Nelson Literacy 9a
It Takes Courage
Teenager Leaps to the Rescue
Magazine Article
True courage is risking your own safety to help a stranger. That’s
what teenager Cody Phillips did on April 12, 2008, in his Tulsa,
Oklahoma, neighbourhood. Cody Phillips and his neighbour
Zach Miller hardly knew each other before, but everything changed
that Saturday afternoon. Cody, 17, was stuck at home cleaning
out his family’s garage. Immersed in his work, he wasn’t paying
attention to the neighbours’ pit bull and Shar-pei, who were
making a commotion in the yard beside his.
When Cody’s mother, Shannon, heard a child scream, she
dropped everything and ran next door to see what was wrong.
To her horror, when she peered through the fence, she could see
five-year-old Zach being viciously attacked by the two dogs. Zach
had been playing outside when the dogs grabbed him and pulled
him through the fence, dragging him more than 18 m.
Cody, hearing his mother’s urgent calls for help, rushed to the
scene and instinctively jumped over the fence to the boy’s rescue.
“I had so much adrenaline going through my body … I wasn’t even
scared,” says Cody. He sprinted to Zach’s side as fast as he could,
spooking the dogs into dropping the boy and retreating. But Cody
wasn’t convinced they would stay away. When he saw them getting
ready to attack again, he protected Zach by throwing himself on
top of the child. As the two boys lay cornered, Shannon’s husband,
Andy, hurried outside, and he and his wife broke down the gate.
Andy was then able to fight off the dogs with a board, while Cody
rushed Zach to safety.
Zach was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for extensive
injuries and received over a hundred stitches. The Miller family
couldn’t begin to thank Cody for saving their child. “He was a hero
by putting his life at risk and saving my son,” said Zach’s mother,
Dana. Zach was well enough to enjoy his birthday party a few days
later, at which Cody—no longer a stranger—was a welcome guest.
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
1
Nelson Literacy 9a
1
It Takes Courage
Teacher Notes for
“Teenager Leaps to the Rescue”
FOCUS
USING THE
SELECTION
Understanding
Understanding Reading
Reading Strategies:
Strategies: Visualizing
Visualize and Make Connections
Students
needto
support
withThen
the content
this e-mail.
Access their
prior knowledge
Read
the may
selection
students.
reread of
it using
the suggested
demonstrations.
of Prince Edward Island, beach holidays, and sand dunes. Cover parts 2 to 5 of the
transparency, revealing each part only as you begin instruction for it.
MODELLING THE STRATEGY SUGGESTED DEMONSTRATION
Visualizing, or using the words on a page to create
pictures in my mind, helps me understand and
respond to texts. Making connections from a text to
something I already know helps me understand and
remember what I read.
Nelson Literacy 9a
Teenager Leaps to the Rescue
Magazine Article
Visualize.
Descriptive words help me visualize. When I read the •
title, I think of a teenager leaping into the water to
help another person.
Make text-to-self connections.
I can make a text-to-self connection to Cody’s actions •
at the start of the story. I, too, have promised to help
with housework. Usually when I’m doing chores I ignore
everything around me so I can finish quickly. This
connection helps me understand how Cody was feeling.
Make text-to-world connections.
I can make a text-to-world connection. This story
•
reminds me of some facts that I’ve heard about pit
bulls on the news. I’ve heard about children being hurt
by pit bulls, but I’ve also seen friendly pit bulls. From
this, I can infer that the way a dog is trained can affect
how it acts toward other people and animals.
True courage is risking your own safety to help a stranger. That’s
what teenager Cody Phillips did on April 12, 2008, in his Tulsa,
Oklahoma, neighbourhood. Cody Phillips and his neighbour
Zach Miller hardly knew each other before, but everything changed
that Saturday afternoon. Cody, 17, was stuck at home cleaning
out his family’s garage. Immersed in his work, he wasn’t paying
attention to the neighbours’ pit bull and Shar-pei, who were
making a commotion in the yard beside his.
When Cody’s mother, Shannon, heard a child scream, she
dropped everything and ran next door to see what was wrong.
To her horror, when she peered through the fence, she could see
five-year-old Zach being viciously attacked by the two dogs. Zach
had been playing outside when the dogs grabbed him and pulled
him through the fence, dragging him more than 18 m.
Cody, hearing his mother’s urgent calls for help, rushed to the
scene and instinctively jumped over the fence to the boy’s rescue.
