The Highlights of Homeschooling
Novel Literature Unit Study
“Where the Red Fern Grows”
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Written by: Wilson Rawls
Created by Teresa Ives Lilly
Co-Authored by Carol Diana
Sold by www.hshighlights.com
Everything in the unit can be used to create a file folder lap book.
Pre-Reading Skills Activity
Author Information Activity
Time line Activity
Theater Box Activity
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Each Lesson covers one whole book and includes:
Create a Newspaper Layout Activities including: Editorial, Travel, Advice Column,
Comics, Society News, Sports, Obituary, Weddings, Book Review, Want Ads, Word Search.
Creative Writing Activities including: Letter, Fairy Tale, Mystery, Science Fiction, Fable,
Dream or Nightmare, Tall Tale, Memoir, Newberry Award, A Different Ending.
Writing Skills Activities including: Description, Expository, Dialogue, Process, Point of
View, Persuasion, Compare and Contrast, Sequel, Climax and Plot Analysis.
Poetry Skills Activities including: Couplet, Triplet, Quinzain, Haiku, Cinquain, Tanka,
Diamanté, Lantern and Shape Poem.
Literature Skills Activities including: Main Character, Main Setting, Main Problem,
Possible Solutions, Character Traits, Character Interaction, Cause and Effect, Description,
Pyramid of Importance, Villain vs. Hero.
Art Expression Activities including: Main Character, Main Setting, Travel Brochure,
Postal Stamp, Book Cover, Menu, Fashion Designer, Puzzle, Mini Book, Ten
Commandments.
Poster Board Activities including: Collage, Theater Poster, Wanted Poster, Coat of Arms,
Story Quilt, Chalk Art, Silhouette, Board Game Construction, Door Sign, Jeopardy.
Creative Art Activities including: Sculpture, Shadow Box, Mosaic, Mobile, Acrostic,
Tapestry, Paper Dolls, Book Mark, Photography, Parade Float, Sketch.
Encyclopedia Skills Activity
Journal Activity
Main Idea
Key Event
Prediction
Comparison
Comprehension
True and False
Vocabulary Skills Activities including: Define,Synonym, Antonym, Syllables,
Sequence of Events.
Handwriting
Final Activities including: Sign Language Vocabulary, Literature Web, Bingo.
To use this unit either print out all the pages or have the student
recreate most of them in a notebook or on white or colored paper.
All of the pages can be added to the lapbook project as shown in the
photos, or only use those items you want to use to create your
lapbook and use a spiral notebook for the other pages.
The following are photos of how the work can be presented in the
lapbook format. You can make yours look different if you like.
To create the lapbook use 3-6 file folders (colored are best),
construction paper or index cards, markers, glue and a stapler.
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This is followed by a photos of how to do the newspaper layout.
Front
Back
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Each unit divides the book into 10 lessons or less. Each lesson covers one to four chapters
of the book. Students read the chapters for each lesson, then do the work for that chapter.
Lesson 1
Chapter 1,2
Lesson 2
Chapter 3,4
Lesson 3
Chapter 5,6
Lesson 4
Chapter 7,8
Lesson 5
Chapter 9,10
Lesson 6
Chapter 11,12
Lesson 7
Chapter 13,14
Lesson 8
Chapter 15,16
Lesson 9
Chapter 17,18
Lesson 10
Chapter 19,20
Vocabulary Words:
Lesson 1. cur odds crude dormant gratitude drastic devotion infected canyon
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Lesson 2. festered prowl registered advertisement mulled routine adoration depot
amends intended
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Lesson 3. muster reception jealous iodine grit runt perfectly nestled forgiven querying
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Lesson 4. obstacle wily serious mischievous peculiarity sensed depending dandy
bewildered determined
Lesson 5. predicaments nonchalantly understand scarecrow confidence refused liniment
fad backtracking predicted
Lesson 6. blizzard fog vibrations underestimate cunning fatal trough plight disposition
convinced
Lesson 7. scent clambered combination trance nauseating authority fool fault solemn
guilty
Lesson 8. bark mush strange monotonous superstition bayou disqualified introduced
gingerly faltered
Lesson 9. sleet leeward freeze instinct logic unconscious gully haggard loyalty love
Lesson 10. predatory foliage fern petrified berserk cleaved ghastly scourge weary
legend
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Newspaper Activity: As the student completes the newspaper activities
have them lay them out on a big board or on several poster boards. Don’t
glue them on until the entire newspaper is laid out.
Begin by creating a name for your newspaper. Type out the name of your
newspaper, in big bold letters and place it on the board where you think
it should go. Use tape or sticky clay to place articles and pictures on your
poster board, until you are done with all of them. By using this method of
placement, you can move them around as needed.
Pre-Reading Activity: Have the student look at the book they will
be studying for this unit. Then have the student write the information
required for this activity on the book patterns or in their notebook.
The patterns may be cut out and placed on the lapbook.
Title
Main
Character
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Publishing
Company
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Illustrator
What do
you think
the book is
about?
Why are
you looking
forward
to reading
this book
Author Activity: Have the student use the book they are studying
and information found on the internet. Then have the student write
the information required for this activity on the patterns or in their
notebook. The patterns may be cut out and placed on the lapbook.
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Write the author’s
name on the correct
pattern
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Write the name of all the books by
this author on the book pattern. If
there are more than three books,
just select the three most famous.
On the house pattern write
information about the author such
as where the author was born,
lived and how they became an
author.
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Time Line Activity: Have the student use the book they are studying
to fill out the time line indicating when anything new, interesting or
important happens in the book. This time line pattern can be copied
into the student’s notebook or this pattern can be printed smaller and
placed on the lapbook.
Lesson 1 Activities: Have the student use the book they are studying
and information found on the internet. Then have the student write
the information required for this activity on the patterns or in their
notebook. The patterns may be cut out and placed on the lapbook.
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Encyclopedia: Choose one subject
from this lesson that interested you
and look it up on the internet or in
an encyclopedia. Write the name
of the subject across the top of the
monitor pattern. On the monitor
screen section, write three or more
interesting facts about the subject.
Journal: Imagine that you are one
of the characters from the story.
After reading each lesson, write
a short journal entry telling what
happened from your character’s
point of view. Draw a picture to
go along with your journal entry.
At the end of the book, staple all
the journal entries together to form
a complete booklet. You can even
create a special cover for it from
construction paper.
Vocabulary word: ________________________________
Definition of the word: ____________________________
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Antonym of the word: _____________________________
How many syllables does the word have? ______________
Vocabulary: Look up the
vocabulary words from the list
for this lesson. On two patterns,
or on two index cards write
one word. On one card write
the definition of the word, the
Antonym and how many
Syllables the word has.
On the other card, write the same
word. Write a full sentence using
this word and write the
Synonym of the word.
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Vocabulary Word: ________________________________
Sentence using the word: ___________________________
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Synonym of the word: _____________________________
Do this for all the vocabulary
words. Place the patterns
or cards in an envelope
which can be glued into the
student’s notebook or onto the
lapbook.
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Sequencing: At the end of the
lesson write two of the main events
on these two strips. Save them in
an envelope which can be glued onto
the lapbook or in the notebook.
At the end of the book, these
strips can be taken out and the
student can try to arrange them in
the correct order as they occurred in
the story.
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Handwriting: Have the student pick their favorite sentence they read in this lesson.
Have them write the sentence in their best handwriting on this page or in their notebook.
Lesson 1 Activities: Have the student use the book they are studying
for the following lesson activities. Then have the student write the
information required for this activity on the page or in their notebook.
Lesson 1
Chapter 1,2
Fill in the Blanks: Write the vocabulary word that best completes the sentence.
Words:
crude
odds
cur dormant
1. A big ugly _____ tried his luck, but he didn’t get off so easy.
2. It’s hard for a man to watch an old hound fight against such _____.
3. I guessed that the _____ scribbly letters had been written by a little boy.
4. It’s strange how memories lie _____ in a man’s mind for many years.
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True / False: Write T if statement is true; write F if it is false.
1. _____ Hunting dogs belong in the country.
2. _____ The dog the man helped stayed with him because he was old and lost.
3. _____ The old hound had stirred priceless memories of the man’s boyhood days.
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Multiple Choice: Write ABCD in the space for the best answer.
1. _____ The land that the boy and his family lived on was _____.
A. a desert
B. city land
C. Cherokee land
D. not good for farming
2. _____ What disease did Billy become infected with?
A. puppy love
B. the measles
C. the flu
D. a cold
3._____ How many dogs did Billy want?
A. 4
B. 1
C. 3
D. 2
Main Idea: In a sentence or two, write what the main idea of this part of the book was.
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Key Event: What was the most important event?
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Prediction: Predict what you think will happen in the next lesson.
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Comparison: Compare two things in this lesson. Tell what makes them alike and what makes
them different.
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Fact or Opinion: Write one sentence that is a fact about the lesson and one sentence that is
an opinion about the lesson.
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Comprehension: Write full sentences to answer these questions.
1. Who in the family has Cherokee blood flowing in their veins?
2. What kind of dogs does Billy want?
3. Where is Billy’s home located?
4. When Papa went to the store what did he bring back for Billy?
5. Why is Billy’s parents unable to buy Billy the hounds?
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6. How did Papa cure Billy’s ills when Mama told him Billy’s health
wasn’t good?
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(Who) _____________________________________________________________________
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(What)____________________________________________________________________
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(Where )___________________________________________________________________
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(When)____________________________________________________________________
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(Why)_____________________________________________________________________
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(How)_____________________________________________________________________
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