An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming

Gore, Al
Viking Juvenile (February 20, 2007)

*Appropriate for grades 4-8*

Adapted for the "younger generation," this is a simplified version of Gore's recent film documentary, offering clear terminology and definitions. Gore begins with a personal introduction discussing his developing awareness about environmental issues, when his mother read Rachel Carson's Silent Spring aloud to him as a teenager. The book provides before-and-after photographs; a shocking portrayal of how global warming has already effected our environment. Gore takes a "what you see is what you get" approach to his text, stating the simple facts in the hopes of motivating young people to save our planet.

• Have a class discussion about the validity of Al Gore's statements. Should we believe everything we read? How can we decipher between fact and opinion?
• Brainstorm a list of things we can do to prevent global warming from harming our environment, our ecosystems, and future generations. Vote on which ideas to act upon as a class.
  
• Visit www.aninconvenienttruth.com.au/truth/interactions.htm to create your own movie poster or geography quiz.
  

Charlotte's Web

White, E.B.
HarperCollins (October 2, 2001)

*Appropriate for grades 3-5.

Piglets are born on a farm, and the farmer's daughter, Fern, begs him not to kill the runt. The smallest piglet is saved. Fern names him Wilbur, and the pair love each other dearly. There comes a time, however, when Wilbur must be sold. Living on the Zuckermans' farm and separated from Fern, Wilbur is miserable. Just when he thinks things can't get any worse, he hears a friendly little voice say, "Salutations." The small voice from up above comes from Charlotte, the spider. The two become friends and live a happy existence within the barn (with occasional interludes involving Templeton: the clever, selfish rat) until Wilbur discovers that he will be killed for Christmas dinner. Wilbur panics, and Charlotte comes up with a plan. She creates a special interest for Wilbur by weaving "Some Pig" into her web. Wilbur's life is saved, and Charlotte continues to weave complimentary terms above Wilbur's pen. The day comes when Wilbur is entered into the county fair. Charlotte stays home to work on her egg sack. The competition is tough (against a pig named Uncle), but Wilbur wins first place. Wilbur finds himself in a truly safe and happy home, until his friend and savior, little Charlotte dies. Her spiders hatch and fly away in the wind, with the exception of three. Wilbur takes care of the little ones, always remembering the spider who loved him.

• Students may continue the story, writing about the adventures of one of Charlotte's spiderlings.
  
• Ask students to discuss the sacrifices that Charlotte made for Wilbur. Why would she do such a thing, and how did Wilbur repay her?  Was this fair?
• Students might write a letter to Wilbur, giving him advice regarding loneliness.  Ask them to think about what the author is saying about this issue.  Do they agree?  What are the alternatives?
• Compare the movie with the book using a Venn Diagram.  
• Use this novel to discuss the farm yard ecosystem, and as a spring board into studying other ecosystems.

Bad Boy: A Memoir

Myers, Walter Dean
Amistad (May 7, 2002)

*Appropriate for Young Adults (Grade 7+)

Walter Dean Myers tells the story of his boyhood, beginning with with his adoption into an inter-racial family in 1940's Harlem. Myers vividly describes his frustrations in school, stemming from a speech problem that everyone else seems to notice but him. Because his words are unclear, little Walter uses his fist in order to express himself. His teachers label him a "Bad Boy," which haunts him throughout his school career. Ostracized by his teacher and classmates, and with nothing left to do, Walter discovers his love for literature and poetry. When one special sixth grade teacher realizes Walter's potential, he is encouraged to use his intellect, and is then sent on to a school for the gifted. This is where he begins to truly develop his talent for writing, realizing that while his speech is unclear, his written work can compensate. Sadly, as a result of financial struggles, strains on family relationships, and a growing awareness of racism against African Americans, Walter attends school less and less. He drops out of high school, enlists in the army, and participates in illegal activities. From here, Walter Dean Myers describes the painful journey back into the realization that whatever happens, he should never stop writing.

• Bad Boy is a good novel to read during Black History Month. Use the numerous references to slavery, racism, African-American writers, ball players, and musicians as a springboard for further study.
  
• Have your class read the poetry of Walter Dean Myers for the purpose of investigating what aspects of his life may have inspired selected poems.
  
• Use this novel as a mentor text for teaching the writing of memoir.
  

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Rowling, J.K.
Arthur A. Levine Books; 1st edition (July 21, 2007)

*Appropriate for grades 3 and up.

This seventh and final book of the Harry Potter series begins with Voldemort and his Death Eaters tormenting the Wizarding and Muggle communities. Voldemort seeks to rid the world of "Mudblood" wizards, accusing them of stealing magic and carting them off to Azkaban. Much like Hitler's aryan race, Voldemort envisions a world of only "Pureblood" wizards that rule over Muggles. The Order of the Phoenix, along with those still loyal to Dumbledore, fear death at every turn. For the first time, Harry, Ron, and Hermione do not attend Hogwarts, but live in hiding while they carry out Dumbledore's plans, plotting the downfall of Voldemort. This book is full of exciting twists and turns, and is not for the faint of heart, as Rowling does not fear to kill off favorite characters. This is a fantastic read, and in my opinion, the best of the series.

• Ask students to write a thesis-based essay arguing against Lord Voldemort's ideal world.
  
