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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Pictures of Hollis Woods

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Use Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff to turn your read aloud or small group work into a time to improve comprehension and talk about the text in purposeful ways.

This Newberry Honor Book shares the story of twelve-year-old Hollis; a foster child with a habit of running away. When she is placed with Josie, a kind and creative artist, Hollis feels safe enough to stay, but now there may be another reason to leave. Written in chapters that alternate between descriptions of Hollis's drawings and events of her current life, this is an ideal text for mini lessons focused on non-linear text structure and plot analysis.

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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Pictures of Hollis Woods in the drop down below.

Instructional Overview

The instructional overview includes instructional background for plot sturucture, instructional objectives for each of the Book Club meetings, and a list of the materials and preparation necessary to the Pictures of Hollis Woods Book Club.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

RL.5.6RL.5.5RL.5.4RL.5.3RL.5.2RL.5.1RL.5.7W.5.9L.5.6L.5.5L.5.4aW.5.8SL.5.1cSL.5.1bSL.5.1aRF.5.4RF.5.3RL.5.10RL.5.9

TEKS Alignment

5.7C5.9A5.8D5.8C5.8B5.8A5.7G5.7F5.7E5.7D5.9B5.7B5.7A5.6I5.6H5.6G5.6F5.6E5.6D5.10B5.13H5.13E5.13C5.13A5.10G5.10F5.10E5.10D5.10C5.6C5.10A5.9F5.9E(iii)5.9E(ii)5.9E(i)5.9D(iii)5.9D(ii)5.9D(i)5.6B5.6A5.1D5.1A5.1C

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Management Resources

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.

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Meeting 1

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff is an ideal text for investigating the plot structure of a non-linear story. With alternating chapters of flashbacks and present day, students will use the help of a plot diagram to keep track of events in the story.

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Meeting 2

Author Patricia Reilly Giff uses clues in Pictures of Hollis Woods to let the reader know when the events are in chronological order. Students will notice time order words and the sequence of events to infer that the chapter is proceeding in a linear order.

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Meeting 3

In Pictures of Hollis Woods, author Patricia Reilly Giff writes in italics to indicate that she has switched to writing about the main character's past. By providing information about Hollis' past and present, the reader is able to more deeply understand the text.

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Meeting 4

When looking at just the linear portions of Pictures of Hollis Woods, students are able to discuss the events of the text using a plot diagram to organize their thinking.

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Meeting 5

Student discussion of why author Patricia Reilly Giff used alternating chapters when writing Pictures of Hollis Woods leads to a discovery that this method of telling the story allows the author to paint a more complete picture of the main character. By learning about her past, the reader can understand why she behaves the way she does in the present.

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Meeting 6

As Pictures of Hollis Woods ends, the present day chapters and flashback chapters intersect. The use, and coming together, of two plot lines plays a significant role in the reader's ability to visualize the text. Author Patricia Reilly Giff crafted this novel in this way so that the reader feels like they know Hollis and can truly understand the story.

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Vocabulary Connections with Pictures of Hollis Woods

This set of vocabulary development resources for Pictures of Hollis Woods highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book. Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

L.5.4a,L.5.5,L.5.6

TEKS Alignment

5.7E,5.7F,5.3A,5.3B

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Focus Assessment and Rubric

Use this six-question assessment to determine whether or not students understand the key concepts associated with plot structure.

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Comprehension Assessment with Pictures of Hollis Woods

This 9 question Common Core aligned assessment can be used to determine students' overall comprehension of Pictures of Hollis Woods and their mastery of the Common Core State Standards.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

TEKS Alignment

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Running Record with Pictures of Hollis Woods

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with Pictures of Hollis Woods. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

TEKS Alignment

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Management Resources - Spanish

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.

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About the Book

The cover for the book Pictures of Hollis Woods

Title: Pictures of Hollis Woods

Author: Patricia Reilly Giff

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Self Management, Family, Self Awareness, Relationship Skills, Award Winners

ISBN: 9780307542281

Publisher's Summary:

Twelve-year-old Hollis Woods has spent her life moving from one foster home to another, never feeling like she truly belongs. Gifted in art, Hollis expresses her emotions and memories through detailed drawings, capturing both her hopes and her struggles. When she is placed with Josie, a retired art teacher who sees and nurtures Hollis's talent, she begins to experience genuine connection—but Josie's increasing forgetfulness threatens their newfound bond. As Hollis navigates life with Josie, memories of a previous foster family, the Regans, resurface. The Regans offered Hollis the sense of belonging she longed for, but a mysterious event caused her to run away, convinced she had ruined their family. The story unfolds through the interplay of Hollis's present with Josie and flashbacks to her time with the Regans, illuminating her journey toward trust, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. This novel delicately explores themes of belonging, resilience, the meaning of family, and the healing power of creativity. Teachers will find it an excellent springboard for discussions about empathy, foster care, and the importance of art in self-expression.

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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Pictures of Hollis Woods