book brunch reading as service learning poster session presented by leandra elion, winchester high...

Book BrunchReading as Service Learning POSTER SESSION Presented byLEANDRA ELION, Winchester High School, Massachusetts, USAat the 22nd World Congress on ReadingSan Jose, Costa RicaTuesday July 29, 2008

Leandra Elion - World Congress on Reading - July 2008

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Rationale:

By adding a service learning component to reading instruction,

Pairing students with senior citizens and retirees in the community,

Students can use their newly acquired critical reading skills in a real life situation

Such as a book discussion group that meets regularly to discuss texts we have all read.


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We get to see how different people react to the events in the book and we also get to express our feelings. I also

enjoy getting the food!

Brendan – 11th Grade Student


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Why ServiceLearning and Reading?

• Service Learning is a method by which young people learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences…

• That meet actual community needs

• Connecting older adults with younger students

• Connecting older adults with the school

• Strengthing adolescent literacy skills

(Alliance for Service Learning in Education Reform)


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• That are coordinated in collaboration with the school and community

• Involvement with the schools’ “Connect and Commit” Service Learning program

• Collaboration with the town’s Senior Center and Council on Aging



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• That are integrated into each young person’s academic curriculum

• Reading skills taught in class are directly used in the Book Brunch discussion group

• Reading skills can be used for any text in the future



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• That provide structured time for a young person to think, talk and write about what he/she did and saw during the actual service activity

• Students write responses in a reading reflection journal, on the class wiki or in a blog



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• That provide young people with opportunites to use newly acquired academic skills and knowledge in real life situations in their own communities

• Students are given to opportunity to critically discuss texts with other adults

• Students learn to associate reading and the discussion of literature as a pleasurable life-long activity

• The Book Brunch occurs out in the community, in a public place reinforcing the value of reading and literacy



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• That enhance what is taught in the school by extending student learning beyond the classroom

• The Book Brunch occurs out in the community, in a public place reinforcing the value of reading and literacy

• Students engage with adults in a real life book discussion group



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• That help to foster the development of a sense of caring for others

• Students meet regularly with the same adult partner to form an ongoing dialgoue and relationship

• Students write thank you follow up letters to their adult reading partners

• Students, in the future, will set up a discussion via the wiki or the blog, with their adult reading partner



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It gives kids another perspective

about the book

Andrew – 9th Grade Student


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Suggested Titles

FICTION• The Glass Café by Gary Paulsen• Stuck in Neutral by Terry

Trueman• The Curious Incident of the Dog

in the Night Time by Mark Haddon

• Black and White by Paul Volponi

• The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins by Walter Dean Myers


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Suggested TitlesNON-FICTION• Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True

Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman

• Remember D-Day: The Plan, the Invasion, Survivor Stories by Ronald J. Drez

• A Biography of Nelson Mandela by Coleen Degnan-Veness

• The Madiba Legacy Series: 8 Comic Books about the Life and Times of Nelson Mandela published by the Nelson Mandela Foundation

• “The Day the Sea Came” by Barry Bearak from The New York Times Magazine, November 27, 2005


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Other sources for book suggestions:• Journal of Adolescent &

Adult Literacy’s Reviews of Books for Adolescents,

• The Annual Young Adults’ Choices list compiled by the International Reading Association’s Literature for Young Adults Committee

• The High School librarian• The Public Library librarians


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How to start a Book Brunch Service Learning Project• Invite retired teachers to join;

it helps maintain their connection to the school

• Recruit senior citizens through your town’s Senior Center

• Encourage adults to commit for the year so they can form meaningful connections with students

• Set dates in advance to help in the planning


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How to start a Book Brunch Service Learning Project• If possible meet outside of the

school building• Arrange with a local coffee

shop, sandwich or bagel shop to set aside tables for your group

• Alternate between fiction and non-fiction texts

• Choose complementary texts; a science book about the brain followed by a novel about someone with a neurological impairment


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I learned that books make you think differently and the adults you talk to give you a lot if different views on

everything

Abby – 10th Grade Student

Some Reading Strategies taught in class and then used in the discussion group

Activating Prior KnowledgeText-to-text ConnectionsText-to-self ConnectionsVisualizationQuestion the AuthorVocabulary Development


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Suggested activities for the Book Brunch1. Begin with an ice-breaker

activity such as asking everyone “What 3 things would you bring to a desert island?” Other ideas available at http://www.educationworld.com/back_to_school/index.shtml#icebreaker

2.Serve food—bagels, sandwiches, juice, etc.

You want to create pleasant associations with reading for students


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Suggested activities for the Book Brunch3. Provide some general

questions about the topic such as “What is your definition of courage?” “Who is the bravest person you know?”

4. Provide specific questions about the text such as “What do you think the author was trying to accomplish with this novel?” or “”Who was your favorite character and why?”


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Suggested activities for the Book Brunch5. Allow time for questions

or discussion that the group might have

6. Come together to share thoughts

7. Have students write thank you letters to the adults

8. Have students write reflections


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I learned that there

are many books that will help people

learn and connect with others.

Trisha – 9th Grade Student


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Using blogs and wikis• Students write their reading

responses in either a blog or on a wiki.

• This allows students to comment on one another’s ideas and it allows the teacher to read and comment on posts as well.

• A wiki allows the teacher and student to edit posts more easily than on a blog.

• Choose a wiki or a blog that is password protected.


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Using blogs and wikis• Through a wiki or a blog, the teacher

can direct students to other websites to build on background knowledge and connect information for students.

For example, in “The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins” the character mentions the songs by the Andrew Sisters. A link on the wiki allows students to watch a video of the popular WWII singers.

• In the future, students and their adult reading partners will communicate and reflect on their readings using a blog or a wiki.

BLOGwww.readingwinchester.blogspot.com

5 Education Shawn's father poses the question: "why educate the uneducable?"

What is your answer to this question. Use examples from the text and from your experiences to respond.

Posted by Ms. Elion at 3:06 PM

5 comments: D said...

Shawns' dad thinks that there is no use in educating the uneducable. I think they should try to do things with sound and music that causes the people to get a reaction. Also you can get sensory things that can tie in with a beautiful picture.December 10, 2007 9:58 PM

http://www.readingwinchester.blogspot.com/

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WIKIwww.bookbrunch.wikispaces.com

Using the Merriam-Webster Dictionary on line, look up the meaning of the following words:

First: Copy the following link: www.merriam-webster.com Next: Open up a new tab and paste the link there to go to web site.

Then: Look up your word and find the most appropriate meaning for a context in war Now: Copy the definition

Then: Come back to the wiki and click the EDIT button Go: Go to your name, paste the definition in for everyone to read and

THEN: Write a sentence, using your word with good context clues.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict.htm

WORDS TO KNOW when reading about WAR, especially WORLD WAR II

NAME

NAME WORD DEFINITION SENTENCED.F. Onslaught sudden attack Germany launched an onslaught

of troops to capture France.

A.H. Mobilize To put into movement. The troops were mobilized to attack. (How??)

http://www.bookbrunch.wikispaces.com/

http://www.bookbrunch.wikispaces.com/

http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict.htm


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The Book Brunch program provides an ideal marriagebetweenacademic classroom curriculum&real life application of those skills in the community


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The program is supported in part by the Winchester Community Service Learning Foundation and its Connect and Commit program at Winchester High School, Winchester, MA USA

book brunch reading as service learning poster session presented by leandra elion, winchester high...

Documents

service learning component

value of reading

organized service experiences

student learning

book brunch reading

leandra elion world

critical reading skills

reading san jose