• Home
  • Blog
  • Master Mentor Sentences
    • Mentor Sentences for K-2
    • Mentor Sentences for 3-5
  • Professional Learning
    • Course Login
    • Interactive Read Alouds
    • K-2 Mentor Sentences Course
    • 3-5 Mentor Sentences Course
    • FREE 1-2 Mentor Text Course
    • FREE 3-5 Mentor Texts Course
  • Shop
    • My Account on Jivey’s Site
    • Shop Jivey’s Site
    • Shop on TpT
    • Mentor Texts on Amazon
  • About
    • Meet Jivey
    • Disclosure & Affiliate Policy
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • 0 items
  • Ideas by Jivey

    Jivey shares ideas and lessons to make literacy accessible for all.

    • Shop
    • Master Mentor Sentences
      • Mentor Sentences for K-2
      • Mentor Sentences for 3-5
    • Maximize Time With Mentor Texts
    • Vivid Vocabulary
    • Close Reading
    Mentor Texts

    Growing Readers and Writers with Mentor Texts

    March 18, 2016

    Share
    Pin
    Tweet

    The book I am using for my lesson is Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco.

    Although not a traditional Easter story, this book is a great one to read around that time of year. Patricia commonly recounts stories from her own childhood in her books, and this is no exception. Her childhood neighbors, Stewart and Winston, are much more like brothers to her, despite her Russian Jewish heritage and their being African American boys. The boys’ grandma, Miss Eula, is raising them, and Patricia looks to her as another grandmother as well. The three children decide they want to buy Miss Eula an Easter hat that she has had her eye on. Unfortunately, their good intentions are misunderstood, and the children learn a lesson about kindness and humanity, as well as how to make Pysanky eggs. The story is filled with family values, and it bridges racial and religious differences in a beautiful tale about building relationships.

    Even before the day you read the book, it is important to discuss theme vs. main idea, as these two get confused often. Mary from Teaching With a Mountain View has a great post about this, and this gorgeous anchor chart, too!
    Theme vs. Main Idea anchor chart from Teaching With a Mountain View
    The day you read the book, remind students of the meaning of theme before beginning, and ask them to think about what lessons are learned, or what is the message in this book as you read it aloud to help guide their thinking.
    After reading Chicken Sunday, ask students to think about the message of the book. Sometimes it helps to talk about the problem of the story and how it was solved to help see the “big picture,” or theme. Give students the activity and discuss (you also may want to return to parts of the book) the evidence that shows the theme they suggest.
    Ideas by Jivey walks you through a reading comprehension lesson with the mentor text, Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco, and includes a free activity to use!
    There are certainly several themes that could be supported in this story, but the one I saw the most was kindness.
    The children wanted to get Miss Eula the hat she had been wanting to show thanks and kindness.
     
    The children make Mr. Kodinski the Pysanky eggs to show kindness – even though he was mad at them for something they didn’t do.
     
    Mr. Kodinski gives the children the hat to show kindness.
     
    You can do this activity together as part of a mini-lesson if you are early on in teaching theme, or you could have students complete it on their own. As long as students can support the theme with three pieces of evidence from the story, I would accept any theme that is suitable to the story.
    Ideas by Jivey walks you through a reading comprehension lesson with the mentor text, Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco, and includes a free activity to use!

    I included a graphic organizer for theme that can be used with any book in your free download above! You could have students use the organizer with their own book, or with another read-aloud.

    You might also like to show the students THIS VIDEO about how Pysanky eggs are made!

    You can find more activities for this book, along with 29 others in my Volume 2 Better Than Basal (collection of mentor text activities)!

    You might also love to use Patricia Polacco’s books during your grammar and writing time with mentor sentences!

    Looking for ready-made explicit mentor text lessons for the week?

    Join the club!

    No really… there’s a club!

    Join the mentor text club to get detailed explicit lesson plans using one book all week in reading, writing, grammar, and more!

     

    Ideas by Jivey walks you through a reading comprehension lesson with the mentor text, Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco, and includes a free activity to use!

     

    Share
    Pin
    Tweet
    Mentor Text Reading Reading Workshop
    by Jessica Ivey 

    About Jessica Ivey

    View all posts by Jessica Ivey

    Related Posts

    • 3 BIG Reasons Why You Should Throw Out The Vocabulary List
    • Are Picture Books COMPLEX Enough?
    • Make Vocabulary Stick With These Five Activities
    • Take Back Your Time With Mentor Texts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Welcome!

