Owenby Kevin Henkes

Caldecott Honor Book

Included: A brief excerpt from the book and rigorous question set activities promoting higher level-thinking

development

Additional Resources

Owen’s Marshmellow ChickBy Kevin Henkes

Tier 1

Excerpt from book

Jacob’s Ladder Goals & Objectives

Habits of Mind

Excerpt

When Owen’s nosy neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, intimates that Owen is too old for his favorite blanket Fuzzy, his parents try to get him to give it up before he

starts school. When their many efforts fail, they finally come up with a solution that makes everyone happy.

Obtain the book from a school library to read the story in its entirety and complete the ladder activities.

Students will be able:

Ladder AA1: Sequencing-To list in order of importance specific events or plot summaries A2: Cause and Effect-To identify and predict relationships between character behavior and story events, and their effects upon other characters or events.A3: Consequences and Implications-To predict character actions, story outcomes, and make real-world forecasts.

Ladder CC1: Literary Elements-To identify and explain specific story elements.C2: Inference—To use textual clues to read between the lines and make judgments about specific textual events, ideas, or character analysis.C3: Theme and Concept—To identify a major theme or ideas common throughout the text.

Ladder EE1: Understanding Emotion – to explain how emotion and feeling are conveyed in a text and/or their personal experience.E2: Expressing Emotion – to articulate their feelings through a variety of media (e.g., song, art, poem, story, essay, speech)E3: Using Emotion – to analyze how emotion affects the passage and/or the reader.

Habits of Mind

Working Interdependently

Thinking about Thinking (metacognition)

Innovating, Creating, Imagining

Refer to Jacob’s Ladder Story Table for Ladder A, C, & E Thinking Questions.

Tier 2Rigor

(Discussion)

High Level Strategies with

Ladder A, C, & E Questions

Discussion Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, Write-around, Sequencing pictures, Commercial Role Play

Choose 3 of 4 questions below to complete.

A1: Prioritize the three most important events that happened to cause Owen’s mother to come up with a new idea for his blanket. Why do you think the three events you chose are important?

A2: What effect do you think carrying the blanket had on Owen? Can you identify some examples from the story to defend your answer?

C2: What motive did Mrs. Tweezers have in continuing to tell the family about ways to help Owen get rid of his blanket? Why didn’t she say anything at the end of the story?

E1: How did Owen feel when he was told he had to be a big boy and give up his blanket? What evidence supports your answer?

Tier 3Rigor

(Discussion)

High Level Strategies with

Ladder A, C, & E Questions

Discussion Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, Write-around, Sequencing pictures, Commercial Role PlayChoose 2 of 3 questions below to complete.

A3: What are the positive and negative consequences of the mother’s solution for Owen and his blanket? Why do you think so?C1: Think about people you know in real life. Who is most like Owen’s mother? Mrs. Tweezers? Owen? Explain your answers with information from the story.C3: Owen’s mother was creative in her approach to Owen’s problem. Compare and contrast Mother’s approach and Mrs. Tweezers’ approach

Tier 4

Reflections/Relevance

Choose one of the writing ideas to complete.  Be creative. 

1. Write a letter to Owen giving him advice about school. Include illustrations of five different ways to comfort him about going to school for the first time. Share with a friend.

2. Create a new and different book cover for the story Owen. Using the new cover persuade your friends to read the book.

Optional project strategies:  Commercial Role Play; Create a Puppet Show; Charts, Posters, Flyers, Brochures: Raft