Surfing the Net with Authors

Lesson Four: Surfing for More New Authors.

Objectives:

• Students read, view and discuss a variety of identifiable author’s writing and artistic styles 

and their books while visiting their web sites.

• These authors are compared to the body of works of other writers/ illustrators and then are compared to Jan Brett.

• Students continue to review and learn progressively more about the computer and Internet.

Estimated time: Four, twenty minute sessions.

Materials:

          Preset: Collect and read to students several picture books from other authors.

Collect a variety of authors and books for teacher discussion and demonstration. 

Exceptional authors with good web sites include; Leo Lionni, Erza Jack Keats, Mem Fox, Tomie de Paolo, 

Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Mercer Meyers, and the Magic School Bus series.

Web Sites:

http://janbrett.com

This is an exceptional web site full of down load able stories, pictures and activities for classroom use.

http://www.seussville.com/

This site is al things Dr Seuss.

http://encarta.msn.com

This web site, an extension of Encarta Encyclopedia, is a great starting place for animal and Biome facts.

http://studyweb.com/

This site is an extensive search engine for students and teacher. Put in any topic and you will be there.

http://www.yahooligans.com

This is the children’s version of the search directory Yahoo!

http://www.ask.com

This ask any question site is a great starting place for information that is leveled for kids reading abilities. 

Vocabulary: Computer, Internet, site, click, book marking, mouse, scroll down/up, URL, Web site, 

Picture Book author and illustrator, artist, realistic vs. abstract, borders, and design (composition, color and shape).

Procedure:

Whole Class

·        Have the class sit where they can all view the computer. 

·        The teacher should have several picture books close by to compare and contrast pictures and 

stories they will find on selected authors and their web sites.

·        Continue teaching/reviewing the parts of computer and Internet.

·        Tell students that they will be visiting the Internet web site of several other authors like they 

did at the Jan Brett site. They may know or recognize several of these authors.

·        Go to each site, browse and use links which will show this author’s illustrations.

·        Ask the students if it looks like a story book they have read recently. Hold up several books 

and compare and contrast the similarities between the web site and the books.

·        As time permits read several articles and illustrated captions on the web site and have the 

class vote to download/print several of the author’s activity sheets or puppets.

Assessment:

The students have achieved the objectives if they can say the author’s name and simply compare what we 

saw on the web site and the differences between it and the classroom picture book. Technology learning is 

achieved if students can name several parts of the computer correctly and note the names of several Internet 

procedures.

Activities:

• Students checkout classroom books and library books to read to each other or schedule times to read to a 

kindergartner.

• Students read their animal reports to one another.

Follow up:

Students can finish their animal reports and drawings at home and then read their stories to family members.

Students can complete the Venn Diagram, worksheet D.

Other Resources

Mem Fox: http://www.memfox.net/

Mercer Mayer: http://www.littlecritter.com/

Ezra Jack Keats: 

http://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/keats/main.html

Leo Lionni: http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/rc/rc_ab_lli.html

Dr Seuss: http://www.seussville.com/

Tomie de Poalo: http://www.tomie.com/

Scholastic's, The Magic School Bus: www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/home/

Grimm’s Fairy Tales: www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm 

Aaron Shepard’s reader theater site: www.aaronshep.com/rt/ 

Troll Book Club and Scholastic Book Club offer many of the soft covered books by Jan Brett and other creative picture book authors. This company also offers animal content books at varying reading level to support young readers.

Zoo Books are colorful and content-rich books about animals.