Running head: BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 1

Bridge to Terabithia Unit Plan

Elementary Language Arts EDUC 5413

Morgan Regular, Rebecca Flanagan, and Katelyn Culberson

Monday, February 26, 2018

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 2

Introduction

Katherine Paterson’s riveting text, Bridge to Terabithia, takes readers on journey into an

alternative universe through the eyes of mere children. This story has the ability to stir a broad

spectrum of emotions within the reader- Patterson allows her readers to experience the joy,

laughter, and loss of a best friend through characters Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke. It’s through

the magical creation of Terabithia that readers get to learn about friendship, imagination, and the

idea that it’s okay to be different. For this reason, a book such as this could serve as a prime

candidate for classroom read aloud or novel study. For our language arts unit plan, we chose to

create a unit plan centering around this book, Bridge to Terabithia, for a grade 5 classroom. This

unit plan was created to be used earlier on in the grade five year, more specifically, in October/

November. Within this unit plan, we incorporated phonemic awareness activities, a word wall,

word study centers, shared writing and reading lesson plans, as well as other suggested writing

and reading activities. Finally, we also offered ideas for other integrated lessons and extension

activities, so that this study can be extended into other subjects and contexts. We felt that the

more we immerse our students in the content from this book and have them apply and experience

it in different ways, the more students would come to appreciate the central message, and gain

broader understanding for other literary components. This unit plan was designed with the

purpose to entertain, engage, and get grade five students hooked on reading more novels, as they

begin to approach their secondary years of school.

The theme of this book focuses on friendship and being different. We felt that this theme

would be relatable for grade five students and could contribute to the classroom dynamic. It is

important that students learn to work with one another and treat each other the way they would

like to be treated. These are lessons we as educators are constantly trying to solidify into our
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 3

students’ minds. Being in a room of students who can work together and get along helps the

classroom environment immensely and allows for greater learning opportunities. This book

describes an unlikely yet magical friendship between two young children. By introducing

students to this theme of friendship in unique places, we felt students would gain insight into the

importance of friendship and also being kind to one another. This book also touches on bullying

which is a frequent problem in schools and something that we strive to prevent. Due to the fact

that the bullying takes place in a school and the children in the book are around the same age as

students in grade five, readers would be able to put themselves in the shoes of the characters and

understand the emotions that they are going through. Finally, this book reiterates the notion that

being different is okay and not only that but, being different is something to be proud of. In grade

five, students are starting to become aware of who they are as a person and how others are

perceiving them. It is around this age that some children begin to lose themselves because they

are scared about judgement from others. This is a perfect time to teach students about the value

of differences and how it is important for you to stay true to yourself. It is for these reasons that

we decided to go with this particular theme at the grade five level.

In terms of choosing the novel, Bridge to Terabithia, as our central text- there were many

reasons as to why. Our assigned grade was grade five, so we wanted to choose a novel that

would be memorable, and interesting for young readers. One of the main reasons we selected this

text was because of our own familiarity with the story and characters, as well as our shared

enthusiasm for the novel. Besides our enjoyment, we wanted to give our readers a chance to

experience a book that would be a pleasure to read, but also be meaningful in their lives. Not

only can students relate to the characters in terms of their own age, but the novel presents itself

in a way that is relatable to everyone. We also selected this novel in terms that it’s easy to
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 4

differentiate it in the classroom. This story includes many visual and audio components, as well

as other well-known resources that are connected to it. By using multiple modalities for listening

and learning, students are more likely to understand the themes of the text or have it tailored to

their needs in these different ways. We felt that the author uses grade five appropriate language

throughout the novel, yet at the same time, it offers a challenge for students through the

descriptive word choice, and through her use of visual imagery. It’s based on these reasons, that

we decided to collaborate and create a unit pan surrounding the themes, lessons, and literary

challenge offered within the Bridge to Terabithia.

Learning Outcomes and Learning Goals

Reading Achievement Standards - End of Grade 5

Reading Strategies and Behaviours for Strong Achievement:

 Students demonstrating strong achievement apply strategies and exhibit behaviours

described at the appropriate level in an increasingly efficient and deliberate manner, and
o make appropriate choices about how to deal with challenging material
o solve new words independently
o show insight with their questions and predictions, based on subtle interpretations
of textual details and knowledge gained from reading texts

Writing Achievement Standards - End of Grade 5

Writing Strategies and Behaviours for Strong Achievement:

 Students demonstrating strong achievement apply strategies and exhibit behaviours at the
appropriate level in an increasingly independent manner, and
o apply writing strategies consistently and with minimal prompting
o recognize purpose and audience and select form and content accordingly
o draft a piece of writing with awareness of need to develop a main idea with
specific and relevant details; revise work-in-progress
o take risks with writing (e.g., try a new form, use new vocabulary, use complex
sentences)
o write independently due to increased control of conventions

