Using a novel in the literacy classroom Essay Example
Using a novel in the literacy classroom Essay Example

Using a novel in the literacy classroom Essay Example

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  • Pages: 14 (3718 words)
  • Published: July 24, 2017
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It begins with the dramatic line “Everybody hates me. ” The writer so proceeds to take us on a journey written in the first individual from the point-of-view of Tao Symonds. the 11 twelvemonth old storyteller and cardinal character. as he reflects on the old few months of his life. Tao thinks the whole universe is against him. He is enduring force per unit area from school. his parents and their new spouses. every bit good as from his equals to fall in in theirescapades and to exceed it all off. his Canis familiaris has died. Tao feels confused and angry because his parents. middle aged surfboarder male parent. Greg. and his female parent. a instructor called Christine. are in the procedure of a break-up. Tao so lists his problems and tells the rea

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der of his present apprehension as he is taken by his female parent to run into Mr. Petrovic. a Croatian immigrant. to apologise for something he says is non his mistake. at least non wholly his mistake. Through the usage of past and present tense. Colin Bowles complicates the secret plan stating us in Tao’s position how it all started.

Tao and his friends. Matt and Bluey. are kicking a football in the street when it goes into the front pace of Mr. Petrovic. Matt sends Bluey to acquire it. Mr. Petrovic sees him and cries at him so the male childs all flee. Over the class of several hebdomads. Matt leads Tao and Bluey in hassling Mr. Petrovic due to Matt’s insisting that he has to “…be Got Back” ( Bowles. 1997. p. 8 ) . They turn off the H2O whe

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he is in the shower. arrange for a burden of firewood to be dumped in his private road and sit their skateboards through his rose garden before Matt and Bluey use scissors to vandalize Mr Petrovic’s rose garden. Against his better judgement. Tao goes along with most of these strategies because he is afraid of being left out of their pack.

Tao looks up to his friend Matt who he sees as “Really cool” ( Bowles. 1997. p. 2 ) nevertheless. Matt does several things that show him as a coward. Tao bends to the equal force per unit area from Matt on a regular basis even when he knows what they are making is incorrect. Tao begins to recognize that Matt is non as deserving of his regard as he antecedently thought when Matt ‘rats’ on them for the firewood episode. a buffoonery that was in fact wholly Matt’s making. When Matt lets Tao take full duty for cutting the roses. a buffoonery to which Tao voiced strong resistance. and is suspended from school. Tao sees him in a new visible radiation. As a reverberation of his suspension. Matt’s female parent takes him to see Mr Petrovic in individual.

Colin Bowles displays great accomplishment when he eventually brings the reader into Mr Petrovic’s universe. Initially Mr Petrovic appears to disregard Tao’s apology. apparently in a universe of his ain while he narrates his past life and his grounds for coming to Australia. Finally he accepts Tao’s apology and so continues to depict what happened to him and his household in Croatia. This conversation so leads to Tao understanding the significance of the rose garden vandalised by

Matt and Bluey. Mr Petrovic brought the roses with him from Croatia to remind him of his late married woman who died when a bomb struck their house. She had a lovely garden and these peculiar roses were her pride and joy and a beginning of great comfort to Mr Petrovic in his new environment.

There are many subjects throughout the book including divorce/separation. in-migration. equal force per unit area. household kineticss. heartache. guilt. honestness and empathy. Colin Bowles shows an penetration into reactions of kids enduring a household break-up. how they might experience. their frights and the manner they might fault themselves for their parents break-up. The writer has adopted the place of a storyteller. stating a bias narrative that finally consequences in a broader position being examined and exposed. He tells the narrative from Tao’s point of position as an 11 twelvemonth old might conceive of an unknown new immigrant ; chilling. different. possibly even a war felon. and finally exposes him for what he is. a sort old adult male.

