Summary: A heartwarming tale of a little girl who has never camped before and her first encounters with the outdoors.

Ernestine is ecstatic to be going camping. She meticulously follows the packing list to prepare for the weekend. However, she immediately discovers that nothing could have prepared her for how difficult it is to put up a tent, much alone sleep in one, or for the fact that swimming in a lake implies the presence of fish. Will Ernestine be able to appreciate the outdoors, or will it prove to be a little too much for her?

Author’s purpose: To remind readers of the necessity of broadening our horizons and cultivating fascinating recollections of artifacts.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed.

• Google form reading comprehension using class computers.

• Students practice logging into Google and completing a Google form with reading comprehension questions from the story.

• Afterward, students view results and graphs from the form.

• Students create a mind map on bulletin boards. Inspired by the story, students use sticky notes to add words or actions they want to try.

• Build a vocabulary list based on student activity.

Reference:

Mann, J. K. (2020a). The camping trip (Illustrated ed.). Candlewick.

Summary: George and Blaise are pen buddies who communicate intimate details about their life in an adorable rhyming letter: their dogs, their birthdays, their favorite sports, and their science fair projects. Only one thing the two pals are unaware of is that George is a human and Blaise is a dragon! What will happen when these pen buddies meet in person? A charming and witty rhymed friendship tale about putting physical differences aside to appreciate the person (or dragon) underneath.

Author’s purpose: The author tells the story in dual perspectives and unique rhyming structures

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed.

1. Students draw their dragon pen pal with guiding questions:

• “What would your dragon be interested in?

• What would you share with the dragon?

1. Students will complete two short letters, one handwritten and one in email.

2. Engage students to share the differences between the two. Did their language change?

Reference:

Funk, J., & Montalvo, R. (2016). Dear dragon: A pen pal tale (Illustrated ed.). Viking Books for Young Readers.

Summary: A little child conducts a school tour for his instructor, outlining his ideal school along the way. This book encourages imaginative and creative thinking in a fun and exciting approach for young learners. In this lively complement to If I Built a Car, a child fantasizes about his ideal school, complete with classrooms, cafeterias, libraries, and playgrounds. If Jack built a school in the gym, skydiving wind tunnels, a trampoline basketball court, a robot-chef serving lunch, and field visits to Mars.

Author’s purpose: It is a book of rhyming and imaginative idea prompts.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed.

• Students brainstorm adjectives they learned and add to the class word wall.

• Students create a shoebox diorama of the schoolroom with their peers.

• The student also writes a short description using the new adjective vocabulary (word wall as reference).

Reference:

Dusen, V. C. (2019). If i built a school (if i built series) (Illustrated ed.). Penguin.

Summary: A story from the perspective of a child who lives in a house full of wild creatures written in a rhyme pattern.

Author’s Purpose: To teach rhyme scheme and how different sounds form rhyming words as well as encourage imagination both with making new words and fictional creatures.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. Visual Art: Ask students to work with partners to create an imaginary creature that could live in the house from this story, then draw what that creature may look like.

Reference:

Seuss. (1974). There’s a wocket in my pocket (bright & early books). Random House Books for Young Readers.

Summary: Sheep friends get in a Jeep to go on an adventure together up the hill. The story follows the sheep and their funny and problematic journey together.

Author’s Purpose: To engage children with a fun and goofy story about sheep acting like people while also modelling rhyming words and phrases.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. Technology: Show a video of real sheep to students, then a cartoon of anthropomorphized animals similar to those found in the book to explain how we can use imagination to view animals like people.

Reference:

Shaw, N. E., & Apple, M. (1986). Sheep in a jeep (Illustrated ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary: The story of a boy and his dog, Ned. The dog is injured and needs to go to the vet.

Author’s Purpose: To use a simple story to help students learn commonly used words when reading.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. Technology: Use this book to show syllables in words, then show a video that reads the text while highlighting the syllables as they are read.

2. Visual Arts: Ask students to draw a picture of themselves getting helped by someone else, just like Ben helps Ned in the story.

Reference:

Miskin, R., & Archbold, T. (2008). Read write Inc. Home phonics: My dog ned: Book 2c. Oxford University Press.

Summary: A little grey rabbit is going to bed, and his mother bids goodnight to all the objects around them: goodnight moon, goodnight air, goodnight balloon.

Author’s Purpose: The book soothes the child and is a perfect book for the end of the day.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. Goodnight Moon art project from C. (2017). Students use tempera paint to make stripes on white paper, and this is an excellent practice if students are working on patterning. Students cut out a red balloon from construction paper and glue the balloon onto the striped background. Then they cut a piece of black yarn to represent the balloon’s string and glue it onto the paper.

2. Memory game. Students create a pack of cards with objects from the story and play a memory game to find the pairs of objects.

Reference:

Brown, M. W., & Hurd, C. (2007). Goodnight moon (Reissue ed.). HarperCollins.

Chelsey. (2017, March 6). Preschool balloon art activity inspired by goodnight moon. Buggy and Buddy. https://buggyandbuddy.com/preschool-art-activity-inspired-by-goodnight-moon/

Summary: A little girl tells her mother that she will find her best friend as they walk to school. Her mother reminds her that it’s only the first day of school, and finding a best friend might take some time. But the girl isn’t worried, because she knows how to spot a best friend. The book teaches how to find and how to be a good friend.

Author’s Purpose: The book helps students think about the qualities they need to make good friends with other children and that they need to practice being a good friend if they want to find one.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. The discussion activity focuses on developing socialization skills like:

- How to identify what characteristics are essential in a friend.

- How to identify what a good friend does.

- How to practice skills that help people make friends (Friendship Lessons, Worksheets and Activities, n.d.)

2. Genuine Friend Ad - Students list the qualities they are looking for in a friend and why they are important. They also include what a friend can expect from them in a friendship. Then the ads are placed on a display in a corridor to make other students think about true friendship.

Reference:

Birdsong, B., & Fleming, L. (2021). How to spot a best friend. Rodale Kids.

Friendship lessons, worksheets and activities. (n.d.). Teacher Planet. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.teacherplanet.com/content/friendship

Summary: The book describes five senses that teach us about the word and its meaning to be aware. We use different senses, sometimes just one at a time, sometimes all of them. The book has engaging text and colorful artwork.

Author’s Purpose: The book explores introductory concepts through repetitive descriptions perfect for children in the primary grades.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. Post an anchor chart and fill it in as you discuss each of the senses and the body parts related to them. Have students tell what they can see, smell, hear, taste, or feel.

2. Sorting objects according to the five senses. Then create a “My five senses” book. Draw pictures and write words using the anchor chart.

Reference:

Aliki. (2015a). My five senses (let’s-Read-and-Find-Out science 1) (Revised ed.). HarperCollins.

Summary: This is another beautiful book of the series, Elephant and Piggie. The story starts with Piggie telling Gerald that some big guy took his ball, and Gerald, being a good friend, wants to help Piggie get his ball back. They think that only big guys have all the fun, and since he is big, he can retrieve the ball. Little did he know that there was someone bigger than him. When Piggie and Gerald talk about the ball and that the big guy is BIG, they get a visit from the big guy (Willems, 2013). The story has a beautiful friendship ending.

Author’s Purpose: The author writes the story to help the readers learn about friendship and acceptance. As Piggie and Gerald try to figure out how to get the ball back, they get a new friend to play with.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. Students engage in discussions about friendship and making new friends. Why do we sometimes feel scared about other children? What should we do on the playground? What language of friendship do we know? (Elicit language related to friendship, kind words, asking others to play together)

2. Using crafts and arts, students can create finger puppets for Piggie, Gerald, and the Whale. They can use the puppets to ask other children to play with them, even if they are big or small.

References:

Willems, M. (2013a). A big guy took my ball! (an elephant and piggie book) (Illustrated ed.). Hyperion Books for Children.

Summary: This book is about a potato who sits on the couch all day. He uses technology to assist him in everything until the light goes out. He trips on his way to the window and, since he has nothing he can do, he has to go outside. Outside, he discovers a brand-new world and many things that he can do. He walks his dog, sits under a tree, goes to play with his friend, face-to-face, and much more. He enjoys the outdoors more than he expected, and don’t worry, he did not forget about his couch. This is a great story to share in today's technological world, where students might be more into online games and gadgets and need a nudge for the outdoors.

Author’s Purpose: The author writes the story to help the readers venture into new opportunities. Go beyond the routine and enjoy the outdoors.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. Using the Maker Space, students can create machinery based on the story for self-comfort. After constructing their machines, they will write a paper explaining their use and how it works.

2. Students work in teams to create games they can play outside. They write the name, the rules, design activities, and invite others to play.

3. Students will do a writer’s workshop about what they enjoy the most about the outdoors.

Reference:

John, J., & Oswald, P. (2020). The couch potato (the food group). HarperCollins.

Summary: This book is an excellent tool for a social-emotional learning time. The book is telling the reader how important their voice can be. It can be loud or in a whisper; it can be by using their voice or written words. They can help a friend in need or be creative with art or nature. There are many ways you can say something. Don’t be quiet, be brave and say something.

Author’s Purpose: The author writes the story to help the readers have a voice—all voices matter, big or small, loud or quiet, your voice matters.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. Social-emotional activity. As you read, you can ask the students when was there a time when they had something to say, but it seemed that nobody was listening? Was there a time that someone needed a friend? Did you say something?

2. Writer’s workshop. Have students think about things they want to share with people at school: teachers, principal, director, the secretary, the supporting staff, the cafeteria. Write small notes that say something.

Reference:

Reynolds, P. H. (2019a). Say something (1st ed.). Scholastic.

Summary: Gerald, the very tall Giraffe, longs to participate in the annual Jungle Dance. However, as soon as he arrives, all the other animals start to laugh at him and meanly point out that he is too clumsy to dance. Feeling dejected, Gerald walks away from the dance and off to be alone. Here he meets a kind cricket who encourages him that it is ok to be different and to listen to the music around him. When the cricket starts to play his violin for Gerald, Gerald begins to feel the rhythm in his body. Before he realizes it, Gerald finds himself dancing! One by one, all the animals come to watch Gerald dance and are amazed by his skills. When they ask how Gerald learned to dance like that, he replies, “We all can dance when we find music that we love” (Andreae, 1999).

Author’s Purpose: to encourage students that it is ok to be different and have unique ways of expressing ourselves.

Classroom Activity based on new literacies discussed:

1. Students are placed in small groups, and together they are asked to choose an animal and, considering the nature of the animal and how it moves, they create a dance for that animal. Once each group has their dance, they celebrate a Jungle Dance together as a class.

2. Students are once again placed in small groups and asked to choose an animal. The children receive the essential instruments, and together they compose a raw piece of music that they think their animal would like.

Reference:

Andreae, G., & Parker-Rees, G. (1999). Giraffes can’t dance. Orchard Books.