“Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” by Deborah Stevenson

Sequence in Soaring Soren : Grades K-1

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to sequence events in a fiction story.

Grade Levels

K-1

Common Core Standard

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.2*

With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

Materials Needed

A copy of “Soaring Soren” by Deborah Stevenson

Sequencing Example

Copies of the “Soaring Soren” sequencing practice sheet

Lesson Instructions

Introduction and Teacher Modeling

• Display the Sequencing Example using a document camera or Smart Board. If you do not have access to these technologies, make a few copies and have students sit in groups to view it together.
• Explain to students that today they will be learning how to sequence a story. When you sequence a story, you put the events in order from beginning to end.
• Ask the students to look at the illustrations. Ask for volunteers to explain what is happening in each picture. Assist as needed to fill in detail.
• Once you have reviewed all illustrations, ask students which event they think happened first and place that illustration in the first box in the sequence chart. Complete this step with the other illustrations.
• Once all the illustrations are placed correctly, read through the statements that describe the illustrations and have students help you place each statement with the illustration it describes.
• Read through each part of the sequence and discuss why this sequence is correct.

Guided Practice/Interactive Modeling

• Introduce the story “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” by Deborah Stevenson.
• Complete a brief picture walk with the students by showing them some of the pictures and asking them to predict what they think the story might be about.
• Read the book to the students and be sure to stop to elaborate on important parts of the story. You should review the “Soaring Soren” sequencing practice sheet prior to the lesson and spend extra time on those sections of the story that students will be working with independently.
• Once you have finished the story, ask students to tell you what the story was about.

Independent Working Time

• Assign each student a partner or allow them to choose their own partner.
• Give each partner group a copy of the “Soaring Soren” sequencing practice sheet.
• Read through each of the description sentences as a class and instruct them to work together to place them in the correct sequence from beginning to end.
• Provide support for those that need help reading the description sentences during independent working time.
• Encourage students to cut out the descriptions and place them in order. They should be checked by a teacher before students glue them down.
• Once they have been glued in the correct order, students can draw a picture that describes each sentence.

Review and Closing

• To close this lesson, ask students why it is important to be able to order events in a story.
• Encourage them to share their favorite part of the story. You may also invite students to share a time that something was difficult for them but they were successful.

*Note: This lesson would be best suited for advanced kindergartners or to be utilized toward the end of the school year.

Additional Information

You can find other great resources for “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” at here.

Additional standards based lesson plans, hands-on activities and professional development can be found on the AKC® Educator Resources page.

Character Traits in Soaring Soren : Grades 2-3

Learning Objectives

Students will identify the traits, motivations and feelings of a character in a story and describe how those contribute to the story.

Grade Levels

2-3

Common Core Standard

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events

Materials Needed

Three different color sticky notes (one set for each student)

A copy of “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” by Deborah Stevenson

Image of Soren

Computer access to or print out of French Bulldog Information from www.akc.org.

Lesson Instructions

Introduction and Teacher Modeling

• Explain to the students (and write on the board) that every character in a story has three important things that describe them.
• The first is traits. A character’s traits mean what they look like and how they behave. Encourage students to explain how a character’s traits might influence events in a story. An example of a trait might be that a character is brave. This character’s bravery will be featured in the story and will affect the plot.
• The second important thing that describes a character is their motivations. Motivations mean what the character wants. A common motivation in children’s stories is friendship. The main character often wants to find (or keep) friends. Ask students, “How might a character’s motivations influence events in a story?”
• The third important thing that describes a character is their feelings. For instance, if a character feels hurt by a friend’s words/behavior, it will affect the way he or she behaves and the plot of the story. Ask students how they think feelings affect what happens in a story.
• Be sure to write these explanations clearly on the board so that they can be referred to later in the lesson.

Guided Practice

• Give each student three different color sticky notes.
• Introduce the book “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” by Deborah Stevenson.
• Ask students to view the cover the book and consider who might be the main character in the story. Why do they believe that?
• Explain to the students that as you read, they should be making notes when they hear one of the three important things that describe a character. Remind them of the three important things: 1 (traits), 2 (motivations), or 3 (feelings).
• Every time they hear a trait of Soren described, (i.e. he is a French Bulldog) they write that detail on one colored sticky note.
• When they hear a motivation of Soren described, (i.e. he wants to win the agility championship) they write that detail on another colored sticky note.
• When they hear about feelings that Soren has, (i.e. he is sad when he cannot be a show dog) they write that detail the last colored sticky note.
• It might be helpful to place one color of each sticky note on the board and assign each color to be traits, motivation and feelings. Make sure this is in a central place so that students will not get mixed up as they work.
• Read the book aloud to the students. Be sure to pause when you come across traits, motivations and feelings so that students have ample time to jot them down. If you find that some students aren’t writing, stop and review so that all students copy down each trait, motivation and feeling.