Mr Petrovic does non chop off Tao’s caput with an axe as he imagined. but invites him in for liqueur and a biscuit. Mr Petrovic does non hold “…rats and cobwebs and spots of dead organic structures leaking out of the refrigerator…” ( Bowles. 1997. p. 127 ) . but has spiritual icons and household exposures hanging on the wall. Tao expects him to force out out his eyes upon run intoing him but Mr Petrovic “…did a singular thing. He patted me on the cheek” ( Bowles. 1997. p. 127 ) . This reveals to the reader that the text has been really

one sided and there is another side to the narrative.

I enjoyed “Surfing Mr Petrovic” really much. This is an of import point in learning English and promoting kids to read for enjoyment. It is improbable that a instructor can animate or promote kids to read if the instructor can non expose echt enthusiasm for the text they are advancing
( Elementss of an English Plan: Sharing Texts. 2007 ) .

Predating the sharing of the text with pupils an account would happen as to why this peculiar text was being introduced. It would be stated that the text will be read chiefly for enjoyment but besides to utilize the chance to research the subjects. construction and characteristics of different text genres. The rubric. screen and endorsement would be used to promote pupils to do anticipations about the text and what it might be about ( see appendix 1 ) .

The attack to the reading of the novel would be varied. It is anticipated that the category survey would get down with a shared reading of the gap chapter to further students’ involvement. A prepared reading by the instructor is normally much more affecting than a hesitating reading-around-the-class activity ( Sykes. n. d. ) . The purpose is to actuate each pupil to read the novel for pleasance and non merely because they have to. Subsequent reading would be done in a assortment of ways ; aloud. mutely. as a whole group or in smaller groups. When utilizing little group reading. pupils would be grouped to guarantee skilled readers are non frustrated by slower readers or that slower readers would non be intimidated by those more capable. Another

attack would be to allow pupils to take on the functions of characters. a reader’s theater. which would help pupils to develop an apprehension of direct address ( Readers Theatre. 2007 ) .

Students should hear reading modelled from the text by more adept readers ( Targeting Text: A Guided Writing Project. 2007 ) . This would be peculiarly helpful for less able pupils to increase their cognition of vocabulary. word picture. modulation. gait. intermission and sentence construction. This can besides be achieved by the instructor reading selected chapters and utilizing different schemes to do significance from the text. sometimes hesitating to re-read a peculiar transition. oppugning pupils about the significance of the text. ask foring theorizing as to what might go on and holding pupils make associations with their ain experience. By pulling on their ain experiences and anterior cognition pupils apply a broad scope of schemes to grok. construe. measure. and appreciate texts ( Guided Comprehension. 2008 ) . Having pupils read aloud can assist in measuring their ability to do significance of the text which may be indicated by the eloquence of their reading. utilizing their cognition of punctuation and grammar ( Campbell & A ; Green. 2006 ) .

Students will besides be encouraged to do significance from texts through little group treatments every bit good as category treatment to cover the many mundane experiences depicted in the text. This would let pupils to discourse freely the point of views of authors and pupils perceptual experiences of the quandary that the characters encounter ( Langman. 2001 ) . Class treatment would be used to promote pupils to link the jobs in this novel

with other jobs they have personally experienced. in household state of affairss. with friends. seen in films. Television. or on the intelligence. Students would be asked to place subjects or lessons to be learned from the novel.

Reading the text in episodes would ease the integrating of the Directed Reading Thinking Activity ( Direct Reading Thinking Activity. 2007 ) . This activity involves inquiring pupils to maintain a reading log which would be utilised for a broad assortment of intents. Students would utilize their reading logs to enter what they have read. react to inquiries and analyse texts. The reading log is a topographic point where pupils can foretell what they think may go on next in the text and why they think that may be. Reading logs can besides be used to compose what they learn about different characters as the reading progresses every bit good as maintaining a record of interesting words and phrases and to notice on their effectivity. Unknown or hard words would be noted in their reading log and so pupils would discourse with equals those words to analyze their significance. Students could besides volunteer these words to be added to a spelling list.

