Pre-K's Box Revolution in Action!

If you checked out Mr. Lazo's blog entry for Not a Box, then you know he thought his kids would be inspired to make their own creations from boxes after reading Portis's book.  He and the Pre-K team challenged their students to come up with an imaginative repurposing of a simple box.  As you can see below, 4- and 5-year-olds possess creativity in abundance.

This activity would be an excellent exercise for kids of any age.

Walk through the Pre-K hall and be inspired!

Mr. Y's Book Selection

Leonardo Da Vinci by Diane Stanley and published by Morrow Junior Books is a biography well suited for students in grades 3-5 with clearly written (grade appropriate) with illustrations that bring this famous character to life. The opening title page presents Leonardo as a young boy holding his pet cat which relates immediately to the young reader in a perasonal way. Page after page clearly reveal Leonardo's lifestyle during the 1400's plus examples of his famous artwork to illustrate his creative genious.

Students will be presented Leonardo as a typical youth and how similar his life was to their own family experiences. Students can investigate the major influences that guided his decisions such as family, church and other artists. Also the works of art and sculptures that made Leonardo famous are presented and students can research the themes of his work to find the major influences in his life and why these works are world famous. Finally he is presented as an aging artist mentoring others and students can discuss his strengths or weaknesses.

At the book jacket's back cover the words are reversed as Leonardo did with some of his notes. Students can look in a mirror to read the title reflected.

                                                                  

Mr. G's Book Selection

The book that I chose is called Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. This is considered a folktale or mythological in nature. Growing up as kid, I loved reading this book because I would imagine what I would do if I found a magic pebble.  The possibilities seemed endless.  Students of all ages can let their imagination run wild as they engage in a book that seems simplistic but tackles a variety of issues. Through its fantastical plot and challenges that Sylvester faces, the book leaves the reader with a sense of hope in the midst of despair and a great appreciation for what money cannot buy. The importance of the family  and true gratitude for all the blessings you do have in life is a timeless truth that even we as adults are in need of remembering.  The book is geared for prek- 2^nd grade.  However, its lessons  are appropriate for students of all ages.  A brief synopsis of the book is as follows: Sylvester the donkey finds a magic pebble and unthinkingly wishes himself a rock when frightened by a lion. Although safe from the lion, Sylvester cannot hold the pebble to wish himself into a donkey again. On a rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that turns him into a rock. Sylvester is eventually reunited with his family and restored to his true self. 

The themes presented in the book are truly cross-cultural and essential to any child, regardless of his background or family dynamic.  The main theme is the theme of family.  Throughout the book, the author constantly reminds the reader the importance of family over possessions.  Through giving a glimpse of the Duncan’s yearning for Sylvester, and Sylvester’s undying desire to be reunited with his family, the reader learns that being with your family far outweighs any riches you can get. Other pivotal themes include patience( both Sylvester’s and his parents’) and hope.  It reinforces the idea of never giving up.  Sylvester and his parents always had the sense of expectancy that something was going to happen and he would re-appear.  This theme is a desperate universal message that our students need to grasp.  Guiding questions that I would include would be stopping the book in the middle of the plot and asking what the outcome of the book would be, given what we already know? Also, I would lead a discussion on the author’s message of the book and see if the students grasp the morale of the story.  I would guide them into synthesizing what patience, courage, hope looks like in real life.  We would open a dialogue as to how a person can have hope when all appears to be going wrong.  A question I would use is, “In which ways would the Duncan’s life be changed if Sylvester could never be found? Why do you think these changes would happen?

Extensions for such a book are numerous. The one that I would start off with would be, “If you were Sylvester and you saw a lion coming, how would you have used the magic pebble to help you?”  This would not only engage the student but cause him to think critically about what was read and create a solution based on the book. Other ideas would include write about a world in which you can get all that money can buy, would this bring you true happiness?  Define happiness as you understand it.  We would have 2 groups. One that would argue that money is the cause of happiness and the other group would argue that true contentment does not rely solely on money, but on the idea of being with loved ones (family).

Mr. L's Book Selection

It’s not just a box. It’s Pre-K!!!!!

Sometimes you find a book that immediately makes you believe that it’s perfect for what you want to accomplish with your little pre-k students regarding imagination. “Not a Box” by Antoinette Portis is just that book. A book with a simple cover that just from the start will leave plenty of room to fill in the blanks with your student’s imagination… just like a cardboard box. How many times have we have seen in our own family, pictures or videos of kids having so much fun just with a cardboard box? Well, the character of the book is a little bunny who reminds us as adults how fun it is to believe that a box is not just a box, it’s whatever you want it to be, from a car to a mountain or even a submarine. However, people keep telling the bunny that it is just a box. This little bunny does not give up and on each page he shows that the box can be transformed into something different.

This little bunny and his idea of transforming the box into whatever his imagination wants it to be, is an example of how people who are not familiar with the pre-k classroom, may perceive the interaction between the students and teacher, as chaotic, and “just play time.” The students at each center are using and applying what they know, not what someone else with a worksheet is telling them to do. In pre-k we are not just a box, we are what we want to be, we are hope, and we really are the future. In Pre-k we want to believe that every kid has the potential of being a talented and gifted student. For that reason, our instruction needs to reach every student. This book has that potential. I recommend this book to anyone, no matter the grade level or the age. Imagination is for everyone, not just for little kids.

As a follow up to the reading, we asked the students in what they will like to transform a box. After brainstorming, the students (as a family project) will come back home with their “box revolution”. We will ask them to explain, what their box is and why they choose that specific idea. I will have to confess, that I made a mistake. I asked the students what they will like to transform their box into after I read the book. Next year I will show them a box and I will ask in what they will transform the box, take notes of that and then read the book.  What do you think? What would you suggest?

