Megan Jones

Literature Focus Unit

Dr. Cozens
December 11, 2010

On the Mayflower: Hardships Through History

1. Literature Selection
Waters, K. (1996). On the Mayflower: Voyage of the ship’s apprentice and a passenger girl. New York,
NY: Scholastic, Inc.

2. Theme
The book, On the Mayflower, by Kate Waters is a book about two individuals who have many
difficulties through their journey to North America. The theme of this book is hardships. The story will
allow student to engage in activities allowing them to discover the meaning of what a hardship is (past
and preset), which deal with a person’s emotions as well. This is a topic that many of them will not
study on their own and therefore should be covered in class.

3. Additional texts
George, J. (1993). The first Thanksgiving. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
Lasky, K. (1996). A journey to the New World: Diary of remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower 1620.
New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
McGovern, A. (1991). If you sailed on the Mayflower in 1620. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
McGovern, A. (1993). The pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
San Souci, R. (1991). N.C. Wyeth’s pilgrims. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

4. Unit Plan—Planning Stage-Include a graphic organizer. See example below.

Poems, letters, pattern writing,

emails, text, different genres

Presentation, Maps,
who and tell, brochures,
debates, menus, food
power points boxes, letters,
journals

Shows/movies, radio
and songs, students
reading, presentations
5. Activities!

Activity 1: Letter Back Home

GLE: W3A2, b: Recognize different forms of written communication (e.g., thank-you notes, friendly
letters, lists, poems, invitations).

Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate written forms of communication by writing a letter
back home.

Activity: The students will write a letter back home. They are to write the letter as if they are a
member of the Mayflower and writing back to family or friends in England. They will identify the
parts of a letter: return address, date, salutation, body, and signature with closing. Students will
see an example that I have created, but their imagination is key to complete the body.

Technology Resources: A sample letter will be on the SmartBoard and students will be allowed to
type their finish letter in Word.

Activity assessment: Teacher observation will be used during the activity to monitor student work and
responses. Students will write a letter independently which will be accessed accordingly.

1 Let’s Try Again 2 Almost There 3 You’ve Got it!

Address Address is missing or Address is missing on Address is written

inaccurate. piece. accurately.

Date Date missing. Date not in proper All parts of the date
format. are there.

Salutation Salutation is missing. Salutation is not in Salutation is correct

proper format. and in proper format.

Body Body is not clearly A few minor errors Body is clearly written
written; several errors. (grammar+, spelling, with no more than
format). three errors.

Closing Closing is missing Not properly formatted Written properly

Activity 2: Brochure on Plymouth

GLE: W2D2: Compose text using words that are related to the topic, and, with assistance, some words
that are specific and accurate.

Objective: Students will be able to use words related to the topic of hardships and the Mayflower by
creating a brochure about Plymouth.

Activity: When creating a brochure the students will use words that they have been learning in our
short unit over the hardships on the Mayflower. Words will include but are not limited too:
apprentice, caulk, dire, fearsome, fortnight, oakum, younker, and so forth (can be found in the
 glossary of the book). The students will learn about these words using a word wall and will be
given examples of a brochure (which students can bring in as well).

Technology Resources: A sample brochure will be on the SmartBoard and students will be allowed to
type their finish product-using publisher.

Activity assessment: Teacher observation will be used during the activity to monitor student work and
responses. Students will create a brochure independently which will be accessed using a check list.

1 Let’s Try Again 2 Almost There 3 You’ve Got it!

Title Doesn’t have a proper Addresses the topic Title is very inviting
front panel. well! and fun!

Information/ Lacking educational Two or three Four or five

Body facts. educational facts. educational facts

Appropriate Only offers one to two Includes three to five Includes six new
words new words. new words. words.

Pictures Has one or less Has only two pictures. Has three or more
pictures. pictures

Overall Still in the editing 10 or more Few grammar and

appearance phase. Check for all grammar/spelling spelling errors;
errors and make errors or can be overall very
professional.
neater. appealing.

