Look To The North: A Wolf Pup Diary by Jean Craighead George

Why I use Study Guides in my classes. I love reading about animals and I have always had students that love reading books about animals. The Informational Narrative, Look To The North: A Wolf Pup Diary by Jean Craighead George is the sweetest nonfiction book that tells the story of three wolf pups as they grow up in the north. Jean Craighead George loved animals and this love comes through in all of her books. The book is beautifully illustrated by Lucia Washburn. The lexile level is 580L. (http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/look-north)

I didn't choose the book because of a certain grade level, I wanted my students to enjoy reading a beautifully illustrated book, with a clear sequence, and one that they could find details in the text to answer questions and new vocabulary words. I don't think anyone is ever too old to read a story with beautiful illustrations. To make sure that my students were receiving the instruction that followed the Common Core, I made a Study Guide. You can download a preview of this study guide at my teacher store on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Student has finished the research section and is now working on connections  to the story.

I made this Study Guide so that my students can get all the information needed, plus work at their own pace. I included some research, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, lots of critical thinking questions and writing. I also included a Science and Social Studies Integration. While students are busy working together or independently, I can pull students in small groups and monitor other student's progress. I always makes sure students have access to a computer, dictionary, pencils and erasers, and always a book and a nice box of crayons.

The Vocabulary section pulls in the vocabulary words that a student might not be familiar with. There is a section at the bottom of this page where students must come up with a word from the text that they think should have been a vocabulary word.

There is a poem with relavent questions to answer and also a section on personification. 

My favorite part of the study guide is the front cover. Students draw a new cover and they must use color and details from the text!

Each student uses a dictionary for the Vocabulary section.

Students reference the text to answer the Comprehension Question. Each question has the Revised Blooms level so students know why this question is important.

Each section has the Common Core alignment. You can also see the Revised Blooms Levels above each Comprehension Question.

The Science Research has the Essential Question and give students a chance to learn more about an Arctic animal. I also post urls and videos on Edmodo so students have a starting point for reference.

Finished cover showing the Alpha pup. 

Finished Cover. This is before I look over the Study Guide. Students will be given a chance to correct handwriting and grammar mistakes before turning the guide in for grading.

Another sweet cover.

All my students wanted their cover on my blog. They did a great job of using details from the story to make their cover. If you have read the book, you know that Talus is smelling the grizzly and alerting his siblings. The blue flowers are Harebells.

Cover showing originality. 

Fast finishers spend time coloring and usually find parts where they might need to erase and start over. Coloring not only gives my students a chance to process the information they learned, it also gives them a chance to check back over their work.

I like the way this student illustrated her vocabulary word. Not only did she draw the harebells she also illustrated that they bloom in July.

I always include a Phonics section. Students in 4th and 5th grade still need phonics instruction, even if it is just reinforcing what they already know.

This is a very creative cover, this student wanted to include the title after drawing so she put it into her moon and clouds.

A lot of pictures I know! My students love seeing their work on my blog. I wish I could show their sweet faces while they are working on these study guides. This guide has 12 pages. This might be daunting if I had given them 12 pages of worksheets. In a nice booklet, they are able to read and study the book without being intimidated by the workload. And I have a product showing their learning and growth.

Study guides can be useful tools teaching the Common Core way. Students are involved, there is a section where they must read a poem to a buddy and then listen while their buddy reads back to them. Students are working independently but can discuss and collaborate as needed. I can monitor, check for understanding and also work individually with a student or with small groups. Students are using the computer and a reference book. They are involved with their learning and delving deeper into the text with the comprehension questions.  This book seems like a nice picture book, but students are learning to infer, evaluate and question the text they are reading.

Let me know if you have any ideas about using Study Guides in your classroom.

As always, thanks for visiting! 

The Most Amazing Dodecahedron Book Report Project Ever!

Right before Christmas, I went looking for a book report project on Teachers Pay Teachers. I wanted something that would look really awesome to my students. I had bought each one of my 4th and 5th graders,  Mudshark by Gary Paulsen  for a present, but wanted a project to go with it. I found the most amazing book report project ever!

This is what I found: Dodecahedrons!

 In the beginning I have to confess I couldn't even remember how to pronounce the name. So being a K-2 teacher for years, I wrote the phonetic spelling on the board and my students learned faster than I did. Twelve pentagons are put together to make this great shape. They are huge. Mr. Hughes makes each one fun to color and also give them a focus for each slide.

I had my students read the book over Winter break and answer some questions on an index card that went along with Mr. Hughes' project. When they came back from break, I gave each of them, all 31 of them, a copy of each shape and a detailed Student Direction Sheet which is included in this very thorough project. The packet contained 13 sheets in all.  They had to write their book report first, then color, and then cut out. I checked each step before they could go any further.

Some students did extraordinary work. My ESL students especially enjoyed this because the directions were all written out and they did not have to guess what to do through out the project. They worked independently, but spent a lot of time discussing the book while they were writing and then coloring. We used color pencils and crayons, with a few using markers.

I had protractors handy to help with the folding of the tabs. We folded our tabs outward since I found it was easier for 4th and 5th graders to put together. I had the color in each of the tabs so they would add more color to the project. We used lots of glue sticks and paper clips to keep everything together while the glue was drying. I did not help any of my students with the folding or gluing. 

This entire project took about 6 to 7 days. I didn't let them work on the book report part at home, because I didn't want the pages to get messed up in a book bag or lost. Letting part of the Dodecahedron dry over night really helped.

They were all so proud of their work!

We tried hanging them outside our room on some yarn, but they set off the alarm that evening. :(

We ended up putting some of them in the media center for all to enjoy. Then I decided to hang the rest from my Word Wall curtain. I still have them up. I love the way they look and they still let in lots of sunlight.

I smile every time I look out the window. I told my students they could take them home when they made another one. Mr. Hughes also has other Dodecahedron Projects which I am going to try out.

This was the best book report project I have ever given my students. They did not even fuss once about having to do a book report. 

Mr. Hughes can be found on Teachers Pay Teachers at this link.  I was the first person to leave him feedback on this project, so if you buy this please leave feedback! He has lots now, but everyone, even teachers :), want feedback! 

The project includes Materials List, Teacher Directions :), Step By Step Instructions for writing the book report, Step by Step Instructions for Assembly (with pictures and in color,) Tips for Displaying, and of course the 12 student pages.

Or click the cover of the Dodecahedron Book Report Project to get your copy.

Mr. Hughes has a great blog, An Educator's Life. Give yourself a lot of time to browse through his past posts.

Hope you enjoyed this post. I still have lots more to come so please follow me by email and join my blog! Oh, one last picture... one of my students during silent reading time. He never even knew I took the picture until later that day when I showed it to him.

Thanks for the visit!