The reading log would be used for pupils to observe their sentiments about the text such as: •Are there any stereotypes in the text? •What is fact and what is sentiment? •How are the characters experiencing? •What words or phrases does the writer usage to convey these thoughts? To measure pupils understanding of the text the inquiry would be asked where they thought the book was set. in what state and environment and how they have come to

gain or think this. The reading log would supply an ideal concrete resource to set about on-going appraisal of students’ advancement every bit good as give pupils chances to prosecute in equal and self appraisal every bit good as redacting and self rectification. Reading logs are a utile manner for instructors to supervise pupil reading. assess students’ apprehension of texts. every bit good as leting pupils to reflect on their acquisition ( Key Learning Processes. 2007 ) .

One of the major subjects throughout the novel is that of equal force per unit area. Tao makes the remark early in the fresh “So I had to hold to travel along even though I didn’t want to” ( Bowles. 1997. p. 25 ) . This would be seized upon to develop an integrated survey on equal force per unit area. Students would be asked for their description of what equal force per unit area is and how it affects persons. An offshoot plan would so get down holding pupils research more thoroughly these effects which may include our manner pick. intoxicant and other drug usage. pick of friends and its possible consequence on academic public presentation. That peer force per unit area may be present in the workplace. at school or within the general community. can impact people of all ages but it is non ever a negative result even though it is typecast as such would be explored. Students would be asked to compose about equal force per unit area using different text genres.

Using “Surfing Mr Petrovic” pupils would be taught to understand the characteristics of a narrative text. A dictogloss would be created by composing

a short sum-up of the novel. guaranting elements from the orientation. sequence of events. complication and declaration were included. This construction would be explored with pupils prior to the activity. Students would take notes as a subdivision of the text was read to them and so work in braces to make full in any spreads they may hold with the purpose of animating the reading. This activity develops active hearing and note taking accomplishments in pupils. helps to estimate students’ apprehensions of the text every bit good as their ability to pull out and enter the chief thoughts in a text. Students would be asked to compare their words and so portion their apprehension with the remainder of the category to find if they have all of the of import elements of the sum-up.

After guaranting that pupils understand the features of narrative text they would so be asked to brainstorm thoughts for a text with the lead “Everybody loves me” . a direct bend unit of ammunition to the lead in “Surfing Mr Petrovic” . Students would be asked to once more read the first few sentences of “Surfing Mr Petrovic” . From there a treatment would be instigated go arounding around thoughts for our ain narrations. This would affect pupils researching thoughts for the orientation. the usage of descriptive linguistic communication to assist readers make an image of the characters in their head and to give the characters defined personalities or individualities. Students’ would so be asked to pull a image of a character utilizing these thoughts. Brainstorming treatment for the scene. complications and declaration would follow. with pupils so planing a narrative web.

Students would be asked to compose a short narration independently utilizing some of the thoughts brainstormed.

“Surfing Mr Petrovic” would so be used to develop apprehension of other text genre in practical ways to supply scholars with chances to develop their apprehension and usage of linguistic communication ( Campbell and Green. 2006 ) . This could be achieved by utilizing text genre such as recount and involve pupils reciting some portion of the narrative as a diary entry from Mr Petrovic or another character from the text. To accomplish this would affect a category treatment on the intent. audience. construction and linguistic communication characteristics of a diary entry. This would include the traditional ‘Dear Diary’ beginning. the usage of first individual and the usage of affectional and descriptive linguistic communication depicting feelings. reactions. hopes and frights.

Another text genre that could be explored is dealing texts. This could be achieved by inquiring students’ to compose letters as if they were one of the characters of the book or composing to the writer of the novel. They could compose a missive to a friend explicating how they are experiencing force per unit area from equals. inquiring for advice or answering to a similar missive. Students would so be involved in create an illustration of expounding text and discourse the ways the language/structure would alter to utilize these thoughts in a booklet or posting. To research process text pupils could brainstorm thoughts about how they think Matt may hold planned how to turn off the H2O to Mr Petrovic’s house and so be asked to compose a procedural history in their reading log.

The usage of headlines and the ‘who.

what. where. why. when and how’ system could be incorporated to help student’s comprehension of study composing. Using information from the text. pupils would be asked to compose a newspaper study about the bringing of the firewood into Mr Petrovic’s private road. Students would be asked to compose six to eight inquiries that they would wish to inquire a chief character in the book that will give the character the chance to discourse his/her ideas and feelings about his/her function in the narrative. Students could compose down what they think the character might answer. Students would besides be asked to work in braces to make an fact-finding study on the affect of equal force per unit area in the resort area.

Report authorship could besides integrate the usage of the cyberspace to research different undertakings such as on equal force per unit area. what it is. how it affects people and what to be cognizant of or look intoing Croatia. its location. geographics and history. Students work in braces. sooner a pupil with some experience with cyberspace with a pupil that needed counsel. These undertakings could besides integrate wall shows with separate groups of pupils researching either peer force per unit area or Croatia. Other wall shows could be generated exposing the assorted text genres and their features. For illustration a group of pupils may work on narrative text and make a show that shows how it relates to “Surfing Mr Petrovic” explicating their apprehension of narrative building. the usage of leads. orientation. complication/s and decision every bit good as the assorted methods writers use to enrich text such as descriptive words and similes.

To fix pupils

for composing an statement or expounding text. pupils would foremost be asked to debate a inquiry such as “Should Tao have exposed Matt and Bluey as the existent perpetrators in the rose matter? ” An interesting category treatment using debating or argumentative accomplishments. could be incorporated by using the peculiarly pertinent lines from Tao on page 119 where he is asked if anyone else was involved in the cutting down of the rose shrub. Tao thinks to himself that it would be unpointed affecting Matt and Bluey because no 1 would believe him. they would believe he was merely seeking to writhe his manner out of problem. This could so be related back to the firewood incident where Matt dobbed them in and said “You mean. if I hadn’t said anything you were traveling to allow me take the heat on my ain? ” Once a consensus is reached pupils would so be asked to compose down their ideas on the argument ( Academic Controversy. 2007 ) . This activity will let pupils to reflect on their ain values and experience every bit good as hear alternate places.

To help pupils to understand that thoughts and information in texts are non impersonal and that they might even hush others. we could utilize “Surfing Mr Petrovic” as an illustration. Students would ab initio be asked if they thought the text from Tao’s point of position was just. Students would so be asked to compose a chapter from the position of Tao’s male parent. female parent or Mr Petrovic. To compose from the point of view of Matt should supply some interesting thoughts besides. Prior to reading chapter

14 pupils would be asked to compose what they think of Mr Petrovic as he has been described through Taos eyes. After reading chapter 14 a treatment on Mr Petrovic’s narrative would help pupils in understanding how texts place viewing audiences every bit good as developing an apprehension of empathy.

“Surfing Mr Petrovic” lends itself good to an exercising on literacy Sociograms ( Literary Sociograms. 2007 ) . Students would be asked to pull a diagram demoing the societal and household relationships throughout the novel with Tao’s name cardinal on the page. The value of this exercising is in the treatment and revisiting of the text that the pupils would take part in during building ( Campbell & A ; Green. 2006 ) .

There are three procedures that are cardinal to larning in English. contemplation. dialogue and coaction ( Key Learning Processes. 2007 ) . These accomplishments can be addressed with the assistance of press releases that include written activities ( appendix 2 ) . category treatment ( appendix 3 ) or a assortment of different thoughts integrating the usage of assorted text genres ( appendix 4 ) . Many of these can easy be incorporated in the reading of novels.

