LitCamp Sample Lesson | Silver Bunk Grades 7–8 Unit 3

LESSON: 3 UNIT: BELONGING

The Great Greene Heist (pages 1–29) Written by Varian Johnson Campers will meet a group of middle school students in this lively, contemporary novel. Jackson Greene is doing his best to stay out of trouble, but when his friends and school are in jeopardy, Jackson finds it difficult to avoid getting involved. As campers read The Great Greene Heist , they will learn about the concept of belonging and the complexities of relationships among friends and foes.

UNIT GOAL The Belonging Unit encourages campers to explore the idea of belonging to a group. Through books and shared experiences, campers will cultivate a classroom reading community and discover the connections they can make with other groups and individuals all over the world.

OBJECTIVES Reading: Campers will use direct quotations, actions, and other evidence from the text to identify character traits. Listening and Speaking: Campers will present an opinion and support it using appropriate details from the text. Writing: Campers will write and support a prediction about what they think will happen next in the story using text evidence.

OPENING CAMPFIRE 15 MIN

WELCOME Greet your campers by name as they enter. Invite them to put personal items away and gather on the floor or another common area.

MATERIALS FOR THE DAY • The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson (leader’s copy and copies for campers) • Campers’ portfolio folders • Writing paper, pencils, and colored markers • Copies of all read-aloud books read in camp • Plastic bags or self-serve bins with books inside for independent reading • Camper copies of “Identify Character Traits” Graphic Organizer Identify Character Traits Character Traits of Jackson Greene Text Evidence Date: Name:

WRITE NOW Avatar = Me

Create an avatar that reflects your personality. Which of the seven strengths does your avatar most embody? What are its other powers? Draw a picture and then write the name of your avatar and a list of its strengths under the picture. You can use your own name or create a new one. Share your avatar with a new community of avatars!

BOOK: The Great Greene Heist • LESSON: 3 • UNIT: BELONGING

LC_G7_zBLM_L03_GreatGreeneHeist_088 94

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WORDS OF THE DAY Review and add these words and definitions to your vocabulary wall: • scheming (p. 1) : making secretive or devious plans • jeopardize (p. 2) : to put something at risk or in danger of being harmed or lost • guarantee (p. 4) : ensure or make certain • allegedly (p. 25) : supposedly or having been accused but not proven

EL SUPPORT Point out to campers that the word guarantee is used as a verb in the text, but it can also be used as a noun meaning “a formal agreement or promise that something will be done.”

LESSON: 3 • UNIT: BELONGING 9

READ ALOUD: The Great Greene Heist 25 MIN

INTRODUCE THE TEXT This is the first day of our Belonging Unit! Belonging means feeling one is a needed, loved, and respected member of one’s family, community, and the world. We all want to feel a sense of belonging—here at camp and with other people and groups who are important to us. Display the book, noting the title and author. Today, we will explore Belonging by reading and discussing the first chapters in a novel about a middle school boy who is torn between using his talents to help his friends or keeping his promise to stay out of trouble. Note that even though this book is set in a modern middle school, the author meant for it to be a funny, exaggerated account of what goes on at school. DURING READING As you read, pause for discussion as noted below. Today’s text begins on page 1 and ends on page 29. • AFTER PAGE 2: How does the author introduce the character of Jackson Greene? What key details does the author use to describe Jackson? • AFTER PAGE 15: What does the dialogue between Keith and Dr. Kelsey tell you? How do you think their plans will affect the plot of the story? AFTER READING These first chapters of The Great Greene Heist have laid a foundation for the novel. We have discovered traits of characters, identified relationships, and learned about a variety of schemes.

• Where do people find a sense of belonging in middle school? • Describe what you see on the front and back cover of this book. Based on the cover what do you think the characters in this book will be like? EL SUPPORT The novel includes colloquial language and media references that may be challenging for campers to understand. As you read the novel aloud, encourage campers to use sticky notes to mark confusing passages of the text to discuss later.

• AFTER PAGE 23: How would you describe the relationship between Jackson and Hashemi? Why are the Student Council and its Executive Council so important to Jackson and Hashemi? • AFTER PAGE 29: Based on the text so far, which characters are scheming? Why are they scheming?

• How would you describe Jackson? Which of the 7 Strengths does he possess or display? Support your opinion with details from the text. • How is belonging to a group important to the characters in the story?

BRING THE TEXT TO LIFE: Belonging Map 20 MIN

But based on the relationship between the characters, that camper will choose how close or how far to put the second character on the board. Continue doing this until every character is represented as a circle on the board. Invite campers who have not gone to come up and draw arrows connecting the circles. In the end, take a look at this map of relationships. Discuss the following questions. • What groups do we see forming on the board? • What does this map say about the characters in the novel and their relationships to each other? • How is belonging to a certain community important to each character?

INSTRUCTIONS: Have campers write their names on slips of paper and place them in a bowl or container. Ask campers to name the characters from the book while you write the names in a list on chart paper or the whiteboard. We are going to play a game that will help us get better acquainted with characters in the novel. Working together, we will create a map that will help us visualize the relationships among the characters. One by one, I will draw campers’ names from the bowl. The first camper I call will come to the front of the room, take the first character on the list, say the character’s name, write it on the board, and draw a circle around that name. The second camper I call will do the same for the second character on the list.

