Farmyard Beat

Title: Farmyard Beat

Lindsey Craig (Author)

Marc Brown (Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategy: Making Connections

Art Modality: Music

Summary:

“Chicks can’t sleep. Chicks can’t sleep. Chicks can’t sleep ’cause they got that beat!” The sounds of the farm animals create a lively beat that keeps Farmer Sue, the chicks, sheep, and other farm animals awake. (Summary from book.)

Materials:

Farmyard Beat

rhythm instruments

Lesson:

Peep! Peep! Peep-peep-peep! Early childhood teachers...Your little chicks might not be “reading” yet, but they are sure to get the beat of books with this fun farmyard chant. Here’s a reading lesson that will have your pre-readers making connections, predicting and making music. First, drag the box of rhythm instruments out of the back of your school’s supply closet. Kindergarten teachers, beg your music teacher to loan you a set. Next, have your kids help you match up the instruments you have with the animals in the story so each animal is represented by one instrument.

Here are some ideas:

animal	sound it makes	possible instrument
chick	Peep! Peep! Peep-peep-peep!	triangle
sheep	TAT! TAT! Tattity-  tat-tat!	rhythm sticks     or drum
cat	Puuuurrrr! Mee-ooow!	tambourine
cow	SWISH! CLANK! Swish-swish! Clank!	cymbals
dog	Woof! How-WOOOOO!	sound tube
owl	WHOOO?	sounder or    whistle

When your students are familiar with the rhythm and sequence of the text, have them join in by playing the appropriate instrument as each animal gets the beat. Pretty soon your class will be like the farmyard...you’ll all “fall in heap! Asleep!” Naptime!

There Was An Old Monster

Click here to buy the book!

Title: There Was An Old Monster

Rebecca Emberley (Author)

Ed Emberley (Illustrator)

Reading Skill: Sequencing

Art Modality: Music/Visual Art

Summary:

In this variation on the traditional cumulative rhyme, a monster swallows ants, a lizard, a bat, and other creatures to try to cure a stomachache that began when he swallowed a tick. (Summary from book.)

Materials:

There Was An Old Monster

small, empty boxes (recycle food boxes)

school glue or Mod Podge

colorful paper scraps

paintbrushes

Lesson:

Fellow teachers of boys and ghouls....usually I try to give you a teaching idea first and follow with some internet links. However, pleeeaase click this link NOW and get ready to scritchy-scratch with a free audio of There Was An Old Monster.

www.scholastic.com/oldmonster

Isn’t that just pure inspiration? Not only will your little ones want to read along, they’ll want to scritcy-scratch along, too! These collage-style shakers—inspired by Emberley’s colorful illustrations—are sure to do the trick. For each child, pour a small amount of rice into an empty food box. Seal the lid with masking tape. To complete his instrument, a child cuts or tears colorful paper into shapes. He then uses a paintbrush and slightly watered-down glue to adhere the scraps to the box. (Older students might want to make their boxes look like monsters. Younger students may prefer abstract designs.) When the child is happy with the designs on the box, he paints a final layer of glue over it. When the shakers are dry, play the audio and sing and shake along!

If You're A Monster and you Know It

Title: If You’re a Monster and You Know It

Rebecca Emberley (Author)

Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley (Illustrators)

Comprehension Strategy: Visualizing (Sensory Images)                 

Art Modalities: Music and Movement

Summary:

Children will stomp their paws, twitch their tails, snort and growl, and wiggle and wriggle along with this bright and bold twist on "If You're Happy and You Know It." Rebecca Emberley has written a rollicking text, which she has illustrated in collaboration with her father, Caldecott Medalist Ed Emberley. (Summary from Scholastic.)

Materials:

If You’re a Monster and You Know It

rhythm instruments

Lesson:

We know that visualizing is creating mental images while we read, right? In chapter nine of Strategies that Work, the authors encourage readers to create mental images that go beyond visualizing to include responses like “I see, I hear, I feel, I smell and I taste.” To better imagine this lesson, first listen to this fun audio of If You’re a Monster and You Know It.

www.scholastic.com/ifyoureamonsterandyouknowit

Next, go make friends with your school’s music teacher and ask her if you can borrow a box of rhythm instruments for your reading lesson. (Pick her up off the floor when you leave.)

