Content Literacy Unit Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

This is a unit focusing on Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. . Content areas covered in this unit include: Language Arts, and Social Studies. This unit will be expanded in the course of three days. The first and the last day of the unit will include three seasons and the second day will only include two because of how long those seasons are. With this unit the students are being introduced to historical fiction and how compare it to actual events that were happening during that year and season. This is a fifth grade classroom.

Day 1
Content Objectives:
SWBAT know what historical fiction is. SWBAT make predictions after reading each season. SWBAT create two character maps for Billie Jo and compare and contrast them.

Language Objectives:
SW listen as the teacher describes what historical fiction is. SW read three seasons of the book. SW will discuss with their shoulder partners the difference between Billie Jo in the beginning of the book and her at the end of summer 1934. SW fill out a character map using winter and spring of 1934 and then create another one using summer 1934.

Nevada Standards:
RL.4.1 - Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. RL.4.3 - Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a characters thoughts, words, or actions).

Teaching Strategies:
(Strategies from Billmeyer and Barton) -Character map (91)

Warm up Activity:
The teacher will discuss what historical fiction is and describe why reading historical fiction is helpful.

Lesson Sequence:
1. TW give an overview of how this book is written differently and give background information about the dust bowl. 2. TW discuss that in this book the events that are happening in town with the whole dust bowl are true but Billie Jos life is fiction. 3. TW read the first season with the class helping them understand the concept of how it is written. After the students will read the second season (spring 1934) on their own. 4. TW pass out character maps and ask the students to fill them out with what they already know of Billie Jo. 5. TW read with the class summer 1934. Students can then work with their partners to describe the events that happen that completely change Billie Jo. 6. Students will create another character map and the students can see the differences and similarities of how the character changed drastically.

Supplementary Materials:
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse Character Maps.

Accommodations: students will be given alternate ways to be assessed for this lesson.
Assessment will include informal, oral, and written to accommodate all learners. This is a special education classroom so all necessary accommodations per student IEP will be made.

Review/Assessment:
Informal assessment: I will walk around the class listening to them talk with their partners and see what discoveries they made after they had finished reading. Formal assessment: I will collect both character maps to see if the students actually understood that the main character had changed very drastically and her whole life. With the character maps I can see if they were paying attention to what they wrote.

Day 2
Content Objectives:
SWBAT make comparisons to Billie Jo and real cases of children of the Dust Bowl. SWBAT figure out what is historical in Out of the Dust. SWBAT fill out a KWL chart using Out of the Dust for what they know and Children of the Dust Bowl by Jerry Stanley for what they learned.

Language Objectives:
SW read autumn 1934 and winter 1935 SW listen to the teacher read Children of the Dust Bowl. SW will discuss with the class the similarities and differences between Billie Jo and real cases of children during that time period. SW fill out their own KWL chart with the class.

Nevada Standards:
NV 3.4.2 - Describe the motivation for a character's actions in text. RI.4.3 - Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

Teaching Strategies:
(Strategies from Billmeyer and Barton) -KWL worksheets (117)

Warm up Activity:
The teacher will have the students as a whole group discuss what they think is historically accurate from Out of the Dust. The teacher will write it on the board.

Lesson Sequence:
1. TW discuss that after the students read what they are assigned that they will listen about actual stories of children in the dust bowl. 2. TW help the students fill out their K side for the KWL chart using what they already know from Out of the Dust.

3. TW have students share ideas to what they want to learn before reading Children of the Dust Bowl. Students can fill out their own W side with that they want. 4. TW read Children of the Dust Bowl and have students work as a group to find out similarities and differences and then share ideas to the class. 5. TW have students fill out L side and talk about why they are different. 6. TW discuss that Billie Jos life is the main difference between both and her motivations during the dust bowl.

Supplementary Materials:
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse KWL Chart Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp by Jerry Stanley

Accommodations: students will be given alternate ways to be assessed for this lesson.
Assessment will include informal, oral, and written to accommodate all learners. This is a special education classroom so all necessary accommodations per student IEP will be made.

Review/Assessment:
Informal assessment: I will assess the students during their participation in the class KWL chart and listen to the groups to see if they understand. Formal assessment: I will collect the KWL charts to see if they actually understood why there are so many differences and similarities.

Day 3
Content Objectives:
SWBAT summarize the story of Out of the Dust. SWBAT make comparisons to Billie Jo in the beginning of the book and Billie Jo now. SWBAT fill out both a story map and a character map.

Language Objectives:
SW read spring 1935 and summer 1935

SW listen to the teacher read the last season of Out of the Dust. SW will discuss as a whole group what they thought were the important parts throughout the book and why. SW fill out a character map of Billie Jo now and create a story map with pictures.

Nevada Standards:
RL.4.2 - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text RL.4.3 - Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a characters thoughts, words, or actions).

Teaching Strategies:
(Strategies from Billmeyer and Barton) - Story Mapping through Circular Pictures (101) - Character maps (91)

Lesson Sequence:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. TW have students read spring and summer of 1935. TW read the last season of Out of the Dust to wrap up the book. TW have students discuss what they thought were the most important parts in the story. TW have students create a story map by having them draw six events throughout the story. It must include a beginning, middle, and end. TW have students create one last character map for Billie Jo. TW pass out previous character maps of Billie Jo from the first day after students have finished. TW will engage students to look at all three of their character maps and see if they can tell the differences that happened during the book. TW will have students discuss in small groups then in whole group what had happened to Billie Jo during the whole book and how much she has changed. Discuss her thoughts and actions before her mother died. Her thoughts after and her thoughts now that a year has passed. Students will write a paragraph about Billie Jos journey after class discussion.

Supplementary Materials:
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse Construction Paper for story maps

Markers Character maps

Accommodations: students will be given alternate ways to be assessed for this lesson.
Assessment will include informal, oral, and written to accommodate all learners. This is a special education classroom so all necessary accommodations per student IEP will be made.

Review/Assessment:
Informal assessment: I will assess the students throughout their discussions in small and whole groups. Formal assessment: I will assess them by collecting their story maps and character maps. I will also assess them by the paragraphs they wrote on Billie Jos changes throughout those two years.