character's name. gist word spider saying o the fly that he must be weary from flying being...

Draw a picture of the character

Story Title Author

Character Descriptions(simple) © 2003 Edwin Ellis

www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Words that describe the character

CharacterÕs name

Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Patterson

Leslie Burke

Intelligent, imaginative, adventurous

Short hair, wore simple clothing, tomboy

Teacher pleaser

Creative thinker & problem solver

Opinionated

Animal rights activist

Character's name

Draw a picture of the character.

Story Title Author

Character Descriptions(simple) © 2003 Edwin Ellis

www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Words that describe the character

CharacterÕs name

Rapunzel Greg Hildebrant

Beautiful young woman with long golden hair & blue eyes

Longs to see the world because she’s locked in a tower by a witch

In love with the king’s son

Not very smart - can’t figure out a way to escape

Sings beautiful songs -- king’s son hears them

Witch moves her to a place in the woods where she grows old

Rapunzel

Story Title Author

Character Description of the character

Mr. Stringbean He’s tall and skinny. Always showing up for meals.

Gage Ellis

Mr. OnionBig, fat, and mean with a tuft of hair on top. He’s mean and makes children cry.

Mrs. PickleAlways bent over and has lots of bumps on her skin. Green with envy because she wants what everybody else has.

Bob & Sally Beet Love to dance to the rhythm of the beat; always moving their feet to the music.

Calvin Corn Tells a lot of jokes, but if you butter him up, he’ll make a great dinner for you.

Tommy Tomato Loves to lie out in the sun but gets burned really easily.

Gary Garlic He’s a great cook, but he has terrible breath. It stinks!

Character Descriptions© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

name: _______________

Mr. Vegetable's Town

Topic© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Essential Details

So then this happened

is about...

So what? What is important to understand about this?

Essential Details

This happened

NameRose Daughter by Robin McKinley

a new twist on the Beauty and the Beast story

Beauty rejects society’s superficial ideals in order to maintain her relationship with the people she loved

Beauty’s father had to send her to live with a beast in a castle

They move to Rose Cottage. Once they settle in, Beauty tends the garden and grows very lovely and rare roses.

The father has to go back to the city on business

He stays at the castle on his way home where he meets the beast and in return for a rose, must send his daughter

Beauty learns to love the Beast

She works with the Beast’s roses because they are dying

Over time, she befriends the beast but cannot marry him

She goes home for a short time but returns to the beast

She breaks the spell so the beast can leave the castle but he is still a beast

Beauty’s family is in ruin fancily and her father never recovered from her mother’s death.

Gist

Word

Spider saying o the fly that he must be weary from flying

Being weary from too much homework

very tired

This word reminds me of… How the Word Was Used in the Story

weary

STORY The Spider and the Fly by Tony DiTerlizzi

Gist

Word

merrily singing when coming out of the door…

Walking merrily along the street.

happily, cheerfully


merrily

Gist

Word

Spider had a dismal den

A dismal ghost stuck in a haunted house

gloomy, sad


dismal

Gist

Word

Eyes being dull as lead

Reading a really dull story

boring, not interesting, not lively


dull

Word Scavenger HuntKeep these new words in mind as you read new material, watch TV or view a movie, listen to others or the radio. When you see or hear the new word being used, write down where it was used and how it was used. Try to use the words yourself when you talk to others!!

Fretting: Today she was fretting

even more than usual. Mrs. Rainey telling us not to fret about the quiz

classroom

Filed: Then they filed out the front door, followed by Dr. Bumble.

Coach asking us to file in lineplayground

Sob: “It just keeps getting worse and worse!” She began to sob.

Plump: … and there stood an old woman who was just as plump and sweet as a strawberry.

Extraordinary: “Most extraordinary!” he exclaimed. “I’ve never seen anything like it…”

“extraordinary powers”Superman comic

Distraction: “She’s too much of a distraction, and I’ve been getting calls from the other parents…”

Mrs. Rainey saying we are driving her o distraction

classroom

Heaping: Camilla wanted a big, heaping plateful of lima beans more than just about anything…

Vanished: Then she went outside and vanished into the crowd.

“children vanished from the house”Haunted Houses of Alabama

The elephant packed his trunk, then picked it up with his trunk, and carried it to the trunk of his car.


A word that can mean different things, depending on what’s going on

trunk Is about …

Main idea

The trunk in the attic

Like a suitcase, only bigger Sometimes shaped like a treasure chest or huge box

Sometimes has leather straps going around it; has a huge metal latch in the middle

Good ExamplePut your old clothes in the truck and take it up to the attic.

CRAZY exampleMy trunk would not fit in my car trunk.

Main idea

The trunk of a car

Storage space in rear of most cars; has a lid that locks.

Sometimes used for carrying emergency equipment.

Good exampleI opened my car’s trunk to get the spare tire out.

CRAZY exampleThe elephant’s trunk hung out of the back of my car’s trunk.

Main idea

An elephant’s trunk

Long nose of an elephant

Uses to smell, to lift things, and to throw water or dirt on their backs to keep cool

Good exampleThe elephant lifted the log with his trunk.

CRAZY exampleThe elephant’s trunk squirted water into my trunk.

Wilbur is getting fat and winter is coming Charlotte &

Wilbur become friends

Pigs on farms are killed for food

Fern thinks of Wilbur as a pet

This is about...

