GOAL:
To appreciate the author's use of humor
ASSIGNED READING:
Chapter 3
WRITING PROMPT:
Did any of the events in Chapter 3 make you laugh? Which ones? Why were they funny?
What do you think of the way Rufus and Cody are treated at Kenny's school?
Would Rufus and Cody fit in at your school? Why?
What do you think Momma said to Rufus?
ONLINE PROMPT:
Use the Student Comment Form to share ideas and questions with your online peers.
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Ask students whether they think this book is funny so far. Have them explain the humor in Dad's description of "Hambone" Henderson, Byron's freezing his lips to the car mirror, and Kenny's thinking that Rufus is his "personal saver." Ask them to explain what a pun is and why "personal saver" is a pun. Suggest that they think about the way humor is used in Chapter 3 as they read it.
During community share, ask students to give examples of humor from Chapter 3. Point out that there are some serious issues in the chapter as well -- such as when LJ steals Kenny's dinosaurs and when Kenny hurts Rufus's feelings. Ask students to explain how the humorous parts work together with the serious ones. Does humor help to make the painful things less painful? Does Kenny use his sense of humor to get through painful experiences? Can an event be funny and painful at the same time?
You may wish to discuss the way children at Kenny's school treat Rufus and Cody. If any students wrote in their logs about this topic, ask them to share their thoughts. Ask students why they think people sometimes treat outsiders unkindly, and whether they have seen this kind of behavior in real life.
If necessary, provide background information about Nazis. Explain that Germany was ruled by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party in the 1930s and 1940s, and that the United States fought the Nazis in World War II, from 1941 to 1945. Kenny and his friends reenact this struggle in their dinosaur "wars."
Today there may be some comments from other classrooms that students will want to respond to. Have students check the Student Comments page to see what their online peers have written. Then send them to the Student Comment Form to type their own messages.
Click to go to Lesson 3.
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