2. Previewing: Probable Passages for Boy
On day one of the I will explain to them that
we are going to begin the
Roald Dahl unit, we
unit about Roald Dahl.
will begin reading Before they are able to
Boy, which is a converse amongst their
story he wrote group, I will use the
about his Guided Comprehension
childhood. Model (GCM) to show
This will give the them how to use
students an idea of probable passages with
where he came the 1st chapter (“Papa
and Mama”) before
from as well as let Sample words from the reading it, then have
them see where story: them try it for the 2nd
much of his • chocolate bars chapter (“Kindergarten”)
creative writing • old people with their partners. I will
came from. • tragedy then have them create
probable passages for
• Catholic school
the 4th and 5th on their
DAY 1 • 1920’s own.
• Britain

3. Questioning: “I Wonder” Statements
for Boy
As we continue to read Boy, I will use the
6th and 7th chapters (“Mrs. Pratchetts
Revenge” & “Going to Norway”) to
demonstrate how to create “I Wonder”
statements. I will explain to them that
these statements help us to create
questions that we think of as we are
reading. I will pause throughout reading
these chapters and ask questions aloud
as I write them on the board. I will then
have them practice using the following
two chapters (8th & 9th) as I read aloud
and pause for them to write their
questions. They will then be completing
the 10th through 15th chapters on their
own.
DAY 2

4. Making Connections: Bio-Pyramid
For Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Creative author
Born in Wales
Father died of pneumonia
Has written over sixty stories
Continued writing well into his seventies
Many of his books have become movies
Children everywhere keep his stories close at heart
This activity will take place after we have finished reading Boy. In whole group, I will begin
writing the Bio-Pyramid with things that I come up with about Roald Dahl. After explaining what
each of the lines are supposed to entail, I will finish lines 2-3. I will ask the class for suggestions
of what to write for lines 4-6 and write them on the board. Then I will have them write the last
2 lines at their desk. I will have them share their answer and we will vote on the ones to write in
our pyramids. This will follow up with the students writing Bio-Pyramids about themselves.
DAY 3

5. Visualizing: Photographs of the Mind for “The
Crocodile” poem
I will begin by first, reading the poem
aloud to the class. I will then explain that
I will be creating a drawing on a piece of
paper of what I am visualizing as I read
the poem again. I will ask them to close
their eyes and imagine what they think is
going on, and to sketch their drawings on
their own paper. Rather than do a
complete GCM lesson for this, they would
really just be “winging” it, because I think
this is one of the more simple activities.
When I am done with the poem, I will wait
for them to finish their drawings, and then
we will share what we have drawn on the
Elmo projector as we compare the
different visualizations that each person
has.
DAY 4-5

6. Science: Venn Diagram Comparing Crocodiles and
Alligators
• Students will be set up in pairs and asked to do their own research
in the library, to find interesting differences and similarities between
crocodiles and alligators
Crocodiles: Alligators:
BOTH:
Crocodylidae Alligatoridae
Amphibians
Narrow V-shaped snout Broad U-shaped snout
Thick scaly hides
Teeth overlap Upper jaw overlaps
Integumentary sense organs
Salt glands on tongue Fresh water
Salt water
DAY 5

7. How Words Work: Diamante for
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie
Dark, mysterious
Plotting, chanting, winning
Dentist, Explanations, Music, Questions
Singing, laughing, eating
Bright, childish
Willy
After reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I will have my
students take notes on things that they found are different between
the book as they watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. After
the movie is complete, they will be creating Diamantes examining the
differences between the book and the movie.
DAY 6-10

8. Evaluating: Contrast Charts for
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Using the I would then
stories The 3 explain to them
Little Pigs and that there is a
The True Story very big
of the Big Bad difference
Wolf as my between the way
example and we see Willy
model in Stage Wonka in the
1, I would create book compared
the 1st 2 to the way he is
differences portrayed in the
between the movie. They
stories. Then I would follow up
would guide the Stage 2 with
students to creating their
finish the chart own using
with 4 more these, then
differences. reflecting in
DAY 6-10 Stage 3.

9. Geography: “Candy Quakes” Activity
As a lesson on the different types of plate boundaries that exist in the Earth’s crust, students
will each be given a Milky Way candy bar. I will model to them (as they follow along) how the
plates move during earthquakes.
1. Divergent Plate Boundaries: I will model slowly pulling the bar apart from the ends,
emphasizing that they should not pull the bar completely in two pieces. The chocolate is
the brittle lithosphere, the caramel that is stretching is the material that would be used to
form the new crust.
2. Convergent Plate Boundaries: I would again model pulling the bar apart. When pushing
back together this time, I would explain that there are 2 possibilities in the Earth’s crust:
they will forma a mountain or one piece will get pushed underneath the other (showing
both of these on the candy bar). I would then ask them to try the same thing.
3. Transform Plate Boundaries: Again, modeling and then having them practice, I would
show them how to slide the 2 parts of the candy bar past each other. This shows that
there is minimal damage and no new material would appear or form.
Activity idea borrowed from: K. Halford, Spring 2011 DAY 11

10. Monitoring: Mind Portraits for The Twits and George’s
Marvelous Medicine
Stage 1: I will begin by explaining how we can use Mind Portraits as a way to
monitor ourselves as we read. I will then read part of George’s Marvelous
Medicine and model for them a sketch of George’s head and the Mind Portrait for
him. Then I will then guide the students to complete a mind portrait for George’s
grandmother. Following this I will read more of the book, and have them choose
their own character to practice creating a Mind Portrait for on their own.
Stage 2: Students will have began reading The Twits;
the next day in circle I will review what the learned the
previous day about Mind Portraits and how they help
us to monitor our reading. At their seats, I will have
them then create Mind Portraits on any character they
choose from the story. As a center activity, I will have
them break into their reading groups and continue to
read the book and then they will create Mind Portraits
for another character.
Stage 3: I will again reflect with the class on how Mind Portraits can help to monitor
our comprehension of the stories we read by letting us “into the minds” of the
characters. Depending on students’ understanding, I will move on to explaining
how Mind Portraits differ from Thinking Hats.
DAY 11-12

11. Summarizing: Comic Strip Summary
for James and the Giant Peach
I would use the GCM to teach the class how to create Comic Strip Summaries. I would
model with the first chapter of the book, then as we read the entire story, they would be
able to use drawings, computer graphics, magazine cut-outs or anything else to create their
own.
James’ parents were killed in a car A magical man gave him a magical The beans fell in the peach and it grew
accident, so he was forced to live with bean to help change his life… bigger than a house! He climbed
his horrible aunts! inside and met his new bug friends.
They all remained friends, in fact they
A giant robot shark tried to kill them
They had lots of fun times, but all became a family & never forgot their
all! But they got away and made it to
wanted to move to America, so they adventure!
set sail. America.
DAY 13

12. Biocrostic - Summary
Students will write another biocrostic for a
character from any Roald Dahl book that includes
information about their story. This will be a
summarization activity.
Rotten adults in every story
Outside the normal children’s author’s box
Always writing about kids that struggle
Loud, rambunctious characters
Descriptions that touch all senses
Dives right into the character’s mind
Action surrounding every story
Hard to believe his biography is true
Laugh in shock of what happens DAY 14

13. “L i t e r a c y i s a b o u t
c o mp r e h e n s i o n .
C o mp r e h e n s i o n i s a b o u t
ma k i n g c o n n e c t i o n s .
Co n n e c t i o n s a r e
d e mo n s t r a t e d t h r o u g h
a u t h e n t i c a c t i v i t i e s .”
“I f y o u c a n ’t l e a r n t h e
wa y I t e a c h ,