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Angel Wings | The Ballerina With Webbed Feet | I Could Catch A Whale
TEKS or Integrated Learning Activities for Note to Primary Teachers: The following activities may be adapted for work with four to seven year olds. Teachers of younger children may use them as a group with emphasis on oral work and discussion. The teacher may take dictation from one or more children for writing. Some students, depending on individual ability, may write on their own. The activities promote skills in several curriculum areas. Language Arts skills : active listening, speaking in turns, vocabulary development, creative writing: non-fiction experience stories, analyzing narrative text, identifying the main idea and reading comprehension in general. Social Studies and Health : showing respect and consideration toward others, defining qualities of friendship, expressing ideas orally, identifying feelings, examining the physical and human characteristics of places on maps, globes and in photos. Science : examining the water cycle Fine Arts : drawing/illustrating, and dramatizing. Special Note : While Angle Wings may be considered by some to “cross the line” into “religion” in public schools, it can be used to help young children understand that people differ in their beliefs and those beliefs are very personal. Children may be introduced to the idea of tolerance for the beliefs of others. One's own beliefs may be understood as being “different from” not “better than,” someone else's. The concept of tolerance toward other beliefs is one of the most important ideas handed down to people in the United States by the Founding Fathers in The Constitution. For those who teach in private Christian schools, or who do home schooling, the story is an opportunity to compare the religious concept of angels to the ideas put forth in the story, or to reinforce a desired set of beliefs. Introducing the story: Explain the difference between fiction and non-fiction. Tell the children to listen and watch for clues that will help them know which kind of story Angle Wings is. During the first reading : Stop occasionally during reading and ask children to predict what might happen next. Promote vocabulary development by asking what clues in the pictures or words they heard help give meaning to the words like guardian, promise, important, believe etc. Primary children who develop the ability to use picture clues to answer questions are well prepared for reading comprehension questions in the upper grades. After reading the story : (these activities may be done over a few days) * Make a “story map.” List the characters in a large smiley face. Write the setting inside the shape of a house. Write the problem/plot inside a cloud shape and the events inside large rain drops falling from the cloud. The main idea of the story can be found in the problem . Finally, write the resolution/happy ending inside a sun or rainbow. Point out that all fiction stories have these elements. * The “who, what, where, and when” of stories are “lower level” questions which check whether a child was actively listening to the story. Equally important are “higher level” thinking questions that challenge children to analyze, compare, apply to their own lives, draw conclusions and make judgments about what they think and why they think that. Emphasize that with this type of questions, there may be many different answers. Angel Wings lends itself to this type of questioning. Examples of questions to generate thoughtful discussion: Are angels real? How do you know? Do you have to see something to believe it? Should everybody have to believe the same thing? What about fairies? Or Leprechauns? Or Elves? Is it right to laugh at somebody because they believe in those things? And always, WHY? WHY? WHY? * Generate a list of feelings: happy, sad, afraid, angry, etc. Have the children give examples of times when they are happy, sad, angry or afraid. What was Maggie afraid of? What was the little girl afraid of? Have you ever been afraid? Give the children paper to draw/write about their fears. Reinforce that the story is fiction, but what they are drawing and writing about their own lives is non-fiction. Have the children share their pictures/stories with the group. * How did Maggie overcome her fear? (sang to herself, helped someone else.) How could you help a friend get over being sad, afraid or angry? Roll play some practical situations. * Problem solving: What other real ways might Maggie have used to get down to earth? Or how might a person get down from a high place such as a tree or the top of a cliff? (rope, parachute, helicopter, call the fire department for a ladder) What other fantasy/fiction ways might Maggie have used? (slide down a rainbow, get a floating toy and water slide down on the rain) * Examine the earth from above. Ask who has ever ridden in an airplane. What did it look like out the window when the plane first took off? Could you see trees, houses, streets, buildings, rivers, lakes, etc.? How did it change when you got higher up? Which of these things the children could see are natural and which were put there by people? Look at different kinds of world maps, those that show political borders and those that show only land forms. Locate non-fiction books about NASA or the Space Shuttle which feature photos of the earth from space. www.spaceflight.nasa.gov takes you to a site maintained specifically for grades k-12. Click on “gallery” then “images” for a wealth of photos and video. * Experiment: what is a real cloud? Put a pan of water on a hot plate. Reinforce safety rules, reminding the children to stay back and not touch. Have the children watch the water boil and turn to steam. Use a pair of tongs to hold an empty quart jar upside down over the pan to capture some of the steam. Move the jar a little away from the heat and put the lid on it while it is still upside down. Place the jar in a pan of ice. Watch the water condense inside the jar. Compare this to clouds and rain. Explain that the sun's heat evaporates water from the earth. It rises until it cools and condenses into clouds. When the clouds cool even more, or the water vapor becomes too heavy for the cloud to hold, it rains. Watch a puddle “disappear” over several hours the next time it rains. Extend this to fog or snow the next time these kinds of weather occur. Prepared by Deborah Frontiera: www.authorsden.com/deborahkfrontiera
