The One and Only Ivan
Written by Katherine Applegate
Digital Salon by Abby Apsey, Jemi Perrin and Victoria Ruhlig
Digital Salon by Abby Apsey, Jemi Perrin and Victoria Ruhlig
Written Response
After reading “The One and Only Ivan”, you will be working on a text-based essay response. Within this response, you are expected to use text evidence to help support your one-page reflection on how one or more of the character’s emotions were used within the book to help draw you as a reader in and connect to the book. Parts of the book that you could focus on within this response could include:
- Your favorite part of the book and why.
- How Ivan’s emotions changed throughout the book.
- Who was the voice of reason throughout the book and why.
- How each character played a part in the storyline and how their emotions affected the writing.
- Parts of the book you resonated with the most and why.
- 5.WS.9a- Apply grade 5 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or a drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., how characters interact]”)
- 5.WS.4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Mentor Text
Part 1: Example of Written Reflection
When we were first introduced to Ivan in the book The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate he seemed to be content with life however not happy and he seemed angry about the environment he was in and his lack of control over it. In the chapter, The Exit 8 big top mall and video arcade, Ivan shares, “My domain is at one end of the ring. I live here because I am too much gorilla and not enough human”, when Ivan said this I was able to connect to this because I got the impression that Ivan feels as if he does not fit it, he does not fully feel like a gorilla because he is around humans entirely. Still, he does not feel like a human because he is not one. I was able to connect with this because I feel this way while at school, I am not cool enough to hang out with the popular kids but I am also not nerdy enough to hang out with the smart kids, I am somewhere in the in-between. Ivan shares similar statements that give way to the emotions of dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and anger at times. However, around the middle of the book, a new elephant comes to the mall; Ruby, and shortly after the older elephant Stella, passes away this is a turning point in the book and Ivan’s emotions because Stella asked Ivan to help Ruby get out of the mall and have a better life than Stella had.
After this point in the book, we see a change in Ivan he now has a new determination to help Ruby as he promised Stella, through this Ivan shows emotions of determination, frustration, and finally satisfaction and true happiness. Ivan puts in a lot of work to help save Ruby and without meaning to he also saves himself and the other animals at the mall. In the chapter, More Boxes Ivan and Bob are talking about how more boxes have shown up, not just one for Ruby, the following is part of the conversation started by Bob, “They brought in a bunch of boxes while you were sleeping. Looks to me like they’re taking the whole lot of you”. At the start of this chapter, Ivan is confused which leads to that conversation and after realizing what is happening thanks to Bob Ivan feels unsure because he was not trying to save himself, just Ruby. Seeing the box also brings back past memories of the last time he was in one of those boxes and how he lost his sister during that time in the box. I was able to connect to these feelings because I to been taken back in time to unhappy memories because of an event happening in the past and how you are trying to look toward the future but also stuck in the past because of the emotions tied to the past event.
When we were first introduced to Ivan in the book The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate he seemed to be content with life however not happy and he seemed angry about the environment he was in and his lack of control over it. In the chapter, The Exit 8 big top mall and video arcade, Ivan shares, “My domain is at one end of the ring. I live here because I am too much gorilla and not enough human”, when Ivan said this I was able to connect to this because I got the impression that Ivan feels as if he does not fit it, he does not fully feel like a gorilla because he is around humans entirely. Still, he does not feel like a human because he is not one. I was able to connect with this because I feel this way while at school, I am not cool enough to hang out with the popular kids but I am also not nerdy enough to hang out with the smart kids, I am somewhere in the in-between. Ivan shares similar statements that give way to the emotions of dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and anger at times. However, around the middle of the book, a new elephant comes to the mall; Ruby, and shortly after the older elephant Stella, passes away this is a turning point in the book and Ivan’s emotions because Stella asked Ivan to help Ruby get out of the mall and have a better life than Stella had.
