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Joe, Nancy, and the fragmented robot, Roberta, pursued the pair of legs that fled through time, leaving their three friends to cope with the aliens who would soon be upon them. The friends were devoted to the Sloppy twins, and they were determined to help them to complete the assembly of Roberta, and to rescue their parents, and to find the home that they longed for, no matter what the consequences might prove to be. And they had said as much to Joe and Nancy! They had insisted that the twins should leave with Roberta at once and somehow intercept her legs as they sprinted past time zones, while the three of them remained behind to confront the aliens, battling them if necessary (as, most assuredly it would be), and stalling for time so that Nancy and Joe could make good their escape and accomplish their mission...
Click on a title below for book recommendations; reading, writing, and art information and activities; and discussion questions. • An Annotated List of Suggested Read Alouds and Independent Reads Escapes and Rescues! Annotated List of Suggested Read Alouds and Independent Reads by Geri Zabela Eddins, NCBLA Read Alouds: Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline's Rescue. 50p. Gr. PreK-3. Blake, Robert J. Swift. 48p. Gr. K-3. Levine, Ellen. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Henry’s Freedom Box. 40p. Gr. 2-5.
Independent Reads: Barrie, J. M. Illustrated by F. D. Bedford. Peter Pan. 208p. Gr. 5 and up. Fleischman, Sid. Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini. 224p. Gr. 4-8. Park, Linda Sue. A Long Walk to Water. 128p. Gr. 4-7. © 2011 Geri Zabela Eddins by Marilyn Ludolph, Ed.D, Dominican University School of Education
RAFT Writing System RAFT is a writing system that includes the following key ingredients: Role of a Writer: Decide who (or what) you will be. Will you be writing as Genius Kelly or Angel the Pirate? Will you be the Cradle of Time? Audience: To whom are you writing? Are you writing to a specific person? To Congress? To a child? Format: What form will your writing take? Will you write a letter or a speech? Will it be an obituary, a conversation, a memo, a journal, or a diary? Topic and Strong Verb: What is your topic? What strong verb will help you present your topic? The RAFT technique (Holston and Santa, 1985) allows students to incorporate writing into their reading. RAFT engages students because they write to an audience (other than their teacher), and they write for a specific purpose. This experience provides students with the opportunity to explain the topic clearly and completely. Before reading an episode of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure (or any other text), introduce the material by previewing all topics, pictures, and questions. Brainstorm with students the many varied and possible “points of view” that could be used to relate opinions or feelings about the topic they are about to read. During reading, students read the selection, keeping in mind the viewpoints that others (or objects) could possibly contribute on the subject. After reading, explain that all writers need to consider four components of every composition: the role of the writer, the audience, the format, and the topic. Then, brainstorm additional ideas about the topics that came to mind during reading. Have students choose one example from each category to incorporate into their writing about the topic. This strategy is also useful (and effective) when incorporating writing into content area instruction.
Reference Applications of Reading Strategies with the Classroom by Cecilia B. Frank, Janice M. Grossi, and Dorothy J. Stanfield (Pearson: 2006), pages 171-172. ©2011 Marilyn Ludolph Discussion Questions and Activities by Geri Zabela Eddins, NCBLA Episode 20 moves the spotlight to the supporting characters of Genius Kelly, Sybil Hunch, and Hathi by describing what happens when the story’s protagonists (Nancy and Joe) go with Roberta to find the robot’s legs. What did you learn about the supporting characters in this episode? How does Steven Kellogg reveal more about the personalities and character of the supporting cast in this episode? Does he do so directly, by telling the reader what each character thinks and does? Does he reveal character information indirectly, through their actions, dialog, and internal thoughts? Or, does the author reveal important character traits both directly and indirectly? Review the episode and cite examples of direct and indirect characterization. Which of the three supporting characters do you consider to be the leader? Why? What skills do Genius Kelly, Sybil Hunch, and Hathi each bring to the battle with the aliens? If you could choose one of these characters to fight alongside you in some type of confrontation, whom would you choose and why? How does Steven Kellogg inject humor into the clash between the trio of friends and the aliens? After Hathi attacks Leonardo Dubenski and Leonardo is taken away, the aliens change tactics and mobilize into “…a monstrous, murderous amoeba!” which restrains the three friends. They are saved, however, by Angel, who arrives in the Cradle of Time. Have you ever been in a frightening or tense situation when you wished someone would come out of nowhere and save you? Write a short paragraph describing the situation. You might choose to write it as a cliffhanger—and leave your reader wondering what happened—or you could choose to describe exactly how the situation ended. © 2011 Geri Zabela Eddins
For Parents, Teachers, Librarians—Talk Art! Timothy Basil Ering’s Illustration for Episode Twenty Under Construction
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The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is available in hardcover, paperback, and audio. Ask for it at your local library and bookstore! 