Activity 3: Daily Journal.

GLE: R1E2: Develop vocabulary by reading, listening to, and discussing unknown words in stories
using a. root words, b. classroom resources, c. context clues.

Objective: Students will be able to understand five new words by writing in a daily journal.

Activity: The students will write three to five sentences in their daily journal using two new words that
we discussed in class. The words will be talked about in small groups, as well as added to a word
wall for them to be “found” on. The first day I will demonstrate what a journal can be used for.

Technology Resources: A sample journal will be on the SmartBoard and students will be allowed to
type their journal on a protected online “diary” site (with parent’s permission) as a finish product.
The Journal will be first written in a standard notebook that is left in the room.

Activity assessment: The teacher will observe while the students write daily in their journals. The
journals will also be checked each night to make sure the students meet the following check list.

Daily Journal Check

 List

Clearly Written? Yes/No

3 – 5 Sentences? Yes/No

Uses two new words? Yes/No

Activity 4: Identify Maps

GLE: R2A2: Use details from text to locate and apply information in title, pictures, and table of
contents.

Objective: Students will be able to identify the important parts of a map as well as understand the
journey that the Mayflower took by creating their own map.

Activity: After class discussion that covers maps and how they are used as a tool, the students will
then first help the teacher design a map of the classroom. They are then going to independently
create a map that shows the route that the Mayflower traveled.

Technology Resources: A variety of maps will be on the SmartBoard, as well as normal travel maps,
and globe will be displayed to help engage students.

Activity assessment: Teacher will observe the students work and then grade the following map by
using a checklist.

Map Check
List

Colored and Yes/No

clearly designed?

Has the correct Yes/No

lands and travel
of the Mayflower?

Has a compass Yes/No

rose present?

Activity 5: Presentation or Skit

GLE: L2A2: Speak at an appropriate volume and maintain a clear focus when sharing ideas.
Objective: Students will all be able to demonstrate appropriate volume while giving a presentation OR
a skit that tells a story of children having hardships in their travels.

Activity: After completing research, and allowing for time to plan a skit or presentation, the students
will then perform their skit. Students will also demonstrate their focus on how to share ideas
appropriately.

Technology Resources: For fun educational reasons students will be able to watch a YouTube video
on the smart board that shows what a skit is and how it clearly conveys and idea or message.

Activity assessment: The students will have to meet the following checklist.

Skit Check
List

Is one to two Yes/No

minutes long

Students in Yes/No
audience can
clearly state the
idea of the shown
skit? Showing
that they heard
the speaker
clearly.

Activity 6: Game on the ship! A-hoy!

GLE: L2B2: Give clear oral directions to complete a simple task.

Objective: Students will be able to follow and give oral directions by pretending to play a game called
“Captain” on the ship.

Activity: The game “Captain” is like “follow the leader” meets “Simon says” meets “charades”. The
student that is the “captain” will ask for all students to deliver certain task. Task will start off easy
such as “row” (students do rowing motion) to more complicated task such as “Please go to your
desk, find the sharpest pencil, and bring back for your captain to use to draw on his map.” The
task will be selected from a hat where the Teacher has provided enough ideas for each student to
be “Captain”. All students will have a turn to be Captain to complete ONE task. The teacher will
give a few different examples. This game can also meet the listening GLE’s for students to listen to
task being given by the Captain.

Technology Resources: Appropriately themed music will be playing softly while the student play
captain.

Activity assessment: This activity will mainly be assessed by observation from the teacher. However,
the student will receive points based off of the following rubric.
 1. Still needs work. 2. Almost there! 3. You are a leader!

Being a Captain, “Captain” needs to work A few students Student speaks

give clear harder on being a leader; his have confusion; clearly, stating the
directions in the shipmates were lost. “Captain” stumbled task in which all
game.
a bit. students follow
exactly.

