How Author Janell Cannon uses Stellaluna to teach Word Choice.
Lesson Focus: This lesson focuses on describing words
Grade(s): 1-3
Focus Text: Stellaluna
Time Frame: 3-5 days
Supporting Text: Rain Drop, Plop!
by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
• Content Standards: Writing Process; Use revision strategies and resources to improve ideas and content, organization, word choice and detail.
• Benchmarks: Use revision strategies and resources to improve ideas and content, organization, word choice and detail
Indicators: Add descriptive words and details.
Use resources (e.g., a word wall, a beginner’s dictionary, word bank) to select effective
• Book Summary: When Stellaluna is separated from her mother before she is old enough to fly, she finds out that not all winged creatures eat fruit. Swallowing food that crawls is just one of the many amazing things this little fruit bat must learn to do. As Stellaluna adapts to the habits of her new family, she learns the essence of friendship in humorous and touching ways.
Artist and writer Janell Cannon was born November 3, 1957. She always loved animals, especially creatures that tend to make people uncomfortable. Ms. Cannon noticed that certain animals like bats, spiders and snakes are often feared and therefore misunderstood or neglected.While conducting research about bats, she found only two books on the subject, both out of print. She decided it was time to make her own story about these wonderful creatures. Janell created Stellaluna in hopes that she would transform young people’s fear of bats into informed affection. “Fruit bats don’t drink blood and won’t get caught in your hair. I hope to show them in a positive light so that they might be given more respect,” she says. The artist and writer also wanted to touch readers with a story about a friendship shared by two different kinds of creatures, a bat and three baby birds. Ms. Cannon works from her home/studio in southern California, which she shares with a cat and a parrot. Janell has worked for many years in the public library system designing award-winning summer reading programs for children. Her programs emphasize information about and involvement with animals, especially those not thought of as cute and cuddly, to dispel erroneous myths. This is one of the reasons she chose bats as the subject of her first children’s book.
OTHER BOOKS BY JANELL CANNON:
“Verdi” “Trupp: A Fuzzhead Tale” “Little Yau: A Fuzzhead Tale” “Crickwing” “Pinduli” “Alatorcida”
The Lesson:
1. The story has been read aloud a couple times. The book is available for students in the classroom and at the school library.
2. Introduce students to www.storylineonline.net by the screen actor’s guild. Actors read stories aloud and model the joy of reading!
3. Teacher will give examples of describing words and draw pictures to reinforce meaning of words.
4. Select a couple phrases that include describing words from the story.
5. Write the phrases chosen from the story on chart paper, Overhead, or Smartboard.
6. Discuss word choice and have students listen for describing words as we read the story again.
7. Write phrases chosen from the story on chart paper.
8. Review phrases chosen from the story. Cut off the nouns and fill in with new or different nouns.
9. Give each student a strip of tag board folded into an accordion book. Their title is "Describing Words." They may use the scratch paper to experiment with words before they write them on the tag board.
10. Students choose four words or phrases to illustrate. One sentence or phrase goes on each page.
11. Students share books.
Examples of Vocabulary within text:
Clutched- to hold on tightly
Downy- soft
Clambered- climbed
Anxious- worried
Things to Remember:
This lesson is intended for 2nd grade students. However it can be used with 1st and 3rd graders.
When teaching students how authors use “Word Choice” remember to explain how the author:
Uses rich, colorful, precise language that communicates not just in a functional way, but in a way that moves and enlightens the reader. In descriptive writing, strong word choice resulting in imagery, especially sensory, show-me writing, clarifies and expands ideas. In persuasive writing, purposeful word choice moves the reader to a new vision of ideas. In all modes of writing figurative language such as metaphors, similes and analogies articulate, enhance, and enrich the content. Strong word choice is characterized not so much by an exceptional vocabulary chosen to impress the reader, but more by the skill to use everyday words well.
Extension and or Related Activities:
• • Make a Word Web about bats using chart paper or if you have access to a Smart board
• Draw a circle about 2 inches in diameter in the center of paper or Notebook Software.
• Write the word “bats” in the circle. Now, draw 6 or 7 lines out from the edge of the circle so that they coming out all around the circle.
• Have a discussion about bats. More specifically “fruit bats.”
• Have students describe bats in their own words.
• Write words on the lines.
• How to make a bat flapbook- watch the video!
• Trivia Quiz:
• http://www.harcourtbooks.com/Images/PDF/ActivityKit/Stellaluna_ak.pdf
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFz53nrAg1Q&feature=player_embedded
• Make vocabulary cards- http://files.homeschoolshare.com/docs54478/stellaluna_vocabulary.pdf
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