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Tag: vocabulary

Exploring The Garden of Abdul Gasazi

Posted in picture book lesson, and reading skills

This week in the Jackson Library, fifth graders explored the fascinating picture book, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi.  First, we discussed topiaries and looked at pictures.  Then we discussed foreshadowing and prepared ourselves to find how Van Allsburg uses the literary technique in his book.  During the story, we completed the puzzle and discussed the vocabulary words.  During check out, the kids rotated on the computers to play a Quizdini game about the book. After the story, the kids had to decide if the magician tricked Alan or if he really knew magic. It looks like FOX/Disney might be adapting the book into a movie version soon!

Garden Abdul cover
Review
Gasazi puzzle
puzzle

Gasazi puzzle key

5th Gasazi lesson

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Garden of Abdul Gasazi Safeshare video 
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Houghton Mifflin Teacher’s Guide
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Quizdini
game

 

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CVA
Frequently Asked Questions

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news article
click to find out more

 

The Wonky Donkey

Posted in picture book lesson

We had loads of fun today with The Wonky Donkey and first graders! We read the story and discussed the meaning of vocabulary words within it: wonky, lanky, cranky, stinky, winky, hanky-panky, honky-tonky, etc. Then we read it through again while playing the song (Scholastic.com). Craig Smith won an Apra award (Apra New Zealand Best Children’s Song of the Year) in 2009. At the tables, the kids had to draw their own wonky donkey and we listened to an animated retelling/song version by Alina Celeste. What fun!

 

Wonky Donkey

Discussion Qs
Wonky Donkey song
Alina Celeste
 


viral video boosts sales article

 

YouTube Sensations “The Scottish Granny” Visits NYC for “Wonky Donkey” Event

bestseller
The Telegraph News, Dec. 18, 2018

 

Fright School!

Posted in apps, holiday, picture book lesson, and reading skills

Last week in the Jackson Library, first graders had fun with a new spooky story, Fright School, by Janet Lawler. There are excellent vocabulary words in the story, so I created an interactive poster with words and corresponding pictures. We used context and the fun illustrations to determine the meanings of the words. During check out, we had fun with Amanda Noll’s I Need My Monster interactive storybook app and no spooky library lesson would be complete without doing The Monster Shuffle dance at the end!

words studied: scolds, seeping, relish, foul, clutch, quake, peer

 

 Fright School

Author site, video, quiz

Fright School lesson

I Need My Monster book app

Janet Lawler’s site

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