CAUGHT! Red-Hooded

So I am in the final 2 classes to have my Masters in Curriculum & Instruction: Elementary Literacy FINISHED!  So the geniuses have changed the online platform {so NOT happy about this--I mean I am 2 classes away, couldn't another group be the guinea pigs for the new system?!?!}

Well, enough of that rabbit trail...I am in my Content Area Reading class - just had to finish a 6-10 page paper on a multicultural author & illustrator.  I chose Ed Young illustrator & Eve Bunting author.  To make my newsletter paper a bit more visually appealing, I remembered a lesson I did about 3 years ago - I had my kiddos make Ed Young-esk art.

Have you read Lon Po Po: A Chinese Red Riding Hood Story?  If not, you should.  Well, Day 1 I read the classic tale, Little Red Riding Hood first.  Then we {my class and I} discussed the characteristics of the fairy tale genre.  Day 2 we read Lon Po Po & created a Venn Diagram graphic organizer comparing the 2 tales

Comparing/contrasting was our skill last week - what better way to kill 2 birds with one stone, well actually 3 (Masters photos for my paper, integrating quality multicultural literature, & model/practice the weekly Treasures skill).

Day 3 the students made their own Venn Diagram - recalling the similarities and differences from the two tales.

Day 4 they drew (on 8 1/2 x 11" copy paper) their favorite scene from LRRH or Lon Po Po - I divided the students as equally as possible.  Then, after they used crayons to illustrate their picture I passed out watercolors & water.  The students added the daytime sky or evening sky.  And because my district doesn't really buy supplies, our copy paper was pretty soaked {I'm sure watercolor paper is much better, but it's so DANG expensive}.

SO, I let it dry & read a third version of LRRH, The Wolf's Story.  It was great to see the kiddos question the wolf as narrator, they really were doubtful of his version of events.  Cracks me up though, some are so gullible--they believed the wolf straight out, hmmmm {kinda scary!}.  It might be a book I re-read for questioning, as in questioning the narrator or point of view presented in the book - questioning the authority of the text is a pretty complex skill for first graders though folks!

Then, once the water puddles color paintings were dry I revisited the art images of Ed Young.  In Lon Po Po & Yeh Shen his pictures are cut in thirds, fourths, etc.  I told the kids some were cut evenly and others were cut at different widths.  I asked them to cut their art, paying attention to avoid cutting heads, arms, legs, etc.  They LOVED THIS! 

Finally I called them over to the paper trays - they each picked out a colored piece of construction paper to reglue their art back together.  Many of them noticed it was "like a puzzle, Miss King!" and their art, just check it out...

LRRH scene

LRRH scene - don't you love the rows of trees, he wanted it to have a forest!

Woodsman cutting off the wolf's head - gotta love it!

3 sisters hiding in the ginkgo tree, by moonlight.

That sneaky wolf getting let in because he blew out the 3 sisters' candle.

Can you say darling?  Yeah...I know!



There you have it - Masters paper done {check}, multicultural literature used {check}, integrating the core's strategy/skill {check}, and BONUS happy teacher/super excited kiddos {double check}.

Just today, one of my little boys says, "Miss King, I can't wait for school!  Every day we do something fun, what's tomorrow - every day is the best day ever."  {Be still my beating heart, don't you just LOVE it?!?!?!}