All the World

All the World

Liz Garton Scanlon (Author)

Marla Frazee (Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategy:

Synthesizing

Art Modality:

Music

Summary:

All the world is here.

It is there.

It is everywhere.

All the world is right where you are.

Now.

Following a circle of family and friends through the course of a day from morning till night, this book affirms the importance of all things great and small in our world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to warm family connections, to the widest sunset sky. (Summary from Simon & Schuster.)

Materials:

All the World

Lesson:

Here’s a book to help you welcome spring and celebrate Earth Day. As I recommend this book, I’m sitting on a screened porch, looking at my mother’s garden (“All the world’s a garden bed.”), listening to the birds sing (“Nest, bird, feather, fly. All the world has got its sky.”) and watching my son with his grandparents (“All the world is old and new.”).

Perfect.

“All the world can hold quite still.”

I hope you can find a moment in your busy world to hold still and listen to this book. Just click here for a heartwarming song and view of the book:

To share this book with your class and encourage the thinking work of synthesis, you might want to discuss the book spread by spread. I simply asked, “What is going on here? What do you think it means?” Then I listened and the students listened to each other. When you arrive at the end of the book, ask once more, “Now what does it all mean?” You’ll be amazed at the insight and wisdom that will come out of the mouths of your babes. It’s a simple lesson, but with an effort on listening and thinking, students will have good practice at putting the parts of a text together to make meaning and to find a theme. Since singing together is one sure way to build community, you’ll want to invite the children to sing along with the video for several days. Each day, invite the children to discuss together what they think about the author’s message. How does the illustrator help us find meaning in the poem?

"Hope and peace and love and trust. 
All the world is all of us."

Blessings,

Jayne

A world-wide-web of information....

For a simply lovely teacher’s guide, click this cover:

To listen to Marla Frazee talk about her illustrations, click on this scene: