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Author Study Authors

by deanna on August 13, 2009 in First Days of School

Here is a list of some fun and extremely talented authors that can be the focus of your author study. The books written by these authors represent varying elementary themes. For ideas on how to implement an author study, check out an example on Eric Carle.

Stan and Jan Berenstain
Judy Blume
Jan Brett
Marc Brown
Eric Carle
Tomie De Paola
Mem Fox
Gail Gibbons
Leo Lionni
Bill Martin
Mercer Meyer
Robert Munsch
May Pope Osborne
Dr. Seuss

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Art Activity

by deanna on August 13, 2009 in Art, Art Projects, First Grade, Kindergarten, Pre-K

The Very Hungry Caterpillar:

This is a simple art project that uses multiple textures.

Recommended Grade Level: PreK-1

Materials:

Cardboard egg cartons (Take one egg carton and cut in half length-wise where the eggs would sit in to make two cardboard strips. Each rounded strip will be a caterpillar. Plan ahead and ask parents to donate.)
Green WASHABLE paint
Smocks
Paintbrushes
Red pipe cleaners
Small wiggly eyes (2 per child)

Procedure:

The painting can be done in a small group setting. After each child has painted the outside of their egg carton, I have them stick on the eyes-the wet paint will act as glue. Once completely dry, each pipe cleaner is stuck into the top of the caterpillars head. The ends can then be rounded to look more like antennae. Also, the ends should be bent on the underside of the caterpillar so they don’t slip out. Students can then draw a small smiling mouth on their little friend.

Eric Carle Author Study

by deanna on March 15, 2009 in First Days of School, First Grade, Kindergarten

During the first two weeks of school, I engage my first grade students in an author study. This is a great way to introduce your students to the elements of literature and your favorite author. I personally love Eric Carle and find him to be a hit with most kids because of the nature of his stories. His illustrations are also very recognizable for young readers.

How to: I begin by telling the students about the author. I show pictures of the author and give a brief history of the author’s life. Each day I read a selection from one of Eric Carle’s collection of books. After a story has been read, the story is discussed in detail (title, author, patterns in the illustrations, story plot, etc.). Using large chart paper, I make a large graph to hang during our author study. The graph is something that we fill in as we read each book. The graph allows us to see commonalities between the books the author has written. An example of the graph categories are:

Book Title Kind of Pictures Main Idea Main Characters Setting Problem Solved?

I then lead the class in a written activity based on what we discussed about the book. I have on hand a copy of the front cover of the book (for the kids to refer to) and an overhead projector. I use a transparency of the “Author Study Worksheet” on the overhead projector and guide the students through the completion of their own worksheet. This activity is a great way to assess your students’ handwriting and speed during those first days of school.

Extension: For each book we study, I also have the students engage in a follow-up art activity in which they can make a character or something related to the book.

An author study can be a great project for any time of the year. Complete one so children understand what an author study entails. Children can then choose their own author to study by reading from their collection.

These are the books I suggest by Eric Carle: