As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds Book which is an inspiring book about personal empowerment, poverty, family, and loss. As Brave as You is a story about a two young boys who stay with their grandparents while their parents go on vacation for the last time together. The main character learns about his grandfather, and other family member who was killed in the war. He sees the direct impact this has on the family and how they have suffered because of the loss.
I start by passing out a vocabulary sheet in which students have the page number and the vocabulary word. Students are to write a simple synonym for the definition. I like to keep definitions as simple as possible because when you use long definitions there is a low chance of student retention.
Second, I have multiple journal responses that I use throughout the unit that are engaging and assess student comprehension.
Next I have students create a list of high order thinking questions using Costa’s question cues. Some of Costa’s question stems begin with the following:
You can collect these questions and answers and use them for a Socratic Seminar or a Four Corner Discussion. Pass out a list of the questions for students to work on at home. Have students return with their questions and answers. Elect two leaders to lead the discussion. Remain as an observer and allow for a meaningful discussion about the book.
I like to take connections with the book a step deeper because of the importance of engaging the students by connecting them with the material. I have students look up quotes of things that happen in the book that remind them of something from their own lives. They write the quote and begin a connection with something like, “This reminds me of a time that….” Students catalogue the quotes and connections as they read through the book.
It is important to note the purpose of reading a text. Students are always asking “what is the point of this?” and there is only a positive outcome if a teacher takes the time to answer this question. Some purpose of reading questions can be:
Through analyzing and discussing the answers to these questions, you can come to a consensus as to what the purpose is of reading a text-even if it’s just for fun! In the case of The 57 Bus it brings awareness of the adversities of poverty and hopefully changes our views on how one judges another who is poor- In the simplest of terms. The bigger picture can be arguments about whether or not parents should encourage their kids to go into war.
The next assignment I have students complete throughout the reading are sentence starters. Sentence starters help students to analyze their own thinking and wonderment. Some examples of sentence starters are:
Some practice with writing an exposition can be done by simply using a statement and backing it up with evidence. For example, if we are to look at the stateme “Parents should not try to control their childrens’ futures” then the evidence to back it up.
Another assignment worthy of a teacher’s attention is to compare contrast characters physical and emotional descriptions. You can utilize a graphic organizer to effectively list information.
It is highly effective to take a close reading passage from the book and have students analyze it by answering a list of carefully crafted sentences. A list of close reading sentences can look like this:
It is crucial that students have some fun while learning. A simple way to create some fun is by creating a “roll the dice” activity sheet. On a sheet of paper create the following activities:
Have students role dye and whichever number they land on they will complete as a group. If you only have once set of dye, you can roll for the whole class.
The purpose of the one-pager assignment is to take a close look at the novel and analyze its themes, characters, quotes, etc.
The top half should focus on symbolism and themes using words and images. The bottom half should focus on key characters from the text and how they develop.
You may also use other symbols, drawings and words as you wish.
The border is themes. Students can get creative and maximize their efforts with a one-pager assessment.
Create a plot structure diagram using the mountain analogy with the following:
Students can get a little creative and create a six-panel storyboard where they illustrate and write about a scene. They can also do an extension of a paragraph or the book.
Philosophical chair discussions are important in that they not only teach students to take a critical look at a topic but they learn how to express their opinions and evidence about the topic effectively. A great philosophical chairs discussion topic for this book is whether or not parents should influence their kid’s future. Have students choose a side, write about their opinions using evidence from the text and share their work in an articulate manner.
A thorough final assessment can be the essay. For this particular book I would do a literary analysis or if you want to extend the philosophical chairs discussion, you can use the same topic from the philosophical chairs discussion.
However you teach “As Brave As You” you are doing your students a service as it is a book worthy of attention and analysis. Get this full lesson in my TpT shop HERE
