Refugee by Alan Gratz Novel Study

The Refugee Novel Study resource is a comprehensive set of standards-aligned, rigorous, instructional materials for teaching the Refugee by Alan Gratz. With these Common Core aligned materials, students will deeply engage with the novel and develop their literacy and critical thinking skills. The novel study includes 100+ resources to help you implement an engaging, rigorous ELA or Social Studies unit.

Snapshot of Resources Included in Unit:

• 30 Common Core Aligned Lesson Plans
• 18 Literary Analysis Assignments
• 18 Nonfiction Readings & Questions about the Refugee Experience
• 9 Extension Activities about the Refugee Experience (to pair with nonfiction readings)
• 18 Close Reading Assignments (literary skills-based)
• Vocabulary Resources - 4 Crossword Puzzles, 4 Quizzes, Graphic Organizers
• Assessment Resources - 18 Mini-Quizzes, 2 Final Tests, Essay Questions
• 2 Final Projects
• Answer Keys for ALL applicable resources!
• Digital links for student pages!

Common Core Aligned Unit Plan – 30 Lessons: The Unit Plan maps out the Common Core State Standards covered in each lesson, driving activities for each lesson, resources needed to execute each lesson, and essential questions and understandings for each lesson.

Refugee by Alan Gratz: Literary Analysis, Discussion Questions, Mini-Quizzes: The 18 literary analysis assignments provide a framework for students to complete a deep analysis of each individual chapter of a Refugee Novel Study. The assignments are aligned to the Common Core State Standards. They are designed not only to have students practice literary skills but also demonstrate their comprehension of the text. It could supply homework, facilitate guided reading groups, or stimulate whole class literacy discussions for each chapter.

Refugee by Alan Gratz: Nonfiction Close Readings, Questions, Activities: The 18 close reading lessons develop students’ background knowledge about refugees. Using these informational texts, students will learn about the refugee experience, refugee crises around the world, and the United States’ and the world community’s historical response to such situations. Each close reading includes questions that will develop essential skills aligned to the reading of informational texts under the Common Core State Standards. After practicing these skills over the course of the Refugee Novel Study, you can be confident your students will have mastered numerous skills. Extension activities give you the power to choose how to enhance your students’ knowledge of the refugee experience. You know your students best, and based on their interests, any or all of these nine activities provide a structure for students to conduct investigations about the refugee experience or demonstrate agency to address the crisis. Students will develop their critical thinking skills and build background knowledge through activities, such as analyzing documentaries, examining the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or drafting donation proposals, among others.

Fiction Close Reading Materials: Through the 18 fiction close reading lessons, students will deeply engage with the novel to develop a variety of reading and literary skills aligned to the Common Core. The close reading lessons hone in on one particular skill and see students engage in a close reading of Refugee to develop their literary proficiency. Each assignment requires students to use textual evidence to support their claims, and the resource also includes an answer key.

Refugee by Alan Gratz: Vocabulary Materials, Crossword Puzzles and Quizzes: Teaching vocabulary is an important part of any lesson. The Student Dictionary is a great way to help students learn, acquire, and use new words they will encounter in Refugee. The vocabulary resources will assist students in building their dictionary and engage them in a variety of ways to maximize vocabulary expansion based on the challenging words the resources identify from each chapter of the novel.

Refugee by Alan Gratz: Tests, Comprehension Quizzes, Essays: After students complete the chapter analysis, close reading assignments, and vocabulary pages, they will know Refugee inside and out. The Common-Core aligned assessments will then help you measure your students’ comprehension of the text and their ability to apply the literary skills taught throughout the unit.

Projects: While the extension activities are shorter in scope, the two novel projects offer a more extended avenue for students to engage at a deeper level with the novel and its content. The novel projects supply the framework for students to conduct research, write an essay, and take action in their community. Once again, the activities will help students develop critical thinking skills, build background knowledge, and demonstrate agency while practicing skills aligned with essential Common Core standards that have been embedded in the project’s course.

Digital Compatibility: This resource is technology friendly! It can be utilized in classrooms where computers or tablets are central to instruction because the resource has been adapted for digital completion. The resources include links for students to complete any work assigned, such as in-class tasks and assessments, online via Google Slides™ and Google Forms. For instance, students can work with the documents in Google Drive™ or via Google Classroom. With these links, you can have students complete their activities, assignments, and assessments online. All they will have to do for the student pages is either create a text box or fill out a form! There are links for every student page and assessment, making the format friendly not only for technology but also trees.

PLEASE NOTE: This resource is NOT EDITABLE! It is intended to be comprehensive, but if you have particular needs for your classroom, please contact me! (lauren@lit-lessons.com)

Looking for the individual products listed above? Check out these products below:

Refugee by Alan Gratz: Literary Analysis, Discussion Questions, Mini-Quizzes

Refugee by Alan Gratz: Tests, Comprehension Quizzes, Essays

Refugee by Alan Gratz: Vocabulary Materials, Crossword Puzzles and Quizzes

Refugee by Alan Gratz: Nonfiction Close Readings, Questions, Activities