Theme - Education Place® · THEME 5/Gloria Estefan Goal: Judge whether the fictional version of the shipwreck of the Ethie is true to the spirit of the real shipwreck. Goal:

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THEME 5: Heroes

Selections

1 Happy Birthday, Dr. King!

2 Gloria Estefan

3 Lou Gehrig:The Luckiest Man

Heroes

C H A L L E N G E A C T I V I T I E S F O RC H A L L E N G E A C T I V I T I E S F O R

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THEME 5: Heroes

SELECTION 1:

Happy Birthday, Dr. King!

1. A Better Way

Map the Problem

How can you settle disagreements without fighting? Working in a small group, write and perform a play about a peaceful solution toa disagreement. Follow these steps:

• Think of a situation, based onyour experiences, that oftenleads to a disagreement.

• Put the situation into play form.Write out dialogue and actionsfor each character.

• Assign roles.

Choose the Solution

Add a peaceful solution to your play. Use one of these solutions,or another that comes to mind:

• compromising, each side gives up something

• both sides apologizing

• deciding by the flip of a counter

• asking someone outside of the disagreement to decide

Present Your Play

Present your play to the class. At the end of your play, talk withyour audience about the disagreement and the peaceful solution.Ask your audience to suggest other peaceful solutions.

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THEME 5/Happy Birthday, Dr. King!

CH 5–1 Challenge Master Grade 4 Theme 5: Heroes

Goal: Write and perform a play that shows a peaceful resolution.

• Base the disagreementon realistic situations.

• Make the characters anddialogue believable.

• Try to choose a solutionthat helps both sides.

Challenge Master CH 5–1

1. A Better Way 150 MINUTES SMALL GROUP

(Social Studies)

Map the ProblemRemind students to brainstorm and discuss their situations as agroup. Tell them to:

• Base the play on a realistic situation for students of their age.

• All the characters should belong to about the same age group.

• Keep the situations general so they appeal to everyone.

English Language Learners: Pair beginners with more advancedstudents.

Students continue to work on this project.

Choose the SolutionCheck with students on their progress. Advise them to workindividually to research and sum up ways of peaceful settlement,then discuss them as a group.


Present Your PlayAllow students time to rehearse their play. You may want tomoderate the discussion about alternative solutions.

Expected OutcomeA good play will include

✔ a realistic situation thatinvolves a disagreement

✔ believable charactersand dialogue

✔ a genuinely peacefulresolution of thedisagreement

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SELECTION 1: Happy Birthday, Dr. King!

2. Civil Rights Quilt

Research the lives of each activistlisted below. Then draw their pictures,add brief biographical paragraphs, andmount the portraits in a quilt patternon a colorful backing.

Rosa Parks Steve Biko César Chávez

Ida B. Wells Frederick Douglass Peter Zenger

Susan B. Anthony Mahatma Gandhi Harriet Tubman

3. The Inspiration, Poetry

Poetry can reach out to others. Forexample, Langston Hughes (1902–1967)shared in his poems what he felt aboutbeing an African American without fullcivil rights.

• Find a Langston Hughes poem, or one by another poet, in whichthe poet expresses similar feelings.

• Recite the poem with your group. Then explain how it mighthave caused readers to become civil rights activists.

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Grade 4 Theme 5: Heroes Challenge Master CH 5–2

THEME 5/Happy Birthday, Dr. King!

Goal: Assemble a paper quilt of civilrights activists.

• Indicate what countryeach person comesfrom.

• State who each personis, what he or sheaccomplished, andwhen.

Goal: Find and recite poetry thatmight have inspired people to becomecivil rights activists. • Recite the poem in a

stirring manner.

• Think about how thepoem’s ideas affect you personally.


Expected OutcomeA good quilt will include

✔ a picture and shortbiography about eachperson

✔ an organized design

✔ a statement of eachperson’s deeds and ofhis or her role inpromoting civil rights

2. Civil Rights Quilt 60 MINUTES SMALL GROUP

(Social Studies) (Art)Materials: reference sources, including almanacs, crayons, markers,scissors, drawing paper, glue, and backing for the paper quilt

So that students can understand the far-reaching effects of RosaParks’ act, read aloud the description of the historic meetingbetween her and Nelson Mandela. You will find the scene on pages 229–231 of Douglas Brinkley’s biography Rosa Parks,(Penguin Lives, 2000).

3. The Inspiration, Poetry60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL PAIR

Materials: The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes (Vintage Classics,1995); other poetry anthologies

Guide students to two Langston Hughes poems, the short “I, Too”and “Freedom’s Plow.” Your school or public library may have a copy of Freedom’s Children: Young Civil Rights Activists TellTheir Own Stories by Ellen Levine (Putnam, 1993). African Americansoutherners who were involved in the civil rights struggles of the1950s and 1960s describe their feelings and experiences.

Additional Independent WorkConnecting/Comparing Literature

Have students compare the Leveled Reader selection Changing theRules with the anthology selection Happy Birthday, Dr. King!, usingwhat they have learned about Cause and Effect. Students may dis-cuss or write about their comparisons.

Other Activities• Theme 5 Assignment Cards 1,

2, 3

• TE p. 548, LiteratureDiscussion

• TE p. 555, Historic Sites

• TE p. 555E, Challenge WordPractice

• TE pp. R9, R15,Challenge

• Education Place: www.eduplace.comMore activities related toHappy Birthday, Dr. King!

• Accelerated Reader®,Happy Birthday, Dr. King!

Expected OutcomeA good poetry reading willinclude

✔ a stirring interpretation

✔ an explanation of thepoem’s affect on itsreaders

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THEME 5: Heroes

SELECTION 2:

Gloria Estefan

1. The Benefits of Biography

Go to the Source

Why do people read biographies? For ideas:

• Recall a biography you especially liked.

• Reread or skim it. List the qualities that most appeal to you.

• Highlight the qualities you would look for in other biographies.

Make Your Argument

Prepare your ideas for the panel discussion. Organize yourthoughts about biographies into categories. For example, peopleread biographies

• to learn (about a period of time, career, or field of study)

• to be inspired

• to find a role model

• to satisfy curiosity

Discuss Your Thoughts

Hold a panel discussion. Share yourideas on the benefits of readingbiographies. Follow these guidelines:

• Choose a moderator to guide thediscussion.

• Have the moderator pose questions, such as, “Should studentsbe required to read biographies, and if so, why?”

• Invite questions from the audience after the discussion.

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THEME 5/Gloria Estefan


Goal: Hold a panel discussion on the purposes and benefits ofreading biographies.

• Think through yourideas.

• Use examples to backup your opinions.


1. The Benefits of Biography150 MINUTES SMALL GROUP

(Social Studies)Materials: biographies

Go to the SourceTell students to concentrate on their personal reasons for readingbiographies, then use those reasons as a basis for thinking aboutwhat others might gain from biographies.

English Language Learners: Pair beginners with moreexperienced learners who can discuss with them any biographiesthey may have read in their primary language.


Make Your ArgumentCheck with students on the organization of their thoughts.


Discuss Your ThoughtsRemind students on the panel to speak slowly and clearly. Studentsin the audience should raise their hands if they have a question.Remind all students to let each student finish speaking.

Expected OutcomeA good panel discussion willinclude

✔ well-thought-out andorganized ideas

✔ specific examples toback up opinions

✔ a lively exchange ofideas

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SELECTION 2: Gloria Estefan

2. The Wreck of the Ethie

The Wreck of the Ethie is fictionbased on fact. Use a judgment chartlike the one on Practice Book page 124to help you decide whether the authorremained true to the spirit of theactual event. Think about which storyelements changed and which remainedthe same. Decide whether thedifferences make the story clearer ormore exciting. When you finish your chart, write a short conclusionthat summarizes your opinion.

3. Appealing for Help

Think of a charitable cause that isimportant to you, and do some researchto learn more about it. Write to a recording artist asking him or her toperform at a benefit for this cause. Follow these guidelines:

• Clearly state what you want.

• Include at least three strong reasons for the artist to perform.

• Use positive and polite language.

• Summarize your reasons and ask for a response.

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THEME 5/Gloria Estefan

Goal: Judge whether the fictional version of the shipwreck of theEthie is true to the spirit of the real shipwreck.

Goal: Write a letter to a recordingartist asking him or her to appear at abenefit for a charitable cause.

• Give specific reasons tosupport your judgment.

• Consider all sidesbefore forming anopinion.

• Choose an artist thatmight already have aninterest in your cause.

• Use persuasive words.


Expected OutcomeA good judgment chart willinclude

✔ clearly stated opinions

✔ reasons that support thejudgment

✔ a conclusion thatsummarizes thejudgment

2. The Wreck of the Ethie 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL

(Challenge Theme Paperback)Materials: The Wreck of the Ethie and Graphic Organizer Master 5

Remind students that there is no one correct answer becausejudgments are opinions. However, they should always back up their opinions with specific information.

3. Appealing for Help 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL

Materials: reference sources

Remind students that the purpose of a persuasive letter is to con-vince the recipient to take a specific action. The letter should avoidunrelated information. Tell students this should not be a fan letter.


