A Day No

Pigs Would

Die

Created by Linda Sanders

Barr Middle School

Eighth Grade English

Brief Description of Lesson:

This lesson is designed to be used to introduce the novel A DAY NO PIGS WOULD DIE by Robert Peck. The novel takes place in the 1920's in a small agricultural community in Vermont. The family of the main character practice the Shaker religion. Students need to be given background in all these aspects of the novel.

Nebraska State Curriculum Standards:

8.1.7 By the end of the eighth grade, students will interpret the meaning of literary works, nonfiction, films, and media by using different analytic techniques.

8.2.5 By the end of the eighth grade, students will use self-generated questions, note-taking, summarizing, and outlining to enhance learning.

8.3.1 By the end of the eighth grade, students will pose questions and contribute their own information or ideas in class discussions in order to acquire new knowledge.

8.4.1 Apply listening skills in a variety of settings.

8.4.2 Adapt and apply listening strategies to the setting.

Nebraska State Technology LEARNS Competencies:

5. Technology Research Tools

Grades 6-8 Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using telecommunications and collaborative tools to investigate curriculum-related problems and issues.

Hardware Needed:

Networked computers or LCD projector connected to a classroom computer

Computer to Student Ratio:

One computer per student or one computer per classroom

Software Needed:

Netscape or internet software

Amount of time needed with computers:

One to two days are needed at the computer depending how in depth you want students to investigate.

URLs of Sites:

http://www.ruralheritage.com/horse_paddock/belgian_roan.htm#roan

http://www.ruralheritage.com/ox_paddock/holstein1.htm#holstein

http://www.ruralheritage.com/ox_paddock/ox_whatis.htm

http://universalguide.com/naturelive/naturelive-weasels.htm

http://www.vermontphoto.com/galpages/land/misty.htm

http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/old/shakers.html

http://www.etropolis.com/mini/shaker/index.htm

http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/old/about.html

http://www.shakerwssg.org/default.htm

http://www.bbonline.com/pa/doubleday/history.html

Lesson Design:

1. Connect:

Announce to the class that you are giving a pop quiz today. They need to take out a piece of paper and number one to ten.

2. Reflect

Put students into groups of 4 or 5. Have students share their answers to the pop quiz. They should decide on the best answer for each question in their group which they will share with the entire class.

3. Image

Students will look at all the answers from the groups and decide what answers look the most reasonable. At this point, students need to image they are a boy, about 12 or 13, living in Vermont with Shaker parents in the 1920's.

4. Direct Teaching/Learning

Give students a copy of a graphic organizer to collect information that will help them determine how correct their answers to the quiz were. The organizer will aid the students in getting the background knowledge that the boy in the novel already has.

5. Practice

Students can fill out the graphic organizer while exploring the web page A DAY NO PIGS WOULD DIE. If you have only one classroom computer, with an LCD, the teacher can guide the students through the web page while they fill out the organizer.

6. Apply

With their graphic organizers in hand, have the students correct their original pop quiz. This organizer should be kept with their materials as they read the novel for a reference.

7. Refine

Students may add to the organizer as they read the novel. At the end of the novel, the teacher could ask students to choose an area of the organizer and write an essay that uses both information from the organizer and relate it to happenings in the novel. Students could be asked to write journal entries as if they were living in the same community and were Shakers, for example.

8. Share

Students will share their writing with each other as part of their final project over the novel.