ELA 7 Mysteries, Uncanny Incidents, and Unusual ... - GSSD Blogs

CC7.3 Select and use the appropriate strategies to communicate meaning before (e.g., planning andorganizing ideas to fit format), during (e.g., using transition words), and after (e.g., revising to eliminateunnecessary repetition) speaking, writing and other representing activities.CC7.4 Use pragmatic (e.g., use language that demonstrates respect for others), textual (e.g., use commonorganizational patterns within texts), syntactical (e.g., ensure agreement of subjects, verbs and pronouns),semantic/lexical/morphological (e.g., avoid overused and misused words), graphophonic (e.g., enunciateclearly), and other cues (e.g., use appropriate gestures and facial expression) to construct and tocommunicate meaning.CC7.5 Create and present a variety of representations including visual and multimedia presentations suchas displays, illustrations, and videos, and enhance communication with appropriate graphic organizers,charts, circle graphs, timelines, maps, and sound effects.CC7.6 Use oral language to interact purposefully and appropriately with others in pairs, small groups, andlarge group situations (e.g., contributing to sustaining dialogue, expressing support for others and theirviewpoints, discussing and analyzing ideas and opinions, completing a variety of tasks, and contributing togroup consensus building).CC7.7 Use oral language to effectively express information and ideas of some complexity in formal andinformal situations (e.g., a procedural description based on personal experience, a demonstration, apersuasive speech, a dramatization).CC7.8 Write to describe a person; to narrate an imaginary incident or story; to explain and inform in a newsstory; a factual account, and a business letter; to persuade in a letter and in interpretation of a text).CC7.9 Experiment with a variety of text forms (e.g., meeting, presentation to adults, descriptive poem,opinion piece, a review, front page of a newspaper, short script) and techniques (e.g., dialogue, figurativelanguage).Assess and Reflect on Language Abilities (AR). Students will extend their abilities to assess and reflect ontheir own language skills, discuss the skills of effective viewers, representers, listeners, speakers, readers,and writers, and set goals for future improvement.AR7.1 Set and achieve short-term and long-term goals to improve viewing, listening, reading, representing,speaking, and writing strategies.AR7.2 Appraise own and others’ work for clarity and correctness.Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 3

Suggested Resources for the UnitA range of language, prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, and plays (scripts) as well as human, video, andother resources are suggested.Language ResourcesDictionaryLanguage and Writing 7ResourceLines 7/8Write Source 2000Crossroads 7Identities 7, p. 51Poetry“So you found some fresh tracks in the snow?” (David McCord, Identities 7) or similar lyrical poem“Spellbound” (Emily Bronte), “And Even Now” (Dorothy Livesay), “I Am Afraid” (an Inuit poem), or similar lyricalpoem about our fears“The Listeners” (Walter de La Mare) or similar narrative poem with mystery and suspensePlays/ScriptsThe Mystery of the Stone Statues (Identities 7)ProseShorter Prose Non-Fiction Selections“Seven Not-So-Well Known Wonders of the World” (Todd Mercer) (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore theUnknown)“King Tut’s Tomb” (Daniel Cohen) (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)“Oak Island Treasure Hunt” (Sharon Siamon) (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)“A Giant Hoax” (Timothy Bay) (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)“The Phony Captain” (Daniel Cohen) (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)“Field of Schemes” (Todd Mercer) (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)Shorter Prose Fiction (Short Stories) Selections“The Dinner Party” (Mona Gardner) (SightLines 7)“The Wretched Stone” (excerpts from the Log of the Rita Anne) (Chris Van Allsburg) (SightLines 7)“The White Owl” (Hazel Boswell) (SightLines 7)“The Revenge of the Blood Thirsty Giant” (a Tlingit legend) (C. J. Taylor) (SightLines 7)“The Phantom Dog Team” (Harry Paddon) (SightLines 7)Full-Length Non-FictionSee suggested titles for this unit in bibliography and subsequent updates.4 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

NovelsSee suggested titles for this unit in bibliography and subsequent updates.Media/Magazines/Websites“The Gold Funeral Mask of Tutankhamen” (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)“Howard Carter Takes Apart a Sealed Door” (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)“Howard Carter (Kneeling) Opens the Shrine” (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)“One of the Giant Stone Spheres of Costa Rica” (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)“Smith’s Cove, Oak Island Around 1897” (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)“One Who Lives Under the Water” (Blake Debassige) (SightLines 7)Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 5

CR 7.2CR 7.3CR 7.2CR 7.4,CR 7.2CR 7.3During Reading• Have students read each of the seven sections silently andthen a second time as a guided reading:o Electricity in 250 B.C.E. (Baghdad, Iraq)o Substance “X” from Distant Star Systemo Singing Sand Duneso Giant Stone Spheres of Costa Ricao Merpeople of New Guineao Crystal Skulls of Central Americao Glowing Ocean Vents• Use the Pause and Think strategy for each paragraph in eachsection: What have we learned now?• Model the making of notes that summarize the key points foreach of the first three wonders using the grid.• Have students use the grid independently for the remainingfour wonders.After Reading• Have students compare with a partner what they wrote.• As a class, review what students thought were the key points.• Consider the three rhetorical questions that Mercer used in thefirst three mysteries. Have students create a rhetorical questionfor each of the remaining four mysteries.• Using their notes, have students answer their rhetoricalquestions.Viewing• Have students consider the two photographs in the centre ofthe anthology that relate to the article.• What do they learn from the photographs?• Of what other events or objects described in the article wouldthey like to see photographs?Use elements ofComprehend and Respondrubric in curriculum.Make anecdotal notes onthe students’ readingstrategies (e.g.,“Characteristics of SkilledReaders” in Crossroads 7,Teacher’s Guide).Note students’ viewingstrategies. To what imagesdo they attend? Whatconclusions do they drawbased on the images in thephotographs?• What do they consider “other wonders” of the world aboutwhich they would like to learn?CR 7.3Language Study: Using a Context Clue• Vocabulary knowledge plays an important role incomprehension of a text. Throughout this unit, students canbe introduced to a variety of vocabulary strategies includingusing a Context Clue or Contextual Redefinition.• By looking closely at the surrounding words, students can pickup clues that will help them figure out the meaning of anunknown word.• Students can learn about the different types of context clues(supplied through association, by synonyms, comparisons andcontrasts, definition and description, tone, cause and effect).Give students anopportunity to show thatthey understand contextclues as they predict andconfirm meanings of severalother unknown words in thetext or another text.Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 7