Have students compare the Leveled Reader selection Daniel Inouye:Hero from Hawaii with the anthology selection Gloria Estefan,using what they have learned about Making Judgments. Studentsmay discuss or write about their comparisons.

Other Activities• Challenge Theme Paperback,

The Wreck of the Ethie

• Theme 5 Assignment Cards 4, 5, 6



• TE pp. R6, R11, R17,Challenge

• Education Place: www.eduplace.comMore activities related toGloria Estefan

• Accelerated Reader®,Gloria Estefan

Expected OutcomeA good persuasive letter willinclude

✔ an appealing cause

✔ strong reasons tosupport the cause

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THEME 5: Heroes

SELECTION 3:

Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man

1. Equipped for Baseball

Choose the Items

To help a newcomer, make an easy-to-use reference source thatexplains different pieces of baseball equipment.

• Brainstorm a list of baseball equipment.

• Write the name of each item on an index card.

• Divide the cards among the group.

Research Their Uses

Consult encyclopedias and sportsbooks.

• Make notes on the index cards.

• Name the source that gave youthe information.

• On separate sheets of paper,sketch the items and write a one-paragraph explanation for each.

Publish Your Work

Decide how to present your information. You could create

• a sports dictionary

• a baseball magazine

• sports flash cards

Share your work with the class.

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Goal: Work in small groups to explain and illustrate a referencesource on baseball equipment.

• Divide the writing anddrawing tasks amongyour group.

• Choose a publishingmethod that presentsthe information clearlyand easily.


1. Equipped for Baseball150 MINUTES SMALL GROUP

(Sports)Materials: reference sources, index cards, crayons, and markers

Choose the ItemsTell students to divide the research evenly among the groupmembers.

English Language Learners: Brainstorm with students differentkinds of baseball equipment.


Research Their UsesCheck with students on the progress of their information gathering.Tell students to think of what is the most useful information to haveabout any piece of equipment. They should use that information asthe main idea of their explanatory paragraph. They may have todraw an object from different perspectives to clarify its shape.


Publish Your WorkRemind students that their goal is to make their presentation easy tounderstand. Students should test any parts they are not sure of onclassmates who are new to baseball.

Expected OutcomeA good reference source willinclude

✔ well-organizedinformation

✔ clear and easy-to-understand text

✔ helpful illustrations

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SELECTION 3: Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man

2. Heroes

Reread the selections and list all thequalities that make up a hero. Then,think of someone in your life or in historythat you feel shows the qualities of ahero. Write an essay explaining why heor she is a hero.

3. The Fact or Opinion Game

With a partner, make a set of cards with a statement aboutbaseball on each one. Some should be facts and some should beopinions. Check each fact.

• Make the board on poster board.Be sure it has a start, a finish, andmultiple squares to travel on.

• Rules should describe how eachplayer draws a card from thedeck, identifies the statement asfact or opinion, and if correct,moves along the board.

• In the deck, include chances for players to hit a double (advancetwo places), a triple (three places), and a home run (four places),or to steal a base (advance one place).

• Play the game with your partner.

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THEME 5/Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man

Goal: Write an essay about someonethat you consider a hero.

Goal: Create a fact and opinion board game.

• Take notes describinghow the person showseach characteristic.

• Use details from theperson’s life to supportyour ideas.

• Use signal words foropinions.

• Provide an answer keyso players can checktheir guesses.


Expected OutcomeA good essay will include

✔ someone who has heroicqualities

✔ details to support thechoice

✔ an understanding of thetheme

2. Heroes 60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL

Remind students that they can choose someone famous or someonethey know personally. Ask volunteers to share their essays with theclass. For additional reading, have students read Marie Curie fromthe Houghton Mifflin Classroom Bookshelf.

3. The Fact or Opinion Game60 MINUTES INDIVIDUAL

Materials: poster board, index cards, markers, and reference sources

Students might use statements about baseball from their text,Practice Book, or other source.


Have students compare the Leveled Reader selection RobertoClemente: Baseball Superstar with the anthology selection LouGehrig: The Luckiest Man, using what they have learned about Factand Opinion. Students may discuss or write about their comparisons.

Other Activities• Theme 5 Assignment Cards 7,

8, 9, 10



• TE pp. R13, R19, R21,Challenge

• Education Place: www.eduplace.comMore activities related to LouGehrig: The Luckiest Man

• Accelerated Reader®, LouGehrig: The Luckiest Man

Expected OutcomeA good game will include

✔ factual statements

✔ opinion statements

✔ clear playing directions

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Theme - Education Place® · THEME 5/Gloria Estefan Goal: Judge whether the fictional version of the shipwreck of the Ethie is true to the spirit of the real shipwreck. Goal: