D.E.A.R. Day, Shadows, and Using Your Imagination

On April 12, 2013 readers of all ages took a few minutes to Drop Everything And Read. To learn more about D.E.A.R. Day click HERE

We had a fun time in the Library. Before DEAR Day, I had re-purposed some large printer boxes that I recently found discarded in the hallway How could anyone not see their potential? I wrapped them in green butcher paper and stacked them up knowing they could be used for a multitude of displays. This week DEAR Day,  next week Poem in Your Pocket Day.



















                   Here is how they look next to a book shelf.

When students arrived for their library class, books were quickly checked in and a new set checked out, then students had an opportunity to "Make Your Best Fruity Guess" at the Estimation Station, a library center. I had loaded our good old Teddy Bear jar up with 176 rubber fruit pieces and two kids came close with estimations of 180 fruit pieces. We always end up with a tie so I made sure to have two prize packages ready.

The prize package was a Joke Book double pack. This was to make a point because a teacher has been telling her students that reading a Joke Book is not really reading. Of course it is! Joke books provide an opportunity for shared social reading opportunities. Joke books are best read with a friend or classmate and help form a community of readers through shared experiences.

Occasionally, a kid will think back to a joke and say "hey, remember that joke about...." and everyone laughs. Which reminds me of a very funny video created by the authors of Guys Read: Funny Business.  It is a pieced together retelling of "The Joke" and well worth watching.

After recording their estimations, we did the real DEAR thing. We stopped and had 15 minutes of silent sustained reading. I decided to read the 2013-2014 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri. Visit my Bluebonnet Book Club wiki for teaching resources: Ghetto Cowboy. This is a terrific book and I love the background research that I have been doing since I began reading it.

Our last DEAR event was to create DEAR bookmark that reflected a favorite character, book, or that demonstrated why reading is enjoyable. Kids did a terrific job. One of my favorites created by Madison was a bookmark that also was a mini-book. Leslie gave me my favorite quote for the day: Love, peace, and books. I wish I could show their projects but I used my phone camera and can't find images now.

For the three year olds. We read books about shadows in support of their Prekinder guidelines and then played shadow games. I made up a little poem while brushing my teeth this week so I shared that with them too.

I have a little shadow
That always stays with me.
Sometimes my shadow gets so big
as tall as tall can be.
Sometimes my shadow is so small
that I can hardly see.
I have a little shadow
a friend that sticks with me.





Next, I read "Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon" and talked about how much fun it is to use your imagination. Then I put on a Robot Head that my daughter had made out of a discarded diaper box and pretended to be a robot. This got a lot of giggles. Now all book lovers know that the perfect book that goes with a robot costume is Ame Dyckman's Boy + Bot.

It was a pretty terrific DEAR Day.

Friday Fun with Molly Lou Melon

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon is a terrific read aloud book supporting themes of self esteem, believing in yourself, families, friendship, and dealing with bullies. Molly Lou's grandmother encourages Molly Lou to believe in herself and to appreciate and value the qualities that make Molly Lou the person she is. It is Molly Lou's strong sense of self that helps her to deal with a school bully and to earn the respect of her classmates and the bully too. Wonderful story. 

View all my reviews

Molly Lou Mellon Literature Resources: (see literature connection activities further down)

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon Lesson Plan

Scholastic's Molly Lou's Special Qualities lesson plan and resources

Penguin's Read Aloud Activity Guide (various titles)



Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Molly Lou Melon sits in a room overflowing with toys and whoseywhatits of all kinds when her grandmother tells her that back in the old days she made her toys of things she found. Molly Lou soon discovers that using your imagination can be more exciting than any store bought toy. Then Gertie, a new neighbor moves in next door and Molly Lous overhears her telling her mother she is bored, bored, bored. Molly Lou invites Gertie over to play and introduces her to tin can phones, cardboard racecars and the beauty of skywatching.

Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon is a wonderful read aloud highlighting the power of using your imagination. Tie this read aloud in with making crafts from recycled materials, or items found in nature. Try the tin can phones, dolls made from twigs and flowers, cardboard racecars or robots and of course take a walking trip outdoors to lay back and watch the sky. You never know what you will see in the clouds.

Literature connection activities-crafts, recycle projects.

Recycle projects: Make a Paper Cup Phone to Talk to Your Friends

Materials

2 empty, clean paper or plastic cups
1 nail and hammer or ice pick (adult supervision is a must!)
10-20 feet of white cotton string, fishing line, or sewing thread (the shorter the line, the better the reception)

1. Take 2 paper or plastic cups
2. Turn the cups upside down with the bottom end facing up.
3. Use a nail or ice pick to punch a hole through the flat surface of the end of both cups (adults perform this step).
4. Measure out a length or string or sewing thread about 10-20 feet.
5. Thread one end of the string through one of the holes. Make a strong knot in the string on the inside of the cup, so that the string remains attached.. Repeat with the other cup and the other end of string. The two cups are now connected to each other.
6. Stretch the two cups apart until the string is taut or tight.
7. Speak into the mouth of the open end of your cup (Transmitter) while a friend holds an ear up to the opened end of her cup to listen (Receiver).

Optimizing a Tin Can Phone: Why it's better to use paper cups and sewing thread for tin cup phone project