Grenade by Alan Gratz Novel Study

This product is a comprehensive set of instructional materials for teaching Grenade by Alan Gratz. With over 125+ Common Core aligned materials, students will develop their literacy skills while deeply engaging with the novel. Plus, the fiction close reading activities, the literary analysis resources, WWI Pacific Theater readings and extension activities, projects, vocabulary, assessments, and essays all provide opportunities for your students to practice and apply their learning. They also provide numerous ways for you to DIFFERENTIATE learning for your students, allowing you to choose the assignments that best support your students’ learning. In total, the suite includes a wealth of resources to help you implement an engaging, rigorous ELA or Social Studies unit.

Snapshot of Resources Included in Unit:

• 30 Common Core Aligned Lesson Plans
• 18 Comprehension Assignments & 18 Literary Analysis Assignments
• 18 Close Reading Assignments (literary skills-based) & 5 Whole Novel Analysis Assignments
• 18 Nonfiction Readings & Questions
• 9 Extension Activities (to pair with nonfiction readings)
• Vocabulary Resources - 6 Crossword Puzzles, 6 Quizzes
• Assessment Resources - 18 Mini-Quizzes, 2 Comprehension Quizzes, 3 Final Tests, Essay Choice Board
• 1 Final WWII Pacific Theater Project & 1 Final Novel Project
• Anticipation Guide & Reading Map Activity
• Answer Keys for ALL applicable resources!
• Googles Slides™ & Google Forms™ links for student pages!

Digital Compatibility: This resource is also technology friendly! It can be utilized in classrooms where computers or tablets are central to instruction because the resource has been adapted for digital completion. The resources include links for students to complete any work assigned, such as in-class tasks and assessments, online via Google Slides™ and Google Forms. For instance, students can work with the documents in Google Drive™ or via Google Classroom. With these links, you can have students complete their activities, assignments, and ALL ASSESSMENTS online. All they will have to do for the student pages is either create a text box or fill out a form! There are links for every student page and assessment if applicable, making the format friendly not only for technology but also trees.

Comprehension & Literary Analysis Resources: The comprehension guide and literary analysis resources provide a framework for students to deeply engage with every chapter grouping of the novel. The document has 36 assignments – two for every chapter grouping of the book - and each assignment includes 10 questions aligned to CCSS ELA skills. The 36 assignments are designed to not only to have students practice literary skills but also demonstrate their comprehension of the text. In having students engage with the novel in both ways, the resource allows for differentiation and flexible implementation.

Fiction Close Readings & Graphic Organizers: The 18 fiction close reading lessons explicitly focus on critical Common Core State Standards to develop students’ literary proficiency. Using the novel as the foundational text for close reading, each lesson focuses on a particular skill and provides students an opportunity to develop and demonstrate their ability to perform that skill. Each assignment also requires students to use textual evidence to support their claims. The resources could supply homework, facilitate guided reading groups, or stimulate whole class literacy discussions for each chapter grouping. You can choose the purpose that best suits your students and your classroom.

WWII Pacific Theater Nonfiction Readings, Activities, and Project: World War II’s Pacific Theater often receives less attention when studying the global conflict. Yet, it played a pivotal role in the War and events in the Pacific Theater dramatically shaped the post-War global order. The 18 readings, 9 activities, and project provide a comprehensive set of materials to help students understand the Pacific Theater, a complex yet critical topic for helping students develop an expansive view of world history. With these resources, students will engage in a range of activities to deepen their knowledge of the events leading up to WWII, fighting in the Pacific Theater, the effects of war, and more. All the resources are aligned to Common Core State Standards and will allow students to develop essential skills, such as close-reading, critical thinking, examining perspectives, making an argument, and conducting and presenting research, among others. In the end students will not only have broadened their horizons but also own their abilities.

Assessment Resources: After students complete the chapter analysis, close reading assignments, vocabulary assignments, and projects, they will know the novel inside and out. The Common Core aligned assessments will then help you measure your students’ comprehension of the text and their ability to apply the literary skills taught throughout the unit. The materials include 18 reading checks, 2 comprehension quizzes, 3 final literary assessments, and essays.

Vocabulary Resources: The vocabulary resources will help students learn, acquire, and utilize new words in their writing and speaking. The vocabulary resources will assist students in building their own vocabulary and engage them in varied activities to maximize their vocabulary’s expansion. With the 6 different vocabulary lists, 6 crossword puzzles, and 6 quizzes the resource allows for differentiation and flexible implementation.

Anticipation Resources (Bonus Material): The anticipation resources will help generate excitement around a study of Grenade. The activity will aid students’ comprehension by generating students' thinking about the novel’s themes.

Go Project (Bonus Material): The Go project engages students in an active, game-based experience while developing students’ research, writing, and critical thinking abilities. As they do, they will also develop links that reveal Grenade, despite being a work of fiction, contains many realistic human portrayals grounded in very real experiences. First, students will study the origins and rules of the game Go, an extremely popular game in East Asia with deep historical roots. Then, students will synthesize their newfound understanding of Go with its symbolic use in Grenade, just like sute-ishi. Next, students will demonstrate their understanding through an essay about that symbolism. Finally, students can play Go, contemplate its significance to the novel and people today, and reflect on their overall experiences. A rubric is provided for assessment.

Instructional Resources (Bonus Material): The standards-alignment guide, pacing guide, and 30 lesson plans will help you effectively plan and implement any and all components of the unit. They are the materials designed for you.

PLEASE NOTE: This resource is NOT EDITABLE! It is intended to be comprehensive, but if you have particular needs for your classroom, please contact me! (lauren@lit-lessons.com)