choices online guide us

By Nancy Wilcox Richards

Online Resource

MAKINGCHOICES

© 2008 Curriculum PlusBy Nancy Wilcox Richards

Editor: Sylvia Gunnery

We acknowledge the financial support of The Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program(BPIDP) for our publishing activities.

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Table of Contents

Teacher Background Information 4

Plot Synopsis 5

Before Reading 6

During Reading 6 - 7

After Reading 7 - 8

Cross Curricular Links 9 - 10

Black Line Masters BLM 1 - 5

4 Copyright © 2008 by Curriculum Plus Publishing Company. May be reproduced for classroom use onlyMaking Choices Online Resource

Australian Shepherds are medium sized, agile, highly intelligent dogs with strong herding instincts. They are versatile dogs often performing other duties such as rescue work and helping those who are intellectually and physically impaired. Australian Shepherds are loyal and make great family pets. Because they are high energy dogs, they require lots of daily exercise.

Author Barbara Williams’ website where you can see the real ‘Blue’:http://www.alibarkennels.ca/

Teacher Background Information

Dear Colleague,

I hope this teacher resource helps to provide some insight about activities you might do in your classroom with Making Choices. It is a reflection of the kinds of learning experiences you might see in my grade two classroom. In reality, I would pick and choose from the activities in this resource, selecting the ones that appeal to me and meet the needs of the children I teach. There is a fairly wide range of ideas, from the actual guided reading lesson to opportunities for cross-curricular links. I hope you will find many of them useful and that they will inspire you to guide your children through their own learning experiences.

http://www.alibarkennels.ca/

5Copyright © 2008 by Curriculum Plus Publishing Company. May be reproduced for classroom use onlyMaking Choices Online Resource

Chapter One: A Surprise for AndrewSeven-year old Andrew has been saving money for a new mountain bike. He earns extra money by doing odd jobs for his elderly neighbour, Mr. Carter. Today, his Aunt Bea called to tell him she is sending him a surprise on the local train. Andrew hopes it will be the bike he saw in the sports store when he visited her last summer. The train finally arrives and much to Andrew’s chagrin, Aunt Bea has sent him an Australian Shepherd, named Blue.

Chapter Two: DisappointmentAndrew expresses his disappointment that his aunt didn’t send him a new mountain bike. He is annoyed and angry that adults are always making decisions for him. He refuses to have anything to do with Blue even though the dog is eager to play with him. The reader is introduced to signs that indicate that Blue is a very loyal pet.

Chapter Three: UnwantedAndrew still refuses to have anything to do with his new pet. Instead, he chooses to help Mr. Carter after school. Blue follows Andrew to Mr. Carter’s house. The elderly man comments that Blue is a very loyal dog. When Andrew returns to Mr. Carter’s the next day, he makes sure the dog is locked at home. Andrew’s parents note that it is a shame their son can’t get past wanting a bike and enjoy Blue’s company.

Chapter Four: An Extra Quiet HouseAndrew overhears a telephone conversation between his mother and Aunt Bea. He feels embarrassed when his mother explains how he has been treating Blue. When she gets off the phone, Mom tells Andrew the decision has been made to send Blue back. Andrew discovers that it is lonely without Blue and the house is extra quiet.

Chapter Five: A New Home for BlueAndrew admits he misses Blue and wonders if Aunt Bea could send back the dog. He realizes the coveted mountain bike is no longer so important. Andrew phones his aunt, inquiring about Blue. She informs him that the Peters family is interested in having Blue live with them. They will take Blue home for the weekend for a trial period. Andrew is very upset.

Plot SynopsisChapter Six: Making ChoicesThrough the use of italicized text, Andrew imagines all the things he would teach Blue. Aunt Bea calls and informs Andrew that Blue is back with her because the visit with the Peters family didn’t work out. She tells him that if he still misses the dog and would like to have him, Blue can come to live with him. Andrew and his mom go to the train station to pick up Blue. Both Andrew and Blue are overjoyed to see each other.

