INSTRUCTOR
Alyssa Hayes
alyssahayesweb@gmail.com
615-830-2625
Course Texts:
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for a while, and then abandoned on the side of the road.
A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family. Ranger urges the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because Gar-Face, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator bait should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath...as long as they stay in the Underneath.
Kittens, however, are notoriously curious creatures. And one kitten's one moment of curiosity sets off a chain of events that is astonishing, remarkable, and enormous in its meaning. For everyone who loves Sounder, Shiloh, and The Yearling, for everyone who loves the haunting beauty of writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Flannery O'Connor, and Carson McCullers, Kathi Appelt spins a harrowing yet keenly sweet tale about the power of love -- and its opposite, hate -- the fragility of happiness and the importance of making good on your promises.
Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
Maidens, monks, and millers’ sons — in these pages, readers will meet them all. There’s Hugo, the lord’s nephew, forced to prove his manhood by hunting a wild boar; sharp-tongued Nelly, who supports her family by selling live eels; and the peasant’s daughter, Mogg, who gets a clever lesson in how to save a cow from a greedy landlord. There’s also mud-slinging Barbary (and her noble victim); Jack, the compassionate half-wit; Alice, the singing shepherdess; and many more. With a deep appreciation for the period and a grand affection for both characters and audience, Laura Amy Schlitz creates twenty-two riveting portraits and linguistic gems equally suited to silent reading or performance. Illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings by Robert Byrd — inspired by the Munich-Nuremberg manuscript, an illuminated poem from thirteenth-century Germany — this witty, historically accurate, and utterly human collection forms an exquisite bridge to the people and places of medieval England.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit’s friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.
Students will choose ONE of the following books:
Rollergirl by Victoria Jameison
For most of her twelve years, Astrid has done everything with her best friend Nicole. But after Astrid falls in love with roller derby and signs up for derby camp, Nicole decides to go to dance camp instead. And so begins the most difficult summer of Astrid's life as she struggles to keep up with the older girls at camp, hang on to the friend she feels slipping away, and cautiously embark on a new friendship. As the end of summer nears and her first roller derby bout (and junior high!) draws closer, Astrid realizes that maybe she is strong enough to handle the bout, a lost friendship, and middle school… in short, strong enough to be a roller girl.
El Deafo by CeCe Bell
Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful—and very awkward—hearing aid.
The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear—sometimes things she shouldn’t—but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for.
Course Description:
In this course, we will examine works by Newbery Award winning authors. Our goal will be to examine the characters, settings, and themes of the books. We will also take a peek into the lives of these authors to find out what inspired their writings. We will write journal entries, summaries, opinion pieces, and create other works in response to what we read. We will practice citing the author’s work to support our opinions and responses. My desire for you, as a reader and writer, is to learn to read deeply. I hope you are able to make deep connections to what you read, recognizing an author’s contribution to the world and to your own lives.
Course Requirements:
• Students will complete weekly reading assignments.
• Bring one composition notebook each week having completed assigned reading responses throughout the week.
• One longer writing piece or project will be assigned at the conclusion of each novel.
• Students will prepare a final project to showcase their learning at the end of the semester.
second semester Course Schedule (subject to change):
January 4
The Underneath
How does the author use anthropomorphism – assigning human qualities to nonhumans?
January 11
The Underneath
How does the setting contribute to this story?
January 18
The Underneath
What are the themes found in the story?
January 25
The Underneath
What role does music play in this book?
End of novel project assigned
February 1
Bomb
How is reading nonficition different from other types of reading? How is this book written?
February 8
Bomb
How can timelines help our understanding of this story?
February 15
Bomb
What do we know about the people who are the major players in this story?
February 22
Bomb
How does understanding this piece of history affect us today?
End of novel project assigned
March 1
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!
What is the main idea and mood of each poem?
Performance assigned
March 8
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!
What can we learn about Medeival society – class system, gender roles?
March 15
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!
Performance day – Students will choose a poem to perform for the class
March 22
Spring Break
March 29
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
How does the author develop the setting of this book? What can we learn about this time period?
April 5
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Can characters be good and bad at the same time?
April 12
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
What themes are found in this book?
End of novel project assigned
April 19
Rollergirl or El Deafo
How does the author develop characters in a graphic novel?
April 26
Rollergirl or El Deafo
How does the author develop theme in a graphic novel?
