Book Club Lesson Plan

Information
Calvin Book Club Leader: Rachel Vos
Grade: 4th
Date: November 20, 2017
Subject area: ELA.
Main Focus: How to Steal a Dog, Chapter 11 (p. 79-89), Is it ever okay to steal?

Preparation
Common Core Standard: RL.4.3 Refer to details and examples in a text when
explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the
text.
Teaching and Learning Outcomes (Goals. SWBAT): Students will be able to
1
describe the characters Georgina, Toby, Mama, and Willy.
Assessment: Look at the character pages in students' journals. Every descriptor
of a character should be accompanied by evidence supporting the
characteristic.
Common Core Standard: W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts,
supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
Teaching and Learning Outcomes (Goals. SWBAT): Students will be able to
2
write about their opinion on whether or not it is ever okay to steal.
Assessment: Read students' responses in their journals. Look specifically for
students to use evidence from the text or the debate to support their points.
Common Core Standard: SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own
3 clearly.
Teaching and Learning Outcomes (Goals. SWBAT): Students will be able to
participate in a group debate about whether or not it is ever okay to steal.
Assessment: Listen for students to each participate two times during the debate.
Differentiation (UDL)
For content: Allow each student to list their own definitions so they can use
vocabulary that they are familiar with. After debating, students will write a response,
allowing each student to write at their level.
The process: Students can write as much or as little as they would like in their journal
responses. During the debate, students can read things they wrote down with their
group to help them, or they may choose to say something new.
Student outcomes: Students will complete vocabulary cards and work on the
timeline in their notebooks. These activities allow for differentiation as students are
able to write at their own level. Have students share at least twice in the group
discussion, but do not make them share more than that if they do not want to.
Materials and other preparation
- Books, notebooks, folders, trifold board, index cards, markers, crayons, pencils,
PowerPoint, journal prompt, slips for each student giving them a position to take
during the debate.
- Place an index card with each student’s name on it in the place they should sit.
Seat the students in this order: Mariella, Chase, Lily, Abby, Elaine.
 Book Club Lesson Plan
The Lesson
TIME TEACHER ACTIVITY STUDENT ACTIVITY
Motivating, Engaging. (Introduction)
- Ask students what they thought about chapter 10
(what they read during their in-class reading time).

- Have the students take out the paper they wrote the
character traits on.
5
- Use the spinner to call on students. Have them each
share one characteristic they wrote down from
Chapter 10. (Possible answers include: Toby felt guilty
about stealing the dog, Willy is a happy dog,
Georgina is starting to feel guilty about stealing the
dog, etc.)

- Have the students put the papers into their folders.

3 - Guess what stash
- Show students the word stash. Ask students what they means.
think this word might mean.
- Fill out their vocab
- Show students pictures of the word and ask if that
card.
helps them think about the meaning.
- Explain that the word stash means: to store something
in a secret place.
- Have students fill out their vocabulary notecards with
the information for the word.
Development (Process)
- Explain to students that we are going to read as a
whole group today. We will go around the circle and
take turns each reading one page.
- Have Mariella start the reading, and go around the - Read Chapter 11
circle reading Chapter 11. When it is my turn, I will stop as a group.
8 reading on page 84 after it says, "I wonder if that was
how I looked."
- Ask the students why they think there are no reward - Answer the
posters up for Willy yet? Do you think they are going to question. Possible
find any soon? What would happen if they didn't see answers include:
any posters? What are Georgina and Toby going to because the
do then? owner doesn't
8 - Continue reading and finish Chapter 11. know the dog is
- After reading, ask the students how they think missing, she
doesn't have
Georgina might be feeling based on what the end of
money, etc.
the chapter says. (Students might say that she feels
- Answer how they
guilty or bad about stealing the dog because it says
think Georgina is
that Georgina kept thinking that she wasn't a bad
feeling.
person and that she had to steal the dog.)
5
- Tell students I have a question I want them to think
about. Ask them if it is ever okay to steal.
- Let the students think for a minute or two. - Think about if it is
- Tell the students we are going to have a debate ever okay to steal.
about whether or not it is okay to steal.
 Book Club Lesson Plan
- Randomly pass out a slip of paper to each student. 3
of the slips will say "Yes, it is sometimes okay to steal."
The other 3 slips will say, "No, it is never okay to steal." (I
will participate in the debate as well.)
- Have the students get with the other people with the - Brainstorm ideas
5 same thing on their paper. Give the groups five for the debate
minutes to think about how they could support that with their group.
argument and write down what they might want to
say. - Participate in the
- Call students back together for the debate. Have the debate. Each
10 students in each group take turns going back and student should
forth and sharing their thoughts. After one person share at least
shares, someone on the other side should respond to twice.
what they say, and then they should share a new
8 thought. - Journal in
- After the debate, pass out student journals. Have the response to the
students answer the question "Is it ever okay to steal?" debate.
They should use reasons from the book and the
8 debate to support their writing. - Answer the
questions they
- Take out questions the students wrote last time. Put
draw.
them in a bowl and have students take turns pulling
out a question and answering it.
Closure.
- Ask students what events they think would be
important to add to our timeline from Chapters 10-11.
Possible answers include: Georgina and Toby stealing
Willy, and Georgina feeling guilty.
5 - Write the events on our group timeline and have - Add events to their
students write them in the back of their journals. timeline.
- Collect materials, pray, and say goodbye.