Ancient Thunder

Brainstorm and create a word web of text genres titled “Things We Read.”
Record ideas on chart paper or on the Smartboard. Examples: labels,
recipes, fiction, ads, magazines, comics, nonfiction (biography, informational text), signs, poetry, graphic novels, chapter books, maps, newspapers and instructions.

Pose the following question to students: “If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?” The students can write or draw their response on a post-it note or a piece of paper. Post their responses on chart paper. Read the story aloud to students without showing the pictures. Afterwards, give students the opportunity to make additions or changes to their original responses.

Show the front cover of the book to students with the title covered. Ask
students to make predictions about what they think the book will be about and share their ideas with a partner. Uncover the title and pose the question again.
Ask students to confirm their predictions.

Have students work in small groups (three or four students) to illustrate a
phrase from the text. Post their illustrations when complete. Do a gallery walk to view each group’s illustration. Follow up this activity with a sharing circle.
Curriculum connections: Arts / visual art; Social Studies / communities, roles and responsibilities, celebrations and culture; Science / seasons, space

As the story is read aloud, ask students to create mental images of what the text is about. Have them share their ideas with the class. Reread the text to students, showing the pictures as the text is read aloud.

As you look through the illustrations on each page of the book, what do you notice? Why is this important?

Think Aloud — What do the following phrases mean? Teachers will model the
“Think Aloud” process for students with this activity.
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/think_alouds
“… first sparkles of new daylight” (sunrise)
“Over a sea of grass” (running on the Great Plains)
“Soaring on eagles’ wings” (running so fast they seem to be flying)
“Beating the earth drum” (galloping)
Curriculum connections: Language arts / poetic devices, metaphors

(text to self, text to text, text to world, text to media)
What does this book make you think of/remind you of?

Why do you think that author / illustrator Leo Yerxa chose the title Ancient
Thunder for this book? Suggest a different title and explain your thinking.

How has the illustrator used color to create interest for the reader? (He used rich, vibrant colors to engage the reader.) What do you notice about the illustrations? (There is a horse in each illustration, as well as the presence of other animals and regalia of the Indigenous Peoples of the Great Plains)
Art Connection: Mixed-media arts, color, patterns

Compare and contrast poetry versus narrative using a graphic organizer
(T-chart, Venn diagram), record students’ ideas about the similarities and
differences between these two genres of texts.

What is the author’s message? Think about the relationship between man and nature. Have students create written or illustrated responses, and then share them in small groups or with the whole class.