Colin Bowles makes usage of many similes throughout the novel. peculiarly in relation to descriptions of Mr Petrovic ( appendix 5 ) . These would be incorporated into a lesson to promote pupils to pull a image of what they thought Mr Petrovic looked like and a treatment on how the writer uses similes to make consequence. Students would be asked to build some illustrations of their ain similes in their reading log and portion them

with the category. A follow on activity would be to compose a simile verse form using a marshmallow ( Forms of Poetry. 2007 ) .

This exciting novel would supply an first-class resource to incorporate many reliable larning chances in assorted countries including English. Geography. ICT and Social Responsibility as shown above and in the appendices. The novel will assist pupils understand that although people’s civilization and visual aspect may be different from their ain. once we have the chance to come in into their universe we find that they are non as different or chilling as imagined. The concentration of work in a reading log. self rectification and peer treatment of work. would all unite to help pupils construct valuable reading and composing accomplishments.

Mentions:

Academic Controversy. ( 2007 ) Teaching Ideas and Units – Teaching Strategies. English Learning Area. Department of Education. Tasmania. School Education Division. Retrieved 1 February. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //wwwfp. instruction. Tas. gov. au/English/accont. htmBowles. C. ( 1997 ) . Surfboarding Mr Petrovic. Ringwood: Puffin Books.

Campbell. R & A ; Green. D. ( Eds. ) ( 2006 ) . Literacies and scholars: current positions. ( 3rd edn ) . Frenchs Forest. Naval special warfare: Pearson Education Australia.

Direct Reading Thinking Activity. ( 2007 ) . Particularly for Teachers. English Learning Area. Department of Education. Tasmania. School Education Division. Retrieved 3 February. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //wwwfp. instruction. Tas. gov. au/english/DRTA. htmElements of an English Plan: Sharing Texts. ( 2007 ) . Teaching Ideas and Units. English Learning Area. Department of Education. Tasmania. School Education Division. Retrieved 16th January. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //wwwfp. instruction. Tas. gov. au/English/sharetexts. htmForms of Poetry.

( 2007 ) . Teaching Ideas and Units. English Learning Area. Department of Education. Tasmania. School Education Division. Retrieved 3rd February. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //wwwfp. instruction. Tas. gov. au/English/formsof. htmGuided Comprehension. ( 2008 ) . Visualizing Using the Sketch-to-Stretch Strategy. read. compose. believe. Retrieved 10 February. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. readwritethink. org/lessons/lesson_view. asp? id=229Key Learning Processes. ( 2007 ) . Particularly for Teachers – Teaching English. English
Learning Area. Department of Education. Tasmania. School Education Division. Retrieved 3rd February. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //wwwfp. instruction. Tas. gov. au/English/key. htmLangman. A. ( 2001 ) . A ‘novel’ attack to curriculum programs. Australia. edu on-line magazine. Retrieved 7th February. 2008. from World Wide Web. Australia. edu/magazine/novelapproach. pdfLiterary Sociograms ( 2007 ) . Teaching Ideas and Units – Teaching Strategies. English Learning Area. Department of Education. Tasmania. School Education Division. Retrieved 8th February. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //wwwfp. instruction. Tas. gov. au/english/litsoc. htmReaders theatre ( 2007 ) . Teaching Ideas and Units – Teaching Strategies. English Learning Area. Department of Education. Tasmania. School Education Division. Retrieved 8th February. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //wwwfp. instruction. Tas. gov. au/English/readerstheatre. htmSykes. H. ( n. d. ) . Teachers’ Notes for Refugee. Puffin Australia. Retrieved 10 February. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. penguin. com. au/puffin/notes/title-notes. cfm? SBN=0140389857 % 20 % 20 % 20Targeting Text: A Guided Writing Project. ( 2007 ) . Teaching Ideas and Units – Teaching Strategies. English Learning Area. Department of Education. Tasmania. School Education Division. Retrieved 10 February. 2008. from hypertext transfer protocol: //wwwfp. instruction. Tas. gov. au/english/targeting. htm

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