Chapter Seven: Best FriendsAndrew is back helping Mr. Carter. The elderly man is surprised to see Blue but Andrew quickly explains that Blue is his dog now. He proudly demonstrates some tricks he has taught him. When Mr. Carter comments that he thought Andrew wanted a mountain bike instead of a dog, Andrew informs him that he wanted Blue more than a bike. It is evident to the reader that Andrew and Blue are now best friends.


Before ReadingHave a class discussion about pets. Who has one? What kinds of animals? Create a tally or graph showing the information.

Brainstorm the needs of pets.

Tell the children that they are going to read a book about a young boy and his dog, an Australian Shepherd. Ask if anyone has an Australian Shepherd. List any facts.

Information about the Australian Shepherd that inspired Making Choices can be viewed at www.alibarkennels.ca

Tell the children that Making Choices is a fictional story about a young boy named Andrew who is determined to make his own choices. Ask the children about times they have had to make decisions. What were the results of making those choices?

Read aloud the blurb on the back of the book. Ask your students to make a prediction about what might happen in the novel.

Draw the children’s attention to the Table of Contents. Read the chapter titles. Ask if these titles confirm or change the children’s predictions.

WORDS TO INTRODUCE: • arthritis (p.7) • diesel engine (p.7) • reassuringly (p.16) • loyal (p.20) • suspension (p.33) • intently (p.38)

Ask the children to read Chapter One.

FOCUSED READING Read to discover what Andrew’s surprise was. It is useful to write the question, “What was Andrew’s surprise?” on the board or chart paper. It will help to focus the reading.

GUIDED QUESTIONS • Why doesn’t Andrew bike down Garrison Hill with his friends? • How is Andrew earning money to buy a mountain bike? • What is the surprise Aunt Bea sent to Andrew?

Tell the students to continue reading Making Choices until they reach Chapter Four.

GUIDED QUESTIONS Chapters Two to Four: • How does Andrew feel about Blue? • What actions tell us that he is angry and disappointed? • Why does Mr. Carter say that Blue is a loyal dog?

While the children are reading, I find it helpful to have a brief conversation with individual students. I usually initiate the discussion with statements like, “Tell me a bit about what you are reading.” or “Tell me what’s happening in your book right now.” This is a quick indicator as to whether or not the child understands the book.

Depending on your students’ interests and abilities and your own time schedule, you may wish to stop the guided reading at the beginning of Chapter Four and finish the novel another day. When this is done, it is helpful to begin the next reading by recapping what had already happened in the book. Have the children predict what will happen next.

Ask the children to finish reading Making Choices.

During Reading


GUIDED QUESTIONS Chapters Four to Seven: • What decision does Andrew’s mother make? • How does Andrew feel about her decision? How do you know

this? • What happened to Blue when he was returned to Aunt Bea? • What are Andrew’s plans for the money he has been saving?

After ReadingMAKING CONNECTIONSText to SelfExample: Making Choices reminded me of the time I really wanted a kitten.

Text to TextExample: Andrew has the same problem that I read about in a book last week.

Text to Real WorldExample: I went to a dog show and saw an Australian Shepherd. When I petted him he wiggled all over just like Blue wiggled from his nose to his tail when he met Andrew.

DECODING UNFAMILIAR WORDSProvide each child with some sticky notes. Tell the children to use them to mark any unfamiliar words they encountered while reading. This can be used for a guided reading or independent reading practice. When the children have finished reading, discuss the

reading strategies they used when faced with an unfamiliar word in the text.

Here are some questions which you might like to use to help guide your students’ thinking: • Did the illustration help you with your unfamiliar word? • Is there a smaller word inside the word that you already

know? • Did you skip the word, read ahead and then try a word that

would make sense? • Can you ‘chunk’ the word? • Did you use what you already know about the topic? • Can you take off any beginning or ending sounds, such as re or

ly? • Did you backtrack? • Did the punctuation of the sentence help you to make sense of

what you were reading? • Did you make a link between a word you already know and the

new word?


Once students have decoded the unfamiliar word, they need to ask themselves, “Does this make sense?” If it doesn’t, they will need to try it again.

Encourage the readers to expand on their answers by asking themselves, “How did this strategy help me?”