CC 7.4CC 7.2CR 7.6CR 7.3CR 7.4• Choose several of the words in this article (e.g., harnessed,impact, arcs, credibility, artifacts …) to illustrate howcontextual clues and redefinition can build vocabulary andunderstanding.Language Study: Choosing Verbs Carefully• Good communicators choose their verbs carefully. Forexample:o “People harnessed electricity as long ago as 250 B.C.E.”o “The scientists launched the satellite.”o “The sand dunes boomed and barked.”o “The researchers rotated the huge chunks of granite.”o “The mermaids and mermen struggled in the fisherman’snet.”o “The ancient Aztecs or Mayans carved and polished thecrystal skulls.”o “Molten rock and seawater seeped into the crevices.”• List as many verbs as you can that could be used to replace“said” (at least 15).• Rewrite each of the following sentences to eliminate “get” or“got”:o I got home before you did.o Did you get the message?o I got a touchdown.o I got a round of applause.What was amazing about the seven “not-so-well-known”wonders? What are considered the “original” seven wonders ofthe Ancient World? What are considered the “modern” sevenwonders of our world? What might be considered the sevenwonders of Canada? Of Saskatchewan? Of one’s owncommunity?An Ancient MysteryLesson 2 – 60 minutesSuggested Resources: “King Tut’s Tomb” (Daniel Cohen) (NelsonMini-anthologies Explore the Unknown) or a similar article aboutan ancient wonder or mysteryBefore Reading• Have students listen to the introduction to this article using agrid similar to the one from the previous selection.• Encourage students to make notes that answer as many of the5Ws + H questions as they can.• Based on what they have heard, what is the main point of thisarticle? What do they know and need to learn to understandthe mystery associated with King Tut’s tomb?Can students recognize theverbs and justify why theyare good choices?Do students strive to learnand to use new words andmore precise words in theircommunications?Do students makeconnections betweenprevious and newknowledge?Use elements ofComprehend and Respondrubric in curriculum.8 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

During ReadingCR 7.2CR 7.3• Have students read silently the rest of the article.• They can use a 5Ws + H grid for each section (i.e., “Search forthe Boy King’s Tomb”, “Everywhere the Glint of Gold”, “TheMummy’s Curse”).CR 7.2CR 7.3CR 7.4After Reading• What do the students believe about the mummy’s curse? Is itfact or fiction? Why?• Should the art objects found in the tomb be privately ownedor should they be national or world treasures? Why?• Encourage students to support their conclusions with reasons– the “Why?” in the 5Ws + H questions.• Why does King Tut continue to hold such fascination?Note: Students might like to locate the many rhetorical questionsthat Cohen used in his article. What new vocabulary did theylearn? What strong verbs did they notice?Viewing• We can also receive information and learn more about thissubject through visual images such as the photographs in themiddle of the anthology related to this article.• Have students view the three photographs and consider thefollowing questions:o Photograph 1: What do you learn about Tutankhamen’sfuneral mask?o Photographs 2 and 3: What impression do we get ofHoward Carter? Do these photographs appear to be posedor were they taken as the action unfolded? What are yourreasons for your opinion?o How have these photographs added to our knowledge ofKing Tut’s Tomb?Recognizing and Separating Facts from OpinionsCan students apply whatthey have learned inprevious lessons?Use elements ofComprehend and Respondrubric in curriculum.CR 7.3• Learning to tell the difference between facts and opinions is animportant skill for critical listeners, readers, and viewers.• Have students consider these two statements:o Statement 1: “On November 26, 1922, the diggers reachedanother sealed door.”o Statement 2: “This was the most interesting discovery of theTwentieth Century.”The first statement can be proved and agreed upon. It is a fact.The second statement, however, is someone’s belief butcannot be proved in a way that everyone will agree on it.Sometimes people present opinions as if they were facts. Tobecome critical readers, students need to recognize whichstatements are facts and which are opinions.Do students understand thedifference between fact andopinion? Can they supporttheir responses with reasonand evidence from the text?Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 9

CR 7.2• Have students review the second paragraph on page 21(“When the discovery became known it …”). Have studentsconsider each sentence by asking:o Is this a fact? (Can this statement be proved and universallyagreed upon?)o Is this an opinion? (Does it tell how people feel about thingsor how they view or judge them?)o If this is an opinion, is it supported with examples andreasons? Do I agree or disagree with this opinion? Do I needto find out more?• Have students examine another paragraph for fact andopinion (e.g., “There is no doubt that the death of LordCarnarvon was both strange and tragic …”). Are opinionssupported with examples and reasons?A Modern Canadian MysteryLesson 3 – 120 minutesCR 7.6Suggested Resources: “Oak Island Treasure Hunt” (SharonSiamon) (Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown) or asimilar article about a Canadian mysteryCR 7.2CR 7.3CC7.7Before Reading• One mystery that continues to fascinate and intrigueCanadians is Oak Island, Nova Scotia.• Have students share what they know about Oak Island in thefirst column of a K-W-L chart (list what you KNOW, list whatyou WANT to know, and list what you LEARNED).• Note that when students are reading to gain informationabout a topic they will have to decide if they will skim, scan, orread closely to find out what they need or want to know. Ofteneffective readers will skim an article to gain an overallimpression of the piece. While skimming, the readers think of afew important questions that they will try to answer during amore thorough reading. Model skimming as a pre-readingactivity by having students:1. Read the title and introduction. Ask: What is the pieceabout? What is the author’s opinion about this treasurehunt?2. Skim the first paragraph. Ask: What are the three questionsthis article will attempt to answer?3. Read the headings. Ask: What do you think each of thesesections will tell you?4. Look at the map and diagram. Ask: What does each of thesetell you?5. Read the final paragraph. Ask: What is the author’sconclusion?Now have students summarize what they have learned so farand ask four or five questions that might be answered byNote students’ abilities togive complete attention tothe task.Note students’ abilities tosummarize main ideas.10 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

eading the article carefully. Have students place theirquestions in the “What I WANT to know” column of their K-W-Lcharts.During ReadingCR 7.2CR 7.3CR 7.2CR 7.3• Have students closely read the article making notes in the“What I have LEARNED” column of their K-W-L charts.• Encourage students to also add any interesting details (5Ws +H) that they learn as they read. These can be recorded on theback of their K-W-L charts.After Reading• Reviewing their K-W-L charts and recalling what they haveread, have students orally review the history of the Oak Islandtreasure hunt and then consider in writing which of thetheories about the origin of the site seems most logical tothem and why.• If students were to be in charge of the first exploration of thetreasure site, how would they have proceeded?Language Study: A Word Attack Strategy• As students listen, read, and view, they are certain toencounter words that are new to them.• A strategy such as Context, Structure, Sound, and Dictionary(CSSD) can help students deal with these words. Students canapply the CSSD strategy by considering the cues in the textand using resources to confirm their predictions.1. Context: Think about the possible meanings of the wordthat make sense in the passage. Is there enoughinformation in the context to allow us to make a good guessas to what it means?2. Structure: Look to see whether the word is a compound (likegreen/house) or made up of a familiar root word plus aprefix or suffix or both (like im/pass/able). Do you recognizeany part of the word? Does this part suggest a meaning forthe word?3. Sound: Look to see if the word sounds like one that youhave heard before in another context. Try differentpronunciations of it. Do you produce a word that soundsfamiliar?4. Dictionary (or other reference): Check to see what thereference says about the word. Read all the definitions andchoose the one that fits in the context.Encourage students to explore words they encounter in theirlistening, reading, and viewing. Bring new words to class and linkthem with known words. Have students set aside a portion oftheir notebooks to collect personal vocabulary, and give themNote students’ abilities tosupport their ideas.Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 11

strategies such as building word webs and vocabulary squares tomake the words their own.Mysteries UnmaskedLesson 4 – 60 minutesSometimes a “mystery” is no more than a hoax, prank, orpractical joke.CR 7.6CR 7.2CR 7.2CR 7.3CR 7.2CC 7.9CC 7.3CC 7.4CC 7.8CC 7.3Suggested Resources: “A Giant Hoax” (Timothy Bay) (NelsonMini-anthologies Explore the Unknown) or a similar article about aharmless hoax; “The Phony Captain” (Daniel Cohen) (Nelson MinianthologiesExplore the Unknown) or a similar article about a hoaxwith serious consequences; “Field of Schemes” (Todd Mercer)(Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)Before Reading• Ask students to read the title and introduction to each articleabout hoaxes.• After students have previewed each article, have them write ashort statement of what they think they will learn from eacharticle.During Reading• Have students think about and confirm or change theirpredictions.After Reading• After students have read each article, ask them to create:o a newspaper headline (a bold title that gives a preview ofwhat the story will cover and that will arouse interest in thereader)o its byline and placeline (placed underneath the headline,the byline tells who wrote the article and the placeline tellswhere the news story takes place)o a sketch of a photograph and a caption that might be usedto support the message of the story for each of thesearticles.• Use a current newspaper to model what the headline, byline,placeline, and photograph with caption might look like.The Most Interesting MysteriesLesson 5 – 120 minutesWriting a Newspaper or Magazine ArticleActivity 1Ask students to consider all the wonders and mysteries that theyhave read or heard about in this section of the unit. Which didNote students’ use andapplication of readingstrategies.Read the statements notingstudents’ abilities to predict.Create a short rubric thatidentifies the basic elementsthat should be included inthe students’ work.12 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

CC 7.4CC 7.2CC 7.3CC 7.4they find the most interesting? Why? About which mysterywould they like to learn more? Why? Are there other mysteriesthat interest students? For example, how do they explain thefollowing (unexplained phenomena or unsolved puzzles)?• Are monsters like Sasquatch or Ogopogo real or not? (Consider“Five Monsters: Real or Not?”)• What is the Bermuda Triangle?• How did Stonehenge come to be?• Do UFOs exist? (Consider “Do UFOs Exist?” [commentary]Arthur C. Clarke, Nelson Mini-anthologies Explore the Unknown)• What happened to the Franklin Expedition? (Consider “TheMystery of the Franklin Expedition”)• What happened to Shanawdithit – the last of the Beothukpeople? (Consider: “The Mystery of Shanawdithit – the Last ofthe Beothuk”)• What can we learn from petroglyphs found in Canada?• What can we learn from the body of a 4000-year-old manfound in the Alps? (Consider “Discovering the Iceman”, ShelleyTanaka, Identities 7)Have students consider how they might create a newspaperarticle for a mystery about which they would like to learn more.Remind them that newspaper articles have to produce accurateinformation and be interesting to read. Most of the articles thatthey have been studying fit these criteria. Additional magazineand newspaper articles are found in “Disasters” (Crossroads 7, pp.176-219). Students will be required to:1. Find a story• Decide on a topic on which to report.Use elements of Composeand Create rubric incurriculum.Make anecdotal notes onthe students’ readingstrategies (e.g.,“Characteristics of SkilledReaders” in Crossroads 7,Teachers’ Guide)2. Learn about the story• Once they have decided on a story (topic), students couldmake a K-W-L chart for their topic. What do they and theirreaders likely already know about this topic? Whatquestions do they and their readers have about this topic?What would be good sources of information to learn asmuch as possible about the story?• Students might consider possible sources of informationabout their topic (e.g., non-fiction books, almanacs, atlases,magazines, newspapers, people, Internet, audiovisualmedia, encyclopedias). Students should be shown how tosearch through their resources.Students could record answers to their questions in thethird column of their K-W-L chart in point form, recordingonly key words or phrases. In addition, they may want toadd other information that they think their audience willfind interesting.• Overall, they must remember that their newspaper articlesshould be objective, which means that they should givefacts, not opinions.Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 13

imagination and their logic to figure out what might happennext and why.CC 7.2Focus Question 3: What is there about people that lead themto pursue a mystery?Focus Question 4: What makes a good mystery story, play, orpoem?SuspenseLesson 7 – 120 minutesCC 7.2A good mystery story keeps the listener, reader, or viewerguessing right up to the last line. It creates an inner tensionthat builds. What are the most spine-tingling, nail-bitingsuspense stories that you have heard, read, or seen? How didyou respond physically and emotionally to suspense stories?What kept you riveted to each story – even when your heartwas pounding with fear?A Mystery StoryActivity 1Suggested Resources: “The Dinner Party” (Mona Gardner)(SightLines 7) or a similar short story of suspenseBefore ReadingCR 7.6CR 7.2• A good storyteller introduces his or her story quickly andeffectively. Have the students read the first paragraph of “TheDinner Party” silently.• Ask students to Pause and Think I: What have they learnedabout the Who (characters) and the Where and When (setting)of this story?• Have them read the next two paragraphs. Again, ask them toPause and Think II: What appears to be one problem? How wasit introduced? How does this create tension?• Set up the rest of the Pause and Think steps as a guide andask the students to respond individually in writing at eachdesignated pause.CR 7.2CR 7.3During Reading• Pause and Think III: Read paragraphs four, five, and six. What isthe real problem in this story? What does the Americannaturalist do and notice? What is the meaning of milk in a bowlin India?• Pause and Think IV: Read paragraphs seven, eight, and nine.What is the turning point and does it help solve the problem?• Pause and Think V: Read paragraphs ten, eleven, and twelve. Isthis an effective conclusion to the story? Explain.Note students’ use ofreading strategies as theyread fiction.16 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

CR 7.2CR 7.3CC 7.8CC 7.9CC 7.3CC 7.4CC 7.4CR 7.6CR 7.2CR 7.3CR 7.2CR 7.3After Reading• Was this an effective story? Why? What details held yourinterest? The story is told from the point of view of theAmerican naturalist. Was this narrative viewpoint effective?Writing• Retell the story from the point of view of the colonel’s wife.Vocabulary Study• Remind students that to help the listener, reader, or viewerunderstand a good story, the author chooses his or her wordscarefully and often helps the listener, reader, or viewerunderstand what the words mean by using them in aparticular context.• Encourage them to continue to highlight and to collectinteresting and effective words as they listen, read, and view.Another MysteryActivity 2Suggested Resources: “The Wretched Stone” (excerpts from theLog of the Rita Anne) (Chris Van Allsburg) (SightLines 7) or a similarstory about an unusual or uncanny incidentBefore ReadingHave students look at the picture and the title. What might thisstory be about and• Where might it take place?• What are the two key words in the title (e.g., “wretched” and“stone”)? What do the words suggest?• What is a ship’s “log”?During ReadingHave students read silently the first four entries in the log (i.e.,May 8, May 9, May 17, and June 5). What can be learned fromthese entries? Who is the first mate? What do the crew do whenthey are not working? What is strange about the island?• Now read the entries for June 6 and 10. What has been foundon the island? From the description of the stone, what could itlogically be?• Distribute a stone and (hand) lens magnifier to small groups ofstudents. Ask them to speculate what the stone that theyreceive looks like to them. Have students generate a list ofwords to describe what the stone might remind them of andhave them share their three favourite ideas with the rest of theclass.Are students’ responsesinsightful and do theyreflect a perceptive readingof the text? Do studentsinclude setting, maincharacters, key events, andappropriate point of view intheir retelling?Use Compose and Createrubric in curriculum.Check students’ use ofappropriate readingstrategies (e.g., making andconfirming or correctingpredictions, noticing theimportant details andmaking connections). Dothey use both theirimagination and their logicto figure out what mighthappen next and why?Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 17

• Have students examine the figurative language in the text.o Ask students to reread the description of the stone in thestory. Of what does this description remind them?o Sometimes to show the connection between two things,writers use comparisons such as a simile (e.g., “The snowwas like a blanket.” and “The rock was like a bird’s wing.”) ora metaphor (e.g., “The snow was a blanket.” and “The rockwas a bird’s wing.”).o What similes and metaphors could be created for the imagethat is suggested by their stone? The stone was like … Thestone was …• Have the students return to the story and read the entries forJune 13, 14, and 15. What has changed in the behaviour of thecrew? Why is the crew in “grave” danger?• Have the students read the entry for June 16 and examine theaccompanying visual of the apes watching the stone. Whatmight the stone be? What effect has it had on the crew? Whydoes the stone not glow after the ship was “struck bylightning”?• Have the students read the rest of the entries.Do students understandhow figurative language isused in the text and in dailycommunication?After ReadingCR 7.2CR 7.5CR 7.2CR 7.3• For what might the “wretched stone” be a metaphor? Whatdetails from the text would support this view? What commentis the author making on an aspect of our society? Do thestudents agree with this comment? Why or why not?• Have the students listen to the audio recording of the storyand identify the techniques used by the writer to createsuspense and interest.SuperstitionsLesson 8 – 120 minutesCR 7.6Suggested Resources: “The White Owl” (Hazel Boswell)(SightLines 7) or a similar folk tale that has mystery and suspenseCR 7.2CR 7.3Before Listening• Often we have heard about or believe certain superstitions or“folk beliefs” (e.g., seeing a black cat, Friday the 13 th , walkingunder a ladder). Brainstorm some common superstitions thatthe class has heard.• Ask the students to consider what an owl symbolizes ortypically represents (e.g., wisdom and learning). For somepeople, the owl, particularly the hoot of an owl, wasconsidered bad luck.• In this story, a visitor from the United States, Felix LeRoy,returns to visit his relatives in Canada. He does not believe inthe superstition about the owl and stays in the woods when awhite owl is spotted. What happens?Use Comprehend andRespond rubric incurriculum.18 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