Content Learning:

I can statement(s) that students will be able to use once the unit is complete:
 I can make good choices when dealing with difficult material in this novel
 I can use phonemic awareness strategies to solve new words independently
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 5

 I can ask important questions about a given text

 I can use the “stop - think - paraphrase” strategy to summarize the text
 I can show insight by making predictions using details from the text and background
knowledge
 I can pre-plan before I start writing
 I can create a piece of writing with a bold beginning
 I can use transition words in my writing
 I can write independently, focusing on a main idea and using important details
 I can take risks in my writing by using new words and different sentences that I have learned

Central Text and Supporting Texts

1. Bridge to Terabithia (Katherine Paterson) – Novel

2. The Great Gilly Hopkins (Katherine Paterson) – Novel
3. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C.S Lewis) – Novel
4. Free to Be You and Me (Marlo Thomas and Friends) - Song
5. Charlotte’s Web (E.B White) – Novel
6. Stories of My Life (Katherine Paterson) – Autobiography
7. Bridge to Terabithia (Film) (2007) – Film
8. My Bridgista Year (Katherine Paterson) – Novel
9. A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L’Engle) – Novel
10. Molly Lou Melon (Written By: Patty Lovell Illustrated By: David Catrow) – Picture Book
11. A Friend (Gillian Jones) – Poem

Shared Reading Lesson Plan

Guided Reading Lesson Plan (instead of shared reading):

Teacher: Morgan Regular Monday, February 12, 2018

Subject: Language Arts (Guided Reading) St. Thomas University

Grade 5 Length: 15 minutes

Stage 2: Lesson Implementation

Before Reading:
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 6

- The teacher will begin by introducing the new text to the students
The teacher will discuss different aspects of the text (title, author, illustrator, cover, back, genre, etc.)
Ex: “This book is called, Bridge to Terabithia, written by Katherine Paterson and illustrated by
Donna Diamond.”
“What do you notice about the cover of this book?”
“Do you have any ideas surrounding what this book may be about?”
- The teacher will then activate students’ topic knowledge through questioning.
Ex: “What bridges do we have near us? What are bridges usually used for?”
- The teacher will have already gone through the book and made a list of potentially difficult words.
The teacher will focus on the difficult words found in chapter 1 and go through them with the students
on a whiteboard.
Ex: tiptoed, rattly, screeched, soothingly, grit, shebang, knock-kneed mule.
- The teacher will then conduct a brief mini-lesson on summarizing while reading.
- The teacher will explain that today’s guided reading will focus on practicing summarizing what we
have read. To start the teacher will model this.
- First, the teacher will read the first page aloud to the group.
- Then, the teacher will stop and explain that now he/she is going to think aloud about what they just
read.
- The teacher will describe their thoughts to the students.
- Next, the teacher will say, in a low voice and in their own words, what the page was about.
- The teacher will then ask students if they thought the page was about the same thing that he/she just
expressed in their own words.
- The teacher will then give each student a sheet of paper with a short (5-6 sentence) story on it.
- The teacher will tell the students that they are now going to engage in the same activity on their own.
They will read the story to themselves then, in a low voice they will explain their thought process, and
then when they’re ready, they explain to themselves, what the story was about.
- This activity will prepare students for the focus of the guided reading lesson.

During Reading:

- The teacher will tell students that after each page they read of this book, he/she wants them to engage
in the “Stop-Think-Paraphrase” activity.
-Teacher observes students while they read silently, and occasionally “listen in” to a student reading.
- Teacher may occasionally prompt when students are stuck on a word.
- If a student loses meaning, ask him/her to reread the sentence.
- Pause to discuss events, characters, information.
- Model phrased and fluent reading and ask students to copy you.
- Observe if the student is implementing the strategy by asking students to demonstrate the “Stop-
Think-Paraphrase” sequence for you.
Ex: “I like how you described the way Jess was feeling on that page, good summary.” “Try not
to overthink, let the book speak to you.” “Focus on the important words on the page, tell me what the
book is saying to you.”
- The teacher will keep notes on students’ reading.

After Reading:
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 7

- The teacher will allow students to read for 10 minutes.