Interactive Modeling

• Post the drawing of Soren on the board or wall. If you have a document camera or Smart Board, it would be ideal to utilize that so that you may enlarge the drawing to be the size of the board.
• Invite students to come up to the board and post their “trait” sticky notes on the image of Soren.
• If you have the capability to project your computer screen to be visible for students, show them the details about the French Bulldog breed from the AKC website. If you do not have the capability to project it, divide students into groups so that they may view the information on classroom computers while you read through it. If you do not have classroom computers, you can print the material from the site.
• Read through the description of a French Bulldog and ask students to volunteer ways that Soren is similar and ways he is different.
• Read through the traits that the students stuck to Soren. Ask students to describe ways that these traits affected the story. If they struggle, give them some examples. For instance, Soren was a big French Bulldog and was unable to be a show dog. This allowed him to try a different path, agility. For reference, refer back to the AKC French Bulldog traits. (i.e. Most French Bulldogs are not athletic, however Soren was very athletic. How did this affect the story?).
• Once all traits have been reviewed, invite students to post their “motivations” sticky notes on the image of Soren.
• Ask students to describe ways that Soren’s motivations affected the story. If they struggle, give them some examples. For instance, Soren wanted to make Deb happy so he worked hard to win the agility championship.
• Once all traits have been reviewed, invite students to post their “feelings” sticky notes on the image of Soren.
• Ask students to describe ways that Soren’s feelings affected the story. If they struggle, give them some examples. For instance, Soren felt excited to compete in the agility trial where he earned his championship. He didn’t want to sit down before beginning.

Review and Closing

• When all of the important things that describe a character have been reviewed, ask students to explain why these things are important in a story and how they might affect the story (i.e. they give the reader more detail, they help the reader relate to the character, etc.)

Additional Information

You can find other great resources for “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” at here.

Additional standards based lesson plans, hands-on activities and professional development can be found on the AKC® Educator Resources page.

Comparing Point of View in Soaring Soren : Grades 4-5

Learning Objectives

Describe the way a narrator’s point of view affects a story and compare and contrast points of view for the same story.

Grade Levels

4-5

Common Core Standard

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.6
Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

Materials Needed

Point of View graphic organizer

Computer and projector (to project website and video)

A copy of “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” by Deborah Stevenson

Comic strip template for students

Lesson Instructions

Introduction and Teacher Modeling

• Explain to students that prior knowledge and background information helps us to understand a story better.
• Tell students that today you will be reading the story “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” by Deborah Stevenson and considering how the narrator’s point of view influences the events in the book.
• You will also be reading about French Bulldogs and learning more about the real Soren and his owner (the author of the book) in order to determine how those perspective’s also influence the book.

Guided Practice

• Give each student a copy of the Point of View graphic organizer.
• If you have the capability to project your computer screen to be visible for students, show them the details about the French Bulldog breed from the AKC website.
• Read through the material with the students and have them take notes in the graphic organizer about what they learn and the point of view in which the information is written.
• Once they are finished, use your projector to show students this video.
• While students are watching the video, they should take notes about what they learn and the point of view from the story.
• Finally, read the students the book “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” by Deborah Stevenson. While you are reading, have students take notes about the book and the point of view from the story.

Independent Work

• Give students a few minutes to complete their graphic organizer if needed.
• Have the AKC information, video and book available for students to use in case they need to review them again.
• Once all students are finished with the graphic organizer, pass out the comic strip sheet.
• Students will be creating a comic strip that shows the story of Soren through three perspectives: 1.) how he is similar to and different from the breed standard for French Bulldogs. 2.) the true story of Soren depicted in the video and 3.) Soren’s story from his point of view in the book.
• Each box in the comic strip is labeled with the resource that students should depict.
• The first perspective (and comic box) represents Soren vs the breed standard from AKC. Students may choose to draw a more “typical” French Bulldog, or Soren and a more “typical” French Bulldog side by side. Include a caption in the third person describing the typical French Bulldog. These are just examples. Students should be creative in their depictions.
• The second perspective (and comic box) represents the video of the real Soren. Students may choose to draw a picture of Soren competing and include a caption written in third person that describes the scene.
• The third perspective (and comic box) represents the book, “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” be Deborah Stevenson. Students may choose to draw Soren competing or with Deb. They should include a speech bubble to demonstrate that Soren is telling his own story.
• Students should be sure to use information from their graphic organizer and be creative in their artwork.
• When students are finished, they can share their comics with the class.

Review and Closing

• Review the way different points of view affect a story.
• Possible Discussion Topics:
  • If you had only read the description of the typical French Bulldog on the AKC website, and had not seen the video or read Soren’s story, would you think a French Bulldog could do something athletic like agility?
  • How can our ideas about what is typical affect our own stories? Example, a short child might never try to play basketball, even though he or she might be talented at basketball.
  • How does understanding the typical French Bulldog help us appreciate Soren’s accomplishment more?
  • How does the story in Soren’s words help us appreciate Soren’s accomplishment more?

Additional Information

You can find other great resources for “Soaring Soren: When French Bulldogs Fly” here.

Additional standards based lesson plans, hands-on activities and professional development can be found on the AKC® Educator Resources page.

Classroom Resource: “Soren Explains Agility”