Language Arts Activities for Children

by Norton, Donna E.; Norton, Saundra

• ISBN13: 9780130498878
• ISBN10: 0130498874
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-10-09
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

This practical, best-selling activity book is the most current guide on the market to developing language arts skills and literacyspeaking, reading, listening, writing, viewing, and visually representing. It integrates technology and emphasizes multiculturalism.With its focus on using literature, this supplemental activity book includes many opportunities to integrate the language arts across the curriculum. Because of the demand for literature-based instruction, most of the more than 150 activities include selections of children's literature that may be used to focus the lesson and to expand interest in and knowledge of children's literature.For elementary school English and Language Arts teachers.

Author Biography

Donna Norton. Following the completion of her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Donna E. Norton joined the College of Education faculty at Texas A&M University where she now holds the rank of professor. She teaches courses in children's literature, language arts, and reading. Dr. Norton is the recipient of the Texas A&M Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching. This award is given "in recognition and appreciation of ability, personality, and methods which have resulted in distinguished achievements in the teaching and the inspiration of students." She is also the recipient of the Virginia Hamilton Essay Award, presented by the Virginia Hamilton Conference Advisory Board at Kent State University. This annual award recognizes an article that "makes a significant contribution to the professional literature concerning multicultural literature experiences for youth." She is listed in Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in the World. Several of her articles and chapters from books have been translated into Chinese and are used in Chinese universities.

Dr. Norton is the author of four books in addition to this volume: The Effective Teaching of Language Arts, 6th edition, Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature, 6th edition, Multicultural Children's Literature: Through the Eyes of Many Children, and The Impact of Literature-Based Reading. Her publications include 20 textbooks and over 100 journal articles. At the international level, she has been on the International Reading Association's Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Committee, President of the International Society of Educational Biography, on numerous editorial boards for professional journals, and presenter at international conferences including the Conference on Children's Literature at Providence University in Taiwan. The focus of her current research is on the authentication of biographical literature, historical fiction, and multicultural literature. She is also researching the literature and writing connection. Funded research has supported institutes in children's literature and the literacy connection as well as graduate courses that enables students to study children's literature and reading instruction in England and Scotland. She is currently the Grant Writing Chair for the Bush Museum Storytellers Guild. Her work with the Texas A& M University Evans Library and the Bush Library has resulted in several Storytelling Festivals that highlight the work of distinguished storytellers and provide training for university students in the art of storytelling.

Prior to her college teaching experience, Dr. Norton was an elementary teacher in River Falls, Wisconsin and in Madison, Wisconsin. She was a Language Arts/Reading Consultant for federally funded kindergarten through adult basic education programs. In this capacity she developed and provided in-service instruction, and evaluated kindergarten programs, summer reading and library programs, remedial reading programs, learning disability programs for middle school children, elementary and secondary literature programs for the gifted, and diagnostic and intervention programs for reading-disabled adults. Dr. Norton's continuing concern for literature results in frequent consultations with educators from various disciplines, librarians, and school administrators and teachers.

Saundra Norton completed her master's degree at Texas A&M University where she majored in American literature with an emphasis in children's literature and textual bibliography. Under the sponsorship of a Jordon Fellowship she studied German language, culture, and folklore at the Goethe Institute in Germany. Her current academic concentration is in 19th century American literature and biographical studies. She is a frequent participant at both national and international conferences. Her paper presented at the 15th International Ezra Pound Conference in Italy was presented the Bates Award for the best essay written by a graduate student while in the doctoral program at the University of South Carolina. Saundra has won numerous competitions for her writing including being selected for the Prague Summer Seminars, the Paris Writer's Workshop, Bread Loaf Writer's Conference at Middlebury College, in Middlebury, Vermont, and Sewanee Writer's Conference at the University of the South. Her poetry has been published in several scholarly journals and she has given poetry readings in Prague, Key West, Paris, and at Wesleyan College. She is listed in Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Saundra is the co-author of Language Arts Activities for Children, 5th edition, and a contributing author of Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature.

