Rationale for Novel Study: A Single Shard

Context

I chose to create a novel study on A Single Shard, written by Linda Sue Park because this novel provides great thematic connections that can easily be reflected throughout the curriculum.  Some of them include courage, hope, family, death, homelessness, survival, and honesty.  This novel takes the reader into the life of twelve year old orphan boy that is living in South Korea during the 12th C.  This boy becomes a famous potter's assistant and through this becomes faced with a journey that changes his life forever.  This novel gives the opportunity to incorporate cultural diversity into the classroom along with teaching comprehension and hopefully the joy of reading.  My intention is that the students will learn about a country that is unlike their own, learn to appreciate differences in people and will develop character education by focusing on the attributes that Tree-Ear brings to the novel such as respect for elders, courage, hope, friendship, love, and many more.  Through the language arts curriculum I hope that the students will learn many different literary aspects such as characterization through the plot-profile and the open-minded portrait, increase fluency and comprehension by providing them with a variety of different means of reading and listening to text (independent reading, interactive reading, shared reading, and read-aloud), and will learn to appreciate different kinds of literature.

Impact

As a future teacher this has given me the experience that I need to create a novel study for my students and the many components that are involved in making one.  It has also provided me with the opportunity to become more familiar with a well known and respected author and has given me the chance to read a Newberry winner book.

Alignment

I have met NC DPI Standard 1: Indicator 6, because I have become aware of the importance that literacy plays on the personal and social growth of a person in that I have created and implemented character education lessons and activities that can be taught through the use of A Single Shard.