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Grade Level:
4 - 6
Literary Form:
American Novel
Paired with:
A Year Down Yonder10 Lesson Plans/30 Handouts/84 Pages
ISBN:978-1-56077-723-6
Description:
The novel and its sequel tell of family loyalty and adventure in a Depression-era rural community. This setting provides the focus for humor, character development, and the themes of growing up, independence, friendship, and tolerance. The novel is full of exciting adventures, lively characters, and realistic settings that eventually lead the characters down a bumpy road to a happy ending.
Focusing on the atypical Grandma Dowdel who bridges the generation gap, and narrated by her grandson, Joey, the story illustrates how Grandma’s sometimes-unlawful tactics and genuine motives benefit her grandchildren. Through her dealings with friends and enemies, Grandma is a character who shocks and amuses the reader.
This novel is paired with the Newberry Award-winning sequel, A Year Down Yonder, that continues the story as told by Grandma Dowdel’s granddaughter, Mary Alice.
Activities:
This unit examines the literary devices point of view, setting, characterization, symbolism, figurative language, and dialect. Students will expand their knowledge through pre-reading activities, writing assignments, and directed performance assessments. Critical reading and writing skills are emphasized. Activities featured in this unit include student presentations, brainstorming, classroom discussion activities, small group discussions, writing activities, guided character development activities, charting/creating graphic organizers, poetry analysis, analyzing writing style, and creative writing activities. Optional activities are included in the lessons to provide students with additional learning opportunities.
Ethical Values:
Family commitment
Initiative
Justice
Loyalty
Truth
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