21st Century Skills for Elementary Librarians Class
Online Portion Assignment
Critical Thinking/Questioning Using, The Farmer, by Mark Ludy
Have students observe the cover of the book. Ask students what they can predict just
from the cover. What clues in the cover helped to make that prediction?
Ask the students to make mental notes about the events that occur in this story.
Read, The Farmer, to the students.
Ask the students:
What personality traits does the farmer have? (Looking for love of animals, joy in his
work, kind, loving, generous, enjoys the simple life, perseverance, faith, compassion,
forgiveness.
Why do you think the farmer is happy with his life? Can you give me some details from
the text that helped you answer this question?
What hardships does the farmer face?
Do you agree or disagree about the farmer’s decisions to financially save his farm? What
other choices do you think the farmer may have considered?
What were you thinking and feeling when the farmer lost his crops as a result of his
neighbor’s actions? What would you do in this situation?
Why, do you think, the farmer reacts the way he does when lightening strikes his
neighbor’s fields? Would you have reacted differently?
Why do you think the farmer was surprised with a sudden harvest from his garden?
Who benefited from this harvest?
What was the farmer’s final reward? Why do you think this happened?
What do you think the author’s message is in this book? Is this important? Why or why
not?
Will the author’s message make a difference in your life?