Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix 7th Grade Reading Project

1. Among the Hiddenby Margaret Peterson Haddix7th Grade Reading Project Austin Academy Garland ISD Collaborators Janice Borland Karen Fava Dosie Morrow http://www.jborland.pbworks.com Image from Titlewave Cover

2. Objective To MotivateReluctant Readers By Engaging Them In Reading Activities That Incorporate A Wide Range of Interactive Technology Tools

3. TimelineThis unit can easily take 6 weeks or more. These students met for 45 minutes each day and had regularly scheduled access to a computer lab at least once a week. This presentation does not, by any means, include all of the activities used to teach this unit. Reading of the novel was done in class with vocabulary support, additional writing exercises, quizzes, etc.

4. Introduction IMAGINE Living in a society where the population has increased to dangerous levels and the  government controls virtually every aspect of its citizens' lives, including placing restrictions on how many children a family can have. IMAGINE Being a third child in a family when the government allows only two children. IMAGINE Having to spend your entire life "hidden" from society and the government.

5. How would you feel?What would you do?Would you have the power to change the system?Would you survive?

6. Among The Hidden Synopsis • Shadow Children Series • 7 books • Future society facing overpopulation issues • Government passes 2 child law • Population Police enforcement • “Illegal” children are kept hidden • Study guides available: http://books.google.com/books?id=xfGeteYePfgC&dq=literature+guide+among+the+hidden+kathleen+wokenrowley&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=RUTc6jYp6m&sig=nNpHP3pxVmHXljwYGKAgiu8CxCk&hl=en&ei=ZHJPS9LmDoeXtgfL47UB&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false Image from Titlewave Cover

7. Activity I“More People” Brainstorming Activity In groups of 3-4 students, think carefully about what happens when we continue to add more and more people to the planet.  Brainstorm and discuss the impacts that more people have, for better or for worse.  In some cases, adding more people will cause there to be more of some things which causes more of other other things in a chain reaction.  In other cases, more of some things might cause less of others in a chain reaction.  Use the graphic organizer attached to the Wiki page to document your ideas and discussion.

8. Activity I“More People” Brainstorming Activity Example:  Adding more people causes us to need to build more houses which means we need to cut down more trees for lumber which results in more clear cutting of forests and less trees which reduces the amount of oxygen being produced on the planet and causes more erosion.

9. More People

10. Activity 2: Population Trends in the U.S. Research • How fast is the population in the U.S. growing? • Is the U.S. in danger of experiencing a population crisis in your life time?   • Is our government doing anything to try to control population growth?  • Are some places in the U.S. more crowded than others? To find the answers to these questions,  we will do a little research on population trends in the U.S.

11. Population Trends Research Questions1 class periodUse Nettrekker, Britannica Online, and the U.S. Census Bureau at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html • How fast is the population of the United States growing? Does this pattern suggest that we will have problems in the future? • Where do the majority of Americans live--in cities or rural areas? What special problems relate to populations in urban and rural regions? • In what ways are people encouraged to be responsible for the number of children they have? • How does the government try to provide food and shelter for needy families?

12. Activity 3: China’s One Child Policy The country that has taken the most drastic measures to control population is China because it is the most populated country in the world.  Find out about China's "One Child Policy" by accessing the BBC article from the link below.  Carefully read the article and answer the questions provided. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/941511.stm

13. Activity 4: Begin Reading Among The Hidden Now that you have a better understanding of some of the issues related to overpopulation, you are ready to begin reading Among the Hidden . Along the way, you will be participating in some really cool new activities. ENJOY THE BOOK!

14. Assuming The Role Of A Shadow Child In order to get a better idea of what it must have been like for "Shadow Children" from all over the United States to join together via the internet, each of you is going to be assigned the role of a "Shadow Child" who lives somewhere in the United States.  Some of you will belong to families who are rich.  Others will not be as fortunate.  Some of you will have some privileges like shopping passes, others will not.  Some of you will live in big cities, others will live in very rural communities.  Some of you will have other siblings who are also "Shadow Children."  Others will not.

