The Castaway Pines - Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans for THE CASTAWAY PINES level Q

Text Type:
Fiction / Fantasy

Reading Level:
Q

Word Count:
1,426

Pages:
24

Text Summary
In The Castaway Pines, Momma and Poppa Pine try to frustrate a logger because they think he wants to make them into Presto logs. When they find out that he wants them for Christmas trees, they begin to think differently. The Castaway Pines is written as a stage play, which introduces readers to a new reading format.

Suggested Lesson Focus
Comprehension/Literary Element Strategies
Identify and discuss the author's purpose.

Word Skills
Make a word web to show the meaning of a word.

Grammar Skills
Write complete sentences for given phrases.

Phonics Skills
Identify and discuss the different pronunciation of words ending in ough.

Targeted Vocabulary Words
distracted, dramatically, reverently

Before Reading

Introducing the Book
Hand out the books and have the children turn to pages 3 and 4.
Ask: What do these pages tell you about the text format of this book?
Discuss playscripts. If necessary, review the features of playscripts. Ask questions such as the following: What does scene mean? Why are there sometimes words in italics after the characters’ name? Why are there sometimes words in italics within, and at the end of, the character dialogue? When you are reading a play, do you read the words in italics out aloud?
Have children read the title.
Say: Read the title and share with the group what you think this play might be about.
Read the first sentence of the logger’s dialogue on page 4. Wow! Three pines, castaways in a sea of evergreens.
Ask: What does this sentence mean? Does it help to explain the title? Can you now make more accurate predictions about the setting?
Discuss the genre. You may need to review different genres because children may confuse text structure and playscript with genre fantasy.
Ask: If trees are talking, what type of story will this be? What are the other elements that make a story a fantasy?

Build Background
Discuss the reasons that people cut down trees. Use the board or chart paper to record children’s responses. Before children read the text, ask open-ended, higher level questions that relate to the cutting down of trees. Record responses on the chart. This will help children understand the author purpose that will be discussed after reading. Ask questions such as:

Share some important ideas that you have about cutting down trees?
Do you know any of the effects of cutting down trees?
Are there lessons to be learned from what some countries have already done?
What are these lessons? Are there ways that people can solve their problems without cutting trees?
What is your feeling about cutting Christmas trees each year?

Book Walk
Have children read page 3.
Say: Read page 3 and then be prepared to discuss the instructions the author is giving to the readers.
Have children read the italics at the beginning of page 4.
Ask: What is the logger wearing and what is he doing?
Have children turn to page 5. Read the first set of italic text to them. Lifts his head and yawns as he stretches his limbs
Ask: Is this a complete sentence? Share with the person next to you why or why not.
Have children scan the italic text on pages 5 through 8.
Ask: Who knows what the word distracted means? Who can use it in a sentence to show the meaning? What does dramatically mean? How would you read something dramatically? Read the first sentence on page 8 dramatically.
Have children turn to page 9 and find the word reverently in italics.
Ask: What does reverently mean? How would you say something reverently? How is reverently different from dramatically?
Invite children to scan the italic text in the rest of the book, thinking about what they are learning about the characters and the setting as they go. Then have them return to page 3.

During Reading

Have children read all the parts for comprehension.
Say: We are going to read all the parts of this play to start with so that we all understand what it is about. When you have read and discussed it, you can then reread it as a play.
Discuss the author purpose.
Say: As you read this play, I want you to be thinking about the purpose the storyteller had for telling it. Think not only about what it says, but the underlying issues behind it.
Have children read to the end of page 4 to add to their understanding of the setting and have them make predictions about a possible plot. Then have them read to the end of page 8.
Say: Read to the end of page 8 to find out more about what is going on. When you have finished reading, make a prediction about what will happen next and be prepared to share it with the group.
Have children read to the end of page 11 to find out what the aspirations of the pine trees are.
Say: Talk to the person next to you about what you have read so far. Does any of this fit with the things we discussed before you started reading?
Have children read the rest of the book independently. Have them mark with a sticky note any word or phrase they do not understand or cannot pronounce. You can clarify these later. During this time, you may choose to work with another group. Alternatively, you may wish to work individually with some students to monitor their oral reading and comprehension of parts of the text.
Say: I want you to finish reading the book at your own pace. As you read, I want you to think about what the storyteller might be trying to explain. As you read to the end, think if the storyteller had more than one purpose for telling the story.

Using the Worksheet
Introduce and explain the Worksheet. Have children start work on the Worksheet as they finish reading the text.

After Reading

Comprehending the Text
Draw the group together again to discuss the story. First, summarize the plot.
Ask: Who can summarize the main points in the plot in 3 or 4 sentences?
Discuss the ending.
Ask: What is going to happen right away? What will happen after that?
Discuss what Momma Pine says on page 15.
Ask: What does the sentence "Having pinecones is one thing, but maintaining a nursery of saplings is exhausting" mean? What caused Momma Pine to make this comment? What particular events led up to it? If Momma Pine was a person, what might she have said?
Discuss the author purpose.
Say and ask: Let’s talk about the purpose behind this story. Is the author just telling a story or is there a deeper message here? What do you think the message is? Do you know of any other fantasy stories that have an underlying message? Is this a story that everyone should read? Why?

Building Skills

Word Skills
Write the word nutrients on the board.
Say and ask: We are going to make a word web that will expand our ideas about what nutrients are. Who can tell me something about nutrients? Who can provide a definition? Who can name some nutrients?
Record children’s answers.
Say: Let’s talk about nutrients in two ways. Let’s think about nutrients as maintaining life and also as promoting growth.
Invite children to discuss what more they know now that you have provided them with these two subheadings. Record their answers.
Ask: Now we have discussed nutrients and listed what we know, who can provide a summary of what they now know about nutrients?

Phonics
Write the following sentences on the board: Their heads are bowed. She shakes her boughs. Have children read the sentences aloud and comment on the similarities and differences between boughs and bowed. Write the words bough and enough on the board and have children read the words and then comment on the different pronunciation of ough in each word. Write the words dough, cough, and ought on the board.
Say: Read these words and then share with the group the different sounds you now know for ough.
Have children suggest and/or find more words with the ough spelling pattern and comment on the pronunciation.

Grammar
Discuss what makes a sentence. (It needs a subject and a predicate.) Write the following on the board:
Lifts his head and yawns as he stretches his limbs
Poppa Pine lifts his head and yawns as he stretches his limbs
Say and ask: The first set of words is not a complete sentence because it does not have a subject. It only has a predicate. The second set of words is a sentence because it has a subject and a predicate. Who can tell me which words are the subject?
Write Shakes her bough and yawns on the board.
Ask: Is this a sentence? Why or why not? Who can change these words into a sentence?
Have children complete the Worksheet by rewriting the words or phrases as complete sentences.

Expand the Reading

Writing Connection
Rewrite the play as a narrative.
Say: I want you to work with a partner. Summarize the story line and then make a plan you can use to rewrite the play as a story. First, you need to think about who the characters are and where the story is set. Then, think about who has the main problem and how it eventually gets resolved. There may be other minor problems that get resolved along the way. Lastly, don’t forget to think about the underlying theme or the author purpose for writing this story. When you have finished your plans, we will discuss them before you start writing your stories.

Social Studies Connection
Have children use the library and the Internet to further research areas where trees have been cut down. Have them discuss the impact on the environment. Have them present their findings as a discussion on the pros and cons of logging or clearing rainforests.

Reading Independently
Assign children parts to reread the book The Castaway Pines. When they have practiced the play, they could make props and costumes, write invitations, and present the play to other classes. They should also read one another’s narratives.

Go to "The Castaway Pines" main page