Eeek! Creak! Snicker Sneak

Teacher’s Guide

Eek! Creak! Snicker Sneak

by Rhonda Gowler Greene

Illustrated by Jos. A. Smith

Pre-reading:

Just by reading the title and looking at the cover art decide what you think the story is about. What time of year do you think it is? What time of day?  How would you describe those two characters on the cover?

Knowledge:

1. When do Bugbear and Bugaboo come out?
2. What do they like to do?

Comprehension:

1. Describe Bugbear.
2. Describe Bugaboo.

Application:

1. Name some of the sounds that they make.
2. What things do they use to scare you?

Analysis:

1. Why do grownups not believe in Bugbear and Bugaboo?
2. How would this story be different if Bugbear or Bugaboo wrote the story?

Synthesis:

1. Do you think, that when you’re an adult you’ll tell your children it is nothing too? Why or why not?
2.  Imagine you were going to scare them away. Where at your house would you hide? What would you say?

Evaluation:

1. Where do you think they go next?
2. Which page is your favorite? Why?

Multiple Intelligence Projects

for Eek! Creak! Snicker Sneak

by Rhonda Gowler Greene

Illustrated by Jos. A. Smith

Verbal/ Linguistic

Create your own two tricksters. What do they look like? What do they do? Who do they bother?  Fill out this chart:

They ________________.

They ________________.

They make their plans

while ___________________ rubbing their __________ hands.

OR

Create a wanted poster (seen below) for either or both Bugbear and Bugaboo!

Logical/ Mathematical:

Create a venn diagram comparing Bugaboo to Bugbear. Be as detailed as possible.

Visual/ Spatial

Using magazines cut out a variety of eyes, noses, and mouths. Then glue them on an oval shape. Create your own Bugaboo or Bugbear. You might want to first paint, color, or even glue tissue paper to the base of your monstrous creation!!

Body/Kinesthetic

Make up hand signals or signs you can use to scare off Bugbear and Bugaboo.

Musical/ Rhythmic:

As the teacher reads aloud the story, clap to the beat of the syllables (great practice for phonemic awareness!). Listen to the rhythm of the words; discuss how it is similar to music.

Interpersonal:

Eek! Creak! Snicker Sneak deals with a lot of emotions: fear, bravery, concern, and naughtiness.

Pair up with someone, and practice figuring out what that person is feeling based on his or her expressions.

Afterwards, discuss what you could do for someone who is feeling sad or scared or unhappy.

Intrapersonal:

Make a poster of at least five things you can do when you are scared. Draw pictures to go with your list, and then POST by your bed! Be sure to add the title and author’s name to your poster.

WANTED

For Disturbing:   (student’s name)

During:

Please Contact:  (Principal’s Name)

At: (School Name)

Call: 421- Booo 

Boris and Bella

Boris and Bella By Carolyn Crimi

Illustrated by Gris Grimly

Pre-reading Activity:

By just looking at the front and back covers, what do you think this story is about? Do you think Boris and Bella are friends by the way they are pictured? What makes you think this? If you had to pick a holiday to read this book on, which would it be? Why?

Comprehension Check:

Knowledge:

1. Describe Bella.
2. Describe Boris.

Comprehension:

1. Why won’t the other monsters attend Boris’ party? Why not Bella’s?
2. Why weren’t Boris and Bella good neighbors?

Application:

1. How do you think Boris’s closet looks compared to Bella’s?
2. Predict what you think will happen one year after the close of the story.

Analyze:

1. Debate who you think would make a better friend and why.
2. Examine the illustrations. Which one is your favorite? Why?

Synthesize:

1. How would you feel if people refused to come to a party you were throwing?
2. What would you do?

Evaluation:

1. What is your favorite creepy detail in the book? (I Love the biting dust bunnies!)
2. Why do you think the artist chose the colors he did to portray this story? What colors would you choose?

Projects for

Boris and Bella By Carolyn Crimi

Illustrated by Gris Grimly

Language Arts:

Pretend you are Boris or Bella and write a letter of complaint to the newspaper advice columnist about your neighbor asking for help about how to deal with them. Then, switch letters with a partner and write an advice response to their question.

-or-

Plan Boris and Bella’s wedding. Create invitations, a guest list, arrange the menu, and describe the event in a scrapbook you create to commemorate the most important social event in Booville!

Art:

Make a detailed map of Booville. Get ideas from the book to construct it, but feel free to add details of your own. Make sure you have a key to all things gloomy and gross!

-or-

Make a diorama from one scene of the book. Turn a shoebox on its side and begin reconstructing one of the scenes with materials you find around your house and yard.

Music:

In pairs, write a song about Boris and Bella using the “Twelve days of Christmas” as your tune of inspiration.

Science:

Make slime:

One part water (dyed green or other ghastly color) to four parts cornstarch.

Make Ghoul Drool:

1 13-oz. package lemon-lime Kool-Aid
1 cup sugar
8 cups water
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
4 cups Sprite or other clear soda
5 scoops green sherbet

Empty the Kool-Aid package into a punch bowl. Add the sugar, then the water and stir until dissolved. Stir in the orange juice. Just before serving, add the soda and float the scoops of sherbet on top.

Make Chocolate-covered gargoyle boils: (serve in coffin shaped boxes with original poetry like Boris’)

1 C peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, your choice)

½ C honey

1 ¼ C puffed rice cereal

Mix ingredients in large bowl. Roll into gargoyle boils and place on waxed paper (if it’s too sticky, just add more cereal). Dip into melted chocolate and cool in refrigerator on waxed paper for a couple of hours.