Yes. . .They WILL ReadInviting the Possibility, Creating a Culture, and Supporting Teen Readers in our Classrooms.

Welcome to Room 407

• English 11 and AP English Language and Composition at Silver Creek High School

• Member: National Council of Teachers of English, International Reading Association, Society of Children's Books and Illustrators, Children's Assembly on Literature, Assembly on Literature for Adolescents to NCTE (ALAN).

• Wonder Lead/Ambassador at Wonderopolis with The National Center for Family Literacy

• All of this begins with being a lead learner. . .

Books and Bagels• We select four titles each

marking period.

• One Classic, One Contemporary Non-Fiction, One Poetry Anthology, and a Young Adult Title.

• Our first session: THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, OUT OF OUR MINDS, I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS, and THE FAULT IN OUR STARS.

Advanced Reader Copies Build Excitement for Reading

Creating Text Sets• Teri Lesense calls these "reading ladders" in

her book. . .Reading Ladders.

• This might also be called intertextuality.

• This might also be called "textual braiding."

• Whatever we call it, this is an approach that weaves different kinds of texts in order to come to a different kind of response community.

The Idea Behind the Approach

• Invite readers who have had difficulty in ELA in prior years into a reading conversation.

• Provide an in-road into a deeper conversation and response by entering with an accessible, young adult text.

• Extending the definition of "text" in order to draw out thought captures from the learning community.

"What is 'Goodness?'"An Example of Textual Braiding Employing

Multiple Texts and Approaches

Struck by "Goodness"

• Upon my very first reading of The Crucible, I was taken by Elizabeth's final line in Act IV: "He has his goodness now; God forbid I take it from him."

• When I first saw Silas House's book, Eli the Good, I sensed there must be a connection between the two titles.

• I would eventually find that connection.

The Essential Question

• Jim Burke talks about "essential questions" in his book, What's the Big Idea?

• Our big idea was "What is goodness and how do we get our 'goodness?'"

• Exploring this idea is at the core of our sharing of the texts within the "braid."

Silas House's Eli the Good

• Our first novel of the year with our students enrolled in English 11.

• Read-aloud text in order to model pacing, tempo, and mood of the text.

• Eli the Good is a memoir-like story that follows a young boy living with a Vietnam Veteran father during America's Bicentennial.

Complimentary "Texts" with Eli the Good

• "The Wall" (original composition) by Kate Larkin

• The Wall (picture book) by Eve Bunting

• Selections from Lee Bennett Hopkins's America at War: Rebecca Kai Dotlitch, Sara Holbrook, and Bobbi Katz.

• The Book of Qualities by J. Ruth Gendler

• Clips from Happy Days, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie

• A library of 70's music referenced in the book with portable CD players.

Something Of Note

• When we went into this first experience, we were so focused upon the essential question that we missed that what were actually doing is hitting upon two historical periods, 1692 and 1976.

• Cross-content exposure in the ELA classroom. Nothing new, but notable in light of CCSS.

Our Newest Braid with a New Essential Question: What is That One Book You've Never Read?

Braiding The Pull of Gravity, Of Mice and Men, and The Mighty.• An opportunity to blend contemporary and the

canon.

• An opportunity to talk about symbiotic relationships.

• An opportunity for our students to interact via SKYPE with author, Gae Polisner.

• A link to a conversation with Mr. Hankins and Gae Polisner can be found at engchat.com (9/16 Archive)

The Pull of Gravity's "Nick"

• Has never read Of Mice and Men.

• Invites us to consider those titles that we have not read.

• Leads to new project, "The Book I've Never Read."

• We are going to read those titles in the second marking period.

What's Next in Room 407 and Textual Braiding?

Looking Forward While Looking In. . .

Our 40 Book Invitation• Modeled after Donalyn

Miller's THE BOOK WHISPERER Invitation.

• The words we choose set the tone of the room and the expectation for the work to be done.

• This is truly an invitation.

• There are no tests. We have conversations.

On-Going Conversation• Book Talking should be the

primary language of the English Language Arts classroom.

• We begin each day by taking roll with the titles currently being read.

• As lead learner, I either have a book talk, a book share, or a book trailer cued up and ready to go.

The Room Says "Read"• This is our poetry section of

the classroom library.

• Since we use the Pooh characters to teach archetypes in the room, it was only natural that they should have a place in the room.

• A room communicates what is done within that room when no kids are in the room doing that thing. . .

Re-Introducing Picture Books

• This is our picture book hutch.

• At some point in our reading of The Crucible, we will share Yansook Choi's THE NAME JAR and Berkeley Breathed's EDWARD FUDWUPPER FIBBED BIG.

• At the beginning of OF MICE AND MEN, we will share Ame Dykman's THE BOY AND THE ROBOT.

• Note the poster at the top of the hutch. At the end of our unit with OF MICE AND MEN and THE PULL OF GRAVITY, students will SKYPE with Gae Polisner.

What Our Readers Say• "I have read seven books so far this year. I have three that

I am reading right now."--Savannah

• "I have read more this year than in any other year so far. I told my boyfriend, 'Now I know why YOU like to read so much.'"--Madison

• "The past four years, I would read just to pass the Reading Counts tests. Now I read for fun."--Katie

• "I'd recommend Me and Earl and the Dying Girl because it's kind of funny but it gets pretty sad at the end."--Britany

But What About Guy Readers?

• "Now I take books out the field with me when I scout for deer. So far this year, my favorites have been Butter and The Raft. I have read twelve books so far this year."--Braden

• "I have read more this year than any past year. I've read all of Mr. Hankins's graphic novels, but my favorite read this year has been The One and Only Ivan."--Tyler

• "I've read several books already this year. My favorite is Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff. The first fifty pages draw you in. . ."--Zach

• "My favorite book this year (I've read eight) has been Period.8 by Chris Crutcher. I've never really been a reader, but this year so far I have read ten books."--Austin

Common Core/ Reader Friendly Titles

Yes. . .you can ladder fiction and non-fiction not only for the purpose of meeting common core standards but also for the reading community you are building.

Tanya Lee Stone Titles

Larry Dane Brimner Titles

Kelly Milner Halls Titles

Jim Murphy Titles

The Sticker is a Place to Start

2012 Michael L. Printz Award Winners

2012 Caldecott Award Winners

What Do Our Readers Like?

There are some titles coming up. . .get ready. . .

Adam Rapp--Edgy. Award-Winning

And What of Our Core?

Professional Development Titles for the Classroom Teacher and the Reading and Writing Culture

As the lead learner in the room, what does OUR mentor text set

look like?

Follow Them. . .

• Teri Lesesne @professornana

• Donalyn Miller @donalynbooks

• Penny Kittle @PennyKittle

• Kelly Gallagher @KellyGToGo

Join An Online Conversation

• #TitleTalk Last Sunday of the Month

• #engchat Mondays at 7PM EST

• #edchat Tuesdays at 7PM EST

• #kidlitchat Tuesdays at 9PM EST

• #yalitchat Wednesdays at 9PM EST

• #mglitchat Thursdays at 8PM EST

They Will Read.

Contact Mr. Hankins

• phankins@wclark.k12.in.us

• paulwhankins@aol.com

• facebook.com/paulwhankins

• @paulwhankins