Table of Contents

Creative Language Arts	1	(10)
Considerations in Organizing Language Arts Instruction	3	(2)
Areas of the Language Arts Developed in This Text	5	(1)
How Are the Activities Presented?	6	(3)
Using the Activities	9	(2)
Oral Language and Cognitive Development Activities	11	(60)
Sammy Circle's Colors	13	(3)
Developing Vocabulary Skills Through Webbing---Part I	16	(2)
Developing Vocabulary Skills Through Webbing---Part II	18	(2)
Developing Cognitive Skills Through Careful Observation of Illustrations	20	(1)
Stimulating Oral Language Development Through Poetry Performances	21	(2)
Storytelling	23	(2)
Storytelling from Lost-and-Found Advertisements	25	(2)
Category Detectives	27	(2)
Campbell's 59ers	29	(2)
Solving Problems Through Role-Playing	31	(3)
Interviewing	34	(5)
In the Round	39	(1)
Pat-Si-Oo-Ree-Oo-Ree-Ay	40	(2)
Low Bridge, Everybody Down	42	(2)
Yankee Doodle	44	(2)
The Old Chisholm Trail	46	(2)
Looking at American History in Folk Songs	48	(2)
A Walk Through Imagination	50	(4)
A Softball Game Without a Ball	54	(3)
Identifying and Evaluating the Level of Formality in Page Design	57	(2)
Oral Debate: Who Is the Leading Conservationist?	59	(2)
Oral Debate: The Truth and Nothing but the Truth	61	(2)
Putting On Our Own TV Show---Part I	63	(2)
Putting On Our Own TV Show---Part II	65	(6)
Listening Activities	71	(50)
Listening for Different Purposes---Why and How	74	(4)
Listening Times	78	(3)
Listening for Directions	81	(3)
The Class Crier	84	(2)
The Mystery of the Kidnapped Chemist	86	(2)
Listening for Sequences	88	(2)
Listening for Details	90	(1)
Listening to Predict Outcomes---Part I	91	(1)
Listening to Predict Outcomes---Part II	92	(2)
Listening for Supportive Evidence in Literature	94	(2)
Listening to Identify Point of View	96	(2)
Listening for Mood	98	(2)
Developing Listening Comprehension Through ELVES	100	(2)
Poor Richard	102	(2)
Playing Detective with Fairy-Tale Heroes	104	(3)
Playing Detective with Famous Americans	107	(4)
Radio's Days of Old	111	(3)
Fools and Foolishness in Folktales	114	(2)
Listening for Enjoyment	116	(1)
Reading to Children	117	(4)
Writing Activities	121	(68)
Myself and My Family	124	(2)
My Lovable Dirty Old Bear	126	(3)
Imagine You Are a . . .	129	(1)
My First Hundred Years	130	(2)
Wow! I Just Won One Hundred Dollars	132	(2)
Creating a Mystery in Your Classroom	134	(2)
Creating a History of Your Town	136	(2)
Shoes Take Us . . .	138	(2)
Developing Imagery with Similes	140	(3)
Illustrations Increase Understanding of Similes	143	(1)
Observing and Writing Descriptions of Objects	144	(2)
Observing and Writing Descriptions of Settings	146	(1)
Imaginative Writing Motivated by Book Characters	147	(2)
Writing Biographical Sketches about Poets	149	(2)
Using Biographical Sketches of Poets to Model Poetry Writing---Jack Prelutsky	151	(2)
Knowing My Audiences and My Purpose	153	(2)
Writing Letters	155	(3)
Writing Invitations	158	(2)
Writing a News Story	160	(2)
Evaluating and Comparing Sources	162	(2)
The Controlling Idea in a Paragraph	164	(2)
Organization Using Chronological Order	166	(1)
Organization Using Questions and Answers	167	(2)
Organization Using Spatial Concepts or Physical Details	169	(2)
Organization Using a Problem, Cause, and Solution Format	171	(2)
Sequence for Writing about Literature	173	(3)
Composition: Positive Versus Negative Values of Living Forever	176	(1)
Composition: Are Like and Equal the Same Thing?	177	(2)
Composition: Which Character Gained the Greatest Understanding?	179	(2)
Composition: What Is Courage?	181	(2)
Writing an Autobiography	183	(6)
Activities for the Mechanics of Language	189	(38)
The Comedie of Errors	191	(2)
The Beginning of the English Language	193	(3)
The English Language in the United States	196	(3)
Identifying Common Grammar Errors	199	(1)
Building Sentence Patterns	200	(1)
Sentence Expansion	201	(1)
Sentence Combining with Easy-to-Read Books	202	(2)
Play Sentence Detective	204	(1)
Past, Present, Future	205	(1)
Discovering Stylistic Options Used by Outstanding Authors, Part I	206	(2)
Discovering Stylistic Options Used by Outstanding Authors, Part II	208	(2)
Tic-Tac-Toe	210	(1)
Ride the Amtrak Line	211	(2)
Relating Meaning and Spelling	213	(1)
Vocabulary Expansion Through Semantic Mapping	214	(3)
Cohesive Devices: Personal Pronouns	217	(3)
Personal Learning Centers for Writing	220	(7)
Activities for Literature	227	(70)
Investigating Children's Interests	229	(2)
The Fantasy of Mother Goose	231	(4)
Person-Versus-Person Plot Structure	235	(3)
Person-Versus-Self Plot Structure	238	(3)
Responding to Characters and Conflicts in Literature---Part I	241	(1)
Responding to Characters and Conflicts in Literature---Part II	242	(1)
Responding to Characters and Conflicts in Literature---Part III	243	(3)
Responding to Characters and Conflicts in Literature---Part IV	246	(2)
Developing Understanding of Characterization	248	(2)
Characterization and Plot Development in the Writings of Beverly Cleary	250	(3)
Creative Settings for Imaginative Worlds	253	(2)
Author's Style: Appreciating and Identifying Humor---Part I	255	(2)
Author's Style: Appreciating and Identifying Humor---Part II	257	(2)
Developing Understanding of Symbolism	259	(2)
Developing Appreciation for and Understanding of Poetic Elements	261	(2)
Developing Understanding of Theme	263	(2)
Webbing Literary Elements	265	(3)
Evaluating the Qualities of the Most Significant Books That Shaped the Twentieth Century	268	(2)
Activities Around Call It Courage	270	(5)
Maurice Sendak and His Literature---An Interest Center	275	(4)
Carol Ryrie Brink's Caddie Woodlawn---An Interest Center for Historical Fiction	279	(4)
The Salem Witch Hunts---A Historical Fiction Unit	283	(5)
Survival in Mountains, on Tundra, and in Canadian Wilderness---A Unit Related to Geography	288	(9)
Media Activities	297	(36)
Investigating Viewing Interests and Habits	299	(2)
Survey of Time Spent Watching Television and Programs Watched	301	(2)
Using a Guide for Selective Viewing	303	(2)
Using Television to Motivate Reading	305	(2)
The Power of Persuasion---Unit of Study	307	(8)
Identifying Persuasive Techniques	315	(2)
Comparing Responses to Harry Potter Movies and to the Books on Which They Are Based	317	(1)
Comparing Responses to the Movie Lord of the Rings and to J.R.R. Tolkien's Text	318	(1)
The Parts of a Newspaper	319	(3)
Relating Parts of a Newspaper to a Book or Story	322	(2)
Headlines Show the Main Idea	324	(1)
Advertisers Try to Appeal to a Specific Population	325	(2)
Critical Reading---Fact Versus Fiction	327	(3)
Critical Reading---Fact Versus Opinion	330	(3)
Multicultural Activities	333	(56)
Evaluating the Quality of Source Notes in Multicultural Literature	335	(2)
Developing Evaluative Criteria to Identify the Quality of Artists' Notes in Multicultural Literature	337	(2)
Traditional Values---African Folklore	339	(2)
Storytelling---African Folklore	341	(2)
Tales from the Story Hat	343	(2)
Poetry Expresses Feelings	345	(3)
Traditional Values---Native American Folklore	348	(2)
Storytelling---Native American Folklore	350	(2)
My Brother the Hawk---The Writer's Point of View	352	(2)
Finding Native American Symbols in the Illustrations of Paul Goble	354	(2)
Integrating Literature and Geography	356	(3)
Traditional Values---Latino Folklore	359	(2)
Folk Heroes Across Cultures---Comparing a Traditional Hispanic Folktale with American Tall Tales	361	(2)
Traditional Values---Asian Folklore	363	(2)
Red Riding Hood Across Cultures---Comparing a Chinese and a German Version	365	(3)
Cross-Cultural Music Appreciation and Analysis	368	(2)
Discovering One's Own Heritage Brings Pride to Individuals from All Backgrounds	370	(2)
Responding to and Debating about Stereotypes	372	(2)
Traditional Values---Jewish Literature	374	(3)
Traditional Values---Folklore from the Middle East	377	(3)
People from All Backgrounds Have Dreams That Influence Their Lives	380	(9)
Technology and the Language Arts	389	(38)
Technology and Society: A History of Information Exchange	391	(2)
Introducing Computer Technology Through Literature: Susan Cooper's The Boggart	393	(2)
Safety on the Internet	395	(2)
How to Participate in a Collaborative Project over the Internet: Becoming Part of the Global Classroom	397	(2)
Cultural Exchange: Key Pals	399	(2)
Bringing Field Specialists into the Classroom Through Electronic Mentoring: A Study of King Arthur	401	(2)
Sequential Writing	403	(2)
A Virtual Field Trip to the White House	405	(3)
Searching for the Filming Locations of the Harry Potter Movies on Web Sites	408	(2)
The Library of Congress On-Line: Using and Evaluating Primary Sources	410	(3)
Debate: Print-Based Culture Versus Virtual Images Culture	413	(1)
A Virtual Expedition to the Arctic	414	(3)
Evaluating Web Sites	417	(2)
Electronic Publishing: Creative Writing on the Web	419	(3)
Writing and Publishing Book Reviews on the Web	422	(5)
Index	427