May 3
WEB Snow Day or Year End Party
COURSE MATERIALS
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
A vacant lot, rat-infested and filled with garbage, looked like no place for a garden. Especially to a neighborhood of strangers where no one seems to care. Until one day, a young girl clears a small space and digs into the hard-packed soil to plant her precious bean seeds. Suddenly, the soil holds promise: To Curtis, who believes he can win back Lateesha's heart with a harvest of tomatoes; to Virgil's dad, who sees a fortune to be made from growing lettuce; and even to Maricela, sixteen and pregnant, wishing she were dead.
Thirteen very different voices and perspectives—old, young, Haitian, Hispanic, tough, haunted, and hopeful—tell one amazing story about a garden that transforms a neighborhood.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run--and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.
Knots in My Yo-yo String by Jerry Spinelli
“A master of those embarrassing, gloppy, painful, and suddenly wonderful things that happen on the razor's edge between childhood and full-fledged adolescence" (The Washington Post), Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli has penned his early autobiography with all the warmth, humor, and drama of his best-selling fiction.
From first memories through high school, including first kiss, first punch, first trip to the principal's office, and first humiliating sports experience, this is not merely an account of a highly unusual childhood. Rather, like Spinelli's fiction, its appeal lies in the accessibility and universality of his life. Entertaining and fast-paced, this is a highly readable memoir-- a must-have for Spinelli fans of all ages.
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
Eggs is a quirky and moving novel about two very complicated, damaged children. David has recently lost his mother to a freak accident, his salesman father is constantly on the road, and he is letting his anger out on his grandmother. Primrose lives with her unstable, childlike, fortuneteller mother, and the only evidence of the father she never knew is a framed picture. Despite their age difference (David is 9, Primrose is 13), they forge a tight yet tumultuous friendship, eventually helping each other deal with what is missing in their lives.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’ s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.
Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format — a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell.
Course Description
In this course, we will examine works by Newbery Award winning authors. Our goal will be to examine the characters, settings, and themes of the books. We will also take a peek into the lives of these authors to find out what inspired their writings. We will write journal entries, summaries, opinion pieces, and create other works in response to what we read. We will practice citing the author’s work to support our opinions and responses. My desire for you, as a reader and writer, is to learn to read deeply. I hope you are able to make deep connections to what you read, recognizing an author’s contribution to the world and to your own lives.
Course Requirements
- Students will complete weekly reading assignments.
- Bring one composition notebook each week having completed assigned reading responses throughout the week.
- One longer writing piece or project will be assigned at the conclusion of each novel.
- Students will prepare a final project to showcase their learning at the end of the semester.
First semester SYLLABUS
August 17
Syllabus ReviewNewbery Overview(http://lookingglassreview.com/html/john_newbery.html)
What does literature offer the world? What does literature offer me?
August 24
Seedfolks
Poems from A Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices (provided in class)
What Brings Us Together?
Character Traits
August 31
Seedfolks, Continued
“From Seed to Seedfolks” http://www.paulfleischman.net/bio.htm#fromseedtoseedfolks
How do we connect to stories? How do stories connect us to one another?
September 7
Maniac Magee
What Separates Us? In Class Fishbowl Discussion
Figurative Language
September 14
Maniac Magee, Continued
Types of plot conflict: Character vs. Character, Character vs. Self, Character vs. Nature, Character vs. Society
September 21
Maniac Magee, Continued
Comparison of Seedfolks and Maniac Magee
September 28
Knots in My Yo-Yo String
What’s Your Story?
October 5
Fall Break
October 12
Eggs or Stargirl
Students will choose which Jerry Spinelli book to read next. We will form two discussion groups for class time.
What does it mean to be different? What does it mean to belong?
October 19
Eggs or Stargirl, Continued
Character Analysis: What does a character need or want? How does this affect their actions and relationships in the story?
October 26
Eggs or Stargirl, Continued
Comparison of Eggs/Stargirl with another Jerry Spinelli book
November 2
Flora & Ulysses
Ways to Tell a Story - words vs. pictures
Word Choice: How do different words create a certain feeling in a passage?
November 9
Flora & Ulysses, Continued
Symbolism: How does the author develop the theme of the story through objects and/or events?
November 16
Flora & Ulysses, ContinuedHow did the characters change in this story? What changes us?
Begin semester project
November 23
Thanksgiving Break
November 30
Showcase
Share semester project