Lesson Title:

Passport to Reading

Objective:

The objective of the Passport to Reading literacy promotion is to encourage students on a school-wide basis to read various texts outside of school in order to enhance their literacy education, connect their classroom activities with related texts, and promote pleasure reading.

Materials Needed:

• student computers
• passport document (laminated template)
• materials for promotion of the program (may include bulletin board items, display items, equipment to record announcements about the program, posters, website, etc.)
• Georgia Performance Standards/Curriculum Maps from teachers
• funding to provide the reward

The Big Idea

I.               The Big Idea

a.     Students are given a list of six books per nine weeks (two wildcard titles chosen by the student), and they must read a minimum of five books on the list. After reading the books, students must complete the WebQuest activity for the five books. After having their “passport” stamped five times (for reading the five books), students are rewarded with a “trip” to a designated location on a specific day. The “trip” may include regional food menu, guest speakers, dressing up, and other activities.

II.             Particulars

a.     Books

                                                     i.     chosen by the media specialist in conjunction with classroom teachers (books on the list will not be books required by teachers, but students may have the option to use a required reading as a wildcard title).

                                                      ii.     list to include one fiction, one nonfiction, one poetry:  will be allowed to use multiple formats including audio books, native language books, and traditional text formats  (multiple formats)

                                                        iii.     may include a book about or by an author from the designated “trip” location

b.     Destinations

                                                     i.     Chosen by the media specialist in conjunction with classroom teachers based on the content-area curricula. (curricular objectives)

                                                      ii.     May include foreign countries, regions in the U.S., historical periods, or “natural” worlds (i.e. biomes – a topic in 7^th grade Life Science).

                                                        iii.     Destinations will be promoted through media center displays, hallway bulletin boards, and on morning announcements

c.     Passport

                                                     i.     a disposable, card-type document that changes every nine weeks and is initialed by the MS

d.     WebQuest

                                                     i.     A generic WebQuest to accommodate any text (audio, written, etc.) with activities to show mastery of the book

                                                      ii.     Students choose an activity (strategies for different learners)

1.     author profile/PPT presentation

2.     creation of web page

3.     graphic organizers related to theme, characters, etc.

4.     storyboard

5.   book report-style activity

Procedure

Pre-Planning/Week One

1. Share ideas for the promotion with the faculty and administration. Ensure support on every level as well as permission from administration for all activities.
2. Gather curriculum information from teachers. Visit subject area teachers and gain insight as to what topics they will deal with during different times of the year as well as any required reading they will have for their students.
3. Decide on the first “destination” for the nine weeks passport. First nine weeks: Georgia
4. Choose three books to be listed on the passport that are related to the topic (state of Georgia for first 9-weeks) (project relates to specific learning objectives) as well as different subject areas studied in school.
• Historical fiction
• Poetry
• Biography/Nonfiction
• Fiction

*NOTE – the remaining two books are chosen by the student and are considered “WILDCARDS” on the passport.

       5.   Create the passport document (template) with the titles of the books.

       Weeks One, Two , Three

1.     Begin to promote the program and the destination by placing posters around the school, creating a video announcement for the morning broadcast, displaying books and items related to the destination, creating bulletin boards in the hallways and media center, advertising books in classrooms, and giving book talks on the selections.

2.     Finalize the Web Quest to be completed for each book and place on the school web site.

3.     Begin signing kids up for the program. Monitor their progress in the next few weeks.

Weeks Four – Eight

1.     Continue to monitor student progress and stamp their passports as they finish books.

2.     Arrange a guest speaker, food accommodations, and other activities and clear them with administration.

3.     Set a date/time for your “trip” activity and announce to the students.

Week Nine

1.     Finalize any remaining students who need to be stamped for their passport to be complete

2.     Extend invitations to those students who completed all requirements to join you for the special program

3.   Have fun celebrating success! Videotape the recognition program to be shown on the morning announcements to encourage students who may not have participated the first nine weeks.

Curriculum Connections

The “Passport to Learning” reading promotion program is linked to cross-curricular studies throughout grades levels and subject areas. The first passport location (the state of Georgia) is an example of the connection between the Information Power Standards of Reading and Literacy Promotion, the Georgia Performance Standards for 8^th grade and the books being promoted.

