Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku

Teachers’ Guide for
Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku
by Lee Wardlaw
Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Ages 5 and up

“Wardlaw has a fine understanding of the feline mind,
and each poem packs a big impact…
a surprisingly powerful story in verse.”
  – Publisher’s Weekly

“Wardlaw’s terse, traditional verse captures catness from every angle, while Yelchin’s…illustrations telegraph cat-itude with every
stretch and sinuous slink. Perfect pussycat poetry
for anyone who has ever loved a shelter cat.”
                            – Kirkus, starred review

Both the tightly constructed lines and elegant, playful illustrations
unerringly imagine a cat’s world…
[Wardlaw] creates a lovable, believable character
in this wry, heartwarming title that’s sure to find wide acceptance
in the classroom and beyond.
                                    – Booklist, starred review

  About the Author

  Lee Wardlaw’s first spoken word was “kitty.” Since then, she’s
  owned more than two dozen cats (not all at the same time!) and
  published more than two dozen award-winning books for young
  readers, including 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents and 101 Ways to
  Bug Your Teacher. She lives in Santa Barbara, California with her
  husband, teenage son, and (of course) three cats.
  www.leewardlaw.com


 
 
  About the Illustrator

  Eugene Yelchin is a Russian-born artist. He illustrated Who Ate All
  the Cookie Dough? by Karen Beaumont and The Cobbler’s Holiday
  or Why Ants Don’t Wear Shoes by Musharraf Ali Farooqi. With his
  wife, Mary Kuryla, he co-wrote Heart of a Snowman and Ghost Files:
  The Haunting Truth, which he also illustrated. He lives with his
  family in Topanga, California.
 www.eugeneyelchinbooks.com




  Author Interview

1.How did you get the idea for this book?

“When one of our two beloved cats passed away, my young
son and I went to a local animal shelter to pick out a new
kitten.  We interviewed several of them, and it was like some-thing out of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’:  This one is too shy, this one too skittery, that one bites, that one is napping
in his litter box (ew!)…but this one is just right.  So Won Ton’s story is based on the journey we took with our new family member, from the ‘choosing’ to the car ride home, to the ‘naming’, to the first subbed meal – and beyond.”

2.Haiku is deceptively simple. What advice do you have for writers of the form?

“Writing haiku is like cupping a moth between your hands. You are capturing a moment, stilling its wings to better see it, observe it, appreciate it. So haiku is all about noticing – with eyes and ears wide open – what is happening before you right here, right now.  That takes patience and practice – but it’s worth it!


“For teachers wanting to introduce haiku to their students, I highly recommend Patricia Donegan’s book Haiku (Tuttle
          Publishing). In her book, Donegan talks about the Seven Keys
to Writing Haiku:  Form, Image, Kigo, Here and Now, Feeling, Surprise and Compassion. I’ll discuss these keys in more detail later in this Guide.”

3.Who are some of your favorite poets? What have you learned from them?

“I enjoy Valerie Worth, Ellen Kelley, Thalia Chaltas, Kristine
O’Connell George, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Joan Bransfield
Graham, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, April Halprin Wayland,
Shel Silvertein, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer…the list is endless! 
As for what I’ve learned from them?  Observe! Notice! And play!”

4.What can your fans look forward to next?

101 Ways to Bug Your Friends and Enemies (ages 10-14)
is scheduled for publication September, 2011; I also have a rhyming picture book for toddlers and preschoolers due out
in the spring of 2012. It’s called Red, White and Boom! and
it’s about the many ways families across the U.S.A. celebrate
the 4th of July.


 Pre-reading 

What is haiku? Do you think it is easy or hard to write? Why?


