The latest chapter in her book unfolds when her mother insists that she be taken out of special ed. Click the name of the club to find out more about each group, the exact dates its meeting, and the titles the group is reading. The other is the book sahara is secretly writing, her heartwrenching life story and amazing adventures. I am so honored that you have taken an interest in my book, sahara special. Third graders read the book sahara special and participate in comprehension activities. But after her father left she stopped writing anything in school, including her homework, although she does write privately, for herself. The school keeps a file on her lack of activity and decides she needs special education.
This plan is a twelve page teacher guide based on the novel sahara special by esme raji codell. Free sahara special worksheets and literature unit for. The questions are listed by chapter and page number. After the first half of the book my role in the discussion was to be the connector. Struggling with school and her feelings since her father left, sahara gets a fresh start with a new and unique teacher who supports her writing talents and the individuality of each of her classmates. I also do agree that the biggest conflictproblem in the story is sahara. Book clubs at your library if you love to read and talk about books or watch and talk about movies, the library has book clubs for you. As of the 20062010 american community survey, 16% of newark residents ages 25 and over had never attended high school. Due to the covid19 outbreak, the library district is closed effective monday, march 16, until further notice.
The one the school counselor keeps is evidence that shes a fifthgrader who needs special education. Book your next stay at sahara las vegas learn more. Newark, new jersey is a notoriously highcrime city. Sahara special, her new novel for young readers and her first foray into fiction, is both an engaging story and a hymn to change, written by a woman who knows a thing or two about reinventing herself. It includes activities to foster thinking while reading and extended writing activities. Because theres so much to talk about, this would be a great book for school and parentchild literature groups.
Realistic fiction lesson plan for 3rd grade lesson planet. Superheroes enjoy 10% savings plus additional perks. Although she wont be sahara special anymore special needs, that is. Comprehension by chapter, vocabulary challenges, creative reading response activities and projects, tests, and much more. Filling nearly all of northern africa, it measures approximately 3,000 miles 4,800 km from east to west and between 800 to 1,200 miles from north to south and has a total area of some 3,320,000 square miles 8,600,000 square km. In this book, if the main character decided to change her name she would do the name shaquana, jennifer, aisha, candace, saundra, camille, shalonda, dolores, or denise. So sahara is facing fifth grade in the regular classroom, again. So sahara is facing fifth grade in a regular classroom, again. Sahara special sahara special is the story of sahara joness 5th grade school year and the struggles she overcomes to make friends and reach her potential as a writer. With great skill and empathy, phylicia rashad illuminates the pathos and humor of sahara jones fifth grade year, bringing to life a classroom full of memorable characters, most especially miss pointy, sahara s astute, eccentric teacher. See featured authors answering questions learn more.
Sarah wants to be a writer but has not written anything at school, including her homework, since her father left two years ago. The latest chapter in her book unfolds when her mother. In this book, the main charcter finds her files behind a. The one the school counselor keeps is evidence that shes a fifth grader who needs special education. There is a good opportunity here for open discussion of special education programs, and what is viewed by the students as good or bad about them, plus what they feel would improve these efforts. It will be interesting to hear my students reactions when we discuss it at book club in a couple of weeks. Students have personal bags, a brown paper bag, that they fill. Hardtoswallow stories from fifth grade, and the ira childrens book award winner, sahara special. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Welcome classroom teachers, homeschoolers, and book clubs. Sampson davis, an africanamerican man who grew up in the city. The title of the book refers to how people used to call sahara special, but when she had to write about her life, she mentioned how she knows how now she understands that they werent making fun of her. Pointy, the teacher in this book, is the best teacher that ever could be. Free sahara special study unit worksheets for teachers to print.
This was probably the most challenging part for me because i had trouble connecting my own experiences to this book. Diary of a teachers first year, makes her childrens book debut with the warm, funny novel sahara. Below are some reading passages that we have hand picked to supplement this book. Summary, important lessons for students and teachers. The metaphors in the book make it 10x better, and you have to agree with me that ms. Although shes given the name because she receives special education services, it becomes a true description of the person hidden within her. In this realistic fiction lesson, 3rd graders create a brochure for where they live. Her mother recognizes these hidden depths and demands that she be removed from special education and given the chance to succeed or fail by her own will. Sahara special guided reading plan by eazylessons tpt.
As the clock ticks toward the worlds destruction, pitt plots his escape across the sahara desert. The one the school counselor keeps is evidence that she is a fifth grader who needs special education. Sahara is one of the most memorable characters in middle grade fiction. Summaries of student readings are provided to make comprehension checks easy. Sahara special is magical not in the ways of harry potter, its enchanting, its intriguing, it uses words in such a way that youve never imagined it before. Sahara west library las vegasclark county library district. Sahara gets a fresh start with a new and unique teacher who supports her writing talents and the individuality of each of her classmates. Discussion guide from scholastic created by scholastic view on scholastic share. The special needs teacher in saharas school seems to do little more than play board games with sahara. Diary of a teachers first year shows a keen understanding of classroom dynamics, a finely. With miss pointys help, sahara just might find a way to redefine special for herself.
Five of the citys last seven mayors have been indicted on criminal charges relating to political corruption. But why even try to do the work, sahara wonders, if everything just winds up in the counselors file. Sahara special, her new novel for young readers and her first foray into fiction, is both an engaging story and a hymn to change, written by a woman who knows a. Literature circles sahara special by christina joa on february 26, 20. The immediacy of her concern about repeating fifth grade and dealing with peers resonates instantly with readers. Set in contemporary chicago, sahara special 2003, american author esme raji codells debut childrens novel, follows sahara jones, who is entering fifth grade again. The immediacy of her concern about repeating fifth grade and dealing.