CHARACTERIZATIONDiscuss how we get to know characters in books just like we get to know people in our class. We get to know people based on opinions they express, choices they make and their actions.

On chart paper brainstorm adjectives that describe people such as gentle, kind, strong, cowardly, lazy and so on. Keep this list posted for easy reference.

Tell the children that they will be creating a character sketch for Andrew. The character sketch should highlight important characteristics, personality traits and supporting details. Complete BLM1 “What a Character!”

You may wish to choose from some of these additional activities:

TEACHER TIME-SAVING BOOK RESPONSEThis activity can be reused with any books the children have read, whether it is for guided reading or independent reading practice. Once the Reading Dice are made, it is a real time saver in a teacher’s busy day. Also, it is an active and valid way for students to respond to a book.

Each group of children will need a Reading Die. In my classroom, the children are in groups of four. I use a wooden block with one typed question glued on each face. (BLM2 is included for a cut-out paper die.) One child from each group rolls the Reading Die to determine the question to which the entire group will respond. Children take turns responding to the question with other members of their group. It is helpful to circulate among the groups, listening to the conversations the children are having. Then ask a student from each group to tell the class what question they responded to on the Reading Die and give a sample answer.

WRITTEN BOOK RESPONSESHave the children complete a book response from the list. Remind them to explain “why”.

• My favorite part of the story was… • I was most surprised/disappointed/afraid/ etc. / when… • If I could ask the author one question, it would be…

• I would recommend this book to _____________ because…

• The story made me feel… • When I read the story, I visualized… • I think the story… • If I could give one character in the story some advice, it would

be…. • This story reminded me of…

CROSS-CURRICULAR LINKSSelect a cross-curricular way for your students to respond to Making Choices.

AssessmentHave each student complete the Student Self-Assessment. (BLM3)


Cross-Curricular LinksLANGUAGE ARTS

POETRY Read some poetry with your students about owning dogs. Discuss the poet’s message. Look at the use of rhyming words and how the poems are structured. Then have the children write their own poems about their pets. The following websites look at the lighter side of being a pet owner:

“My Dog Has Got No Manners”http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetrytheaterdetail.aspx?TheaterID=6

“My New Pet”http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetrytheater/mynewpet.html

WRITING • Imagine that you want a new toy, just like Andrew wanted a

mountain bike, or perhaps you’d like a change in privileges such as staying up an extra thirty minutes later at bedtime. Write a letter to your parents persuading them to see your point of view.

• Making Choices is filled with decisions. A few examples include Andrew’s decision to reject the dog and Aunt Bea’s decision to give Blue to a new family. Ask the children to write about a time they had to make an important decision and explain the resulting consequences.

ART PosterDesign a poster advertising odd jobs Andrew could do to earn money for his new bike.

ClayUsing modeling clay, create Blue. It might be helpful to have pictures of Australian Shepherds available for the students. A great website is www.alibarkennels.ca

Art AppreciationView paintings by Canadian artist, Alex Colville such as “Stove” or “Le Chien d’Or”. A useful website is www.gallery.ca. Discuss how the artist has used elements of design to communicate feelings and convey ideas. For example, since the dog depicted in “Stove” is in

the foreground, it suggests not only the dog’s importance but also his curiosity.

SOCIAL STUDIES Assistance DogsThere are several categories of Assistance Dogs. Some of these include: Mobility Assistance Dogs that help pull wheel chairs and carry items; Seizure Alert Dogs that respond to a person’s seizures and either stay with the owner or seek help; Psychiatric Service Dogs for people with mental disabilities or autism; Guide Dogs that help the visually impaired and blind; Hearing Dogs that assist the deaf; Therapy Dogs that cheer up people in nursing homes and hospitals; RCMP Service Dogs that are trained to detect narcotics and explosive devices as well as assist in avalanche search and rescue. Discuss the important role Assistance Dogs play in people’s lives. How have they improved the quality of life? How do they make our world a safer place? What kind of training do you think these special dogs need to have?

Rules and ResponsibilitiesBrainstorm and ask questions to gain information about relationships, rules and responsibilities. What responsibilities did Andrew have as a pet owner? How did these responsibilities change? Link this to a wider discussion about responsibilities the children may have at home and school. How might actions (such as when Andrew ignored Blue) led to a change in rules. Encourage the children to think about events at school (such as the banning of a popular toy) that caused rules and responsibilities to change. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYInternet ResearchHave the children research Australian Shepherds. Areas they might consider researching include: physical attributes, intelligence, loyalty and types of work performed. Here are some websites to try: http://www.australianshepherds.org/about.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Shepherdhttp://www.answers.com/topic/australian-shepherd

Growth and Change in AnimalsAnimal babies often undergo many physical changes. Some baby animals look like their mother, while others such as a caterpillar do not. Ask the children if they think Blue looked like his mother when he was a puppy. How was he the same? How was he different?

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetrytheaterdetail.aspx?TheaterID=6

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetrytheater/mynewpet.html

http://www.alibarkennels.ca/

http://curriculumplus.ca/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=1614&IDCat=

http://www.australianshepherds.org/about.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Shepherd

http://www.answers.com/topic/australian-shepherd


Animal babies often have different names than the adult. For example, a baby dog is called a puppy. Have the children play “Guess My Mother”.

Who is my mother? I am a kitten. (cat)Who is my mother? I am a cub. (bear)Who is my mother? I am a squeaker. (pigeon)Who is my mother? I am a joey. (kangaroo)Who is my mother? I am a kid. (goat)Who is my mother? I am a fry. (fish)Who is my mother? I am a fawn. (deer)Who is my mother? I am a pup. (beaver, armadillo, gerbil, hamster, dog)Who is my mother? I am a calf. (cow, buffalo, whale)Who is my mother? I am a gosling. (goose)

The children might enjoy writing riddles about animal babies such as the following:

Who Am IFirst I am an egg.When I hatch I am known as a wriggler.Many people think I am a pest because I buzz and bite them.I only live a few weeks.

Who am I?(A mosquito.)

MATHProblem Solving: Have your students complete “Building a Dog Fence” (BLM4) to figure out how many metres of fencing Andrew will need and “Saving Money” (BLM5) to find out how much money Andrew earned at both of his jobs.

Copyright © 2008 by Curriculum Plus Publishing Company. May be reproduced for classroom use onlyMaking Choices Online Resource - Black Line Master

During ReadingWhat a Character!Draw Andrew’s reflection inside the mirror. Using information from Making Choices, fill in important characteristics about him.

BLM 1

What Andrew Looks Like What Andrew Says

What Andrew Does How Andrew Feels

Choices Andrew Makes


BLM 2

Cube Pattern(cut on solid linesfold on dotted lines)

Read yourfavourite partof the book.

Wha

t d

id y

ou

lear

n ab

out

your

self

as a

rea

der

tod

ay? Explain

what your bookis about.

Find a tricky

wo

rd.

Ho

w d

id yo

ufi

gure it out?

Who would yourecommend this

book to?

Why?

Make aconnectionto the story.


BLM 3

During ReadingStudent Self AssessmentBook title:

Student name:

Draw a after the statement, if you did something well.

Draw a after the statement, if you didn’t do the activity well.

Draw a after the statement, if you did a so-so job.

1. I stuck to the job and read quietly to myself.

2. If I had a unfamiliar word, I tried to figure it out.

3. I re-read the words if they didn’t make sense.

4. While I was reading, I made pictures in my mind.

5. I understood this book.

Rate this book using stars Your Rating

Not very good

Pretty good

Good

Awesome


BLM 4

Andrew wants to build a fence in his back yard so Blue will have lots of space to exercise. The backyard is 30 metres wide and 42 metres long.

Draw a sketch of the backyard.

How many metres of fencing will Andrew need to buy?

Building a Dog Fence


BLM 5

Andrew wanted a new mountain bike. He decided to earn money by doing chores for Mr. Carter.

He stacked wood and did other odd jobs. Andrew earned $27.35.

He worked for several more weeks raking the grass, stacking more wood and painting the shed. When Andrew checked his piggy bank he had $36.90.

How much more money had he earned?

Saving Money

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