Ways to actively extend a book in your family…

1. Pretend you are the character for the day. What do you like to do? Not like to do? How do you dress? How do you talk? What food do you eat?

2. Pretend you are a character in the book. Create a postcard from a place you visited in the story. Write a postcard note to someone else in the book. How is this place key to the storyline?

3. Paint a picture from the book. What is the setting for the book? 4. Create a diorama of the characters in your favorite scene. Why is

this your favorite? Add as much detail as you can. 5. Go see a play of the book you have just read. Was the play as

good as the visualization you saw in your head? 6. Create your own play from the book you have just read. Use

puppets, figurines, or action figures, or act out the skit in person. Tape the play.

7. Create a poster, bookmarker, or bookcover for the book. Show key details. Have you persuaded someone to read it? For the book cover give a brief synopsis with a cliffhanger to entice the reader to want to read the book.

8. Write a journal of the events of the book. Pretend you are a character and reflect how action in the story affects your attitude and mood.

9. Use clay. Sculpt a creature or character from the book you just read. Why did you choose to create this one?

10. Create song lyrics about the book. Put it to music. Record it. 11. Look around your house for items that represent key events or

props from the book. Put them in a paperbag. Decorate it with the title and the author. Retell the story using the items that you have included in the bag.

12. Paint a story stone to retell the main events in the story. Justify why you chose these events to retell the story.

13. Create a movie for the book you just read. Think of the sequence of the events in the book. Illustrate them on paper and create a TV to scroll it through. Don’t forget to include the title, author and illustrator in the show.

14. Use a computer program of your choice (Powerpoint, Kidspiration, i-movie, etc.) to present the key ideas from the book. Why is this format the best to use?

15. After you have finished reading the book, watch the movie. What parts of the book did the director change, delete or leave the same as the book. What was the purpose of the changes? Did the changes change the meaning of the book? How did you feel about the changes? Which version did you prefer?

16. Review the book. What aspects did you like? What aspects need to be changed? Explain.

More ways to actively extend a Non-Fiction or historical fiction books in your family… 1. If you have read an historical

account, take a trip to a period restaurant and enjoy the cuisine. Learn to make a recipe from the era. Visit a museum or plantation. Possible suggestions are Carroll

County Farm Museum, Williamsburg, the Academie of Natural Sciences, and a visit to the Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, etc.

2. If you have read an account about historical battles, visit a battlefield or go to see a historic reenactment or maybe participate in it. Explore a battleship or a fort from the era. Visit Fort Delaware, Fort McHenry, Gettysburg, Chadds Ford, the Constellation-

to name a few. There are many reenactment groups that meet at the Lockhouse in Havre De Grace, or at Elks Landing and offer free and low cost demonstrations to the public. (Pirates and Revolutionary re-enactors were at the Lockhouse this past weekend.)

3. If you have shared an account about medieval topics and knights, visit an armor exhibit; go to a medieval feast; attend a renaissance festival. In each of these potential activities, the family is invested in spending a day back in the period. For the full effect, dress in period costume. Medieval Times Tournament and Feast and the PA RENFEST are two my family enjoys. There is also a renaissance festival in Crownsville, MD.

4. If you have read an account about explorers, find out which ones traveled through Cecil County. Plan a journey that replicates the experience. Did you know that John Smith traveled our Susquehanna River? Mark a trail in the woods, and experience the undisturbed nature that existed at the time. Go tubing in a local river. Discuss how the riverbank looks the same and different from that of the period. Keep a journal of your adventure, note any foliage and fauna of the region. Visit Fairhill and enjoy the trails and streams on the grounds. Pack a picnic lunch and lots to drink. Hike out to Turkey Point Lighthouse. Does the setting invoke any feelings? Could you use the Turkey Point Lighthouse as a setting for your own book’s setting?

5. If you have read a book about animals, volunteer at an animal shelter (the SPCA is near Chesapeake City), or visit a horse farm. Go to Fairhill Natural Resources Park and watch the Jockies warm up the Thoroughbreds. Visit the Fairhill Nature Center, Anita Leight Estuary Center, Eden Mill Nature Center, White Clay Nature Area. Visit the Plumpton Park Zoo and speak with the zookeepers, and animal handlers. See if they accept volunteers to help with general care of the animals.

