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Please review the ideas that I have come up with for incorporating children's literature into a 3rd grade social studies unit on life on a plantation, Slavery and the Civil War . These lessons and activities can be used in conjunction with eachother or as additions to your existing text book units. I kept these lessons pretty simple but each can be elaborated and extended at your own discretion. I hope you enjoy and find them useful!







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Monday, June 14, 2010

Cecil's Story



The Book:
Lyon, G.E.(1995) Cecil’s Story. New York: Scholastic.

Summary:
This book is told through a little boy’s thoughts about what will happen now that Papa is in the Civil War and wounded. What happens if Mama goes away to find Papa? What if Papa doesn’t come home, am I big enough to run the farm? This book packs a lot of emotion into a small amount of words.

I thought that this book would be a great addition to the read aloud part of the literacy block while taking the opportunity to integrate the civil war unit. I also think that some students will be able to relate strongly since some might have a parent deployed [Charleston is home to many military families.] Since the story is powerful but not too rich in difficult vocabulary, this book could be used to help struggling readers with comprehension in small group instruction.

Mini Lesson: Making Connections

Social Studies SC Standards 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the events that led to the Civil War, the course of the War and Reconstruction, and South Carolina’s role in these events.

Objectives:

The student will make connections to aid with comprehension.

Materials:
Cecil’s Story
Response Journals


Procedure:
1. TTW introduce the idea of a think aloud for story comprehension. TTW discuss that while you read you sometimes make connections to your own life.
2. TTW read aloud Cecil’s Story, stopping at any time to model the concept of think alouds.
3. After the story, allow children to discuss any of their thoughts while the teacher was reading.
4. Allow time for students to write in their diaries or response journals about the story and their thoughts.

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