Extension Activities

Biographies

Have students complete a biography book report. Have  students write a monologue as the person they have read about in their selected biographies. Have the children then dress up as the individuals and perform their monologues for the class.

Students can use the Internet to find a picture/ information of the person they are researching and create a biography poster.

Autobiographies

• Write a poem in which every other line begins:

I seem to be ___________

But I really am __________

• For young kids allow them to do a picto-biography using computer clipart.

• Have students bring old and recent photos of themselves and of pets, family, friends, etc.  Have the students paste the pictures in any order they wish on a long piece of paper.  For each pictures, have students write a sentence that tells about some piece of their life that's shown in that picture.

• Have students draw around their hand.  Cut out the outline.  On the hand have them write all the things that they can do with their hands.

Persuasive Writing

• Have students create an ad for their favorite toy.

• Have students plan and write an announcement to be given over the school's public address system to get students to purchase items from the school store.

• You've just created the sandwich of all sandwiches.  Create a radio commercial to advertise it. 

Tall Tales

• Complete A Puzzle. Visit Johnny Appleseed and see if you can complete the online crossword puzzle.

• Complete A Tall Tale Activity. Follow the instructions found at the website below:

1) American Folklore and Tall Tales

http://millville.org/Workshops_f/Dich_FOLKLORE/FOLKTEXT/folkhome.htm

2) Johnny Appleseed http://covington.k12.tn.us/tetc/apples.htm

3) Paul Bunyan: Legendary Hero http://covington.k12.tn.us/tetc/bunyan.htm

• Do A Tall Tale WebQuest. Adapt or follow the procedures found at one of the following WebQuest sites:

1) American Tall Tales by A. Crawford

http://emints.more.net/info/southeast/annetta/index.html.html

2) Hey Paul, Paul Bunyan (Grades 3-4) by C. Ernst

http://gp.k12.mi.us/richard/ernst/paulbunyan.htm

3) Johnny Appleseed (Kindergarten) by K. Moore and H. Rocabado

http://arlington.k12.va.us/schools/barrett/webquest/hero/

4) Tall Tale News (Grades 5-6) by T. Sherman

http://berksiu.k12.pa.us/webquest/shermanquest/default.htm

• Compare and Contrast Two Tall Tale Characters. Pick two tall tale characters and analyze how they were alike and different. First start by identifying the story elements of the tall tales. What parts of their stories make them a tall tale? What exaggerations are made? Do you think a tall tale is similar to a person who is a legend? Another name for a hero is a legend. Do you think either of your characters were American heroes? Why or why not? Do you think authors of the tall tales did research? Why? Do you think either character originated from a true story and then was exaggerated? 

• Illustrate A Tall Tale. Take one of the tall tales you find online or one that you have written, and complete illustrations to go along with the story. Have fun, use your imagination, and don't forget to share, display your finished work.

Letter Writing

• A Letter to the Editor

Write a letter to your local newspaper and express your views

Check your letter to make sure your ideas and thoughts are

clear and that the spelling and punctuation are correct. Sign

your letter, and include the name of your school and your age.

Send your letter to the editor of the newspaper. You can

usually find the editor’s name and the address of the

newspaper on the page that features letters to the editor.

• A Letter to the President

Write a letter to President George W. Bush and communicate

your concerns about our country. Keep the following points in

mind when you write:

• Make your letter simple and direct.

• Focus on one issue.

• Organize what you want to say. First, explain why you are

writing and what your concern is. Then, express your opinion,

and offer some suggestions about how the problem might be

solved.

• Sign your name. Include your age and grade level and the

name and address of your school. Address your letter to the

president as follows:

President George W. Bush

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington , DC 20500

• Have students write letters from one book character to another. In the example that follows a Mother Goose character writes to another.  For extra fun, read the resulting letters aloud leaving off the name of the character writer.  See if kids can guess the identity of the character from the letter clues: 

  Dear H.D.:

      I was sorry to hear about your accident.  What were you doing sitting on top of that high wall anyway, you old egghead?
      Seriously though, I know how awful head injuries can be.  Remember that time I tumbled down a hill?  I had splitting headaches for weeks after that.  To this day, I don't know how it happened.  Jill claims I tripped over a stone.
      Anyway, I hope your stay in the hospital is a short one.  Trust the doctors--they know a lot more about medicine than do all the king's horses and all the king's men.
      Get well soon, Eggie,

                          Fondly,

                          Jack

   

Poetry

• Listen to Jack Prelutsky read one of his poems, then follow his tips and techniques to have some fun with poetry writing!

• Karla Kuskin demonstrates how to use descriptive words to create powerful poems.

• Rhyme and rhythm are two keys to writing poetry — and I Spy riddles as well, using Jean Marzollo's tips and activities.
  

Book Reports

• Do a costumed presentation of your book. Dress either as the author or one of the characters.
• Write a letter from one character to another character.
• Write the first paragraph (or two) for a sequel. Outline what would happen in the rest of book.
• Write a new conclusion.
• Write a new beginning.
• If a journey was involved, draw a map with explanatory notes of significant places.
• Make a diorama and explain what it shows.
• Make a diorama showing the setting or a main event from the book.
• Make a new jacket with an original blurb.
• Use e-mail to tell a reading pen pal about the book.
• Participate with three or four classmates in a television talk show about the book.
• With another student, do a pretend interview with the author or with one of the characters.
• Cut out magazine pictures to make a collage or a poster illustrating the idea of the book.
• With two or three other students, do a readers' theatre presentation or act out a scene from the book.
• Lead a small group discussion with other readers of the same book. Focus on a specific topic and report your group's conclusion to the class.
• Keep a reading journal and record your thoughts at the end of each period of reading.
• Write a book review for a class publication.
• Find a song or a poem that relates to the theme of your book. Explain the similarities.
• For fun, exaggerate either characteristics or events and write a tabloid-style news story related to your book.
• Draw a comic-book page complete with bubble-style conversations showing an incident in your book.
• Use a journalistic style and write a news story about something that happened to one of the characters.
• Write a paragraph telling about the title. Is it appropriate? Why? Why not?
• Decide on an alternate title for the book. Why is it appropriate? Is it better than the one the book has now? Why or Why not?
• Make a poster advertising your book.
• Make a travel brochure inviting tourists to visit the setting of the book. What types of activities would there be for them to attend?
• Write a letter to the main character of the book.
• Write a letter to the main character of the book. Write the letter he or she sends back.
• Make three or more puppets of the characters in the book. Prepare a short puppet show to tell the story to the class.
• Write a description of one of the main characters. Draw or cut out a picture to accompany the description.
• Make an ID card which belongs to one of the characters. Be sure to make the card look like the cards for that particular state. Include a picture and all information found on and ID card. Don't forget the signature!! ******This gets them researching what ID cards /Driver's Licenses look like; as well as thinking about the character--especially the signature. I have seen kids ask each of the other students to sign the character's name to find the one that would most likely belong to the character.********
• Prepare a list of 15 to 20 questions for use in determining if other people have read the book carefully.