Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Middle Grades Novel Study
Join me on a page-turning adventure through Kwame Mbalia's first novel in the Tristan Strong series! This class is an exploration of the rich stories of West Africa and African American legends, literary devices, writing, and the arts.
Beth Roussakis, M.Ed.
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4.9
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What's included
8 live meetings
7 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. -The learners will be asked to do all reading outside of class. If they have not already read the novel, they will need to read about ten chapters/ week for class. -A comprehension packet provided by the teacher will accompany the readings each week. -There will be two writing assignments started in class and completed for homework.Assessment
Learner progress is assessed through teacher questioning, informal assessments in the form of games, and completion of writing assignments and projects.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 8
This novel is the first in Kwame Mbalia's Tristan Strong series. The novel's protagonist, Tristan, is a seventh-grader who accidentally creates a hole in the Midpass, a world where ancient African gods clash with gods in African American legend. While we will be taking a closer look at the literary aspects throughout the novel, the full reading should be done outside of class. I like to tailor in-class activities specifically to student interest, but a loose outline of each week's class is as follows: WEEK ONE: Chapters 1-10 -Discussion/ vocabulary introduction -Who's Who of African and African American tales game -Activating background knowledge for the components of traditional fables -Research a folktale character assignment WEEK TWO: Chapters 11-20 -Discussion of reading/ presentations of folktale characters -Discuss mood and tone -Plan for reader's theater in small groups. -Comprehension/ vocabulary game WEEK THREE: Chapters 21-30 -Discussion of reading -African legend reader's theater skits -Comprehension/ vocabulary game WEEK FOUR: Chapters 31-40 -Discussion of reading -Learn about Adinkra symbols -Adinkra cloth art project WEEK FIVE: Chapters 41-51 -Discussion of reading -Compare/contrast original fables to Tristan Strong versions -Storyboard your favorite scene WEEK SIX: -Discussion of reading -Map creation project using imagery from the story -Comprehension trivia game WEEK SEVEN: -Discussion of reading -Guided fable writing project -Comprehension trivia WEEK EIGHT: Review -Presentation of writing -Escape Room! *The art used for the class cover photo was created by Eric Wilkerson. More of his work can be found here: www.ericwilkersonart.com
Other Details
Supply List
-Learners will need to purchase or borrow from the library a copy of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. The book can be found at this amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Tristan-Strong-Punches-Hole-Novel/dp/1368042414/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tristan+strong+punches+a+hole+in+the+sky&qid=1612399158&sr=8-1 -There will be one art project for which parents will need to purchase some easy to find materials (these will be listed in the classroom) -All other materials will be provided by download in the classroom
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined August, 2017
4.9
693reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
I started my teaching career in the School District of Philadelphia and taught Middle School ELA to students who were mostly Black and Latino. I think representation in literature is extremely important and, therefore, used lots of African fables and African American folktales as mentor texts in my classroom. These stories are rich with complex characters, adventure, and endearing anthropomorphic animals that appeal to every learner and should become normalized in our educational system.Reviews
Live Group Class
$140
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
55 min
Completed by 8 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
3-10 learners per class
