Students will learn how to critically think and respond to a story. They will learn how to relate to literature and apply it to their own lives or to question what they do not already know. Book Summary: Brent Bishop is a young man seeking popularity in a new school. His choice to drink and drive results in the death of Lea Zamora, 18. As a consequence Brent is sent to the four corners of the United States to build a whiligig in honor of Lea. This is the story of Brent's jouney and how each of his whiligigs affected someone else's life. Learning how to critically think and respond to a story is the main objective of this lesson. Students will learn how to relate to literature and apply it to their own lives and expereinces or recognize the differences in their lives as compared to the characters in the story. This process will help students develop their own thoughts and ideas. Activity Description: Studens will respond to a quote or a situation in each chapter of the book. This will first be practiced orally as a discussion in class and then will be done as a written response. The teacher should provide an example of a written response to a quotation, possibly one she/he has written, so that students will fully understand the process of responsive writing.

Critical thinking skills Oral communication skills Writing skills

Activity Description: Studens will respond to a quote or a situation in each chapter of the book. This will first be practiced orally as a discussion in class and then will be done as a written response. The teacher should provide an example of a written response to a quotation, possibly one she/he has written, so that students will fully understand the process of responsive writing. Procedure With Teaching Strategies: The responsive writing activity will take place during the reading of Whirligig by Paul Fleischman. The first chapter of the book should be read aloud in class. After the chapter has been read, the teacher should conduct a discussion with the class and what their reactions are to the story. After several minutes of discussion the teacher will present a quote that she/he has pulled from the first chapter and share the response she/he has written over that quote. With this example explain what responsive writing is and how it helps us understand the story that we are reading. Responsive writing can be over an event or a statement that has been made that affects the reader or shows significance. Students will then be asked to write a response to the chapter that was read in class. This activity will continue throughout the reading of the book. A responsive writing will be done over each chapter of the book. Writings should be done prior to class discussions of each chapter this will keep students from borrowing other students ideas and responding to their own thoughts and feelings about the book.

Assessment will be made by giving particiaption points. It is very important for students to learn how to express themselves without worrying about a correct form or pattern. This will be learned later in a more formal paper. Assessment will also be done through written feedback from the teacher. It is important that the teacher responds to the student's responses. They will learn if they are on track by the teacher's reaction to their responses. Teachers need to make sure they recognize when a student has made a good observation or made an important point in their responsive writing.

Activity Description: Studens will respond to a quote or a situation in each chapter of the book. This will first be practiced orally as a discussion in class and then will be done as a written response. Students should examine the example of a written response to a quotation, possibly one the instructor has written, so that students will fully understand the process of responsive writing. This activity will continue throughout the reading of the book. Materials: Paper and pencil Whirligig by Paul Fleischman Written response example Vocabulary: Response Responsive writing Opinions Critical thinking Resources: Fleischman, Paul. Whirligig. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc. 1998. Kirby, Dan and Tom Liner. Inside Out; Developmental Strategies for Teaching Writing. 2nd Ed. Protsmouth: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1988. Lee, Elizabeth Perritt. "the Learning Response Log: An Assessment Tool." English Journal. Vol.86, No.1, p.41. Jan. 1997.