Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson, A PDF and Digital Novel Study

Like to honor diversity and encourage inclusion in your classroom? Do you want to be prepared for distance learning as well? If so, this NYT Bestseller, Harbor Me, by Jacqueline Woodson is a great book to introduce your students to and this novel study will guide them to meaningful discussions and provide you with the option of printable or digital lessons.

Included in this packet is a ready-to-use, custom-made novel study designed for independent work in grades 5-8 as students read Harbor Me by award-winning-author, Jacqueline Woodson. It may be downloaded as a PDF which includes a 22-page printable student workbook (or separate worksheets) along with an answer key and a list of CCSS supported. In addition, this product can be exported as an Easel digital activity that allows the student workbook to be assigned and completed digitally on any device...the textboxes have already been added so it is ready-to-go! (Not familiar with Easel products? Take a look at this link.)

The student workbook divides the text into four reading assignments of 40-50 pages each. After each assignment are 5 pages of activities that go along with the text. Literary skills on those pages include:

• understanding vocabulary
• becoming familiar with literary crafts (simile, metaphor, & idiom)
• identifying setting
• recognizing point-of-view
• demonstrating comprehension
• understanding author’s purpose/theme
• identifying character traits
• explaining one’s opinion
• paragraph writing

The workbook gives students essential practice in constructing written responses. All work is designed to support Common Core State Standards. The student booklet provides independent work allowing students to have directed, fun, and meaningful work while the teacher is working on small group or individual instruction. The teacher can determine the length of time students will be given to complete each assignment: it will likely range from one week to two weeks depending on whether students work entirely in class or also at home.

The novel studies I create are intended to make the student's reading experience richer and the teacher's life easier. They can be copied (either duplexed or single sided) and stapled along the side to make a workbook and then put-to-use that very same day! Questions and tasks in the workbook are created to promote high level thinking and prompt quality group discussions. The student booklets can be given to a parent or aide to direct a book club or literature circle or discussion group. They can be used as class work or as homework. They can be used to assess student understanding. I hope you will find them as helpful and all-encompassing as I have!

Harbor Me in a Nutshell:

Published in 2018, this is another powerful and noteworthy book by award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson. It can set the tone in your classroom for empathy, tolerance, inclusion, embracing diversity and stepping-up to do what is right. Readers will come to know and love six diverse students and their teacher as the story of this memorable year that ended up changing so many lives unfolds. Easy to read; hard to put down...this book is a powerful read for middle grade students (and older).

NOTE: If you are interested in other Jacqueline Woodson products, I also have a traditional novel study in my store for her award-winning Brown Girl Dreaming memoir and a Listen-and-Respond novel study for Brown Girl Dreaming.