Guided Reading
Shi-shi-etko; Fiction, Picture Book
In just four days young Shi-shi-etko will have to leave her family and all that she knows to attend residential school.
She spends her last days at home treasuring the beauty of her world -- the dancing sunlight, the tall grass, each shiny rock, the tadpoles in the creek, her grandfather's paddle song. Her mother, father and grandmother, each in turn, share valuable teachings that they want her to remember. And so Shi-shi-etko carefully gathers her memories for safekeeping.
Richly hued illustrations complement this gently moving and poetic account of a child who finds solace all around her, even though she is on the verge of great loss -- a loss that native people have endured for generations because of the residential schools system.
Source: www.houseofanansi.com
In just four days young Shi-shi-etko will have to leave her family and all that she knows to attend residential school.
She spends her last days at home treasuring the beauty of her world -- the dancing sunlight, the tall grass, each shiny rock, the tadpoles in the creek, her grandfather's paddle song. Her mother, father and grandmother, each in turn, share valuable teachings that they want her to remember. And so Shi-shi-etko carefully gathers her memories for safekeeping.
Richly hued illustrations complement this gently moving and poetic account of a child who finds solace all around her, even though she is on the verge of great loss -- a loss that native people have endured for generations because of the residential schools system.
Source: www.houseofanansi.com
Shin-chi's Canoe; Fiction, Picture Book
This moving sequel to the award-winning Shi-shi-etko tells the story of two children's experience at residential school. Shi-shi-etko is about to return for her second year, but this time her six-year-old brother, Shin-chi, is going, too.
As they begin their journey in the back of a cattle truck, Shi-shi-etko tells her brother all the things he must remember: the trees, the mountains, the rivers and the salmon. Shin-chi knows he won't see his family again until the sockeye salmon return in the summertime. When they arrive at school, Shi-shi-etko gives him a tiny cedar canoe, a gift from their father.
The children's time is filled with going to mass, school for half the day, and work the other half. The girls cook, clean and sew, while the boys work in the fields, in the woodshop and at the forge. Shin-chi is forever hungry and lonely, but, finally, the salmon swim up the river and the children return home for a joyful family reunion.
Source: www.houseofanansi.com
This moving sequel to the award-winning Shi-shi-etko tells the story of two children's experience at residential school. Shi-shi-etko is about to return for her second year, but this time her six-year-old brother, Shin-chi, is going, too.
As they begin their journey in the back of a cattle truck, Shi-shi-etko tells her brother all the things he must remember: the trees, the mountains, the rivers and the salmon. Shin-chi knows he won't see his family again until the sockeye salmon return in the summertime. When they arrive at school, Shi-shi-etko gives him a tiny cedar canoe, a gift from their father.
The children's time is filled with going to mass, school for half the day, and work the other half. The girls cook, clean and sew, while the boys work in the fields, in the woodshop and at the forge. Shin-chi is forever hungry and lonely, but, finally, the salmon swim up the river and the children return home for a joyful family reunion.
Source: www.houseofanansi.com
Description
Students meet with the teacher in small, homogenous groups based on reading/skill level to explore, apply, and practice various aspects of effective reading (comprehension, fluency, accuracy, vocabulary).
This example focuses on exploring comprehension using the books, "Shi-shi-etko" and "Shin-chi's Canoe" by Nicola I. Campbell, integrating literacy with social studies, giving special attention to issues of social justice.
Prior to using these books for Guided Reading, they should be read at least once for pleasure during the Daily Read Aloud. This will allow students to be introduced to the text prior to teasing apart it's meaning, which is particularly deep.
With each group, the teacher reads the book again using elements of a Think Aloud to scaffold a discussion surrounding what the story is trying to convey (see elements of a Think Aloud here). The complexity of the strategies and themes explored with each group is dependent on the students' level. For lower level students, a strategy used may include asking questions during reading to monitor comprehension, whereas higher level students may be encouraged to activate their prior knowledge and compare this perspective of residential schools with others they have come across (text-to-text or text-to-world connections). Several strategies can be appropriately used with all levels, such as what to do when you come upon an unknown word and summarizing what happened in the story. Additionally, exploring the purpose of reading the text is valuable for all students and makes the connection between literacy and social studies explicit.
A general outline of this approach to Guided Reading can be found here.
Activity: Identifying Problems, Solutions, and Alternative Solutions
Once students have been guided through using and applying a comprehension strategy, a short activity tying in social studies and critical thinking will be completed. This will allow students to utilize a logical and real-life transfer of text comprehension to situation analysis.
Assessment
Students meet with the teacher in small, homogenous groups based on reading/skill level to explore, apply, and practice various aspects of effective reading (comprehension, fluency, accuracy, vocabulary).
This example focuses on exploring comprehension using the books, "Shi-shi-etko" and "Shin-chi's Canoe" by Nicola I. Campbell, integrating literacy with social studies, giving special attention to issues of social justice.
Prior to using these books for Guided Reading, they should be read at least once for pleasure during the Daily Read Aloud. This will allow students to be introduced to the text prior to teasing apart it's meaning, which is particularly deep.
With each group, the teacher reads the book again using elements of a Think Aloud to scaffold a discussion surrounding what the story is trying to convey (see elements of a Think Aloud here). The complexity of the strategies and themes explored with each group is dependent on the students' level. For lower level students, a strategy used may include asking questions during reading to monitor comprehension, whereas higher level students may be encouraged to activate their prior knowledge and compare this perspective of residential schools with others they have come across (text-to-text or text-to-world connections). Several strategies can be appropriately used with all levels, such as what to do when you come upon an unknown word and summarizing what happened in the story. Additionally, exploring the purpose of reading the text is valuable for all students and makes the connection between literacy and social studies explicit.
A general outline of this approach to Guided Reading can be found here.
Activity: Identifying Problems, Solutions, and Alternative Solutions
Once students have been guided through using and applying a comprehension strategy, a short activity tying in social studies and critical thinking will be completed. This will allow students to utilize a logical and real-life transfer of text comprehension to situation analysis.
- Ask students to take a couple of minutes to identify problems and the corresponding solutions from the story.
PROCESS NOTE: It would be beneficial to create a graphic organizer (ex. chart) to help students organize their ideas. Additionally, the number of problems students are expected to identify can vary between groups to provide an appropriate level of challenge. For example, lower groups may only need to identify 2, whereas higher groups may be expected to list 4. - Once students have finished, have a short group discussion to identify problems and solutions as a group. This will provide an opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings or errors in comprehension.
- Following this, students will take another couple minutes and generate alternative solutions to the problems identified.
PROCESS NOTE: Students will have acquired background knowledge about residential schools in Social Studies, therefore students should be encouraged to generate alternative solutions in the context of the realities of the time period. For example, it would be unrealistic to suggest an alternative solution to going to the school alone would be for Shi-shi-etko to bring her family. However, should such solutions be brought up, strategic questioning by the teacher can be used during Step 4 to direct students to analyze whether the potential solution is realistic and feasible. - The activity will conclude with a group discussion of the alternative solutions. Components of the discussion should include:
- Why the alternative solution is appropriate and fitting to the problem
- How the story may have changed should the alternative solution have happened
- Which solution (actual or alternative) is the "best" solution for the problem and why
PROCESS NOTE: "Best" can mean many things. An interesting approach to this might involve a discussion contrasting what would be considered the "best" solution then versus now.
Assessment
- Anecdotal notes of conversation contributions.
- Include copies of graphic organizers in assessment portfolios.
Ontario Curriculum Connections
Balanced Literacy Food Groups: Reading Comprehension Strategies, Vocabulary, Knowledge Building
Balanced Literacy Food Groups: Reading Comprehension Strategies, Vocabulary, Knowledge Building
Language Arts: Reading
Demonstrating Understanding
1.4 demonstrate understanding of increasingly complex texts by summarizing and explaining important ideas and citing relevant supporting details |
Making Inferences/Interpreting Texts
1.5 develop interpretations about texts using stated and implied ideas to sup- port their interpretations |
Extending Understanding
1.6 extend understanding of texts by connecting, comparing, and contrasting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them |
Point of View
1.9 identify the point of view presented in texts; determine whether they can agree with the view, in whole or in part; and suggest some other possible perspectives |
Social Studies: Communities in Canada, Past and Present
|
|
|