Comprehension Strategies – Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Effective Comprehension Strategies

Independent Novel Study:  HOOT by, Carl Hiaasen – click here for bundled unit

This lesson template is intended to use in correlation to the novel, Hoot by, Carl Hiaasen.  The comprehension strategies used are Direct Reading-Thinking Action (DRTA) and Focus Strategy:  SQR3 (survey, question, rea, review, recite).  This is a lesson plan to use daily with each individual chapter of the novel. It also gives a way to implement the entire unit digitally.

Click here for the all lessons associated with Hoot.

Using this unit digitally.

For teachers, set up your students in a Google Classroom. Make sure you have the KAMI extension downloaded. Assign each .pdf file as a Kami assignment through google classroom. It’s that easy! Check out this FREE QUIZ on GOOGLE FORMS for Chapters 1-4.>

Before Reading:

The students will look at the book as an individual, with a partner and as a whole class.  Discussion points:

• Title
• Cover (owls)

Essential Questions:

• Why study endangered species, especially burrowing owls?
• What can children do to make an environmental impact?

The unit will begin with pre-reading activities to establish prior knowledge needed to fully comprehend the book.

Bell Ringer:  Presentation, Prediction & Reading (DRTA)

Each day, the students will receive a Word of the Day (WOD).  This is a literature based vocabulary word which will be found in the reading.  This ongoing vocabulary development is a key portion of comprehension.  Review and previous chapter and predict what will happen in the reading.

Click here for literature based vocabulary list and lessons.

Activity:  Focus Strategy:  SQ3R

1.  Set a purpose for the lesson.  Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger ending.  Students will refer back to the cliffhanger and predict what the next chapter will be about.  Then, they will read the chapter, the plot development will be discussed and follow-up will include discussion about figurative language and literary elements:  characterization, conflict, dialogue, imagery, foreshadowing, irony and theme. (DRTA)

2.  Question the cliff hanger.  Look at unfamiliar words:  environment, human development, topography, biodiversity and see how they connect to the overall theme of the novel. 

3.  Read the chapter by chunking the text by breaks within the chapter.  Read/Stop/Think:  What is the author’s purpose by stating _____?  Why was the flashback effective in this section?  Also, using this time to identify unknown vocabulary using context clues.  For example, if the “bulldozers keep plowing” we can infer that they are “deliberately” burying owls.  Here, websites can be used as visual aids to enhance reading:  Everglades, human development (Bonnet House), an air boat.

Click here for pre-reading activities

4.  Recite/Review/Relate/Record/Reflect: 

After each chapter, or set of chapters, students should answer questions both orally and written to assess comprehension.  These questions should focus on recall to start to build towards higher level thinking skills.  Websites which are effective and engaging are BOOM learning, Quizlet and Kahoot.  Students should present what they learned.  This could be through a project (vocabulary project or endangered species project) or through an activity (puppet show or reciting dialogue).

Click here for an endangered species research project

Closure:

Individual lessons could contain an exit ticket for a quick summative assessment.  But, a formative assessment should be administered for an accurate assessment of analysis, synthesis and inference.

This lesson template is effective for many reasons.  It establishes routine, it makes the novel relevant for students and allows them to relate to their own life. 

Click here for an example of BOOM learning.

New York State Literature Standards for 7^th Grade:

Key Ideas and Details:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

Craft and Structure:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9
Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

“Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen – Effective Comprehension Strategies

Close Reading:

There are many strategies a teacher can use for effective comprehension. These can be used with any piece of literature, but I’m going to focus on the novel Hoot, by, Carl Hiaasen. The first strategy is close reading.  The one I often try and incorporate on a regular basis, but tend to speed through, usually because of time restraints, is close reading.  There are some many benefits to close reading.  This is a deep comprehension strategy used to promote active reading to gain a deeper understanding of a text.  To begin, I like to introduce the “active reading” strategy with my students.  They place a highlighter in their non-dominant hand and a pen/pencil in their dominate hand.  As they read, they highlight and jot simultaneously.  This keeps them focused and brings them back into the text if they begin to daydream. Click here for the entire HOOT unit.

As a teacher, an entire novel cannot be read using this strategy.  The teacher should focus on a small chunk of a novel, but it works better with smaller articles or short stories.  I especially like to use it for poetry (as poetry normally takes numerous readings to gain insight).  So, after the text has been chosen, all of the unfamiliar words should be taught, as to no inhibit comprehension.  Finally, students should predict the content of the text by posing questions and engaging in discussion.  It is here any prior knowledge will be drawn upon to help in learning. 

Sample Reading Schedule

As for the novel, Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen, I begin by reading the “about the author” on the back cover.  This informs students that besides an author, he is also a journalist and environmentalist.  This gives an accurate starting point as to the general idea of the novel.  Then, when a passage is chosen (ideally one-four paragraphs) students should preview then read.  In the first read, they are mainly looking for the mood associated with the passage.  Then, any further vocabulary should be discussed for a thorough understanding.  In a second reading, students should find specific details which prove the mood of the piece and is should be discussed.  Example: Reading the first 2 pages of Hoot.  In the first read, ask where Roy lives and what are his defining characteristics?  In the second read, jot down what Roy says that contributes to this.  Finally, in the third read, notate his actions which make him a believable character.

Click here for a short biography of Carl Hiaasen which is perfect for a close reading activity.

A Long Walk to Water – language

A Long Walk to Water is one of my favorite books to teach my seventh grade ELA students. I have been teaching it for alomst a decade. I have met Salva and Linda Sue Park twice, one time together! My school has funded two wells in South Sudan.