    Welcome!

    Hi, I'm Jessica, also affectionately known as Jivey! I am passionate about making literacy accessible for all students using research-based strategies. Students learn best through content integration and in-context skills, and my goal is to help you deliver your instruction with these best practices!

    Looking for something?

    SHOP

    SHOP

    Recent Posts

    • Planning a Language Arts Schedule (How To Fit It All In!)
    • Mentor Sentences Routine: Break It Down (Assessment)
    • Mentor Sentences Routine: Break It Down (Time to Imitate)
    • Mentor Sentences Routine: Break It Down (Time to Revise)
    • Mentor Sentences Routine: Break It Down (Parts of Speech)

    Facebook

    Ideas By Jivey

    3 weeks ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    Right?! Picture books are for every👏🏼one!👏🏼 ... See MoreSee Less

    Photo

    View on Facebook
    · Share

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

    Ideas By Jivey

    3 weeks ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    I shared my TPT story with you back in April... (if you missed it, you can check it out here: ckarchive.com/b/4zuvheh5z24kp)As promised, the next big celebration update has happened!! FIVE brand new units have been added to the Yearlong Mentor Text Curriculum Bundle: Volume 2 for Grades 3-5! www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Yearlong-Mentor-Text-Curriculum-Bundle-Volume-2-for-Grades-3-... (This is the large $99 bundle that covers the entire year with mentor sentences, interactive activities, reading and writing, and vocabulary.)If you own the large bundle, whether it's through TPT, my website shop, or through a course purchase, you will get these FIVE NEW UNITS (valued at $18.75) FOR FREE!! Just re-download your purchase!📔School's First Day of School by Adam Rex📘Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds📗The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allsburg📙Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty📕Vulture Verses by Diane LangI am creating these units to strategically align with the large bundles- you'll find the books chosen in volume 2 cover language skills that didn't have lessons previously, and can also be paired nicely with books included in the original bundle. For example, use Vulture Verses with Animals Nobody Loves!Just as a reminder, YES! I plan on doing the same thing for all of the other yearlong volumes, so don't be upset if you own another volume, or another grade! (And remember, Volume 1 already has its bonuses added!!) I am going in order of when I released them, and as you can imagine, it takes some time to create so many brand new units. 😉If you DON'T OWN the Volume 2 Yearlong Bundle and still want these five amazing book units, you can get them now ON SALE for just $3 each for the next 48 hours! www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ideas-By-Jivey/Order:Most-Recent#seller_details_tabsThank you again for all your support and feedback over the last decade! Here's to at least ten more!! ... See MoreSee Less

    Photo

    View on Facebook
    · Share

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

    Ideas By Jivey

    3 weeks ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    Every Tuesday in June and July, you'll be able to purchase one of the MANY individual mentor text units that I've created from my website shop!This is a great way to stock up on some new lessons for next school year. 🎉The first $2 Tuesday is TODAY, and is the unit I created for the WONDERFUL mentor text, Trombone Shorty!Don't own the book? Don't worry! It's on Storyline Online! In this pack, you will receive:★a mentor sentence lesson for the book★an interactive notebook activity to review/teach comparatives and superlatives★seven reading ideas suggested with three activities provided: identifying theme, describing illustrations, and analyzing author's language★one writing idea suggested with a writing prompt given★contextual vocabulary activities★ Activities are also provided as links to Google Slides for Digital Learning! ★ www.ideasbyjivey.com/coupon/TROMBONE2/ ... See MoreSee Less

    Video

    View on Facebook
    · Share

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

    Pinterest

    Instagram

    Right?!! Don’t take away my #mentortexts! #pictu Right?!! Don’t take away my #mentortexts! #picturebooksaremyjam #picturebooksareforeveryone 

#ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #teachertribe #iteach345
    Every Tuesday in June and July, you'll be able to Every Tuesday in June and July, you'll be able to purchase one of the MANY individual #mentortext units that I've created from my website shop!

This is a great way to stock up on some new lessons for next school year. 🎉

The first $2 Tuesday is TODAY, and is the unit I created for the WONDERFUL mentor text, Trombone Shorty!

Don't own the book? Don't worry! It's on Storyline Online! 

