educator’s guide for william wakes up jan 2019...educator’s guide for william wakes up about the...

Grade Level: PK-K Author: Linda Ashman Illustrator: Chuck Groenink Publisher: Disney Hyperion Pub Date: February 2019 ISBN: 978-1484722831 PraiseforWilliamWakesUp

“Anidealread-aloudforyounglisteners.”Kirkus

“Ashman[has]thehappyknackofmakingrhymed,rhythmiccoupletssoundcompletelynatural...Groeninksetsthescenessimplybutbeautifully,whilegivingeachcharacterabitofpersonality.”BooklistAJuniorLibraryGuildSelection

AbouttheAuthorLindaAshman’sforty-pluspicturebookshaveearnednumeroushonorsandstarredreviews,andhavebeenincludedonthe“BestoftheYear”listsofTheNewYorkTimes,ParentingandChildmagazines,theNewYorkPublicLibraryandmore.She’salsotheauthorofTheNuts&BoltsGuidetoWritingPictureBooks.LindaliveswithherfamilyinChapelHill,NorthCarolina.Visitheratlindaashman.com.AbouttheIllustrator

ChuckGroeninkhailsfromanovergrownvillageamongthepeatbogsinthenorthoftheNetherlands,wherehespenthisformativeyearsclimbingtrees,drawing,reading,andcycling.HeattendedtheArtezInstituteofArtsinKampen,graduatingfromthedepartmentofillustration.HenowlivesinSyracuse,NewYork,withhiswifeandtwocats.Visithimonlineatchuckgroenink.com.

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Pre-ReadingandPredictingReadthetitleofthebookandlookatitscover,frontandback.Whatcharactersdoyouseeintheillustrations?Whodoyouthinkisthemaincharacter?Why?Whatcanyoutellaboutthesettingofthestory?HowdoesitcomparetothecoverofWilliam’sWinterNap?

Educator’s Guide for

William Wakes Up

AbouttheBookWilliamandhisanimalfriendshavehadthewholewintertonap.Nowit'stimeforthemtowakeupandwelcomeaveryspecialguest.There'slotstodotogetready,fromscrubbingthefloorstodecoratingthehousetobakingatastycake.Butit'ssohardtoleaveacozybed—especiallyforoneoftheanimals,whowouldmuchratherrestthanwork!Willtheyallpitchintohelpbeforetheirguestarrives?

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CharacterLessonsAspecialguestiscomingtoWilliam’shouse,andthere’ssomuchtodo!Williamaskshisfriendsforhelp.Howdotheycontribute?Doeseveryonepitchinanequalamount?Onebyone,theanimalsrolloutofbedtohelpWilliam—exceptforRaccoon.Whatfinallypromptshimtogetoutofbed?Howdotheothersreact?Howistheconflictresolved?Thinkaboutatimeyouworkedwithothersonsomething—maybeplantingagarden,cleaningyourhome,workingonaschoolproject,orpracticingwithateam.Dideveryonehelp?Ifnot,howdiditmakeyoufeel?Whataresomewaystoencourageeveryonetoworktogether?NaturalScienceAnimalsWakingUpAnimalsliketheonesinWilliam’shousespendmostorallofthewintersleeping.Some,likewoodchucks,aretruehibernators—theirbodytemperature,heartrateandbreathingalldeclinedramatically.Others,likebears,aredeepsleepers—theirheartrateandbreathingslowwaydown,buttheirbodytemperaturedropsonlyslightly.Imaginesleepingthroughthewintermonths.Howwouldyouknowit’stimetowakeup?Scientistsbelievethatwarmingtemperaturesandextendeddaylighthours—togetherwiththeanimals’“internalclock”—sendsignalsthatit’stimetowakeup,ventureoutsideandsearchforfood.MigrationSomebirdsstayinthesamelocationyear-round.Butwhentemperaturesdropandfoodbecomesscarce,manyflysouthforthewinter.Thismigrationmightcoverashortdistanceorthousandsofmiles.Whentemperaturesriseagain,themigrationgoesinreverse,asthesebirdsreturntotheirbreedinggroundtobuildnestsandlayeggs.It’sSpring!SpringarriveseachyeararoundMarch21st—atthevernalequinox—whenthehoursofdaylightareroughlyequaltothehoursofdarkness.Dependingonwhereyoulive,thesignsofspringmaybesubtleordramatic.Youmightnoticebulbspushingupfromtheground,brightyellowflowersbloomingonforsythiabushes,andtreesbuddingandleafing.Birdsthatflewsouthforthewinterarebeginningtoreturnandbuildnests.MakeaScienceJournalMakeaspecialjournaltorecordyourobservations.Decoratethecoverwithyourfavoriteimagesofspring.TakeFieldNotesOverthecourseofamonthormore,gooutsidetoobserveplantandanimalactivity.Keeparecordofwhatyouobserve—plantsemergingfromtheground,treesflowering,birdsbuildingnests,animalandinsectactivity.Drawpicturesofwhatyousee.Shareyourobservationswiththeclass.

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OnlineResources:TheBasicsofBirdMigrationAllAboutBirds(CornellLabofOrnithology)https://www.allaboutbirds.org/the-basics-how-why-and-where-of-bird-migration/UsingScienceJournalsintheClassroomhttps://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=51160OtherSpring-ThemedLessonIdeasNationalEducationAssociationSights&SoundsofSpring,GradesK-5http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/Sights-and-Sounds-of-Spring-Grades-K-5.htmlLessonPlansPagehttp://lessonplanspage.com/fun-ways-add-spring-science-lessons/TheMeasuredMomhttps://www.themeasuredmom.com/spring-science-activities/LanguageandListeningRepetitionWritersofpicturebookssometimesliketorepeatlinessothatreaderscanjoinin.InWilliamWakesUp,severalphrasesarerepeated.Whatarethey?Howdoesonephrasechangeastheanimalsrolloutofbed?RhymingWordsWilliam’sWakesUpiswritteninrhyme,whichmeansthatcertainwordshavethesameendsounds.Forexample,herearetherhymesonthefirstpageofthestory:

still/hill tune/soon wait/celebrate

Pickoutsomeotherrhymingwordsinthebook.Then,asaclassoronyourown,makealistofotherwordsthatrhymewiththewordpair.Herearesometotry:

day/way (e.g,bay,bray,clay,gray…)

lose/snooze

awake/cake

pour/floor

deep/asleep

fair/bear

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WriteasillypoemUsingsomeoftherhymingwordsfromyourlists,writeapoemorafewsentences.Drawapicturetoillustrateit.Here’sanexample:Thebearlefthislairtogotothefair.Hewentwithaharewhowaseatingapear,Andwhentheygotthere,theysharedabigchair.(Noticeallthedifferentwayswespellthesamesound—ear/air/are/ere.NowonderlearningEnglishcanbechallenging!)ArtandDesignAnillustratormayuseaparticularrangeofcolors—orpalette—togiveabookaconsistentstyleandmood.HowwouldyoudescribethepaletteChuckGroeninkusesinWilliamWakesUp?Whatdothecolorstellusaboutthesetting?HowdoesthepalettecomparetotheoneusedinWilliam’sWinterNap?Atdifferenttimesinthestory,theanimalsare(amongotherthings)sleepy,exhausted,happy,annoyed,andapologetic.Howdoestheillustratorconveytheseemotionsintheillustrations?Artistsincludemanydetailsintheirillustrationstoenhancethesettingandstory.Whatsortsofdetailscaughtyoureyeinthebook?Howdoestheillustratorshowit’sspring?WritingandArtActivityBrainstorm!Brainstormingisanexcellentexercisetodobeforewriting.Youstartwithatopic—inthiscase,“Spring”—andjotdownallthewordsthatcometomind.Ifyou’restuck,thinkaboutspringweather,theclothesyouwear,yourfavoriteactivities,thechangeinscenery,theanimalsyousee,anyholidaysyoumightcelebrate,anddifferentfoodsyoumighteat.

Write!Youmightwriteafictionalstorysetinspring,perhapsaboutanimalcharactersasinWilliamWakesUp.Oryoucouldwritenonfictionabouttheseasonitself.Whatdoyoulikemostaboutspring?Whatareyourfavoritethingstodo?Arethereanythingsyoudon’tlikeaboutspring?Writeaboutthemaswell.Illustrate!Createanillustrationtogowithyourwriting,andshareitwiththeclass.