- The teacher will then engage students in conversation about the text and their personal response to
what they have read so far.
Ex: “After reading the beginning of this book, do you have a better idea of what the story will
be about?”
“What do you think of Jess’s character?”
“Do you notice anything different about the language used in this book?”
- The teacher will ask students to share how they have applied the teaching point to their reading today.
Ex: “What did you think of the “Stop-Think-Paraphrase” strategy?”
“Did it help you understand what you read?”
- The teacher will then return to the text and, as a group, they will engage in the “Stop-Think-
Paraphrase” strategy together.
- Ask students if there was a particular part in the story where the “Stop-Think-Paraphrase” strategy
really helped them understand what was happening in the novel.
- If time permits – ask students to read the text in pairs demonstrating the strategy of today’s lesson to
one another.
- Give students feedback on their work
Ex: “Great work today! Keep working on summarizing what you’ve read by using the “Stop-
Think-Paraphrase” strategy. I will post this strategy on our reading wall as a reminder so that you can
always refer back to it.”

Shared Writing Lesson Plan

Interactive Writing
Subject: Language Arts
Grade 5
Length: 1 hour
Date: February 12, 2018

Stage One: Pre-lesson Preparation:

Interactive Writing Lesson:
Interactive writing is essentially the same as shared writing, but the one exception is that the
teachers shares the pen. The teacher invites the students to come and wither a letter, a word,
sentence, or more text. While this is happening, the other students are watching. Interactive
writing allows for differentiation instruction to take place. The teacher can choose how students
will participate, and it allows for students to practice through teacher support and coaching. It
can be done with an entire class, or with small groups for guided instruction.
Outcomes:
GCO:10. Students will be expected to use a range of strategies to develop effective writing and
other ways of representing and to enhance their clarity, precision and effectiveness
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 8

SCO: Use a range of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, and presentation
strategies

Book/Strategy:
- Book: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
- Focus on Lesson: Ideas – incorporating details (and supporting information that is accurate,
relevant, and helpful that help enhance meaning.

Materials:
- Chart paper
- Markers
- Book – Bridge to Terabithia

Before Writing:
- Prior knowledge: The teacher will ask students the following question: Why is it important to
make our ideas and our writing descriptive?
- Students will then participate in discussion, while the teacher is writing their responses (like so
it can create a picture in our heads through examples, etc.) on chart paper
Explain to students that today we will be looking at a strategy that will help us incorporate
descriptive details in our writing, and by doing so will create meaning and context.

During Writing:
Students will then read chapter 12: Stranded. The teacher will then ask students about what they
have just read and to talk with their elbow partner to discuss the following idea:
So, imagine some time has passed, Jess has decided to write a letter to the Burkes to let them
know how much Leslie meant to him. How would he describe his friendship to them?
The teacher will then write a phrase in the middle of the chart paper in a web such as “What
made Leslie a loyal friend?
After writing the phrase (although it can be a word), each student will come up and write
descriptive words with a marker connected to the web, as well as than example of
context/reasoning.

After Writing:
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 9

With the ideas brainstormed on the page, the teacher will then have formed a sentence using one
of the student’s examples. The teacher will then use on the ideas of the students and formulate a
descriptive sentence with it. The teacher will then ask if the sentence can be more descriptive,
(show, not tell).
Students will then in their journals will make a web about Jess, and brainstorm what makes him a
good friend? Students will then with their ideas, write a letter to Jess’s parents as if they were
Leslie.

Differentiation:
This lesson could easily be differentiated by knowing your students and choosing how each
student will participate.

Reference:
Lynch, J., Ferguson, K., Winch, G., Ross Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M.
(2017). Literacy: Reading, writing, and children's literature (Canadian ed.). Don Mills,
Ontario: Oxford University Press.

Shared Writing Lesson Plan

Teacher: Miss. Culberson School: St. Thomas University

Date: February 12th, 2018 Unit: Bridge to Terabithia

Time Required: 60 minutes Title of Lesson: My Special Place

Lesson Objectives:
· The objective of this lesson is to show students how to translate their pre-planning ideas
into a story.
· The focus of this lesson will be working on a bold beginning.
· The teacher will model a bold beginning using their 5 senses sheet and planning sheet for
their writing, then students will do this on their own.
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 10

Curriculum Standard/ Outcome:

· GCO 1: Students will be expected to speak and listen to explore, extend, clarify, and reflect
their thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences.
- Contribute thoughts, ideas, and experiences to discussions, and ask question to
clarify their ideas and those of their peers.
- Explain and support personal ideas and opinions.
- Listen critically to others’ ideas or opinions and points of view.
· GCO 8: Students will be expected to use writing and other forms of representation to
explore, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and learnings; and to
use their imaginations.
- Use a range of strategies in writing and other ways of representing to generate
topics of personal interest and importance; describe feelings, reactions, values,
and attitudes; record and reflect on experiences and their responses to them.
- Make deliberate language choices, appropriate to purpose, audience, and form,
to enhance meaning and achieve interesting effects in imaginative writing and
other ways of representing.
· GCO 10: Students will be expected to use a rage of strategies to develop effective writing
and other ways of representing and to enhance their clarity, precision and effectiveness.
- Use a range of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, and
presentation strategies.
- Demonstrate an increasing understanding of the conventions of written language
in final products: use basic spelling rules and show an understanding of
irregularities, use appropriate syntax in final products, use references while
editing (e.g., dictionaries, classroom charts, electronic spell checkers, checklists,
thesauri, other writers).

