The One
and Only Ivan
Katherine Applegate
2013 John Newbery Medal
Winner
Published by Harper, an
imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright 2012
300 Pages
Emotional,
Inspirational, Amusing, Heartfelt, Personable
The One and Only Ivan is a moving tale based on the true story
of a silverback gorilla that was held in captivity at a mall in Washington and
eventually moved to a more habitable zoo in Atlanta, Georgia. Katherine
Applegate’s supreme character development ability allows you to create a personal
relationship with each of the characters in the story. The sarcastic and
humorous Bob keeps Ivan grounded as he works to formulate a plan in order to
keep a promise to his longtime friend Stella. Although the story does involve
the death of a character, the passing becomes the catalyst that stimulates Ivan
to use his innate artistic talent to free the newest member of the Exit 8 Big
Top Mall and Arcade. Katherine Applegate has created an inspirational novel
that will instill the morals and values that seem to be lost in our current
society. Keeping promises is not always easy, but sometimes all it takes is
motivation and persistence, and that promise can flourish into a future that is
unimaginable.
Reading Level
Ages 8-12, Lexile
Measure: 570L
Suggested Delivery
Whole class read
aloud combined with independent reading and literature circles.
Electronic Resources
Harper
Collins provides a .pdf that contains a plethora of useful information and teaching
resources for The One and Only Ivan, including
an “About the real Ivan” section that provides factual information about the
real life gorilla that Ms. Applegate based the novel on. This resource can be used as an
initiation for the unit as well as deeper reading for students to gain a more
personal relationship with Ivan. The .pdf also includes multiple discussion
questions that students can use to further their understanding of the
text. http://files.harpercollins.com/HCChildrens/OMM/Media/One%20and%20Only%20Ivan%20UPDATED%20TG.pdf
The YouTube
video “Ivan the gorilla lived alone in a shopping mall for over 20 years (The
Urban Gorilla)” is a useful resource that shows the real Ivan, who is captive
in what can only be deemed as an animal jail cell. The short clip shows how
Ivan lived and talks with his handler who describes trying to figure out ways
to keep Ivan engaged in his cage. He describes how he taught Ivan to paint (and
give the painting back), which is a major event in the novel. The video clip
provides a first hand view at just how terrible Ivan’s living conditions were
and will be useful in setting the tone for just how putrid being a captive
animal may be.
The One and Only Ivan is a great chance to incorporate
technology into the classroom. The “MindNode” app (available on the Apple app
store) is a fantastic organizational tool that can be utilized to create a mind
map in order to keep track of characters and their relationships throughout the
story. The MindNode app is easy to use and has several layouts that provide a
customized feel to the organizational experience. Creating a visual mind map
for students can be a tremendous game changer in terms of providing a lasting
experience with the novel.
Key Vocabulary
·
Habitat
– Space for living
·
Billboard
– Giant sign, usually used for advertising
·
Big
Top – Circus tent
·
Temperamental
– Moody
·
Principles
– A set of moral rules someone follows
·
Principal
– The person in charge of a school
·
Squabbled
– A mini fight or altercation
Teaching
Strategies
Before – The One and Only Ivan is a great book to use a cross-curricular
approach with. Since the text is based off the true story of a gorilla living
in a shopping mall it would be perfect for use with a science unit based on
animals. One strategy that works well with the students is to create an
interest survey about gorillas. For example, the teacher poses the question
“what can you tell me about gorillas?” This will most likely be responded to
with facts about a gorilla’s habitat, looks, and temperament, which will be
extremely useful. Next, present the cover of the book and create an
anticipation guide. Since the cover of the novel does not give away many clues
to the story this will provide many interesting and thought provoking
assumptions about the text. These tactics should be used to garner enthusiasm
and a curiosity for the text. After all, its not everyday that a full grown
gorilla is living in a shopping mall!
During – There
are many strategies that can be implemented during the reading process for this
novel. One useful approach is using the fishbowl concept to encourage
participation and engagement for the entire class. This can be accomplished by
providing a lens by which two groups of readers can approach the story. The
inner fishbowl can approach the book through the eyes of Ivan and the other
animals that are kept inside the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. The
group on the outside of the fishbowl will take the point of view of Mack and
George who run the mall and oversee the animals. Using this approach is sure to
elicit debate over the ethics of holding animals in captivity, FOSTER THIS
DEBATE! Allow the students to use academic language to explain why they feel
one way or another by using facts found in the text.
After – A
fantastic after reading activity to utilize for The One and Only Ivan is a reader’s theatre. This technique is
especially effective when students concentrate on pages 207 – page 220 and pick
one of four parts (Ivan, Julia, George, Narrator). This is a major turning
point in the story where Ivan shows Julia the drawings he has created as part
of his master plan. In order to read this selection with a high level of
prosody, students must first have high-level inferential comprehension of the
emotions that are experienced during this turning point in the story. This is a
fun and interactive way to demonstrate comprehension of the text with your
students.
Writing Activity
Creating and publishing an op-ed article about Ivan’s conundrum of saving
Ruby is a fun and engaging strategy to encourage your students to write.
Students will use the different elements of informational writing to create a
faux article about how Ivan plans to save ruby. Through this activity, will
demonstrate knowledge of the elements of writing, using facts and opinions from
the text in order to support their claim, and developing their own opinion in
order to create and publish a final project. Teachers can use the template
found at http://www.presentationmagazine.com/editable-newspaper-portrait-2800.htm
to create a
realistic layout.
No comments:
Post a Comment