Multi-Text

Judy Moody Saves the World multi-text unit

Peter and the Starcatchers

Let me begin by saying that I absolutely LOVE this book.  I was so excited when I found out it is a prequel to Peter Pan.  Everyone loves the story of Peter Pan.  I know we only had to red the first 95 pages, but I couldn’t put it down.  I have less than 100 pages to go. 

I don’t know if this makes sense or not but the characters are so developed.  They are so intriguing.  I feel as if I know them.  Molly is my favorite character.  She is so confident.  She marches right up to Peter and asks him about his intentions to jump ship.  Furthermore, she has green eyes.  I absolutely love green eyes.

The plot is intriguing.  Events start happening quickly, and the author maintains the pace throughout the book.  There are several twists in the plot.

One of my favorite scenes, is when the mermaids attack Slank and Little Richard.  As a child, I wanted to be a mermaid.  I like how they had shark teeth in the beginning, but by the end of their encounter, they were more women than fish.

Children will love the super natural aspect of the story, as did I.  The super natural fascinates most people.  It will draw children into the book.  Even though the book is long, it is not a boring.  I will include this book in my classroom library.

Character Sketch for Black Stache

Character Sketcher 3

Your job as Character Sketcher is to identify a character’s actions (traits) and explain or prove these traits, identify the character’s goal (which is what the character wants to do or accomplish), identify the problem and solution in the reading, and complete an artistic impression of the character.

You need to be aware that the character traits you will choose will be implied character traits. In other words, they are not directly stated in the passage. You will want to use descriptive words for your character traits. You do NOT want to use words like good, bad, nice, and mean. Be sure to use your “Descriptive Character Traits” page for help.

Sometimes the solution to your character’s problem will not be in the section of the book that you are reading. In this case, you will need to come up with a possible solution for you character’s problem.

When you begin artistically representing your character, try to use any physical descriptions from the text to help you. Your “artistic impression” of the character will probably be on a separate piece of paper. The next page gives you an example of how your paper may look with the character information.

You will be learning about Black Stache.  Think about the following traits as you read Chapter 4-The Sea Devil:

boastful	defiant	disgruntled
ruthless	conceited	determined

Implied Character Traits (3)

1. (Trait) Conceited p. 33 par. 8

(Explanation or proof of trait)

Black Stache laughs at the idea of another ship outrunning his own.  He believes his ship is the fastest, unbeatable almost.

1. (Trait) Ruthless p. 35 par. 8

(Explanation or proof of trait)

He threatens to cut the captured sailors ears off if the information he has given Stache is wrong.  Stache declared that he would make a necklace out of the ears.

1. (Trait) Determined p. 36 par. 3

(Explanation or proof of trait)

Stache states that he wants the wasp.  In the final paragraph on page 36 Stache declares that the Wasp will be his along with everything on it.

Character’s Goal: Stache’s goal is to capture the Wasp along with all the treasure on it.

Problem: Stache’s problem is that the Wasp is supposedly the fastest ship built to date.  Therefore, he will probably be unable to capture it.

Solution or Possible Solution:

Stache keeps mentioning the Ladies.  Perhaps the Ladies are some type of device that will make the Sea Devil sail faster; thus he will be able to outrun the Wasp.

Character Sketch for Molly

Character Sketcher 2

You are invited to learn more about Molly. Please take notes on how Molly acts and looks.

To begin, think about “descriptive words” that capture Molly’s personality and try to find passages in Chapter 3 that show how Molly is acting. Think about why or how those words describe Molly in the passages. Remember these will be implied traits. Use the traits below to help you.

Choose 3 of the following traits and find passages in Chapter 3 that demonstrate Molly acting:

brave	confident	clever	assertive
witty	imaginative	melancholy	surprised

On page 22 paragraph 7 Molly acts brave because she probably could have gotten in trouble for warning Peter about the consequences for jumping off the ship. However, she did what she thought was right.  She warned Peter just in time.

On page 24 paragraph 8 Molly acts witty when she says, “..it would be a shame to miss a voyage aboard such a lovely ship as the Never Land.”  The ship is an absolute mess.  Molly was making a joke when she said it was a lovely ship

On page 29 paragraph 5Molly acts surprised when she finds out Peter and his friends are orphans.  She knows the terrible fate that awaits them and is taken aback by finding out Peter will have to suffer such a horrific fate.