READING POWER: Identify Character Traits 25 MIN

confines of scheming and pranking.” This tells me that Jackson is mischievous because he has a history of scheming and pulling pranks. I will write this character trait and the supporting text evidence in the graphic organizer. Model on chart paper or a whiteboard how to complete the “Identify Character Traits” Graphic Organizer using one of the examples below. Point out that campers may want to begin by filling out the right column first. For the left column they can use direct quotations from the character, dialogue between characters, actions, and other descriptions in the text to support the character traits they identify.

TEACH: At the beginning of the novel The Great Greene Heist , we are introduced to the characters in the story. The author provides key details that help us identify traits, or important qualities or aspects, of these characters. Today, you will analyze the first chapters of the novel to describe the traits of the main character, Jackson Greene. To describe Jackson’s character traits, I will scan the text to find dialogue, actions, and other details that give insight into his character. In the first paragraph on page 1, the text states that Jackson “found himself dangerously close to sliding back into the warm

CHARACTER TRAITS OF JACKSON GREENE

TEXT EVIDENCE

(page 1) “…he found himself…close to sliding back into scheming and pranking.”

mischievous

(page 2) He would not “jeopardize…months of model behavior for a quick snack….”

determined and confident

TRY: Now it’s your turn to identify character traits of Jackson Greene and provide evidence from the text that supports each trait. Have campers complete their “Identify Character Traits” Graphic Organizer using details from the text.

CLARIFY: Identifying and describing character traits help readers better understand the characters in the story, their personalities, their strengths, and their motivations.

BUNK TIME: Independent Reading 20 MIN

Have campers stretch or move to music before settling down to read independently. INSTRUCTIONS: • Have the campers choose texts they would like to read during independent reading. • Books can be stored in a plastic bag or bin labeled with levels or their names. • Campers can relax and spend their reading time as they wish but must be on task. • Campers mostly read alone, but some may spend part of the time reading with a friend.

POSSIBLE AREAS OF FOCUS FOR CONFERRING

• Does the main character of your story belong to a group or have connections with other characters? How would you describe his or her relationships? • What are the character traits of the main character? What details in the text support these traits? • If campers are reading an informational text: Why were you interested in reading this book? What have you learned about the topic? EL SUPPORT Assist campers in creating a word bank of adjectives that they can use to describe the traits of characters in their book. Model how to use the word bank and encourage campers to identify character traits as they read independently.

LESSON: 3 • UNIT: BELONGING 11

COMMUNITY LIT: The Numbers Game 15 MIN

2. When campers are holding up their fingers above their heads, say: For every finger you are holding up, you will share one fact about yourself . We’ll go around the circle until everyone has shared. 3. Continue around the circle until everyone has shared their facts. This activity is a great way to get your campers to share with the group, have a good time, and build a sense of belonging at camp.

DIRECTIONS: Campers have been getting to know the characters in their books, and now they can get to know each other better. Have campers sit in a circle and tell them that you will play the Numbers Game. 1. Ask campers to think of the a number from one to five, but NOT to say it aloud. Once they have decided on a number, campers should hold up the number of fingers that represents the number they chose.

WRITING POWER: Write a Prediction 15 MIN

TEACH: In the final scene of today’s reading, Jackson wanted to delete the email about the upcoming school meeting, but instead he saved it and set his alarm clock for 6:30. What do you think this means? Has Jackson lost his resolve to stay out of other people’s problems? Write a prediction about what you think will happen next in the story. Provide at least two reasons for your prediction, based upon details in the text. To make and support a prediction, I will need to review what has happened so far in the story. Then I will write a sentence or two stating what I think will happen next in the story. I will write at least two reasons why I think this will happen, supported by details in the text.

TRY: Now it’s your turn! Write your prediction, making sure to include your reasons and supporting evidence from the book. CLARIFY: When we make predictions about a text, we clarify what has happened in the story and use details to make inferences about the characters and the plot. Predicting helps us to analyze and appreciate the details and descriptions in the text. That analysis influences how we understand the story’s characters and plot. EL SUPPORT Provide the following sentence frames for campers who need additional support in making and supporting their predictions: I think _____will happen next in the story. One reason I believe this will happen is because the text states _____.

CLOSING CAMPFIRE 15 MIN

WORD GAME: Word Tennis Have campers review the Words of the Day with a partner and explain that campers will play a conversation game. One camper will start a conversation about the story or a topic of their choice, making sure to use one of the Words of the Day. The partner continues the conversation, also making sure to use one of the Words of the Day. Campers can end their conversations once they have used all of the Words of the Day or they can repeat the game to allow the other camper to begin a conversation. REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Turn and discuss these questions with your partner. What did you learn about Belonging from the first few chapters of The Great Greene Heist ? How does it feel to be a valued member of a group? PRAISE AND AFFIRMATION: Offer concrete praise and affirmation for reading steps or new things

the campers have tried today and/or ways they have demonstrated one of the 7 Strengths. SHOOTING STARS DANCE: Together with the rest of the group, throw shooting stars (pretend to throw a basketball into a hoop). The campers get to do a dance with the praise, or they can put it in their pockets.

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