11484_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
7/22/08
12:47 PM
Page 2
LEVELS 30–34 N–O
Reader’s Theater
SCIENCE
T E AC H E R ’ S G U I D E
Science in Personal &
Social Perspectives
Clara Barton: Angel
of the Battlefield
Total words: 1,565
Summary
Objectives
LITERACY
#
Students will:
• Develop fluency and expression
• Understand characters’ motives,
actions, and feelings
SOCIAL STUDIES
#
Students will:
• Learn about the work of
Clara Barton and the
American Red Cross
#EDUCATION
CHARACTER
Students will learn about:
• Caring—help people in need
• Citizenship—make a
difference in your community
Tammy and her dad take the When Machine back in time
to meet Clara Barton.They first visit her in 1833, as a girl
of 11, already interested in caring for people.They find
her nursing her brother David, who was injured in a fall
from a roof.They return to visit her in 1865, to find her
searching for men missing in action during the Civil War.
Clara Barton has grown into a competent, strong woman.
The third visit takes them to 1900, where they find Clara
Barton, now an elderly woman, still working to assist
people during a disastrous flood in Texas.Tammy
is inspired by this courageous woman’s work and
understands why Clara Barton is sometimes called
the “Angel of the Battlefield.”
Characters
Levels
Eliza
N
30
Glen
N
30
Clara Barton
N
30
David
N
30
Dad
O
34
Tammy
O
34
Reader’s Theater for
Fluency and Comprehension
11484_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
7/22/08
12:47 PM
Page 3
BEFORE Reading
1. Build Background
• Have students draw on their experiences with historical novels, social
studies texts, television, and movies to brainstorm ideas about what
the years between 1833 and 1900 might have been like for people
living in America. Create a time line that lists any events they can
recall. Have them develop a list of questions about this time period
and record them on a chart.
2. Introduce the Script
• Before giving students the scripts, role-play being Clara Barton or her
brother David, and explain that you have come to the future to talk
to them. Encourage students to ask you questions about your life.
• Give students the script and have them skim through the text,
looking at the organization and illustrations, and identifying the
characters. If students are unfamiliar with the format of a play, explain
how the text is organized and how they can tell when a different
character is speaking.
• Have students guess why Clara Barton was called the Angel
of the Battlefield.
For
English Language Learners instruction on introducing the script, refer to page 6.
3. Discuss Vocabulary
• Find vocabulary words that might give students difficulty while
they are reading. Have students repeat the words several times.
Ensure they know what the words mean and have volunteers
use them in oral sentences. Possible words are Galveston,
Franco-Prussian, especially.
For
2
English Language Learners instruction on vocabulary and phonics, refer to page 6.
11484_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
7/22/08
12:47 PM
Page 4
DURING Reading
4. Read the Script
• Familiarize students with the content and vocabulary of the
script by having them read along with you as you model
fluent reading.
Informally assess students’ reading as you:
• Note students’ level of participation.
• Note any vocabulary words that are still challenging for
students to read. When finished, address questions about
word pronunciation or meaning.
• Read the script chorally again, noting whether students’
interpretations of the characters show an understanding
of the story.
ther
Reread toge the
t
u
o
through
velop
week to de and
confidence cy.
build fluen
3
11484_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
7/22/08
12:47 PM
Page 5
AFTER Reading
Building
Character
• Throughout her life, Clara Barton
took care of people. Do you know
anyone alive today who cares for
others the way Clara Barton did?
Tell about how that person shows
caring and compassion.
• Clara Barton made a positive
difference in her community from
a very young age. With a partner,
list ways you and others your age
can improve your community.
Staging and
Performance
Suggestions
• Use three different readers for the
part of Clara Barton. Set up the
stage so that the characters are
grouped across the stage area,
from left to right, according to the
different time periods. Have them
stand with their backs to the
audience when they are not
reading their lines. Tammy and
her dad are the only characters
that move across the stage,
as they travel from one time
period to another.
• Use different backdrops to
represent the different time
periods, and have the characters
stand in front of the backdrops.
The backdrops could be hanging
sheets, each color-coded for the
time period. The years could be
written on pieces of construction
paper or sentence strips and
pinned to the sheets.
4
5. Interpret the Text
Discuss Ideas and Issues
• Discuss the work of the American Red Cross and its
importance in our society.
• Discuss Clara Barton and her contributions.
• Have students refer to the questions listed prior to
reading to see if they can answer any of them after
reading the script.
• Have students research important events between 1833
and 1900 and list them on the time line.
6. Assign Roles &
Rehearse the Script
• Use the reading levels provided to help you assign roles.
• Decide whether to develop a simple reading of the
script or a dramatization of it.