15. Assuming The Role Of A Shadow Child When you receive your "Shadow Child" identity you will discover what city and state that you live in, as well as the type of house in which you are hidden.  Other special information about your living situation will also be given.  In addition, you will be given a link to a live EarthCam that will let you "see" what it looks like "out your window" each day.  You will also be given a link to a Wikipedia site that you will use to learn more about your town/city.

16. Assuming The Role Of A Shadow Child • As soon as your teacher hands you a slip of paper that reveals your "Shadow Child" identity, go to the “Shadow Child Identities” document in StuShare and click on the link for your child.  • Read the description of your child and where he/she lives. • Choose an appropriate “screen name” for your child and report it to your teacher. Do NOT use your real name. • Go to the Wikipedia link and read the information about your town/city. • Go to the EarthCam link to see what it looks like “outside the window” of your new home. • Go to the photo link to see what your actual house looks like. • Make sure that you are very knowledgeable about where you live and what your situation is because you will be required to share this information with others as you get acquainted with the other Shadow Children when you blog. • (See document for “Shadow Child Identities” attached on my Wiki)

17. Google Maps Activity:Where Do We All Live? Picture fromhttp://www.abcteach.com/free/u/unitedstateslabeledrgb.jpg

18. Google Maps Activity:Where Do We All Live? In this activity we will use Google Maps to locate the city/town for all of the"Shadow Children"  in your class.   Each "Shadow Child" must find the exact location of his/her town on the master map, create a placemark that tells who lives there, and include some details about the child who lives there.  Once you have located you own town, you will want to spend some time looking also at the "satellite view" and the "terrain view" of your town.

19. Google Maps Activity:Where Do We All Live? Once you are familiar with the location of your town, start looking around the map to find your other "Shadow Child" friends.  In particular, look for others who live near you. Finally, use your skills and Google Maps to found out the distance, in miles, from your home town to Washington, D.C. (See document for Google Maps Activity attached to my Wiki)

20. Where I Live Glogging Activity Now that you have had a chance to learn some things about where you live, create a GLOG to show off your “home” to others. Include some information about the population size, economy, and recreation in your area. Provide a link to your house photo as well as to your live EarthCam. Also include a map and any other things you think are interesting about your town/state. Among the Hidden Glog See Glogster Tips on Wiki

21. Blogging Activities Picture from http://techrichclass.com/attachments/Image/blog_clip_art.jpg

22. Blogging Activities How did Jen communicate with the other "Shadow Children" around the United States?  She used the internet, of course!  Isn't that what social networking is all about?  Now it is your turn to get involved in the action as you take on the identity of your "Shadow Child."  For the next few weeks, every time your class comes to the computer lab you will be blogging with each other about things related to being a "Shadow Child."  Ultimately, you will be planning for the big rally in Washington D.C. and discussing it with each other.  You will have to decide whether or not you are going, how you will get there, how you feel about the whole thing, and more. 

23. Blogging Activities There will be some rules that you must follow while posting your blogs.  If you fail to follow the rules, your entries will not be posted.  You will get more details regarding the rules in your first blogging assignment.  Picture from http://www.macomb.lib.mi.us/harperwoods/clipart-pencil-checklist.jpg

24. Introduction To Blogging Welcome students.  We are excited about the opportunities to communicate and express our ideas with each other using this blogging format.  It is our expectation that participants will respect each other's ideas and opinions at all times and will demonstrate common courtesies when responding to each other.  All response posts will be screened by the moderator before posting.  Any responses that are determined to be inappropriate will not be posted.  Students must use standard rules for grammar and writing in this blog.  "Texting lingo" is not appropriate and will not be accepted.

25. Introduction To Blogging In an effort to keep our site safe and secure, we ask that you do not include our school name in any of your posts.  Students must use screen names  in place of their real names.  These names will be established by students with the teacher who is moderating their blogs.  After a short demonstration by your teacher to show you how to log in and navigate in the blog, read the blogging instructions that follow and get started!