Reread this story over several days to give your students multiple opportunities to sing and move along. Ask your group to help you list the actions in the song:

*snort and growl

*smack your claws

*stomp your paws

*twitch your tail

*wiggle your warts

*give a roar

Next invite children to explore the different sounds that the instruments make. Ask questions like, “Which of the instruments makes a sound like snorting and growling? Which instrument’s sound would remind you of smacking your claws? Which instrument’s sound could represent stomping your paws?” Give volunteers an opportunity to match each action with an instrument. As you sing along, pause to play the instrument with the actions. Can you visualize this lesson? Can you hear the fun? Can you feel the beat? Great. If you’re happy and you know it, buy this book!

Let's Do Nothing!

Title: Let’s Do Nothing!

Tony Fucile (Author and Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategy: Inferring, Predicting

Art Modality: Drama

Summary:

Frankie and Sal have already played every sport and board game invented, baked and eaten batches of cookies, and painted a zillion pictures. What’s left to do? Nothing! Ten seconds of nothing! Can they do it? Can they act like stone statues in the park? Can they simply hold their breath and not blink an eye? With a wink to the reader, and a command of visual humor, feature film animator Tony Fucile demonstrates the Zen-like art of doing nothing...oops! Couldn’t do it! Don’t move! A master of animation explores the elusive art of doing nothing in this comical tale of two very active imaginations. (Summary from Candlewick Press.)

Materials: Let’s Do Nothing!

Reading Lesson:

Just because a book doesn’t have a lot of words, doesn’t mean there’s nothing to think—and talk—about! And in the case of this book, just because it doesn’t have a lot words, doesn’t mean there’s nothing to imagine and act out.

Read aloud the beginning of the book to introduce your group to Sal and Frankie, two boys who’ve done everything. As soon as Sal feels the need to coach Frankie on how to do nothing, you’ll have  your first chance to encourage predicting. Show the class the illustration of the boys pretending to be statues. Encourage the class to notice the pigeons and to use their prior knowledge about what birds do (or doo doo) to predict what will happen next. Show the class the illustrations of Frankie pretending to be a statue and discuss their inferences about how Frankie is feeling and why. What will he do next?

As Sal continues to coach Frankie on how to do nothing, you’ll have your second chance to encourage predicting. Show the class the illustration of the boys pretending to be trees. Encourage the class to notice the puppy and to use their prior knowledge about what puppies do to trees to predict what will happen next. Show the class the illustrations of Frankie pretending to be a tree and discuss their inferences about how Frankie is feeling and why. What will he do next?

Yep, you’re right! As Sal continues to coach Frankie on how to do nothing, you’ll have your third chance to encourage predicting. Show the class the illustration of the boys pretending to be skyscrapers.

Now since your students might not have prior knowledge about King Kong, you might have to help them predict what the hairy paw reaching up the building might lead to. Then show the class the illustrations of Frankie pretending to be the Empire State Building and discuss their inferences about how Frankie is feeling and why. What will he do next?

NOTHING will stop your students from practicing inferring when you arrive at the illustration of Sal grabbing Frankie in frustration. You’ll want to give students plenty of time to complete this sentence: “I think Sal is feeling ____________________ because ________________.

Perhaps your students will figure out the same thing about reading that Sal and Frankie discovered about people...There’s NO WAY to do nothing. As proficient readers, we already know “We can never do nothing!” Sal asked Frankie, and you should ask your kids, “You know what we have to do now, don’tch?” I hope they answer like Sal, “Let’s do something!”  Now you’ve got the perfect chance to make a class chart of the “somethings” (thinking) you can do while your read! After all, there’s no way to do nothing.

Drama Follow-up

Invite your students to pretend to be statues. Encourage them to use their imaginations for ten seconds (or longer!) Now invite them to share about what happened. Pigeon visits? Bad weather? Naughty children?