• Discuss the staging. Use the suggestions provided here
and in the Teacher’s Handbook.
• Discuss rehearsal expectations. See the Teacher’s
Handbook.
• During the first rehearsal, offer suggestions for
expression and voice. During the second rehearsal, act
only as the audience.
• Provide feedback at the end of the rehearsal. See the
Teacher’s Handbook.
For
English Language Learners instruction on modeling the play, refer to page 7.
7. Perform the Script
• Read the script as a Reader’s Theater or dramatize it
as a play.
For
English Language Learners instruction on performing the play, refer to page 7.
11484_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
7/22/08
12:47 PM
Page 6
Literacy Extensions
Content Connections
Health
Today, physicians are able to offer many effective ways
to treat diseases and prevent them from spreading
to others.This was not always true. In the nineteenth
century, when Clara Barton lived, the true causes of
human diseases were only beginning to be understood.
However, many of the techniques used to treat diseases
then are still effective today.
Nature is ever changing, however, and a new potential
threat to human health often appears. Recently, a new
disease caused by a virus related to the virus that causes
the common cold developed. SARS stands for Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome.The early symptoms
of this infection are similar to the symptoms of the
common cold. SARS also produces a high fever in
people infected. Early estimates said that between
five and ten percent of persons infected with SARS
would die from this infection.These estimates have
recently been raised, particularly for people over the
age of sixty-five who contract the disease.
Try This!
1. Invite your school’s nurse or a physician to the class
to talk about several ways diseases are transmitted.
The person can also speak about several simple
methods of hygiene that prevent the spread
of disease.
2. Draw pictures of the methods demonstrated.
3. Use these pictures to develop a book of good
health practices for your class to follow.
For background information and other books of interest, refer to page 8.
Journal Writing
Have students research ne
wspaper
accounts and the Red Cr
oss Web site
for recent natural disasters
to find out
how the Red Cross respo
nded to
the disasters. Students co
uld write a
journal from the point of
view of a Red
Cross worker at the sce
ne.
Travel Brochure
Have students find out abo
ut the Clara
Barton National Historic
Site located in
Glen Echo, Maryland, by
going online
(see Web sites on page
8). Students
could create a travel bro
chure about
the site.
on
Character Educati
Connection
d many people
Clara Barton helpe
soldier s in the war
during her life, from
ross the country.
to flood victims ac
was the most
What do you think
helped people?
important way she
s. Barton, telling
Write a letter to M
out all she did.
her how you feel ab
r acts you think
Explain which of he
nt and why.
was most importa
5
11484_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
7/22/08
12:47 PM
Page 7
English Language L
Vocabulary
1. Introduce the Script
• Model the process of locating a
difficult or unfamiliar word, such as
battlefield in the title. Write the word
on the board. Underline the shorter
words battle and field. Say: A battle is
a fight during a war. Many people can
get hurt. Students may be familiar
with field. Discuss football fields,
fields of grass, etc. Ask: What do you
think a battlefield is? Explain that
battlefield is a compound word.
Say:You can figure out the meaning by
looking at the smaller words.
• Help students predict the meaning
of unfamiliar words using the
following questions:
Comprehension
1. Does this word look like a word I know?
(cognates)
2. Is this word formed by two smaller
words? (compound words) Do I know
the meaning of the smaller words? If I
put the meanings together, can I guess
the meaning of the original word?
3. Does this word have a smaller word I
already know? (base word/prefixes/
suffixes) What could the other part
mean?
4. Does this phrase have some words I
know? Who is using the phrase? Is this
character answering a question or
expressing something? What could this
mean in the story?
Phonics
• Students may have difficulty
pronouncing the word soldiers.
Model the word, emphasizing the
first syllable. (SOHL-jurz) Point out
the j sound in the middle of the word.
The letter d can be pronounced this
way. Have them underline soldiers and
write it in their notebooks.
6
• Draw a red cross with colored chalk on the board.
Ask: Do you know what it stands for? Talk about how
the Red Cross is an organization of many people.
Say: The Red Cross helps people who are hurt in wars
or natural disasters. A woman named Clara Barton
started the Red Cross.
• Discuss student experiences with nurses and doctors.
Ask: What does a nurse do? Make a word web on the
board with related vocabulary such as nurse, help, sick,
wounded, and hospital.
• Remind students of the When Machine from other
Reader’s Theater plays. Ask: What can the When
Machine do? Write the years 1833, 1865, and 1900
on the board. Say: The characters will travel to these
years in Clara Barton’s life. Write the current year on
the board and find out how many years ago the
events happened.
2. Explain the Structure
of a Play
• Have students identify the characters. Ask: Can you
name characters from the play? List them on the
board. Explain that the setting is where the events
occur. Say: Setting is where events take place. Have
students look at the illustrations. Ask: Where is the
setting of the play?
