Stone Hill Elementary School Library: Understanding Patterns

• Readaloud: Introduce The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg. Explain that each letter has something happening to it, and the students' job is to figure out what the action is. Point out that the action starts with the same letter being featured. On each page, ask the students to raise their hand if they think they can figure out what action is happening to the letter. Some of the pages, like J and W, could be described by several words. 
   

• Assignment: When the readaloud is done, hold up the book cover outline and explain to the kids that they will now create their own book cover using The Z Was Zapped as a model. It needs to be original - no copying what Chris Van Allsburg already did. For today, their covers (template below) must contain two elements:
  
       - Title featuring a letter of the alphabet having something done to it that starts with the same letter
  
       - Their full name as author
  
  If they have time, they may draw an illustration. They can always finish next week during checkout. Tell them to leave the call number on the spine blank; we'll fill it in later.
  
  Monitor the students as they work, helping with spelling and ensuring that the words match the letters. 
   
• Assessment:
   

1 = Nothing on the page

2 = Title is not alliterative or author name is missing/incomplete or concept is plagiarized

3 = Original alliterative title and author's full name included

4 = Both required elements appear, in addition to exceptional creativity and/or illustration

• Activity: Give everyone back their Z was Zapped papers. Ask them to get into alphabetical order by the letter they featured on their covers, with the beginning of the alphabet at one end of the room and the ending at the other. Model with your cover to show where you would stand.
  
  
• Discussion: Explain that we don't shelve books in the library according to their title. We use something else - the call number. This label on the spine tells us where each book lives. Hand out copies of the file below and ask the students to see if they can figure out the pattern of how "everyone" books are shelved. How are these call numbers created?
  
  
• Activity: Now that they know how to create an E call number, the students can add theirs to their paper. Once everyone is done, have them line up in shelf order. Tell them that they probably won't be in the same place as next time. Again, model with your cover. 
  
  
• Assessment:
   

  1 = Incorrect call number, doesn't find place in either alpha order activity
  
  2 = Correct call number, but only finds place in one alpha order activity
  
  3 = Correct call number, finds place in both alpha order activities
  
  4 = Above plus asks to create extra covers (bring extra copies)
   

• Extension: If you need to fill time in case everyone finishes, show the kids the creations of students at other schools: The Z Was Zapped - YouTube and The Z was Zapped Display - YouTube.

• Readaloud: Remind the kids that the alphabet is the basis for so many ways of filing, storing, and retrieving information. And it can also be the basis for a story! Read The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABCs (the Hard Way) and Oops! Pounce! Quick! Run! by Mike Twohy.     
   
• Activity: Make a list of words in alphabetical order, asking the students for suggestions. Ask them to NOT use the Fundations words that are posted ... get creative! They can start on any letter. Once you have a list, make up a ridiculous story out loud.
   
• Assignment: Now the students will make up their own illustrated stories using at least four alphabetical order words. Template below.
   

• Assessment: 

1 = Nothing on the page

2 = Fewer than four panels completed or they are not in alphabetical order

3 = Four panels completed with featured words in alphabetical order

4 = More than four panels completed correctly

• Readaloud: Remind the kids that we have been working with patterns, and that as you read Fortunately by Remi Charlip, they should be on the lookout for two more patterns. 
   
• Discussion: The kids should have noticed 1. the shift between "fortunately" and "unfortunately" and 2. the shift between full-color and B&W illustrations. Explain how a plot is structured ... usually there is just one climax and resolution, but that book has an entire series of them. Draw the good old plot structure diagram to get them to visualize it.
   
• Activity: Work as a class to create a similarly-structured story; type as the kids come up with action and share it in their Google Classroom.
   
• Assignment: The students will now write their own story - they can work by themselves or in groups of 2 or 3 - using this template. This will definitely take more than just this first class to finish. When they are done, I put the 3s and 4s into a binder that the kids can check out from the library.
   
• Assessment:
   

  1 = Only one page completed (if that)
  
  2 = Almost two full pages, although they may be missing a couple of sentences or an illustration; OR their fortunately / unfortunately sentences don't fit the pattern
  
  3 = Two pages completed, including two illustrations (one in B&W, one in color), and the pattern fits
  
  4 = More than two pages completed, and the pattern fits