Differentiation/ Notes:
· All students are able to participate and engage in during the mini lesson.
· When it comes time to write, check in with certain students and go over their planning
sheet and 5 senses sheet with them. Set a small writing goal for them to complete (i.e.:
opening sentence) before checking in again and giving them another goal to keep them on
track and avoid overwhelming them.
· Since this is writing time, EAs shouldn’t scribe for their students, but can help them come
up with sentence starters, spelling, etc.
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 11

Lesson Plan Actions:

· Before Writing:
- The teacher will remind students of the connection between this writing piece
and the book the class is studying- Bridge to Terabithia. In the book, Jesse and
Leslie have a special place that only the two of them know about and enjoy-
Terabithia. Like Jesse and Leslie, students will write about their special place
using their 5 senses to help describe it. This place can be real, conceptual or
imaginative, allow students room for creativity and choice in this piece.
- Explain to the students that we will be applying our previous planning activities
to an actual writing piece. Remind students of the writing activities we’ve been
working on throughout the past week, one being our planning sheet where we
mapped out the structure for our stories, and our 5 senses sheets, where we
brainstormed describing words using our 5 senses to help depict our special
place.
- The teacher will bring up their planning sheet on the Smart Board and review
with the students what they plan to do in their writing.
- The teacher will also tape up their 5 senses brainstorming web that was
previously done on chart paper earlier in the week in a place that all students can
see, and review how their special place is going to look, sound, smell, feel, and
taste.
- After this quick review, the teacher will explain that today the class would focus
on writing a bold beginning, and to do this, students would need to incorporate
details from these sheets.

· During Writing:
- Note: Students should already know what a bold beginning should
incorporate, but the teacher should highlight these elements as they model
(i.e.: start with a sound, a feeling, a flashback, a quote then include
introductions to characters, settings, plot).
- The teacher will model the writing of their bold beginning in front of the class
about their special place, throughout this writing process, the teacher will allow
students to interject and contribute suggestions and ideas for the beginning.
- First: The teacher will focus on writing a catchy introductory line, this should
start with a sound, a feeling, a flashback, quotations, etc.
- Second: The teacher will refer to their 5 senses brainstorming web and using a
couple of these descriptors, give readers a taste of what their special place may
look, sound, feel, taste, or smell like.
- Third: The teacher will refer to their planning sheet and introduce the setting
and the main characters.
- Fourth: The teacher will refer to their planning sheet and set the story up for the
plot (what’s to come).
- Students will then be given a piece of writing paper, and given permission to get
out their writing binders containing their planning sheets, 5 senses sheets, and
word walls to refer to when writing. Students will be then given time to start on
writing their own bold beginnings- modelling what the teacher has just
previously done.
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 12

· After Writing:
- Re-read the bold beginning to the students to check for any spelling or grammar
mistakes. At this time, the teacher can ask students if they feel that any changes
should be made.
- Revisit the purpose of the lesson (remind students that today’s shared writing
activity is only one small step in a series of steps when it comes to producing a
writing piece.
- Mention to the group that next class we will be moving onto working on the
middle portion in our writing.
- Allow a handful of students to showcase their bold beginning in front of the
class (time permitting).

Resources for the Teacher:

· New Brunswick English Language Arts Curriculum 4-6
· Writing Power (Adrienne Gear) pgs. 92-95

Materials/ Resources:
· Chart Paper
· Markers
· Book: Bridge to Terabithia
· Word Walls
· My Special Place Planning Sheet
· My Special Place 5 Senses Sheet
· Smart Board
· Writing Binders
· Pencils
· Writing Paper

Post Reflection:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Learning Center

Literacy Center: Book Tweet

I created this center with a grade five classroom in mind, but it could be easily used in in

any grade 3-5 classroom. This is a center that could be incorporated into a weekly rotation when

the class is involved in either a group read aloud or a novel study. Students could also do a book
 BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 13

tweet on a book they’re independently reading, but if the teacher wanted evidence of their

knowledge- it might be easier to assess if it was around a book that was being collectively read

or facilitated by the teacher. The purpose of this station is to engage students in an unique writing

activity, that poses a kind of challenge. Through this activity, students have to be able to pick out

the main ideas of a book passage or about a book character and convey their response to the

audience using minimal text. Like a tweet, when students reach 140 characters they aren’t able to

write anymore, this teaches students to be mindful of the kind of events they are sharing (leave

out unimportant details) and how to summarize accordingly.