During ListeningCR 7.2CR 7.3• As students listen to the story, encourage them to visualize –or picture in their minds – the setting, characters, and eventsdescribed.• Using the following chart as a listening guide, have thestudents note at least four details of the narrative that let thelistener know some evil will befall Felix Leroy.WarningsWhat Each MeansAre students able to identifythe key ideas and noterelevant supporting details?After ListeningCR 7.2CR 7.3• Have the students consider the following story map questionsand support their answers with references to the text that theyheard.1. Beginning-of-Story Questions:Setting: Where and when does the story take place? Whois/are the main character(s)? What is______________________ like?Problem: What is _____________’s problem or conflict?What does ________________want? Why is______________ in trouble?Do students readily identifythe key story elements? Arethey able to complete thestory map?2. Middle-of-Story Questions:Goal: What does ________________________decide orattempt to do?Attempts/Outcome: What happens to___________________________?Event 1: _____________________ Event 2: ____________-________Event 3: _____________________ Climax:_____________________3. End-of-Story Questions:Resolution: How has _________________solved theproblem? What would you do to solve _____________’sproblem?Theme: What is the major point of the story? What did thewriter want to teach using this story?Can students identify themain idea or theme of thestory? What evidence canthey give to support theirconclusion?Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 19

CR 7.2CC 7.5CR 7.5CR 7.2CR 7.3CR 7.2CR 7.3• Now have students read the story and list all the references inthe story that foreshadow tragic events. How did thestoryteller create interest and suspense?Language Study• Review the use of context clues (Master #17 in SightLines 7,Teacher’s Guide) and a word attack strategy such as CSSD.Natural Phenomena ExplainedLesson 9 – 60 minutesSuggested Resources: “The Revenge of the Blood Thirsty Giant”(a Tlingit legend) (C. J. Taylor) (SightLines 7) or a similar narrativethat explains a natural phenomenonBefore Reading• This legend has all the ingredients of a good story but was toldto explain a natural phenomenon.• Read to find out how Red Bird solved one problem but …During Reading• As students read, have them complete the following storyframe and explain the problem-solution-outcome of the story.This narrative starts with a problem when____________________.After that,_______________________________________________.Next, _________________________________________-____________.Then, ____________________________________-__________________.The problem is finally solved when__________________________________.The story ends when __________________________-_____________________.However, the people will be plagued forever by____________________________.After ReadingDo students recognize thedifferent types of contextclues readily?Did students complete thestory map with ease?CR 7.2CR 7.3• Have students explain how the storyteller captured and heldtheir interest.• Have students divide the story into scenes and represent themin a series of drawings or frames that illustrate the answers tothe:o Beginning-of-Story Questions (i.e., setting – where andwhen the story takes place, the main character(s), and theproblem or conflict)Are students’ responsesinsightful and perceptive?Are they supported withdetails from the text?20 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

CR 7.3CR 7.3CC 7.5o Middle-of-Story Questions (i.e., what the main characterattempts to do – event 1, event 2, event 3, and the climax)o End-of-Story Questions (i.e., resolution – how the maincharacter solved the problem).Possible Mini-Lesson: RepresentingGhostsLesson 10 – 120 minutesListeningActivity 1Suggested Resources: “The Phantom Dog Team” (HarryPaddon) (SightLines 7) or a similar story involving “ghosts”Before Listening• Have students consider the title. What is a “phantom” dogteam?• Have them read the first three paragraphs. Where and whendoes this story take place?• What is the name given to this “helpful” ghost?• Distribute a map of Bill and Jane Gordon’s dogsled journey(marking Bluff Head, Rocky Cove, Rigolet, and The Neck).• Invite students to listen to the story being read aloud.During Listening• Pause at the end of each stop on the journey and havestudents summarize what has happened so far and what theypredict will happen next.After Listening• The storyteller begins by telling us that the ghost in this storyis a “friendly, helpful” spirit. Does this spoil the impact of thestory or is the suspense maintained despite the information inthe introduction?• Have students return to the printed text to find details tosupport their argument.• Invite students to design a poster for a feature film version ofthis story that would illustrate the mood of the story. Or, theycould choose the music that would best capture the mood ofone section of the story.Possible Mini-Lessons: Mood, Creating a PosterUse Comprehend andRespond rubric found incurriculum.CR 7.3Language Study: Sentence Patterns• Students’ mastery of the English language allows them tounderstand most of the sentences that they read in a storyDo students readily identifythe key elements andSaskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 21

CR 7.3CR 7.3CR 7.3such as the “Phantom Dog Team”. All these sentences containthe basic aspects of a sentence – a verb, its subject, its objector completer, and some qualifiers.• Have students read and think about the following sentenceand then try to answer the questions about it: “The youngtrapper quickly caught and skinned a muskrat.”o Who caught what?o When did it happen? Yesterday? Today? Not yet?o What was caught? What was skinned? Did the catching andskinning happen to the same object?o How many trappers were there? How many muskrat?o Who is telling about this action? The trapper? Someoneelse?o Who was young? The muskrat? The trapper?o What does the word “and” in the sentence tell us?• Consider the following questions and the sentences thatfollow them. Answer all the questions about each sentenceand tell how we know the answer by pointing to specificwords and clues in each sentence.Questions:1. Who is doing what to whom?2. When does the action occur?3. How many actors and how many receivers-of-action arethere?4. What words are qualified or described by other words?5. How do you know which words are qualified?Sentences:1. The tired trapper quickly crossed the lake.2. The wind chilled him.3. The trapper traded his furs.4. He quickly fed his hungry team.5. He slowly drank his hot tea.• What happens when words are scrambled in Englishsentences? Consider: “his closed pack he”, “deeply snow theheavy drifted”, and “the hungry barked loudly dog forest in a”.• Because of their understanding of English sentences, studentscan make sense of, create, and build on the basic sentencepatterns of the English language. The action being performedin a sentence is the verb (V). The person or thing performingthe action is the subject (S). Other than in commands (wherethe subject is understood) and conversation (where thelistener understands the missing words), every sentencestudents create should have a subject and a verb and be builton one of the basic three sentence patterns used in the Englishlanguage: S-V, S-V-O, and S-LV-C.comprehend the key ideasin the sentence? Can theyask the teacher and eachother the key questions thatwould help another personunderstand an Englishsentence?Have students meet with apeer and check theircomprehension of aparagraph in one the textsread in this unit. Can theymodel the asking andanswering of the questions?When students can askthemselves questions whilelistening, reading, andviewing, they have a greaterlikelihood of monitoringtheir understanding of thetext and have bettercomprehension.22 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

Pattern I Sentences: S-VCR 7.3CR 7.3• The first sentence type contains just two main elements or keywords – a verb (V) and a subject (S).• It is used to get across the basic idea that someone (who) orsomething (what) did something (the verb).• Additional words (qualifiers) are added to give moreinformation about the key words (and to answer questions like“which one(s)?”, “whose?”, “how many?”, and “what kind?” aswell as “when?”, “where?”, “how?”, “why?”).• Because a sentence can have many words but is built aroundthe verb, it is best to try to identify the verb (the doing word).• What questions are answered in the following sentences?o Wolves howled.o Hungry wolves howled loudly.o Snowflakes fell.o Snowflakes fell here.o Snowflakes fell on the team.o Heavy frost came early.o Heavy frost came in the fall.o Winds from the ocean blew toward the land.o The weary trapper arrived at home in the early evening.Pattern II Sentences: S-V-O• The second type of sentence must have three main parts tobe complete. Besides a verb (V) and subject (S), it alsocontains a word called a direct object (O).This type ofsentence is used when we want to report the basic idea thatsomeone or something (S) did something (V) to someone orsomething else (O).• What questions are answered in the following sentences?o The hunter shot a deer.o The dog bit him.o The trapper raised his gun.• Sometimes, additional information follows the verb.o They sent a message.o They sent a message to the children.o They sent the children a message.• The subject-verb-indirect object-direct object (S-V-IO-O)pattern lets the direct object (O) answer the questions “what?”or “who?”o The trapper left the dogs some meat.o He built his dogs a shelter.o He tossed the lead dog a bone.Pattern III Sentences: S-LV-C• The third type of sentence is quite different from the first two,which tell what actions someone or something did. Thispattern simply explains who someone is or tells what someoneor something looks like.Can students applyknowledge of the sentencepattern and its componentsand conventions? Dostudents recognize the basicpatterns and are they ableto use and manipulate themin speaking, writing, andrepresenting?Can students applyknowledge of the sentencepattern and its componentsand conventions? Dostudents recognize the basicpatterns and are they ableto use and manipulate themin speaking, writing, andrepresenting?Can students applyknowledge of the sentencepattern and its componentsand conventions? Dostudents recognize the basicpatterns and are they ableSaskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 23

• It contains a subject (S), a linking verb (LV), and a complementor completer (C) that refers to the same person or thing thatthe subject refers to or describes the subject.• The verb in these sentences “links” the subject to thecomplement or completer and is not an action verb.• Common linking verbs are: am, is, are, was, were, seem,become, appear, look, feel, taste, sound, smell, grow, turn.• What is the linking verb in each of the following sentences andwhat two words does it link?o Bill is a trapper.o He is cold.o He is young.o His face is red.o The dogs are a team.o The lead dog is a wolfhound.o He is a remarkable dog.o The two children were undismayed.• Often the basic patterns are embedded in longer sentencesbut contain the main idea or key idea of the sentence.• Find an example of each pattern in “The Phantom Dog Team”.For example:o “They stopped again for a brief warm-up and a snack.”o “The evening was calm and fine.” “The team faltered,slowed, and stopped.”o “His was a young team.”o “He walked out through the team and stood by the cairn.”o “Nine black and white dogs trotted.”o “Bill faced his team.”o “The dogs crowded around Joe.”o “Joe hoisted a heavy sack to his shoulder.”to use and manipulate themin speaking, writing, andrepresenting?Do students recognize thebasic patterns and the keyideas that theycommunicate?CR 7.6Humour in MysteryLesson 11 – 120 minutesA Mystery PlayActivity 1Suggested Resources: The Mystery of the Stone Statues (Identities7) or a similar play that has the elements of a mysteryBefore ReadingUse Comprehend andRespond rubric incurriculum.CR 7.2CR 7.3• The Mystery of the Stone Statues is a mystery spoof. The play hasthe elements of a mystery, but the elements are used in ahumorous or exaggerated way.• Ask the students to review the elements of a good mystery:What do they think are elements of a good plot for a mystery?What might be the setting and who might be the characters?• Note that a production of a play is based on a script and thatthe script usually contains some important pieces ofinformation at the beginning for the people who will produceit, including:24 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

