How to create literature ladders with examples.

1. Climbing the Literacy
Ladder
A novel idea for literature extensions

2. Table of Contents
 What are literature
ladders?
 Why are they useful
tools?
 What is on the rungs of
information?
 What types of extension
activities are included?
 What does the final
product look like?
 How do I make my own?
 Where do I get more
information?

3. What are literature ladders?
 Literature ladders were
originally described by Dr.
Annette Lamb, a professor
at Indiana University-
Indianapolis.
 They were innovated to be
engaging and active
learning objects that use
book-technology Dr. Annette Lamb
connections to extend
learning.

4. What are literature ladders?
 The goal of literature ladders is to transform
reading from a passive practice to an enriched,
multi-dimensional experience.
 Each “rung” of the “ladder” takes the reader to a
new learning task.
 Unlike a webquest, which leads the learner on a journey
that converges into a final product, a literature ladder is a
collection of divergent activities that expand ones
knowledge of a book.
 Like a webquest, literature ladders are not just a series of
web-based experiences, but rather a collection of
activities that promote higher-order thinking.

5. Concept Diagram
 6 - Theme
 5 – Character Study
 4 – Novel vs. Movie
 3 – Historical Context
 2 – Setting
 1 - Author

6. Today’s Literacy
 Traditionally, literacy has been associated with the
ability to read words on paper.
 Books
 Newspapers
 Job applications
 In the 1991 National Literacy Act, Congress
defined literacy as:
 "an individual's ability to read, write, and speak in
English, and compute and solve problems at levels of
proficiency necessary to function on the job and in
society, to achieve one's goals, and develop one's
knowledge and potential."

7. Fulfilling the definition
 “Literature ladders
challenge students to
think beyond the text
and connect it to their
lives and to the society
in which they live.”

8. Why are they useful tools?
 Literature ladders…
 Help students to build background knowledge.
 Add depth and breadth to the book being read.
 Help teachers to weave the technology content standards
into their content area standards.
 Allow students to make personal connections.
 Can be used in traditional and online courses.
 Can make interdisciplinary connections.
 Generate enthusiasm for reading.
 In essence, they invite experience rung by rung!

9. What is on the rungs of
information?
 Author & Illustrator  Interdisciplinary
 Homepages  Subject matter sites
 Interviews  Book-to-movie
 Biographies  Comparison/contrast
 Other works  Cast your own
 How to draw  Meaning of music selections
 Characters  Theme-related
 Biographical information
 Awards
 Character study
 Genre Study
 Setting
 Social Issues
 Travel sites
 Virtual globes  Personal Ties
 Audio & visual clips  Video and Audio clips
 Historical background  Modern Day connections

10. What type of extension activities
are included?
 Now that you have your rungs of information, how
do you determine what to do with the information?
 Think Creativity!
 Think Differentiation!
 Think Multiple Intelligences!
 Thinks Bloom’s taxonomy!
 Think Learning Styles!
 Think Making It Personal!
 Think Critical Thinking!

11. Activity Ideas
 Technology based activities  Judgment tasks
 Wikis  Self-knowledge tasks
 Blogs  Journal ideas
 Mind Maps  Analytical tasks
 Write/edit/verify a Wikipedia  Persuasion tasks
article
 Creative product tasks
 Compilation Tasks
 Design tasks
 Mystery tasks
 Journalistic tasks
 Retelling tasks
 More journaling ideas
 Consensus building tasks
 Literature response ideas
 Traditional writing
assignments  Diversity activities
 Short answer & extended  Finding textual evidence
response questions  Ethics activities
 Essays

12. Creative Activities Limited only by your imagination
• Multi-genre connections
• Critical thinking activities
• Scrapbooks
• Double-Entry Journal
• Create a video/promo material
• Musical interpretations
• Top 10 songs on your
characters iPod
• Write a song that retells
the story
• Convert novel to a picture
book
•ABC books
•More literature responses

13. What does the final product look
like?
 It’s your literature  Here are a few
ladder, so the final examples:
product is up to you!  The Great Gatsby
 It can be built in  Of Mice and Men
PowerPoint, Word, or  A Stranger Came Ashore
on a wiki.

14. How do I create my own?
 Choose a book!
 Cast a wide net
 Begin exploring all the web has to offer.
• Find author and illustrator info.
• Search for book info and lessons.
• Identify topics and resources
 Evaluate the quality of the sites you find.
 Consider how much time students will spend
completing the literature ladder and what
percentage of the grade you will allocate for their
work.

15. How do I create my own?
 Decide how many “rungs” will be on your ladder.
 Develop meaningful activities and learning
experiences.
 Include explicit instructions on what your expectations for
students are on each rung of the ladder.
 Implement & evaluate

16. Get it done! Create your own!

17. Where do I get more info?
 Web English Teacher : Learning activities that
correspond to specific books.
 Literature Studies: primary level book studies
created by gifted students using Bloom’s.
 Teacher Tap: provides access to practical online
activities and resources.
 The Literacy Center: a wiki with information from
some of the 2008 Literacy Center conference,
including information on literature ladders.

18. Works Cited
 http://eduscapes.com/ladders/index.htm
 http://webquest.sdsu.edu/taskonomy.html
 http://webquest.org/index.php
 http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/buildingblo
cks/p-index.htm
 http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/newsletters_arch
ive/oc0801.pdf