Literature Circle Unit

Developed by:  Erin Baldwin, Leigh Miltier, and Joy Sloan

Theme

The theme of our unit is animal fantasy.

Description

This unit is designed to allow students to explore animal fantasy in several different books.  It has been created  for a fourth grade class.  The books have been chosen and the plans developed so students can read and explore animal fantasy at their own level. 

Books

3rd Grade Level

Harriet's Hare is a story of a little girl who lives on a farm with her dad.  Harriet is awakened by a loud noise early one morning to find that a perfect circle has been created in their wheat field.  She goes to investigate and meet Wiz, a talking hare from outer space.  This novel is a story of the magical friendship that develops between Harriet and Wiz.

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me is a great story about a boy named Billy who meets a giraffe, a pelican, and a monkey who become his friends.  The animals are in search of a widow washing job so they can make money to eat.  This is an adventurous story about Billy and his new animal friends!

The Enormous Crocodile introduces to the reader a very large crocodile with a very large appetite.  He goes in search of young children to eat and along the way meets many different animals.  The animals help protect the children and keep the crocodile from eating them.

4th Grade Level

Louis is a trumpeter swan who was born with a defect, he could not talk or make his trumpet call!  Lois is devastated when he falls in love with Serena, another trumpeter swan, and is unable to express his love to her.  Lois goes on several adventures to help him figure out a way to win Serena's heart.  Finally he finds a way that might help him win the swan of his dreams.

5th Grade Level

Daggie Dogfoot is the runt of his liter.  Everyone on the farm knows that runts, or dags (as the farm animals call them) never stay long on the farm.  Dags are known to be worth nothing around the farm, as work goes.  Daggie is a different kind of pig.  He wants to make everyone see that runts, or dags aren't bad.  He wants to learn how to fly and show all the animals on farm that he is the greatest pig, and runt ever.  The farm has a horrible flood and Daggie has to save the farm and the animals by swimming.  Can he do it?  You must read the book to find out!

Elmer is a boy who finds an old alley cat.  Elmer wants to learn how to fly.  The alley cat tells Elmer of a way he could fly but that they would have to go to an island to find out.  The alley cat and Elmer go to the island to find a baby dragon.  The only problem is that there are animals on this island who don't want to let the dragon off the island.  The alley cat and Elmer make up a plan to rescue the baby dragon. 

         Competencies           Bibliography                    References

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