Here are two lessons designed to assist with the language in the novel A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. If you enjoy these lessons, please visit my store to purchase the entire unit!

Lesson 1:  Vocabulary

Objectives: 

The students will be able to read, comprehend and use all of the tier two vocabulary words in the text.

The students will be able to use the tier three words to help better understand the context of the novel.

Anticipatory Set/Warm-up Activity:

Each day in a “bell-ringer” type activity, the students will be introduced to the 2-3 tier three words that they will encounter in the text.  This will help with comprehension of the novel

Example of Tier 3 words:

The word “thorn” used in the story is a sharp object which a child steps on causing pain.  The word “dress” is a term in Africa to describe preparing meat for a meal.  And the word “bush” is used to describe the plains surrounding the villages.  See, this would be difficult for ELL learners to comprehend without explicit instruction.

Master Vocabulary List

1.  droned – to talk in a dull manner
2.  rebels – one who opposes by force an existing government 
3.  shrouded – covered, concealed
4.  model – an example
5.  sympathy – the act or power of sharing the feeling of another
6.  daze – stunned or bewildered condition
7.  strides – a long step in walking
8.  inhabited – occupied, live in
9.  solemn – serious
10.  rebelled – to reject of fight against
11.  steady – firm, even, regular
12.  monotonous – boring, repetitive
13.  gauge – measure
14.  ferried – transported, carried
15.  arid – without moisture
16.  parched – dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
17.  revived – to restore to life
18.  grudgingly – reluctantly, unwillingly
19.  emaciated – to make or become extremely thin, as a result of starvation
20.  despair – hopelessness
21.  peril – danger
22.  frigid – extremely cold
23.  frantic – desperate
24.  vague – unclear, uncertain
25. disputes – disagreements, differences

Activities:

The students will each begin a vocabulary journal.  Each day, they will add the WOD (tier two word of the day) to their journal in the form of a semantic map.  The map should show their understanding of the word.  Then, they should begin an individualized list to categorize their words:  Mastered, In Progress, Needs Work.  This will help students work at their own individualized pace.

Next, words will be practiced in class using Quizlet Live.  This is a fun, interactive way to engage students in learning and practicing words.  The Quizlet links can also be used individually to practice words.

Quizletlive.com

Chapters 1-6 Quiz:

https://quizlet.com/275504338/a-long-walk-to-water-chapters-1-6-flash-cards/

Chapters 7-12 Quiz:

https://quizlet.com/279261839/a-long-walk-to-water-chapters-7-12-flash-cards/

Chapters 13-18 Quiz:

https://quizlet.com/280407998/a-long-walk-to-water-chapters-13-17-flash-cards/

Closure:

Students will take the vocabulary quizzes on the tier two words to assess comprehension.

Chapters 1-6 Quiz:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LfFhXNJw6aYRHOqjiYYWYvOZyJJJKC9_I-8tdwaoIQw/copy

Chapters 7-12 Quiz:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1aucaC509GPgZigkM8U46pwu8Xoys1P1PIBkZ-pcV72k/copy

Chapters 13-18 Quiz:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18zxKMSITyDdS9Kj50i-svW0yULCD1NcDiTi9Y8b0KtM/copy

Lesson 2:  Picture books

Objectives:

Students will listen to two picture books in preparation for reading A Long Walk to Water.

Students will use the text and illustrations to support an understanding of the topic.

Students will notice the behaviors and characterization presented in the picture book.

Anticipatory Set:

First, the teacher will introduce one picture book per day.  First, the students will describe each of the covers and brainstorm ideas which the books are about.

In Nya’s Long Walk, the book describes the hard job of fetching water that many young girls in Africa have.  They must fetch water in harsh conditions: extreme heat, difficult terrain, assisting younger siblings.  When they reach the water, it is often brown, warm and often contaminated.  This book is based off the fictional character in A Long Walk to Water.

In Brother’s In Hope, fictional character Garang is tending his livestock when the war reaches his village.  His story is that of becoming a lost boy in Sudan and surviving for over a decade overcoming hardships and dangers of the African wild.  Many of these boys eventually made it to the US, like character Salva in the novel.

Activities:

Both picture books will be read aloud to the class in two different lessons. 

Nya’s Long Walk –

For the first read, students will listen to the text.

On the second read, the teacher will stop at each set of pages.  First, the discussion of text/illustrations will occur.

The teacher will ask the question, “How does the illustration correspond with the text?” 

As a class, students should discuss the connections.  This should provide clear and accurate information to build content language.

Then, the teacher will ask about the characters.  “How does Nya’s facial expressions and body language add to the story?”

In a think/pair/share, students will discuss this with a partner.  This will help to promote oral discussion and build confidence with the language specific to the novel.

Brothers In Hope:

The same process will be completed for the second text, but the questions and strategies will be different.

First, the teacher will read the text.

Then, the teacher will introduce the concept of abandonment and perseverance.  The teacher will then pick a few random pages in the text and ask students to describe the action in the illustration.  This will help practice controlled language and concepts that may be difficult for ELL learners to understand.

Then, in a fishbowl, the teacher will state one idea or situation presented in the novel and work their way around the circle to discuss each topic with their classmates.  These topics may be:  cause, weather, climate, time, refugee camps, survival, endurance, fear, culture, place, hope……………

Closure:

For this activity, I would have my students make a timeline of the events in both stories.  I would pair up two students and have them create one timeline with both characters.  This will help in organization of their thoughts, collaboration and serve as a visual to refer back to as they read the novel.