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Ella the Engineer: GoPro Hedgehog

lesson plan

Ella the Engineer lessons are standard-aligned, flexible, and completely pre-packaged! They are

designed for 3rd and 4th graders and can be completed in single periods, blocks, or across multiple

days.

Before the lesson

✓ Pre teach vocabulary words to enhance student engagement

✓ Practice recall and increase comfort with unfamiliar words

✓ Practice inferences and develop character traits using the character

introduction worksheets

Lesson introduction

✓ Provide focus for students on content and set expectations

✓ Increase appreciation for graphic novels and reading

✓ Cultivate students’ love and excitement for STEM

Full group

✓ Facilitate understanding with key questions throughout novel

✓ Pull out key themes of innovation and teamwork

Centers activity

✓ Rotate students through groups to complete graphic organizer

✓ Encourage collaboration between students and instructor

✓ Practice standard-aligned questions

Individual work

✓ Apply multiple activity types to engage diverse learners

✓ Use activities in the classroom or as homework

After the lesson

✓ SWBAT describe the main idea, themes, plot, characters, problem, and solution

of the stories

✓ SWBAT reflect on their own problem-solving process and share ideas they can

borrow from Ella’s experiences

✓ SWBAT practice effective group work and individual practice

GoPro Hedgehog lesson plan

Purpose: This lesson plan is intended to be used in the classroom, once normal schooling resumes. It is

flexibly designed and can be lengthened/shortened to fit any size period (single to block), with optional

activities that can be completed individually, in a group, or for homework.

Classroom actions Notes Timing Leading up to the lesson

Vocab to pre-teach 1. Plunder 2. Substance 3. Mentor 4. Agonize 5. Synthetic 6. Analytics 7. Fragile 8. Discontinued 9. Hyperbole 10. Landlocked

Pre-teach these 10 vocabulary words before the day of the lesson. Review vocab words with students so they are comfortable with them and understand their meaning on the day of the lesson. Utilize the 2nd page of the comic to introduce descriptions of each character. Have students illustrate what they think the characters will look like based on their descriptions.

Pre-teach

Day of the lesson Introduction

1. By a show of hands…How many of you like to read graphic novels?

2. Why do you like them? 3. Do you like them more than

normal books? Why? 4. Does anyone remember any of

the vocab words you practiced and what they mean?

5. Does anyone want to show their drawings of the characters?

6. Based on what you know about the characters, what do you think might happen in the story?

On the Day of the lesson, write/display all 10 vocabulary words on the board so students can remember them and reference them throughout the lesson. Use some/all of the warm up/intro questions on the left depending on time. Can execute this as a writing activity, think/pair/share, partner talk, etc.

3-5 minutes

Discussion questions for reading 1. What did Ella do when she didn’t

think she could solve the problem?

a. Is this what you do when you get stuck or frustrated?

b. What do you do when you get stuck or frustrated when you’re solving a problem?

c. (Reader shares) 2. How did analytics help Ella solve

her problem?

Read the comic to students/have them read out loud. Pause at appropriate points in the story to ask the questions on the left.

15-20 minutes

a. What problems do you think analytics could help you solve at school?

b. What problems do you think analytics could help you solve outside of school?

c. (Reader shares how they use analytics everyday)

3. What did Ella do before calling the police?

a. Why didn’t she call the police right away?

b. Did you check your work before turning it in?

Standard-aligned question centers 1. What is the main idea of the

comic? (3.R.I.2)* 2. Describe the main character.

(3.R.L.3)* 3. What is the problem and solution

of the story? (4.R.I.5)* *Standards pulled from the New Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts Incorporating the Common Core

Break students into small groups for a center rotation, based on classroom norms. Have students spend 6-8 minutes at each station. The first 25% of their time is spent pencils down, discussing the question and their answer. The remaining 75% is writing what they came up with. Have students rotate through the centers and then return to their desks. Take 1 volunteer to share what their team came up with for each question. (This time can be extended/eliminated based on time) Brainstorm the theme of the story. Allow students to write what they think the theme is or come to a group decision. (Optional: Collect graphic organizer to grade)

25-30 minutes (6-8 minutes per center + 5-7 minutes for group debrief)

Activity option #1 Make a 1 block comic showing how you solve problems (in school or out of school). Incorporate one of the themes from the story in your artwork. Write a caption for your comic using at least 2 of the vocabulary words we practiced.

Write or project instructions on the board to anchor students. Recommend students start with the caption first, that way they don’t have to force the picture to fit in with the caption at the end. (Reference the 10 words on the board and remind students they must use at least 2 of the vocab words in the caption)

Flexible (use to fill remaining time, remove, or assign as homework)

Activity option #2 Solve the vocabulary crossword

Write or project instructions on the board to anchor students. Distribute crossword to students and explain how to solve a crossword if students haven’t completed one before.

Flexible (use to fill remaining time, remove, or assign as homework)

Activity option #3 Solve the vocabulary word search.

