©2003 Nancy Polette
1. PROBLEM SOLVING
A. Flying with Mother Goose by Nancy Polette.
Pieces of Learning, 2003.
Topic Focusing:
How many legs does a spider have?
How many eyes?
How many body parts?
How many rows of eyes?
How can Miss Muffet get rid of the spider?
IDEAS |-FAST |-SAFE |-CHEAP |-WILL WORK |-TOTAL
Write a second verse to solve the problem.
2. RESEARCHING
A. Create a Fact or Fiction book about spiders. Make a statement on one page, support or deny with evidence on the next. See Animal Fact, Animal Fable by Seymour Simon. Knopf, 1989.
(For many more creative product models see Research Reports to Knock Your Teacher’s Socks Off by Nancy Polette. Pieces of Learning, 2000.)
B. Find out about a real pig farm on the Internet at www.pigfarmer.com
The farmer’s golf course neighbors don’t like the music he plays for his pigs. The farmer says it keeps them happy, they eat more and he has better pigs for market.
Debate: Golfers vs farmer.
3.INTRODUCING POETRY
Challenge students to find a poem that goes with a painting you display.
4.STRETCHING MINDS WITH NOVELS
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
Pre Reading Sentence Starters
A. A tornado is scary when…
B. Starting on a long journey…
C. Success comes when..
Categorizing New Vocabulary:
Decide if each word below is (1) an object (2) a person (3) a plant or (4) an animal.
_____greensward _____ snood ___Winkies
_____kalidah _____ counterpane _____mendicant
_____ caroche _____kerria ____ peplos
Read Chapters One and Two of theWizard of Ozto support or deny guesses.
Topic Focusing:
Answer by guessing the correct number.
1. A tornado is about _____yards across.
2. Its winds blow at _____ miles per hour.
3. The average tornado sweeps a path ____miles long.
4. How many minutes does it take to complete its destruction in any one place? ___
Concert Reading
Read aloud one scene from the novel to mood music. Four moods: Happy, sad, scary, quiet.
5. PICTURE BOOKS AND PRODUCTIVE THINKING
A. Share George and Martha by James Marshall. Play with phonograms by writing hippo riddles.
B. Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
What can you add to Toad’s bathing suit so that all the animals would want one like it?
How can Frog get Toad out of bed?
C. Life Is No Fair by Steven Manes
12 problems with immediate solutions.
D. Nose Drops by Larry Shles. Jalmar, 1992.
Great introduction to puns.
E. September 12th by 1st Grade Students.
Kennett, MO Scholastic, 2002.