• Choose one or two characters and ask volunteers
to perform a few lines. Work on intonation and
dramatic expression.
11484_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
7/22/08
12:47 PM
Page 8
ge Learners
3. Model the Script
Multilevel Strategies
• Read the script aloud as students follow the text in
their books.You may use gestures and dramatic
expression to help students follow the story.
• Reread sections or lines as needed. Ask students
to identify illustrations of characters and actions
in the script.
• Check for comprehension. Some appropriate pauses
and comments for this script are:
Review the words nurse and Red
Cross with students. Then
talk about Clara Barton with
students. Write the years 1833,
1865, and 1900 on the board.
Point out that the When Machine
takes the characters to these
years in Clara Barton’s life.
Pages 2–3 • Ask: What is the When Machine? What
does it do? What is the name of the girl Tammy and Dad
are visiting?
Pages 4–7 • Say: Clara is taking care of David. Ask:
What happened to David? Does David get better?
Beginner
Have students point to and
describe illustrations of the
characters. When a new
character enters the story,
have students stand and hold
up their play booklets.
Intermediate
Pages 8–9 • Ask: What year do they travel to next?
What is Clara Barton doing now? Say: Clara was a shy
child. Ask: Is Clara a shy person anymore?
Have students perform the role
of David or Glen.
Pages 10–13 • Ask: What did Clara do during the Civil
War? Discuss the role of a nurse. Say: Nurses help people who are sick or wounded. Ask: What organization did
she start? Point out that the word found means to start
an organization.
Have students perform the lines
of Tammy, Dad, Clara Barton, or
Eliza. Explain that everyone is
very excited about Clara’s
achievements. Have them
read with expression.
Advanced
Pages 14–16 • Ask: What does the Red Cross do?
Discuss the different roles of the Red Cross and write
examples on the board. Discuss student experiences
with nurses and Red Cross workers.
4. Perform the Script
• Assign roles to students depending on your
assessment of their reading and speaking levels,
their comprehension, and how comfortable they
feel representing each character.
For ordering information, call Toll-Free 1-877-236-2465 or visit our Web site at www.benchmarkeducation.com.
Copyright © 2005 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in Canada.
7
11484_TG.qxd:New Reader th TG rev
7/22/08
12:47 PM
Page 1
Other Books
of Interest
Background Information
BENCHMARK EDUCATION COMPANY
Clara Barton 1821–1912
After the Earthquake
Louis Pasteur
Medical Pioneers
Pioneers in Medicine
Clara Barton was born on December 25, 1821, in North Oxford, Massachusetts. She
was the youngest of five children. Clara Barton said of her childhood that she
remembered nothing but fear. She saw herself as an introspective and insecure child.
Trade Books
Clara Barton
by Candice F. Ransom. Lerner Publishing Group
Barton taught school for ten years and then went to the Clinton Liberal Institute in
New York, where she was exposed to such aspects of social reform as abolitionism,
women’s rights, and education.
Clara Barton: Founder of
the American Red Cross
by Augusta Stevenson. Simon and Schuster
Clara Barton: Soldier of Mercy
In 1855 she became a patent clerk in Washington, D.C. When she heard about the
problems of medical care on the Civil War battlefields, she solicited supplies for the
war. In 1862 she went to the battlefield to help. From that time on, she went from
battle to battle, bringing supplies and nursing wounded soldiers from both sides.
by Mary Catherine Rose. Chelsea House Publishers
After the war, Barton worked to ease the problems of the newly freed
African Americans, and for universal suffrage, by writing reports and speaking at
rallies. During this time she helped locate more than 22,000 men missing in action
from the Civil War.
Web Sites
The Clara Barton
You Never Knew
by James Lincoln Collier. Scholastic
www.nps.gov/clba/
www.nps.gov/anti/clara.htm
www.redcross.org/museum/index.html
In 1868, she suffered a nervous breakdown. She went to Europe in 1869 for a rest.
In Geneva she was introduced to the Red Cross. She served on the field during the
Franco-Prussian War. On her return home in 1873, she worked to bring the Red Cross
to the United States and to have the U.S. government sign the Geneva Treaty. Finally,
in 1882, the treaty was signed by President Chester Arthur and ratified by the
Senate. The American Red Cross, led by Barton, devoted itself to disaster relief for the
first twenty years of its existence. Barton’s most important act as head was to take
supplies to Cuba during the Spanish-American War. This was the first step toward a
program of service to armed forces and civilians during wartime that has become a
tradition of the American Red Cross.
B
E N C H M A R K
E
D U C AT I O N
C
O M PA N Y