BoxCar Children / Lesson Plan

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Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to analyze characters and their actions in the Boxcar Children series, as well as make predictions and connections to the text.

Materials and Prep

  • The Boxcar Children book series
  • Pen or pencil
  • Notebook or loose-leaf paper

Activities

  1. Start by reading a chapter from one of the Boxcar Children books together. Pause frequently to ask questions and discuss the characters and their actions.
  2. After reading, have the student choose a character from the story and write a short paragraph describing their personality traits and motivations.
  3. Next, ask the student to make predictions about what might happen next in the story based on the character's actions and motivations. Have them write down their predictions.
  4. Continue reading the story together, stopping periodically to check if any of the predictions were correct. Discuss why or why not.
  5. Finally, encourage the student to make connections between the characters and their own experiences or other books they have read. Have them write down any connections they make.

Third Grade Talking Points

  • "Characters are the people or animals in a story. They have different personalities and motivations, just like real people. In the Boxcar Children series, the characters are the four siblings: Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny."
  • "When we read a story, we can learn about a character's personality traits by paying attention to how they act and what they say. For example, Henry is responsible and takes care of his siblings."
  • "Predictions are guesses about what might happen next in a story. We can make predictions based on what we know about the characters and the events that have already happened. Let's make some predictions about what might happen next in the Boxcar Children series!"
  • "Sometimes our predictions are correct, and sometimes they are not. It's fun to see if we were right or if the story surprises us. Let's see if any of our predictions come true!"
  • "Making connections means finding similarities between the story we are reading and our own experiences or other books we have read. It helps us understand the characters and the events better. Can you think of any connections you can make to the Boxcar Children series?"