Reader Response Activities

Using the story Doras Box

By: Ann-Jeanette Campbell

Grade 4

Language Arts

Teacher Booklet
This activities guide is a hands-on resource put together for the purposes of equipping Grade 4 students with the skills needed to successfully understand, and interpret various aspects of language arts. It has been divided into six separate centres, with examples when necessary, each with a very specific focus, such that the successful completion of all six centres will demonstrate the students understanding of the language arts curriculum expectations listed later in this guide. These six activity centres will highlight the following language arts skills: 1. Creating media texts for a specific audience; 2. Writing from another persons point of view; 3. Writing a complex text in the form of an epilogue; 4. Listening attentively to understand content; 5. Expressing opinions presented in media texts; and 6. Organizing and identifying main ideas. By completing these activity centres, students will be able to practise and develop their skills in reading, writing, listening and media literacy. The following activity centres are based around the book Doras Box by Ann-Jeanette Campbell. The following is a short summary of this book; The story begins with a young couple in the forest. They had just found a witch who was willing to grant them 3 wishes as they had saved her. Their first wish was for a child. Secondly, they wished that their child would be protected from everything evil and sad in the world. Their last wish was that their child would grow up to be loved by everyone. The witch said that since these were difficult wishes, she would do the best she could. She gave them a daughter as well as a box in which they could place anything evil and sad. She also said that their daughter must make the third wish come true. Shortly after, they had a daughter and named her Pandora, or Dora for short. Over the years, Doras parents filled the box with evil and sad things. Her box included thorns, a hot coal, and a bird, which had been Doras singing partner and had died, amongst other things. One day a young boy came to their door crying and Doras mother took his tears and put them in the box in order to keep this pain away from Dora. Later, Dora asked the boy what was wrong and he explained that he could not cry because the mother had taken away his tears and put them in a box. Dora said that she would help this boy get his tears back and she found the box and opened it. Finally, Dora was able to cry and feel pain like everyone else. She now lived in a world where she knew joy and happiness but also understood fear and pain. And everyone loved her.

Curriculum Expectations
Activity
Make your own movie
(representing, writing, viewing)

Curriculum Expectation
Media Literacy 3.4
Produce media texts for specific purposes and audiences, using a few simple media forms and appropriate conventions and techniques

Activity Explanation
The make your own movie activity involves the students using their knowledge about how movie advertisements are portrayed in society today and applying that knowledge to the book they have read. Students will then create a movie advertisement for the book Doras Box. The dear diary activity has students write a diary from Doras point of view in the book Doras Box. They will explain how they believe she would have felt during a certain point in the book in their entry. The P.S. activity involves having students create and epilogue for the book Doras Box. They must use elements of the story to justify the things they include in their epilogue. The second chance activity involves having students discuss what would have changed in the story if Dora had never opened the box. While one person is speaking, students will need to practice attentive listening and be prepared to add in their own input after. Students will then write what they believe would have happened individually.

Writing 2.5

Dear diary
(reading, writing)

Identify their point of view and other possible points of view on the topic, and determine whether their information sufficiently supports their own view

P.S.
(reading, writing)

Writing 2.1
Write more complex texts using a variety of forms

Oral Communication 1.2

Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by adapting active listening strategies to suit a variety of situations, including work in groups

Second Chance
(listening, speaking, writing)

Writing 1.3
Gather information to support ideas for writing using a variety of strategies and oral, print and electronic sources

Curriculum Expectations Continued

Activity
My Box
(representing, writing, viewing)

Curriculum Expectation
Media Literacy 1.3
Express opinions about ideas, issues and/or experiences presented in media texts, and give evidence from the texts to support their opinions

Activity Explanation
The my box activity gets the students to create the items they would want to place in a box to never know about again. They need to use their own opinions and experiences to decide what to put in the box.

Doras Box vs. Pandoras Box

(representing, viewing, listening, writing)

Writing 1.5
Identify and order main ideas and supporting details and group them into units that could be used to develop a summary, using a variety of graphic organizers and organizational patterns

In the activity Doras box vs. Pandoras box, students will compare the book with the Greek myth of Pandoras box. They will do this in a venn diagram using both pictures and words.

Student Task Cards

Make Your Own Movie
Overall Expectation: Pretend that Doras Box was going to be created into a movie. Create a billboard poster advertisement with the most compelling part of the movie on it, as well as a catchy slogan that is going to encourage people to go see it. Steps: 1) Start by thinking about what part of the book is key to advertise your movie. 2) Think of a catchy slogan that will have people thinking about wanting to see your movie that goes along with the part of the book you chose. Also consider a date that your movie will come out in theaters. 3) Draw out your movie advertisement, first in pencil, and then add colour. 4) Make sure to include your slogan, the title of the movie, the date it will come out in theaters, and the actors/actresses that will be in it. When youre done your own advertisement, take some time to look at others advertisements and discuss with one another why you chose certain things to put on your poster.

Dear Diary
Overall Expectation: Write 3 diary entries as if you were Dora in the story. Write down events that happen during the story and reflect on how they affected you (as Dora) and why. Steps: 1) Use the book to reread or revisit pages to help you think about how you would feel at various points in the story if you were Dora. 2) Choose 3 parts of the book that you feel are important to further and explain how Dora would be feeling at this point. 3) Write out each diary entry as if you were Dora. Make sure to explain how the event you chose makes you feel.

P.S.
Overall Expectation: Write an epilogue (a continuation of the story) in which you explain what happened to Dora after then end of the book. Steps: 1) Use the book to reread or revisit pages to help you with this task. 2) Write a continuation of the story in which you explain what happened in Doras life after the book ends.

Student Task Cards Continued

Second Chance
Overall Expectation: Discuss as a group and then write individually about how it would change the story if Dora had never opened the box. Steps: 1) Discuss as a group what would have happened if Dora had never opened the box. Remember to listen and be prepared to respond to what people say. 2) Once your discussion is over, use what you have learnt from your discussion and use the most important things you discussed to describe how the story would have changed if Dora had never opened the box.

My Box
Overall Expectation: Create 4 items that represent things you would put in your version of Doras box. This means that if you put an item in the box, it will make you forget things that made you unhappy. Write a short sentence explaining why you put each piece in the box Steps: 1) Brainstorm ideas of what frightens you or makes you unhappy. 2) Think about which type of material would be best for making your item whether it be markers and paper, magazine cut outs, clay, etc. 3) Create each of your 4 items and place them in your shoe box when done. 4) Write 1 sentence for each of the items explaining why you chose to put it in your box.

Doras Box vs. Pandoras Box

Overall Expectation: Compare the story Doras Box to the Greek Myth provided. Do your comparison in a Venn Diagram using both pictures and words. Steps: 1) Listen to the recorded version of the Greek Myth and follow along with the Myth on your paper as you go. 2) Use the book to reread or revisit pages to help you with this task. 3) Using the venn diagram provided, compare and contrast the Greek Myth with the story Doras Box. Remember to use both pictures and words when filling in your venn diagram.

Teacher Tracking System

Student Checklist
Activity Completed?

Make Your Own Movie

Dear Diary

P.S.

Second Chance

My Box

Doras Box vs. Pandoras Box

Pandoras Box - Greek Myth

Once up a time, a long time ago, Zeus ordered Hephaestus (Aphrodite's husband) to make him a daughter. It was the first woman made out of clay. Hephaestus made a beautiful woman and named her Pandora. Zeus sent his new daughter, Pandora, down to earth so that she could marry Epimetheus, who was a gentle but lonely man. Zeus was not being kind. He was getting even. Epimetheus and Prometheus were brothers. Zeus was mad at one of the brothers, Prometheus, for giving people fire without asking Zeus first. Zeus gave Pandora a little box with a big heavy lock on it. He made her promise never to open the box. He gave the key to Pandoras husband and told him to never open the box. Zeus was sure that Epimetheus' curiosity would get the better of him, and that either Epimetheus or his brother would open the box. Pandora was very curious. She wanted to see what was inside the box, but Epimetheus said no. Better not. "You know your father," Epimetheus sighed, referring to Zeus. "Hes a tricky one." One day, when Epimetheus lay sleeping, Pandora stole the key and opened the box. Out flew every kind of disease and sickness, hate and envy, and all the bad things that people had never experienced before. Pandora slammed the lid closed, but it was too late. All the bad things were already out of the box. They flew away, out into the world. Epimetheus woke up at the sound of her sobbing. I opened the box and all these ugly things flew out, she cried. I tried to catch them, but they all got out. Pandora opened the box to show him how empty it was. But the box was not quite empty. One tiny bug flew quickly out before Pandora could slam the lid shut again. Hello, Pandora, said the bug, hovering just out of reach. My name is Hope. With a nod of thanks for being set free, Hope flew out into the world, a world that now held Envy, Crime, Hate, and Disease and Hope.