In this book club class, we are focusing on making reading fun! Each class, students will listen to the teacher reading New York Times Bestseller "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown. This beautiful novel has wonderful illustrations and addresses many interesting themes including; survival, the role of animals in an ecosystem, and the meaning of what makes a family. The novel is written in short and engaging chapters that capture the imagination and wonder of readers. 

In each class (6 classes in total - 2 classes per week, over the course of three weeks), the teacher will read designated chapters of the book and students will participate in discussions about the readings. In the first three classes, there will be a "STEM connection" where we will delve further into the scientific connections made in the novel. 

There are also 'tasks' that students can do for further learning after the class is over. This is not meant to be homework. It is meant to help students bring their learning into their own environment and get them thinking of the themes discussed in class.

In the final class, students will participate in a creative writing activity where they get to write their own ending to the novel. After the final class is completed, students will get a personalized certificate to celebrate their learning from the book club class. 

The following is the schedule for each class:

Class 1 
-Read Aloud: Chapters 1-15
-Guided Class Discussion (based on readings from class)
STEM Connection:
-"Hiding in the Wild" video with Dr. Holly Jones (Restoration Ecologist)
-Discussion of Biomimicry and connections to the novel
-Task: Think of something that was inspired by nature (will be discussed in next class)

Class 2 
-Task Discussion: Students discuss their findings from previous lesson's task
-Read Aloud: Chapters 16-31 
-Guided Class Discussion (based on readings from class)
STEM Connection:
-"Ecosystems and Food Webs" video with Dr. Holly Jones (Restoration Ecologist) 
-Discussion of Ecosystems and Food Webs and connections to the novel
-Task: Find an example of an ecosystem and draw a small food web of a few animals (will be discussed in next class)

Class 3 
-Task Discussion: Students discuss their findings from previous lesson's task
-Read Aloud: Chapters 32-47
-Guided Class Discussion (based on readings from class)
STEM Connection:
-"Ecosystem Engineers" video with Dr. Holly Jones (Restoration Ecologist) 
-Discussion of Ecosystem Engineers and connections to the novel
-Task: Answer the question: "Are human ecosystem engineers?" and find an example of how humans affect the natural ecosystem (will be discussed in next class) 

Class 4
-Task Discussion: Students discuss their findings from previous lesson's task
-Read Aloud: Chapters 48-63
-Guided Class Discussion (based on readings from class)
STEM Connection:
-"Animal Jobs" video with Dr. Holly Jones (Restoration Ecologist) 
-Discussion of Animal Jobs and connections to the novel 
-Task: Select an animal and describe its 'job' in the ecosystem and how it connects to other animals and/or humans (will be discussed in next class) 

Class 5 
-Task Discussion: Students discuss their findings from previous lesson's task
-Read Aloud: 64-80 (END)
-Guided Class Discussion (based on readings from class)
STEM Connection: 
-"Can Robots Learn to be More Human? | National Geographic" video with Robotics Expert Chad Jenkins 
-Discussion of Robotics and connections to the novel 
-Preparation for last class activity (writing your own ending to the novel)

Class 6
-Task Discussion: Students discuss their findings from previous lesson's task
-Video: "Peter Brown on his Writing Process" video with the author discussing his writing 
-Class Activity: Write your own ending to the novel - creative writing 
-Show & Share of creative writing 
-Final Class Discussion

*There is no requirement to purchase the book, as the book will be provided virtually during class and all activities and discussions will occur during class time. The book is recommended for ages 8 and up according to parent and teacher reviews, which was a guideline for the creation of this class.