Hall, Harter, Hendricks, Kolopaljo

Federal Hocking Middle School

Reef of Death

Aesthetic Response

One activity that students always find enjoyable is having the chance to recreate an image that they visualized in their mind while reading a story. We all visualize scenes from a story differently than the way our peers visualize a scene. Therefore, it is always nice to have students share their visual pictures with their classmates. Drawing one of the scenes from the book and illustrating individual thought is always a fun lesson.

Therefore, I drew the image that I visualized in my mind while reading the first chapter of the book. I visualized Marrul patiently waiting for her brother while he dove near the coral reef. The first chapter in the book provided a sense of spooky detail about the large ship anchored near the reef. I visualized an old rusty tanker that had been sitting in one location for years.

Topic: Characterization

Novel: The Reef of Death by Paul Zindel

Class: Language Arts

Level: 8^th Grade

Objective:

Students will use the graphic organizer to note many of the feelings displayed by the main character, PC. They will be analyzing his behavior and thought to better understand how he affects the plot of the story. Students will analyze his interactions with other characters and how their relationships and conflicts develop.

Procedure:

1. Complete a character graphic organizer of PC

2. Answer the questions listed at the bottom of the graphic organizer

3. Group into threes and compare graphic organizer notes

4. Regroup as a class and create a character graphic organizer comparing class notes and using class discussion as a guide.

Outcome:

The outcome and goal of the lesson is to have students question the purpose behind PC’s character. Students will learn to analyze PC’s behavior and how his created actions carried the action of the story. They will also be able to understand how easily the story could have changed if PC was a weaker character.

Character:________________________

Novel:___________________________

Ideas

Visions and Hopes

l Strengths Feelings Actions Weaknesses

1. How does P.C. relate to other characters in the book?

2. What questions would you like to ask P.C.?

3. Does P.C. share any of your values? What values do you share?

Topic: Survival

Class: Language Arts

Level: Eighth Grade

Novel: The Reef of Death

Objective:

Students will analyze the character’s use of survival instincts to maneuver through obstacles encountered in the novel. They will use the character graphic organizer they used in a previous lesson and post-it note flags placed throughout the book to help recall traits of the main character and encounters with survival. Students will then compare and contrast a character from a different story that also had to use survival skills.

Procedure:

1. Use post-it notes placed throughout the book to flag survival scenes and the character Venn diagram to recall the main character of the book, P.C.

2. Complete a Venn diagram comparing P.C. and a second character from another survival novel. (fact or fiction)

3. Create and document a dialogue between the two characters in which they describe and compare their encounters of survival.

Outcome / Goal:

By completing the lesson, students will be able to analyze the survival tactics and strength authors gave to their characters in order to survive the conflicts faced throughout the story. Depending upon the second character they choose, students will understand the various types of survival characters encounter. The use of dialogue between the characters will prove understanding and comprehension of conflict that occurs in survival stories. Understanding a character’s need to survive will also be a final outcome.

P.C

The Reef of Death

Novel:_____________________ Character :__________________________