Then, use the passages that describe Molly’s actions and appearance to help you complete an artistic impression of Molly. Page 19, last paragraph, gives you some information about Molly’s appearance. Are there any other passages you noticed?

Character Sketch for Peter

Character Sketcher 1

You are invited to learn more about Peter. Please take notes on how Peter acts and looks.

v To begin, reread the following passages, determine “descriptive words” that capture Peter’s personality and explain why the words describe Peter.

v Reread page 18 and the first two paragraphs on page 19. Which words describe Peter? perceptive, sharp, intelligence, inquisitive, quick-thinker

v  He acts perceptive because nothing escapes him.  Peter sees everything that goes on.  He is thinks quickly.

Focus on page 19 paragraphs one and two.

v Reread page 22 paragraph two. Which words describe Peter? insensitively, selfish, impatient

v  He acts selfishly because he was going to leave the other boys aboard the ship.  He was looking out for his own well-being but not the other boys’ well-being.  The other boys consider Peter their leader and would be lost without him.

v Reread page 24 paragraph one. Which words describe Peter? appreciative, acknowledging, thankful, grateful

v  He acts grateful because if it wasn’t for the girl’s warning, Peter would have been snared by the man’s whip.  He acknowledges her warning the only way he can, by nodding his head.

Then, use the passages that describe Peter’s actions and appearance to help you complete an artistic impression of Peter.

Page 1 paragraph 2; page 20 paragraph one

Other passages you noticed.

Breaking Down Words to Build Meaning: Morphology, Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension in the Urban Classroom

I found this article to be very informative.  I do not remember receiving any direct instruction in using morphology to figure out the meaning of words.   I think adding morphology to students’ arsenal will be very beneficial for the students.  I definitely agree that there is a relationship between vocabulary and comprehension.  Students will be unable to comprehend main ideas from passages if they do not comprehend some of the key vocabulary.  Furthermore, I also concur that there has to be a reciprocal relationship between vocabulary and morphology.  The more student understand morphology, the more students will be able decode words.  Also, the more students are exposed to vocabulary, the more students will be exposed to different word parts.

I feel that in many schools, students do not recieve rich vocabulary instruction.  Students are given different spelling words and asked to use these words in sentences, write them five times, etc.  These tasks may help students memorize  the words, but I do not believe this to be rich instruction.  Students are not exposed to the words in a variety of contexts.  Furthermore, morphology is not being integrated into the spelling curriculum.  Teachers need to make a contentious effort to provide rich instruction.  Teachers need to choose words words which will provide the most Benefit  for the students. Often, this means incorporating academic words with the spelling curriculum.  Additionally, teachers need to add instruction in ELL students’ native language.  This may mean the teacher needs to coordinate with the school’s ESL teacher.

Students need to be taught to use morphology as a way to decode the meaning of words.  Shared readings would be a perfect way for teachers to model using morphology.  Teachers would read a word, act as if they aren’t sure what it means.  The teacher may write the word on the board.  The teacher could model how to break the word down.  If the teacher used the word courageous, the teacher may circle the word courage.  The students will most likely know this word.  The teacher they may address the suffix -ous. The teacher may do this several times before asking the students to do it themselves. It is also important to model to students how to check you hypothesis of what the word means (based upon morphology) to context clues found in text.  Students will most likely not know how to use morphology without the teacher modeling.  The teacher should continue scaffolding students, introducing new morphemes and vocabulary to students during shared readings.

Students will, in addition to shared readings, will need direct instruction.  I like the tables the article included.  They will provide a place to start during direct instruction.  The   I liked one of the suggestion the article gave.  The article suggested giving students a a set of words.  the words will have all the same root words.  Students will work in groups to identify suffixes and prefixes and how they change the word.  Students are constructing their own knowledge which I think is so important.  They feel that they have a stake in their own learning.  Of course, the teacher will need to circulate the room and provide scaffolding when needed.

I like the idea of using cognates to help ELL students.  I feel that ELL students will learn better when their learning is connected to their native language.

Section III Pirate Diary DED

Pirate Diary:  The Journal of Jake Carpenter

“For as long as I can remember, I have lived in the village of Holyoak, North Carolina.  My family can to the American colonies from England.”  P. 5	Inference: This tells me that Jake was born in the colonies.  He says that NC is the only place he ever remembers living in.  His mother and father on the other hand probably immigrated to the colonies.  They may have come because of religious persecution, or they could have been lured to the Americas with the promise of wealth.
“A couple of our shipmates are listening to us talking and one butted in thus:  “Why should we Americans pay taxes to an English king who cares nothing about us and gives us no say in the way our affairs are run.” P. 13	Connections:  The colonists do not believe they should have to pay taxes.  Apparently the king is not allowing the colonies to have a say in the way they are run.  This might be the reason they do not want to pay taxes.  Why would you want to pay taxes to a government in which you have no say?  I would not want to pay taxes today if I did not have a say in our government.
“Saw a man flogged.  Captain Nick had been drinking rum until late last night.  When he rose, the first man he spied was a seaman working the pumps…..The captain judged he was pumping too slow, and ordered him flogged at sundown.” P. 17	Inference:  I am guessing that the captain often hands out severe punishment when he drinks. The man was probably working as he always did.  He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I am also guessing that the captain is a hard man to please in general.  He probably is mean regardless of drinking.
“Soon after dawn I climbed to the foremast.  I was allowed only some water in a leather bottle to quench my thirst.”  P. 21	Reaction:  To me this seems very harsh.  He is only a ten-year-old boy.  His uncle has already been flogged and stranded at sea.  This should have been punishment enough, to lose an uncle who was so dear to him.  I guess life aboard a merchant ship was much worse than aboard a pirate ship.
“The cloud quickly hid the deck from view, but aloft aloft I could see that the PIRATES (for so they proved to be) had hauled down their Dutch flag, and hoisted a black flag with an hourglass and crossed swords.” P. 22	Connection:  In class we have read several books about pirates.  I thought that the ship flying the Dutch flag was probably a pirate ship.  The black flag with the hourglass and crossed swords must be the pirate ship’s jolly roger.
“We left the island today, but not before leaving behind the captain and second mate.  This is the meaning of “marooning” that I heard the pirates speak of in their meeting.”  P. 30	Reaction:  I really like how the author defined marooning within the text.  The author did not come right out and give the definition.  He gave an example. Marooning-leaving someone deserted somewhere
Effect:  “..thus Saul’s life spared and the capitano quickly captured.”  P. 39	Cause:  “I had never fired a pistol before, let alone two at once.”  P. 39
Effect:  For my part I was given 564 coins-a small fortune, and more than my father ever had in his life.” P. 39	Cause:  “Without loss of any of our number we captured 350,000 pieces of eight.”  P. 39
“ It was cloudy and the sky was black as molasses.”	Reaction: I like this simile very much.  It paints a very clear picture for the reader.  If you have ever seen molasses, you know that it is a very dark substance.

Section III What if You Met a Pirate DED

What If You Met a Pirate?

“Pirates like this couldn’t really be very successful.  But he looks like a pirate doesn’t he?  You know what pirates look like because you’ve seen them in movies and books, right?” p. 2	Inference:  I am going out on a limb here, and guessing that pirates do not really look and act like they do in Pirates of the Caribbean movies.  This is makes me very sad.  I was hoping that there was a pirate somewhere out there that really looked like Johnny Depp.
“Pirates were hanged, but privateers were official.”  p. 6	Inference/Question:  So did privateers only loot enemy ships.  It seems to me that they would rob other country’s ships as well.  They probably would not rob from the country that provided their letters of mark, but other ships (other than the enemy country) would be fair game.
“Pirates didn’t want big ships, and they didn’t want to fight at all.  They were smarter than that.” P. 10	Connections: I learned in class, that many pirates liked to ambush other ships.  It would make sense that pirates did not want large ships.  It would be hard to ambush someone with a ship such as the frigates.  Smaller ships were probable faster and easier to hide.  If pirates could ambush another ship, this would minimize fighting.
“Cannon were dangerous to everyone, even the pirates who fired them.  …..When it was fired, the cannon would recoil-shoot back fast with terrible force.  Anyone in the way could be killed.” P. 19	Inference: I guess this is one of the reasons pirates wanted to avoid combat if they could.  Fighting was not only dangerous for the ships being attacked but also for the pirates.  The pirates could lose their life by simply firing the cannon.
“ Surprise was the best:  sneak up on the prize as it sailed through a narrow passage at night, then swarm over the side of the ship, yelling like demons.” P. 20	Reaction: This was a very good strategy.  Sneaking up on your prey may minimize the number of lives lost during the take-over. Connections: Some modern day pirates still utilize this strategy.  One area where pirate attacks are still prevalent is the Malacca Strait.  The author also uses a very appropriate and vivid simile in this quote.  Many people might describe pirates as demons.
“Hanging Kid was as messy and ridiculous as his pirate cruise.  He emerged from prison drunk.  The first rope broke.  The second held.  His body was tarred and hung in chains for years beside the Thames River as an example of piracy and stupidity.”  P. 29	Reaction: I thought this was very interesting.  Hangings were a great spectacle for common people to watch.  I bet they got a kick out of watching this one, especially since Kidd was so disliked.  This story also reminds me of something that could be in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Notes for the Reader

