Riding the Waves: A Creative Dive into Ebb and Flow

Materials Needed:

• A copy of Ebb and Flow by Heather Smith
• A clear glass jar or plastic bottle with a lid or cork
• Paper (a mix of plain white, colored, and maybe some parchment-style for an aged look)
• Pens, pencils, colored pencils, or fine-tip markers
• Scissors and tape or a glue stick
• A journal or notebook (we'll call it the "Captain's Log")
• One large sheet of paper or poster board
• Optional creative supplies: sand, small seashells, blue food coloring, twine, or ribbon to decorate the bottle

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, Jali05 will be able to:

• Analyze the main character's emotional journey by creating a visual "tide chart."
• Demonstrate an understanding of the central themes (secrets, guilt, friendship, and forgiveness) by creating a "message in a bottle" from the main character's perspective.
• Engage with the novel's unique verse format by composing a "found poem" using words and phrases directly from the text.
• Articulate personal connections to the story's themes through reflective writing in a "Captain's Log."

2. Alignment with Curriculum Standards (Middle Grades ELA)

• RL.6-8.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text.
• RL.6-8.3: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
• W.6-8.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
• SL.6-8.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. (In a homeschool context, this applies to the discussion part of the lesson.)

3. Lesson Activities (The Voyage)

Part 1: Casting Off (Introduction - 15 minutes)

This is our warm-up to get our sea legs!

1. Discuss the Title: Before diving into the activities, let's talk about the title, Ebb and Flow. What does that phrase mean in nature (think of the ocean's tides)? How might it be a metaphor for a person's life or emotions?
2. Captain's Log - Entry #1: In your journal, write a short prediction. Based on the cover and the title, what do you think this story will be about? What kind of feelings or events do you expect?
3. The Verse Novel Format: Briefly discuss what makes a "verse novel" different from a regular novel. How does reading a story in poetic form change the experience? Does it make the emotions feel stronger? More immediate?

Part 2: Navigating the Story (Main Activities - 60-75 minutes)

Now we'll dive deep into the story's heart with some hands-on projects. Jali05, you can choose to do Activity A and one other, or challenge yourself to do all three!

Activity A: Jali's Secret - The Message in a Bottle

The whole story builds around Jali's terrible secret. If he could write it down and send it out to sea, what would he say? This activity is about putting his feelings into words.

• Step 1: Choose a piece of paper for your message. You can even stain it with a wet tea bag and let it dry to make it look old.
• Step 2: From the perspective of Jali, write down his confession about the day his friend went missing. Don't just state the facts—include his feelings. How much guilt does he feel? What does he miss most about his friend? Is he writing to his friend? To the ocean? To himself?
• Step 3: You can write this as a letter, a poem (like in the book!), or even a series of small drawings that tell the story.
• Step 4: Roll up your message, tie it with twine, and place it in your bottle. You can add a little sand or some small shells to the bottle to make it look like it washed ashore.

Activity B: Emotional Tide Chart

Jali's emotions go up and down like the tide. Let's map them!

• Step 1: On your large piece of paper, draw a long horizontal line across the middle. This is the "calm sea" or neutral emotion line.
• Step 2: Draw a wavy line across the paper that shows Jali's emotional journey from the beginning of the book to the end. The line should go up for "High Tide" moments (hope, happiness, connection with his grandmother) and dip down for "Low Tide" moments (guilt, sadness, loneliness).
• Step 3: Along the wavy line, label at least 4-5 key events from the book that caused the emotional high or low. For example, a low point might be "Remembering the dare," and a high point could be "Making a new friend." Use colors and symbols to make your chart visually interesting!

Activity C: Found Poetry

Let's use Heather Smith's own words to create something new.

• Step 1: Flip to a favorite page or chapter in Ebb and Flow.
• Step 2: Read through the page and pick out individual words or short phrases that stick with you.
• Step 3: On a new sheet of paper, arrange these words and phrases to create a new, short poem. Your poem should capture the feeling or main idea of that page. You are not adding new words, only "finding" the poem within the text.
• Step 4: Give your found poem a title.

4. Differentiation and Inclusivity (Options for Jali05)

• For Visual Thinkers: For the "Message in a Bottle," you can choose to create a storyboard or a comic strip instead of a letter. For the "Tide Chart," focus on using colors and symbols instead of lots of words to represent emotions.
• For Kinesthetic Learners: Really get into the "Message in a Bottle" project. Focus on the craft aspect—aging the paper, decorating the bottle, and making it feel like a real artifact from the story.
• For an Extra Challenge: Write a response to Jali's message. Imagine someone finds the bottle a year later. What would they write back to him?

5. Assessment Methods (Checking Our Course)

This is not a test! The goal is to see your creative thinking and how you connected with the book. We'll assess this lesson by looking at:

• Completion and Effort: Did you complete the activities with thoughtfulness and care?
• Textual Connection: Do your projects (the message, the chart, the poem) clearly and accurately reflect the characters, themes, and events from Ebb and Flow?
• Creativity and Insight: Your "Captain's Log" reflection (see below) will be the most important part. It’s where you explain your creative choices and what you learned.

6. Organization and Clarity (Reaching the Shore)

Let's wrap up our journey with a final reflection.

1. Show and Tell (10 minutes): Explain your "Message in a Bottle," "Emotional Tide Chart," and/or "Found Poem." Why did you make the creative choices you did? What part of the story did you want to capture?
2. Captain's Log - Final Entry (10 minutes): In your journal, answer these questions:
   • Which activity was your favorite, and why?
   • The book talks a lot about how secrets can feel heavy. Do you think Jali felt "lighter" at the end of the story? Why?
   • What do you think is the most important message of Ebb and Flow?