Using DRTA to teach the book “A Cow Called Boy”

Age group: 11-12 years

Content: Characterization

When I get to class I will write the name of the book on the board and ask students what they think the book is about? The responses will be documented in a semantic map. Students will also be required to give reasons for their answers.

Next we will scrutinize the layout of the text. Students would be required to respond to the following questions:

1.     What do you think about the cover page? Is it appealing?

2.     Do you think there is a relationship between the picture on the cover page and the title? What is the relationship?

3.     Does this look like a book that you will pick up to read in your free time?

4.     Who do you think the people in the picture are?

5.      Do you think they are important in the story? Why?

Now, let us read the blurb.

6.     We will go through the predictions made as to what the story is about and see whether they are still valid based on what we read. Students will provide reasons for refuting or validating the predictions.

Next we will go through the table of content and analyze the chapters.

7.     Again we will go through the remaining predictions and try to see whether they can be validated or not. Students will provide an explanation for their answer.

8.     Based on what was discussed in the class, students will make their own predictions in their prediction logs.

As we read the text, we will stop at strategic points to discuss what has happened, validate or refute predictions and make new ones.

For example:

As we read chapter one, we will stop at the point where Josh is late for the first day of school and the cow follows him a third time. Students will be asked questions such as:-

9.    What could have been done to prevent the situation from occurring?

10.   If you were in Josh’s place what would you have done? Why?

11.   What do you think Josh will do?

12.  What makes you believe that this is what he will do?

13.  What do you think about the cow?

14.   How does the situation make you feel towards Josh?

15.   What do you think will happen next?

Another point we can stop at is the scene when Boy gets into the school and Josh had to beg his class teacher, Ms Anthony, to allow boy in as his class project? The questions could probably be:

16.What do you think the Ms Anthony will do?

17.   If you were the teacher what would you have done?

18.   Do you think Ms. Anthony did the right thing?

19. Put yourself in Josh’s shoes. Describe how you would feel while giving the report

20. Should animals be allowed in schools? Why?

After reading the text I would give students an opportunity to talk openly about the text. They will speak along those lines:

21.    Say what feeling where evoked while reading?

22.   Which parts seemed to be most interesting and why?

23.   Which parts did you dislike most?

24.   Which characters were your favourite? Why?

25.  Which characters did you dislike the list?

26.  If you had to be one of the characters which one will you choose?

27.  We will review students’ character sketches

28.   Students will also revisit their predictions. They will be discussed and students will either validate them or refute them.

29. In their prediction logs student will write about two instances where their predictions and accurate and two where the predictions differed from what happened.

Evaluation: Journals

Throughout the readings, students will be working on character sketches of the different characters. As we study the characters in different situations and settings the students will add to what they already have.

Students will also write about their reading experience.