New Things

So this happens

© 2001 Masterminds, LLC

This happens

Developed by Nancy Shields, Arcadia Elementary

Charlotte spins a web labeling Wilbur as “Some Pig”

Wilbur is saved!

Charlotte must continue to spin webs with words or Wilbur will be killed.

Spiders don’t live very long, so what

happens when Charlotte dies?

Fern’s father wants to kill Wilbur for bacon

This is about somebody who tries to save somebody else because she cares so much about him.

CLEAR process© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Ways to describe this process ...

PROCESS

Factors that affect this process

Impact on our worldThings the process affects

This process is like ...(metaphor or simile)

Knowledge connection:This process makes you think of...

Because...

PLANS writing strategy

Preview words to use.

List ideas on a think-sheet.

Assign numbers to indicate order.

Note ideas in complete sentences following your plan.

Search for errors and correct them.

Makes it easier to write essays.

Essays are more organized and ideas are expressed more clearly.

Authors who use the PLANS strategy tend to score higher on writing tests and essay questions.

Following a step-by-step recipe when cooking a great dinner.

Mrs. Smith She always made us write in her class.

Knowledge of the topic the author is writing about (less knowledge = harder to write about)

How hard the author tries to write well.

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Word Scavenger HuntKeep these new words in mind as you read new material, watch TV or view a movie, listen to others or the radio. When you see or hear the new word being used, write down where it was used and how it was used. Try to use the words yourself when you talk to others!!

Sultry: In a warm and sultry forest far, far away, there once lived a mother fruit bat and her new baby.

Behaved: Stellaluna behaved as a good bird should.

Gracefully: Pip, Flitter, and Flap landed gracefully on a branch.

Anxious: The three anxious birds went home without her.

Clutched: Wrapping her wings about her, she clutched the thin branch, trembling with cold and fear.

Startling: Stellaluna landed headfirst in a soft downy nest, startling

the three baby birds who lived there.

Peculiar: Stellaluna’s eyes opened wide. She saw a most peculiar face.

Gathered: More bats gathered around to see the strange young bat who behaved like a bird.

Gist

Word

Charlie soon found out how delicious green things tasted

Eating delicious birthday cake

very good, scrumptious, very tasty


delicious

STORY Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom De Luise

Gist

Word

Charlie had become a beautiful butterfly.

Smelling beautiful spring flowers

very pretty, lovely, gorgeous


beautiful

Gist

Word

The monkeys jumped back, looking miserable.

Feeling miserable when I’m sick

very unhappy


miserable

Gist

Word

Charlie saw two mice playing miniature golf.

My miniature radio

very small, tiny


miniature

is about . . .


Essential DetailsEssential Details

© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Then . . .When . . .

The Pied Pipera man who took a town full of children because the town broke its promise

the town refused to pay the piper for removing all of the town’s rats

piper led all of the children into a mountain & disappeared with them

Hamel has too many rats, so it hires a rat catcher to get rid of them.

The rat catcher plays music on his bag pipes that attracts all the rats; he leads them to the river where they all drown

The town decides not to pay the piper the amount it originally agreed to

The piper is not happy about not being paid what he was promised, so he decides to take the town’s children as payment

He plays his music and all the children follow him out of the town while the parents are in church

Mountain opens up, and the piper leads the children into it; they all disappear forever

The price of breaking a promise is usually a lot more than what it costs to keep it.


is about...

Topic

Essential Details

This happened

Essential Details

Then this happened

Essential Details

So this happened


Booker becomes accepted, but continues to have problems

B.T. Washington’s Journey

the difficult journey that Booker T. made to a school when he was a teenager (16)

Paying tuition - never had enough money, so he had to work plus find time to study

His mother and brother could only send a small amount of money

Loneliness -- when the other students went home for the summer

He had only 1 shirt and 1 pair of socks -- he had to wash them every night

Winners never quit, and quitters never win.It isn’t the problem -- it’s how you handle it that makes the difference.

Booker T. Washington arrives at Hampton, but problems were not over

Arrived with clothes that were worn out, dirty, and wrinkled

He had to find the “head teachers”

He had to pass Mrs. Mackie’s “cleaning test”

There were many others who tried to be accepted by Mrs. Mackie

It’s difficult for a poor 16-year-old black boy to travel

Ran out of money and had to walk part of the way to Richmond

Could not stay at hotel because he was black,slept under bridge

Finally got a job on a ship; not much money

Clothes were few and worn out


is about...


Suspicion and prejudice can be more explosive that guns or bombs.

The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street A play about how suspicion and prejudice -- facing the monsters both without and within.

Elements of a play

ScriptCastStage directionsDialogueScenerySound Effects

Characters/Cast

Residents of Maple Street and two ET's

Setting

Maple Street, USAEvening

Problem

All the electrical power goes out, the neighbors suspect aliens caused it and that some of the neighbors might be aliens in disguise.

Event 1

Neighbors start accusing each other of strange actions that make them suspect their friends.

Event 2

Charlie brings out his shotgun, mistakes Pete Van Horn for an ET, and kills him.

The neighbors panic and accuse each other. The ET's discuss how they will conquer the world by letting people destroy themselves!

Conclusion Story Theme

Facing the destructive monsters of prejudice and suspicion within and without.

By Rod Sterling

Event Synetics © 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

An event that happened in the story ... Is similar to this real-life event ... In these ways ...

Another event that happened in the story ... Is similar to this real-life event ... In these ways ...

Hansel & Grethel

Hansel sticks a bone out of his cell & makes the witch think it’s his finger

Pretending to be sickso you don’t have todo your chores

Tricks someone so you can avoid doing something you don’t want to do

Hansel gets the witch to look in the oven so he can push her in

The Minute Men hiding in the woodswaiting to ambush the British when they get closer

Both get a stronger enemy to move to a place where you can beat them

folk tale so author is unknown

Event Syntectics

is about someone who . . .

Somebody from todayÕs world this person is like

(not like)Role in the story

How the character changed in the story

Ways to describe the character

Opposite character . .

DonÕt confuse with . . .

because . . .

CHARACTER© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Scrooge

is the antagonist in “The Christmas Carol”

miserly old and winkled

frowns and complains a lot

mean insensitive

rich

Scrooge changed from being mean and uncaring to being generous and kind

Bob Cratchet, works for Scrooge, unpaid, never given days off, works in unheated office, Tiny Tim’s dad.

Cratchet is Scrooge’s opposite

3 ghosts visit. Past reminds him of the childhood, present shows how bad things are, future shows that no one will remember him. Money doesn’t buy happiness; being a caring person does

Uncle John

Uncle John changed from being really strict and mean to being laid-back and concerned for others

bossy

contemptuous

x

WORDS

Ginger by Charlotte Voake

CONTEXT(when talking about …)

delicious beautiful pityvery tasty, very good to eat very pretty sad, feel sorry for

SAMPLE SENTENCE

The girl made him delicious meals…

I think ice cream is delicious.

The kitten liked to get into Ginger’s beautiful basket

My mom is beautiful.

“It’s a pity you can’t be friends”

It was a pity we lost the baseball game.

Usually best to introduce the comparison frame with an activity that involves comparing two things, both of which students are already familiar.Usually best to begin with Comparison frames because the thinking processes are easier… then eventually use Compare/Contrast frames (similarities & differences) or Venns

is about ...


Categories

VS

2X4 Comparison© 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com Fantasy stories passes from generation to generation

FAIRY TALES

SNOW WHITE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Evil person

Caring friends

How heroine is saved

Setting Age of castles, royalty (medieval period) -- most of the action takes place in the woods

Evil witch who is mad because she wasnÕt invited to princessÕ first birthday party

Age of castles, royalty (medieval period) -- most of the action takes place in the castle

Evil queen is jealous of Snow WhiteÕs beauty & wants to kill her so she will be the most beautiful

Woodsman fakes SnowÕs murder.Seven dwarfs who live together invite her to live with them.

Fairies provide gifts in the hope that they will save Beauty from the witchÕs evil spell.

Snow bites poison apple - she falls into endless sleep. Handsome prince kisses her to wake her up.

Beauty pricks finger and falls into endless sleep. Prince Charming kisses her to wake her up

Same basic plot - beautiful young woman attacked by evil older woman. Friends try to help, but eventually fail. Handsome kisses young woman to break the Ņbig sleepÓ spell

Eyes Mouth Nose Ears

Hair Teeth Body Personality

Endearing Qualities Likable things about the character Negative Qualities Dislikable things about

the character

Title of Story

Character

Character Features© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com McDonald Partridge

Wilfrid Gordon

old looking, lots of wrinkles,half closed

small with wrinkles and pale-colored lips

long and sharp

big, but covered by her hair

gray, long,mostly worn in a bun

denturesfalse teeth

soft and plump a good listener,enjoys the company of children

She is nice to Wilfrid. She keeps his secrets.

I don’t want her to get older and maybe die.

Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper

An event or experience that happened in the story ...

Is similar to (or different from) this real-life event or experience...

In these ways ...

Like real-life (simple) © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Wilfrid Gordon Mem Fox

Wilfrid worries about Miss Nancy losing her memory. He finds objects in his house to help her to remember events in her life.

My neighbor, Miss Rose, is an old person who gets me to help put her name on all her belongings. Then she tells me stories about her life.

Miss Nancy listens to WilfridÕs secrets and Miss Rose listens to my secrets.

Miss Nancy shares stories with me about her childhood in Alabama.

McDonald Partridge

Character Comparison Matrix© 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Story

AppearanceWhat did the character look like?

RoleHow was the character important to the story?

PersonalityWhat was character like?

TransitionHow did the character change?

ConclusionWhat did you like or dislike about this character?

Character # 1 Character # 2 Character # 3 Character # 4

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Jacob Caleb Anna Sarah

Simple looking - tall with strong hands & shoulders; curly hair

Friendly, shy smile, small in size, curly hair

Long straight hair, thin, medium sized, nice features

Plain looking with long brown hair, thin, rough hands

Quiet, strong willed, devoted to his family

Openly talks about his feelings; curious, loving, worrisome, fearful & timid

Adult-like, practical and responsible, helps keep things normal

Loved life, willful & strong, set in her ways, willing to change

Head of the household, responsible

Represents the whole family

Cautious, responsible, slow to talk about her feelings

Brought the broken family together. She brought healing.

Serious after his wife died. Slowly changed - happy again with Sarah

He learned to be patient, trust others, and not worry so much

Finally felt comfortable enough to be a kid & enjoy life more

Learned to find beauty in the prairie & that they she loved Maine and the sea

I didn’t like him at first. He was too stern, but he changed and was likable.

I liked his openness, but he worried too much!

I always liked Anna and I am glad she could act more like a kid.

I liked her but she worried me. I was afraid the family would not like her.

ASN Character© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

is about someone in the story who . . .

Character

Characteristics or actions that

ALWAYSdescribe this character


SOMETIMESdescribe this character


NEVERdescribe this character

Rumpelstiltskin

takes advantage of a maiden in trouble and makes her promise to give him her first child in exchange for saving her life

short, fat, hairy

magical powers

self-centered

always looking for a “deal”

thinks he’s smarter than others

smart- why would he trade gold for a necklace or ring when he could make all the gold he wanted?

sympathetic; caring about others

hard working-he stayed up all night spinning the straw into gold

quick-tempered & violent

he got so angry at being outsmarted that he destroyed himself

This part of the story ...

Might SEEM LIKE this real-life event ...

Because both...

However, they are actually quite DIFFERENT and shouldn’t be confused because:

Story AuthorSeems like real-life, but ...© 2003 Edwin Elliswww.GraphicOrganizers.com


This event involves ...

While event involves ...

unknown (folk tale)Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack steals the Goose that lays golden eggs, climbs down the beanstalk, and cuts it down, killing the giant

Saddam sending Iranian troops to invade Kuwait to steal their treasure & oil wells

Involve greedy people willing to kill others in order to get treasure they want. Having no respect for othersÕ life or property.

One-on-one conflict. One person wins, the other looses, and nobody else is really affected (except maybe JackÕs mom).

Conflict affected tens-of-thousands of people. Many in Kuwait lost their homes and fortunes, thousands of Iranian soldiers killed by US, and world peace was threatened

Jack and Saddam displayed the same unethical behavior . Although SaddamÕs adventure affected thousands of people, the Giant was probably no less concerned or less hurt as any individual from Kuwait!

Characters

Setting

Plot

Ending

Which story was best? Why?

Story #1 Story #2

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

Mrs. Rabbit, Mr. McGregor,Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail,

Old Mr. Bunny, the cat,Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny

Mr. McGregor’s garden Tool shed near Mr. McGregor’s garden

Peter sneaks under fence into Mr. McG’s garden. He eats too much and can’t escape under the fence.

Peter has to take his fancy new clothes off to escape. Mr. McG puts his clothes on a scarecrow.

Benjamin & Peter hide under a basket from the cat, who sits on the basket for 5 HOURS!

Old Mr. Rabbit scares the cat away. Peter and Benjamin get spanked and are made to work in Mr. McG’s garden.

Tale of Peter Rabbit was best because it was more exciting. I liked the part about Peter having to leave his new clothes behind and Mr. McGregor putting them on a scarecrow. That was funny.

Comparing Stories© 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

This part of the story...

Might SEEM LIKE this real-life event...

Because both...

However, they are actually quite DIFFERENT and shouldn’t be confused because:

Story AuthorSeems like real life, but...© 2003 Edwin Elliswww.GraphicOrganizers.com


This event involves...

While this event involves...

unknown (folk tale)Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack steals the goose that lays golden eggs, climbs down the beanstalk and cuts it down, killing the giant

Saddam sending Iranian troops to invade Kuwait to steal their treasure and oil wells

Involve greedy people willing to kill others in order to get treasure they want. Have no respect for others’ life or property.

One-on-one conflict. One person wins, the other loses, and nobody else is really affected (except maybe Jack’s mom).

Conflict affected tens of thousands of people. Many in Kuwait lost their homes and fortunes, thousands of Iranian soldiers were killed by U.S., and world peace was threatened.

Jack and Saddam displayed the same unethical behavior . Although Saddam’s adventure affected thousands of people, the Giant was probably no less concerned or less hurt as any individual from Kuwait!

Character SyneticsStory Title Author


Characterfrom Story

In these ways...

IS LIKE (or NOT LIKE)this real-life person

How they treat others

Possible ways to consider how they are alike:

What they like (or don’t like)

How others treat them

Where they live What they do for fun or work

Cultural backgrounds

How they act

Appearance

Good or bad experiences

You may address some of these ways they are alike or think of other ways.

Problems or challenges they face

Because of Winn Dixie Kate DiCamillo

India Opal BuloniMy neighbor, Lori Bishop

Lori and Opal are being raised by their fathers, and sometimes they seem to lack a mother’s touch. They do not seem to do girl things such as shopping, flirting with boys, or worrying about how they look.

Both Lori and Opal are pretty nice to everyone, even the nerdy types, or stuck up people like Amanda Wilkinson.They act a little tomboyish or like girls who seem a little mean or misunderstood.

Lori, Opal, and I live in a neighborhood that is not as nice as most of the people who live in the community.

Lori’s dad is a salesman and he has to make a sale in order to pay the bills. Opal’s dad is a preacher and he has to sell the idea of religion in order to pay their bills.

Lori and Opal are loved by their daddies. Their father’s would give up everything for their daughters.

Neither know a lot about their mothers, and their father’s are not willing to talk about them.

is about ...


Categories

VS

2X3 Comparison© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Name

Fantasy stories passes from generation to generation

FAIRY TALES

SNOW WHITE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Evil person

Caring friends

How heroine is saved

Evil witch who is mad because she wasn’t invited to princess’ first birthday party

Evil queen is jealous of Snow White’s beauty & wants to kill her so she will be the most beautiful

Woodsman fakes Snow’s murder.Seven dwarfs who live together invite her to live with them.

Fairies provide gifts in the hope that they will save Beauty from the witch’s evil spell.

Snow bites poison apple -she falls into endless sleep. Handsome prince kisses her to wake her up.

Beauty pricks finger and falls into endless sleep. Prince Charming kisses her to wake her up

Same basic plot - beautiful young woman attacked by evil older woman. Friends try to help, but eventually fail. Handsome kisses young woman to break the “big sleep” spell

2X6 Similarities & Differences© 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com


CategoriesSimilarities

is about ...

DifferencesDifferences

VS

Annie and the Old One

a story about a Navajo girl and her grandmother

Annie Annie’s grandmother

Physical appearance

Characteristics

Weaving

Home

Stories

View of death

Young girl who kept her hair loose

Curious and full of questions

Lived in a hogan - home built logs, sticks and mud

Liked to listen to her grandmother’s stories

Did not know how to weave, but wanted to learn

Confused and fearful about death

Both are NavajoWore homemade clothes

Both are very spiritualBoth enjoy outdoors

Lived together Both helped at home

Stories were used to teach Navajo children

Weaving is an important activity of Navajo women

Both know death is real

An old woman who keeps her hair pulled back in a bun.

Wise and insightful

Viewed death as a natural past of the life cycle -- did not fear it

She could create beautiful baskets; she was an artist!

Told stories to teach her granddaughter important lessons about life

Even though Annie and her grandmother are very different in age and they are at different places in their life, they share many similarities.

Lived in a hogan - home built logs, sticks and mud

by Patricia Miles Martin

Cause/Effect Ripples 1© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

This . . .

Caused this . . .

Which then caused this. . .

Details

Details

Details

Details

Details

Details

Bad witch is angry (not invited

to baby princess’s first birthday party

Spell = on her 21st birthday, Princess will prick her finger on a spinning wheel’s spindle & die

Good fairy gives her gift which is to weaken the witch’s spell so the child will sleep forever rather than die

King orders all spinning wheels to be destroyed

Old spinning wheel in the attic is overlooked & not destroyed

On her 21st birthday, the princess wanders into the attic and finds the spinning wheel

Princess pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleep

King puts her in a glass coffin

Prince Charming arrives, kisses her, and she wakes up

Witch casts a spell to kill the princess

While playing with spinning wheel in attic, princess pricks her finger, causing the big sleep

Prince Charming kisses Sleeping Beauty - wakes her up

Cause/Effect Ripples 2© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

This...

Caused this . . .

Which then caused this . . .

So that caused this. . .

DetailsDetails

Details

Details

DetailsDetails

Details

Details

Wears his clothes inside- out

Says he likes to read a good “koob”

Mr. Padugabucklecrashes & bumps

his head

Mr. Padugabuckle starts doing everything backwards

Goes to the car wash to put mud on his car

Eats dinner in the morning & breakfast at night

Puts his sunglasses on at night

Brushes his teeth just before he eats

Mr. Padugabuckle starts talking backwards

Says “noom” rises in the morning and “nus” comes out at night

Likes to drive his “rac” to the “erots”

Puts his “tah” on his head

When he is sleepy, he goes to “deb”

Says his favorite food are “dog hots” and “fries French”

Wears regular clothes on Halloween and costumes on all other days

Stores food in the stove and tries tocook with refrigerator

Sits under the table when eating dinner

Goes to school at night and sleeps during the day

Everybody starts acting like Mr. Padugabuckle

Climbing a tree to get apples

Hand slips & he falls to ground

is about ...

Footprint Ideas © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Socrates

an orphan dog living in the streets

Socrates’ parents are snatched up by the dog catcher, leaving him to live alone in the streets.

Socrates is abandoned, hungry and shunned by the other street dogs.

Socrates finds a curious object that fits his nose. The world around him looks brighter and people treat him better.

Socrates meets a

Socrates finally has a friend and home.wearing his glasses. The man gets his glasses and

man playing music who realizes that Socrates is

Footprint Ideas and details © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

My Mom Travels a Lota story about what a girl has to go through

Bad things about Mom being away

OK things about Mom being away

Doesn’t get “good night” kisses every night

Mom missed the school play

Little girl misses her a lot

Dad fixes dinner (he’s a bad cook!)

Father and girl go out to resturants more often

Girl gets to stay up late (sometimes)

It’s always fun when Mom comes home

Mom brings girl surprises

when her mom is away

Gist

Details

Gist

Details

Gist

Details

Gist

Details

Hot Dog Gist & details © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

is about ...Sentences

four kinds of sentences

Declarative makes a statement

Ex: The capital of Alabama is Montgomery.

Interrogative always asks a question

Did you know that the capital of Georgia is Atlanta?

Exclamatory shows strong emotion/surprise

He did not even know the capital of his own state!

Imperative - makes a request/gives command

Please visit our beautiful capital.You must go to the capital.

punctuation is always

?

!punctuation is always



Main Idea Cases © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Topic

is about ...


Main idea

Details

Main idea

Details

Main idea

Details

Where the Wild Things Areby Maurice Sendak

a little boy who makes believe he is king of the wild things

Max gets into trouble

Max was misbehaving and his mother sends him to his room without his supper.