“I had so much adrenaline going through my body … I wasn’t even
scared,” says Cody. He sprinted to Zach’s side as fast as he could,
spooking the dogs into dropping the boy and retreating. But Cody
wasn’t convinced they would stay away. When he saw them getting
ready to attack again, he protected Zach by throwing himself on
top of the child. As the two boys lay cornered, Shannon’s husband,
Andy, hurried outside, and he and his wife broke down the gate.
Andy was then able to fight off the dogs with a board, while Cody
rushed Zach to safety.
Zach was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for extensive
injuries and received over a hundred stitches. The Miller family
couldn’t begin to thank Cody for saving their child. “He was a hero
by putting his life at risk and saving my son,” said Zach’s mother,
Dana. Zach was well enough to enjoy his birthday party a few days
later, at which Cody—no longer a stranger—was a welcome guest.
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
•
Make text-to-text connections.
I can make a text-to-text connection to another
news report I read about a man rushing into a
burning house to help save lives. This helps me
understand that Cody is brave and selfless.
Identify a disconnect.
I would never face two angry dogs on my own. The •
disconnect between what I would do and what Cody
did helps me appreciate his courage.
STUDENT TALK
• Have students reread the selection, using a T-chart as they read. Have them write descriptive
words from the selection in the left column and what the words make them visualize in the
right column. Have partners compare their images and discuss why they are different.
• Ask: What connections did you make during the reading of the selection? Why? What kind of
connections do you make most often when you read? How does this kind of connection help
you make meaning from what you read?
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
It Takes Courage
1
Nelson Literacy 9a
It Takes Courage
2
Bungee!
Speech by Kyle Shewfelt
I recently watched a video that stirred up a lot of
emotion inside of me. It was a video of a close
friend who is on the adventure of a lifetime.
She was strapped in by her ankles and standing
on top of a bridge. You could tell that she was facing
fear head on, and you knew, you just knew, that she
was determined to conquer it. The way she stepped
toward the edge showed something that I have never
seen in her before. She had courage and excitement.
They counted down: 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … and she
leaped off the bridge and took the plunge (or bunge!).
She was bungee jumping in New Zealand!
While I watched, I was both proud and scared, and
I found myself feeling a little bit envious. She is pushing
her boundaries, and I can honestly say that I would have
never imagined it to be possible … until I saw it with my
own two eyes.
I think that moment will be a very symbolic one in her life.
It’s like she told the world, “Get lost! I am brave. I am sick of standing
on the edge of this bridge, contemplating what comes next. I am ready to
start living!!!” And with that strength behind her decision, she dove into a
new realm of herself, full of confident awareness and ready to stop settling
for just standing on the edge.
It got me to thinking: my life is seriously lacking adventure. My life is
wonderful, but I am still sitting perched in the middle of comfort. I am not
pushing myself as far as I should be. A quote I once heard comes to mind,
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments
that take our breath away.”
Removing ourselves from our comfort zones is the only way that we can
learn, grow, and evolve. I continually encourage others to push themselves,
disregard judgment, and start living the life that they want. But am I preaching
something that I am actually internally afraid of committing to myself?
What about you? What is on your adventurous “things to do” list?
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
Nelson Literacy 9a
2
It Takes Courage
Teacher Notes for “Bungee!”
FOCUS
Understanding
Reading Strategies:
Visualizing
Understanding Listening
and Speaking
Strategies: Listen Effectively and Speak Effectively
USING THE
SELECTION
Students
needonce
support
with
content demonstrations
of this e-mail. Access
their prior
knowledge
Read
the may
selection
using
thethe
suggested
for effective
listening
and a
of Prince
Edward
beach holidays,
sand dunes.
Cover parts 2 to 5 of the
second
time
usingIsland,
the demonstrations
forand
effective
speaking.
transparency, revealing each part only as you begin instruction for it.
MODELLING THE STRATEGY SUGGESTED DEMONSTRATION
Listen effectively.
There are strategies we can use while listening to an
oral text that will help us retain what we are hearing.
Visualize.
When the speaker describes the video of his friend’s •
bungee jump, I can visualize the setting from
pictures I have seen of New Zealand. After he gives
the countdown, I can picture his friend leaping into
the air off the edge of the bridge.
Ask questions.
Asking questions can help me clarify information
•
I’ve heard. I’d ask the speaker why he said that his
friend was “pushing her boundaries.” Did she have a
fear of heights?
Make connections.
I can make a personal connection to how the
speaker feels about wanting to step out of his
comfort zone. I want to try something new to prove
to myself that I can succeed.
Speak effectively.
There are also strategies we can use when speaking
that will help us convey our messages effectively.
Provide details to help listeners
visualize and make connections.