1.) Who were the colonists?

The colonists were individuals who were either born or immigrated to America and lived in the English colonies.  They were still considered English citizens since England owned the colonies.

2.) What are the Navigation Acts?

The Navigation Acts were a series of laws that the colonists to trade only with England, using English ships with English crews.

3.) How did the colonists feel about Navigation Acts?

Colonists did not like the Navigation Acts at all.  The law forced them to accept low prices for goods they produced.

4.) Who were freebooters?

Freebooters were mostly smugglers.  They supplied untaxed goods to colonists.  Many freebooters had influential friends ashore and often were financed by investment groups of businessmen.

5.) Describe the relationship between the colonists and the pirates.

Often times colonists welcomed pirates.  They liked to buy their smuggled goods.  Additionally, many colonists still felt indebted to pirates for helping protect colonists from the Spanish during the war.  Some colonists supplied and repaired ships for the pirates.  However, many colonists grew tired of pirates’ wild manners and violence.  Therefore, colonists no longer welcomed pirates in colonial ports and harbors.

1.) What did you learn about the different kinds of pirates?

I learned that there were different kinds of pirates.  I learned that freebooters had friends in high places and sold smuggled goods to the colonists.  The Viking Raiders attacked  European coasts and coasts farther north between the ninth and eleventh centuries.  Privateers were legal pirates.  They had been given letters of marquee which allowed them to attack enemy ships.  Corsairs were sixteenth-century Mediterranean pirates.  They plundered in the name of religion.  Buccaneers were originally from Hispaniola.  However, buccaneer quickly became a word synonymous with all pirates.

2.) Out of all the pirates mentioned in this section, which ones do you find most interesting? Please explain why.

I thought that Mary Read and Anne Bonny were very interesting.  Typically pirates were male.  Read and Bonny had to dress in men’s clothing to even be allowed on the ship.  When they were captured, they escaped execution by claiming to be pregnant.  I thought that was very interesting.

Dictionary of Piratical and Nautical Terms

Dictionary of Piratical and Nautical Terms

brig: were two-masted vessels with square sails (four-sided, attached to horizontal poles called yards).

masts: large poles that the sails hang from.

starboard: right

port: left

contraband: smuggled goods

customs taxes: A payment of money people had to make to the crown for bringing goods in or taking them out of the country.

molasses: the byproduct of processing sugarcane into sugar often used to sweeten oatmeal porridge aboard pirate ships.

upper topsails: highest and smallest sails

first mate: command the ship when the captain is ill or sleeping.

helmsman: the sailor who steers the ship.

flogged: A man’s hands were tied above his head and his shirt was stripped off. The man was beaten with a cat-of-nine-tails often until the blood ran from his back.

latitude: how far a ship has traveled north or south.

backstaff: used to measure the height of the sun, allows a sailor to know the latitude.

almanac: a book of navigator’s tables

quarterdeck: highest platform on the ship.

boatswain: is in charge of checking the sails, rigging, and anchor.

maggots: small white worms

marooning: leaving someone deserted somewhere with no means to escape

moored: anchored, held stationary by the anchor

articles: rules

deserters: those who left without permission

league: A measurement used at sea (1 league=3.45 miles.)

tacking: zigzag sailing, sailing many leagues port and going about and sailing the same distance starboard.

careen: scraping from the bottom of the ship the barnacles and weed that slow progress through the water.

powder monkey: someone who runs to the lower deck to fetch gunpowder.

magazine: Where the gunpowder is kept. A cabin protected by curtains of wet canvas against sparks that fly in battle.