Snicket, Lemony.  (2006).  From A Series of Unfortunate Events.  The End.  NY:  Harper Collins.

Vocabulary Acquisition:  creating word riddles

Reading Connection:  character moral compass

Writing Connection:  writing assessment

Art Connection:  creating an invention from recycled materials

Positive Character Traits & Values:  fairness; perseverance; freedom of expression; curiosity; compassion; family / belonging; and empathy

The End is the thirteenth book in A Series of Unfortunate Events  concluding the fantasy adventures of the three Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny as they escape the evil Count Olaf.  The dramatic series invites readers to examine the positive and the negative character traits and values of the four main characters.  The common theme of good and evil appears throughout the series. 

“Creating Word Riddles” is a fun and challenging vocabulary acquisition activity appropriately matching the decoding skills of the Baudelaire orphans.  The teacher will need to model the activity and allow students some guided practice time before encouraging students to work in some groups independently on the activity. 

Creating Word Riddles

1.             Pick a subject.

2.            Generate a list of related words.

3.            Pick a word, drop the first letter(s) to get a shortened version and find a list of words that begin the way the shortened version begins.

4.            Put back the missing letter.

5.            Make up a riddle for which this word is the answer.

Here are some sample word riddles to use as a model to introduce students to this vocabulary acquisition exercise.  The riddles were written by teachers in Preble County, Ohio.

1.     dessert

2.    ice cream, pie, cake, pig out, cookies, pudding, candy bars, fattening, delicious, soothing, yum

3.    yum=um

umbrella

     umbilical

     umpire

     umbrage

4.    umbrella becomes yumbrella

5.    Riddle:  What kind of dessert will also keep you dry?  A yumbrella!

And, here another riddle to use as a model:

1.     pig

2.    big, grunt, snout, dig, slop, root, curly, dirty, spots

3.    dig=ig

ignore

     igloo

     ignorant

     ignoramous

4.    igloo becomes digloo

5.    Riddle:  Why do pigs get excited when it snows?  So they can build a digloo!

Students should be encouraged to search and visit www.thesaurus.com; www.dictionary.com; and www.reference.com for step 3.  This technology connection helps students increase their vocabulary skills and knowledge with enthusiasm.  Be sure that students do not wander off the three websites.

“Creating Word Riddles” Source:  C. Blachowicz and P. Fisher. (2002).  Teaching Vocabulary in all Classrooms.  NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. 

As a reading and character education connection, students examine the positive character traits of the four main characters in The End.  Using the positive character traits and values of fairness; perseverance; freedom of expression; curiosity; compassion; family and belonging; and empathy, students create a Character Moral Compass.  The Character Moral Compass is a graphic organizer where students record supportive information about each character.  Based on the inquiry method, students quote page numbers and text relative to each character and the representative positive character traits and values.

Before creating the Character Moral Compass, reread with students p. 17-18 where the Baudelaire orphans talk about having a “moral compass which is inside a person in the brain or perhaps in the heart, that tells you the proper thing to do in a given situation.”  Discuss with students about each of the main character’s moral compass.  Later students will develop their own personal “Moral Compass” based on positive character traits and values.

Here is a sample organizer for recording information about each character:

After developing the “Character Moral Compass,” students will develop and design “My Own Moral Compass.”  This learning activity is not only fun and challenging, but it causes students to examine their own behaviors and habits relative to character education. “My Own Moral Compass” is an actual wheel based on a spinner you might find in a board game. Students need to have a compass, ruler, several pencils and erasers, markers, scissors, and one brad.

Here is the procedure for students to create “My Own Moral Compass:”

1. Using a compass, students draw a circle that is approximately 9” in diameter on heavy paper.  (old file folder work great)
2. Using a compass, students now draw another circle that is approximately 7” in diameter on heavy paper.
3. Cut out both circles.
4. On the 9” circle, using a marker, divide the circle into 4 equal parts.  Do the same for the 7” circle.
5. On the 9” circle, draw a concentric circle about ½ inch from the outer rim.
6. Students choose 4 character traits from the above matrix, and label one trait in each of the quadrants inside the ½ inch concentric circle. (use pencil first before markers)
7. On the 7” circle, carefully cut out ¼ section of the circle leaving the circle looking like one piece of the pie is missing.
8. On the 7” circle, draw a self-portrait or attach a school photo in one section of the 3 remaining sections.  In another section, sketch / draw picture clues representing each of the 4 character traits.  In the remaining section, write and complete the text:  My Service Learning Pledge is to________________________________.
9. Back to the 9” circle.  You have 4 character traits listed.  In each quadrant, write a short definition of the character trait, a word or two demonstrating association, and a phrase/sentence showing application of that character trait.
10. After both circles have been completed, attach the 7” circle to the 9” circle using a brad. 

As a student rotates the wheel, they will be able to see “My Own Moral Compass” containing personal information about their association and application of the 4 character traits they chose to describe themselves.

A sample of a moral compass is included in this lesson / unit plan.

The writing prompt and the art piece are connected together in that both lessons are related to inventions---a favorite activity and skill developed by character Violet in every book in A Series of Unfortunate Events.  Here is the writing assessment prompt:

The writing assessment prompt is developed by English teachers in Princeton City Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. This prompt is scored using a 6 point rubric.

The art lesson plan is to have students create an invention using recycled materials. Part of the fun of this project is finding an assortment of “treasures” and putting them together to make something new.  Students are encouraged to use their imaginative minds as well as the skills of observing, comparing, describing, collecting, creating, and reflecting.

Suggested materials may be just about anything!  A wide variety of discarded, recycled, and natural objects and materials may be used including cartons, boxes, pieces of toys, yarn, string, wheels, corks, paint sticks, cotton balls, marshmallows, gumdrops, toothbrushes, small bells, plastic silverware, newspaper, plastic bottles, planting pots, buttons, old shoes, and on and on!  Materials such as scissors, construction paper, glue / paste, string, dental floss, sticks, paints, clay, and other basic art supplies should be available.

With very little guidance, students will persevere in creating and developing their own invention made of recycled materials.  Students may want to learn about the work of well-known found-object and natural materials artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Goldsworthy.

Adapted from source:  Eichinger, John.  (2005).  Activities for Integrating Science and Mathematics.  Columbus:  Pearson.

Students will enjoy exploring the Lemony Snicket website:  www.unfortunateevents.com.