As we think of our content area objectives and all that must be taught, we often find a lack of time to get it all in. Novel studies are a great way to extend the content area learning AND address reading skills you need to teach too. In this post, I want to share a little bit about the unit I created for Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne.

Using Revolutionary War on Wednesday for Content Area Studies

My fourth grade students study the Revolutionary War, but sometimes the readability of the materials used in class make accessing the information challenging. This book is written on a third grade level, and as the book is read, we work on reading skills AND the content information as well as related vocabulary.

Magic Treehouse Novel Studies

Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Treehouse books do tie in well to both science and social studies content. In my shop, I’ve created five novel studies for her books including: this one, Midnight on the Moon, Blizzard of the Blue Moon, Eve of the Emperor Penguin, and Dinosaurs Before Dark. With these units, I often pair nonfiction close reading passages and research to work on nonfiction comprehension skills AND those content standards. Certainly, there are close reading passages available on the Revolutionary War. I suggest checking Read Works first since it is free. Students can listen to articles which helps scaffold the lessons for those who may be reading below level.

How to Include Content Studies into Your Novel Studies

Revolutionary War on Wednesday Skills:

• Prereading Activity: Schema builder and Quick Write to build background.
• Vocabulary and Making predictions
• Visualizing using text details about the setting.
• Vocabulary and Author’s Purpose
• Comparing Patriots and Redcoats and Learning about the Revolutionary Wary
• Vocabulary and Questioning
• Facts, and Summarizing the Main Idea, and Vocabulary
• Vocabulary and Story Details
• Character Analysis
• Vocabulary and Summarizing Information
• Vocabulary and Story Plot (Details)
• Problem and Solution
• End of Book Report

Other Novel Studies to Explore:

• Watsons Go to Birmingham (Civil Rights Movement)
• Number the Stars (WW 2)
• On the Wings of Heroes (WW2)
• The Slave Dancer (Slavery)
• Hurricane Force (Weather)
• Night of the Twisters (Weather)
• A Lion to Guard Us (Revolutionary War/Colonial Times)
• American Girls (all periods of history)
• Blood on the River (Revolutionary War)
• Calico War (Civil War)
• Bull Run (Civil War)
• Shades of Gray (Civil War)
• Biographies of MLK, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, John Lewis, and Emmet Till

Related Posts You Might Like:

• Taking Your Literature Circles to the Next Level
• 5 Signs You Should Teach Nonfiction Text Features
• Teaching Kids to Read and Write About Nonfiction

What titles do you love using? One great place to learn about great novels are in Facebook groups for your grade level. Take a moment to search for one or join mine! I love talking books!

Have a novel in mind, but need materials to use with it? Grab this resource to get you and your students started.