Creator: TeachersFirst | visit site
Grade Range: 6 - 9
TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration and suggestions for using the trade book Whirligig. Brent Bishop, seventeen-years-old, constructs whirligigs in the four corners of the United States as penance and redemption after he accidentally kills another person in a car crash while trying to commit suicide. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades 7-10. Content correlates to National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, ISTE Student Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks <a href="/reading-treks">here</a>.
In the Classroom
You and your students will enjoy and learn from the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). Consider using the historical information and primary sources from the book to have students create timelines of the important events during Brent Bishop’s journey. Find a variety of free online timeline creation tools <a href="content/edge.cfm?c=20 ">located here</a>. Using the map and locales, trace and then calculate distances for some of the stops made as Brent Bishop travels the country building whirligigs. Use Google My Maps, <a href="/single.cfm?id=18096">reviewed here</a>, to create and share custom maps.
At Home
Share this book with your student for independent reading. Read the book together and discuss the concept of redemption of misdeeds.
Tags
drugs and alcohol, character education, virtual field trips,
Subjects
Character Education, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Social Studies,