Interactive Whiteboard Activities, Book Resources

Chasing Vermeer: A Flashlight Readers Activity

This innovative online experience offers activities related to Chasing Vermeer and author Blue Balliett that fans will love, from author chats to slideshows.

“Blue Balliett, a Flashlight Readers interactive literacy experience, brings Chasing Vermeer and other popular books by Blue Balliett to life.

Students can:

• Make a Masterpiece Match by matching a famous work of art to its artist, with help from clues
• Report for the Flashlight Times by choosing a painting and answering a set of questions about it.
• Decode a secret message in Pattern Puzzles with help from clues.
• Use words and pictures from the Flash Board to post a message for other Flashlight readers.
• Watch (and listen to!) Blue’s Photo Album that shares images from her office
• Read About Chasing Vermeer that shares where the author found her inspiration for the book
• Read About the Illustrator, Brett Helquist
• Get a sneak peek of the next book in the series, The Wright 3
• Read “For You, From Blue,” a few words of advice for aspiring writers
• Meet the Author, who talks about growing up with Vermeer, writing mysteries, and more.
• Read a Q&A with the author about why she likes writing and how she does it.
• Find out Blue Balliett’s Favorite Books
• Get a list of books that fans of Chasing Vermeer would love
• Read a sample chapter of Chasing Vermeer in “Discover the Book”
• Play Pentominoes by dragging and dropping shapes onto a grid to make them fit.

Learning Objectives

While participating in “Flashlight Readers,” students will:

• Offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to text
• Identify and discuss book themes, characters, plots, and settings
• Connect their experiences with those of the author and/or with characters from the books
• Support predictions, interpretations, conclusions, etc. with examples from text
• Practice key reading skills and strategies (cause-and-effect, problem/solution, compare-and-contrast, summarizing, etc.)
• Monitor their own comprehension
• Discuss ideas from the book with you, the author, and/or other students online

Benchmarks for Blue Balliett Flashlight Readers Lesson Plans

Lesson 1: Picture the Process! Lesson Plan

• Language Arts Standards (4th Ed.)
  • Develops the topic with simple facts
  • Organizes details chronologically
  • Uses technology to create and publish written work
• Working With Others
  • Participates in a variety of group and individual activities
  • Provides feedback in a constructive manner and recognizes the importance of seeking and receiving constructive feedback in a non-defensive manner
• Technology
  • Applies technology to compose and publish written work

Lesson 2: Do You See What I See? Lesson Plan

• Language Arts
  • Understands reasons for varied interpretations of visual media
  • Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts
  • Uses new information to adjust and extend personal knowledge base
• Art Connections

• Knows the similarities and differences in the meanings of common terms used in the various arts (e.g., form, line, contrast)

Lesson 3: Patterns and Pentominoes Lesson Plan

• Mathematics
  • Uses a variety of strategies to understand problem situations
• Thinking and Reasoning
  • Tests a hypothesis, throws out an unsuccessful hypothesis, and formulates a new hypothesis
  • Selects criteria or rules for category membership that are relevant and important
• Working With Others
  • Works cooperatively within a group to complete tasks, achieve goals, and solve problems

Related Resources

Chasing Vermeer Teacher's Guide

Students develop problem solving skills while exploring fine art and learning about creative expression in relation to the book Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet.

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Flashlight Readers

Fun activities that let students go inside nine popular and highly-taught books.

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