Excerpts

Bringing effective language arts instruction into the classroom is an exciting experience for both children and teachers. Stimulating activities add sparkle to the environment and enrich children's learning experiences. However, we are living in a time when educators are facing criticism about the effectiveness of instruction, the development of language arts competencies in the classroom, and the ability of schools to meet the needs of a diverse school population. Unfortunately, adding stimulation and enrichment to the environment and effectively meeting competency needs in language arts may be considered opposing goals. This activities book illustrates how teachers can use effective teaching methods and strategies to build children's language arts skills as well as create a stimulating, enriched environment.The activities in this book include many opportunities for the integration of the language arts across the curriculum. Because of the growing demand for literacy instruction, most of the activities include selections of children's literature that may be used to focus the lesson and to expand interest in and knowledge of children's literature. These activities also emphasize the importance of oral and written language in the development of language arts capabilities.This is a very practical book--all activities are developed in a lesson plan format. All of the activities have been tested in school environments, with inservice teachers, and in teacher education classrooms. We found that effective teaching requires a model for lesson plan development, clearly stipulated objectives, and step-by-step development of the lesson. We also discovered that peer teaching, student teaching, and in-service classroom teaching improved when the methods stressed in language arts classes were demonstrated through lesson plan development. The lesson plans in the multicultural section were developed, implemented, and evaluated as part of a multicultural research project designed to improve students' language arts abilities. The lesson plans in the literature and composition sections were developed, implemented, and evaluated as part of literature and writing research projects. The plans can be implemented directly by the teacher, modified for individual needs, or used as a model for additional activities. The activities in the technology section were developed to explore ways that language arts teachers may effectively use computers and the Internet to assist instruction.