The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Caring, Friendship, Reciprocity

Transcription

1 The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein Upper ES / ELA Caring, Friendship, Reciprocity Discuss being a friend/friendship. In small groups, make a list of the qualities of a friend, or what it means to be a friend. Examine the text and ask participants to anticipate what they expect this reading to be like. Note genre, text features, structure, etc. Number the sections/paragraphs. As appropriate, share about the author, Shel Silverstein: Born Sheldon Allan Silverstein, went by Shel Born September 25, 1930 and died May 10, 1999 American poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children s books The Giving Tree was published in 1964 Popular poetry books: A Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and Falling Up 1

2 Provide the meaning of terms that students find difficult to understand. Ask students to note the meaning you provide on their copies of the text, so that they are easily accessed for comprehension. Have students view the YouTube video of The Giving Tree read by Shel Silverstein: Give each student a copy of the text. Label the development of the boy for each section. 1. young boy 2. teenager 3. young man 4. man 5. old man Students should make a bubble map or chart of the sequence of events for the boy (listed above). For each of the boy s bubbles, draw another branch/bubble with a detail of what the tree gave the boy at that stage. Examples below. *Optional: create in Popplet App. *Ideally provide each student with a copy of the story. 1. young boy climb up trunk, swing from branches, eat apples, play hide and seek, sleep in her shade 2. teenager gave apples to sell for money 3. young man cut branches and built house for family OR Give each student a line from the story to illustrate. Create a class picture strip sequencing the events of the story. 2

3 v What could be another good title for this story? (round-robin response) v Why did you choose that title? (spontaneous discussion) v Why did the tree love the boy? v Of all the things the tree gave away, what do you think was hardest? v Why did the tree call the person boy, even when he was an adult? v Is it ever appropriate for someone to stop giving? Explain. v What happens to the boy after the tree is gone? Does the boy know how to care for himself or for others? v What lesson does the story teach about friendship? 3

4 Revisit the story board drawings or bubble map from the Analytical Read stage. Have students add details to their drawings based on what they heard, said, and thought during the seminar about being a friend. After reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, write a paragraph in which you explain the lesson the story teaches about friendship. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. Have students return to the lists for the Launch Activity and have them decide what is the most important component of friendship. Referring to the story board/bubble maps created during the Analytical Read and the Transition to Writing stages, as well as the revised Launch Activity, have students outline their paragraph and choose what text evidence they would like to include in their draft. Support as needed with a template to help students structure their paragraphs. 4

5 Invite students to write the first drafts of their paragraphs. Have participants work in pairs to read the first drafts of their paragraphs aloud to each other with emphasis on reader as creator and editor. Listener says back one important point heard clearly and asks one question for clarification. Switch roles. Give time for full revisions resulting in a second draft. Once the second draft is complete, support, clarify and reteach for spelling and grammar conventions that you identify your students needing. Give time for full revisions resulting in a third and final draft. Publish by displaying finished writing pieces in the hall outside your classroom, decorated as appropriate with components from the pre-seminar activity. Grade 2 Team Providence Spring Elementary Text: Retrieved on 12/14/2018 5

6 The Giving Tree - Poem by Shel Silverstein Once there was a tree... and she loved a little boy. And every day the boy would come and he would gather her leaves and make them into crowns and play king of the forest. He would climb up her trunk and swing from her branches and eat apples. And they would play hide-and-go-seek. And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade. And the boy loved the tree... very much. And the tree was happy. But time went by. And the boy grew older. And the tree was often alone. Then one day the boy came to the tree and the tree said, 'Come, Boy, come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and eat apples and play in my shade and be happy.' 'I am too big to climb and play' said the boy. 'I want to buy things and have fun. I want some money?' 'I'm sorry,' said the tree, 'but I have no money. I have only leaves and apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have money and you will be happy.' And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried them away. And the tree was happy. But the boy stayed away for a long time... and the tree was sad. And then one day the boy came back and the tree shook with joy and she said, 'Come, Boy, climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and be happy.' 'I am too busy to climb trees,' said the boy. 'I want a house to keep me warm,' he said. 6

7 'I want a wife and I want children, and so I need a house. Can you give me a house?' ' I have no house,' said the tree. 'The forest is my house, but you may cut off my branches and build a house. Then you will be happy.' And so the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house. And the tree was happy. But the boy stayed away for a long time. And when he came back, the tree was so happy she could hardly speak. 'Come, Boy,' she whispered, 'come and play.' 'I am too old and sad to play,' said the boy. 'I want a boat that will take me far away from here. Can you give me a boat?' 'Cut down my trunk and make a boat,' said the tree. 'Then you can sail away... and be happy.' And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat and sailed away. And the tree was happy... but not really. And after a long time the boy came back again. 'I am sorry, Boy,' said the tree,' but I have nothing left to give you - My apples are gone.' 'My teeth are too weak for apples,' said the boy. 'My branches are gone,' said the tree. ' You cannot swing on them - ' 'I am too old to swing on branches,' said the boy. 'My trunk is gone, ' said the tree. 'You cannot climb - ' 7

8 'I am too tired to climb' said the boy. 'I am sorry,' sighed the tree. 'I wish that I could give you something... but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump. I am sorry...' 'I don't need very much now,' said the boy. 'just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired.' 'Well,' said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, 'well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest.' And the boy did. And the tree was happy. 8