Sheila Ray, The Brave (words for said)

Sheila Ray, The Brave
Author:  Kevin Henkes

Possible Common Core Standards:
RL.4.3
W.4.3

How many times have you read a student's story and the word said is used for every conversation?  Use Sheila Ray, The Brave to help your students understand the usage of other words make their writing much more interesting.  First, cover all of the said words in the story with a sticky note with the word said.  Read the story.  Go back through the story page by page removing the sticky notes and logging the word 'substituted' in the story on chart paper.  Talk about how it makes the event interesting.  Ask students to watch for more 'substitute' words for said in other text.  Keep the chart in the room for use when writing.

I like the way Mr. Henkes uses other words yet also uses said in his story.  I think it is important for students to know it is okay to use said....just not every time.  :)

Sheila Rae, The Brave (Word Study)

Sheila Ray, The Brave
Author:  Kevin Henkes

Possible Common Core Standards:
RF.4.3

suffix -ed

Go on an -ed word hunt as a class or in small groups.  Put each word on a card.
giggled
walked
tied
stepped
attacked
no-handed
closed
yelled
and more

Ask students to study the ending sound of the word.  Do they all end with the 'd' sound?  Ask them to sort them.  This is a great springboard activity to getting the students to understand the sounds of -ed.  I frequently had students spell words wrong just because they didn't understand this.  You can continue the learning by adding to the word sort when reading other text and finding more -ed words.

Sheila Rae, The Brave

Sheila Rae, The Brave
Author: Kevin Henkes

Possible Common Core Standards:
RL.4.1
RL.4.3
RL.4.4
W.4.3
W.4.4

Read Sheila Rae, The Brave.  Ask for one characteristic that describes her...looking for the word brave.  Look for and log examples of where she was brave and discuss why those events characterize her as brave.  Was she brave throughout the story? Discuss.  Talk about how the story revolves around the word brave.

Choose a word as a class to write a story similar to Sheila Rae, The Brave.  Brainstorm and list possible examples displaying the characteristics of the word.  Think of a few situations that would be the opposite of the word for the problem in the story.  Write a class story using the examples thinking of a way to solve the main character's 'problem' and end with the character defining the main word again just as Sheila Rae does in her story.   Title the story patterned the same as Sheila Ray, The Brave and make sure to put 'patterned after Sheila Ray, The Brave by Keven Henkes' with it.

Ask students to each (or with a partner) choose a word to base a story.  I posted a link to a list of possible words below. Sneaky or messy come to mind as fun words to use.   If the words seem too easy, use a thesaurus to find a similar word but not as well known.  Have fun with it!  After choosing the word, start logging situations that would make a reader think of the word. Think of a few situations that would be the opposite of the word for the problem in the story.  Put the situations into a story.   Make a bold statement using the word to start the story and include a solution to the problem along with an ending to the story.  Title the story patterned the same as Sheila Ray, The Brave and make sure to put 'patterned after Sheila Ray, The Brave by Keven Henkes' with it.

List of character traits:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson175/traits.pdf