Start your author study by reading a short biography of Bill Martin Jr. and reading his books . Then use the activities and lessons below to introduce students to the playful, poetic language that abounds in his stories.
Teaching Reading with Bill Martin Books available from Scholastic Professional Books offers these suggestions for getting started:
Planning an Author Study
Gather all the Bill Martin Jr. titles you can and share the books with children over the course of three or four weeks. Decorate a bulletin board and use it to feature covers, characters’ names,and favorite quotes from Bill Martin Jr.’s books. Invite students to try their hands at writing snappy pieces of language that roll off the tongue. Encourage ongoing discussion of the books with the following questions:
- How are the books of Bill Martin Jr. alike? How are they different?
- If you were going to give an award to one Bill Martin Jr. book, which would you choose? Why?
- Which of Bill Martin’s books do you think are serious? Which do you think are silly?
- What type of books do you think Bill Martin Jr. likes to write best?
- What’s fun for you about the language in Bill Martin Jr.’s books?
And be sure to visit Weston Woods for an animated video and a Study Guide (PDF) of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom as well as Chicka Chicka 123.
Included Here:
- Articles (3)
- Collateral (1)
- Lesson Plans (1)
Articles
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? Lesson Plan
Children will use technology and listening skills to explore the sounds in their outdoor environment and create a big book that uses predictable language patterns to document their experiences in this ready-to-use teaching idea for three- and four-year olds. Activity: Literacy.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Extension Activities
By learning the names of things in their environment, children become acquainted with the idea of nouns - naming words, in this ready-to-use teaching idea for four- and five-year olds. Activity: Language & Literacy.
Collateral
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Teaching Plan
Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle's classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? lends itself well to playing with language. After reading the book try these activities.
Lesson Plans
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Lesson Plan
I use Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? to help students learn to read by recognizing repetitive text and rhythm.
- Subjects:Reading
