Great+Gilly+Hopkins+~+Home+DI

Plot Summary //The Great Gilly Hopkins// tells the story of a lonely foster child, who covers the pain of moving around from home to home with a tough, mean exterior. Gilly tries to protect herself by blocking out anyone who tries to reach out to her, but over time she comes to love her unusual family. This is her fourth family in several years and it's made up of her new foster mother, Maime Trotter, a new foster brother, William Ernest and a blind old man, Mr. Randolph. The book was banned in some schools because of its rough language, but was acclaimed by critics and earned its author many awards.

=Introduction:= Gilly Hopkins is a foster kid, tossed from home to home, always hoping that her mother will come back for her. Her latest home seems unbareable to the great Gilly: she can't get a rise out of Trotter, her obese foster mother; her foster brother, William Ernest, is so terrified that he barely speaks; and the blind next-door-neighbor comes over for supper everynight—and he's black. Gilly has lots of prejudices to overcome and a very hard heart to soften. This book is about redemption (taking a bad situation and making it good), the need to be wanted, and the ability to change one's heart. =Materials:= =Before Reading:= Click under each of the following sentences to listen to an explanation of two important concepts that you will read about in this book. What does it mean to be a foster child? media type="file" key="foster child.wma" width="59" height="59" What does the word prejudice mean? media type="file" key="predjudice.wma" width="59" height="59" In your reading journal, write what it means to be prejudice in your own words. Next, explain what it means to be a child in foster care. Once you have completed this writing, show your teacher before going on to the next part. It's is very important that you understand these concepts! =During Reading:=
 * netbook with internet access
 * reading journal
 * pen or pencil
 * copy of __The Great Gilly Hopkins__

Day 1
Meet the characters in order of appearance:

** Miss Miriam Ellis ** Miss Ellis has been Gilly's caseworker for five years, and cares deeply about the girl. However, she is discouraged by what she sees as Gilly's unwillingness to make an effort. She is professional and dedicated, though not particularly endearing to kids. ** Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins ** Bounced around from foster home to foster home, Gilly has constructed emotional barriers to protect herself from getting attached to anyone. She is sassy and scheming, and excels, when she puts her mind to it. ** Maime Trotter ** Trotter is an obese, poorly educated, deeply religious woman, who opens her loving home to neighbors and foster children. She teaches her children respect, love, and reverence for education and Christianity. She is a devoted and experienced foster mother. Miss Ellis helps Trotter to realize that she has the tendency to get extremely attached to her foster children, and that this can hinder Trotter's perception on what is best for them. ** William Ernest (W.E.) Teague ** William Ernest is a naive little shrimp of a boy, with thick glasses and no self-confidence. He is terrified of Gilly, until she begins to soften toward him. Then, he quickly becomes attached to her. Thriving on the attention she gives him, he gains confidence. As Gilly notes, "the boy was not as dumb as he looked." ** Mr. Randolph ** Mr. Randolph is a shriveled old blind man, who lives next door to Trotter. He joins Trotter and her kids every night for dinner, and attends weekly church service. An educated and spiritual man, he grows very attached to the smart, funny Gilly Hopkins. He is the first black person that Gilly befriends and considers as 'family.'

Click on the Great Gilly Hopkins ~ Vocabulary page and take a look at today's words.

Read the first two chapters, "Welcome to Thompson Park" and "The Man Who Comes to Supper" on pages 1 - 15. Answer the following question in your virtual reading journal. Please save it as //Gilly Hopkins Day 1.// What does Gilly do to frighten William Ernest? Why did she do it?

Day 1
Read and listen to the first two chapters, "Welcome to Thompson Park" and "The Man Who Comes to Supper" on pages 1 - 15. media type="file" key="GGHCH1and2.wma" width="81" height="81"

Day 2
Meet some new characters:


 * **Agnes Stokes** is a girl at Gilly's school. She comes from a troubled background herself, having been abandoned by both of her parents, and lives with her grandmother. She hangs around Gilly and tries to win her friendship. Gilly dislikes her, but uses her to help steal Mr. Randolph's money.
 * **Miss Barbara Harris** is Gilly's sixth-grade teacher. She is African-American and initially Gilly has a very difficult time interacting with her. Eventually, she learns to like Miss Harris and begins to do well in school.

Click on the Great Gilly Hopkins ~ Vocabulary page and take a look at today's words. Read and listen to the next two chapters, "More Unpleasant Surprises" and "Sarsaparilla to Sorcery" on pages 16-41. media type="file" key="GGHCH3.wma" width="81" height="81" media type="file" key="GGHCH4.wma" width="81" height="81" Post the answer to the following question on our class blog. Why was the last chapter called //Sarsaparilla to Sorcery?//

Day 3
Click on the Great Gilly Hopkins ~ Vocabulary page and take a look at today's words. Read and listen to the next two chapters, "William Ernest and Other Mean Flowers" and "Harassing Miss Harris" on pages 42-59. media type="file" key="GGHCH5and6.wma" width="92" height="92" Answer the following questions in paragraph form in your reading journal. **What is written on the note Agnes gives to Gilly when they walk home from school together? Why did she write that? Do you think Gilly is a good friend? Why or why not?**

Day 4
Click on the Great Gilly Hopkins ~ Vocabulary page to read through the challenging words in this section.

Read and listen to the next two chapters, "Dust and Desperation" and "The One-Way Ticket" on pages 60-92. media type="file" key="GGHCH7.wma" width="92" height="92"media type="file" key="GGHCH8.wma" width="90" height="90"

Answer the following questions in your reading journal:
 * Do you think Courtney, Gilly's mother, will get the letter she wrote? Do you think she would be concerned if she did? What did Gilly say that would make Courtney worry about her?**

Day 5
Read and listen to the next two chapters, "Pow" and "The Visitor" on pages 93-113. media type="file" key="GGHCH9.wma" width="90" height="90"media type="file" key="GGHCH10.wma" width="90" height="90"

Day 6
Read and listen to the next two chapters, " Never and Other Canceled Promises" and "The Going" on pages 114-129. media type="file" key="GGHCH11.wma" width="90" height="90"media type="file" key="GGHCH12.wma" width="90" height="90"

Day 7
Read and listen to the last three chapters, "Jackson, Virginia", "She'll Be Riding Six White Horses (When She Comes)" and "Homecoming" on pages 130-148. media type="file" key="GGHCH13.wma" width="90" height="90"media type="file" key="GGHCH14.wma" width="90" height="90"media type="file" key="GGHCH15.wma" width="90" height="90" =After reading:= Take a multiple choice quiz about the book by clicking on the following link and then following directions: []

=Beyond Reading:= You can play some fun games like concentration, matching and flash cards that are all about __The Great Gilly Hopkins__ at the following site: [] =Just for Teachers:= Websites: [] [] [] GLEs: R—5—2.1 Using strategies to unlock meaning (e.g., knowledge of word structure, including prefixes/suffixes and base words; or context clues; or other resources, such as dictionaries, glossaries; or prior knowledge) (State) 5–4.1 Identifying or describing character(s), setting, problem/ solution, major events, or plot, as appropriate to text; or identifying any significant changes in character(s) over time (State) 5—4.3 Generating questions before, during, and after reading to enhance recall, expand understanding and/or gain new information. (Local) • R–5–5.1 Making logical predictions (State) EXAMPLE: Which event is most likely to happen next? NETS for Students:

** 2. Communication and Collaboration ** Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students: a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats. ** 6. Technology Operations and Concepts ** Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students: a. understand and use technology systems. b. select and use applications effectively and productively. c. troubleshoot systems and applications. NETS for Teachers: