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Author Study: Jeanette Winter

By Maria Kemp, Tracy McLaughlin, and Cindy Perry

ED 693 - Fall 2013

2. Comparing and Contrasting Texts

Assessment:

Students can be evaluated on their ability to think critically about the comparing and contrasting that was done. Does their thinking go beyond the obvious? Are they able to justify their reasoning from information in the text?

1. Dialogues

References

Objective: Using books by the author Jeanette Winter students will compare and contrast the various elements of two books to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the texts.

Motivation: Share some of the art work by Jeanette Winter. Have the students talk in groups about the author and her ability to be an illustrator also.

Activity: Have students read two or more books by the same author, or choose two books to share with the class. Next have students make a poster diagramming the characters, themes, settings, and plots of each text. Encourage them to think critically about the texts and to think deeper about the types of things that could be compared and contrasted between the characters, themes, setting and plots for each book. Finally students will show how the multiple books compare and contrast. This can be done using a Venn diagram or some other type of organizer that your students are familiar with. Groupings can be done in pairs or small group of three or four. If you have a student that works better individually you can have them complete their project individually and then share with another group.

Boulware-Gooden, R., Carreker, S., Thornhill, A., & Joshi, R.M.

Instruction of metacognitive strategies enhances reading comprehension and vocabulary achievement of third-grade students. The Reading Teacher, 61 (1), 70-77. Cameron, A.

Online References:

http://www.patriciamnewman.com/winter.html

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jeanettewinter

Fletcher, R. J. (1996). A writer's notebook: Unlocking the writer within you. New York: Avon Books.

Objective:

Working with a partner student will develop a dialog between the main characters in two books written by Jeanette Winter. The dialog will act as a compare and contrast from the main character from each book.

Motivation: To introduce students to the author, Jeanette Winter have them watch the video of The Librarian of Basra.

Discuss the main character in the video.

Activity: Students are paired up and they choose to read two or more books by the Jeanette Winter. Working together they will then create a dialogs as the main character from each book, where they tell the two stories as that character, referring to themes, settings, and plots. They may also address any personal changes in the chosen character or other characters’ personalities as the books progress. Finally, they present this dialog to the class and perhaps to other classes in an attempt encourage other students to read stories by this author.

Assessment:

Students can be evaluated on their ability to compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of the books and their ability to work together to form a coherent and sharable presentation that accurately displays the similarities and differences in each text. Also does the formed dialog go beyond the written text and represent a deeper understanding of what the author was trying to convey in each book.

Lessons

Standards Addressed in Author Study and Related Lessons

5. Contrasting Fiction with Non-Fiction

1. Dialogues

2. Comparing and Contrasting Texts

3. Fierce Wonderings from Jeanette Winter

4. Art Walk

5. Contrasting Fiction with Non-Fiction

Pairing Fiction with Nonfiction- Read Beatrix by Jeanette Winter, then read The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which is referred to in the biography, and discuss. Then, use a triple Venn Diagram or another graphic organizer and compare and contrast all three characters, setting and plots.

RI.3.9 - Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).

3. FierceWonderings from Jeanette Winter

3. Have students independently work on answering at least one question and formulating their own ‘fierce wondering’ as Jeannette Winter.

RI.3.7 - Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

Some ideas for graphic organizers:

Comparing Characters -

http://www.fcrr.org/studentactivities/C_002b.pdf

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/character-comparison-sheet

Comparing Stories -

http://www.fcrr.org/studentactivities/C_010b.pdf

Here is an interactive Venn Diagram to include technology.

This site will make venn digarams with two or three circles.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/venn-diagram-30973.html

Imagine you’re Jeanette Winter, ask yourself some questions about your writing process or a particular book you’re about to write. Try out these questions first, answer them and then ask two of your own.

How will I show the characters emotion with this illustration?

Why did this person want to become an artist/observer?

1. Model this as a whole group. Ask one of the above questions and proceed to sketch out ideas about the text. Emphasize the importance of pretending you are Jeanette Winter and you’re imagining the answer from your perspective. This could be done as a pre-reading strategy to see what students think the author will write about after hearing her biography and a little about her subjects. OR try it as a post-reading strategy and pick a subject/person that you think Jeanette Winter would write about and write a page or two from her perspective. As a post-reading strategy this may allow students to not only connect with other aspects of Winter’s writing but also access their interests and backgrounds.

2. Ask students when they are seated together what they would draw. Sketch, write and discuss possibilities.

RL.3.7 - RL.3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by

the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)

Author Biography

4. Art Walk

Chose a page or two of one for the books and do a close reading on those pages with the focus being on what the author is trying to convey in those pages, the big idea. Then, have the student be the illustrator for that section of the book. The requirement would be that the illustration had to add to the story. Students would write a short description of how their illustration contributed to how the words are conveyed in the story.

Jeanette Winter was an only child whose parents immigrated from Sweden prior to her birth on October 6, 1938.

Growing up as a child in Chicago she loved to draw and tell stories, but during this time children’s authors did not visit schools or have the luxury of the internet or the television as we have today. Because of this Mrs. Winter was mostly self-taught as an illustrator and a writer.

Mrs. Winter has written many self-illustrated titles that have been praised for their text, but the most notable feature of her work is her characteristic painting style. Her illustrations are simple, containing little shading or depth. This makes her art appear flat rather than realistic. Many people view her art as more folk-like, but her illustrations are pleasing and give her stories a warm inviting feel. This style works well especially in her children’s books.

The motivation for Mrs. Winter’s stories often focus around historical events from various parts of the world that which often include famous artists or individuals as the sample list of books below illustrates.

Mrs. Winters lives in New York Citywith her husband, Roger Winter who is a painter. They have two grown sons, Jonah and Max who are both poets also living in New York City.

A SAMPLE SELECTION FROM JEANETTE WINTER’S LIBRARY

Author/Illustrator

Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan, 2011.

Wangari’s Trees of Peace, Harcourt, 2008.

The Tale of Pale Male, Harcourt, 2007.

Mama, Harcourt, 2006.

The Librarian of Basra, Harcourt, 2005.

September Roses, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2004.

Beatrix, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2003.

My Baby, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2001.

Sebastian; A Book About Bach, Harcourt, 1998.

My Name is Georgia, Silver Whistle, 1998.

Follow the Drinking Gourd, Knopf, 1988.

Illustrator

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider, Harcourt, 2000.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Harcourt, 2000.

Hey Diddle Diddle, Harcourt, 1999.

Rock-A-Bye Baby, Harcourt, 1999.

Diego, Jonah Winter, Knopf, 1991.

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