•
The speaker’s depiction of the thoughts going
through his friend’s mind before her jump helps me
visualize the proud, defiant look she probably had on
her face. I could connect to this description of her
feelings because I sometimes feel like I am always
taking the safe road and wish that I took more risks.
Use body language to convey
meaning.
Speakers often use gestures and expressions to help •
convey their message. To help make his point, Kyle
may have pointed to himself or shaken his head with
a serious or thoughtful expression when he stated, “I
am not pushing myself as far as I should be.”
•
Nelson Literacy 9a
2
Bungee!
Speech by Kyle Shewfelt
I recently watched a video that stirred up a lot of
emotion inside of me. It was a video of a close
friend who is on the adventure of a lifetime.
She was strapped in by her ankles and standing
on top of a bridge. You could tell that she was facing
fear head on, and you knew, you just knew, that she
was determined to conquer it. The way she stepped
toward the edge showed something that I have never
seen in her before. She had courage and excitement.
They counted down: 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … and she
leaped off the bridge and took the plunge (or bunge!).
She was bungee jumping in New Zealand!
While I watched, I was both proud and scared, and
I found myself feeling a little bit envious. She is pushing
her boundaries, and I can honestly say that I would have
never imagined it to be possible … until I saw it with my
own two eyes.
I think that moment will be a very symbolic one in her life.
It’s like she told the world, “Get lost! I am brave. I am sick of standing
on the edge of this bridge, contemplating what comes next. I am ready to
start living!!!” And with that strength behind her decision, she dove into a
new realm of herself, full of confident awareness and ready to stop settling
for just standing on the edge.
It got me to thinking: my life is seriously lacking adventure. My life is
wonderful, but I am still sitting perched in the middle of comfort. I am not
pushing myself as far as I should be. A quote I once heard comes to mind,
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments
that take our breath away.”
Removing ourselves from our comfort zones is the only way that we can
learn, grow, and evolve. I continually encourage others to push themselves,
disregard judgment, and start living the life that they want. But am I preaching
something that I am actually internally afraid of committing to myself?
What about you? What is on your adventurous “things to do” list?
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
STUDENT TALK
• Ask: What connections did you make while listening to this personal story?
• Ask: What question would you ask Kyle after listening to his story?
• Have partners practise reading this speech using different gestures, expressions, and vocal
techniques. Ask: Which ones were the most effective? Why?
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
It Takes Courage
Nelson Literacy 9a
It Takes Courage
Inspiring Tale of Courage: Soul Surfer
Book Review
When Bethany Hamilton was 13, a huge
tiger shark attacked her while she was
surfing off the coast of Hawaii. It bit her
arm off. Three weeks later, Bethany was
surfing again. Soul Surfer is her inspiring
autobiography. Young readers should
definitely read this book.
Why read Soul Surfer? Because the
story is amazing. After the shark attack,
Bethany could think of only one thing—get
to the beach. She pushed her pain and
panic aside and used her one good arm
to paddle as fast as she could to shore.
Lifeguards believe her strong water
sense and positive outlook helped save
Bethany’s life.
Another reason to read Soul Surfer is that the story is inspiring.
It’s a story of courage and the ability to overcome life’s challenges.
When Bethany awoke in hospital after surgery, she asked, “When can
I surf again?” Just 10 weeks later, refusing any special allowances,
Bethany competed in a surfing championship. She admits that she
had to struggle with her fear of sharks—and she still is afraid of them.
But she knew she couldn’t, and wouldn’t, let that fear defeat her.
She’s now one of the most recognized female surfers in the world.
Soul Surfer is written in Bethany’s own unforgettable, vivid voice.
She engages her readers as she describes her life before and after
the shark attack. Readers will be captivated as she tells about her
recovery, challenges, and fears. Soul Surfer is a powerful page-turner
that will inspire readers to achieve things they never thought possible.
Bethany’s story proves that there is no obstacle that can’t be beaten
and no dream that can’t be realized. All readers who like adventure,
excitement, and inspiration should read this story.
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
3
Nelson Literacy 9a
3
It Takes Courage
Teacher Notes for
“Inspiring Tale of Courage: Soul Surfer ”
FOCUS
USING THE
SELECTION
Understanding
Strategies:
Visualizing
Understanding Reading
Form: Identify
the Elements
of Persuasive Text
Students
may that
needthey
support
with the
content
of this e-mail.
Access their
prior
Tell
students
are going
to read
an example
of persuasive
writing.
Askknowledge
them to
of Prince
Edward
Island,
beach holidays,
sand dunes.
Cover parts
to 5selection
of the with
look
at how
the writer
organized
the text and
to persuade
the reader.