This center is not only one that’s fun for students, but it’s also easy for them to conduct

independently, so the teacher can work with a small group at their table. In grade 5, students

should be able to read, understand and apply the directions provided for them. I still chose to

implement instructions using short explanations and visual examples accompanying the

directions to help further understanding. Listed below are the curriculum standards this center

meets, materials needed for this center, teacher and student instructions, followed by an

attachment of the book tweet template, student instructions poster, and sample book tweet to

share with students.

· Curriculum Standards:

o GCO 6: Students will be expected to respond personally to a range of texts.

o GCO 8: Students will be expected to use writing and other forms of representation

to explore, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and

learnings; and to use their imaginations.

 BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 14

o GCO 10: Students will be expected to use a range of strategies to develop

effectively writing and other ways of representing and to enhance their clarity,

precision and effectiveness.

· Materials:

o Book Tweet Templates

o Student Instructions

o Sample Book Tweet

o Pencils

· Teacher Instructions:

o To prepare in advance for this center, the teacher should create and laminate a

sample of a book tweet, so that students can have an example in front of them

when doing their own.

o The teacher should also print and laminate a list of the center’s instructions (see

below) that students can easily read, understand, and apply on their own.

o On the actual day of the center, the teacher needs to put out the book tweet

sample, student instructions, book tweet templates, and pencils.

· Students Instructions:

o Write about a character or event from the book as a response to reading in the

twitter templates provided.

o You can only use 140 characters in this activity, which means you can only put

one letter or punctuation mark on each line (this includes spaces between words).

Due to having limited space to write, you must make sure you pick out the most

important points from the passage or character you’re writing about.

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 15

Ex: T h e _ c h a r a c t e r s _ w e r e …

o Make sure to include your twitter handle (your profile name) at the beginning of

the tweet on the designated line. Have fun and be creative with this, it should be a

reflection as you the writer.

Ex: @teachersarecool

o At the end of your response, don’t forget to include a #hashtag. Your hashtag

should reflect the theme of your response.

#friendshipiseverything

o Once finished, share your response with the other people at your center!

Word Study Lesson Plan

Literacy Centre – “Getting from Point A to Point B” – Transition words

This literacy centre focuses on practicing transition words. In fifth grade, students struggle with
expressing their ideas in a sequential manner. Students may have a lot of great ideas but, they
need help putting them in an order that is fluid and makes sense. This centre will help students
familiarize themselves with transition words and practice putting them into their writing.

Materials needed:
- Map of region (depending on the location of your school)
- Paper
- Pencil
- List of transition words
- Instructions for centre
- Red marker

At this centre, there will be a number of maps. Each one will be of different areas of the same
region. There will be different routes highlighted in red marker on each map. Here are the steps
the students will follow:

Step 1: Student will pick a map and look at the highlighted route

Step 2: Students will turn to their elbow partner and explain how to get from “Point A” to “Point
B”.
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 16

Step 3: Students will then take a piece of paper and write down their directions in a short list
(point form). For example, “Turn left on Onondaga street.”, “Turn right on MacDonald avenue”.

Step 4: Next, students will write the directions in paragraph form using common transition
words to structure their paragraphs. They can use the list of transition words at the centre for
help. Each sentence should start with a transition word.

Step 5: Students will go through their paragraph and underline all of the transition words they
used.

Step 6: Students read their paragraph out loud to their elbow partner.

(I have attached instructions for the centre and the list of transition words)

“Getting from Point A to Point B” – Transition words

Can you help me get from Point A to Point B? Let’s give it a try!

1. First, pick a map and look at the highlighted route (from Point A to Point B).

2. Next, explain to your elbow partner how to get from Point A to Point B.

3. Now, take a piece of paper and write your directions in a short list. Such as, “Turn left on
Onondaga street.”, “Turn right on MacDonald avenue.”

4. Then, write down your directions in paragraph form using transition words such as; next,
then, after, etc., (use the list of transition words to help you). Each of your sentences should
start with a transition word.

5. Afterwards, go through your paragraph and underline all of the transition words you used.

6. Finally, turn to your elbow partner and read your directions out loud.

Transition Words

- First
- Second/Secondly
- Before
- Then
- Next
- Once
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA UNIT PLAN 17

- Now
- Following
- Finally
- After/Afterwards
- Lastly