Write or project instructions on the board to anchor students. Distribute crossword to students and explain how to solve a word search if students haven’t completed one before.

Flexible (use to fill remaining time, remove, or assign as homework)

Activity option #4 Solve the GoPro Math Problems.

Have the students complete the math problems as a classroom assignment or homework.

Flexible (use to fill remaining time, remove, or assign as homework)

Closing What is one thing Ella did which you could start doing to be more successful?

Conduct a think, pair, and share exercise, then ask for 2-3 volunteers to share their answers.

2-3 minutes

1. Plunder: To steal from a place using force

2. Substance: What something is made out of

3. Mentor: An experienced and trusted advisor. Someone who helps you and shows you how to do things.

4. Agonize: To be very worried about something

5. Synthetic: Something combined or made using a chemical process

6. Analytics: Analysis of numbers and data

7. Fragile: Easily broken or damaged

8. Discontinued: Something which is no longer available

9. Hyperbole: Exaggerated statements or claims which you don’t mean for people to believe

10. Landlocked: A place surrounded by land, where there is no nearby water

Vocabulary

Character Descriptions

Name: ________________________________

Ella Ms. Bindle Guinevere Plunder Janet Foutty Description Description Description Description Description

Picture Picture Picture Picture Picture

Name: ________________________ Date: ______________

Vocabulary Worksheet (Define, Write, Draw) Template

1. _______________- Part of Speech _______

Definition- _________________________________

__________________________________________

Sentence___________________________________

__________________________________________

Picture-

2. _______________- Part of Speech _______

Definition- _________________________________

__________________________________________

Sentence___________________________________

__________________________________________

Picture-

3. _______________- Part of Speech _______

Definition- _________________________________

__________________________________________

Sentence___________________________________

__________________________________________

Picture-

4. _______________- Part of Speech _______

Definition- _________________________________

__________________________________________

Sentence___________________________________

__________________________________________

Picture-

Name: ______________________________________________________

Story Mapping

Describe the Main Idea Describe the Main Character

Describe the Problem Describe the Solution What is the theme of the story?

Title: _______________________________________________________

Author: ________________________________

Caption:_________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

GoPro Hedgehog crossword puzzle

Down2. Analysis of numbers and data

3. To steal from a place using force

4. An experienced and trusted advisor. Someone who helps you and shows you how to do things.

5. Easily broken or damaged6. Exaggerated statements or claims

which you don’t mean for people to believe

Across1. What something is made out of7. Something combined or made using

a chemical process8. Something which is no longer

available9. To be very worried about something

10. A place surrounded by land, where there is no water

GoPro Hedgehog crossword puzzle clues

Answer key: GoPro Hedgehog crossword puzzle

Down2. Analysis of numbers and data

(analytics)3. To steal from a place using force

(plunder)4. An experienced and trusted advisor.

Someone who helps you and shows you how to do things. (mentor)

5. Easily broken or damaged (fragile)6. Exaggerated statements or claims

which you don’t mean for people to believe (hyperbole)

Across1. What something is made out of

(substance)7. Something combined or made using

a chemical process (synthetic)8. Something which is no longer

available (discontinued)9. To be very worried about something

(agonize)10. A place surrounded by land, where

there is no water (landlocked)

GoPro Hedgehog word search

DiscontinuedAnalyticsFragile

LandlockedPlunderMentor

SubstanceHyperbole

Synthetic Agonize

Answer Key

GoPro Hedgehog math problems

Solve the following problems. Be sure to show your work and put units on your answers!

1. Ella’s school is 15 minutes from Plunder’s secret hideout. If Ms. Bindle stops for 6 minutes to get gas, how many minutes will it take for them to arrive?

2. There are 10 total Shippylocations. Any location built after 2010 can be eliminated from the search. If 6 were built after 2010, how many should Ella and Ms. Bindle pinpoint on the map?

3. Gwen eats 3 strawberries per meal and she eats 4 times per day. How many strawberries does Gwen eat in 1 day?

• Bonus: How many strawberries does Gwen eat in 7 days?

4. Ms. Bindle received 65 photos from Gwen’s camera. Unfortunately, 9 of them were blurry and had to be deleted. How many photos were usable?

Answer Key

1. Ella’s school is 15 minutes from Plunder’s secret hideout. If Ms. Bindle stops for 6 minutes to get gas, how many minutes will it take for them to arrive? (21 minutes)

2. There are 10 total Shippy locations. Any location built after 2010 can be eliminated from the search. If 6 were built after 2010, how many should Ella and Ms. Bindle pinpoint on the map? (4 locations)

3. Gwen eats 3 strawberries per meal and she eats 4 times per day. How many strawberries does Gwen eat in 1 day? (12 strawberries)

• Bonus: How many strawberries does Gwen eat in 7 days? (84 strawberries)

4. Ms. Bindle received 65 photos from Gwen’s camera. Unfortunately, 9 of them were blurry and had to be deleted. How many photos were usable? (56 photos)