The following GPS are addressed in the implementation of the program:

• ELA8R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.
• ELA8R2 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.
• ELA8RC1 The student reads a minimum of 25 grade-level appropriate books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) per year from a variety of subject disciplines. The student reads both informational and fictional texts in a variety of genres and modes of discourse, including technical texts related to various subject areas.
• ELA8W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and provides a satisfying closure.
• ELA8W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.
• ELA8W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.

Note: “Georgia Studies” is the major theme of Social Studies at the 8^th grade level of the Georgia Performance Standards. Therefore, depending on the books chosen by the students, any number of the 8^th grade SS standards will potentially be supplemented with this particular passport destination. Various destinations will be support different subject area standards. (project relates to specific learning objectives)

First Nine Weeks Booklist (Annotated Biblo, Familiarity Rdg Materials for Children / Youth)

The Annotated Bibliography for Reading Passport Program:  Possible Books for Georgia Studies Unit.

            When available, the media specialist must provide the following formats for students: audio books, native language books, and traditional text formats. The Georgia Department of Education includes these types of texts as accommodations for ESOL learners. (multiple formats)

            In addition, the use of audio books are a part of many special education students’ Individualized Education Plans. (Accommodations for Subgroups)

            The books that are listed in the following annotated bibliography are possible choices for students to read to fulfill the “Georgia Studies” requirement on their reading passport.  The books on the list were also chosen to help support the ELA teacher accomplish the strand of GPS that requires the students obtain knowledge of the different genres of writing.  The Georgia Studies unit for 8^th grade ELA is just one piece of the curriculum that can be addressed from this list.  8^th grade Georgia History can also benefit from this list for sections of their curriculum. 

Many of the books listed have won local, state, and national awards. (awareness of trends in reading, current titles)

Fiction Books set in Georgia:

Brady, Laurel Stowe.  (2000).  Say You Are My Sister.  New York City:  HarperCollins

            Children’s Books.

            From Destiny:  In rural Georgia during World War II, twelve-year-old Ramona Louise determines to do everything to help her beloved older sister Georgie keep the family together after the death of their parents, even to keeping a secret which could destroy their close relationship.

*Burns, Olive A.  (1986).  Cold Sassy Tree.  New York City:  Dell Publishing.

            From Destiny: Grandpa Blakeslee marries a young milliner just three weeks after Granny Blakeslee has gone to her reward. Young Will is boggled by this act but becomes the newlyweds' conspirator and confidant; meanwhile he does some growing up on his own.

Jacobs, Jimmy.  (2000).  Moonlight Through the Pines:  Tales of the Georgia Evenings. 

            Atlanta:  Franklin-Sarrett Publishers.

            From Destiny: Presents a variety of humorous episodes in the outdoors of Georgia, involving truffle hunting, fishing, encounters with the "marvelous" hoop snake, and other adventures.

*Kadohata, Cynthia.  (2006).  Kira-Kira.  New York City: Simon and Schuster.

            From Destiny: Chronicles the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the despair when one sister becomes terminally ill.

O’Connor, Barbara.  (2003).  Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia.  New York City: 

            Frances Foster Book Publishers.

            From Destiny: Unpopular sixth-grader Burdette "Bird" Weaver persuades the new boy at school, whom everyone thinks is mean and dumb, to be her partner for a spelling bee that might win her everything she's ever wanted.

Rinaldi, Ann.  (2005).  Numbering All the Bones.  New York City:  Hyperion Books.

            From Destiny: Thirteen-year-old Eulinda, a house slave on a Georgia plantation in 1864, turns to Clara Barton, the eventual founder of the American Red Cross, for help in finding her brother Neddy who ran away to join the Northern war effort and is rumored to be at Andersonville Prison.

Nonfiction Books about Georgia:

Fradin, Dennis Brindell. (1990). The Georgia Colony.  Chicago:  Children’s Press.

            From Destiny: A historical account of Georgia's early days, from its creation as a colony for debtors in the 1700's until its admission as the fourth state in 1788. Includes biographical sketches on individuals prominent in Georgia's history.

