Lesson Plans
Feel free to use these daily writing prompts and discussion questions to help your daily classroom routines while reading Shadows by the Lighthouse. Questions cover everything from literary devices, to inferences, to character development, as well as simple reading comprehension. Projects and essay prompts are also included; there's even a few opportunities for research. I sincerely hope between what I have created and the options provided below, you find that you have a complete unit for your classrooms!
Daily Journals and Reading Questions
These are created chapter by chapter, and you can easily just print and go.
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Close Reading and Analysis
This lesson might take a class period; it asks students to really consider the lyrics to Foo Fighter's song "My Hero". The band is brought up more than once in Shadows by the Lighthouse, and Avery really idolizes his father, making the song doubly appropriate.
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Hero Booklet Project
This project is a great connection to the song analysis. Student should pick their personal heroes from all walks of life. It requires a bit of research and writing; student must also compile their findings in an organized way. I use these assignment with my students and love how much I learn about them.
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Character Sketches
This activity is ready to print and go- for homework or classwork.
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Lighthouse Poetry
Students will read poems all about the wonder of lighthouses; while they read, they are asked to mark what they find to be important, as well as literary devices. There's a paragraph response section at the end. Some poems are challenging, while others are very straightforward. The students just have to try.
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Cover and Title Update
Here's a fun way for students to show their understandings of the plot, theme, tone/mood, genre, and symbolism. You could extend this assignment, or keep it as is for a two-three day in class assignment.
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Other Ideas and Helpful Links
This article from National Geographic, "Why Music Might Be The Perfect Tool To Decrease Kids' Pandemic Stress", talks all about the importance of music education and how music in general might help a young person lesson stress. I've connected this to the lesson plan section because Avery and his parents all gravitate toward music; for example, there's a scene where Chief Fowler, after having a hard day at work, comes home and spends some time wailing on the drums, feeling better afterwards.
This research paper/project on becoming a rock band manager seems like a lot of fun; the link brings you to Teachers Pay Teachers. Depending on your grade level, I think you could adjust it to use for your class.
Another idea is this webquest on North Carolina lighthouses. The grade level is 4-5, and it seems really thorough.
To connect to the webquest, there is a great STEM activity here that also incorporate close reading. This activity is intended for students in grades 3-6.
Want to delve into how to solve a mystery before beginning the book? Here's a link to Scholastic's website and their lesson plan on Ingredients of a Mystery. This lesson plan is for grades 3-5 and lasts approximately four days.
If you are looking to get more in depth or have older students, consider this lesson plan that shows students how to take evidence, statements, and observations and find a cohesive answer to a crime. It's called Crime Scene Cookbook- Collecting Evidence and Putting the Case Together.
Not looking for anything that intense? This link has lesson plans meant to teach kids forensics- great for being cross-curricular! There are videos on being a detective and what real forensic science is, because apparently CSI doesn't tell us the truth.
This research paper/project on becoming a rock band manager seems like a lot of fun; the link brings you to Teachers Pay Teachers. Depending on your grade level, I think you could adjust it to use for your class.
Another idea is this webquest on North Carolina lighthouses. The grade level is 4-5, and it seems really thorough.
To connect to the webquest, there is a great STEM activity here that also incorporate close reading. This activity is intended for students in grades 3-6.
Want to delve into how to solve a mystery before beginning the book? Here's a link to Scholastic's website and their lesson plan on Ingredients of a Mystery. This lesson plan is for grades 3-5 and lasts approximately four days.
If you are looking to get more in depth or have older students, consider this lesson plan that shows students how to take evidence, statements, and observations and find a cohesive answer to a crime. It's called Crime Scene Cookbook- Collecting Evidence and Putting the Case Together.
Not looking for anything that intense? This link has lesson plans meant to teach kids forensics- great for being cross-curricular! There are videos on being a detective and what real forensic science is, because apparently CSI doesn't tell us the truth.
Other Suggestions...
If you're like me, you like to have plenty of options for your class. One day, you just might not want to do what you had planned. If you're trying to come up with other ideas, as we've already seen, music plays a big role in the book. Maybe have the kids create posters or brochures about musical instruments. They could also research and design presentations on favorite bands. Also, the Magic 8-Ball toy is discussed often; maybe have a show and tell about favorite toys or have them do a quick search about what it is, who created it, and if people believed them. What could be a lot of fun is if you have a Magic 8-Ball yourself, you could ask the kids to make predictions about the text at the end of class and let the Magic 8-Ball answer them.