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Read the Author's Note and pages
1-20 aloud to your class. |
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Lead a book discussion of the reading. What
do the students think about what they have heard?
How would they feel if they had to leave their
home in the middle of the night? The 10-15 minute book discussions
will help
students understand the text better . |
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Consider using a classroom map to keep track of
Rifka's travel from her home in Berdichev, Russia
(now Ukraine) to the United States. Make sure to
point out major points of interest in the vicinity
of Rifka's travel (mountain ranges, rivers, capital
cities, etc.) Do this for each section of the reading. |
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Spend a few minutes discussing the vocabulary
words you have selected from the reading. You may
want to develop some specific vocabulary activities
that encourage your students to use these words. |
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Introduce the term "reflection"
to students. Let them know that it involves carefully
thinking about something and relating these thoughts
to their own beliefs and knowledge. Inform them
that they will be responsible for writing a short
reflection about what they have heard in the novel
Letters From Rifka. Stress that this
is not a summary of story events, but a statement
that illustrates what the students think and feel
while reading the book. |
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Students can write their reflections using
the WRITE tool or email their reflections
directly to the teacher. Allowing students to
email the reflection will protect students'
privacy as reflections can be very personal. Teachers
should assess the quality of student writing and
provide appropriate feedback.
Consider developing a rubric
that will assist students as they write their
reflections. |
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Provide class time to begin writing the reflection
or conduct a mini-lesson on reflective writing using
an example of a reflection. Encourage students to
actively think about what Rifka has experienced
so far. |
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