Annie Walsh
EDC 423
Book Activity 2
Magic tree House Book: The Knight at Dawn
I think that this Magic Tree House Book: The Knight at Dawn could be
considered a hybrid text. This book is written for a younger school aged child, while
this book doesn’t follow the same structure as The Magic School Bus or other hybrid
books, I think that it can still fall under this category. One reason I think this is
because throughout the book, as Jack and Annie go on their adventure, the reader is
able to learn about different things in the Middle Ages. An example taken from the
book is, when Jack and Annie first arrive at the castle they read their book and learn
that Knights wear armor, and that it protects them from dangerous things and that it
can weigh a lot. They also learn what a moat is and what its purpose is, while Jack
and Annie read and learn about these things, the reader is also able to learn along
with them.
The big idea in The Knight at Dawn would to know how to problem solve
with the things you have at hand. Jack and Annie had to find a way to get out of a
bad situation when they were stuck in the dungeon using the items that they had
available. I think the main ideas of this story were to find out more about the Middle
Ages, and the different precautions kingdoms took to protect themselves. They had
moats, drawbridges, hawk houses, guards, dungeons etc. They also learned about
the activities that went on in castles and what they were for.
Many parts of this book are true facts since the reader is learning about what
goes on in the Middle Ages. One part that is true is when the reader finds out about
moats, and how they are filled with water to protect the castle from enemies. Or
when learning about knight’s armor and how it is used to protect them on their
journey’s or battles. When we are given information relating to what goes on in this
time period, these facts are true. The parts of this book that wouldn’t be true would
be when Annie and Jack travel back in time by wishing on a book and the tree house
being their portal to the different realms.
Math
•Learn about
sundials and how
they told time
•Measurement and
Money
Social
Studies
•Learn about coat of
arms and specific
symbols and what
they symbolized
•Learn about castles
and the meaning and
thier purpose
Science
/Techn
ology
ELA
•Read about
kingdoms, kings
and queens and
how they ruled
•King Aurhur and
the sword and the
stone and Robin
Hood
Art
•Learn about the
different
inventions through
the time period
•Teach about
catapults and what
they were used for
•Coat of
Arms/Family Crests
what was used to
create them and
what was used to
create them
•Stain Glass how
they were created
etc.
•Activity: Create coat
of arms of their own
I have chosen MTH The Knight at Dawn for the second book activity. The reason I
chose this book is because the cover picture interested me and I wanted to find out
more as to why Jack and Annie are riding with a Knight. For the activity, I will be
focusing on art and social studies, I have chosen these two areas because art was
and still is a very important part of culture. Even though coat of arms/family crests
were not mentioned in the book, it is a part of the culture back in this time. It is both
related to art and social studies because again it is significant in their culture and a
piece of art. If this is for younger kids, I would have different cut outs of animals and
other pieces that would create a whole coat of arms, if this was for the older kids, I
would have them do some research about a specific animal and the other pieces like
colors etc. and why they chose them.
Activity: Create Coat of Arms
(http://www.storyboardtoys.com/gallery/coat-of-arms-lesson-plan.htm)