(Don’t forget about the discussion questions and activities already included with each book! Use these extra ideas as a springboard to further enrichment of student learning.)

Activities for Meghan Rose on Stage

LANGUAGE ARTS

• Create a word list of things to do at a talent show to post in the classroom. Save the list for a math and art activity below.
• Using this word list, build a Venn diagram comparing each skill.
• Call students one at a time to front of the room. That student picks one word from the word list to pantomime. The class must guess the word being acted out.
• Meghan Rose used a lot of rhyming jump rope chants. Poetry and rhymes go hand and hand. Ask students to memorize a simple poem, perhaps from poetry collections by Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky.
• Create an easy reader’s theater using a class favorite poem and perform it for another class.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES

• Try some explosive experiments. I found some neat ideas by Pat Murphy, Ellen Klages, Linda Shore, and the staff of the Exploratorium at http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/ . This site also includes information about two kid-friendly science books you can order.
• Look up the history behind the song “Yankee Doodle.”
• Learn more about Albert Einstein and some of his inventions

MATH

• Pick three to five action words from the word list created above. Ask students which word they would most like to do on stage. Make a class bar graph to record their answers. Ask follow up questions. How many votes did each talent received? Which talent got the most votes? The least?? How many more?
• Practice counting by 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10s with a jump rope. Pick a volunteer who can jump well. As s/he jumps, the whole class can count together. See how high you can count.
• Alternative: Cut enough strips of yarn for half the class. (Yarn should be cut at least 24 inches long.) Pair students up. Have them lay their yarn on the floor. One student jumps back and forth over the yarn while the other one counts. Limit the time each student jumps to 10 seconds before switching. Keep it moving!

ART

• Design a poster advertising a talent show. If you are doing the reader’s theater activity from above, you can advertise this show.
• Alternative: design a talent show program cover.
• Pick a word from the word list above. Draw a picture or create a collage to illustrate the word.
• Create an original piece of artwork from recyclable materials.

MUSIC

• Take a favorite tune, like Mary Had a Little Lamb, and make up new words.
• Make an easy instrument. Put some rice in a plastic Easter egg. Shake it up!