If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon

Genre: Nonfiction
Author: Ellen Levine

Summary: The title explains it all. This book is giving readers information about the life of those who traveled west in a covered wagon. The Table of Contents page divides up the book into short, manageable sections, each labeled with a question such as, "What was a wagon train?" and "How far would you travel in a day?". Readers can look up a question they have about traveling in the west during this period and will find information that typically has a picture included with it. The print is large and easy to read for those students who are struggling but still fluent and interesting enough for higher readers to enjoy.

Lesson: I would group the students in my class and give each group of students a different "If You..." book that they would have to read and discuss as a group. Once they have done that, their assignment would be to present their book in a short skit with as much details from the book as possible, the skit lasting no more than 5 minutes. This will allow the students to become a master in one subject of history and allow those students to teach that subject to their classmates