interpretations of opposites. Easy for kids who do not speak English, not all literary.


Mini Lessons: (Ideas..)
1. Predict and Confirm
2. Identify with characters
3. Connect to ones’ own life and world
4. Identify unfamiliar words
5. Notice opposites (Quote: “I’m smart you’re dumb, I’m big you’re small, ect…”)

Various Expansion Project: Options (can make a newsletters, poster, write a letter to administrator (activist approach), write a song, make a play, poem, ect…

We obviously are putting it together still but I am exited and eager to address various ideas for students using this book and our instructional model. I do believe our classmates will be engaged and will take a way knowledgeable information they they may use in their future classroom.