The Thief of Always Breakout

Looking for a great read aloud for your upper elementary or middle school students? The Thief of Always is a great book that the kids love! It's creepy and thrilling, but also filled with great themes. 

Escape rooms are becoming more popular both in and out of the classroom. On weekends, people take their friends and families to escape rooms for fun. In the classroom, escape rooms are also becoming trendy.  BreakoutEdu has digital breakouts that involve critical thinking skills.  There are even Breakout kits where students can unlock and crack codes. Since The Thief of Always involves the main character being trapped inside and eventually escaping the Holiday House, I wanted to create an escape room that involved the book.

My school district follows the Lucy Calkins curriculum, and this story is the read aloud for Lucy Calkins 5th Grade Unit 4: Fantasy Book Clubs: The Magic of Themes and Symbols.  After reading aloud the book to my class, I planned a breakout room in which students have to escape the Holiday House, the main setting in the book. I used skills from Lucy Calkins' Learning Progressions for this breakout.  Students also use math, art, and critical thinking to solve the problems.

The breakout includes the following educational skills:

• Themes
• Character Traits
• Author's Craft
• Setting
• Perspective
• Internal & External Quests
• Converting Time

The clues also involve:

• Emoji Code
• Riddles
• Decoding
• Sketching

Below, you can see a Twitter post in which students are engaged in the challenge:

Broke out of the Holiday House today! Breakout room for our Thief of Always read aloud! #TCRWP pic.twitter.com/5FDJVADBHl

— Mrs. DiPasqua (@MrsDiPasquaOJR) June 3, 2019

The full breakout is available for purchase on DiPasqua Education's Teachers Pay Teachers page. The package includes:

• Lesson Plan with Breakout Directions
• Answer Key
• Student Map
• Student Answer Recording Sheet
• Breakout Clues
• Hint Cards
• Room Labels
• Escape Cards

Here's how it works:

I printed out and laminated all the materials. I sorted each of the challenges into folders, and labeled them with the appropriate room label. I acted as Mrs. Griffin, dressed in an apron, baring the "Mrs. Griffin" name tag.

I paired students in groups. This challenge can also be done in partners. Each group received a sheet to record answers, and a map.  All students started with a folder containing the first challenge. Once students solved the first challenge, they came to me -- Mrs. Griffin -- to check their answer. If their answer was correct, that room on the map was stamped. They also received the folder for the next challenge. If their answer was incorrect, students kept working until they obtained the correct answer.  Students kept working until they advanced through each of the rooms.

Students had opportunities to move to a different room if they were stuck. Before the breakout started, each group received a "Hall Pass" card, and with the help of the cats from the book, could move to another room. Students could redeem the card only once, so they were advised to use it only if they were really stuck. Students could also earn a "Hint Card" by completing bonuses for certain challenges. 

If I noticed that groups were moving too quickly, I gave an individual from that group (typically the one giving the most help) a "Feast Card" so that they would have to sit out two minutes to "enjoy a meal" with Mrs. Griffin, since that was another big idea in the book.  This allows other groups to catch up.

Once students solve all the riddles and get all their rooms on their map stamped, they breakout, right? Well, that's not 100% the case. Students then are asked to help another group escape. Just like Harvey went back into the House to help others escape, students are asked to do the same thing. When they help one group breakout, then they have officially escaped.

Students seemed to really enjoy the breakout. It is a change of pace from other regular activities.

If you purchase The Thief of Always Breakout, please leave feedback so we can improve for future updates!

Lesson Plan: Every Picture Tells A Story

Objectives: Students will be able to…

• Brainstorm a topic for a narrative by looking at pictures
• Independently start writing a narrative based on a picture they selected
• Orally outline a story by looking at a picture

Standards:

• PA.R.1.4 – Types of Writing
• PA.R.1.5 – Quality of Writing

Anticipatory Set: There will be a brief discussion. Ask the students, “What is a writer’s block?” Have students raise their hands and give the definition of a writer’s block. Ask the students if they ever had a writer’s block and how they felt during that time.  Follow this up by asking the students how they got out of the “writer’s block.” Share a personal experience or examples of a writer’s block so that the students feel comfortable sharing their own experiences.

