Title: Savvy (Law,
I. (2008). Savvy. New York: Dial
Books for Young Readers)
Author: Ingrid Law
Copyright 2008 by Ingrid Law
Published by: Scholastic
Inc., New York
Reading level: Grade level Equivalent: 8.5, Lexile: 1070L,
grade: 4-6, ages: 9-11
Suggested Delivery:
Independent or guided read
Awards: 2009 Newbery Honor book
Description:
Newbery winner, fantasy, juvenile fiction
Magical, Mystical,
Suspenseful, Unforgettable, Thrilling
Electronic resources to support reading:
a. This
is the authors’ home page where students can gain valuable information about
the author herself, additional books suggested for reading, author appearances,
contact information, and frequently asked questions to the author herself.
a. This
is a great website for teachers to gain access to a ten page pdf file which is a
comprehensive literature unit assessment for Savvy by Ingrid Law.
Teachers can use the included discussion guide, writing prompts,
worksheets, and quizzes to further engage and assess the learning of students
while they read and interact with the text.
a. This
is great website for students to use to gain access to chapter summaries and
study guides to help the student analyze the text. This website can be visited independently or
as a group assignment during the reading.
Teaching suggestions:
1.
Vocabulary:
a. Flourish,
pg 20
b. Dismissively,
pg 21
c. Slumbering,
pg 36
d. Triumphant,
pg 114
e. Mayhem,
pg 147
f. Jangling,
pg 156
g. Surly,
pg 157
2.
Teaching strategies:
a. Before
reading: Students can brainstorm about a fantasy where they possess a magical or
supernatural power. Students should draw
a picture to accompany a brief paragraph describing their supernatural power
and how it would change his or her current lifestyle. Students should include both positive and
negative effects on his or her life that would accompany the supernatural
power.
b. During
reading: Teacher can distribute
worksheets/questions for engagement for students to complete alongside their
reading. Worksheets will include the
following prompts/questions for critical thinking:
i. “Mibs and the rest of her family are very
special, in that they have unique powers that are rare, called savvys. Do you
think a savvy would be a good thing to have or a bad thing? Why? What traits or
abilities have you inherited from your own family? Do you consider these traits
positive or negative?” (http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-savvy/topicsfordiscussion.html)
ii. “Throughout
the novel, Mibs mentions the voices she hears, both in her own head and in the
heads of others, which she hears through their tattoos or markings on their
bodies. Where do these inner voices come from? Why are they important? Are they
necessarily good or bad? Why? What does Mibs mean when she says she will never
let those inner voices have a power over her like Lester's has over him?” (http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-savvy/topicsfordiscussion.html) These questions are examples of ways to
provide students the opportunity to build inferential comprehension of the
text.
c.
After reading:
Conduct a literature discussion of the book with small groups of 4-5
students each.
i. Use
the books elaborate language as a topic for discussion and have students think
critically about what the language adds to the story. Teachers can quote their favorite sentences
to use as examples. One example is: “Fish let me go, but he gave me a look like
the sharp end of a stick, and punctuated his meaning with a smattering of
abrupt, uncontrolled raindrops from the clouds overhead” (Law, I. (2008). Savvy. New York: Dial Books for Young
Readers, pg 45).
ii. The
themes in this book are also very engaging and may be used as a topic for
discussion. Students can compare and contrast ideas their interpretation of
themes presented in the text.
3.
Writing activities:
a. Have
students write a letter to the author by using the above provided author
website and contact information. Student
letter should include the following:
i. Introduction:
name, grade, and school attending
ii. Interpretation
and opinion of the book Savvy (Specific reason why the student liked the book,
perhaps related to a personal connection)
iii. A
question for the author- an example of a question might include: “Why did you
choose the specific supernatural powers presented throughout the book?”
iv. An
idea for a sequel to this book including:
character names, character relationships, themes, and setting
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