Angel Wings | The Ballerina With Webbed Feet | I Coould Catch A Whale
TEKS or Integrated Learning Activities for Note to Primary Teachers: The following activities can be adapted for work with four to seven year olds. Teachers of younger children may use them as a group with emphasis on oral work and discussion. The teacher may take dictation from one or more children for writing. Second graders, and some first graders, depending on individual ability, may write on their own. The activities promote skills in several curriculum areas. Language Arts skills : active listening, speaking in turns, vocabulary development, creative writing, analyzing narrative text, and reading comprehension. Science and Math : counting and measuring time, estimating, using experimental methods, looking at body parts of animals to analyze their ability to move in various ways. Social Studies and Health : showing respect and consideration toward others, defining qualities of friendship. Fine Arts : drawing / illustrating, dramatizing, dancing. Physical Education : Balance and coordination skills, body awareness, rhythmic movement, aerobic activity and gymnastic skills. Introducing the story: Explain the word “fantasy” as a special kind of fiction in which animals talk and act as people, or which contain magic or enchantment. Ask them to notice which fantasy elements are present in this story. During the first reading : Stop occasionally and ask children to predict what might happen next. Promote vocabulary development by asking, “What clues in the pictures or words help give meaning to ‘tiara,' or ‘tutu,' etc.” (Primary children who develop the ability to use picture clues to answer questions are well prepared for reading comprehension questions in the upper grades.) After reading the story : (these activities may be done over several days) * Make a “story map.” List the characters in a large smiley face. Write the setting inside the shape of a house. Write the problem / plot inside a cloud shape and the events inside large raindrops falling from the cloud. Finally, write the resolution / happy ending inside a sun or rainbow. Point out that all fiction stories have these elements. * Analyze why ballet would be difficult for a duck. What sport would better suit a duck? What animals might find ballet easier? * Generate a list of sports and physical activities. What animals would be good at each? What others might find each activity difficult? * Organize an “Animal Olympics.” Predict what animal might win the gold medal in each event. (The teacher might even point out that while the cheetah is the fastest land animal, it can only hold that speed for a short distance. It would win a 50 or 100-yard dash, but not a marathon.) * Dramatize the story. Have different children play the parts of Pattie Patty, the ducks, geese, dog, pig, etc. * Discuss the other characters' reactions to Pattie Patty's dancing. Who showed true friendship? Why? Define “compliment” and “insult.” Have the children give examples. What activities have the children tried to do and found difficult? Who supported them and how? Draw and write in journals about these personal experiences. Share these with the class. Remember polite listening skills and turn-taking while sharing experiences. * Choose an animal from your list and create a new story similar to The Ballerina With Webbed Feet . Use the same story map: smiley face, house, cloud, raindrops and sun, to outline your story. This can be done as a class, in small groups or individually depending on the age and ability of the children. Draft, rewrite, then illustrate and publish your story. If doing this in a group, the teacher can write down the children's ideas on chart paper, type it into a computer later and print one sentence per page of paper for the children to illustrate. Some teachers might choose to use a laptop and type into a file as the children give ideas. Depending on available technology, the children may benefit from watching the teacher “edit” as the story progresses. When the final version is ready and illustrations complete, the easiest way to “publish” is to three-hole-punch the pages and put them in a folder with brads. A piece of cover art can easily be glued on the front of the folder. Place the book in the classroom library area. Teachers may have to establish a way of taking turns with this book since children love to read their own work the most. * Experiment: Who can balance on their tiptoes the longest? Ask the children to predict /estimate/make a hypotheses about how high they could count (or how many seconds) while they balance on the very tips of their toes. Explain the need for and establish a uniform counting speed. Older children might use a stopwatch to measure seconds. Have the children take turns to see how long they can actually balance. Establish rules: wearing their regular shoes, keeping hands and arms in a specified position, etc. (This is called “controlling variables” in science. It makes the results “fair.”) Make a graph of the results (individually or as a group with a teacher created graph on the chalk board or chart paper) and compare this to the predictions. Continue experimenting with other variables. Would it be easier or harder in stocking feet? Is balancing easier with your arms at your side, or extended? What do real toe shoes look like? How do they help the ballet dancer? * Try some ballet moves in physical education. Create a simple dance. * Find a video about ballet dancing. If possible, visit a ballet school or invite a professional ballet dancer to visit the class.
Prepared by Deborah K. Frontiera Angel Wings | The Ballerina With Webbed Feet | I Coould Catch A Whale
TEKS or Integrated Learning Activities for The following activities may be adapted by teachers for use with pre-k through grade two. Teachers of younger children will rely more on oral discussion, while teachers of more advanced children may expect written responses. Activities involve several curriculum areas. Teachers in both English and Spanish speaking classes will find the activities meet many broadly-worded objectives in local or state-mandated curriculums. Teachers may use any or all of the activities and may even think of additional ones. Language Arts : Identify text form and genre as narrative fiction, identify the literary device, “fish story” or “tall tale.” Identify the parts of a book such as title page, author, illustrator, etc. Develop vocabulary. Develop strategies to enhance comprehension, practice active listening, sequence events, respond to text, dictate/write group or individual stories using age-appropriate phonemic spelling. Science : Identify characteristics of animals/organisms, make observations and sort animals/organisms, gather information, conduct a simple investigation, use information gathered to reach a conclusion. Math : Estimate length and weight, compare measurements. Social Studies : Create/interpret visuals, maps and charts, identify family relationships, use visuals to make conclusions about jobs and roles of family members, acquire information using a variety of oral/visual and printed sources, sequence and categorize information. Health : List activities children enjoy and identify feelings. Art : Create original art work using a variety of materials and mediums. Introducing the stor During the initial reading After reading the story * Draw a family tree on a chart or chalk/white board to help children understand how brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles are related to them. A second tree may be needed to show stepparent, half-brothers/sisters and other relationships the children may have in their homes. * Make a list of jobs of various family members, or roles that family members have. Have the children describe their own activities and roles in the family which keep them busy or weekends or during school vacations. * Use their list of activities to develop group or individual stories of their own. What fantastic things might they do if they could only get to the skating rink, or go to an amusement park, video game arcade, bicycling . . . ? The same story map they used to analyze this story can be used as an outline for their creative writing. Younger children could develop one story as a class with each child contributing one or two sentences. More advanced children may develop their own stories either writing the words down themselves or dictating then to a teacher or other adult helper. After writing, the children may illustrate their page of a group story or their entire story using crayons, markers, tempera paint or watercolors. The book/books may be three-hole-punched, “published” in braded folders, and placed in the class library. * The child in the story tells his sister, “Whales don't eat worms.” Research what whales, and the other sea life mentioned, do eat, where they live (salt or fresh water) how they are really caught, etc. Compare whales vs. fish, fish vs. crabs, etc. How is each adapted for life in the water? This information may be put into a box type chart listing the animals on one edge and answers to basic questions: what it eats, what scientific group it is a member of, where it lives, how large or small it is, and what tools would be used to catch it on the other edge. * Use an ad from a sporting goods store to help children understand the tools of fishing such as pole, tackle box, different kinds of nets, lures, etc. If possible, compare these tools to those used by commercial fishermen. * Estimate the real size of each sea creature, then research to find out their actual average size. Use a tape measure on a playground surface to see the size of a whale and the other larger fish if needed. * Experiment: Could you really catch a whale with a pole and line?Cut fish in various sizes and weights from paper, cardboard, tag board, thin wood, etc. Attach a paperclip to each one. Attach a magnet to the end of a standard fishing pole and line. Have the children try to “catch” the fish. Which ones can be lifted by the magnet on the pole? Which are too heavy for the magnet to lift? Apply this finding to the weight of a whale (which the class will have learned through their research.) What can they conclude from this about “fish stories?” * Expand into a unit on the fun of other tall tales such as the Paul Bunion stories. How might something real be exaggerated into a tall tale?
Prepared by Deborah K. Frontiera |
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