Read2the
transparency,
each part
only as you begin instruction for it.
students
usingrevealing
the suggested
demonstrations.
MODELLING THE STRATEGY SUGGESTED DEMONSTRATION
Persuasive texts are clearly organized to convince an
audience to do or believe something. A book review
is one kind of persuasive text.
Nelson Literacy 9a
It Takes Courage
Inspiring Tale of Courage: Soul Surfer
Book Review
Begin with a purpose.
Use supporting ideas and
arguments.
Use transition words.
End with a conclusion that
restates the purpose.
Persuasive writers begin with a clear statement of •
purpose, called the thesis statement. This writer’s
purpose is to convince young readers that they
should read Soul Surfer. She uses an incredible fact
from the book to grab the readers’ attention. We
can predict that her review will explain why young
readers will enjoy the book.
•
Supporting your thesis with arguments and
examples is an important element of a persuasive
text. This writer devotes each of her paragraphs to
a different reason why young readers will enjoy the
book. She uses engaging examples from the book
and a quotation to help support her purpose.
The author uses transition words such as because •
and another reason to introduce her evidence. These
words show the reader how the author’s ideas are
connected.
When Bethany Hamilton was 13, a huge
tiger shark attacked her while she was
surfing off the coast of Hawaii. It bit her
arm off. Three weeks later, Bethany was
surfing again. Soul Surfer is her inspiring
autobiography. Young readers should
definitely read this book.
Why read Soul Surfer? Because the
story is amazing. After the shark attack,
Bethany could think of only one thing—get
to the beach. She pushed her pain and
panic aside and used her one good arm
to paddle as fast as she could to shore.
Lifeguards believe her strong water
sense and positive outlook helped save
Bethany’s life.
Another reason to read Soul Surfer is that the story is inspiring.
It’s a story of courage and the ability to overcome life’s challenges.
When Bethany awoke in hospital after surgery, she asked, “When can
I surf again?” Just 10 weeks later, refusing any special allowances,
Bethany competed in a surfing championship. She admits that she
had to struggle with her fear of sharks—and she still is afraid of them.
But she knew she couldn’t, and wouldn’t, let that fear defeat her.
She’s now one of the most recognized female surfers in the world.
Soul Surfer is written in Bethany’s own unforgettable, vivid voice.
She engages her readers as she describes her life before and after
the shark attack. Readers will be captivated as she tells about her
recovery, challenges, and fears. Soul Surfer is a powerful page-turner
that will inspire readers to achieve things they never thought possible.
Bethany’s story proves that there is no obstacle that can’t be beaten
and no dream that can’t be realized. All readers who like adventure,
excitement, and inspiration should read this story.
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
The conclusion should repeat the main purpose of the
•
text, and it may call on readers to do something. This
author concludes by using new wording to summarize
the evidence she provided in the body of her review. Her
last sentence restates her thesis in a more specific way.
STUDENT TALK
• Tell students that persuasive writers need to choose strong words to elicit a specific response.
Ask: Which words/phrases in this selection do you think are most powerful for encouraging
people to read this book? What kind of evidence most persuades you to read something
(e.g., quotations, statistics, examples, powerful words)?
• Ask: How do you think the author planned this piece of writing? What type of organizer would
you use to plan a persuasive text?
• Ask: Does this review make you want to read the book Soul Surfer? Why or why not?
Copyright © 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
3
Nelson Literacy 9a
It Takes Courage
Read-Aloud
PURPOSE
Literacy
To model the reading strategies Visualizing and Making Connections
BEFORE YOU READ
• Ask students to reminisce about learning something new for the first time (e.g., riding a bike). Briefly discuss the
emotions that students felt before, during, and after the learning process.
• Ask students what they know about skateboarding (e.g., skateboarding terms, difficulty level).
• Say, As I read this personal story, think about the connections you can make to the information in the text. Try to visualize the
characters, the setting, and the actions in the story to help you better understand what I am reading.
Learning to Skateboard … Again
Personal Story Submitted to 2 Do Before I Die by Michael Ogden and Chris Day
1988: “Are you sure you want to do that?” I was about to say, as my friend
Chris attempted a “boneless drop-in” at our local skate ramp. Jumping in the
air onto his skateboard, Chris slipped and his face slammed into the concrete
with a soft thud as his board flew backward. We loaded him into a shopping
cart, blood trickling from his chin, and headed to the nearest emergency
room. Four stitches later, Chris vowed never to return to the half-pipe.
