Fearless

Written by Elvira Woodruff
Copyright ©2007
Published by Scholastic Press

Reading Level: Grades 3-7
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.3
Lexile Measure: 810L
Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading: T
DRA: 44

Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction

Description: Orphan boys Digory and Cubby go searching for their lost father. On the way they run into thieves, pirates, and an eccentric inventor. 11 year old Digory must face his greatest fears in the pursuit of keeping a light house running.

5 words/phrases to describe the book: Bravery, Loyalty, Adventure, Sailors, Light House.

Suggested Delivery: Read-aloud(grades 5-6), independent reading, small group reading.
This book is great for a read aloud the language is very descriptive and it lends itself to using different accents and voices, along with some challenging vocabulary. This book would be a great treat to read to students because the adventure is so enticing.

Technology to Enhance Learning:
This book talks about the life of Henry Winstanley. Henry Winstanley was a real inventor and some events in this book are true, which is why it is considered Historical Fiction. Here students can read, or listen to a podcast, about Henry Winstanley. There are actual drawings of he original light house he built in the 1600's. This makes learning authentic for students because they can learn about the real life of one of the characters.

Students can also go onto google maps to look at the lighthouse mentioned in the book.
Eddystone Reef Light House

Before During and After Reading:

Before Reading:
Give key quotations from the story to make students think. After reading the summary and hearing the quotations have students write what they think the deeper meaning of the quotation is and any predictions they have for the story. Below are some quotations I found that I would use in my classroom:

• "A man should never be so quick to part with those things he hold most dear."
• "promises are like piecrust and so easily broken."
• "Your future is your own, Digory Beale. Aim carefully toward what you believe in. Your future will be as radiant as you see it."

During Reading:

This book has a lot of obscure vocabulary, but luckily there is a glossary. Vocabulary cards would be a great way to learn some Tier III words and expand their vocabularies. When students create vocabulary cards, they begin to see connections between words, examples of the word, non- examples of the word, and the critical attributes associated with the word.

1. 1. Place the targeted word/concept in the middle of a graphic organizer.
2. 2.  Ask students to identify a definition.
   
3. 3.  Have students list the characteristics or
   description for the word.
   
4. 4.  Have the students list examples and non-
   examples of the key concept.
   
5. 5.  Have students create an illustration or visual. 
   

After Reading:

To engage comprehension have students do a reader's theatre. Reader's theatre is a staged reading of a text. Students can break up into small groups, choose a scene or chapter, depending on length, and read the dialogue and narration with prosody. Give students a few days to practice and the groups can perform in front of the class. For more information on reader's theatre go to: scholastic.com

Vocabulary:
Bilgewater: water that collects in the bilge of a ship; thus putrid water.
Constable: Policeman
Gadgeteer: a person who designs and builds gadgets.
Gneiss: a reddish-colored rock
Pinch: slang for steal
Shilling: a former unit of money in the United Kingdom