Mrs. R.S.'s Book Selection

Mrs. R.S.

The book I would like to present is Christopher Paul Curtis' "Bud, Not Buddy." Bud Caldwell's mother died when he was six years old, leaving him with nothing but a cardboard suitcase filled with memories and a possible hint of who his father may be. Now, ten years old and on the run, Bud lives among the homeless in Flint, Michigan, until he decides to walk to Grand Rapids in search of his father. Helped by a few kind people along the way, Bud eventually locates Herman E. Calloway, a famous musician who denies Bud's claim that he is his father. Finally, the contents of Bud's suitcase provide the clues necessary to prove that Calloway is indeed related to Bud, but not in the way that Bud expects.

Thematic Connections

Family and Relationships
Ask the class to discuss Bud's relationship with his mother. What are some of his special memories of her? Why did his mother never tell him about his grandfather? Why do you think Bud's mother left home? Changed her last name? If Bud's mother was so unhappy, why did she keep the flyers about her dad's band?

Why is Bud so convinced that Herman Calloway is his father? Discuss whether Bud is disappointed to learn that Calloway is not his father but his grandfather. What type of relationship do you think Bud will have with his grandfather? How is Calloway's Band like a family? What is Miss Thomas's role in Bud's new family?

Survival
Bud has been without a family since age six. What type of survival skills does Bud learn at the Home? Make a list of "Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself." How does Bud use these rules to survive difficult situations? Have the class discuss whether Bud will continue using these rules now that he has found a family.

Hope
Ask the class to discuss how the flyers in Bud's suitcase give him hope. Bud's mother once told him, "When one door closes, don't worry, because another door opens." (p. 43) How does this statement give Bud the hope he needs to continue his search for his father? Discuss the moments in the story when a door closes for Bud. At what point does the door open? Cite evidence in the novel that Herman Calloway had hope that his daughter might return.

Racism
Engage the class in a discussion about the different types of racism. Bud encounters racism throughout his journey. Ask students to explain Mrs. Amos's statement: "I do not have time to put up with the foolishness of those members of our race who do not want to be uplifted." (p. 15) How does this statement indicate that Mrs. Amos feels superior to Bud and other members of her race? Why does she think that Bud does not want to be uplifted?

Bud meets many homeless people at Hooverville. What evidence is there that racism prevails among them? How does racism affect Herman E. Calloway's band? Eddie tells Bud, "Mr. C. has always got a white fella in the band, for practical reasons." (p. 205) Discuss what the "practical reasons" might be. How does this reflect the times? Would Mr. Calloway's reasons be valid today?

May 14, 2012 8:32 AM

E. Karam's Book Selection

Roald Dahl’s "Matilda" is one of my favorite books. I used to read it to my third graders when I taught Reading Language Arts and they loved it! I also find this book appropriate for fourth grade, due to the rich vocabulary it contains and the delightful story that can be used and adapted in so many different activities and teach numerous skills to get those readers and writers eager to learn and think critically! In "Matilda", we see how the main character pursues her passion for reading and learning, despite being completely neglected by her parents, who are also involved in illegal businesses that Matilda disapproves of. "Matilda" is a perfect example of determination, perseverance and righteousness. It is easy to fall in love with this book and its creative, out of the box, main character, whose wittiness and charisma are captivating.

"Matilda" is a very rich piece of literature, which can be used for a plethora of learning activities. Some topics that go with the book are: people’s rights (the right to grow up in a safe environment, the right to education, etc.), character analysis, character traits, vocabulary, duties and responsibilities, literary elements and genres, etc. To foster student discussion, the students can be asked to put themselves in Matilda’s shoes and write about how they would react to certain situations such as: their parents not cooking for them, them being alone at home (stranger danger), feeling neglected by their parents. They could also have a discussion about Ms. Honey, Matilda’s teacher, and all the other characters in the story. For extension activities, the students could write a summary of the book and illustrate it, write the next chapter of the book and do Reader’s Theatre and write the script themselves or get it from the book.
-E. Karam

                                                                                                        

R.F.'s Book Selection

Amazing Grace
By Mary Hoffman & Caroline Binch

I chose to read Amazing Grace because I was told by several teachers that it is a desirable book. It’s a piece of literature for K-6. The book is about a little girl named Grace who loves stories and liked people who told stories. Grace was an actor. In the book, she acted out adventure stories and fairy tales. Grace played all the parts herself. Some of the parts Grace played was pretending to be a soldier, a spider named Anansi, exploring for a lost kingdom, a parrot with a peg leg, an Indian named Hiawatha, and a jungle girl. One day Grace’s teacher said that she needs someone to do Peter Pan for a play. Grace became excited and told her teacher that she wanted to be Peter Pan. Her teacher replied “ you can’t be Peter…that’s a boy. At the end, Grace played the character Peter.

Themes that might arise after students read the book Amazing Grace is that you can be whatever you want to be. We know this because we learned that whatever you enjoy doing, you will be great at it. In a book report, you could state that one theme for Amazing Grace is that your imagination could take you places that you haven’t gone before. We could also say the theme was about being different characters. Guiding questions : Looking at the cover of the book, what other character(s) do you think is in the story? Do you think that you could act out some of the characters that Grace did? Lastly, do you think you would have audition for the part of Peter Pan once your teacher told you that it was for the opposite sex? Extension activities : role play and rewrite the book using a different setting or nationality.


regina finney / 3rd grade