Specific Novel & Picture Book Activities - "I"

I Love My Family

by Wade Hudson

read aloud kindergarten, readability grade 2

Every summer, there is a family reunion at Grandpa Lawrence's house. Aunts, uncle, cousins, and grandparents visit from great distances to sing, dance eat, and listen to stories. This sentimental story emphasizes the importance of being a member of a family and that families can extend further than the people around you.

Make a family tree accordian book.:

• With the help of parents, have each child come up with a list of names of grand parents, parents, aunts, uncles, bothers, sisters, and cousins.
• Fold up a long piece of paper, cut out from a roll of butcher paper, into enough squares for each relative in the child's family.
• On each block have students, draw a picture of the relative, and/or what they think the relative looks like. Below this picture write out for them, or have them write "This is my...........(relation, eg: Aunt).........(name, eg: Edna). Work through, Grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, parents, then brothers/sisters. Make sure that the student themselves is also included.
• Have each student present their books to the class.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk

by Charles G. Shaw

read aloud K, Readability K

Who knew that a puddle of spilt milk could look like so many things!?. We watch along as the puddle of spilt milk transforms into various objects (a squirrel, a rabbit...). This creative, and easy to read, little book encourages children to explore their imagination.

Materials

• paper
• drawing/colouring utensils
• a squiggle, drawn on a piece of paper and photocopied for the class

Activity

• Hand out photocopied squiggle to class.
• Ask students to think about what they see in the squiggle, and to rotate the paper to get different perspectives.
• Students draw a picture with the squiggle included in it (thus expanding on the original squiggle).
• When students are finished, ask them to attach a story to their squiggle.
• Students share their pictures and stories with the class.