The Common Core Companion: Booster Lessons, Grades 3-5. Leslie Blauman

       He gives examples of the similarities.

       He cites evidence to show the differences. That alone makes this a great mentor text for other students.

       Sentence fluency is a strength and his piece holds tightly together.

       Aiden provides a lot of details to support his thinking.

       From Aiden’s graphic organizer and his coded texts, I could see his interaction and comprehension of the text. I used that as an informal assessment.

      If you want to see Aiden’s completed graphic organizer and additional examples of student work with this sequence, go to www.corwin.com/thecommoncorecompanion.

      Remember in the lessons when fifth graders mined chapter books to discover point of view? Here, students reflected on the way point of view helps one understand character in the novel Because of Mr. Terupt. The following are responses to reading the section on “March” in the book.

If/Then Chart

      

Mentor Texts

      For point of view, text sets are a must! When doing fairy tales, here is a start to my set:

       Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks! The Story of the Three Bears as Told by Baby Bear by Nancy Loewen

       Dear Peter Rabbit by Alma Flor Ada

       Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

       Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten! The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf by Trisha Speed Shaskan

       Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra

       No Lie, I Acted Like a Beast! The Story of Beauty and the Beast as Told by the Beast by Nancy Loewen

       Read-to-Me Book of Fairy Tales by Michael Hague

       Seriously, Cinderella Is So Annoying! The Story of Cinderella as Told by the Wicked Stepmother by Trisha Speed Shaskan

       The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague

       The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas

       Trust Me, Jack’s Beanstalk Stinks! The Story of Jack and the Beanstalk as Told by the Giant by Eric Braun

       What Really Happened to Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf’s Story by Toby Forward

       With Love, Little Red Hen by Alma Flor Ada

       Yours Truly, Goldilocks by Alma Flor Ada

      Looking for chapter books with a focus on fairy tales? Here are a few that my students love:

       Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

       Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

       Ever After High Series by Shannon Hale

       Reckless by Cornelia Funke

       Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

       The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

      Two novels that are phenomenal for teaching point of view:

       Wonder by R. J. PalacioWithout giving too much away, the story revolves around August Pullman, a boy with such severe physical disabilities that he’s never been to school. We meet him at the outset of the story and we know he is horribly disfigured; however, we don’t know why or what he looks like, as he is the one telling the story. As the story unfolds, different characters tell the story and fill in the holes and answer our questions. Each character has his or her own point of view. One of the most powerful books I’ve read—and a must read every year. Palacio has written a follow-up, The Julian Chapter.

       Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob BuyeaAnother excellent example of multiple characters telling the story and giving their account of an accident that happens to their teacher. Each character has a distinct personality and a distinct voice.

      Other books for point of view:

       Dear Mrs. LaRue Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague

       Detective LaRue Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague

       Encounter by Jane Yolen

       LaRue for Mayor by Mark Teague

       Nettie’s Trip South by Ann Turner

       One Green Apple by Eve Bunting

       The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

      Books for persuasive and opinion writing:

       I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman OrloffThis is the book I would lead off with when doing an introduction to persuasion writing. While it is also a primary book, it is funny and engaging and full of voice. And if students have heard it before, they never get tired of it! Alex wants a room separate from his brother, so he writes to his parents about his reasons. They respond. Easy for students to understand the concept (and the idea of supporting your opinion with reasons).

      And here are a few others to start you with persuasive and opinion writing:

       Earrings! by Judith Viorst

       Have I Got a Book for You! by Melanie Watt

       It’s Hard to Be a Verb! by Julia Cook

       The Promise by Nicola Davies

       Warp Speed by Lisa Yee

      Reader’s Theater:

       Another Point of View: Readers Theater Fairy Tales and Activities by Nancy Polette

       Cinderella Outgrows the Glass Slipper and Other Zany Fractured Fairy Tale Plays by Joan M. Wolf

       12 Fabulously Funny Fairy Tale Plays: Humorous Takes on Favorite Tales That Boost Reading Skills, Build Fluency & Keep Your Class Chuckling with Lots of Read Aloud Fun! by Just McCory Martin

      Beyond books—where to access other resources:

       Fairy tales/fables:http://www.worldoftales.com/fairy_tales.htmlhttp://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fairytaleshttp://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/literacy/lit_site/html/fiction/fairytale2/fairytale.htm

       Folktales:http://www.hellokids.com/r_45/reading-and-learning/tales-for-children/classic-taleshttp://www.kidsgen.com/stories/folk_tales