Must Read Mentor Text Link Up The Three Questions

Hi, this is Sidney from Teachingisagift and this week I am again linking up with Stacia and Amanda from Collaboration Cuties for the Must Read Mentor Texts linky.  

“Remember then that there is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side. This is why we are here.”
  -J.Muth, The Three Questions

"Literacy is essentially a matter of acquiring the “tools” needed to thoughtfully access, interpret and share ideas across various mediums of communication. Many activities offered under the guise of literacy instruction–for example, sort and predict, placemats, thinking bubbles and flip books—help students comprehend a specific text or image, but they do little to develop “tools” that students can use purposefully and independently. Our approach is to teach students how to make self-regulated use of a full range of literacy tools—criteria, strategies, vocabulary, habits of mind and background information." The Critical Thinking Consortium

Author John J.Muth uses Tolstoy's story as the jumping off point for this lushly illustrated account of a young boy’s search for an understanding of some of the most profound questions we ask ourselves as human beings.  Young Nikolai asks his friends to help him to find the answer to the three questions that he considers to be the most important ones for helping him to know the right way to act.
When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?

I bought this book several years ago because I loved the message and I loved the art work. I also took Russian Literature in university and was intrigued that this was an interpretation of Tolstoy for children.  At my school we were engaged in a Teaching and Learning Critical Pathways initiative with the arts as the basis.  I was also working as partners with our school librarian on media literacy.  I wanted to come up with a way to combine the book, the TLCP and our partnering.  

Click on IMAGE to visit the Critical Thinking Website where you can download your own copy of
 the Teacher Guide to The Three Questions by John J. Muth

I found this Teacher's Guide to The Three Questions on the Critical Thinking Consortium's website.  I used some of the lessons in a modified way with my class.  To begin, I scanned the book and projected it on the library Smartboard.  As suggested in the teacher guide, we read through it and stopped and discussed several points along the way.  As a follow up my students did not make a pencil and paper story map (as suggested in the teacher guide), but rather did one on the computer while working with a partner.  

For the application portion of the reading the students responded to the question "What actions show what it is to be a good person?"  The students created word collages using Tagxedo.  They chose the words they felt best represented their response to the question and then chose a word shape to illustrate their learning.  I was really excited to introduce this online, creative resource to my class, as I really enjoy using it myself!  I created a Tagxedo apple for classroom website this year and the kids loved it.  

You can see for yourself why Tagxedo is so engaging.  It really appeals to the visual learner in all of us!  I also had fun teaching my students how to choose background papers and insert frames. I felt a little like I was teaching them what I do when I create teacher materials and freebies for TpT!

The final products were shared at a whole school event in June.  My class printed out their finished products to put up on the walls in the school gymnasium (I am really lucky we have a colour laser printer at school), and also displayed them as part of a slideshow.  I was really pleased with the integration of literacy, art, media literacy, and technology skills.  I would highly recommend using this text in a variety of contexts.  

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