Schemmel, William.  (2005).  Georgia:  Off the Beaten Path:  a Guide to Unique Places.

            Guilford:  Globe Pequot Press.

            From Destiny: A region-by-region guide to unique places to visit in Georgia. Includes maps, festivals, museums, national parks, historic sites, and lists of hotels and restaurants.

Sonneborn, Liz. (2006). A Primary Source:  History of the Colony of Georgia.  New

            York:  Rosen Central Primary Source.

            From Destiny: Presents an overview of the history of the early American colony of Georgia, using primary source materials, with information on its founding, settlement, growth as a colony, and role in the American Revolution.

Memoirs:

Felton, Rebecca Latimer.  (1980).  Country Life in Georgia in the Days of My Youth. 

            New York:  Arno.

            From Destiny: Presents the memoirs of Rebeca Latimer Felton, who grew up in the wilderness of Georgia in the early 1800s and later became an advocate for women's suffrage, public education, temperance, reform, and maintaining the southern way of life, and recalls her experiences with Indian raids and the horrors of the Civil War.

Harwell, Richard (ed). (1975).  The Journal of Kate Cumming: A Confederate Nurse,

            1862 – 1865.  Savannah, Beehive Press.

            From Destiny: Cumming served the Confederacy as a nurse in Alabama and Mississippi. Along with the descriptions of the fighting, she provides insight into medical practices and hospital systems of the times as well as civilian attitudes toward the war.

Biographies of Influential People in Georgia:

Fradin, Judith B. and Dennis Brindell Fradin.  (2006).  5,000 Miles to Freedom:  Ellen

            And William Craft’s Flight From Slavery.  Washington, D.C.:  National

            Geographic.

            From Destiny: The true story of Ellen and William Craft, who in 1848, escaped from a Macon, Georgia plantation, to Philadelphia, Boston, and then across the ocean to England.

Lommel, Cookie.  (2001).  James Oglethorpe:  humanitarian and soldier.  Philadelphia:

            Chelsea House Publishers.

            From Destiny: A biography of the English founder and first governor of the colony of Georgia who was active in politics and penal reform.

Oney, Steve.  (2003).   And the Dead Shall Rise:  the Murder of Mary Phagan and the

            Lynching of Leo Frank.  New York:  Pantheon Books.

            From Destiny: Presents an account of the case of Leo Frank, a Jewish man who moved to Georgia in the early 1900s to run a pencil factory, discussing his trial for the 1913 murder of a young teenage worker, the controversy over his conviction, the governor's commutation of his death sentence, and his lynching by a mob in 1915.

Hyatt, Richard.  (2003). Charles H. Jones: A Biography.  Macon:  Mercer University

            Press.

            From the Publisher: "His drug store on Broadway and Poplar was between two blocks and two universes away from mainstream Macon. He ran it like a carnival, pushing a juke box on to the sidewalk in order to sell his Valentine Day's candy. A half century later, Charles Jones is the ringmaster of a corporation that runs hotels and develops real estate throughout Middle Georgia." "Charles H. Jones: A Biography is the poignant story of a country boy who lost his identity and was challenged to build a reputation for his new one. It is also the story of a quiet leader whose community is still enjoying the efforts of his energy and vision." "Even with his success, Jones is hardly a household name. He built Macon's first motel. He brought the Indians home. He soothed race relations. He attracted world class industry to the region. He worked hard to bring his community a medical school and to improve its local college campus. These things he did in an unorthodox style that shoots from the hip and takes few prisoners." More than the story of a single person, this is the contemporary history of a community and a primer for aspiring leaders who want to understand the thinking of a man who values giving and believes money is not as important as the work that earns it.

Autobiographies of Influential People in Georgia:

Dooley, Vince.   (2005).   Dooley:  My 40 Years at Georgia.  Chicago:  Triumph Books.

            From Destiny: Vince Dooley chronicles his forty-year career as football coach and administrator at the University of Georgia.

Harris, Joe Frank.  (1998).  Joe Frank Harris:  Personal Reflections on a Public Life. 

