Where The Red Fern Grows Essay

Tell student today we will be starting to read a new novel, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.

Pass out a book one to each child.

Share with students that while we are reading this book will be having literacy circles, which are groups of people reading the same book and meeting together to discuss what they have read. As a part of these literacy circles you will each have a job to share with your group. Each day this week, I will be showing how one of the jobs work. Today, while we read we will focus on the Vocabulary Vulture.

Share the powerpoint to provide students with background information on the novel. The powerpoint discusses the author and setting of the story. It also introduces redferns, redbone coonhounds and raccoons.

The book reads,”I saw that his right ear was split wide open. It was too much for him and he took off down the street, squalling like a scalded cat.”

Project the Vocabulary Vulture sheet on the board. Say, “if my job was the vocabulary vulture and I came across this word I didn’t know here is what I would do.” Then show students how to fill out the sheet by writing the page and paragraph number, the sentence from the book and looking up the definition. Show students how to look up the definition of a word by using either a dictionary or an ipad. Finally, draw a quick sketch of a baby crying.

Next, model for students how they would share the vocabulary word they found with their group. Use the word cur for example. Say, “if I was the vocabulary vulture and cur was the word I wanted to share with my group, I would ask everyone to turn to page 4 paragraph 2. I would then read the sentence out loud. Next, I would ask if anyone knows what the word means based off of the paragraph. Then I would share the definition and make sure it made sense with the sentence in the book. Then, I would show everyone my sketch to help them remember the definition.”

Other vocabulary