Sample Unit
A Taste of Saskatchewan (Grade 7)

Lessons

1 6 11 16 21 26

2 7 12 17 22 27

3 8 13 18 23 28

4 9 14 19 24 29

5 10 15 20 25

Lesson One

• Have students suggest what the word "Saskatchewan" means to them. Construct a web, such as the example that follows, on the chalkboard using their suggestions. Encourage informal whole class discussion. (10 min.)

• Read aloud a picture book about Saskatchewan (e.g., If You're Not From the Prairie, A Prairie Alphabet, A Prairie Year, The Flower Beadwork People, Byron Through the Seasons) while showing the artwork. Explain that the origin of the word "Saskatchewan" is from the Cree language and means "swift flowing water".

• Conduct a teacher-led discussion (10 min.) regarding the ideas presented in the book and the students' perceptions of Saskatchewan. Ask such questions as the following:
  • Do you agree with any of the statements the author is making? Why or why not? Which of these references are familiar to you? Tell us about them.
    
  • What are some important ideas this author causes us to consider?
    
  • What do you think about the author's way of saying what she/he says? How is his/her writing style distinctive?
    
  • What does it mean to live in Saskatchewan?

• Explain that students will be paired with a friend and they will interview each other about living in Saskatchewan. Present a mini-lesson (10-15 min.) about informal interviews and generate a short checklist for interviewing such as the following:
  • develop a list of questions
    
  • maintain a friendly, polite manner
    
  • demonstrate an interest in what is being said (e.g., eye contact, body language)
    
  • ask questions to clarify ideas when necessary
    
  • check for understanding
    
  • summarize long answers
    
  • make brief notes
    
  • thank the person at the end of the interview.

• With the students, generate a list of interview questions to be asked. The list might look like the following:
  • How long have you lived in Saskatchewan?
    
  • Have you resided in other areas of this province besides this area? If so, how does living here compare to other places?
    
  • What do you like best about living here?
    
  • Could you please describe what the countryside looks like around and near your home?
    
  • What would you be sure to show tourists, if you wanted to make them acquainted with this part of Saskatchewan?
    
  • What advice might you offer to a newcomer who has just moved to this area?

• Arrange students in pairs and allow time for them to interview one another. Circulate, making anecdotal notes regarding students' interviewing techniques. (15 min.)

• Direct students to bring interviews to a close. Inform students that they will need to bring a picture (photograph, magazine illustration, or drawing) depicting life in Saskatchewan or a Saskatchewan scene that reflects their own geographic environment, for Lesson Four. At that time they will begin the first draft of an essay to accompany their pictures. Make arrangements to assist any students who may be unable to locate an illustration.

Lesson Two

• Continue last day's interviewing activity, bringing it to closure by having each student introduce the partner he or she interviewed. (40 min.) Remind students to speak slowly, clearly, and with adequate volume. Have them introduce their partners to the rest of the class by:
  • clearly stating the partner's name
    
  • telling how long their partner has lived in Saskatchewan
    
  • stating what that partner likes best about living here
    
  • providing one other interesting piece of information about their partner, gained as a result of the interview.

  Keep an anecdotal account regarding the clarity of each student's introduction.

• Review the use of Response Journals and have students write about their personal reactions to the interviews in which they participated with their classmates. (10 min.)

• Conduct a mini-lesson about the meaning of the terms exaggeration and coincidence (10 min.), explaining that a knowledge of these terms is useful in appreciating some types of humorous or mysterious stories.
  • Exaggeration: giving an impression that something is larger or greater than it really is in order to create humour to make a point (e.g., He is as old as the dinosaurs).
    
  • Coincidence: an instance of two unrelated events occurring at the same time, remarkable in that, although there may be no cause or connection between the two events, they do complement one another. (E.g., While some children are watching a scary movie on T.V., a wind suddenly whips around outside, blowing branches against the window).

  Discuss the terms briefly and have students record the information in their notebooks. Explain that the selection(s) students will experience next lesson contain exaggeration and/or coincidence.

Lesson Three

• Read aloud a short story, a tall tale, or a ghost story by a Saskatchewan writer. (15-20 min.) Before beginning to read, ask students to listen for:
  • regional Saskatchewan language/dialect
    
  • references to experiences or characters common to Saskatchewan
    
  • exaggeration or coincidence.

  Possible selections for teacher read-aloud include the following or other suitable resources:

  "Auction Fever", Jake and the Kid (p. 105)
  "The Liar Hunter", Jake and the Kid (p. 90)
  "Tom Hannah", Hailstorms and Hoopsnakes (p. 10)
  "Sporting Dogs", Hailstorms and Hoopsnakes (p. 5)
  "The Restless Spirit of Bickleigh", Ghost Stories of Saskatchewan (p. 96)

• Have students complete a brief self-assessment of their listening abilities. (5-10 min.) The assessment may be similar to the one below.

Listening Self-assessment

Name:___________________________________________________________________

Check the appropriate column	Yes	No	Sometimes
Did I pay attention?
Did I mentally organize what I heard, so I could recall it later?
Did I understand the meaning of unknown words through the context of what was happening in the story?
Was I able to recognize elements in the story for which I was asked to listen?
Did I get "caught up" in the story so it seemed that the action was truly taking place?

• Allow students time for writing in their Response Journals to record their thoughts about, and reactions to, the story they have just heard. (20 min.) Encourage them to:
  • identify or comment on the language or dialect heard in the story
    
  • relate the story's events to their own Saskatchewan experiences or to others about which they have heard
    
  • comment on instances of exaggeration or coincidence they may have perceived in the story
    
  • elaborate on parts of the story that interested them the most
    
  • state their opinions about the author's style or method of telling the tale.

• Have students arrange themselves in small groups to have informal conversations about the story they heard. (10 min.) Guidelines for encouraging conversation can be found in the Speaking and Listening section of the curriculum guide.

• Remind students to bring their photograph, drawing, or magazine illustration of a Saskatchewan scene to class with them for the next lesson.

Lesson Four

• Provide a mini-lesson about independent reading expectations and procedures for the unit. (5-10 min.) Students should keep a Reading Log, should read from at least four different genres, and should make three or four entries in their Response Journals regarding their independent reading by the end of the unit.

• Explain to students that they are to write an essay to accompany the illustration they have brought to class. Their essays may be based on something that really happened or they can fictionalize them. Remind students that an essay is a brief prose composition that discusses, describes, expresses a point of view, satirizes, etc. Allow time for students to work on their writing, beginning with the pre-writing phase. (15 min.) Although their writing topics are chosen in a general manner because of the illustration, they must determine the specific focus of their topics. Explain that each student must consider purpose, audience, and point of view. Each student also must decide whether the format will be a personal essay, a descriptive essay, an essay of fantasy, or some other type. (A mini-lesson may be required about the types of essays. Examples of different types might be made available to students.)

• Have students continue with their writing processes. (35 min.) Most students will be writing their first rough drafts at this time. Circulate as students are writing, giving encouragement and conducting informal student-teacher conferences.

• Ensure that students have personal writing folders and that they are aware of how to use them to keep their work-in-progress for further development.

Lesson Five

• Provide a mini-lesson about paragraph structure (topic sentences, order of paragraphs in a larger piece of writing, and so on). A mini-lesson on peer-conferencing might be useful, depending on students' experience and needs. (10 min.)

• Post "Guidelines for Peer Conferences" and "Steps for Peer Conferences" in the classroom for student reference. (See the Writing section of this curriculum guide.)

• Have students continue with the writing process. (35 min.) Those who have completed their first drafts should conference with their peers (in pairs), then continue to write individually, creating their second drafts. Have students complete a conferencing form for their partners, similar to the sample form in the Writing section of this curriculum guide. After their second drafts have been written, students may complete a self-revision checklist.

• Encourage students to decide whether they want an extended teacher conference regarding the content of their work-in-progress. If student-teacher conferences are desired, appointments should be made at this time.

• Read aloud two or three short poems or one or two lengthier poems by a Saskatchewan writer. (15 min.)

  Possible titles of poems to read aloud include the following, or other suitable poems:

  "Horrible Morning", An Armadillo is not a Pillow (p. 15)
  "Gold", An Armadillo is not a Pillow (p. 38)
  "The Sock Monster", An Armadillo is not a Pillow (p. 10)
  "The Little Apple", Prairie Jungle (p. 57)
  "The Song of Two Cats", Prairie Jungle (p. 86)
  "Hydrophopia", Prairie Jungle (p. 87)
  "Starfish", Jumbo Gumbo (p. 91)
  "Melanie's Glasses", Jumbo Gumbo (p. 105)

• Conduct a brief whole class discussion about the poetry. Post the poems that have been read aloud, so students may reread and enjoy them at their leisure.

• Inform students that they should bring their writing folders for the next lesson.

Lesson Six

• Present a mini-lesson regarding some aspect(s) of language study that has been identified as problematic through observation or conferencing (e.g., subject-verb agreement, verb tense, punctuation) or some aspect(s) of the editing process (e.g., proofreading, self-editing, peer editing, teacher editing, conferencing, checklists). (10-15 min.)

• Have students continue with their writing processes. (30-35 min.) Some students may be writing second drafts of their essays. Some will be taking part in student-teacher conferences set up previously by appointment. Others will be peer conferencing, self-editing, or peer editing.

• Those students who are ready to continue writing beyond their first pieces may begin the pre-writing activity of finding a suitable topic for a poem (e.g., brainstorming, creating lists, consulting newspapers). Encourage students to consider various types of poems and why people write poetry.

• Explain the following to students:
  • the difference between their writing folders and their portfolios
    
  • the number of written pieces and what types of writing must appear in their portfolios at unit end (e.g., one photo essay, three poems, two letters, one diary entry, one report). All drafts of their writing must be included when they submit their writing for assessment or evaluation.
    
  • the number of journal entries required in Reader Response Journals.

Lesson Seven

• Provide poetry for groups of four or five students to read and discuss. (40 min.) Each group should receive three or four poems by Saskatchewan writers (different from poems that any other group receives). Select and explain reading objectives (e.g., to understand, enjoy, and appreciate poetry). Also, generate a list of discussion guidelines (see the Speaking and Listening section of this curriculum guide). Group members should consider the following for each poem:
  • what they like best about the poem
    
  • the meaning of the poem (in one or two sentences)
    
  • words that they found very interesting or challenging
    
  • what the author's purpose may have been
    
  • interesting or noteworthy aspects of the poem's structure (e.g., the length, rhyme, rhythm, repetition, word choice, metaphors)
    
  • overall impressions.

• Have students in each group select and read the first poem silently. Have one student volunteer to be a facilitator for this particular poem. That student reads the poem aloud, then elicits responses from other group members according to the guidelines given. Next, the students read a second poem and a different student in the group facilitates, and so on until they have completed all poems.

• Create a group discussion checklist for assessing individual or group participation and contributions.

  Possible poetry selections for grouping are as follows, or the teacher might select others, as appropriate.

  "Decision", An Armadillo is Not a Pillow (p. 55)
  "Who Greased the Shoelaces?", Who Greased the Shoelaces? (p. 34)
  "For Goodness - Snake", Jumbo Gumbo (p. 101)
  Several Haiku poems, The Silver Cuckoo (p. 40)

  "Wanderlust", An Armadillo is Not a Pillow (p. 36)
  "A Sliver of Liver", Who Greased the Shoelaces? (p. 31)
  "Prairie Enchantment", Prairie Jungle (p. 94)
  Several Haiku poems, The Silver Cuckoo (p. 55)

  "Just Because", An Armadillo is Not a Pillow (p. 18)
  "Allergic", Who Greased the Shoelaces? (p. 52)
  "Spiders", Young Saskatchewan Writers SRC 1994-95 (p. 104)
  Several Haiku poems, The Silver Cuckoo (p. 35)

  "Jimmy Loris", Who Greased the Shoelaces? (p. 61)
  "These Shoes", Who Greased the Shoelaces? (p. 36)
  "And the Squirrel Stirs in His Sleep", Young Saskatchewan Writers, SRC 1994-95 (p. 130)
  Several Haiku poems, The Silver Cuckoo (p. 15)

  "Trip to the Zoo", An Armadillo is Not a Pillow (p. 3)
  "Get Your Nose Out of That Book", Who Greased the Shoelaces (p. 63)
  "Sunset Sherbet", Prairie Jungle (p. 47)
  Several Haiku poems, The Silver Cuckoo (p. 28)

• Have students complete a self-assessment form regarding their individual contributions to the group discussion. (10 min.)

• Conduct a mini-lesson about the haiku form of poetry and syllabication. (10 min.) Haiku is a type of formula poetry consisting of three lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively. It is most often about nature and the appeal that nature has in its various forms. Share some examples of haiku poetry to serve as models for student writing. Students should record necessary information in their notebooks.

Lesson Eight

• Have students take part in Partner Dialogues about the poetry they discussed during the last lesson. (20 min.) (See the Reading Section of this curriculum guide.) Have students write in their Response Journals about the poetry they discussed during the last lesson. Students should tell their partners about their poems and describe their reactions to the poetry that was read and discussed. Have students exchange journals with a partner from another group and write replies to their partner's responses.

• Allow students to read silently. (15 min.) They may choose poetry they have heard about from a member of another group or it may be any other independent reading selection.

• Have students continue their writing processes. (25 min.) Some students may be scheduled for student-teacher conferences. Others may be editing essays, writing first drafts of poetry, or peer conferencing. If students have completed some pieces and these are ready for publication, have them consider whether they would like their pieces posted on the bulletin board, printed in a school newspaper/newsletter, shared in Authors' Circle, or placed in their portfolios for later evaluation. Explain that students are expected to write some poetry during this unit and provide them with criteria by which their poetry will be assessed.

Lesson Nine

• Read aloud a nonfiction selection. (15 min.) Suggestions for nonfiction read-aloud choices include the following, although the teacher may select others, as appropriate.

  "At Home on the Range", The Last Roundup (p. 2)
  "Horse Hunting in a Blizzard", The Last Roundup (p. 3)
  "Oh, Those Crazy Bugs and Grasshoppers", The Pioneers (p. 50)
  "R.H. Williams of Regina", The Pioneers (p. 64)
  "Chataqua", The Pioneers (p. 78)
  "Cree Country", And They Told Us Their Stories (p. 7)
  "We Missed the Bus", And They Told Us Their Stories (p. 69)
  "The Christmas Turnip", Western People (p. 33)

• Allow students to respond to the read-aloud selection in their Response Journals. (15 min.) Guidelines for response might include:
  • identify important information in the selection
    
  • comment on one of the most interesting occurrences
    
  • state your opinion regarding one aspect of the account (e.g., Was a wrong committed? Was something hilariously funny?) and provide support for your opinion.
    
  • ask one or two questions (e.g., about the selection or the content or the author).

• Provide a mini-lesson reviewing the interview process and interview techniques. (10-15 min.) (See the Speaking and Listening section of this curriculum guide.)

• 

  Explain that students must make arrangements to interview a grandparent, a great aunt or uncle, or an older friend or neighbour about their past experiences in this province. Students must contact their interviewees, prepare questions for the interview, and plan to take notes or record the interview. Remind students that their interviews must be completed by the beginning of Lesson Fourteen. These interviews are different from the interview conducted in Lessons One and Two. Students must conduct these interviews independently, out of the classroom.

• When interviews are complete, each student will fill in a self-assessment checklist regarding the interview. Later on, students will write reports about their interviews.

• Have students generate a list of possible interview questions. Some examples are:
  • Can you tell me about some of your earliest memories of living in Saskatchewan?
    
  • Who were your neighbours at that time and did your family know them well?
    
  • What were schools like when you attended grade school?
    
  • What did you and your friends do for fun?
    
  • Is there one particular year, or perhaps one particular incident from the past, that you remember very clearly and would enjoy telling me about?

• Give each student a copy of a Reading Interest Inventory to complete and administer a Reading Strategies Questionnaire. (15 min.) (See the Reading section of this curriculum guide for examples of these forms.) This will enable you to guide the students in their choices for novel study beginning at Lesson Eleven.

Lesson Ten

• Divide students into groups of four or five for guided silent reading of nonfiction. Provide each group with about 3-4 pages of nonfiction that are different from any other group's nonfiction. (20 min.) The following are examples:

  "Calling Pigs to Feed", A Prairie Boy's Winter (p. 3)
  "Fox and Geese", A Prairie Boy's Winter (p. 4)
  "Rink-making", A Prairie Boy's Winter (p. 5)
  "Hockey Hassles", A Prairie Boy's Winter (p. 6)
  "The Blizzard", A Prairie Boy's Winter (p. 14)
  "Snowdrift Fun", A Prairie Boy's Winter (p. 16)
  "Snowball Weather", A Prairie Boy's Winter (p. 18)
  "The Return of the First Crow", A Prairie Boy's Winter (p. 20)

  "Practicing for Field Day", A Prairie Boy's Summer (p. 1)
  "School Lunch Under the Woodpile", A Prairie Boy's Summer (p. 2)
  "The Field Day", A Prairie Boy's Summer (p. 4)
  "Making a Smudge", A Prairie Boy's Summer (p. 14)

  "The Storm", Western People (p. 110)
  "The Year I Learned about Christmas", Western People (p. 128)
  "The Great Roundup", The Last Roundup (p. 43)
  "Swimming the Saskatchewan", The Last Roundup (p. 54)

  "Boarding School Life", And They Told Us Their Stories (p. 43)
  "Early Customs", And They Told Us Their Stories (p. 83)
  "Good Old Days", And They Told Us Their Stories (p. 99)
  "Weddings", And They Told Us Their Stories (p. 104)

  "The Great Chief Crowfoot", The Pioneers (p. 9)
  "From England to Saskatchewan 1912", The Pioneers (p. 32)
  "Prairie Surveyors", The Pioneers (p. 34)
  "The Little Sod School House", The Pioneers (p. 38)

• Have students discuss the nonfiction selections in their groups after they have completed their reading. (20 min.) Each group should choose a recorder and a spokesperson. The main focus of the group discussion should be:
  • reactions to particular events
    
  • oral summaries of new knowledge gained
    
  • statements pertaining to differences between then and now, as evidenced in the reading selections (comparing and contrasting).

• Circulate, making anecdotal notes or completing checklists, to assess individual participation and contributions during group discussion.

• Allow time for the spokesperson of each group to report the results of the group discussion to the whole class. (10-15 min.)

• Arrange for students to remain with their groups in order to complete an assessment form for group discussion. (5-10 min.) (See the Speaking and Listening section of this curriculum guide for a sample group assessment form.) One form should be filled out per group. Group members decide what to write on the form. The recorder records their comments.

Lesson Eleven

• Explain Literature Circle procedures and expectations, providing students with the necessary Role Sheets and information. (10-15 min.)

• Present Book Talks about five or six different books and allow students to choose the one they prefer to read. (15-20 min.) Explain that Literature Circle groups are formed on the basis of the books chosen.

• Have each Literature Circle work through the pre-reading activity of semantic mapping in preparation for reading their novels. (30 min.) To facilitate this process, provide each group with information about one or two major themes or ideas in the book and identify a key concept that students should come to understand in greater depth. Have each group record its "concept" in the centre of a large sheet of chart paper and discuss its meaning. A recorder should add to the chart, words, phrases, and ideas which relate to the concept. These suggestions will be based on students' own experiences or on previous reading. Each group will construct a different semantic map depending upon the selection it has chosen to read. (An example of an outline for semantic mapping follows.)

Sample Outline of Semantic Mapping for the Novel Melanie Bluelake's Dream

• Have students list phrases related to each sub-heading according to what they already know and believe. Encourage them to add to the map during the reading of the novel and after its completion.

• Remind members of each Literature Circle to set reading goals and dates by which they agree to read specific chapters. The reading of all novels must be completed by the beginning of Lesson Twenty-one.

• If time permits, allow students to read silently in their chosen novels.

Lesson Twelve

• Remind students that their interviews with a grandparent or an older member of the community must be completed by the beginning of Lesson Fourteen.

• Allow students to read silently in their novels. (30 min.) The teacher should also be reading a novel, different from group novels.

• Have students, in their Response Journals, individually respond to what they have just read. (10-15 min.)

• Have Literature Circles meet to discuss their individual responses and to add to their semantic maps. (10-15 min.)

Lesson Thirteen

• Allow students to read silently in their novels. (30 min.)

• Have students respond to what they have read. (10 min.) Teachers may wish to guide response and discussion by providing students with guidelines or specific questions/topics to address.

• Have Literature Circle groups discuss their responses. (20 min.)

• Circulate to observe and assess students' group discussion skills as they interact in groups. Checklists can be made ahead of time for this purpose or data may be collected in the form of anecdotal notes.

Lesson Fourteen

• Conduct a "whole class" Authors' Circle for students who have previously agreed to share their writing. Have four or five students read their writing and have listeners respond by asking questions and offering constructive suggestions. (20 min.)

• Make students aware of the criteria by which they will be assessed as readers and listeners. Readers will complete oral reading self-assessment checklists and listeners will complete listener self-assessment checklists following Authors' Circle.

• During Authors' Circle, observe and collect data regarding some aspects of students' listening abilities, using previously constructed checklists or anecdotal notes.

• Following Authors' Circle, have the readers complete an Oral Reading Self-assessment Checklist and have listeners complete a Listener Self-assessment for Oral Reading. (5-10 min.) (See the Speaking and Listening section of this curriculum guide for forms that may be used or adapted.)

• Conduct a mini-lesson about writing reports. Consult recommended language study texts if necessary. (10-15 min.)

• Have students begin writing their reports about their interviews with long-time Saskatchewan residents. For most, the pre-writing stage will have been the interview itself so they should be able to proceed with planning and first drafts provided they have begun to establish a point of view, audience, and purpose. Allow for conferencing as necessary. (20 min.)

• Remind students to put their interview self-assessment checklists, which they completed immediately after their interviews, into their notebooks.

Lesson Fifteen

• Allow students to continue their writing processes. (30 min.) As they complete their reports, encourage them to begin writing about other topics of their choice.

• Provide a mini-lesson about oral reporting. (10 min.) (See the Speaking and Listening section of this curriculum guide.)

• Students who wish to present an oral report to the whole class regarding their interviews should indicate their desire to do so. This is an optional activity. Suggest that a small amount of research be done to complement the information they already have, if their choice is to give an oral report. For example, if one of the interviewee's memories of early Saskatchewan included an account of the Great Depression, the student giving that report could first find some factual information regarding the Depression to combine with his or her interview report. Some students may prefer to make audio recordings of their reports rather than presenting them to the class. Oral reports should be presented during Lesson Twenty-one.

• Allow time for students to read their novels silently. (20 min.)

Lesson Sixteen

• Provide a mini-lesson about Character Mapping. (10 min.) (See the Reading or Speaking and Listening sections of this curriculum guide.)

• Give each group a large sheet of chart paper for the construction of Character Maps for its novel. Allow time for groups to complete their Character Maps. These maps should feature the characteristics and relationships of at least two, but no more than four, people in the novels. (25 min.)

• Provide time for the silent reading of novels. (20 min.)

Lesson Seventeen

• Allow students to read silently in their novels. (20 min.)

• Have students, in their Response Journals, respond to what they have read. (10 min.)

• Have Literature Circle groups meet to discuss their responses and to update their semantic maps. (20 min.)

• Provide time for one or two students to read their pieces of writing to the class in an Authors' Circle. (10 min.)

Lesson Eighteen

• Prepare students for the classroom visit by a Saskatchewan author, which is planned for next lesson. (30 min.) This may mean becoming familiar with some of the author's written works or it might involve researching biographical information about the author. It might also mean changing the physical appearance of the classroom to accommodate the author's requests or setting up displays of the author's work.

• Allow students to read silently and to write in their Response Journals. (20-30 min.)

Lesson Nineteen

• Facilitate a classroom visitation by a Saskatchewan author. (60 min.) Arrange for one of the students to introduce the author at the beginning of the session. Complete an assessment checklist regarding that student's ability to make introductions (see the Speaking and Listening section of this curriculum guide). Have a different student thank the author when the session is over. If you are able to have a Saskatchewan author work with your students for more than one class period, lengthen this unit accordingly.

Lesson Twenty

• Debrief with students regarding the author visit. (10 min.)

• Conduct a mini-lesson about letter writing. (10 min.)

• Have students write letters to the author who visited them during the last lesson. (40 min.) Using the stages of a writing process, students should write more than one draft, engage in peer or teacher conferences, and proofread and edit their letters. It is important that letters are mailed when completed.

• As students complete their letters, allow them to read independently for the remaining class time.

Lesson Twenty-one

• Have students (those who indicated that they wanted to make oral reports) present their reports at this time. (40 min.) For each report, have two or three of the students complete a Peer Assessment of a Student's Oral Report. Ensure that there are different student assessors for each report given. Students giving reports may be asked to complete a Student Learning Log Entry for Oral Reporting similar to the sample given in the Speaking and Listening section of this curriculum guide.

• Read aloud a short story by a Saskatchewan writer. (20 min.) Have students prepare to write responses in the format of a Listening Log at various times when you pause during the read-aloud. You may say something like: As you listen to this short story, I'd like you to reflect on what's going on in your mind. In order to help you, I'll read the story in short units and then pause to let you write. The questions I have put on the chalkboard (or overhead) are not to be answered one by one. They are suggestions only. They serve as a guide to what you may write. This is not a test. Just write what comes naturally to your mind as you listen.

• Some possible questions for students to consider include:
  • What's going on in your mind?
    
  • What pictures occur in your head?
    
  • What feelings do you express?
    
  • What do you expect to happen?
    
  • What questions occur to you?
    
  • What are you thinking?

Lesson Twenty-two

• Provide a mini-lesson about Paper Bag Book Talks. (10 min.) (See the Reading section of this curriculum guide.)

• Have students meet in their Literature Circle groups to plan and prepare group Paper Bag Book Talks for later presentation to the class. (25 min.) Each group must decorate its paper bag with appropriate illustrations relating to the novel they read. Each member will also plan to make or bring at least one item to place inside the bag and talk about when his/her particular group presents. These Book Talks are scheduled to take place during Lesson Twenty-four.

• Allow time for students in novel groups to make final additions to both their semantic maps and their Character Maps, now that their novels are finished. (15 min.) If possible, post these in the classroom.

• Have students write letters to the authors of their novels or to one of the characters in the novel. (15-20 min.) Letters should become part of the student's portfolio of writing.

Lesson Twenty-three

• Choose five or six different Saskatchewan short stories for further short story exploration.

• Arrange students into groups of four or five for the study of short stories by Saskatchewan authors. If possible, have different groupings than were organized for novel study, so students have the opportunity to discuss with a different combination of their peers. Give each group a different short story to read. Allow time for the silent reading of short stories. (20 min.)

• Have leaders for each group facilitate a brief discussion concerning the short story read (20 min.). Provide the groups with discussion questions such as:
  • Who were the characters in the story and what was their situation?
    
  • What is the setting?
    
  • What was the most interesting part of the story for you? Why?
    
  • How did the story end? What was your reaction to the ending?

• Take time to remind students that, because the end of this unit is approaching, they should be double checking to see that their work is in order. Review the number of writing pieces (all drafts) that are to be in their portfolios and the number of entries that there are to be in their Response Journals. Review expectations regarding Vocabulary Logs, personal spelling lists, and self-assessment forms. Provide time for students to check to see that these are in order. (20 min.)