This activity allows students to discuss a topic that they can relate to, but also connect to brainstorming. Explain that we will use one strategy that will help resolve the issue of a writer’s block.

Lesson Plan: Colon Minilesson

Subject/Grade: Grammar, 6th Grade (can be adapted for other grade levels)

Objectives:

• Students will be able to determine when it is appropriate to use a colon.

• Students will be able to write three sentences properly using colons for each way that a colon is used.

Standards:

• CC.1.4.6.F: Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and spelling.

• E07.D.1.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

• E07.D.1.2.4: Use punctuation to separate items in a series. 

Lesson Plan: TAG Peer Editing

Subject: Writing

Grade: 5th, can be adapted to other grade levels

Integration of Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to peer edit their writing pieces with a partner.

Standards

• 1.5.5.E: Revise writing to improve organization and word choice: check the logic, order of ideas, and precision of vocabulary.
• 1.6.5.A: Listen critically and respond to others in small and large group situations.
• Respond with grade level appropriate questions, ideas, information, or opinions.

Lesson Plan: Fall Poem

Subject: Writing

Grade: 5th (can be adapted for other grade levels)

Title:  Fall Poem

Integration of Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to write a short poem about fall.
• Students will be able to complete the steps of the writing process.

Standards

• 1.4.5.A: Write poems, multi-paragraph stories, and plays.

o   Include detailed descriptions of people, places, and things.

o   Include literary elements and devices.

• 1.5.5.F: Use grade appropriate conventions of language when writing and editing.

o   Spell common, frequently used words correctly.

o   Use capital letters correctly.

o   Punctuate correctly.

o   Use correct grammar and sentence formation.

• 1.5.5.D: Write with an understanding of style, using a variety of sentence structures and descriptive word choices (e.g., adjectives, nouns, adverbs, verbs) to create voice. Include specific details that convey meaning and set a tone. 

Lesson Plan & Presentation: Narrative Leads

The following presentation is a combination of a lesson plan and a Power Point presentation to display to the class. The presentation covers the different types of leads to use for narrative writing.

Display: Figurative Language

Check out this interactive figurative language board! Students can find examples from books, write the quote on post-it notes, and stick them to the board!

You can purchase these posters on The Teacher Sharing Network's Teachers Pay Teachers Page! Click here to download!

Essay: What is RAFT Writing?

This essay was originally written in 2013.

In “Student-Directed Written Inquiry: Transferring Ownership to Students,” Brenda A. Shearer discusses an alternative to content area writing. Shearer particularly discusses a “framework of inquiry called RAFT – Role, Audience, Format, Topic” (210). She includes various strategies that potentially improve the skills of writers. Through her examples and ideas, Shearer instantly sold me on the RAFT framework. The ideas presented in her piece show that RAFT can easily be implemented into a classroom since it gives students more writing options and ownership.

Choosing a role begins the framework, as students decide who they will be (211). The role may include anything, such as a particular person or a concrete object like a coffee pot. I love the fact that students can pick the most absurd role, but turn it into a magnificent piece of writing with a new and unique perspective. Too often, students write from a similar point of view. Using different roles expands the possibilities. In addition, I believe that the concept of “role-choosing” is important for developing students into critical thinkers. Students are able to walk in the shoes of another through this strategy. They can think outside the box and look at something in a way that they never have before.

Next, students select their audience, or who they intend to write to (211). In a regular setup, students typically make the teacher their primary audience (218). Having the teacher as an audience really takes away from a piece, in my opinion. Through RAFT, students are able to make their audience more specific and relevant to their piece. I think it is important to target various audiences since it is a large part of the writing experience. Different cases cause for different audiences. Students need to learn how to adapt to various audiences, so selecting an audience is perfect practice. Audience selection also makes the piece more personal, easier to relate to, and more enjoyable for the reader. Shearer was spot on when she talked about the importance of audience framework. The pattern continues as a similar thought can be applied to format.

