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The Last Leaf
Submitted by Fran of the U.S.A.

Time: 60 minutes

Level: Intermediate

Skills: Reading

Warm Up/Pre Reading: Kim’s Game: Using clipart or pictures from a magazine, collect images that are associated with the story. Pictures should be of: two girls, a painter, paint brush and pallet, a leaf, an empty bottle, a pocketbook, etc. Make a poster or an overhead with the images. Show the poster to the students for two minutes. Take the poster away and have students write down all the words of the images they saw on the poster/overhead. Give students a minute to check their answers with a partner, then show the students the poster/overhead to see how many words they got correct. Go over any vocabulary the students aren’t familiar with.

Ask students what they think the story will be about based on the images.

While Reading:

1. Ask students to read The Last Leaf through page 16.

2. Have Students answer the following inferential questions about The Last Leaf:

Why is the story set in winter?

What is a masterpiece? Is it valuable?

Where is Johnsy going (p. 14-15 "I must go too")?

What was Behrman drinking? P. 15 (She knew he had been drinking. She could smell it.)

What does Behrman think of Johnsy? Does he care about her? (p.16)

What is Behrman's relationship to the two girls?

3. Using a KWL chart (what we Know, what we Want to know, and what we’ve Learned), analyze Old Behrman’s character up until page 16. For example, they know that he drinks. In the W column a possible note could be “Why does he drink?” Try to fill in three or four points in both the K and the W categories and set aside.

4. Have students finish reading the story. Ask them to then fill in the L column based on what they’ve learned about Behrman by the end of the story.

Post Reading:
Using the chart below, with the students, map the story:

 

Extension activity:
If time permits, and it is culturally acceptable, have the students write a eulogy for Behrman.