o the list of characters in the play (Who are the characters inthis play?)o production notes that tell the setting (Where and whendoes the action take place?), properties (What importantobjects and furniture will be needed for this play?), what thestage is like (What is upstage, downstage, stage left, centre,and right? Where do the actors enter and exit?), and anyother information (e.g., sound and lighting information)o stage directions that tell what the audience will see, whatthe actors will do, or how the actors will react.• Examine the production notes on page 177, Identities 7. Whatinformation is provided for this play?• Have students think about what things might look and soundlike.During ReadingCR 7.2CR 7.3• The script for this play is divided into sections called “episodes”(rather than acts or scenes).• Have the students read the script one episode at a time.Encourage students to consider how the playwright developseach character. Have students think about what each charactersays, what each character does, how each character reacts toother characters, and what others say about the character.• Read the first two episodes aloud so students have a model ofhow the script might sound.• Ask students to reread each episode silently and then to read italoud the way that they think the characters would sound.• After each episode, pause and discuss:o What have we found out about the characters? What is theproblem the characters have to solve? (What is eachcharacter trying to achieve?)o What has happened in this episode?• Encourage students to support their view with evidence fromthe script.Can students read both theexplicit and implicitmessages in this script? Dothey understand theconventions of a script? Of aplay production?Do students understand thecharacters from what theysay and do and from whatother characters or thenarrator say about them?After ReadingCR 7.2CR 7.3• How did the playwright build suspense?• How was the conflict resolved?• How effective was the play? Why is it a spoof and not a seriousmystery play?• What elements of mystery were exaggerated for humorouseffect?• The author had fun with the characters’ names. Why might shehave chosen Dr. Chilling, Amy Truegood, and Stalwart?CR 7.3Language Study: Capitalization and Punctuation• Capitalization and punctuation help us communicate clearlywhat we want to say when we write. Why is it difficult to readthe following group of sentences?Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 25

DOYOUTHINKTHATPUNCTUATIONCAPITALIZATIONANDTHESPACESBETWEENWORDSCANHELPUSTOUNDERSTANDWHATWEAREREADINGCAPITALLETTERSPUNCTUATIONANDSPACESASSISTBOTHWRITERSANDREADERSCC 7.4CR 7.3CC 7.4• Rewrite the sentences with their capitalization, punctuation,and spaces.• How can you use all the necessary capitalization andpunctuation to make the following sentences clear?o writing a good mystery play is not an easy task toaccomplish this you have to have a good plot in mindo the mystery of the stone statues is a mystery spoof thismeans that the play has the elements of a mystery but theelements are used in an exaggerated wayo reading a play requires you to use your imaginationreading a play requires you to read the stage directionsand think about what things might look and sound like youhave to hear the characters speak inside your heado asking and answering questions such as why or what doesthis tell me about this character help you understand whycharacters do what they doDo students understand anduse consistently theconventions of Englishsentences to communicatetheir meaning clearly?More MysteriesLesson 12 – 180 minutesSome Mystery PoemsActivity 1CR 7.6CR 7.2CR 7.3Suggested Resources: “So you found some fresh tracks in thesnow?” (David McCord) (Identities 7), “A Strange Visitor”(Crossroads 7) or similar lyrical poems about fears; or “The Skaterof Ghost Lake” (Benet) or similar narrative poems with mysteryand suspenseA poem can force us to imagine, think about, and understand theworld. It can create very imaginative (and mysterious) wordpictures or tell a good story. Review with students some of thestrategies that will help them understand and enjoy the poemsin this unit. For example:• Read the whole poem through at least twice. If possible, read italoud.• Think about the experiences, thoughts, and feelings: Whatexperiences, thoughts, feelings, or memories does the poemcall to mind? What is the poet trying to do? Does (s)he want totell a story, create a picture, tell how (s)he feels about someexperience, or present an idea to be considered?• Think about the speaker: Who or what is the speaker of thepoem? How can you tell? Why do you suppose the poet chosethis particular voice?Do students have the abilityto comprehend the ideasand observations found inthe poems as well as toappreciate the techniquesthe poets have used? Dothey recognize the speaker(the voice that talks to thereader), the central idea(theme), the form and26 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

• Think about the meaning: What do you think the poet is tryingto say about life or people? Have you had an experience or afeeling similar to the poet’s? Do you agree or disagree with thisviewpoint?• Think about the poetic form and technique: What images aremost striking? What form was used? What words or soundsstand out? What devices does the poet use? Does (s)he useimagery? Does (s)he use comparisons? Does (s)he use rhythmor rhyme to accomplish his/her purpose?Other Mystery or Ghost Stories, Plays, and PoemsActivity 2techniques used in eachpoem?Are students able to applywhat they have learned sofar as they read and makesense of a new text?CR 7.6CC 7.5CC 7.6CC 7.6CC 7.7• Invite students to select other good mystery or ghost stories,plays, and poems from a variety of sources.• Create a classroom display that includes mystery selectionssuch as:1. Short Stories: For example, “The Defender” (Identities 7)2. Plays: For example, “In the Fog” (Milton Geiger)• Poems: For example, “The Yarn of the Nancy Bell” (William S.Gilbert).• Invite students to choose one story, one play, and one poem.Have them form groups with students who have selected thesame story, play, and poem. Use one of the stories already readto model each of the following roles:1. Discussion Co-ordinator and Recorder (This reader leadsdiscussion and, in collaboration with the group, completes asummary sheet at the end of the session.)2. Summarizer (This reader is responsible for addressing TheBeginning, Middle, and End-of-Story Questions in the story,play, or poem.)3. Questioner (This reader asks the group questions aboutspecific parts of the texts that were interesting, challenging,or that make us think more carefully or read more closely.)4. Language Technique Master (This reader identifies new andinteresting words that the author used and interesting andpowerful uses of language or technique in the text.)• Have students assign one of the roles for which each memberof their group will be responsible after reading each selectionindividually.• Students should rotate the roles so that they have threedifferent experiences.Consider the students’abilities to come prepared,to stay on task, toparticipate courteously, tolisten actively, and to bewilling to take onresponsibilities for grouptasks.CR 7.3CC 7.5Concluding Reflection: What Makes a Good MysteryStory, Play, or Poem?• First with partners, then in small groups, have students reviewwhat they have learned about mystery stories, plays, andpoems. What characteristics and elements do they have incommon? What makes them different?• Have the students create a “mystery web” that shows theirideas (see example).Note students’perceptiveness andthoughts.Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 27