He imagines a place where the wild

things are

Max is not afraid of the wild things.

The wild things make him king.

They have a large party with dancing and feasting.

Max misses his family

He travels back to his bedroom where he finds his supper.

Just because your parents punish you does not mean that they do not love you.

Main Idea Briefcases © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

is about ...

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Missing May

an unconventional family who builds a life together and later learns to cope with loss

Summer’s new life with Ob and May

Sudden death brings unexpected grief

Ob can’t cope with the grief

Summer tries to help, but can’t

Ob and Summer learn to live without May

May and Ob open theirhearts to Summer and provide her with a new family. It’s wonderful for Summer

Summer, an orphan, was treated badly by relatives in Ohio. May and Ob visit and meet her.

May dies suddenly while in the garden. Ob and Summer are sick with grief.

Ob loses his will to continue living without May. He’s willing to visit a Spiritualist church.

Summer is sad because she can’t seem to help Ob find a reason to live.

Ob visits Charleston and has a change of heart. Summer finally allows herself to cry over May’s death.

Sooner or later we will all lose a loved one. It may seem awful, but you will eventually learn to accept the loss and realize that the loved one’s spirit lives on in your memory.

Summer’s difficulty

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Essential Details

There are special names for each part of a news story.

A news story

an article in the newspaper about an important event

The headline tells what the story is about.

The byline shows who wrote the story.

The lead tells the reader the most important facts.

The body contains more information about the story.

The ending gives the reader something to remember.

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Missing MayOb and Summer’s search for the spirit of May

May

Gig bowl of love

Summer’s adopted mother for 6 happy years

Ob’s loving wife and companion

Has died

Ob

May’s sorrowing husband

Summer’s adopted dad for 6 years

Was adopted since the family visit from Ohio

Ob senses a visit from May’s spirit

Summer

May & Ob’sadopted daughter

Misses May and the life she provided

Tries to keep Ob from dying of loneliness

Tries to give Ob a reason to live

Cletus Underwood

Summer’s 7th grade classmate and friend

Reads about a medium who can communicate with May

Believed in the spirit world, like Ob

trip to Putnam County

Ob, Summer and Cletus travel to Putnam County

Want to see Rev. Miram B. Young

Discover Rev.Young is deceased

Travel in silence until Ob has a change in heart

Ob’s depression

After May died, Ob becomes very depressed

Stops caring about life

Doesn’t even want to get out of bed

Summer is afraid Ob will commit suicide

the false hope

Ob wants to see May even though she is dead

Thinks a medium can help him contact her spirit

He will try anything to see May again

Can’t come to grips with May being gone forever

coming to grips with a lost loved one

The attempt to communicate with May is a failure

Summer finally cries after seeing the owl

Cletus and Ob comfort Summer

Ob and Summer find a way to keep May’s spirit alive

When someone we love dies, it’s hard accept that they are gone. Sometimes we search for something mystical to relieve our grief. The spirit of a loved one lives in our memories and the influence that person had, and continues to have, means that they are still part of our lives.

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Essential Details

Main Idea

Essential Details

Main Idea


Sentence types

the two basic types of sentences

Simple Compound

A simple sentence has just one thought.My dog jumped up.

The cat ran away.

A simple sentence may have two simple subjects.

My cat and my dog played tag.

A simple sentence my have two simple predicates.

The cat ran and climbed the tree.I rode and crashed my bike.

A compound sentence is two simple sentences joined by a comma and a connecting word (and, but, or).

SIMPLE: We went to the beach. We had a picnic.My dog jumped up. The cat ran away.

COMPOUND: We went to the beach, and we had a picnic.My dog jumped up, but the cat ran away.

Simple sentences = one complete thoughtCompound sentences = two complete thoughts joined together.

Event Inference 1© 2003 Edwin Elliswww.GraphicOrganizers.com

Poppy and Nana let the fireflies out of the jar after Nathan fell asleep.

Nathan caught some more fireflies the next night.

Nathan told his mom and dad all about catching fireflies with Nana and Poppy.

Describe some things about what happened that might

be true, but the author didn’t tell

Title

Fireflies for Nathan by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

Draw a picture of what happened

Nathan, Nana, and Poppy went out in the yard and caught some fireflies and put them in a jar.

Describe something that happened in the story

The author never tells the whole story. You have to use your own background knowledge or experience to make guesses or draw conclusions about parts of the story not explained by the author. These are called INFERENCES.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.shulamithoppenheim.com/images/firefliescover.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.shulamithoppenheim.com/fireflies.htm&h=315&w=254&sz=13&tbnid=5f4HleEcjCEJ:&tbnh=113&tbnw=91&start=2&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfireflies%2Bfor%2Bnathan%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

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“What’s a memory?”

“Something that makes you cry, my boy, something that makes you cry.”

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

a young boy who asks friends living at the old people’s home what a memory is

by Mem Fox

Mrs. Jordon ( played the organ)

Mr. Hosking (told scary stories)

Mr.Tippet (crazy about cricket)

Miss Michell (walked with a stick)

Mr. Drysdale (had a giant-like voice)

Miss Nancy Allison (had four names)

“ What’s a memory?”

“Something warm, my child, something warm.”


“Something from long ago, me lad, something from long ago.”


“Something that makes you laugh, my darling, something that makes you laugh.”


