What+is+Scary

In October we read Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed. My second graders have many questions about costumes; darkness, feelings of being scared, going out on Halloween, to name a few. This novel fits well in here.

This year I started with the **essential question**:What is Scary?


 * The front loading activity:** I asked the students to tell me what scares you. The students brainstormed everything from soggy cereal to seeing blood to dark places to killing a person. It was so amazing to hear all of the different things that can scare someone. Also, what scares one may not scare another.


 * Conceptual Knowledge**:Being scared is a feeling that takes on many forms. It doesn't have to be negative; at times might be positive. It also doesn't mean that you are a baby or scardy-cat. We also started to look at fantasy vs. reality and how to face or overcome our fears.


 * Procedural Knowledge:** The students will write a short skit that allows them to act out what it is like to be scared and how to deal with that fear.

Think aloud for chapter 2 Through discussion I will be able to see who is understanding Students will journal about a time they were scared and how they dealt with it.
 * Activities**

Draw a picture of something scary-chap.4

Create a model that gets rid of monsters-like how Junie B used the trash compactor--chap 5

Fill in a venn diagram for comparing and contrasting monsters and when someone is mad-angry friend, parent, dog etc

My second graders had to pretend they were Junie B and write about how they would get rid of the monster under her bed. Shared in small groups.
 * Writing Project**

We put together a Talk Show called Tell All. We invited guests to come on the show and share various fears; how they overcame them or if they didn't, how they cope; and how it affects their lives. The students took on roles of the double host, guests, audience, and counselors. Each student wrote out their lines or outline and practiced. It was so much fun because I got to just roam and listen to the various groups and I could throw in comments or suggestions. I liked them being the expects and taking the leading role.
 * Summative Assessment**

I did whole class observations; observed who participated in group discussions; there were small break-out groups; and after the book putting together the Talk Show really let me see who had a solid understanding about fears and being scared and how to handle those feelings.
 * Formative Assessment**