26. “Day In The Life Of A Shadow Child” Blogging Activity Today as you blog with your fellow Shadow Child friends, we want you to get to know each other better.  Tell each other about where you live and what you do every day.  Talk about your house, the surroundings outside your house, your "freedoms" (like whether or not you have a shopping pass), whether your family is rich, poor, or somewhere in between, etc.  Do you ever get to go outside?  If so, to do what?  Do you have other brothers and sisters at home with you?  Do you get to watch TV, play on the computer, etc.?  Since you don't go to school, how are you learning to read, write, do math, etc,?  Do you like being at home all of the time or are you really anxious to become free?  Are you afraid?  What are your favorite things to do while you are at home alone?

27. “Day In The Life Of A Shadow Child” Blogging Activity Once you have posted some information about yourself, start reading other people's posts.  Respond to at least 3 of them.  Ask additional questions and comment about something they have said. (Remember to keep hitting the refresh key to see new postings) This discussion may extend to a couple of class periods as you get used to how the blog works.

28. “Rally Time” Blogging Activity Before participating in this blogging activity, you must have completed the Among The Hidden Google Maps Activity. In this activity you will use Google Maps to pinpoint your location on the class map, calculate the distance from your town/city to the rally in Washington, D.C., and look for your closest "neighbors" to determine who you might ride with to the rally.

29. “Rally Time” Blogging ActivityDone Before Reading About Actual Rally Today you need to blog with your fellow “Shadow Child” friends about the upcoming rally at the President's house.  What are your plans?  Are you going?  If not, why not?  If so, how are you getting there?  How long will it take you to get there?  Do your parents know you are going?  What are your feelings about going?  Are you afraid?  What are your hopes about what will happen?   Tell us your plans and then respond to your friends to arrange your ride and discuss the rally.

30. “Survivors Of the Rally Reunion” Blogging Activity Note:  You must have finished reading the book to participate in this blog! We are presuming since you are here blogging today that you survived the rally.  Either you didn't end up going that day, or you managed to get away from the ordeal that happened that day in Washington, D.C. 

31. “Survivors Of the Rally Reunion” Blogging Activity It is now 10 years later.  Since that day of the rally 10 years ago, you have been unable to contact your Shadow Child friends because the government blocked all of your blog sites.  You have spent the last 10 years thinking about what happened that day, whether you were actually there or not.  You have wondered what happened to your friends.  You know some died, including Jen, but you aren't sure who else.  Since then, a new President has been elected and the laws are beginning to change.  Some of the Survivors of the Rally have organized an online reunion and have advertised the blog site around the country.  You are joining the online reunion today.

32. “Survivors Of the Rally Reunion” Blogging Activity So, talk to your fellow Shadow Child friends.  Tell them what happened to you that day of the rally.  Tell them how you felt after that day was over.  What have you been doing since then?  Where do you live now?  Have you done anything in the last 10 years to help other Shadow Children?  Are you still in hiding or are you now free? 

33. “Through Your Vent” Activity Picture from http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/869487-001.jpg If You Were A "Shadow Child" Inside Your Own Home, What Would You See Outside Your Window?

34. “Through Your Vent” Activity By now you know a lot about what Luke saw outside his window in Among the Hidden.  What if you were in Luke's shoes?  What would you see outside your window?  Write a descriptive narrative that answers the following questions. 1.What do you see when you look outside your bedroom window? 2.If you see your neighbor’s house, do they have blinds? Is their house two stories? Are their blinds open? Can you see in their house? If so, what do you see? 3.    Do you see bushes or trees? Do you see people? If so, who? 4.    Do you see out the back or front? Do you see cars, do you see pets? 5.    What does the sky look like? What is the weather like?

35. Post Reading Journal ProjectAdapted from Pre-Reading Activities from Among The Hidden Literature Guide by Kathleen Woken-Rowley http://books.google.com/books?id=xfGeteYePfgC&dq=literature+guide+among+the+hidden+kathleen+woken-rowley&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=RUTc6jYp6m&sig=nNpHP3pxVmHXljwYGKAgiu8CxCk&hl=en&ei=ZHJPS9LmDoeXtgfL47UB&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false Picture from http://www.clker.com/clipart-pencil-eraser-and-journal.html

36. Post Reading Journal Project This will be a journal project using the topics that follow. All entries should be placed in a separate notebook or a booklet of loose-leaf that you make to be handed in and: 1. Each journal entry should be at least a half of a page long. 2. There must be 11 journal entries done, following the topics that follow. 3. You may decorate the entries to make the journal more like you. 4. Covers should be decorated. We will bind your booklet for you.