“Something as precious as gold, young man, something as precious as gold.”

Miss Nancy finds her memory because Wildrid Gordon McDonald Partridge helps her to do so.

Memories can be forgotten if we do not have someone to share them with.


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Suspicion and prejudice can be more explosive than guns or bombs.

The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street

A play about suspicion and prejudice

Elements of a play

ScriptCastStage directionsDialogueScenerySound Effects

Characters/Cast

Residents of Maple Street and two ET's

Setting

Maple Street, USAEvening

Problem

All the electrical power goes out, the neighbors suspect aliens caused it and that some of the neighbors might be aliens in disguise.

Event 1

Neighbors start accusing each other of strange actions that make them suspect their friends.

Event 2

Charlie brings out his shotgun, mistakes Pete Van Horn for an ET, and kills him.

The neighbors panic and accuse each other. The ET's discuss how they will conquer the world by letting people destroy themselves!

Conclusion Story Theme

Facing the destructive monsters of prejudice and suspicion within and without.

By Rod Sterling

Beginning

Middle

Ending

Details

Details

Details

BME Goldilocks and the Three Bears

The Bear family goes for a walk

Mama Bear makes porridge, but it’s too hot.

Bears decide to go for a walk while it cools.

Goldilocks enters Bears’ house and starts exploring their stuff

Tastes porridge - too hot ... too cold ... just right (eats all of Baby Bear’s breakfast)

Sits in chairs - too hard ... too soft ... just right (sits in Baby Bear’s chair and breaks it)

Gets in beds - too long ... too wide ... just right (gets in Baby Bear’s bed and falls asleep)

Bears discover someone’s been in their house -Baby Bear is upset

Bears notice porridge has been eaten, chairs have been sat in, and beds have been slept in. Goldilocks wakes up and runs away.


Hot Dog BME © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Ending

Middle

Setting

Characters

Title Author

BeginningGist

Details

Gist

Details

Gist

Details

Pa’s mail-order bride arrives from Maine.

Sarah, Plain and Tall Hannah Duran

Caleb and Anna are afraid that their father’s newly arrived mail-order bride will decide to leave them and their prairie home to return to her home on the coast of Maine.

The family and Sarah

Sarah and Pa are stubborn and set in their ways. It is difficult for them to learn how to live with another adult again. The kids watch them closely.

Sarah’s love of life and playful ways help unite the broken family.

Sarah brings out the best in each member of the family. Her determination binds them all together.

American prairies

JacobCalebAnnaSarah

struggle to accept each other and build relationships.

Footprint BME© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Title

Beginning Event s

EndingEvents

Smudge by Julie Sykes and Jane Chapman

Smudge is playing in the backyard with his friends, Nibble, the mouse and Bounce, the rabbit. They are having fun.

It begins to rain

The door is shut, so Smudge can’t get inside

The open window is too high to climb into

He tried to hide in Bounce’s hutch, but it was too small.

Smudge almost got stuck

When he got inside, he called his friends to join him .

It stopped raining. Smudge saw Nibble and Bounce playing outside. He jumped out the window so he could play to.

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3

45

6

trying to enter through the cat door

Climax (turning point)

Problem (Goal) Solution (Ending)


Rise and Fall of the Story

Title Setting

Red confronts wolf in Grandma’s bed“What big

eyes/ears/nose/TEETH you have!”

Little Red Riding Hood

Mom warns Red not to stray from path

Need to take cookies to Grandma

Red leaves path to pick flowers

Red needs to travel safely through dangerous woods to take Grandma some cookies

Wolf locks Grandma in closet

Wolf disguises self as Grandma and gets in her bed

forest, summertime

Wolf tries to get Red to come closerWolf pounces on Red, plans to eat her

Red screams

Woodsman breaks open door to get in

Woodsman kills wolf with his ax, saves Red and Grandma. Red learns to follow instructions (stay on path).

Wolf sees Red, runs ahead to Grandma’s house

Woodsman hears screams, runs to Grandma’s house

Beginning This happened

So this happened This

happenednext

EndingFootprint Sequence © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Title

Setting

Island of the Blue Dolphins

remote island off southern tip of California

Karana’s people live at peace on the island until Russian fishermen come to hunt otter.

The fishermen promise to give the people tools & jewelry in exchange for otter pelts.

At the end of the otter hunting season, the Russian fishermen offer half of the goods.

The men of the village fight the Russians as the fishermen escape to the boats. Karana’s

father, Chief Chowig, and most of the men are killed. The Russians escape un- harmed.

Kimki, the new chief, leaves the island for help. Kimki

returns on a Spanish ship to take the people to a new island.

Karana jumps ship to save her younger brother.

Karana’s younger brother is killed by wild dogs. She lives on the island alone for more than 15 years. A ship comes and takes her to California.

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She never finds her people.

Story Title

What happened?Started with ...

So the results were ...


So this happened ...

And that led to this ...

Then this happened ...

Bridge to Terabithia

Jess Aarons lives in rural area outside of Washington, D.C. His life is boring and ordinary until Leslie Burke becomes his neighbor.

Jess avoids Leslie at first, but competition on the school playground forces him to interact and become friends with her.

Jess and Leslie create a safe haven on the woods and call it “Terabithia.” It is a magical place where one must enter by a rope swing. They find freedom to express their friendship.

Spring rain causes the creek water to rise to dangerous levels. Leslie insists on entering Terabithia by rope swing. Jess is frightened by the fast-moving water but hides his fears from Leslie.

Leslie visits Terabithia alone, the swing breaks, and she drowns. Influenced by Leslie’s perception of life, Jess must live on without her.

Analyze Steps © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Step 1

Specific actions that take place ... Why this step is important ...

Step 2


Step 3


Step 4


Step 5


Preview ideas

Think of words to use in your essay (brainstorm list of words related to topic).

If you think about who will read your work, you can keep them in mind as you write so it will make more sense.

List ideas

List main topics (main things you want to write about).List details for each main idea.

Helps you think of what to say and how to explain it better.

Assign numbers to indicate orderDecide which main ideas to write about first, second, third, etc.Do same thing for details for each main idea.

Helps you organize your thoughts so writing them down is easier.Writing will make more sense.

Note ideas in complete sentences

Follow your plan. Each main idea is the first sentence in a new paragraph. Write at least one sentence for each detail.

Helps your story to be more clear and interesting.

State a conclusion

Think about a good way to end the essay. Ideas include: Summarizing the most important point. Encouraging the reader to take action. Brings closure to the essay.


Essential Details

So then this happened

is about...


Essential Details

This happened

NameRose Daughter by Robin McKinley

a new twist on the Beauty and the Beast story

Beauty rejects society’s superficial ideals in order to maintain her relationship with the people she loved

Beauty’s father had to send her to live with a beast in a castle

They move to Rose Cottage. Once they settle in, Beauty tends the garden and grows very lovely and rare roses.

The father has to go back to the city on business

He stays at the castle on his way home where he meets the beast and in return for a rose, must send his daughter

Beauty learns to love the Beast

She works with the Beast’s roses because they are dying

Over time, she befriends the beast but cannot marry him

She goes home for a short time but returns to the beast

She breaks the spell so the beast can leave the castle but he is still a beast

Beauty’s family is in ruin fancily and her father never recovered from her mother’s death.

CharacterPredict*Check© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Title How to Catch an Elephantby Amy Schwartz

PREDICT: Predict what comes next.

CHECK: Read some more and check to see if your prediction was correct.

My prediction was mostly correct, but the story was slightly different in these ways...

My prediction was way off from what actually happened. What really happened was ...

My prediction is about what will happen to the character.

My prediction is about what the character will do because of what has happened.

Describe something that has recently happened to a character in the story.

Draw a picture that shows what happened to the character

The girl in the story is trying to catch an elephant. Her first attempt failed.

I think that if she keeps trying, eventually she will catch an elephant.

The girl shrinks the elephant down to the size of a ball. She puts it in her pocket and takes it home.

x

x

Predict*Check*Connect© 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Describe something that has recently happened in the story ... Name ________________________

PREDICT: Predict what you think will happen next ...

Title

CHECK: Read some more and check to see if your prediction was correct

My prediction was mostly correct, but the story was slightly different in these ways...

My prediction was way off from what actually happened. I should have predicted that ...

CONNECT: Tell how what has happened in the story reminds of something in real-life

The Wheel on the School

The school chiuldren, along with community members, work very hard to get a wheel on top of the school and bring storks back to Shora.

by Meindert DeJong

The boys take the struggling storks and place them on the roof. The entire community group together and quietly wait and watch to see if the stok couple will stay.

The wheel attracks the storks and they come back.

X

This is like when the hurricane hit Mobile. Everyboy in the community worked together to help. There was lots of community spirit and respect.

Reason why I liked it:

Details

Details

Background - What happened that led up to my favorite part of the story?

What happened during my favorite part of the story?

Another reason why I liked it:

Details

Details

Characters

Story SettingFavorite Part of the Story© 2003 Edwin Elliswww.GraphicOrganizers.com

Hansel and Gretel Dark forest, house made of candy and cookies

Hansel, Gretel, and wicked witch

Hansel, Gretel get lost as they are walking through the woods. They see the gingerbread house and begin nibbling on it. The witch catches them and locks them into cells to fatten them up so she can eat them.

The witch wants Hansel to stick his finger out of the cell so she can see if he’s getting any fatter. She can’t see too well so Hansel sticks out a bone instead. She thinks the bone is his finger.

I liked the idea of the kid tricking the witch.

The witch feeds him more.

This gives Hansel more time to think of a way to escape.

It made me want to try some trick on a witch if one ever catches me.

If I didn’t have a bone, I’d use a stick.

Shelia Rae and Louise were sisters and helped each other.

Copyright 2003Edwin EllisGraphicorganizers.com

Title Setting

Characters

What LED UP to your favorite part of the story?

What happened DURING your favorite part of the story?

Reason why I liked it Another reason why I liked it

Details Details

Sheila Rae the Brave Shelia Rae’s neighborhood

Shelia Rae Wendell Louise

Shelia Rae skipped off saying, “I’m brave, I’m fearless.” She stepped on cracks, she walked backward, she growled at dogs, and she climbed trees until she discovered she was lost.

She thought horrible thoughts and was very scared but tried to be brave and to convince herself that she was really brave and fearless. Finally her sister, Louise, popped up and told her to follow her because she knew the way home.

I liked it because Shelia Rae liked to explore.

Favorite Part of the Story Name:

character's name. gist word spider saying o the fly that he must be weary from flying being...

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