South Carolina ETV

South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

Story Mapping Abel’s Island (Grades 6-8)

Master Teacher

Brenda L. Lyles

Time Allotment

One 90-minute class

Overview

Stories are filmed in order to entertain and inform. For students who are visual learners, a video can often have more impact then the written version of a story. The video of Abel’s Island is taken from the children’s novel written by William Steig and published by Farrar / Straus / Giroux, 1977 . What elements are inherent in most fictional stories? In this lesson, students will evaluate which story elements are plot, decide attributes of characters, setting, and theme. Students will use visual and audio clues to help them evaluate the parts of a story.

Subject Matter

English/Language Arts

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

Prioritize story elements using graphic organizers.
Evaluate character, setting and sequence in a non-print source.

South Carolina Curriculum Standards

(From the South Carolina Languages Arts Curriculum Standards, grades 6-8, available online at www.myscscshools.com)

English/Language Arts Standards, Grade 6

6-C3.10-Begin evaluating the use of detail, character, setting, sequence, cause and effect, imagery and sound in non-print sources.

English/Language Arts Standards, Grade 7

7-C3.10-Continue evaluating the use of detail, character, setting, sequence, cause and effect, imagery and sound in non-print sources.

English/Language Arts Standards, Grade 8

8-C3.10—Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the use of detail, character, setting, sequence, cause and effect, imagery, and sound in non-print sources.

Media Components

Video

Abel’s Island from StreamlineSC, http://www.streamlinesc.org. Abel’s Island is a Crusoe-inspired adventure story featuring a snobbish mouse, Abelard Hasssam Dechirico Flint. Abel falls victim to a sudden summer storm, and gets swept away and is stranded on a small island, where he endures hardships and harsh weather for about a year. The story is both inspiring and entertaining.

To access this video segment, log on to your account at the StreamlineSC Web page. In the search by keyword box, type Abel’s Island. Download the entire video and each separate video clip (10) to your computer desktop and preview them. The entire video segment runs 30 minutes, individual clip times vary.

Note to Teacher: If you don’t have an account with StreamlineSC, check with your media specialist about signing up for your own account.)

Web sites

http://www.weather.com/ (Weather info.)

http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/k4/online/Wonline1.html (weather game)

http://netrover.com/~jjrose/weather/weather.html (weather game)

http://www.powertolearn.com/games/index.shtml (weather game)

Materials

Abel’s Island Elements of Fiction Power Point Presentation
Black line master of Abel’s Island Story Map.
Black line master of Abel’s Island Notes Pages version of Power Point.
Writing paper
Pen or pencils

Equipment

Projector
Computer

Software:

Power Point
Internet

Prep for Teachers

Prior to teaching the lesson, bookmark the Web sites on each computer in your classroom.
Connect a computer to a projector for whole class viewing.
When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.
Print handouts for the students: Story Maps of Abel’s Island, and a copy of the NOTES VERSION of slides 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 from the Abel’s Island Power Point. The notes version includes questions for the students to answer while viewing Abel’s Island.

Introductory Activity

Step 1: Using the computer and projector for class viewing. Review elements of a story with the class. Open the Abel’s Island Elements of Fiction PowerPoint and discuss parts of a story with the class.

As you click each slide and each element, read the slide contents aloud to the class. Remind the class to ask questions if they do not understand the statements on the slides. When you have completed the Power Point Presentation and any class discussion, proceed to the next step.

** Power Point information derived from the following Web site:

http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/fiction/elements.asp .

Step 2: Instruct students to choose the story elements as they view each segment of the video. Students should take notes and decide while viewing the video which elements are the plot (problem & solution), main character, supporting character, setting and theme of the story.

Learning Activities

Step 1: Hand-out the Abel’s Island Story Map. View the video segments in the following sequence. Allow students a minute to jot down details and notes after viewing each segment.

Step 2: Prepare to view segment 1- Abel and Amanda’s Picnic- Give students a Focus for Media Interaction. Say, “When viewing this segment we will see that the author will introduce characters. You must decide which are main characters and which are supporting characters. Make sure to listen to vocabulary and look at costumes, furnishings, etc., of characters to help determine the setting of the story.” View the segment. (Students should be able to tell from costumes, furnishings and vocabulary that Abel’s Island takes place in the very late 1800’s or very early 1900’s in a town and on an island.)

Step 3: Prepare to view segments 2 and 3- Abel Tries to Get Off the Island and Abel Tries to Get off the Island by Rope- Give the students a Focus for Media Interaction. Say, “When you view these segments, think about the theme of the story. Is the theme stated or implied? Can you quote any dialog that you think represents the theme? The theme will be related to what the main character learns from the situation. Also, by now you should have chosen one main character from the story.” View the segment. (Theme should be ‘Individual as Survivor,’ and the main character is Abelard Flint or Abel. Dialogue indicator: Abel will say, “ I have the courage, strength and intelligence to survive.”)

Step 4: Prepare to view segment 4- Abel Thinks of Amanda- Give students a Focus for Media Interaction. Say, “In this brief segment, in Abel’s despair he discovers a hidden talent.” Ask students to think about how this hidden talent helps to reinforce the theme. View the video segment. (Abel begins to sculpt statues of his loved ones. This helps to reinforce the theme of Individual as Survivor, as it is a coping mechanism for loneliness.)