  Discussion Guide

What does the shelter have? What does it NOT have? What does our cat hero mean when he says, “or so I’ve been told.”
How are the cats alone but together in the shelter? Describe what feelings you think Won Ton has.
What’s special about visiting hours?
Explain why the cat thinks there is “no contest” with dogs.
Do you agree? Make a pros and cons list for each pet.
Do all the children during visiting hours treat the cats kindly? How do you know?
How hard is it to name a pet? How do you decide? What name does the boy choose? Do you think it’s a good name or not?
How does Won Ton feel about the new place? What details prove this? Have you ever been nervous or afraid to try something new?  Why?
What does it mean to “snub” something? What foods do you snub?
What habits does Won Ton have that you like or dislike?  Would you like him to live with you?  Why or why not?
Where is Won Ton’s favorite place to sleep? Where is yours?
What happens when the boy’s sister plays with Won Ton? Do cats usually like little children or not? Why?
What does your “nose know?” What are good snacks for cats? Which ones are disappointing? What’s your favorite snack?
Describe the types of things that the boy and Won Ton like to do together. How do cats get the attention of their owners? How do you get the attention of your parents?
What is the best part of owning a pet? What can be difficult?
In the end, what does Won Ton tell the boy that’s important?

Reading

All stories (even ones written in haiku!) have three parts to them: a beginning, a middle, and an end. As you re-read the story, fill out the following graphic organizer on the most important things to remember about Won Ton’s story.
   
In the beginning…
In the middle….
In the end…


Writing

  Try writing your own haiku or senryu poem. Tell the story of your
  own pet (or dream pet) in a series of at least five poems. Read the
  author’s note at the opening of the book for more information about
  this form of poetry.


  Math

  Solve these word problems:

1.If Won Ton, Pumpkin and Gypsy each eat a cup of food a day, and they spend two weeks at the shelter before they’re adopted, how many cups will they eat in total?

2.If  Gypsy spends an extra week at the shelter (she has a cold, poor baby), how many more cups of food will you need?

3.Imagine you received $75 for your birthday to pay for adopting a cat.  If the adoption fee is $35.00, and it costs $15.00 to have her spayed and $20.00 for her first shots, do you have enough to adopt?

4.If a cat sleeps 18 hours a day, how many hours are left to play?



  Art

  Inspired by the sharp angles and lines of Eugene Yelchin’s
  illustrations, create a portrait of your own pet (or dream pet) on
  the flat surface of a paper plate. Paint or color the ruffled edges to
  look like a wooden frame. Hang your favorite haiku/senryu beneath
  it for a hallway display.



  Community Service Project

  Host a bake sale, carwash or other fundraiser to benefit a local pet 
  shelter or Humane Society. Be sure to call the shelter and ask what




  type of donations they need. Care packs for newly adopted pets are
  often welcome.


 
  Science

  Both poetry and science rely on close observation. As you work on 
  creating a haiku or senryu, use the following chart to make direct
  observations of your pet or topic:


Sense:
What you notice about your topic:
Details you can SEE (color, shape, size, movement)


Details you can HEAR (volume, repetition, tone)


Details you can SMELL (strong, pleasant, sharp, warm, etc.


Details you can TASTE (sweet, sour, tangy, bitter)


Details you can TOUCH (scratchy, silky fuzzy, soft)







 

  The Seven Keys to Writing Haiku
  From Haiku by Patricia Donegan

1.Form:  A haiku poem should have three lines with or
without a seventeen syllable count. (Five syllables in the
first line, seven in the second, five in the third.) A good rule
of thumb is to make your haiku one breath long.

2.Image:  Your poem should have a descriptive image. For
example, instead of ‘a cat’, write ‘a black cat in the grass.’

3.Kigo:  Kigo is a ‘season’ word. Haiku always refers to
nature in some way, hinting at the day’s season or weather.

4.Here and Now:  Write from a real observation – an experience or a memory of an experience – instead of from your imagination.  Remember: you are noticing – and writing about noticing – a present moment.

5.  Feeling:  Show, don’t tell.  Your haiku should not explain;
      use an image to show your feelings.

5.Surprise:  Haiku should have an ‘ah’! or an ‘a-ha!’ moment:
Something that wakes the reader up.

6.Compassion:  Haiku expresses open-heartedness toward
living things.



This guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading
specialist and children’s author. To learn more about Tracie and
her books, visit tracievaughnzimmer.com. For hundreds of other guides Tracie has created, visit: wildgeeseguides.blogspot.com/

Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride

Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride

by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney

About the book:

Sojourner Truth was as strong and tall as most men. She was big, black and so beautiful. Born into slavery, Sojourner ran away as a young girl. She cherished her freedom, and believed it should be granted to everyone. But she didn’t fight for it with her mighty fists, and she didn’t stomp for it with her giant boots. Sojourner spoke the truth, and struggled against injustice with her brave, beautiful words. With lyrical text and spirited illustrations, the award-winning team of Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney brings one of America’s greatest heroes to life. Following Sojourner from her courageous plantation escape to her meeting with Abraham Lincoln, this is a stirring portrait of a woman who pulled herself up by her great big bootsraps. A warrior for justice above all else, Sourjourner allowed no bias to cross her path without a fight.

Andrea Davis Pinkney

has written several acclaimed picture books, works of nonfiction and novels. Her titles for middle grade readers include Solo Girl, Raven in a Dove House, Silent Thunder, and Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, a Coretta Scott King Award Honor winner. She is also the author of the picture books Alvin Ailey; Duke Ellington (a Caldecott honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book); and Ella Fitzgerald, each illustrated by her husband and frequent collaborator, Brian Pinkney. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Brian Pinkney is the illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including the Caldecott Honor Books Duke Ellington and The Faithful Friend, and the Coretta Scott King Award winner In the Time of the Drums.

Author and Illustrator Interview:

1. Can you describe your process of working together on a book like Step-Stomp Stride?
2. What is the best part of writing and illustrating for children? What do you wish all kids knew about book-making?
3. Where do you find inspiration?

Pre-reading:

Have you ever heard of Sojourner Truth before? She was a famous American who lived long ago. What do you think she is remembered for?

Discussion questions:

1. Describe Sojournor. What did she look like? Act like? Say? How would someone describe you?
2.  What does it mean to be “meant for great things?” What great things are you meant for?
3. Why did Sojournor have several names? Who gave her each of the names she had? Which one was most important to her? Why?
4. What happened to Belle when she was only nine years old? Why was she considered valuable? How does this make you feel?
5. What had John Dumont promised Belle? Did he keep his promise?
6. What did Belle decide to do then? When did she finally stop?
7. How did the Quaker couple help Belle? What did she do with her new freedom?
8. What did freedom mean for Sojournor? What did she decide to do?
9. Why couldn’t Sojournor read or write? What was she really good at despite not being able to read?
10. What did Olive Gilbert help Sojournor do with her story?
11.  Do you think Sojournor was brave to speak out against slavery? How did she react to threats?
12. How did Sojournor stomp-stomp-stomp all over the stupidity of speeches she heard in Akron, Ohio? What do you think it was like in the church after she step, stomped, strided right out of there?

Projects:

Reading:

As you read the story of Sojournor Truth write down at least one fact, one question, and one response (a connection, thought or feeling about what you read) in the following chart and then discuss with your reading partner.

Facts	Questions	Responses

Writing:

Pretend that you were in the audience at that church in Akron, Ohio listening to those preachers discuss women’s rights. Write a letter home to someone describing what you heard and saw that important day.

History:

Create a timeline of Sojournor Truth’s life. Have at least five important dates on your timeline and illustrate it with drawings of your own.

The Humblebee Hunter

The Humblebee Hunter

Inspired by the Life and Experiments of Charles Darwin and his Children

by Deborah Hopkinson

Illustrated by Jen Corace

About the book:

On a beautiful day, the last thing Etty wants to do is sit inside baking honey cake. She’d much rather be outside. Who wouldn’t? And there’s no better person to be outside with than Etty’s father, Charles Darwin.

While many might be familiar with the story of Darwin’s theory of evolution, few of us have had the opportunity to see Darwin the family man—at home in England, doing what he loved best—walking, exploring, observing. All the while he pursued the answers to his most persistent questions, and he often had a little bit of help.

In her lyrical story of Charles Darwin at home with his children, Deborah Hopkinson portrays a very human side of one of the most revered figures in the history of science. In doing so, she sows the natural affinity children have for the scientific process.

About the author:

Deborah Hopkinson is the author of many acclaimed books for children including Stagecoach Sal; Apples for Oregon, an ALA Notable Book; and Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, winner of the IRA award. She lives in Oregon.

About the illustrator:

Jen Corace has illustrated many books for children, including Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal—a  2005 Book Sense Children’s Pick and an IRA Children’s Choice in 2006—and Little Hoot, also by Rosenthal. She recently illustrated Hansel and Gretel, a retelling by Cynthia Rylant. A graduate of the Rhose Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration, Jen lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island.

Questions to consider:

1. What is Henrietta being asked to learn how to do? What do you get asked to do that you’d rather not?
2. Where would Henrietta rather be? Do you love to play outside best too?
3. What do you think is a kitchen garden? If you had one what would you grow?
4. What did mother compare Henrietta’s father to? What animal or insect are you most like?
5. Describe what happened when Mr. Darwin tried to capture three rare beetles at the same time.
6. What were Henrietta’s favorite stories about? If you could go anywhere in the world to study an animal where would you go and what would you research?
7. What was the most important thing Mr. Darwin collected? How did he teach this habit to his children?
8. What questions did the children create before each of their experiments?
9. How does Etty finally get out of the kitchen? Do you think she’s happy? What details let you know?
10. Explain how the family would keep track of the bees. What was the question that this experiment would answer?
11.  What did Henrietta observe about the bee?
12. After reading this book, what else would you like to learn about Charles Darwin and his experiments?

Across the curriculum:

Reading:

Like Darwin, good readers look for important facts as they study a topic. As you read or listen to the story make a list of all the facts you know about Henrietta and her family. Then, circle which facts you think are most important to the story. Discuss with a reading partner about why you chose these facts.

Writing:

The author, Deborah Hopkinson, tells the story of a family but uses poetic language to bring it to life. Reread the story and find at least three phrases that are written in a poetic way. What makes this writing memorable? How does she use details and strong verbs to create images in the reader’s mind? Revise your current piece of writing inspired by the author’s work.

Science:

Like Henrietta and her siblings, go outside and observe closely something in nature. Create a question that you would like answered and try to develop an experiment. Fill out the following chart as your guide:

What I observed:	A question I have:	An experiment that could answer this question:

Math:

Math and Science are great companions. It’s good to take data and then convert it into charts or graphs that can be easily understood by others without having to read long paragraphs! Go into your backyard (or nearby park) and take data on how many of the following you can count: trees, birds, bushes, clouds, children, and insects. Then, put the data into two different types of graphs.

Art:

On the last page of the story the artist decided to do a close up of the bumblebee, just as Henrietta had to closely observe it. Go outside and choose one thing (it does not have to be an insect or animal) and create a sketch that zooms in and fills the page with a detailed drawing. Add color if you wish.

Music:

Sing this tune to “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”

Let’s go follow

the humble bee, the humble bee,

the humble bee

Let’s go follow the humble bee

and count as he lands!

Let’s go out play for worms

play for worms, play for worms

Let’s go out and play for worms

and see if they notice!

Let’s go out

and count some snakes, count some snakes

count some snakes

let’s go out and count some snakes

as many as we can!

Lets go out and experiment

experiment, experiment!

Let’s go out and experiment

and see what we can learn!

T

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down

Sit-In

How Four Friends stood Up By Sitting Down

By Andrea Davis Pinkney

Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

About the book:

Courageously defying the Whites Only edict of the era, four young black men took a stand against the injustice of segregation in America by sitting down at the lunch counter of a Woolworth’s department store. Countless others of all races soon joined the cause following Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful words of peaceful protest. By sitting down together they stood up for civil rights and created the perfect recipe for integration not only at the Woolworth’s counter, but on buses and in communities throughout the South.

Poetic storytelling and exuberant illustrations combine to celebrate a defining moment in the struggle for racial equality.

About the author:

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the author of many acclaimed picture books and young adult novels and she received a Coretta Scott King Book Award Author Honor for Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters. She is a children’s book editor at a major publishing company.