In this pack, you will receive:

★a mentor sentence lesson for the book

★an interactive notebook activity to review/teach comparatives and superlatives

★seven reading ideas suggested with three activities provided: identifying theme, describing illustrations, and analyzing author's language

★one writing idea suggested with a writing prompt given

★contextual vocabulary activities

★ Activities are also provided as links to Google Slides for Digital Learning! ★ 

Link in profile! https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/coupon/TROMBONE2/ 

#ideasbyjivey #2dollartuesday #mentortext #mentorsentences #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteach4th #iteach5th #teachersfollowteachers #teachertribe #teacherdeals
    Enough is enough. I’m sick over this. I’m sick Enough is enough. I’m sick over this. I’m sick OF this. I’m tired of children’s and teachers’ lives being lower on the list than the right to bear arms. Sending love to all my Texas teachers and families. Comments are turned off and yes, removed, because this is NOT an argument. Go to someone else’s post to do that. This is the 30th school shooting this year. This doesn’t happen in other countries, yet there is still plenty of evil there. I’m done.
📸: @theteachingtexan
    When I began creating #mentorsentence resources to When I began creating #mentorsentence resources to list in my TpT store over ten years ago, it was because of the huge shift I’d seen in my own students implementing the game-changing routine. I LOVE to hear other teachers have the same results! 🥰 #fabulousfeedback #ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #teachertribe #iteach345 #mentorsentences
    Can students think critically about grammar!? YES Can students think critically about grammar!?

YES THEY CAN!

I know higher order thinking skills (HOTS) are generally not associated with grammar, but give it a chance… you’re going to see a HUGE shift in writing abilities and language understanding if you do!

Check out the blog post in my profile for a run-down and a free download to help you get started! https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/higher-order-thinking-questions-for-grammar-and-writing/ #ideasbyjivey #grammar #language #mentorsentences #effective #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteachupperelementary #iteach345
    My club units have been some of my favorite resour My club units have been some of my favorite resources to create because the planning and creation were guided by the teachers using them!

Because of the input from your fellow teacher community, I know these units will be such a benefit to you, too! Every unit in the bundle has: 

📕a week of plans that integrate multiple skills and subjects
📙detailed explicit lessons, including teacher samples
📒a week-at-a-glance plan
📗digitally converted activities in Google Slides and Forms, when applicable
📘mentor sentence lesson
📕reading and writing lessons
📙integration of other subjects (science, social studies, or social/emotional skills)
📒printables for skill practice
📗at least one other text (poem, article, paired passages)* to integrate with your lessons *this will vary each unit depending on skills covered!
📘short assessments

Check out the latest bundle at the link in my profile! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MENTOR-TEXT-CLUB-by-Jivey-2ND-EDITION-for-Grades-3-5-7058941 
#ideasbyjivey #mentortext #mentortexts #teachersfollowteachers #mentorsentences #effective #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig
    Did you know I have a total breakdown of how mento Did you know I have a total breakdown of how mentor sentences can look day by day in your classroom?
Head over to my blog! www.ideasbyjivey.com #ideasbyjivey #mentorsentences #teachersfollowteachers #iteach345 #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig
    Elizabeth Started All the Trouble by Doreen Rappap Elizabeth Started All the Trouble by Doreen Rappaport is the perfect #mentortext to incorporate in your studies of women's suffrage. With this unit, you'll be able to work with students on analyzing primary sources (specifically political cartoons, but also some written documents), identifying supporting reasons and details, writing opinion pieces, and using relative pronouns. This unit is the perfect way to integrate social studies with language arts! Grab it from the link in my profile! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elizabeth-Started-All-the-Trouble-Womens-Suffrage-Mentor-Text-Unit-8036259 #ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #socialstudiesintegration #iteach345 #teacherspayteachers
    This feedback means so much to me because as I’v This feedback means so much to me because as I’ve made my mentor sentence lessons over the last ten years, I’ve put so much thought into the way I craft my units and bundles! Thank you for trusting me! ❤️ #mentorsentences #ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteach4th #iteach5th #iteachfourth #iteachfifth #iteachthird
    Load More... Follow on Instagram

    Copyright © 2022 · Prima Donna theme by Georgia Lou Studios

    Copyright © 2022 · Prima Donna on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

    This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See full disclosure here.​

    accept

    This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
    See full disclosure here.​

    accept