37. Post Reading Journal Project Day 1: Journal/discuss the concept of having dreams and goals for the future. Are dreams and goals important? What happens when those dreams are never fulfilled? What if other people make fun of or doubt those dreams? Is it more important look at reality or to have dreams? Can you do both?

38. Post Reading Journal Project Day 2: Journal/discuss the concept of loneliness. Write/tell the difference between loneliness and being alone. Write about a time or situation in which you felt particularly alone or lonely and how you might have (or did) remedy the situation. Include a photograph or drawing to illustrate the writing.

39. Post Reading Journal Project Day 3: Journal/discuss the quote: “Liberty, too, must be limited in order to be possessed,” by Edmund Burke (1729-1779). What do you think would happen if everyone were free to do whatever they pleased? Should liberty be limited? How farshould the government go to protect our lives? Or do you think the government should not be involved in our freedom to choose the life we want to live?

40. Post Reading Journal Project Day 4: Journal/discuss the concept of happiness. Is there really such thing as true happiness? How would you define it? Explain.

41. Post Reading Journal Project Day 5: Journal/discuss a time when you wanted something so badly you would do almost anything to get it. What was the situation? What was the result? Include howit felt to get/not get what you wanted.

42. Post Reading Journal Project Day 6: Discuss/journal the saying “To thine own self be true,” which comes from Shakespeare’sMacbeth. What does the quote mean? Where have you heard the saying? In what situation might you find yourself having to be true to yourself? When have you ever had to decide to be true to yourself in a tough situation?

43. Post Reading Journal Project Day 7: Discuss/journal the characteristics of a good leader. Then discuss the characteristics of a bad leader. Are leaders born or made? List the attributes of their ideal “leader,” how he/she would act, reason, negotiate, follow, etc. Can leadership be used for evil deeds?

44. Post Reading Journal Project Day 8: Most people feel that honesty is the best policy. Is it ever okay to lie? If so, when and under what circumstances? Explain your answers using specific examples or situation.

45. Post Reading Journal Project Day 9: Sometimes the course of our lives can be changed in an instant. Whether it is a change for the positive or negative, it can sometimes bring surprising results. Journal/discuss a time when major change was introduced into your life, paying special attention to the astounding effect this change had on you.

46. Post Reading Journal Project Day 10: Journal/discuss the concept of courage and/or what makes a hero.

47. Post Reading Journal Project Day 11: Describe the room you would like to have if you were not allowed to “exist”. What would you want in it? Take into account that during the day, no one can know that someone is living in your house. Also include what you would do while other people are playing and having fun in the outside world, when you are not allowed to leave your house.

48. Power Of Persuasion Activities To prepare students for their last Web 2.0 activity using FLIP cameras to film a persuasive speech, we engaged students in several activities to teach them the elements of persuasion and give them a chance to practice their persuasion skills. To see these activities, go to the “Power of Persuasion” page in my Wiki.

49. FLIP Camera Persuasive Speech Activity Picture from http://blogs.glam.com/glamchic/files/2007/11/flip-camera.jpg "PLEASE SET ME FREE!" What if the government that instituted the limit on the number of children a family could have in Among the Hidden had a partial change of heart?  What if they instituted a program where "Shadow Children" 14 years and older could submit a video in which they had a chance to argue for their freedom?  What if you were one of those "Shadow Children"?  How convincing and persuasive could you be?

50. FLIP Camera Persuasive Speech Activity In this activity you will prepare a short persuasive speech which will be filmed using one of the school's digital FLIP cameras.  You will be working in pairs so that each of you will operate the FLIP camera as well as make your speech. When all of the videos have been completed, a panel of government officials (teachers and administrators) from your school will view the videos and decide which children will receive their freedom and which will not.  So, plan your argument carefully and practice being persuasive in your delivery!