About the illustrator:

Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous books for children, including two Caldecott Honor books, and he has written and illustrated several of his own books. Brian has received the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustration and three Coretta Scott King Award Honor Medals

Andrea and Brian are a husband-and-wife team who have collaborated on a number of books for children including the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator Honor book Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra. They live with their children in New York City.

Curriculum Connections:

Writing

Reading

Social Studies

Mathematics

Music

Art

Across the Curriculum:

Today teachers are asked to get so much done with a standard school day: expand student’s understanding of the world, build their fluency and comprehension of texts, prepare for high stakes tests. Adding children’s literature to your classroom is the perfect way to do all three at once. The lyrical quality of picture books makes them perfect for discussing literary elements like conflict, character and more language oriented goals like identifying similes and metaphor. In addition, the connections that can be made to real-world people and events give authority for the social science curriculum. If the book is too complex for students to be successful independently then it makes a great read-aloud for whole class discussion. Use the following discussion questions and projects as a guide for your exploration of the early 1960’s just as the Civil Rights Movement begins to take shape in the South. This award-winning team will make it easy to weave this compelling story across your curriculum.

Discussion guide:

1. Do you think David Joseph, Franklin and Ezell expected to get a doughnut and coffee when they went to Woolworth’s that day? Why or why not?
2. Why were they so patient and silent? Would you be able to sit without complaining like that?
3. How were they treated like the hole in a doughnut at first? Why do you think it changed?
4. What did the laws of segregation expect people to do (and not do)?  Do you think this was fair?
5. How were they encouraged by Dr. King’s words? Whose words encourage you?
6. Could you sit all day long without anything to eat? How did the first day end?
7. Why do you think more students showed up the next day at Woolworth’s? Why do you suppose they wore their best clothes?
8. How did the students pass the time? What do you do to pass the time?
9. What does the author mean when she says that lunch counter protests “spread faster than a grease fire?”
10. What was tougher than any school test? Do you think you would pass or not? Why?
11.  Describe how hatred was served to the students. How did some people show their support of the students?
12. Besides lunch counters where else was segregation part of each day?
13. Why were some students arrested? How did they react?
14.  Explain what you think “We are all leaders” means. How can you be a leader in your own community or school?
15.  In the end, what was the result of those brave students’ action? How can a few people end up making such a big difference?

Across the curriculum:

Language Arts-

Reading:

Being able to distinguish what is important and what is extraneous can be difficult for young readers. Help your students build this pivotal skill by teaching them to read with a purpose. Have your students fill out the following graphic organizer as you read the story aloud (or for independent readers on their own). Students should list important facts they hear on one side and on the other write questions they have about the text. Afterwards, discuss student responses and see if any of the questions are answered in the extensive back pages of timelines and historical information.

Important facts:	Questions about the text:
Ex: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words got them started	I wonder if they knew Dr. King or all went to hear him speak together?

Writing:

Andrea Davis Pinkney uses the language of a recipe to bring this story to life. Now you cook up your own ideas and write a recipe for a topic that is important to you or your community. First, have your students bring in copies of their favorite recipes from home. Then, in pairs have them highlight or circle all the verbs in it. Next, brainstorm ideas for a recipe topic (a few to get you started: friendship, love, fairness, a great school year, sportsmanship, etc) and add them to a chart so children can explore other topics as the year progresses. After that, have children take their recipe through the entire writing process. Note how recipes use the fewest words possible but everything must make sense! When complete, have children copy onto a recipe card and display outside your classroom (or in a recipe box)!

Listening:

The four students who began the sit in were inspired by the great speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Have your students listen to Dr. King (and provide a printed copy too) and then discuss why some people have the power to inspire others.  Allow students to highlight or underline the part of the speech that mean the most to them. Then, let them turn and talk to a partner about their selection.

Speaking (or not):

The four cornerstones of language arts are reading, writing, listening and speaking. But in the book the students spoke the loudest by not saying anything at all. They let their actions and their silence speak volumes about what they wanted. Have children brainstorm situations where doing or saying nothing takes more courage than acting out. Have the role play these choices in pairs or small groups.

Art:

Revisit the book and discuss each page of the art and have children discuss why they think Mr. Pinkney made the choices he did to bring the story to life. Be sure to point out the loose lines and the changes between blurred figures and detailed portraits. Ask the children: Why do you think he focused on these figures? Why do you think he chose these colors?  Which illustration is your favorite? Why? How do some pictures depict movement? Then, inspired by the art from the book, have children illustrate their recipes or another scene from the Civil Rights Movement.

Music:

Listen to songs that inspired a generation to stand up against injustice. As people protested or were hauled off to prison they often sang together to show unity and remain peaceful. It’s easy to find recordings of them on the internet but be sure to provide your students with the lyrics if you can. Use them as a springboard to discussion. Some of the most popular titles include: “We Shall Overcome,” “Oh Freedom,” “I Shall Not Be Moved,” “When Will We Be Paid For the Work We’ve Done?” and “going Down to Mississippi.”

Math:

Research the average price today for the following goods compared to their price in 1961. For older students have them calculate the percentage of change.

Prices in 1961	Prices today	Difference or % of increase
Bread:   .25 cents
New car: 2,850.00
Eggs per dozen: .30 cents
Gallon of gas  .27 cents
New house: 12,500.00

Social Studies:

Include Sit In as part of a larger unit on peace or as part of your study of the Civil Rights Movement itself. Have children create a bulletin board display titled Portraits of Peace by painting, drawing or using collage to show important leaders in history who promoted peace. You could extend the lesson by having children create portraits of scenes where children create peace with each other at school or play. Under each portrait have students write on an index card explaining why this person was included in the gallery.

Timeline Project:

Using the timeline in the back of the book as a springboard assign small groups of students to each major event. Have them answer the five journalistic questions (who, what, when, where, why) and create a poster or PowerPoint presentation about what they learned. Present projects in chronological order and share with parents or other classes.

Yum! Yuck!

Yum Yuck

By Julia Durango & Linda Sue Park

Illustrated by Sue Rama

Pre-reading:

When something tastes good what do you say? What about if you think it tastes stinky? Do you think kids all over the world use these same words?  What sound do we make when we sneeze? Is it the same around the world too?

Let’s talk about it!

1. Which word was your favorite from the book?
2. Did you ever think about other languages having such interesting sounds before? (Who would think that sneezing would have so many different sounds?!)
3. Which was the most difficult one to guess?
4. Brainstorm a list of other scenes that go with these words: yum, Ha-ha! Yikes, Ah-choo, yuck, Boo-hoo, wow!,
5. Can you think of synonyms for any of these words?
6. Which illustration is your favorite? Why?

After reading the author’s note answer the following questions:

7. Why did the authors write the words the way they sounded but not they way they were spelled in other languages?
8. How does your family pronounce these words: tomato, potato, aunt, caramel,  February, herb. Why do you think all these English words are pronounced so differently? What does it tell us about language and where we live?
9. What other language would you most like to learn how to speak?
10. Why do some countries have more than one language?

Projects:

Language arts:

Research ten common words (or phrases) from a language you would like to learn. Have children draw a picture representing that word or phrase and then post the language and its translation below it.

Geography:

On a world map identify the countries from where the languages originate in the book.

Art:

Find pictures in magazines, newspapers and other media that show the same expressions as the words in the book. Or, find or create pictures that would make someone say those words!

Music:

Sing this song to the tune “If you’re happy and you know it”

If it tastes good in Germany say Keckah!

If it tastes good in Denmark say Nam-nam!

If it tastes really good and you really want to say it

If it tastes really good in Iran say Bah-Bah!

If it’s funny in Korea say Hee-hee-hee

If it’s funny in Poland say Hi! Hi! Hi!

If it really is funny and you really want to say it

If it’s funny in China say Huh! -huh!

If there’s a boo-boo in Yoruba say Oh-gah!

If there’s a boo-boo in Japan say Oo-wah!

If there’s a really big boo boo and you really want to say it

If there’s a boo boo in Spain then say  !Ay!

As a class, create the other verses!

Drama:

Play charades where the children act out the words from the book.

Yoko's World of Kindness

Yoko’s World of Kindness

By Rosemary Wells

Kind and Gentle Week with Yoko:

Initiate a kind and gentle theme week with Yoko and help your children get off to the right start in school. In this guide you’ll find activities, lessons, and projects that will help your class become a supportive, positive place for kids to learn. Each child deserves a class that helps them grow both intellectually and emotionally and Yoko and her friends are the perfect examples to share.  Adding this theme to your curriculum could pay big dividends for the rest of the school year and can be instituted painlessly by considering the following questions first:

Is there anything in the environment that I can change to support the theme?

Examples:

Place desks in cooperative groups

Put up pictures of kids working together

Make a banner celebrating kind and gentle week

Are there any daily activities that can be reworked into the theme?

Examples:

Create a kind and gentle box that students write (or draw a picture of if they’re emergent) with the names of students they see working kindly together. Review what’s in the box each morning at circle time.

Calendar: Students can be encouraged to do an act of kindness for each day of the week- they can even brainstorm what they might do for a parent, friend, or classmate. Share the results of their work the next day.

Resources:

When students visit their resource teachers this week (music, gym, librarian) have them make a class thank-you card where they brainstorm what they love most about the class.

How will I reward students who are being kind and gentle?

Examples:

Allow students to sign the banner when you “catch them being good” by cooperating with their peers, diffusing and argument or being helpful.

Send home small certificates of praise.

Place a stamp or sticker on children who act in a kind or gentle way.

Make positive examples of good behavior by noting the students to the class and then dropping a penny in a jar. When ten (or however many you think is appropriate) are in the jar the class gets extra story time, or five minutes more recess.

What are other activities that can support the theme?

Have secret friends. Students pull a name out of a jar and then they should do nice things for that person all week without them figuring out who it is! On Friday, have a meet your secret friend time and share a sweet treat together.

Kindness Collage Project:

Have students make a poster size collage from magazine pictures that show children (and adults) being kind and gentle to each other.

On Monday Share:

Mama Don’t Go

Pre-reading:

Read the Golden Rule the First aloud to students. What do you think this story will be about? What makes you think so? Have you ever wanted your parents to stay with you? When?

Get to know YOKO: With your students make a list of words to describe Yoko. What does Yoko look like? What kind of things does she say? What does she like to do? Who are her friends?

Each day at school means new things Yoko looks forward to. Make copies of a weekly calendar chart. Have students fill in which resources and activities occur on each day of the week (if you’re resources only occur every other week you may want to give them a generic monthly calendar instead). They can even add pictures to remind them which items (like gym shoes) may be needed. Have students highlight their favorite activities and write at least three sentences about what they look forward to at school. Share the calendar with mom and dad.

Yoko gives her mom a day off in Mama, Don’t Go. What does her mom do with a day off? Draw four pictures of what you think your Mom or Dad might do with a little extra time. Now, draw a picture of what you would like to do with a day off! Share your pictures with your friends and you parents.

On Tuesday Share:

Doris’s Dinosaur

Pre-reading Activity:

Read Golden Rule the Second to your students. What is a genius? Do you know the names of any geniuses?

Art Project:

Create three art centers that your students can explore a variety of media in an open-ended project. At one center provide paints and plenty of paper (and towels!). At another supply students with a variety of scraps of fabric, tissue paper, construction paper, string, glue and other small items like buttons, beans, beads, etc. At the third able have play-doh, sculpey or other three dimensional product (even aluminum foil works nicely!). Give students twenty minutes at each station with no direction except to clean up their mess when they hear the warning bell. Display the students’ favorite piece in the hallway. Discuss, too, who from Mrs. Jenkins’ class would have liked this assignment and why.

Art gallery:

Find reproductions of Henry Matisse’s most famous works and display them in the class in a numbered gallery on the blackboard. (There are usually old calendars available of the great masters’ art available at many bookstores). Have students walk around the gallery and finish these sentences.  “When I look at number ___ I feel….”  “Number ____ makes me think of….” “The colors in number ____ remind me of….” “My favorite picture is number ____ because …..”  Discuss the student responses. Choose a new artist each month!

