Dreaming with Chris
Van Allsburg
TARGET AUDIENCE: Whole
school
TIME FRAME: 1 month
OBJECTIVES:
· promote the work of Chris Van
Allsburg
· promote the school library
· connect students with literature through variety of activities
· re-interest older students in picture books
1. Chris Van Allsburg.
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Walker and Company, 1996. ISBN:
0395827841 (portfolio edition).
2. Author bookshelf.
Library's collection of Chris Van Allsburg books which will
also house student projects once completed.
3. Dreaming with Chris
Van Allsburg pamphlet.
4. Library website
on Van Allsburg. Student work can
later be incorporated into the site.
5. Bulletin board which
would contain updates on activities, student work, photographs,
and some pictures from the portfolio edition of The Mysteries
of Harris Burdick (after week 1).
OVERVIEW:
Display illustrations
from the portfolio edition of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
in a visible location in the school. There are 15 drawings so
two locations could be setup: one inside the library such as a
bulletin board and one in another area of the school where most
students will see them at one time or another. Have 2 drawings
up at any one time but change them throughout the week. Illustrations
are just used to peak student interest, and further promotion
will occur in week 2.
Week 2
1. Set up the Van Allsburg bookshelf
with the library's collection of his work; supplement with work
from the public library if necessary and if possible. Place pamphlets
on the shelf for students to take, and distribute some pamphlets
to classrooms.
2. Read Van Allsburg books to the
classes that come into the library for their regular book exchange.
Kindergarten: The Z
Was Zapped
Grade 1: Two Bad Ants
Grade 2: Bad Day At Riverbend
Grade 3: Garden of Abdul Gasazi
Grade 4: Jumanji
Grade 5: Just A Dream
Grade 6: The Sweetest Fig
Grade 7: The Widow's Broom
3. Tell students about Fritz, introduce
the contest, and distribute contest
forms.
Week 3
1. Students complete the following
activities.
Kindergarten: Students
are provided with basic alphabet stencils, and a letter. They
create their own dramatic alphabet booklet. Grade 6 students will
be working with them.
Grade 1: Students look
at non-fiction books on ants, brainstorm what other mischief
the ants could get into , and write their own sequels to Two
Bad Ants called Two Very Bad Ants.
Grade 2: Students
work in groups to create their own coloring books.
Grade 3: Students create
reward posters for finding Fritz. They will be placed around
the school.
Grade 4: Students create
their own jungle adventure board games. Non-fiction jungle and
jungle animals books provided.
Grade 5: Students work
in groups to create a travel brochure for the locations in Just
A Dream.
Grade 6:
Students work with the kindergarten students to create the dramatic
alphabet booklet. (This grouping of students would already have
been established by the teachers through previous buddy reading
so the teacher-librarian is using the established relationships
for this activity. This would be an in-class activity where
the teacher-librarian goes to the classrooms.)
Grade 7: Students work
on a tabloid newspaper called "Mysterious Happenings" based
on Van Allsburg's books. (Use any book except The Mystery of
Harris Burdick) 2. Place reward posters for Fritz up around
the school and remind students of the contest. 3. Bind items
such as the alphabet booklet. Place the booklet, travel brochure,
Jumanji games, etc. on the bookshelf. Add items to the bookshelf
as they are completed.
Week 4
1. Print several copies of "Mysterious
Happenings" (grade 7 activity) and have them available in the
library.
Final day of the month.
1. Throughout the morning have a continuous
reading by staff of Chris Van Allsburg's books. Teachers and students
will be invited to drop in and listen to the stories, look at
items on the bookshelf, complete last-minute entries for the Find
Fritz contest, and play student-made Jumanji games.
(Note - If teachers
are reading then arrangements have to be made for their classes;
eg. the teacher-librarian will cover for the teacher; teachers
can swap classes while one teacher goes to the library and the
other teacher's class goes as well; administration could cover;
etc.)
2. Marathon writing contest for The
Mysteries of Harris Burdick to be held at lunch. Students have
40 minutes to write their own stories based on The Mysteries of
Harris Burdick which will later be placed on the library's website
on the Chris Van Allsburg page. Participants will be eligible
for a draw for a copy of one of Chris Van Allsburg's books (one
prize for primary, and one for intermediate).
3.
Activities will culminate with the draws for the books at the
end of the day.
*Van Allsburg's books
will be put back into circulation so students can borrow them
again on their own. Display of notable picture books by other
authors will be set up so students can explore other author/illustrators.
Students can claim their own items on the bookshelf while a
few (with student permission) can be kept as samples or part
of a student collection.
Assessment would occur as an ongoing
process. Students who come into the library as classes will be
doing activities in the library and can be observed by the teacher-librarian
during that time. Their interest and engagement in the activities
would be evident and can be used for evaluating components of
the promotion. The interest in the contests, number of hits to
the website, students dropping in informally to look at items
on the bookshelf would all be an indication of student interest
in the promotion. The circulation figures of Van Allsburg's books
and those of other picture book authors (especially with intermediate
students) would also be an indication of the promotion's success.
Feel free to e-mail me
with any suggestions or feedback.
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