Stretching Minds with Books

Learning is social, pulls from experience, requires risk taking and stresses meaning.
Introducing a science unit (primary)
A. Topic talking - to develop oral language facility
B. Risk Taking: Answer these questions.
How many legs does a spider have? How many body parts does a spider have?
How many eyes does a spider have? How many rows of eyes does a spider have?

Teaching Problem Solving.
How can Miss Muffet get rid of the spider?

Ideas	Fast	Safe	Low Cost	Will Work	Total
_________	______	______	______	______	______
_________	______	______	______	______	______
_________	______	______	______	______	______

1=no 2=maybe 3=yes

The Internet See: http://www.pigfarmer.com/index1.html
Have a debate! Should Paul Thompson be allowed to continue playing country
music to his pigs or should golfers be free of noise they find annoying.
Research the effect of music on animals and email to Paul Thompson.
Produce a Fact or Fiction Book about spiders.

STRETCHING MINDS WITH NOVELS
The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico. Knopf, reissue 1996.
A. Place each WWII word in one of these groups:
1. people. 2. place 3. equipment 4. aircraft
5. defense or offense strategy.
Read to support or deny guesses.

convoy Axis blitzkreig Coventry

Dorniers allies Jerry Luftwaffe

Blenheim Stukas lorries radar

B. Concert Reading: Read a section aloud to mood music.
C. Develop higher order questions using: How many ways, What if, If you were,
Suppose that, How is ___ like ____? Discuss in groups.
D. Report on WWII topics using acrostic poems, the Mystery Report. or the
Geography Riddle Report.

STRETCHING MINDS WITH HARRY POTTER.
J. K. Rowland (Scholastic)

A. RANK ORDER
first to last choice, the following items your group would most
to least like to have. Invisibility cloak, shrinking potion, a flying car, Pepperup Pills to cure colds.

B. BRAINSTORM
1. Reasons to love homework.
2. Uses for a shrinking lotion.

C. TAKE A RISK!
See if you qualify as the new Professor of Slimeology. Take the Slimy Quiz. at http://yucky.kids.discovery.com/

D. ANALOGIES
Example: Headmaster is to Hogwarts as Postmaster is to Post Office. Complete these analogies:
1. Chalk is to chalkboard as pencil is to _______
2. Plants are to nursery as potions are to ______

E. FLEXIBLE THINKING:
Re-write the following sentence, keeping the meaning
but eliminating the letter "A".
The rain blew hard against the castle walls.

F. LEARN MAGIC!
Take magic lessons! Free tricks at
http://www.conjuror.com/magictricks/free_tricks1.html

G. DESIGN a Tee Shirt and add verses to a school song for Hogwarts School.
Tune "Tiny Bubbles"
STRETCHING MINDS WITH PICTURE BOOKS
A. Share: The Little Old Woman and the Hungry Cat by Nancy Polette. Greenwillow 1989

B. Create a song! (Tune: Are You Sleeping?)
____________________ ____________________
Adjective noun
____________________ _____________________
Adjective noun
_______________________________(where?)
_______________________________(where?)
__________ and _________(two ing words)
__________ and_________(two ing words)
Read this book! Read this book!

C. Try Skip To My Lou
____________ ____________ ____________ ______________
adj. noun ing word prep phr.
____________ _____________ ____________ ____________
adj. noun ing word prep phr.
____________ ____________ __________ ____________
adj. noun ing word prep phr.
Read, little children, read!

D. OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA by Peggy Rathman.
Give children half of each safety tip to finish. Take a safety quiz at: http://city.wheaton.lib.il.us/pd/kids.html

E. HOOTS AND TOOTS AND HAIRY BRUTES & NOSE DROPS both by Larry Shles. Jalmar, 1990
Geoffrey is a nose that has lost its face.
Check out the Pokemon craze at http://www.pokemon.com Create your own trading cards with a new character. For step-by-step lessons in cdrawing cartoons see: http://www.unclefred.com

convoy	Axis	blitzkreig	Coventry
Dorniers	allies	Jerry	Luftwaffe
Blenheim	Stukas	lorries	radar