Format tells how students will present their writing (211). This could be in the form of an essay, letter, or something out of the ordinary such as an obituary. Format was something that I never considered before, but Shearer convinced me that format is important because it changes the aspect of an entire piece. Also, format is an important concept so students can learn that there are various forms of writing besides the traditional five paragraph essay. By tinkering with different formats, students will eventually develop an understanding about which format best fits certain topics or situations. Varying formats also makes writing more appealing. I believe students will enjoy writing more if they can use a nontraditional format. I also feel that varying and choosing format is key for differentiation in the classroom. English language learners or students with disabilities can greatly benefit from choosing format since it appeals to different styles of learners, as students can pick formats such as cartoons, plays, or poetry.

As far as topics go, RAFT stresses that students should choose their own topics, rather than being assigned (p. 211). Teachers show that they trust their students by giving them the opportunity to choose their own topics (p. 215). Students are definitely more engaged in the writing process if they have the ability to choose their own topics. By writing about topics that they enjoy, voice is stronger because students are passionate about the topic they already know. Being assigned an uninteresting topic certainly takes away the heart and soul of a piece.

Shearer's activities can easily be applied to the classroom. Shear provides many strategies that can be adapted and used for the writing process. Expanding brainstorming activities is a significant idea that Shearer discusses. She focuses on asking questions that lead to the writing process. Shearer guides students to asking good questions, transitioning from questioning to inquiry charts. I believe an important part of critical thinking is asking questions, and through Shearer's ideas, this can be accomplished. The inquiry chart allows students to keep those questions organized, and also answer them along the way. These brainstorming ideas can be applied to a classroom in order to help students improve their questioning and critical thinking skills, in addition to clearing up confusion.

Brenda Shearer provides a new framework for writing. I agree with her concept that there is a time to step away from the traditional content area writing. By using the role, audience, format, and topic framework, students will be more engaged and greatly improve their writing. They will become better questioners through brainstorming and better critical thinkers altogether. Applying Shearer's concepts into a classroom will create stronger writers and a better writing community.

Lesson Plan: Paraphrase, Quote, Summarize

Source: Teaching with a Mountain View

Subject: Reading/Language Arts

Grade: 5th (can be adapted for other grade levels)

Integration of Learning Outcomes:

· Students will be able to define paraphrase, summarize, and quote by looking at their graphic organizer.

· Students will be bale to paraphrase, summarize, and quote portions of a text from the article “A Smaller, Smarter Phone?”

Standards

· 1.6.5.A: Listen critically and respond to others in small and large group situations.

• Respond with grade level appropriate questions, ideas, information, or opinions. 

· R5.A.1.3.2: Cite evidence from text to support generalizations.
· R5.A.2.5.1: Summarize the major points, processes, and/or events of a nonfictional text.
· E05.B-K.1.1.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences and/or making generalizations from the text.
· CC.1.4.5.W: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
· E05.B-K.1.1.2: Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

Lesson Plan: Possessive Nouns

Subject: Writing

Grade: 5th

Integration of Learning Outcomes:

· Students will be able to identify and use the correct rules for possessive nouns.

Standards

· 1.5.5.F: Use grade appropriate conventions of language when writing and editing.
o Spell common, frequently used words correctly.
o Use capital letters correctly.
o Punctuate correctly.
o Use correct grammar and sentence formation.

Procedures

· Walk through Active Inspire presentation and discuss the various rules for possessive nouns. Provide examples. Have students fix certain examples by applying the correct possessive noun rule. Students will take notes in their writing notebooks

· Complete the possessive noun match game (adapted from Teachers Pay Teachers). Each student will get a card. Half will have a sentence with an underlined word. The other half will receive a card with the underlined word’s correct version of the possessive noun. Students with the sentence will have to find their match of the correct possessive noun.

· Complete possessive noun worksheet (p. 9 of WRITE! Foundations and Models for Proficiency)

Formative/Summative Assessment

· Collect worksheet
· Observations

Materials/ Technology

· Active Inspire presentation
· Possessive Noun Worksheet (p. 9 of WRITE! Foundations and Models for Proficiency)
· Possessive Nouns match game cards
· Writing notebooks and pencils
· Computer and projector
· Promethean Board

Note: Click here to download the Active Inspire presentation on Possessive Nouns. The presentation is compatible with Promethean Boards. You will be directed to Google Docs, which will prompt you to download the presentation (NOTE: You must have Active Inspire downloaded on your computer to be able to view).

Lesson Plan: Explode the Moment

Subject: Language Arts

Grade: 5th

Integration of Learning Outcomes

· Students will be able to use sensory details to improve writing pieces.

Standards

· 1.5.5.A: Write with a clear focus, identifying topic, task, and audience.
· 1.5.5.D: Write with an understanding of style, using a variety of sentence structures and descriptive word choices (e.g., adjectives, nouns, adverbs, verbs) to create voice. Include specific details that convey meaning and set a tone.

Lesson Plan: Inferring with Commercials

Parts of this lesson was adapted from Classroom Magic. Changes were made to the original lesson.

Subject: Reading

Grade: 5th

Integration of Learning Outcomes

· Students will be able to make inferences by watching short commercial clips and filling out a graphic organizer.

· Students will be able to make inferences while reading short passages.

Standards

·  Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text is about and when drawing inferences and/or making generalizations from the text.

· Develop the analysis using a variety of evidence from texts to support claims, opinions, ideas, and inferences.

· R5.A.1.3.1: Make inferences and/or draw conclusions based on information from text.

Display: Spelling Garden

Looking for a good spelling display?  How about this spelling garden?!

The spelling garden features the vowel sounds in the center of the flower.  The stems and leaves include examples that go with the sounds.

Lesson Plan: Compare/Contrast "The People Could Fly" and "Tar Beach"

The following lesson was adapted from Read Write Think. Changes were made to the original lesson, but many of the ideas come from the Read Write Think lesson.

Subject: Reading

Grade: 5th

Integration of Learning Outcomes

· Students will be able to compare and contrast The People Could Fly and Tar Beach by creating a Venn Diagram.

Objectives From Read Write Think:

· Students will discuss multicultural literature in a meaningful, complex manner.

· Students will be able to become familiar with how genre and historical context are used to interpret texts.

· Students will be able to discover how to compare and contrast text to uncover their intertextual links.

· Students will be able to develop ideas in verbal and written form.

· Students will be able to learn how literature and art can be used to express inspiring visions of freedom and liberty.

Standards from Read Write Think:

· Compare and contrast stories in the same genre. Students will compare and contrast their approaches to themes and topics that are similar.

· Students will break down the structure of a text to compare and contrast events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts, noting patterns such as chronology, cause/effect, or problem/solution

· Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

· Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.

· Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features

· Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes

Lesson Plan: Sequencing Events Using "Paul Bunyan: A Tall Tale"

The following lesson was adapted from Read Write Think. Changes were made to the original lesson, but many of the ideas come from the Read Write Think lesson.

Subject: Reading
Grade: 5th

Integration of Learning Outcomes:

· Students will be able to listen to the story of Paul Bunyan while focusing on the important events in the story.

· Students will be able to write complete sentences and draw illustrations describing events from the story.

· Students will be able to work with their classmates to discover the sequence of events by putting the illustrations in order on the class timeline.

· Students will be able to write journal entries about how finding the sequence in a story helps increase their understanding.

Standards

· CC.1.4.5.P: Organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally, using a variety of transitional words and phases to manage the sequence of events.

· R5.B.3.3.1: Identify, explain, and/or interpret text organization, including sequence, question/answer, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, or problem/solution.

· 1.6.5.A: Listen critically and respond to others in small and large group situations.

o Respond with grade level appropriate questions, ideas, information, or opinions.

Lesson Plan: Plural Nouns

Subject: Writing
Grade: 5th (can be adapted for other grade levels)

Integration of Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to correctly use and identify plural nouns by correcting a short paragraph.
• Students will be able to correctly use and identify plural nouns by choosing the correct option in a sentence.
• Students will be able to identify the seven different rules for using plural nouns.

