In this 2 day class, students will read Shoeless Joe Jackson and Black Betsy by Phil Bildner. How did "Shoeless Joe" get his nickname, and how did he handle adversity amidst the 191 "Black Sox" World Series scandal?  Students will be challenged to think about different perspectives in the context of history while discussing "America's favorite pastime:" baseball!

Students at this age are also learning to be good readers.  Good readers use prior knowledge, make predictions, summarize, question, infer, visualize, and make inferences.  WHEW!  That's a LOT!  It is important for children to be able to comprehend what they read--but HOW does that happen?  Students must apply literal, inferential, and evaluative skills to answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions based on the text.  In this camp, we will practice answering comprehension questions focused on inferences and making predictions. Students will review new vocabulary, and answering the 5W's + H (how) questions while reading each story.

During each 50 minute class:
• Students will be welcomed to class.  We will quickly review the class rules and our learning goals.  
• We will go over a short 5-minute mini lesson on story structure and plot elements.  Emphasis will be placed on building the literary vocabulary (setting, characters, events, problem/solution.) Students will then listen to the book about Elizabeth Cady Stanton to apply their skills.  
• Students will then spend approximately 20 minutes with teacher guidance, using a story map to identify plot elements.  Younger children will draw a picture with details to complete the story map.  Teacher support will be available to all students during this time. Students should raise their hand if they have a question.
• As a class, we will review the material covered in the mini lesson and I will answer any questions prior to dismissing the class.  

Day 1: Who is Shoeless Joe Jackson, and why was his bat named Black Betsy?  What is the history behind the 1919 "Black Sox" Scandal and World Series?  We will read the first half of the book.
Day 2: We will finish reading the book and explore Shoeless Joe’s legacy.  We will combine baseball history and reading comprehension. 

(NOTE:  Children learn vocabulary, sequencing, and prediction skills through repetition of stories.  If you feel your child would benefit from hearing the stories again, I would love to have him/her join me in additional sections of the class!)