Step 5: Prepare to view segments 5 and 6- Abel Finds a Book and An Owl and Winter Comes to the Island- View these two segments together. Give students a Focus for Media Interaction. Say, “In these segments, the plot is advanced in at least two ways, and another character is introduced. You must determine which events further the plot and decide if the character introduced is a main character or a supporting character.” View the video. (The owl is a flat, supporting character. The owl attacks Abel repeatedly. Owl attacks, Abel stabs the owl, owl doesn’t return.)

Step 6: Prepare to view segment 7- January and February Bring Coldness and Desolation to Abel’s Island-Give students a Focus for Media Interaction. Say, “In this segment, the author writes a climax into the plot. As you view the segment, decide what the climax is…and what the falling action is. Write these in your story maps in the plot section in problem and solution.” View the video. (Abel gets snowed in during a blizzard. He comes near to death, but survives.)

Step 7: Prepare to view segment 8- New Friend Shows Up and Leaves- Give students a Focus for Media Interaction. Say, “In this segment, another character is introduced. Is this character a main character or a supporting character? Write your answers in the proper place on your character maps. What are some characteristics of the character? What actions by Abel show how his character has changed? ” (Glower Glackson the frog swims to the island. He is a main character. Abel is gracious and kind to Glower, not snobby as he acted before being swept away. Abel has learned a little bit about humility.)

Step 8: Prepare to view segment 9-Summer Comes and the River Lowers-Give students a Focus for Media Interaction. Say, “In this segment, you must decide if the plot involves rising action or if it comes to the climax of the story. Put the answer in your story map under plot.” (Abel swims off the island and is attacked by a cat. Climax.)

Step 9: Prepare to view segment 10-Abel and Amanda are Reunited- Give students a Focus for Media Interaction. Say, “In this final segment, we are reintroduced to Amanda. As you watch this segment, decide if this is the climax of the story, or if it is the falling action that follows the climax.” (Abel returns home and waits for Amanda to come, they embrace, story ends. Falling action.)

Step 10: Hand-out the Abel’s Island Power Point Notes pages to the entire class. Read each page to the class for clarification. In this activity, students will become more detailed in their mapping skills. (pages 2,3,4,5,6) Prepare to view the entire video (again) of Abel’s Island without interruption. Give students a Focus for Media Interaction. Say, “As you watch the video, go over your story maps and use the maps to help you complete the notes pages. Make sure to watch for the indicators that will help tell the setting of the story. Decide which characters are main characters, who is the protagonist and who is (are) the antagonist (s); which are round characters, and which are flat characters. And, finally which are supporting characters. Decide three ways in which the video expresses characterization for Abel, Amanda, and Gower Glackson. View the entire video.

Step 11: After the video, students may work as partners or in small groups to complete their story maps and Power Points notes pages.

Step 12: Each group will discuss and debate the answers they included in their story map and notes pages. They should be able to justify the answers included on their story map and notes pages.

Culminating Activity

Step 1: Connect the story to writing by having groups of students compose a play about being stranded. Instruct them to include some elements of character that would demonstrate strength, courage and intelligence as Abel showed while he was stranded on the island. Students might want to make a video production of their survivor plays and have a mini-film festival competition.

Cross-Curricular Extensions

Social Studies: When writing the above plays, have each group of students research an island or geographic area on which they might get stranded. (Mountain, desert, Antarctica, etc.) Include maps and pictures of the area; tell about geography and vegetation of the area. Tell which of these might help them survive.

Science: Abel’s Island, is a story about a mouse that gets trapped on an island for one year. The seasons change as the story is told. Students should visit weather Web sites and gather information about weather prediction and the seasons.

Use computer to access the internet, and visit the following Web sites:

http://www.weather.com/ (weather info.) Focus for Media Interaction: Instruct students to log on to this Web site Say, “This Web site gives general weather information, look for inclement weather in your area. Is there any? What about the national forecast, is there any bad weather forecast?” Take notes.
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/k4/online/Wonline1.html (weather game). Focus for MediaInteraction: Tell students to log on to this Web site. They will answer weather questions in a game show format, earn points.
http://netrover.com/~jjrose/weather/weather.html (weather game) Focus for Media Interaction: Tell students to log on to this Web site and play the game. Students will gainknowledge about temperature, weather and clothing by playing this online game: There are three sets of pictures, one showing the weather, one showing the temperature, and one showing some clothing. Match the two pictures outlined in green to the one outlined in red. Click on each picture to change it. Press OK to see if you were correct. Try and play a perfect game!
http://www.powertolearn.com/games/index.shtml (weather flash game) Focus for Media Interaction: Tell students to log on to this game. Test their skills with the interactive weather game by putting symbols on the map to predict the weather. See if they can make the map match Stan's forecast

Community Connections

Invite authors to visit and discuss how they choose their story elements.
Invite a local newspaper reporter and discuss how these same story elements might be included in a newspaper report.
Research real-life survivors and contact them through letters, e-mail, etc. Invite them to your class or interview them by phone.

Student Materials

For each student:

Black line master of Abel’s Island Story Map.
Black line master of Abel’s Island Notes Page version of Power Point.
Writing paper, pen or pencil