Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner - Teaching Ideas

Skippyjon Jones has the best imagination ever, but unfortunately it always seems to get him into trouble.  In this book he takes an imagination adventure to the streets of Mexico where he meets a band of Chihuahuas. These Chihuahuas call themselves Los Chimichangos and they are being terrorized by a a bad guy they call El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandidto and they want Skippito (Skippyjon's name for this adventure) and his trusty sword to save them. A little later El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito comes and Skippito is shaking in his boots, but he stands his ground and thrusts his sword and saves the day...but not really!

Your students will love discovering what El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito really is!

Listed below are 16 of the reading skills and strategies that I felt worked best with this book. Use this as a starting off point to create a fun and meaningful lesson to go with this super cute book!

In addition, I created a setting and character freebie that you can pick up in my TpT store.

Reading level: 2.4

Theme/subject: clever, imagination, bravery, creativity & imagination

Genre: adventure, humorous

Suggested Vocabulary/phrases: self-respecting, flock of birds, lecture, rifled through, incognito, decreed, fiesta, siesta, frijoles, somber voice, declared, shimmied and shook, castanets, hovered, thrust, ruckus

Reading skills and strategies:

• Asking questions – either questions you ask the kids, or ones they ask
• Before – I wonder what the story is going to be about. I wonder if Skippyjon Jones is his name. I wonder what he is doing in that plant. I wonder if the bee has anything to do with the story.
• During – I wonder why he likes sleeping with the birds. I wonder why he has to stay out of his closet. I wonder if he will stay out of his closet. I wonder if he will really think about being a Siamese cat. I wonder what he is going to do in his room all by himself. I wonder if he will really stand up to El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito.
• After – I wonder if he will get a new piñata. I wonder what his next adventure is going to be.  
   **Remember to have your students answer/reflect their questions.

• Author's point of view – third. Be sure to find 3 pieces of evidence to support this (he, they, she).
• Author's purpose – entertain {evidence} cats don’t talk. Cats don’t usually sleep in bird nests. The author used a lot of rhyming and made a fun song to go in the story. All of these things make a very entertaining story.
• Beginning, middle, end – what are the most important events from each part, basically if these didn’t happen the story wouldn’t move on.
• Beginning – Skippyjon Jones got put in his room to think about what it means to be a Siamese cat, not a bird, mouse, bat, moose or goose.
• Middle – Skippyjon Jones did not think about being a cat, instead he took and adventure and defeated El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito.
• End – El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito wasn’t really a bad guy it was a piñata hidden in his closet that was now broke open because Skippyjon Jones did do what his mother told him to do.
• Cause and effect –
1. Why was Skippyjon’s mom not pleased?  Because no self-respecting cat ever slept with birds.
2. Why did Skippyjon have to sit in his room? So he could think about what it was like to be a Siamese cat.
3. Why did his mom tell him to stay out of the closet? Because there was a bee piñata hiding in it.
4. Why wouldn’t his mom let him come out of his room? Because he was still thinking.
5. Why did all of the Chimichangos go crazy loco? Because they thought Skippyjon Jones was going to take care of the bad Bumblebeeto.
6. How come Skippito had no time to plan? Because Alfredo Buzzito flew straight for Skippito.
7. How come all the doggies burst into song? Because Skippito had “Popped” El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito.
8. Why did mom and all the girls come running in Skippyjon’s room? Because they heard such a loud ruckus.
9. How come there was candy and beanbag doggies all over Skippyjon’s room? Because he broke the piñata that was hiding in his closet.
• Character analysis - describe Skippyjon Jones {looks like, feelings, thoughts, character}
• Compare & contrast – a time you got into trouble and what you did or didn’t do while in trouble to Skippyjon’s “time-out”.
• Connections –
• Text-to-self – getting into trouble. Having a time-out in your room. Not doing what you were supposed to while in trouble. Playing while you were supposed to be thinking.
• Text-to-text connection – Connect to “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” by Mark Teague. Both books are about an imagination adventure.
• Drawing conclusions & inferencing – What special day do you think is coming up for Skippyjon Jones?
• text clues – the book says that he had his birthday piñata on his head.
• what I know – I know that people usually buy piñatas for birthday parties.
• my conclusion -  I think it that Skippyjon Jones is going to have a birthday party soon because the book says that his birthday piñata was on his head.
• Main idea & details
• main idea – The story is mostly about a cat named Skippyjon Jones and his imaginary adventure to Mexico where he defeated the El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito.
• Details – Skippyjon Jones plays in his room instead of “thinking about what it means to be a Siamese cat". Skippyjon meets a mysterious band of Chihuahuas and tells him he is “El Skippito, the great sword fighter”.  All the dogs cheer after Skippyjon defeats El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito.
• Plot - the turning point or climax in the story is when El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito pops right above Skippyjon.
• Predict – What do you think the story is going to be about? What do you think Skippyjon is going to do in his room? Do you think Skippyjon is going to get into trouble again? How do you think Skippyjon is going to defeat El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito? Why do you think El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito popped?
• Sequencing –
1. Skippyjon Jones was put in his room to think about what it meant to be a Siamese cat.
2. Skippyjon Jones put on his mask and sword and climbed onto his mouse.
3. He walked into his closet where his imagination took him to Mexico.
4. He met up with a band of Chihuahuas called Los Chimichangos.
5. Skippyjon Jones gave them the right password.
6. Skippyjon Jones fought El Blimp Bumblebeeto Bandito with his sword.
7. The Los Chimichangos cheered!
8. Skippyjon’s mother and is his sisters heard a loud ruckus.
9. Skippyjon and the broken piñata fell out of his closet.
• Story elements - list title, author, characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, or problem & solution.
• Summarize –
• Someone – Mother
• Wanted – wanted Skippyjon to think about what it meant to be a Siamese cat
• But – but he didn’t want to.
• So – So he put on his mask and sword and got onto his mouse
• Then – then he entered his closet which in his mind was Mexico. He met a band of Chihuahuas, defeated a bandito and
• Finally – finally ended up back in his room in a pile of candy and stuffed doggies because the bandito was a piñata hiding in his closet.
• Visualize – Skippyjon Jones visualized himself in Mexico, meeting a band of Chihuahuas and defeating a bandito when he was supposed to be thinking about what it meant to be a Siamese cat. Visualize what adventure you would go on if you had to sit and think about why you were in trouble.

 

IT'S FREE!!

Happy reading!

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It Could Have Been Worse by A.H. Benjamin - Teaching Ideas

Little Mouse is having a tough time getting home. He slips out of a bush, falls into a hole, crashes into a stream, and slides down the side of a hill. Little does he realize that each time he slips, slides or falls he has just saved himself from being eaten. When Mouse slips out of the bush, the cat gets stuck in the branches, when he falls into a hole the bird crashes to the ground and when he slips down the hill the fox falls into a beehive.

The great thing about this book is there are two ways to look at who it could have been worse for, the mouse - being eaten, or the other animals - all the things that happen to them when Mouse trips, falls, and slips.

Below are skills, strategies and ideas that you can use to create your own lesson with this great book. This book is perfect for theme, and perspective.

I created a freebie to go with this. Students will look at an event and then look at what Mouse wasn't aware of and then decide how how things could have been worse.

Reading level: 3.5

Theme/subject: being thankful,

Genre: fiction

Suggested Vocabulary/phrases: balance, scurrying, thistle, wailed, trotted, scramble, steep bank, footing, staggered

Reading skills and strategies:

• Asking questions - {possible questions before} I wonder what the story is going to be about. I wonder who had it worse, the cat or the mouse. {possible questions during} I wonder if Mouse will make it home safely. {possible questions after}  I wonder if Mouse knows how lucky he is. **Remember to have your students answer/reflect their questions.
• Author's point of view – Third. Be sure to find 3 pieces of evidence to support this (Mouse, he, his).
• Author's purpose – entertain {evidence} The snake got a tongue full of thorns. Mouse slid down the hill on a leaf. The cat got the mouse trap on his nose. All these things are silly and make a very entertaining story.
• Cause and effect – How come the cat didn’t catch Mouse? Because Mouse lost his balance and fell to the ground. How come the bird crashed into the ground? Because Mouse fell into a hole. Why did the snake get a mouth full of thistles? Because Mouse sat on a thistle and shot into the air. How come the fish couldn’t catch Mouse? Because Mouse slipped and fell into the water and a stick lodged into the fishes mouth. How come the fox was chased by bees? Because the fox missed Mouse and landed on a bee hive. Why did Mouse think he had a terrible day? Because he fell, slipped, slid and shot into the air all the way home.
• Character analysis - describe Mouse {looks like, feelings, thoughts, character}
• Compare & contrast – Mouse from It Could Have Been Worse by A.H. Benjamin and the mouse from Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple by A.H. Benjamin
• Connections - {possible text-to-self connections} Having a bad day. Falling in the water. Slipping down a hill. Falling in a hole. {possible text-to-text connections} Little Mouse and the Big Red Apple by A.H. Benjamin because both are about a mouse trying to get home.
• Drawing conclusions & inferencing – Why did the author title the story It Could Have Been Worse? {text clues} All the animals that were after Mouse had something happen to them that prevented them from catching and eating Mouse. {what I know} I know that it is better to fall in a hole or slip down a hill than being eaten. {my conclusion} I think the author titled the story It Could Have Been Worse because Mouse’s day could have been a lot worse if he would have been eaten.
• Main idea & details - {main idea} The story is mostly about all the problems Mouse had while he was trying to get home. {details} Mouse fell into a hole. Mouse slipped into the water. Mouse slid down the hill.
• Predict – What do you think the story is going to be about? Do you think the cat will get the mouse? Do you think the bird will get Mouse? How do you think Mouse will escape the snake? Do you think the fish will get Mouse? What do you think will happen to the fox?
• Sequencing – A cat tried to catch Mouse but mouse fell out of the bush. A bird tried to catch Mouse but Mouse fell into a hole. A snake tried to eat Mouse but Mouse sat onto a thistle and shot into the air. A fish tried to catch Mouse but Mouse slipped into the water. A fox tried to eat Mouse but Mouse slipped down the hill. Mouse was glad to be home.
• Story elements - list title, author, characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, or problem & solution.
• Strong thought – Mouse was so lucky to not have been eaten on his way home. What would you tell Mouse to explain to him how lucky he was and how his day could have been much worse?
• Theme – Things can always be worse. Be thankful for what you have.
• Visualize – Visualize how Mouse’s day could have been worse.

Happy Planning!

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Summer In the City by Kathleen Wainwright - Teaching Ideas

Welcome to the Summer in the City Virtual Book Tour!

Click HERE for a complete list of tour dates

Here is a preview of what you will find in the book, Summer in the City.

I am so excited to be apart of this book tour and to offer a glimpse of all the wonderful teaching skills and strategies you can use to teach with this book.

This book is a wonderful memory of what summers used to be like for kids back in the day. It is written in rhyme and takes the (much older) reader back to memories of fun filled summer days. For the younger reader the book is filled with all the things kids love to do: like swim, play at the park, roller skate and bike, play hop-scotch and jump rope and just hang and be with your friends. It is a vivid and vibrant reminder of what it was like to be barefoot and fancy free with a bit of reality that the kids today will have far different memories of their summers than we did of ours.

Along with the book being beautifully written, the illustrations are amazing. I am so drawn to the detail and color and contrast of the faceless children playing in the ever recognizable city. I love how the faceless children give the reader the freedom to imagine it being them, playing and swinging and running and laughing - it draws the reader right into the memory.

This is a definite must have for your library, if not for your students, then for you, to relive those carefree summer days! 

Reading level: 5.7

Theme/subject: friends, memories

Genre: fiction

Reading skills and strategies:

• Asking questions - {possible questions before} I wonder what the story is about. I wonder why the water is coming out of the fire hydrant.  {possible questions during} I wonder what jellies were like. I wonder if they went all those places without their parents. {possible questions after} I wonder why they were allowed to do so many things by themselves.   **Remember to have your students answer/reflect their questions.
• Author's point of view – First person. Be sure to find 3 pieces of evidence to support this.
• Author's purpose - entertain {evidence} The illustrations are so bright and colorful and the story is written in rhyme. The children do so many fun things during the day. All of these things make a very entertaining story.
• Cause and effect – Why were they waiting for it to be 12 o’clock? Because they could go swimming in the pool. Why did they eat their dinner as fast as they could? So they could come back out and play before the street lights went on. Why were they so sad when the street lights came on? Because it meant it was time to go in.
• Character analysis – describe the characters, explain why you cannot see their faces.
• Classify & categorize – What they did in the summer: places they went, things they played, things they ate.
• Compare & contrast - compare your summer to the character’s summer.
• Connections - {possible text-to-self connections}  playing in the park. Going to the community pool, riding bikes and roller skating with friends.
• Drawing conclusions & inferencing – Why do you think summer was so different back in the day than it is for you today? {text clues} The kids never had parents with them. The kids seemed to go all over by themselves. {what I know} Parents today don’t let their kids go many places without them. Kids today spend more time inside playing video games and watching TV. {my conclusion} I think summer was so different back in the day than it is today because there are too many things to do inside where parents can watch the kids.
• Main idea & details - {main idea} What summer was like back in the day. {details} Playing jacks and double-dutch jump rope. Going to the community pool and playing in the park. Getting ice cream from the ice cream truck and catching fireflies in jelly jars.
• Plot - the turning point or climax in the story is when the street lights went on.
• Predict – What do you think the story is going to be about? What do you think summer was like back in the day?
• Sequencing – They sat on the porch and played jacks. They played double-dutch on the sidewalk. They played hopscotch. Played in the pool. Went to the park. Slid down the slide and pumped their legs on the swings. Bought water ice, penny candy and pretzels. Played clapping games and shouted out tongue twisters. Played hide-and-seek. Went home to eat dinner. Rode bikes and roller skates and bought vanilla ice cream with rainbow-sprinkles. Played “That’s my car!” and caught lightning bugs. Said good-bye when the street lights went on.
• Story elements - list title, author, characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, or problem & solution.
• Strong thought – The characters in the story did so many things throughout the day. If you were there with them, what would have been your favorite thing to do? Why?
• Theme – Childhood memories of summertime fun. 
• Visualize – The main character is remembering what her summers used to be like. What will you remember most about your summers as a kid? 

Here are the links to the sites where you can purchase this book

TPT:

 Website

&

you can even watch a Youtube Video (Book Trailer):

I hope this review has gotten you intrigued and excited enough to enter the giveaway to receive this fabulous book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now here is the author of this amazing book, Kathleen Wainwright.

Kathleen Wainwright is a dedicated teacher in the School District of Philadelphia. She received her bachelor’s of Science degree in education from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and her master’s in education with a focus in literacy, from West Chester University, in West Chester, PA. Kathleen also teaches literacy courses to aspiring teachers at Temple University and developmental reading courses to incoming freshman at Delaware County Community College. “This story captures a typical summer’s day for me and my friends growing up in the 80’s! Every time I read it I travel back to some of my favorite childhood memories.” Kathleen recently earned National Board Certification in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts (Early and Middle Childhood). She enjoys sharing her personal teaching experiences and educational resources in her blog, The Diary of a Not So Wimpy Teacher (www.notsowimpyresources.com).

Happy Reading!

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