Brave Irene Imagineerz Learning

SEL Read Aloud: Brave Irene by William Steig

Summary

“Brave Irene” by William Steig begins with Irene’s mother, a dress maker for the Duchess, falling sick the day of the royal ball. Little Irene volunteers to deliver her dress to the palace. Before leaving, Irene tends to her sick mother and carefully packages the dress with tissue paper in a large yellow box. There is a winter storm outside, and Irene must walk for hours in strong winds and deep snow, up and down wooded hills, while facing even more physical and mentalal obstacles along the way. Still, she pushes onward, and her bravery is rewarded with a night — and morning — Irene will surely remember.

Comprehension Questions

Six questions aligned to Bloom’s taxonomy for teacher’s to evaluate students’ comprehension

Remembering: How many distinct challenges did Irene contend with during her journey to the palace?
Understanding: Why did Irene insist on delivering the gown despite the snowstorm?
Applying: Imagine you had to deliver something important in bad weather. What steps would you take to ensure it arrives safely?
Analyzing: What role does the wind play in Irene’s journey? Consider it as a character.
Evaluating: Consider the risks Irene faced. Were they worth taking for the sake of delivering a gown?
Creating: Write a dialogue between Irene and her mother after her return, discussing what they learned from the experience.

CASEL Discussion Questions

Five questions aligned to the CASEL competencies for teachers to foster an engaging discussion and foster social-emotional learning

Self-Awareness: How does Irene feel about taking on the challenge of delivering the gown despite the storm, and what does this tell us about her self-awareness?
Self-Management: How does Irene deal with the frustration and physical pain during her mission? What does this tell us about her ability to regulate her emotions and behaviors?
Social Awareness: How does Irene demonstrate empathy towards her mother and the Duchess through her actions?
Relationship Skills: Reflect on Irene’s interactions with the Duchess and the servants. How do these interactions demonstrate effective relationship skills?
Responsible Decision Making: How does Irene assess the risks and benefits of her actions during her journey? Discuss how this capability is an important part of responsible decision-making.

Design Thinking Challenge

Take students’ learning even further by incorporating the Imagineerz design thinking framework

Creating warmth and safety in a storm

Understand

Begin with a group discussion about “Brave Irene” by William Steig. Talk about the challenges Irene faces and how she deals with the harsh winter storm to deliver her mother’s gown.
Ask students to consider the importance of determination, courage, and the ways to stay safe and warm in extreme weather.

Ideate

Prompt students to brainstorm ideas for inventions that could have helped Irene on her journey. They should think about tools or items that could keep her warm, help her navigate through the snow, or make her journey easier and safer. Encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

Prototype

In small groups or individually, students will create a prototype of their invention using classroom materials such as cardboard, fabric, pipe cleaners, and other craft supplies. They should focus on practicality and how their invention would specifically aid someone like Irene in a snowstorm.

Test

Have students present their inventions to the class, explaining how it works and discussing how it would have supported Irene.
Consider creating a simulated scenario or obstacle course that mimics Irene’s journey, and see how well the inventions perform.
Gather feedback from peers on the effectiveness and creativity of the solutions.

Read Aloud

If you appreciated getting to read this book with your class, you might also want to share this book with them!