Student gallery:

After the students’ open-ended art projects dry, create fancy frames out of construction paper for them and put them up around the room like a gallery. Teach the students to talk about art using some of these terms: color, shape, line, background, figures and media. Explain that responding to art isn’t just whether you like it or not but how it makes you feel and think about. Have students take a notebook around the student gallery and jot down a nice note about each piece using the terms you taught them. Share the results with the artist.

On Wednesday share both

Bubble Gum Radar & The Secret Birthday

Pre-reading:

Read Golden Rule the Third:

What is the difference between teasing and joking? How can you tell the difference? How does teasing hurt? Do you get bruised? What does it mean that it is “under the guise of joking.” What is an example?

Projects:

Have students pick one of the following names: Timothy, Doris, Claude, Nora, Yoko, or Grace. Have them write a letter to the Franks about what happened in class. Tell them how it made them feel and how they want to be treated from now on.

Friendship Poster

As a class, brainstorm a list of things that friends do for each other. Write responses on large pieces of bulletin board or butcher paper. Then make a list of things friends Don’t do to each other. Post these two lists for an instant bulletin board and a good reminder for students!

Sing the Friendship song (p.77) from Bubble Gum Radar. Have students stand in a line as you sing and each student gets to say one of the “nevers” as you point to them.

The Secret Birthday

Pre-Reading:

How can a birthday be secret? Why is it important not to talk about birthday parties at school? How can you keep from hurting people’s feelings? Have you ever found out about a party that you weren’t invited to? How did it make you feel?

Projects:

Mrs. Jenkins definitely had rules about birthday parties at school. What were they? Do you think this is a good idea? Why? With your class brainstorm a list of rules about birthday parties. cake shape and have students copy the Birthday Rules inside. Share with parents so feelings at school are spared. Be sure to include a list of things kids Can do to share their special day. For example, bring in cookies for the whole class to share at snack time, or donate a book to the class library in honor of the day.

Service Project:

Create birthday cards to give to kids who are in the hospital. With parent help, kids can create special treat bags with small toys, crayons tied with ribbon, stickers and a get well note.

Graphing:

Ask at least ten people which of these activities are their favorite part of a birthday party: playing games, eating cake and ice cream, making a craft, or watching presents get opened. Graph the results!

On Thursday share:

The School Play

Pre-reading:

Have you ever seen a school play before? What’s it like? Do all the kids get the same number of lines and parts? How come?

Projects:

Act it out:

Write the play the kids are performing about dental health. After several practices, perform it for parents or another classroom. Try to find other objects that when rubbed together make the drilling sound for the dentist.

Write a new play:

Brainstorm as a class characters that could be involved in a play about healthy eating. Make poster in the shapes of good foods, and write lines that each character can say. Practice the play several times and share it!

On Friday share:

Make New Friends

Pre-reading:

How can you make a new friend? Is it easy to make new friends? Can you always have another friend?

Projects:

Captain Friend Ship:

Buy a small plastic boat from a toy or dollar store and write The Friend Ship on the side with permanent marker. Then, add a ship dye-cut to your jobs list and assign a student each week to the job of watching out for others. Brainstorm with your class the things the Captain of the Friend Ship might do on any given day, and another list about special days like when a new student arrives.

New student guide:

After students have settled into the class routine, ask them to brainstorm all the things a new student might need to learn about your classroom and school (songs, schedules, lunch routines, etc.) and make a list. Then, assign each student one of the things on the list. This is an excellent example of process writing! Students should break the task into small steps and number them, and then they should illustrate their picture. Bind the results to share with new students on their first day. Make extra copies to send home to the families of new students.

Make Friendship Salad:

Have each student bring in a different piece of fruit. Then, cut up the pieces, add them all together and enjoy friendship fruit salad.

Everybody’s Special:

Juanita tells Yoko: “Everybody in Hilltop School does something special.” And, of course everybody at your school does too. Have students draw a picture of themselves doing something special. At the top of the page have them finish the sentence “I am special because I…” Bind the individual pages together and title it. Leave it in the class library for all to share.