• Students might keep a double-entry diary, writing down inferences on one side of the page, and evidence on the other.
• Ask students to gather into small groups to discuss what makes the Harry Potter books popular and/or controversial. They may create a questionnaire to learn why Harry Potter fans find the books so intriguing.
  
• Small groups should select a chapter, write a screenplay based on it, and then perform the skit for the class.
  

Tuck Everlasting

Babbitt, Natalie
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (November 1, 1985)

*Appropriate for grades 3-7*

Ten-year-old Winnie Foster is feeling smothered by her mother and grandmother when she decides to run away into the forest, owned by the Foster family. She comes across a little clearing and sees a young man, seventeen-year-old Jesse Tuck drinking from a spring. Jesse realizes that Winnie's been spying on him, and she is kidnapped in the most gentle way by Jesse and his family. Jesse's family, Pa Tuck in particular, tries to convince Winnie to never drink from the spring because it is a fountain of youth. Jesse, however, saves some of the magical water for Winnie in a bottle. He asks her to wait until she's seventeen before drinking the water so that they can be together forever. Winnie struggles with disbelief, the idea of immortality, and helping Mae Tuck escape from prison for kidnapping and murder.

• A variety of controversial topics are addressed within this novel. Students should research and debate over their chosen position.

• Should we have the death penalty?
  
• Is it better to live forever, or complete the cycle of life?
  
• Should we punish everyone who breaks the law?
  
• Human beings alter the natural environment all of the time. Should we be allowed to do this?
  
• Study the historical significance of Tuck Everlasting. Students should team up to research the years from 1750-present (the approximate lifetime of the Tucks). They might present a timeline to display in the classroom, highlighting major events in history throughout this period.
  
• Ask students to write a poem or short story that addresses immortality. Draw attention to Natalie Babbitt's use of line drawings to illustrate her novel, and encourage them to do the same.
  

The Devil's Arithmetic

Yolen, Jane
Puffin (April 12, 2004)

*Appropriate for grades 4-8*

Hannah is tired of remembering her family's past. Her Grandpa Will and Aunt Eva have strange tattoos on their arms, Grandpa raves like a lunatic, and now she has to go participate in the family seder, when she could be at the mall with her best friend. While performing the ritual of opening the door to welcome Elijah, Hannah is mysteriously transported from modern-day New Rochelle into Poland, 1942. Everyone calls Hannah "Chaya." She finds herself living with her supposed Aunt Gitl and Uncle Shmuel. On the day of Shmuel's wedding, the entire family is taken by the Nazis to a concentration camp, where they must learn to become survivors in the midst of brutal cruelty and inhumane living conditions.

• Use The Devil's Arithmetic as part of a unit teaching the Holocaust. The reader faces the same horrors that Hannah/Chaya must survive, and life within concentration camps is presented in a truthful, authentic way.
• Ask students to explore the concept of "bearing witness." Why is it important that we remember the Holocaust today?
• Have students keep a journal of Hannah/Chaya's experiences throughout the reading of the book. This journal should reflect life in the concentration camp, specifically: her possessions, her work, the rules of the camp, the food, and the daily activities she was allowed to engage in.

Because of Winn-Dixie

DiCamillo, Kate. Candlewick Press (August 6, 2001).
*Appropriate for grades 3-6*

Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni is feeling lonely. She's moved with her father, the preacher, to Naomi, Florida- and all of her friends have been left behind. One day, Opal is shopping for groceries at the Winn-Dixie when she notices a stray dog who has slipped inside. Havoc ensues, and Opal saves the dog (and the store owner) by taking him home. He's a stinky, scruffy dog who loves to smile, and he is named after the place in which he was found. Winn-Dixie has a special talent for making friends. This story recounts all of the good things that happen to Opal because of her big, ugly, loveable dog.

• Friendship is an important theme throughout this book. You might have a class discussion about the qualities of a true friend, and then ask students to create a written response in any form (poetry, news articles, short stories, etc).
  
• Winn-Dixie is a constant companion to Opal, and this might raise the question, "What was Winn-Dixie thinking?". Students might retell a part of the story from the dog's perspective.
  
• When Opal loses Winn-Dixie, she imagines 10 characteristics about him that she could display on posters around town. Students might choose a favorite character from their just-right reading and create a 10 characteristic poster for him/her.
  
• Opal struggles with the fact that her mother has left her. This is a good book for students to read if they are dealing with similar issues in their lives.
  

Heartbeat

Creech, Sharon. Harper Trophy (September 27, 2005).
*Appropriate for grades 4-7*

This verse novel tells us what life is like for twelve-year-old Annie. Growing up in a small town isn't easy for her best friend, Max. Once a trophy-winning runner, her beloved grandfather is just waiting to "kick the bucket" as he slips into dementia. Annie's mom and dad are expecting a baby any day now, and she will be a big sister for the first time. The girls' track coach is pestering Annie to join the team, but she struggles to stay true to herself: to run for the pure joy of it. Annie also loves to draw, and is given a unique assignment in art class: to create 100 versions of an apple. Annie begins to see the apple, as well as her life, a little bit differently each day.

• A great companion to Love That Dog, Heartbeat can be used as an introduction to free-verse poetry in the classroom.
  
• This is also a wonderful text for discussing the life cycle: the seed becomes the apple, which becomes the core, which becomes the seed again.
  
• Elaborative detail lends itself to lessons on visualization.