Next invite students to pretend to be trees. Encourage them to use their imaginations for ten seconds (or longer!). Now invite them to share about what happened. Puppy presents? Woodpeckers? Busy bees?

Keep up the drama. Invite students to pretend to be buildings. Encourage them to use their imaginations for ten seconds (or longer!). Now invite them to share about what happened. King Kong? Window washers? Lightning strikes?

Continue with students’ suggestions of things to pretend to be to help do nothing for ten seconds. I feel some journaling on the way after all this acting!

Something About the Author

Want to find out more about Tony Fucile, the author and illustrator? Here’s something you can do! Check out this link: http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763634409.art.1.pdf

Take the Nothing Challenge

Learn more about the power of doing nothing with the “Non-Activity Kit.”

http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763634409.kit.1.pd

Watch the Book Trailer

http://youtu.be/M8FHCiG-_PM

She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain

Title: She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain

Jonathan Emmett (Author)

Deborah Allwright (Illustrator)

Comprehension Strategy: Visualizing

Art Modality: Movement/Music

Summary:

Forget everything you know about who’s comin’ ’round that mountain! This pink-pajama-wearing, jelly-jar-juggling, rooftop-dancing cowgirl is sure to charm the spurs off any rancher, and tickle the funny bone of the most ornery varmit. This classic song has brand-new verses and enough “tee-hees,” “toot-toots,” and “squish-splats” to keep kids singin’, shoutin’, and reading again and again. (Summary from book.)

Materials:

She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain

copier

card stock

Lesson:

Yee-haw, y’all! This book has a built-in in music and movement motivator. Just check out the back pages; then gallop over to a color copier to enlarge and copy the movement cards. Why? Well let’s just whoa-back to the beginning of the lesson.

Begin by reading...er, make that singing aloud each verse of the song. Encourage students to visualize the details of each verse before showing them the illustrations. Your students will get some great practice creating images in their minds as you sing about the cowgirl wearing pink pajamas and juggling jelly.

Next use the movement cards you created to encourage students to move and sing along. After several group rounds, you might want to divide the class into eight groups to represent the eight verses. Time to round up some reading fun!

Take a listen to the audio version of the book:

http://www.theaudiobookstore.com/jonathan-emmett/shell-be-coming-round_bkegmt000010.aspx

Find out more about the author at his website:

http://www.scribblestreet.co.uk/

Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes

Title: Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes

Eric Litwin (Author)

James Dean (Illustrator)
Amazon Link: Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes

Comprehension Strategy: 
Making Connections (Using prior knowledge, activating schema, text-to-self connections) 

Art Modality: Music and Movement

Summary:

Pete the Cat is back—and this time he’s rocking in his school shoes. Pete discovers the library, the lunchroom, the playground, and lots of other cool places at school. And no matter where he goes, Pete never stops moving and grooving and singing his song . . . because it’s all good. (Summary from HarperCollins Childrens Books.)

Materials:

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes

Red high-top shoes (Optional but totally desirable)

Lesson:

I’m back in school and I’m blogging in my school shoes! The first step in this groovy lesson is to download the free song and listen to it.

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/

You’re dancing and singing already aren’t you?! But wait, it gets better. The next step is to watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/harperkids#p/u/7/QNAeRy6jS7c

The third step is to order the book, silly!
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Pete-Cat-Rocking-School-Shoes/dp/0061910244

Read aloud the book to your class. (I put my copy under the document camera while we listened to the song.) When your students are familiar with the words, create your own class book or powerpoint that will focus on verbs ending in -ing. To begin, create a class list of things kids can do in their school shoes. For example, “I’m counting in my school shoes.” Next take a picture of each child performing an action in his school shoes. Combine the pictures in a class book or powerpoint along with the simple, repetitive text. Finally, invite the class to read and sing along.

It’s all good.

Pete the Cat has a unique story. Find out more here:

http://www.petethecat.com/

For more groovy music, visit Mr. Eric at  Eric Litwin’s website:
http://www.ericlitwin.com/

I’m off to find some red high-top sneakers. Let me know if you find any. “I’m shopping in my school shoes...”