            Macon:  Mercer University Press.

            From the Publisher: Joe Frank Harris was a quiet Governor who made substantial changes throughout the state of Georgia. His political career began in 1964 when a delegation of Bartow Countians urged him to run for a seat in the Georgia Legislature. After winning the seat, he mastered the rules of the House as he looked out for the interests of his constituents. Considered too easygoing and soft-spoken to chair the Appropriations Committee, Harris nevertheless took control of the job as chairman and earned the respect of Speaker Tom Murphy and other members of the House. Harris surprised the political experts and won his first attempt to become Governor of Georgia. He quietly achieved his goals during his first term and won such high regard throughout the state that he was easily elected to a second term. Among Harris's many accomplishments as Governor of Georgia, perhaps his greatest achievement was the reform of the state's educational system. Other milestones included making Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a holiday, building a domed stadium in Atlanta, passing a mandatory seat-belt law, and helping lure the Democratic National Convention to Atlanta in 1988.

Collections of Stories:

Farrant, Don.  (2002).  Ghosts of the Georgia Coast.  Sarasota:  Pineapple Press.

            From Destiny: Describes nearly thirty places on the Georgia coast reportedly haunted by Civil War soldiers, children, and other ghosts.

Hammer, Loretta C. and Gail Karwoski (1996).  The Tree That Owns Itself and Other

            Adventure Tales from Georgia’s Past.  Atlanta:  Peachtree Publishers.

            From Destiny: Twelve fictional stories from different periods of Georgia history relate the adventures of gypsies, swampers, Cherokees, an Olympic weight lifter, and a parachuting dog.

Rosenbaum, Art.  (1983).  Folk Visions & Voices: Traditional Music and Song in North

            Georgia.  Athens:  University of Georgia Press.

            From Destiny: Presents over 75 folk-songs with stories of the music-makers and cultures they represent.

Books by Georgia Authors:

Mitchell, Margaret.  (1936).  Gone With the Wind.  New York:  Warner Books.

            From Destiny: After the Civil War sweeps away the genteel life to which she has been accustomed, Scarlett O'Hara sets about to salvage her Georgia plantation home.

Karwoski, Gail.  (2004).  Quake!  Disaster in San Francisco, 1906.  Atlanta:  Peachtree

            Publishers.

            From Destiny: Tells the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as seen through the eyes of Jacob, a thirteen-year-old Jewish boy who lives in a boarding house with his father and younger sister.

Kay, Terry.  (1990).  To Dance With the White Dog.  Atlanta:  Peachtree Publishers.

            From Destiny: Sam Peek's beloved wife has died and the mysterious white dog stays with him until just before his own death.

*McCullers, Carson.  (1940).  The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin.

            From Destiny: A deaf mute who has lost his only friend to a hospital for the insane becomes the recipient of the confidences of several other town residents.

O’Connor, Flannery.  (1976).  A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories.  San

            Diego:  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

            From Destiny: A collection of ten short stories by the Southern author Flannery O'Connor.

*denotes books that are also available as audiobooks (multiple formats)

Creating an Atmosphere for Reading

In order for this project to be successful, the media specialist must encourage the student population to read for pleasure by creating a “reader’s paradise” within the media center for use before, during, and after school. This could include, but it not limited to, a space in the media center explicitly designed for pleasure reading with comfortable chairs, sofas, and pillows that create a cozy, comfortable space for students to enjoy books for pleasure. Teachers should be encouraged to provide such a space, if available, in their classrooms for additional promotion. (Leisure Rdg Promotion Strategies, Proactive Strategies for Engaging Student Interest)

            Another strategy for promoting reading for pleasure is to encourage classroom teachers to designate a chunk of time during their instructional day for silent reading as well as observing such a time in the media center. This provides an opportunity for teachers to model their own reading habits so that students see that reading for pleasure can extend into adulthood.

