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Survival in Abel's Island: Segment 1

This is the first segment of a literature study on the book Abel's Island by William Steig. This unit is centered around the concept of survival. The instruction involves the student in analysis of all that is involved in what we simply term "survival". It prepares students for situations in their real worlds that are symbolized by events in the novel as well as hopefully increasing their understanding and ability to analyze these situations, break them down and make logical decisions supported by evidence and higher level thinking skills. This unit is especially appropriate for gifted students, using different models (Bloom, Bruner, Kohlberg) in the lesson formats. It contains intense analysis of passages from the novel and questioning strategies that pull the students into a higher realm of thinking and reasoning. This first lesson is a combination of an introduction to natural disasters (which is the first major conflict in the book), the start of a diary and analysis of a passage. By Courtney Pickett.