• Remind students that their Paper Bag Book Talks will be presented during the next lesson.

Lesson Twenty-four

• Give each student a Story Frame Form similar to the sample in the Reading section of this curriculum guide. This is to be filled out in reference to the story which students read and discussed last lesson. Students may have their stories with them to refer to if necessary. This is an individual task that provides information about the student's literal, inferential, and critical understanding of what he/she has read. (20 min.) This form should be kept by the teacher to serve as part of the unit-end evaluation.

• Have students present their Paper Bag Book Talks to the class. (25 min.) Arrange for whatever assessment seems appropriate for this class at this time (e.g., teacher assessment of the group's performance in the presentations, peer assessment by a few peers, student self-assessment, or some type of combination). Devise suitable checklists or methods for recording anecdotal notes.

• Prepare students for the arrival of a Saskatchewan storyteller who will visit the class next day. If possible, this should be someone from the local community. (Arrangements should have been made prior to beginning this unit.) Preparation may involve sharing some background information about the storyteller, listening to a recorded story, or exchanging anecdotes about stories told orally and other storytelling experiences students may have had. (15 min.)

Lesson Twenty-five

• Facilitate the storyteller visit. (60 min.) Arrange for a student to introduce the storyteller and for a different student to thank the storyteller at the end of the class period. Inviting storytellers from differing cultural backgrounds is an excellent way to heighten cultural awareness and appreciation.

Lesson Twenty-six

• Debrief with students regarding the storyteller's visit through a whole class discussion or through conversations in small, informal groups. (15-20 min.)

• Encourage one or two students to write an account of the storyteller's visit for the school newspaper or the parent newsletters.

• Arrange for individual students to locate a very short story written by a Saskatchewan author. This should be a short story that they would like to read aloud (whole story or excerpt) or that they would like to retell to the class. When the stories have been located, encourage students to read them over several times to become familiar with them. (45 min.) Encourage students to choose stories from the oral tradition of a particular Saskatchewan cultural group, possibly their own. Students who choose oral reading must practise all of the important aspects of oral reading, while students who choose storytelling must work through a series of different steps to prepare. (See the Speaking and Listening section of this curriculum guide for information about preparing for oral reading and storytelling.)

Lesson Twenty-seven

• Provide for additional student preparation time for oral reading or for storytelling. (60 min.) Students who have done the necessary preparation could be further organizing their various materials for unit-end assessment. They could also be reading independently.

• Encourage students who are uncomfortable reading or telling their stories in front of the class to record their stories in audio or video formats. Each student may then decide if he or she wants the entire class to hear or see the tapes, or if only the teacher should hear them and see them.

Lesson Twenty-eight

• Have students present their oral reading or their storytelling. (60 min.) Sample teacher assessment checklists for oral reading and storytelling can be found in the Reading, and Speaking and Listening sections of this curriculum guide.

• If more than one hour is needed, take the necessary time. You may need to add extra time to this unit. Ask students to bring some "made in Saskatchewan" treats to share next day, if appropriate.

Lesson Twenty-nine

• Conduct a whole class discussion regarding the variety of experiences students have had while working through this unit. (10 min.)

• Have students design a large card that each of them can add a personal message to and sign, to be sent to the storyteller in appreciation of his/her visit. Complete the card and make arrangements to deliver or mail it. (20 min.)

• Celebrate the end of the unit with an actual "taste" of Saskatchewan sharing home-baked cookies, wheat nuts, or other local treats.

• Listen to carefully chosen "made in Saskatchewan" music by artists such as Buffy St. Marie, Connie Kaldor, the Johner Brothers, Don Freed, the Red Bull Singers, and Joni Mitchell. If possible, locate written lyrics so students can sing along. For example, two suitable songs by the Johner Brothers are "My Brother and Me" and "One Horse Town". If your celebration disturbs the people in the classroom next door, invite them in!