Classroom Activities

Mermaid Tales from Around the World

Grade: 2nd

• Standards
• ELACC2RL1:  Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
• ELACC2RL2:  Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
• ELACC2RL9:  Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures
• ELACC2W1:  Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the  opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

Begin by reading two stories from "Mermaid Tales from Around the World" to your students. You could also choose to copy stories from the book and have students select two stories to read on their own. While reading the story, stop occasionally to ask the 5 W's questions to check for comprehension. Then have students create a graphic organizer to show the similarities and differences between the stories. Finally, have students write an opinion piece about which story they enjoyed more by having them use the information they placed in the graphic organizer as support.

To further this activity you could have students plot on a map all of the locations each story came from. You can also have them identify which hemisphere each location is in or which location is the furthest from your classroom. I could then have my students choose their favorite mermaid tale and do a mini research project based on that tale's country of origin.


Magic Tree House #22: Revolutionary War on Wednesday
Grade: 4th

• Standards
• SS4H4 The student will explain the causes, events, and results of the American Revolution.

I would use this book to introduce the Revolutionary War to students. This book has lots of true information about the war and is a great way to get students thinking about the Revolutionary War. After having my students read this book either in small groups or in pairs, I would then have them sort out what information is true and not true with the aid of the internet and the fact checker in the back of the book. Then I would have students choose a true character in the book to do a mini-research project on them. They could choose to present it in journal form, puppet form, write a poem, or make their own mini-book that includes illustrations.