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The Mysteries of Harris Burdock, by Chris Van Allsburg. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1984.
Summary: The author presents us with fourteen mysterious drawings that each have a title and a caption. The pictures originally accompanied stories, but the author lost contact with Harris Burdock, the artist, so the stories were never recovered.
Rating: 4Q, 4P
ISBN: 0395353939
Medium: Pencil
Curricular Connections: Superb for Creative Writing curriculum
Age Group: 5th – 9th Grades
Potential Obstacles: Non-traditional - very few words
Lesson Plan:
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Grade: 6th
Subject: English
Unit: Creative Writing
1. Topic
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Writing stories using pictures as prompts.
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2. Content-
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Brainstorming, imagining, creative writing, fiction, short stories.
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3. Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
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1. Students will exercise their imaginations .
2. Students will practice writing short stories within certain confines.
3. Students will share their work with their classmates.
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4. Materials and Aids-
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-Enough copies of The Mysteries of Harris Burdock for every group of two students, OR large reproductions that all students can see, OR images from the book displayed as slides/PowerPoint with a projector.
-A good short story to read aloud.
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5. Procedures/Methods-
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A. Introduction-
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1. Read The Mysteries of Harris Burdock, by Chris Van Allsburg.
2. Choose one image from the book from which to make a story as a class.
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B. Development-
1. Discuss the different “ingredients” of a good story.
2. Read aloud an example of a compelling short story.
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C. Practice-
1. Solicit story “ingredients” from the class (e.g. character names, backgrounds, setting, plot, action, outcome, etc.)
2. As a class, arrange story details into a basic story outline (on a whiteboard or projector).
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D. Independent Practice-
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1. Have every student choose a picture from Harris Burdock, preferably one that was not the class story example.
2. Every student must write a short story outline based on the picture, which includes all the “ingredients” of a good short story.
3. After Part E (below), students will write a short story of one to two pages, based on their outline.
4. Students will share stories in groups, or if they prefer, to the class.
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E. Checking for understanding-
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1. In groups of four, students will trade outlines and critique them to make sure they include all the elements of a good story.
2. The teacher should check in with each group to see what suggestions for improvement were made, and to ensure that all the outlines are sufficient.
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E.K. 7/29/09
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Citation: The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg and Chris Van Allsburg, ill. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984.
ISBN: 9780395353936
Annotation: Chris Van Allsburg discovered 14 drawings by Harris Burdick at the home of Peter Wenders. Burdick went missing along with the stories, so readers must solve the mystery and write their own stories.
Media: Black and white drawings
Personal Rating: 5Q/5P
Curricular Connections: This is an excellent book for a writing class. Students could be shown the fourteen pictures along with the captions. Then, they could finish writing the stories. They could also discuss the meaning of each picture in groups to work on comprehension.
Grade Level or Age Range: Grades 5-8
Lesson Plans:
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Concept To Teach
• This lesson is for a 6th grade Language Arts class
• Students will learn narrative writing by writing stories based on the pictures and captions in the book
• This lesson can be done in a double period which is two hours or split up into two one hour block lessons
California Language Arts Standards
For Sixth Grade
• Writing 1.1 Organization and Focus: Choose the form of writing (narrative) that best suits the intended purpose
• Writing 1.6 Evaluation and Revision: Revise writing to improve the organization and consistency of ideas within and between paragraphs
• Standards Web Site:
Goals and Objectives
• Students will develop reading comprehension skills by listening to and discussing the read aloud The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
• Students will develop narrative writing skills by writing stories to each of the pictures and captions
• Students will develop oral language skills by reading their stories to the class
• Students will develop cooperative learning skills by working in groups
Materials
• The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
• Lined paper, pencils, drawing paper
• Photocopies of the pictures from the book
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In)
• The teacher will hold up The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg and ask the class if they would like to solve the mystery in this story?
• She will wait for responses and discuss
• She will then tell the students that each of the pictures has a caption but no story. Their assignment is to pick one of the pictures and to write a story that would go with it
• The teacher will then read the story to the class
Procedure
• After the teacher has read the book, she will divide the students into groups of four
• She will give each group a different picture from the book
• Each group will discuss what they think the caption and the picture mean. For example, in “Under The Rug: Two weeks passed and it happened again”, there is a picture of a man holding a chair over a rug with an object under it. Students will discuss what they think the picture means
• Each group will then list their ideas in order on paper
• Each member of the group will be assigned a different part of the story to complete. For example, one member would work on the beginning, two members on the middle, and one member on the end of the story
• Each group will be given a period to work on the writing and editing of the story
Independent Practice
Closure
• Each group will go up to the front of the class and read their story
• They will explain why they chose to write the story they did based on the picture that they were given
• They will also explain what narrative details that they used
Assessment
• The teacher will check for understanding as she monitors group work (informal assessment)
• The teacher will grade each group’s story based on whether they used narrative details
• The teacher will grade each group on their oral presentation skills and whether they worked well as a group
• This assessment could be a checklist or a rubric (formal assessment)
Adaptations (Students With Learning Disabilities or English Language Learners)
• Students with writing disabilities could do a fill in the blanks or C.L.O.Z.E poem where they fill in some words but not all of them
• They could also do the artwork using a computer
• They could type their stories or orally record them
• Students who are English Language Learners could be given a model of a finished story, so they can see the format
• They could also be given a list of vocabulary words to help them write their story as well as a c.l.o.z.e or fill in the blanks format
• They could be given extra time to practice reading their stories
Extensions (Gifted Students)
• Students could write their own stories based on pictures and captions that they drew and then trade with other students
• Students could write a story about who they think the real Harris Burdick is and then try to solve the mystery
• Students could research Chris Van Allsburg and do a presentation about the author to the class. He has a great web site: http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/burdick_tresources.html
• There are also more lesson plans and activities for students to do on his web site and for teachers to use: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/tg/mysteriesofharris.shtml
Cross-Curricular Connections
• The English teacher could work with the Art teacher to create pictures in the style of Chris Van Allsburg
• The English teacher could work with the computer teacher to create the artwork and stories on the computer and then record them or do a movie
By: Joanne Maher July 24th, 2009
Van Allsburg, C. (1984). The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-35939-9
A Mister Peter Wenders dropped off 14 sketches with titles and was never seen again. The drawings and each title’s ambiguity create a sense of wonder and inspire a story within each reader.
Media - Black and white drawings
Rating - 5Q/5P
Curriculum Connection - Middle school; each picture and title can be used in language arts as a writing prompt.
MBallenger 5/3/08
Lesson Plan
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Grade level: 9-10
Objectives: Students will be able to use illustrations and text from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick as a writing prompt for a biographical narrative.
CA State Standards:
Writing Applications 2.1 Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories:
a. Relate a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience.
b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; use interior monologue to depict the characters' feelings.
d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
e. Make effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details
Materials Needed:
A copy of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg (Van Allsburg, C. (1984). The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-35939-9) – several copies would work best so you have one for each group
Writing paper
Pens/pencils
Lesson
Preparation: Choose one illustration and text to use as an example in class (students cannot choose the same one for their essays).
Introduction: Read and show illustrations from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick to the class.
Instruction: Ask students to review the illustration and text you chose. As a class, brainstorm possible stories to go along with the illustration. For example if you choose The Harp: It’s true he thought, it’s really true, you would guide the class through a story about the harp that is standing alone in the forest and the title that matches the illustration.
Practice: Place your students in small groups and have each group choose a different illustration and text and write their own narratives using the specifics found in the CA State Standards (see above). The group would produce one essay as a collaborative effort.
For more lesson ideas visit:
MBallenger 5/6/08
Van Allsburg, C. (1984). The mysteries of Harris Burdick. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395353939 5Q/4P
Summary: Fourteen mysterious pictures. Fourteen captions. Fourteen stories never written. Are they all part of a larger story? What happened to the author? What does it all mean?
Media: Pencil, oil pastel?
KEM 4/21/08
Van Allsburg, C. (1984). The mysteries of Harris Burdick. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
ISBN: 0395353939
Illustrator: Van Allsburg, C.
Media: Black and White Illustrations
5Q/5P
Curriculum Connection: Grades: 5-8; Language Arts
Annotation: One caption linked to each mysterious illustration, left by one mysterious man, invites the reader to draw his own imaginative conclusions.
Lesson Plan
Title
On the Case: Solving the Mysteries of Harris Burdick.
Concept/Topic to Teach
Creative Writing, Critical Thinking
Objectives
Each student will create his own story for one of the illustrations in The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.
Required Materials
Copies of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, Pen and paper
Anticipatory Set
The instructor reads the Introduction to The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, making sure to pause and add dramatic effect.
Step-By-Step Procedures
After reading the Introduction, each student is assigned an illustration to answer the introductory question posed by Chris Van Allsburg: What were the stories that went with these drawings? Each student will write for ten minutes a story that connects to their illustration – but they will not finish their stories, they will end with a leading line...(Each student will put their name in the margin of where they left off.) After ten minutes students will exchange their story and illustration with the person to their right and add to that person’s story. This process will be repeated three or four times. The instructor will give a 10 minute “warning” before the stories are to be completed and students will write concluding paragraphs for whatever illustration they are working on at that time.
Plan for Independent Practice
Students will write independently.
Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set)
At the unit’s end, each student will receive his original story back to read and see how his classmates developed it. Each student will then edit their final stories for submission.
5.18.08 cjm
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