Teaching activities for "the flip-flop girl" by katherine paterson
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Written by Katherine Paterson, "The Flip-Flop Girl" tells the story of Vinnie, a young girl struggling to come to terms with the death of her father. Her predicament is exacerbated when the family are forced to leave their home town and move across the country to live with their grandmother in Virginia. Often read by students in grade five or six, this story deals with the complex themes of loss, adjustment and friendship.
Character Assessment
To help students get to know the characters from "The Flip-Flop Girl," have them write a character assessment. To do this, split the class into six groups and give each group one of the following characters- Vinnie, Mason, Mom, Grandma, Mr. Clayton and Loop. Each group now has 20 minutes to compile an assessment presentation of their character. They should include a physical description, likes and dislikes, contribution to the plot and relationship with other characters. Encourage students to use supporting quotes. On completion, each group should present their findings to the rest of the class.
Student-and-Teacher Relationships
In "The Flip-Flop Girl," Vinnie's relationship with her teacher, Mr. Clayton, is of great importance in driving the plot. As a class, discuss the basis of this relationship. Students should comment on how Mr. Clayton brings great joy to Vinnie's life but also creates jealousy and conflict with Lupe. Make a verbal list of the reasons why Vinnie feels betrayed by Mr. Clayton. After the discussion, ask students to write a reflection on student-and-teacher relationships. Encourage them to refer directly to their own experiences. Students can also use examples from the story to consider the positive and negative aspects of student-and-teacher relationships.
Adjustment
In this activity, students consider Vinnie's experience of moving to a new school. This is a particularly useful activity if you have new students in your class, as they can contribute to the discussion. Start the discussion by asking students to find quotes from the book that illustrate Vinnie's adjustment in her new school. Was her experience positive, negative or both? What factors helped or hindered her adjustment? Students can then contribute their ideas about adjusting to a new school and how this process can be made easier. As a homework activity, ask students to write one paragraph that summarizes Vinnie's adjustment into her new school.
Tags: Flip-Flop Girl, activity students, girl katherine, girl katherine paterson, positive negative, relationship with, student-and-teacher relationshipsSource: www.ehow.com