Standards

· 1.5.5.F: Use grade appropriate conventions of language when writing and editing.

o   Spell common, frequently used words correctly.

o   Use capital letters correctly.

o   Punctuate correctly.

o   Use correct grammar and sentence formation.

Anticipatory Set

Sing “Do You Want to Learn Plural Nouns?” to the tune of “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?” from Frozen.  Play the video with the lyrics on the board so students can sing along.

Educational Apps #1: Math and Language Arts

Below is a presentation suggesting 10 awesome educational applications that you can use at home or in school. Most of the apps are for mathematics or language arts, and range from elementary to middle grades. Each slide provides an in-depth analysis on the app. All of these applications are available on iTunes or in the Google Play Store.


iPads are an excellent tool to use in education. 21st century learners would greatly benefit by the use of iPads. Not only is it a great tool for note-taking, but there are thousands of apps that can be used for education. iPads provide interactive activity that helps students learn. It is a digital manipulative that can be used for differentiation and help students succeed.

In the comment section, please suggest some of your favorite educational apps!    

Lesson Plan: The Giver Alternative Ending with Technology

Title: The Giver Alternative Ending Technology Lesson 

Subject/Grade Level: 8th Grade, Level 2, Language Arts

Standards:  

1.5.8.A:  Write with a clear focus, identifying topic, task, and audience and establishing a single point of view.

1.5.8.B: Develop content appropriate for the topic.

·       Gather, organize, and determine validity and reliability of information

·       Employ the most effective format for purpose and audience.

·       Write paragraphs that have details and information specific to the topic and relevant to the focus.

Objectives:  

• Students will be able to write an alternative ending to The Giver using technology.  
• Students will be able to share and comment on a partner’s writing, using technology.

Lesson Plan: Written Discussion

This lesson was originally taught to an undergraduate class at a university.  The lesson taught aspiring teachers how to use written discussion as a reading strategy.  The strategy can easily be used in any subject area or grade level. A Power Point and links to resources are attached.

Title: Mini-lesson: Written Discussion

Introduction of Lesson Goal/Objective: 

· Students will be able to respond to a text through written discussion by working independently & in small groups.
· Students will be able to discuss an article based off a written conversation started within a small group.

Start by asking, “Has anybody used an online forum or message board to respond to a reading?” to link the lesson to previous learning. Ask: “What site did you use and what were your experiences?”  Have a few students share their experiences to the class.  Then, explain that an online forum is very similar to a reading strategy called “written discussion.”  Explain that message boards are essentially an online version of the strategy.

State that students will learn about a reading strategy called “written discussion,” which they will use while reading a text. Explain that written discussion is important because it allows every student to read, write, think, and share. It improves comprehension because it lets students react to what they have read.  Mention that it is an alternative to a whole class discussion, as it enables all students to participate rather than a select few.

Model the Objective:  Read “Flappy Bird Will Fly Back to App Stores” aloud.  Using Microsoft Word, write a response to the text, labeled “Student #1.”  Then, “Student #2,” will write a response to “Student #1.” Explain that the class will be doing this activity on a regular piece of paper, which will be passed more than once.  Mention that students will discuss the conversations aloud.

Assessment: Vocabulary Test #1

The following is a summative test on a 7th grade vocabulary unit. The assessment utilized a Table of Specifications (also embedded below) in order to make the test valid and reliable. According to the University of Kansas, “The purpose of a Table of Specifications is to identify the achievement domains being measured and to ensure that a fair and representative sample of questions appear on the test. A Table of Specifications allows the teacher to construct a test which focuses on the key areas and weights those different areas based on their importance. A Table of Specifications provides the teacher with evidence that a test has content validity, that it covers what should be covered.” The vocabulary test had an instructional weight to make the test fair. Each question was linked to one of two standards from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which ensures that what is being tested was taught. Also, there was a balanced weight of higher order questions and lower order questions. There were a variety of questions, ranging from multiple choice, true or false, writing sentences, and short essay.