If you haven't introduced your students to Pony by R. J. Palacio yet, you really need to! It's one of the best novel studies for 5th and 6th graders, in my opinion.
I reviewed the book a few months ago here. Please read it! There is a magical quality to this novel that must be read by your students!
How to use a novel study in your classroom:
- Print all the pages and have students read independently and complete the pages by themselves (except where directions suggest partner or group work.)
- Read the book aloud to your class. Print all the pages and have students complete the activities independently, with a partner, or in small groups.
- Pick and choose! Print some of the pages to differentiate for students' needs. Students can work on different pages and then come together to share what they have learned.
R. J. Palacio divided the novel into 11 parts, each with an old photograph that hints at what's to come.
Students start by reading about the author and learning about her other books. They make some inferences and start to think about some of the "magical" elements of the book.
Use the QR codes:
You can't understand if you don't know the words being used, and in the beginning, Palacio uses words that students need to know. QR codes take students to a fun thesaurus that finds synonyms for each of the words.
Other QR codes lead to videos for students to review comprehension skills they may not be familiar with, or just need to review.
Students work on all of the skills. They do get to choose some pages by flipping a coin, working with a partner, or in a small group. You can also decide if you want groups to work on this together the entire time.
You don't need more work to do! There are teacher notes to guide you and an answer key with sample responses for every question.
I can't praise this book enough! There is a haunting quality to it that stays with you, long after you've closed the cover.
Take a look at this novel study guide to help you as you and your students read the book.
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