6. If you have read a book about fishing and boating, visit a fish

hatchery. Take a ride on a riverboat or a fishing trip. Rent a boat or take a day and loll around North East, Charlestown, Perryville, and Havre De Grace checking out the native wildlife. Look at the changes in the tides. If you are lucky enough, travel to New England and check out the changes in the tides there. Visit the Eastern Shore and visit with the watermen, go out on a crabboat, and learn about their way of life. The Martha Lewis sets sail from Havre De Grace for a nominal fee. Did you know that the site of North East Park was once a fish processing plant? The museum is still open to the public today.

7. If you have read an adventure, go fossil hunting, visit a cave-go spelunking or caving, go kayaking/canoeing, hike the Appalachian Trail, visit Swallow Falls in Western Maryland. Visit Rocks State Park and discuss its history. Go caving-it is 55 degrees underground year round. Lincoln Caverns and Lurray Caverns are two examples. Go Camping--Killens Pond, Lums Pond, Susquehanna State Park, Elk Neck State Park, and Muddy Run are several local campgrounds to enhance the adventure theme.

8. If you have read a book about robots, visit a factory where things are assembled…Chocolate World in Hershey or the Herr’s Factory in Oxford offer free tours, and the samples are a plus, too!

9. If you have read a biography or autobiography, visit the house where the famous person lived. What artifacts do they have on display? Can you imagine the person sitting in this house, tending to his/her land and daily responsibilities? The Poe House in Baltimore is but one example.

10. If you have read a detective story or a mystery, see if you can visit with an investigator at the police department…maybe he/she could tell you about the nature of their work. You could also visit a magic shop and check out surveillance and fingerprinting supplies, etc. Create your own mysteries to solve at home. Write about the adventures and keep a detective notebook of the clues.

11. If you have read or enjoy reading about music and musicians, visit a music store that sells instruments and find out information about the instruments that are of interest to you. Go to a concert or symphony and observe how the parts (instruments) work together.

12. If you enjoy reading and looking at works of art, visit an art museum. Some are more kid friendly than others. The Baltimore Museum of Art, and Walthers are two examples. See if there are any art classes that are offered on site. Sign up for art lessons at a local art studio…they even offer art classes for kids. (There is one located in front of Perryville High School.) Visit a paint–your-own pottery store. Create an original masterpiece pottery creation as a remembrance of your day… or maybe think about and replicate something you found really interesting in the artwork at the museum.

13. If you have read something about ancient Egypt, perhaps finding a museum with Egyptian artifacts would be of interest. Or if the budget allows, a trip to the Valley of the Kings. Maybe an archaeological dig would meet the needs and support the interest in how we come to know more about peoples of the past. Could you recreate an Egyptian pyramid and diagram how the structure is set up inside. Suppose there was a pyramid developed for you. What would you have put inside? Check out an on-line virtual tour of a pyramid.

14. If you have read an account about Native Americans, maybe you would be interested to attend a powwow and talk with people of Native American heritage. What costume do they wear for this event? What do the different pieces mean? Could you sketch a person in traditional costume? What music was played? To what were they paying homage? What foods were available? Did you like the taste of it? What things are they selling or exchanging? Keep a journal account of your experience.

15. If you have discovered an interest in Archaeology, maybe a trip to a sandy beach would fit the bill. Children can cover their eyes and you can bury fossils and artifacts in the sand. Carefully with shovels and small paintbrushes they could unearth the things you buried and create a rationale as to how the artifacts fit together. At the Promenade in Havre De Grace, we have met up with archaeologists that were very willing to speak with children and their families about their experiences in the field. The Maryland Science Center in Baltimore and the Academie of the Natural Sciences in Philadelphia have paleontological digs for the children to experience.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Please feel free to try other activities to make books come to life. Please feel free to email me with additional ideas you try and to share what works and what doesn’t.

Happy reading and sharing. Remember to help children construct

meaning they need to experience what they read. Have fun! Lori Wooddell Media Specialist and Challenge Teacher dlwooddell@ccps.org