TEACHER(S): LeAmber Brooks

UNIT TITLE: Reading Enrichment Unit: Contemporary Young Adult

Fiction

DATE(S): 10/10-17/2014
Approximate # of days: 10

Lesson

#1

Students were introduced to the reading enrichment unit by group discussion over what exactly cotemporary young adult fiction is, what it isnt and
some of the themes that may surround it. Students were then given the option of choosing (as a group) which book we would read and the book
discussion on. Students were able to choose between In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters and The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban. The
majority of the students chose In the Shadow of Blackbirds so that was what all members of the book club had to read. Students had five-seven days to
read the novel before the book talk was to be held the next Friday.

Lesson

#2

Students participated in a book talk about the novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters. The following are questions that were discussed
during the book talk.
What did you like about the novel?
What didnt you like?
How could the novel have been better?
If you were the author, how would you have changed the novel?

What parallels can you draw between the war in 1918 and current events?

Technology Integration:
Activboard

Technology Integration:
Activboard
Quizlet Flash Cards

Should Steven have been treated the way he was treated by his fellow soldiers and his family because of his actions when he was scared?
Discuss the Spanish influenza epidemic and why everyone was so terrified of it in 1918. Could such an epidemic happen now? Why or why
not?

Students then took a 20 question quiz over the novel. See below. After taking the quiz, students practiced for the reading bowl using Quizlet.

Lesson

#3

After reading the novel and practicing questions via Quizlet, an online flashcard Web 2.0 tool, students debriefed as a group. Students completed a
grows and glows reflection survey (see below) to help guide future book talks.

Technology Integration:

Student Survey
Needs Improvement:

Was Ok:

Was Done Very Well:

In the survey above, explain what you thought needed improvement, was ok and what was done very well throughout the unit.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds Quiz

1. Who is the author?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the protagonist's full name?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Where did Mary Shelley move to?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What was Stephen's nickname for Mary Shelly?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What is Mr. Muse an anagram for?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Why did Stephen leave for the army?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Where does the Embers family live?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. How did Mary Shelley die the first time?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Who was poisoning Stephen?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Who or what was the black birds from Stephen's nightmares/hallucinations?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Why was Stephen sent home from the army?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. How did Mary Shelley find out that Stephen didn't die in battle?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. How did Julius say Stephen die?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. How did Mary Shelley die a second time?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Why did Julius hurt Mary Shelley?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
16. What did Julius invite Mary Shelley and Aunt Eva to, so he could try and contact Stephen?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
17. I Do Lose Ink is an anagram for what?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
18. How tall was Aunt Eva's crucifix?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
19. How did Mary Shelley try to cure Aunt Eva?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
20. Where did Mary Shelley go to take notes to learn about what was troubling Stephen?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________