After this point in the book, we see a change in Ivan he now has a new determination to help Ruby as he promised Stella, through this Ivan shows emotions of determination, frustration, and finally satisfaction and true happiness. Ivan puts in a lot of work to help save Ruby and without meaning to he also saves himself and the other animals at the mall. In the chapter, More Boxes Ivan and Bob are talking about how more boxes have shown up, not just one for Ruby, the following is part of the conversation started by Bob, “They brought in a bunch of boxes while you were sleeping. Looks to me like they’re taking the whole lot of you”. At the start of this chapter, Ivan is confused which leads to that conversation and after realizing what is happening thanks to Bob Ivan feels unsure because he was not trying to save himself, just Ruby. Seeing the box also brings back past memories of the last time he was in one of those boxes and how he lost his sister during that time in the box. I was able to connect to these feelings because I to been taken back in time to unhappy memories because of an event happening in the past and how you are trying to look toward the future but also stuck in the past because of the emotions tied to the past event.
Podcasting
After reading “The One and Only Ivan”, you will create a podcast. This podcast should include a narration of you Sharing your standpoint on the Big Top Mall and how you believe animals should/shouldn’t be treated in captivity. Then you are required to imagine you were Mack in the story. I want you to describe what you would do as Mack when it comes to how he treated the animals. Then you should explain why you would act differently than Mack did. How would the story change if Mack acted the way you would have? You are also required to pick a song to play in the background that you think aligns best with your opinion to give listeners a deeper connection with what you are saying. The purpose of doing this podcast is to make the reader dig deeper into the story than what is being read and to give the reader get a better sense of why the characters were who they were and why.
During this podcast you should:
5.SLS.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
5.SLS.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
During this podcast you should:
5.SLS.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
5.SLS.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
Click to hear the mentor text!
Digital Storytelling
While reading The One and Only Ivan students should have noticed that mostly everything was told from Ivans's perspective. In this project, they will pick a portion of the book and create their digital story using Ruby's perspective which is the elephant that came in later in the story. While doing this activity students will engage in critical thinking and great creativity while they are creating their digital story. They are going to have to use their creativity to make up their digital story, the story is not based on Ruby's perspective but in their digital story that is how they will be writing it. They will also have to choose how they want to create their digital story. In this digital story that they will be creating they will first have to rewrite a portion of the story, The One and Only Ivan but write it in Ruby's eyes. Once they have written their story, they will then create illustrations of their digital story either using paper, technology, or even actual props. Once they have completed their illustrations they will use technology to put their story and their illustrations together in a video making sure that they match up.
This project will give students the opportunity to look at the story differently and see how much it could have changed if it was told is someone else's point of view. Even in real life, we as humans can see things differently than our friends do which is a very important lesson to learn.
Types of authors' craft we will focus on: Onomatopoeia, they will be required to use onamonapia at least twice in their digital story. We will also focus on personification, this is a big form of the author's craft that is used in the story The One and Only Ivan so we will carry that into our digital story.
Standards:
This project will give students the opportunity to look at the story differently and see how much it could have changed if it was told is someone else's point of view. Even in real life, we as humans can see things differently than our friends do which is a very important lesson to learn.
Types of authors' craft we will focus on: Onomatopoeia, they will be required to use onamonapia at least twice in their digital story. We will also focus on personification, this is a big form of the author's craft that is used in the story The One and Only Ivan so we will carry that into our digital story.
Standards:
- 5. WS.6: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
- 5.LS.5: Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas of themes.
Click to hear the digital story!
Infographic
In the book we just finished, “The One and Only Ivan” there was a lot of detail given and small stories shared about the mistreatment of the different animals at The Big Top Mall. As a pair, you are to create a poster calling attention to the mistreatment of animals. The purpose of this assignment is to draw information from the text and for you to make a poster presentation of the information. You will include at least 3 examples from the text that illustrate the mistreatment of animals. For each example, include a heading to label the event and use a direct quote from the text to illustrate your example. In addition, you should include at least one examples from research to describe how animals may be mistreated in our communities today. The use of illustrations is expected but they should be used to help draw attention and give clues as to what the poster is about. You will be creating this poster using your classroom computers.
Standards:
Standards:
- 5.LS.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- 5.LS.3- Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.