            Media specialists and teachers can also model their enthusiasm for reading through book talks, which are used as a strategy for promoting the selected books for the program. When an adult reads the books in question, it is obvious to students that they are, themselves, readers who enjoy books by the way they present and talk about the content in the book. (Models Personal Enjoyment of Reading)

            In addition to the strategies mentioned above, reading aloud to students has also shown to encourage them to become lifelong readers (Smith, 2000). When students are able to listen to a fluent reader and watch adults actively engaged in a story, it promotes the idea that their reading can evolve in a positive way as they become adults. (partial Research Synthesis; Promotes Habits of Lifelong Reading)

Smith, C (2000). Creating life-long readers: A practical guide for parents and tutors.

Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse

Research Synthesis

Research on various issues in reading and literacy promotion (Knowledge of Reading Process)

            A number of researchers have conducted studies that point to the importance of reading in the improvement of student achievement on standardized tests (Cart, 2007; Krashen, 2004). In this age of an overabundance of standardized tests, that single statement is a powerful enough reason for developing programs such as our Passport to Reading program which is intended to increase student reading. However, there are countless reasons above and beyond the standardized test to encourage students to read.  In an information age, basic literacy is more and more important for all people to be able to function in society. Multiple studies point out that the more students read, the better able they are to read (Guthrie, Schafer, & Huang, 2001; Juel, 1988; Senechal & LeFevre, 2002; Stanovich, 1986). Therefore, it is imperative that library media specialists do everything that they can to help encourage and promote reading among their students. This is also important on a more local level as this is directly related to mission of EJMS, which is to develop responsible, competent, and productive lifelong learners. (Supports School Mission)

            Guthrie (Guthrie, Schafer, & Huang, 2001; Guthrie, Schafer, Wang, & Afflerback, 1995; Guthrie, Schafer, Von Secker, & Alban, 2000; and Guthrie, 2001) has been a prolific researcher on the topic of reading motivation and has pointed to a number of instructional strategies to be used to improve students’ reading motivation. One specific strategy that he recommends is the use of multiple and varied texts to allow students a choice in what they read. Our project draws on that idea by creating a list of multiple texts from which students can choose and participate in the activity.

            Another important researcher and theorist in reading education is Krashen (2004), who has written extensively on the idea of free voluntary reading, or FVR. While our project isn’t defined specifically as FVR because of the associated tasks that go along with the passport, we do believe that our project has the potential to motivate students to become free, voluntary readers. Our belief is support by Braxton’s (2006) work in her own library where she found that a task-based reading program that she implemented, encouraged free voluntary reading among the project participants after the project ended. So while our current project certainly has an element of a required task or incentive, we hope to find similar results in our school as Braxton found in hers.

            Finally, there are several studies that support our use of multiple and varied formats within our project. For example, Feger (2007) discusses the importance of multicultural texts for students who are non-natives. By providing reading materials that are about situations that are familiar to the students in their native culture, the student is empowered to focus on the reading process rather than having to decode cultural content as well. Another format that Yandell (2007) has found to be helpful for a certain population is large print editions of books. He has found that his special education student have increased their reading levels, simply by reading from texts that have larger print. His premise is that the larger print is similar to the “easier” books that students read when they are beginning readers, and so students are more confident in their reading as they interact with the text in larger print texts.

Other non-reading specific research relevant to this project: Learning Focused Schools

            In addition to research that we have found that supports our reading program, there is other non-reading research that supports elements of our program. The Jackson County School System follows the education approach of Learning Focused Schools, a “model for balanced achievement using a research-based framework and support solutions focused on learning” (Thompson, 2005). Included in this approach are many education strategies supported by research, which include differentiated instruction, the use of graphic organizers, an emphasis on literacy in grades K-8, and summarizing written material. The Web Quest activity and multiple formats used in the reading promotion program allow students to differentiate their own instruction, provides opportunities for them to summarize and extend their thoughts in the books they read, provides graphic organizers, and appeals to multiple intelligences. (Incorporates Dominant Educational Approach)

            The use of the Learning Focused Schools program has become a trend in many states, with 381 Georgia Title I schools adopting the program. Research has shown that “the Learning-Focused Schools Program has had a positive impact on student achievement on a national, state, and local school level, particularly for low-income, underachieving students” (Thompson, 2005). (Current Educational Trends and Issues, Learning Activities Instructionally Sound)

Research Appropriately Synthesized and Packaged