Using The Wednesday Surprise as a starting point, develop a literacy project where your students buddy with children in a kindergarten class to read books, tell stories, and practice early reading skills. Alternatively, students might visit a senior citizen facility and read books with older adults.
For their kindergarten buddies, have each student keep a log of the books read. For each book they and their buddy should record the title, author, illustrator, characters, setting, plot, and their favorite part. If the story read was The Wednesday Surprise, the entry might be:
TITLE: The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Donald Carrick
CHARACTERS: Anna, Grandma, Sam, Mom, and Dad
PLOT: Anna reads with Grandma, and secretly teaches Grandma how to read.
FAVORITE PART: When Grandma surprises Dad and reads a book.
Discuss with your class the problems that Anna's grandmother faced because she couldn't read. Include questions such as: How does she make a shopping list? How does she know which bus to get on? What kind of job could she have?
Language Arts — Reading
• Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
• Establishes a purpose for reading
• Understands level-appropriate reading vocabulary
• Uses personal criteria to select reading material
Social Studies
• Understands that he or she is a member of the community
• Contributes to the well-being of the community
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