Modern Fantasy
Brett, J. (1997). The hat. New York, NY: Penguin Young Readers Group
ISBN: 0-399-23101-3
Grade level: K-2
Synopsis: Lisa takes her clothes outside to hang in the fresh air before winter comes but the wind blows one of her stockings off the line. The curious hedgehog Hedgie finds the stocking and gets it stuck on top of his head. Hedgie tells all the other animals that it his hat to keep warm during the winter. However, the chicken, goose, cat, dog, pig, and horse all make fun of Hedgie telling him that he looks so silly. When Lisa sees that her stocking is missing she runs after Hedgie to take it back. What Hedgie finds out is that even though all the other animals made fun of him they took Lisa’s other clothes to make hats for themselves.
Classroom activity: As a pre-reading activity the students will do a picture walk as a whole group. The teacher will first show the cover, and then slowly walk the students through each page just to look at the pictures. As the students are looking at the picture, they will write down predictions they have about the story, or what they believe the story is about and why. After the picture walk is completed, the students will split into small groups to talk about what they believe will happen based on the pictures. The story will be read as a whole group, and afterward the students will break off into their small groups. Once back into their small groups the students will talk about if their predictions were right or wrong and why. The students will be prompted to discuss why illustrations can be important to a story and how specifically it was important to this text.
Mahoney, L. (2014). Take a picture walk. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/activity/article/picturewalk_kindergarten/
ISBN: 0-399-23101-3
Grade level: K-2
Synopsis: Lisa takes her clothes outside to hang in the fresh air before winter comes but the wind blows one of her stockings off the line. The curious hedgehog Hedgie finds the stocking and gets it stuck on top of his head. Hedgie tells all the other animals that it his hat to keep warm during the winter. However, the chicken, goose, cat, dog, pig, and horse all make fun of Hedgie telling him that he looks so silly. When Lisa sees that her stocking is missing she runs after Hedgie to take it back. What Hedgie finds out is that even though all the other animals made fun of him they took Lisa’s other clothes to make hats for themselves.
Classroom activity: As a pre-reading activity the students will do a picture walk as a whole group. The teacher will first show the cover, and then slowly walk the students through each page just to look at the pictures. As the students are looking at the picture, they will write down predictions they have about the story, or what they believe the story is about and why. After the picture walk is completed, the students will split into small groups to talk about what they believe will happen based on the pictures. The story will be read as a whole group, and afterward the students will break off into their small groups. Once back into their small groups the students will talk about if their predictions were right or wrong and why. The students will be prompted to discuss why illustrations can be important to a story and how specifically it was important to this text.
Mahoney, L. (2014). Take a picture walk. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/activity/article/picturewalk_kindergarten/
Cronin, D. (2007). Diary of a fly. New York, NY: Joanna Colter Books
ISBN: 978-0-06-000156-8
Grade levels: K-2
Synopsis: This little fly documents her day-to-day activates as she learns more about what it means to be a fly. With her best friends worm and spider, the little fly wants to be a superhero and has everything necessary to do so! The little fly goes to school, learns how to land, observes a first grader, makes a book, and many more activities.
Classroom activity: As a post-reading activity the student will keep a daily diary for five days. Each day the student will write down three different statements. These statements include, what happened that day, how they felt that day, what they learned that day. After keeping the diary for five days, the student will re-read the text and make text-to-self-connections between the fly’s diary and their diary. If the student is struggling finding the text to self-connections, they can also explore how the two diaries are different. After taking some time making connections the student will find a partner and share their text to self-connections.
Scholastic. (n.d.). Diary of a fly discussion guide. Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=32403
ISBN: 978-0-06-000156-8
Grade levels: K-2
Synopsis: This little fly documents her day-to-day activates as she learns more about what it means to be a fly. With her best friends worm and spider, the little fly wants to be a superhero and has everything necessary to do so! The little fly goes to school, learns how to land, observes a first grader, makes a book, and many more activities.
Classroom activity: As a post-reading activity the student will keep a daily diary for five days. Each day the student will write down three different statements. These statements include, what happened that day, how they felt that day, what they learned that day. After keeping the diary for five days, the student will re-read the text and make text-to-self-connections between the fly’s diary and their diary. If the student is struggling finding the text to self-connections, they can also explore how the two diaries are different. After taking some time making connections the student will find a partner and share their text to self-connections.
Scholastic. (n.d.). Diary of a fly discussion guide. Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=32403
White, E.B. (1952). Charlotte’s web. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 978-0064400558
Grade level: K-2
Synopsis: This classic story is about Fern, who has a strong relationship with Wilbur, who is a pig. Wilbur was born as the runt of the litter, and Fern saves his life. After Fern raises Wilbur, he sold to live on the Zuckerman's farm where he meets, Charlotte the spider. Wilbur and Charlotte become close friends while Fern comes to visit Wilbur every day. Wilbur is told that he is being fattened up for Christmas dinner, and Charlotte becomes Wilbur’s main support system. Charlotte writes many words in her web and finds the help of Templeton the rat to help her discover new words. This is the story of true friendship. Wilbur goes from being the runt of the litter to winning an award for being most phenomenal.
Classroom activity: As a post-reading activity the students will create a magazine cover. The students will be placed into small groups and be responsible for coming up with a magazine cover that displays main ideas, main events, and illustrations. The students will be given paper, markers, and crayons. After the small groups have completed their magazine cover, each small group will present theirs to the rest of the class. Each small group will explain which main ideas and main events they put on their cover and why.
Yopp, H.K., & Yopp, R.H. (2014). Literature-based reading activities. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Page: 105
ISBN: 978-0064400558
Grade level: K-2
Synopsis: This classic story is about Fern, who has a strong relationship with Wilbur, who is a pig. Wilbur was born as the runt of the litter, and Fern saves his life. After Fern raises Wilbur, he sold to live on the Zuckerman's farm where he meets, Charlotte the spider. Wilbur and Charlotte become close friends while Fern comes to visit Wilbur every day. Wilbur is told that he is being fattened up for Christmas dinner, and Charlotte becomes Wilbur’s main support system. Charlotte writes many words in her web and finds the help of Templeton the rat to help her discover new words. This is the story of true friendship. Wilbur goes from being the runt of the litter to winning an award for being most phenomenal.
Classroom activity: As a post-reading activity the students will create a magazine cover. The students will be placed into small groups and be responsible for coming up with a magazine cover that displays main ideas, main events, and illustrations. The students will be given paper, markers, and crayons. After the small groups have completed their magazine cover, each small group will present theirs to the rest of the class. Each small group will explain which main ideas and main events they put on their cover and why.
Yopp, H.K., & Yopp, R.H. (2014). Literature-based reading activities. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Page: 105