Abby Siegel
Mini lesson
Topic: Number the Stars (focusing on prosody)
Grade: 4th
Time: 1 hour

Introduction and Lesson:
I would have the students read this book in connection with social studies material. The book will have been completed before this lesson would be taught, so students will be familiar with the book. To begin, I would have the students have a discussion of the characters and share their feelings and emotions about the characters and share if they felt connected/related to any of them. The main activity that the students will be doing is based around fluency, and will also incorporate prosody and speedy reading/skimming. The initial part of the lesson will be for students who volunteer to read a short passage that will be written on the board/overhead aloud to the class. The first time will simply be reading it. Then the student will explain the emotion behind the passage, and read it again accordingly. I will model this by reading a passage myself with emotion. I will do this with 3 different passages. Then I will have the whole class find a passage in the book that they found to be particularly emotion and describe the passage in their own words with thought and emotion. Next, I would ask for more volunteers to share their readings using prosody, and then I would collect their papers.

Passages:

The passage I would read to the class would be:

“Yes. Mama has never lied to me before. Never. But I know there is no Great-aunt Birte. Never once, in all the stories I’ve heard, in all the old pictures I’ve seen, has there been a Great-aunt Birte.” (75)

The passages the volunteers would read would be:

“I was racing with my friend,” she answered politely. “We have races at school every Friday, and I want to do well, so I—.” Her voice trailed away, the sentence unfinished. Don’t talk so much, she told herself. Just answer them, that’s all. (3)

“Mama, it had a swastika on it.” Her mother turned away with a distracted look. “Annemarie, watch your sister for a few moments. And begin to peel the potatoes for dinner. I’ll be right back.” “Where are you going?” Annemarie asked as her mother started for the door. “I want to talk to Mrs. Rosen.” (22)

“Uncle Henrik,” Annemarie said suddenly, her voice cold, “you are lying to me. You and Mama both.” His strong hands continued, deftly pressing like a pulse against the cow. The strady streams of milk still came. He looked at her again, his deep blue eyes kind and questioning. “You are angry,” he said. (75)