by Pam Munoz Ryan
Ryan, Pam Munoz. (2007).
Paint the Wind.
New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Scholastic Press.
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Reading Level:
Lexile: 780L
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.5
Interest Level: 4th-7th Grade
Genre: Animal Stories
Description: horses, country life, extended families, farm and ranch life, self discovery.
Delivery Suggestion: Whole group read aloud
Summary: Maya has lead the life of a sheltered girl. Her Grandmother controls and manipulates her friends, and even her memories. Maya only has one thing left of her dead Mother; a box of toy horses. When she moves to Wyoming, she encounters her mother’s family who encourage her to confront the truth about who she really is. Maya feels the pull of a mysterious horse called Artemisia. Artemisia was once her mother’s horse and holds the key to helping Maya discover who she really is.
Electronic Resources:
- Artists http://www.mcbookwords.com/books/paintthewind.html Many of the horses in the book are named after painters of the American West. Use this site to have students explore the artist’s work. Student can use this as a writing activity and write about their favorite artist.
- Author http://www.pammunozryan.com/ Students can use this site to learn more about the author and the other books she has written. If student’s like this style of writing they can explore her other books and write down the ones they think they would like to read next.
- Wild Horse http://www.returntofreedom.org/ much of this book was about the wild horses and the challenges they are facing. Have students explore this site to gather information about wild horses. Have students write down a few facts that they have learned in their writers notebooks.
Vocabulary: T - 1. Tobiano Paint - a coat pattern of a horse
- 2. Gait - the paces of an animal
- 3. Colt - a young male horse
- 4. Harem Band - a group of females associated with one male
- 5. Neigh - a characteristic high-pitched sound uttered by a horse
- 6. Remuda -a herd of horses that have been saddle-broken
- 7. wrangler- a person in charge of horses or other livestock on a ranch
- 8. pallid- pale, typically because of poor health
Teaching Suggestions:
- Use this book to teach about different points of view and what happens.
- Use this book to introduce character development
- Use this book to encourage students to conduct research while/after reading a book
- Use this book to examine issues facing wild animals across the United States
Comprehension Strategies:
- Before Reading:
- Vocabulary Self-Awareness: Introduce horse related vocabulary- show pictures of vocabulary as many vocabulary relates to pieces of tack and horse color.
- Vocabulary Self-Awareness: Introduce horse related vocabulary- show pictures of vocabulary as many vocabulary relates to pieces of tack and horse color.
- During Reading:
- Concept Maps: Pay attention to the changes in Maya’s character. Write down any observations in a graphic organizer.
- Concept Maps: Pay attention to the changes in Maya’s character. Write down any observations in a graphic organizer.
- After Reading:
- Response Writing: The word Maya means journey. Describe how she has changed by the end of the book.
Writing Activity:
- Response Writing: The word Maya means journey. Describe how she has changed by the end of the book.