Isabelle Stern Grades K-2
P.S. 217 Literature

Rosie’s Story
By Martine Gogoll
Illustrator Noela Young

Synopsis of Story:
The children in Rosie’s class made fun of Rosie because she has red hair and freckles. Rosie feels ugly and wants to get rid of her hair and freckles. Eventually she writes a story about a boy named Rusty who had a similar problem. She shares her story with her class. The children in class respond to Rosie’s story by understanding her feelings at last. They share their own experiences when people made fun of a physical feature they had.

SEL Understandings

• Developing the ability to express feelings is an important life skill
• There are many positive ways to express feelings
• Writing is sometimes a great way to express ourselves
• Recognizing that just because people are different doesn’t make them better or worse
• Realizing there is something unique about everyone
• Knowing which aspects of self can be changed and which needs to be accepted

Objectives

SEL:
1. Students will name different ways that people handle their feelings.
2. Students will recognize that expressing feelings in a positive way can sometimes solve a problem.
3. Students will use writing to express feelings.
4. Students will recognize the power of hurtful words

Literacy: Students will make connections text to self, text to world and text to text while thinking about the story and authoring books.

Pre-Reading

Bring up prior books and poems that have been read in class on the theme of dealing with feelings.

Discussion Questions

What was Rosie’s problem and what were her feelings about it?
Have you ever felt this way? When?
How did she try to handle it? Do you think she should have tried to wash her freckles away? Why or why not?
How did she finally resolve her problem?
Why did she tell her story in the third person?

Activity - We are Authors

Using the book as inspiration, students will begin to create their own fictional books in which the main character has a problem and solves it by expressing his or her feelings in positive ways. Review how Rosie used a story she made up to express how she felt about being teased. Ask the children to think silently for 30 seconds about all the other positive ways that people might express how they felt. Next, brainstorm and chart with the class all the ways people express feelings. The list might include: using spoken words, poetry, letters, art, song, using body language, etc. Explain how writers often use fiction to express their own feeling and thoughts and now they will get a chance to be the authors of a book. Say, "In the next ______, you will work together in writers' groups to plan, write, illustrate and publish books that we will read here in class and perhaps to other writers in other classes. In your story, you will create a character who has a problem she or he needs to solve. Make sure that you let the reader know what your character's feelings are. If you like, you can use any of the feelings on our Feelings Wall. Are there any questions?"

Links to help you in the writing and publishing process:
<http://www.twc.org/forums/contacts.html> From Teacher and Writers Collaborative. Links to organizations that can help teachers learn how to teach writing
<http://www.writenet.org/writers_on_teaching> Useful tips on teaching writing
<http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity_collections_preview/teacher_resources/help_kids_read/g46/book.html> Useful ideas on how children can make their own books

Class Extension

• Continue writer workshops. When publication is done schedule author's readings.
• Conduct an author's study. Ask the class to compare stories as to plot, character and expression of feelings.
• Start a Post Office in your room. Ask children to express their feelings to you and their peers in the form of letters.
• Integrative learning - Bring in books by authors from different countries. Discuss how authors express feelings. Have students find the author's country on a map and do research on that country.
• Have students read other stories that deal with put-downs and discuss ways the children dealt with this issue. Some suggested stories include:
  • The Ugly Duckling
  • Chrysanthemum
  • Crow Boy
  • The Hundred Dresses

Teacher Reflection

In what ways can words be harsher than “sticks and stones”
When have I instigated put-downs toward somebody? How did I feel afterward? When have I been the recipient of a put-down? How did that make me feel? When have I insulted someone else in order to make myself look better?

Teacher Evaluation

The children felt very bad for Rosie and understood that the children were very hurtful toward her. Some of them shared stories about
being called ugly by another child and how it makes them feel ugly.