AR 7.1AR 7.2CC 7.7CC 7.9CC 7.3CC 7.4CC 7.7End-of-Unit Activities (approximately 1½ weeks)Have students complete one or more of the following oral,written, and representing categories. When students haveselected their projects, review expectations and guide studentsto resources that will help them complete the projectsuccessfully. Discuss timelines and criteria for evaluation.Oral – Telling a Story (choose one)Sharing a Favourite Mystery Story• Think about a favourite mystery story of your own (e.g., fromcamp) of your family (e.g., grandparents), your friends orclassmates, or a story that is found in this unit or in one of thestory collections talked about in this unit.• Once you have chosen your story, think about what you haveto include in your telling of this story. Most storytellers try toinclude some basic elements of the 5Ws + H. To hold theinterest of their listeners, storytellers build on these basicelements by including:o a beginning that arouses interest and gives descriptivedetails to suggest when and whereo a middle that includes details of action that hold thelisteners’ interest; some dialogue or conversation to ensurethe “who” involved in the story seem like real people; andsome clues that build to the story’s main point or outcomeo an ending that completes the story or brings it to aconclusion.• Sharing your story:o To help you tell your story, make a story bag. The story bagwill contain objects that stand for the tales you are going totell. Think of objects that you can find or make thatrepresent the key elements of your story.o Practise telling the story dramatically:• Pause. Find places in the story where you can pause toadd suspense or to emphasize something that justhappened or will happen.Create a rubric that includesspeaking and storytellingcriteria.(Consider “StoryPresentation Rubric”,Identities 7, Teacher’s Guide,pp. 156-157.)28 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

• Vary your voice. Your voice can be loud or soft, happy orsad. Use your voice to capture the moods and actions ofthe characters. Create a special voice for each characterin your story.• Use body language. You can use your arms and legs andyour facial expressions to add meaning or emphasis towhat you say. You can step forward or back, stand up orsit down. Try different postures and gestures (Tell A Tale,1995, pp. 114-115).• What was your favourite mystery story that was told? Why?CC 7.7CC 7.3CC 7.4ORUsing Stories to Help People Understand Their World• Storytellers have often used stories to teach a lesson or toexplain why something happened. For example, traditionalstorytellers often told about natural disasters, historical events,or gave explanations (e.g., How the _____ got its _____ ORWhy the ______ does [says] _____).• Explain to your classmates something that has puzzled you ortell about something that people have wondered about forcenturies. Create a story to explain and entertain.o Consider telling about what you have wondered about byasking and answering a question about it (e.g., Why doesthe eagle have a white head? What happened to hamstertails? Why does Old Faithful erupt on schedule? Why dohouses creak at night?).o Create an interesting character – an animal or human thathelps the story unfold.o Create a story map such as the following:• In the beginning:• In the middle:• In the end:• Start turning your ideas into a real story by:o creating a first line that grabs the listener (e.g., “Once upona time, long ago, before the days of humans, when hamstershad long tails …)o introducing the main character (e.g., grandfather hamster)and setting (time and place – e.g., a beautiful greenmeadow, before the days of humans)o telling the events in sequenceo building up to the most exciting or interesting part of thestoryo providing a clear ending (e.g., “To this day, in gratefulness tograndfather hamster, all hamsters have only short stubs fortails.”) (based on Tell Me a Tale, 1995, pp.107-109).Use “Short Story Rubric”,Crossroads 7, Teacher’sGuide, p. 149.Writing: Creating Your Own Mystery StoryCC 7.8CC 7.3CC 7.4• “Puzzle to solve + several suspects + clever detective +solution = MYSTERY” (Identities 7, p. 51)• “How to Write a Short Story” (Crossroads 7, pp.150-151)Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 29

Representing: Creating a Mystery Television Script and ShowCC 7.9CC 7.8CC 7.5CC 7.3CC 7.4• “The House on the Hill” (mystery storyboard) (Identities 7, pp.64-71)• “At the Stroke of Midnight” – Writing, Producing, and Starringin Your Own Video (A Dark and Stormy Night, 1995, pp. 112-113)• Creating a Storyboard and Video Script:o Outline the main events of your story in the order in whichthey might happen.Use index cards divided in half vertically to represent asingle frame (about five seconds of screen time). Label theleft side “Visual” (What Viewers See) and the right side“Audio” (What Viewers Hear).o On the visual side, write the camera shot (e.g., close-up shotof a house) and sketch what will be seen. On the audio side,write what sound effects, stage directions, or dialogue willbe needed.o Number each frame consecutively.What Have We Learned?Self-AssessmentAR 7.1AR 7.2• As you worked through this unit, what did you learn?• Consider the focus questions:o What are some of the unsolved mysteries and unexplainedevents of our world?o Why do people find mysteries fascinating?o What is there about people that causes them to pursue amystery?o What makes a good mystery story, play, or poem?• How well did you complete your assignments?• What were your strengths?• How well did you participate in group activities? Did you stayon task and meet your timelines? Did you work co-operativelywith others?• Where do you need more help or work?• Consider how well you are doing in your listening andspeaking skills. In your reading and writing. In your viewingand representing.• What have you learned about the English language?Peer Assessment• Did my partner(s) and group member(s):o participate effectively in group activitieso listen respectfully to otherso help and build on ideas of otherso stay on tasko respond appropriately to otherso encourage others through nonverbal and verbal cueso work co-operatively?30 Saskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca

Appendix AReading Log for UnitTitleAuthorStartedDateFinishedNumberofPagesCommentsRatingSaskatchewan Ministry of Education | www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca 31