2004: I thought about Chris as I stood outside the Extreme Skateboard
Park and watched a teenager perform a picture-perfect boneless drop-in
(where one foot is lifted off the board in midair while turning around). I felt
a sense of longing for my own skateboarding days. Then I remembered that
world champion skater Tony Hawk is at least three years older than I am and
still skates every day. Perhaps it wasn’t too late, after all.
At the skate shop, I was relieved to see a few others who were my age—even
a little bit older. Perhaps I wasn’t entirely crazy. Then I found out that they
were buying skateboards for their kids. So I plunked down $200 for the best
skateboard, pads, and XL helmet money could buy.
In order to minimize the number of witnesses to my return to the sport,
I showed up minutes after the park opened and headed straight to the
“micro-pipe”—the skateboarding equivalent of a kiddies’ pool. I was
thankful for my wrist guards as my muscle memories slowly resurfaced after
16 years of dormancy.
By the time a few 14-year-old skaters arrived at the micro-pipe, I had
regained my skating legs, but had yet to “drop in.”
Almost telepathically, a freckle-faced 14-going-on-40-year-old said, “Have
you dropped in yet?”
“Not for 16 years.”
“Because it’s really hard to rock to fakie if you don’t drop in.”
I was perplexed. “Rock to fakie?”
“Yeah, what you were trying to do.”
NEL
The author uses descriptive
words in this opening
paragraph that helped me
to create a movie in my
mind of the accident. I was
able to visualize Chris’s facial
expression when he realized
that he wasn’t going to land
on his feet. I could almost
hear the sound of his body
hitting the pavement.
I had a similar experience
when I was learning to ski
for the first time. I had to
start on the “bunny slopes,”
and I didn’t want anyone
to see me. I can connect
to the author’s feeling
of embarrassment and
fear of failing when trying
something new.
1
Nelson Literacy 9a
It Takes Courage
In the process of moving back and forth along the ramp, I had been trying
to “rock to fakie,” the same trick I had been practising when Chris split his
chin 16 years earlier. It involves locking one set of wheels on the top of the
ramp, pausing for a moment, then returning to the bowl without turning
around. It’s a “fakie” because the skater is pointed the opposite way from
usual. It’s ramp-riding 101.
The boy had observed my failed attempts silently for about five minutes
before saying, “You should really drop in.”
“I’m kind of freaked out by it.”
The boy smiled. “Oh, yeah, I was scared the first time I did it too.”
He proceeded to demonstrate the proper technique with accurate foot
placement and weight distribution.
I stood on the edge of the micro-pipe (we’re talking a metre drop
maximum), put my feet into the prescribed position, and hesitated. The boy
laughed. “You just have to go for it. The longer you stand there, the more
freaked you’ll get.”
So I pushed my front foot forward and rolled into the middle of the ramp,
where I lost my balance and fell backward.
“You got it. Just lean forward more next time.”
So I leaned forward and this time made it across to the other side. I didn’t
look particularly cool, but I wasn’t falling or splitting my chin.
The boy rubbed the chinstrap on his helmet thoughtfully.
“You’re ready to rock to fakie now.”
“I’m not sure.”
The boy-teacher shrugged and said, “You gotta learn sometime.”
I dropped in down the ramp, locked my wheel, paused for a single
glorious moment, then rolled back into the pipe and fell very, very hard. As a
final punctuation to the move, my board flew 6 m up in the air. After making
sure that I had not broken any bones, I felt disheartened. I looked up at
the boy, who nodded his head slowly and smiled. “You got it. You rocked
to fakie.”
Obviously, there was still a lot of work to do, but the boy was right. It
wasn’t graceful, but I had rocked to fakie. It’s a long way from a boneless
drop-in, but, like the kid said, “You gotta learn sometime.”
Read-Aloud
Since I’m not familiar with
skateboarding, I had to rely
on the narrator’s descriptive
words to visualize what it
would look like to “rock
to fakie.”
This story conflicted with
something I had heard in the
past. I have often heard the
expression, “you can’t teach
an old dog new tricks,” but
this story shows that if you
have good instruction and
take time to practise, you
can learn, or relearn, a skill
at any age.
STUDENT TALK
Encourage students to discuss these questions:
• I asked you to visualize the situations in the story as I read it aloud. Which of your visualizations
stands out the most to you now? Why do you think this picture remained in your mind?
• Did the connections you made before reading the story help you to understand the information
better? Why or why not? Did you continue to make connections as the story went on?
• Did anything in the text conflict with something you already knew about the topic? If so, what
was it?
• Why did the author include the event that occurred in 1988? How would the story have
changed if this had been omitted?
2
NEL