Activity 7: Listening to students read.

GLE: L1A2: Listen for enjoyment, information, to solve problems, and for directions to complete a task.

Objective: Students will listen to other students ready and show their listening skills by writing in their
journals what the students had read.

Activity: A variety of students and/or the teacher will re-aloud either to pairs, in small groups, or to the
entire class. The listening students will then be asked to write a short paragraph in their daily
journals about what they just heard. For this assignment I am going to address it as if the teacher
was reading to the entire class. The teacher will give an example of what a short summary is using
“somebody wanted but so” method.

Technology Resources: Big book will be read aloud and sample readings will also be read off of the
SmartBoard.

Activity assessment: This activity will be addressed by the following checklist.

Listening Check
List

Could the students Yes/No

address the main
point?

Can the student Yes/No

identify the main
characters?

Can the students Yes/No

discuss with shoulder
partners what they
just heard?

Can the students Yes/No

remember a
beginning, middle,
and end?

Activity8: Mayflower Movies

GLE: L2B2: Demonstrate listening behaviors (e.g., prepares to listen, listens without interruptions,
maintains eye contact).
 Objective: Students will be able to sit quietly and focus on watching an educational video about the
adventures of the Mayflower.

Activity: During and educational video the students will be able to prepare for a video (lights out, eyes
forward, mouths off, ears on) and maintain their focus to understand the main point of the video.
The students will then participate in a group discussion over the video and what it was about. The
teacher will then help the students learn how to write a chain of events diagram based off of what
the students learned in the video.

Technology Resources: The video will be watched on the SmartBoard and the chain of events
diagram will also be displayed there too.

Activity assessment: This activity is assessed by teacher observation but students need to make sure
to meet the following criteria.

Check marks: Students will receive a check mark for each “infraction” that caused any disruption to
them or their classmates during the movie. For every two “infracts” the student will lose one point of
his or her participate points. Infractions include but are not limited to the following:

Does not corporate when preparing for the movie (cleaning off desk).
Talking out loud.
Getting up.
Moving around in seat or on floor.
Sleeping.
Not watching the screen and looking “lost in space.”

6. Groupings
Whole-class
Vocabulary Word-Wall Chart
Read Aloud
Hardship Discussions
Captain oh Captain game
Small-group
Presenting a skit.
Reading aloud.
Using maps.
Individual
Write a letter to home
Design a brochure
Reflection
Daily Journal

7. Schedule
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
• Share and • Re-read the • Partner read. • Read a • Group read
build text • Share letters second last
background • Paired with class complementa complementa
knowledge. reading of (peer ry book with ry book.
• Engage complementa editing). partners and • Share
students for ry text. • Oral debate discuss. brochures
their new • Minilesson that is • Minilesson with class.
adventure. on letter teacher lead on brochure. • Share
• Minilesson format. on who had • Watch video personal
 on purpose • Write letter the hardest about the hardships for
for listening. back home. job on the Mayflower. closure.
• Read aloud • Discuss new ship. • Design • Engage
and grand words to add • Presentation brochure. students in
conversation to word wall. and skits will • Write in Daily preparation
• Add to the • Write in daily be journal two for next mini-
Word Wall journal. presented. new words unit.
• Write in daily (add to word
• Write in daily journal new wall).
journal. words for the
day.

8. Literature Focus Unit Checklist

Text- On the Mayflower by Kate Waters Date
completed
Required:
_____1. Play “Captain” with the class.
_____2. Letter back home.
_____3. Create a brochure.
_____4. Write a summary of the movie using four new words.

Optional (Choose at least 2):

______ Create a Vocabulary Game
______ Complete a map showing your own personal adventures.
______ Create a poem about a personal hardship. Share the poem with the class.
______ Draw a picture from of something you visualized while reading the text.
______ Make a Venn diagram of two hardships you have had and how they relate to each other.
______ Create a poster that promotes the book to other students.