Blue-footed boobies and whingdingdillies

If you are looking for a Read-Aloud theme that is light and fun, try this one about odd and unusual animals. This theme provides an easy way to include both nonfiction and fiction selections, as well as real and imaginary animals.

One volunteer's recent trip to the Galapagos Islands provided inspiration for a team from Next Steps (New Hope Housing). Some of the animals of the Galapagos Islands exist nowhere else on earth, and some have evolved to have highly unusual features. The kids loved seeing this volunteer's photos of animals she had seen and could tell stories about -- blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas and giant tortoises. Connecting the content with real-life experience helps kids understand the information and builds excitement.

If no one on your team has taken a trip to the Galapagos Islands, the library is a great source of books on the animals of the Galapagos; an internet search on "animals of the Galapagos Islands" will also yield wonderful photos.

Or, drop the Islands angle altogether and introduce the kids to your favorite quirky animals:  platypus, emus, angler fish, sloths or geckos that can regrow their tails. The animals section of the library will give you lots of options!  



You'll find fiction treatments of silly animals just as much fun.  

William Wegman's famous Weimaraners dressed as humans are a great example of visual humor that kids can appreciate. In this video, he introduces his new book, Flo & Wendell.  

Bill Peet and Dr. Seuss are authors famed for their imaginary animals. Peet, an animator for Walt Disney, develops a story around his imaginary animals.  Seuss' animals are more likely to appear as a name and a drawing in a larger narrative.   

Book list

Flo & Wendell by William Wegman

If I Ran the Zoo and other books by Dr. Seuss

Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent, The Whingdingdilly and other books by Bill Peet
But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French

The Cow That Went Oink by Bernard Most
Animal Tails by Beth Fielding

Never Smile At a Monkey by Steve Jenkins
Creature Features by Steve Jenkins
How to Clean a Hippopotamus by Steve Jenkins

In the activity portion of the Read-Aloud, the team at Next Steps worked with the kids to make silly animal masks from paper plates. When the children were told that they were free to make the masks as crazy as they wanted, they got very creative. The volunteers cut the centers out of the plates and stapled tongue depressors (handles) ahead of time. At the Read-Aloud, the kids used colored foam, paper, cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs to make their imaginary animal masks. It was loads of fun!

To add some movement, play silly animal "Simon Says." "Simon says waddle like a penguin. Simon says show your feet like a blue-footed boobie. Puff up like a puffer fish!" 

For a song, make up a mixed-up version of "Old MacDonald" based on the mix-ups in the book, The Cow That Went Oink. Together with the kids, make up funny combinations of animals and sounds, and then sing your song.

Don't forget to congratulate everyone on their imagination and silliness!

 To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Get up and dance!

When dealing with squirmy kids, sometimes the best move is just to get up and move with them! A dance-themed Read-Aloud is a wonderful choice -- dancing is a healthy, fun activity and there are great books available about dance, music and movement with which to create a dance-themed Read-Aloud. 

Teams at ARHA Ruby Tucker Center and Virginia Gardens recently held dance-themed Read-Alouds. Each team brought in special guests to introduce new dance styles to the kids.

At ARHA, Team 4 began its dance day with a participatory song about Miss Susie. The singing and hand movements grabbed the children’s attention right away and led into a successful reading time. Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems set the stage by presenting two characters (both, oddly, named Gerald!) who believed they could not dance, but discovered they really could. 

ARHA was lucky to have Katy Baytosh, a guest dance instructor, who led everyone through several African- and Caribbean-style dances. The children were excited, engaged and excellent dancers. And the volunteers got a bit of a workout too!

Virginia Gardens volunteers invited special guests from Tobas Dinastía, a local dance group. “Tobas” is an energetic dance that originates from Bolivia and represents the victory of the hunt. The dancers wear colorful, exotic costumes – including feathered headdresses and spears. The volunteers talked with the kids about the importance of dance in different cultures and gave examples of ways it can be used to honor cultural heritage. The team also   read books that highlighted culturally significant dances. The guests performed Tobas for the children and then taught them some steps. A highlight of the night was when the kids were allowed to touch the dancers’ spears (fake, of course!) and  wear their headdresses. 

Dance is universal. As a theme, it offers opportunities to express emotions, social interaction and cultural pride – and even get the squirmies out! 

Here is a list of books that would work well for a Read-Aloud about dance.  

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems

Kitchen Dance by Maurie J. Manning

Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman

Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen

Dance! by Elisha Cooper

Rosie’s Ballet Slippers by Susan Hampshire

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle

The Jellybeans and the Big Dance by Laura Numeroff

Cats’ Night Out by Caroline Stutson

The Day We Danced in Underpants  by Sarah Wilson

Dumpy La Rue by Elizabeth Winthrop

To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Worms Read-Aloud

A few weeks ago, the volunteers at Sullivan House held a Read-Aloud about worms. They brought in live worms and let the kids get some hands-on experience while reading about these slimy creatures.  

The volunteers began their worm night by reading Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin. This humorous picture book details the life of a worm kid diary format, including eating his homework and having a hard time doing the Hokey Pokey. While keeping the kids laughing, this book also teaches a few interesting facts about worms. 

They read aloud Yucky Worms by Vivian French next. In this book, a little boy and his grandma find a worm in her garden. The boy thinks the worm is yucky until his grandma teaches him all the interesting things she knows about worms.

After reading both books, the group discussed some of the facts it had just learned from the books, including the following:  

• Worms' heads are pointed and their tails are rounded. 
• Worms are segmented and this helps them move through soil. Their movements loosen the soil and aerate the ground.
• Worms eat dead organic material. They also eat small amounts of garbage and small rocks.
• Their waste fertilizes the soil. 
• Worms can regenerate segments of their bodies.
• Some worms can grow up to 22 feet long.
• Worms do not have lungs. They breathe through their skin.
• Worms have no eyes.

After reading in a large group, the volunteers passed out real worms and magnifying glasses, and gave the kids time to examine the worms. This exercise triggered many questions from the kids, which they discussed with the volunteers. They also read some additional books in smaller groups. After washing hands, the group enjoyed a snack of gummy worms.

The volunteers brought a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction books to read in small groups. Some of their favorite additional titles were Inch By Inch by Leo Lionni and Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer.

If you're not up for digging up your own worms, you can purchase 12 night crawler worms at PetSmart or other pet supply stores for about $4.


To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Summer Read-Aloud outlines

It's summertime! The temperatures are heating up and kids are antsy for summer vacation to arrive. Kids think about freedom from the classroom and time to spend outdoors and with friends. Adults think of ways to entertain their kids and how to prevent them from losing everything they learned during the school year.

We think about that a lot at The Reading Connection too. Studies have shown that kids can lose two to three months of math and reading skills and at-risk kids, like the ones who come to Read-Alouds, can lose even more. These studies have shown that two of the biggest factors in preventing summer learning loss are enriching experiences and time spent reading. Read-Alouds present an opportunity to achieve both.

Our volunteer seminar on June 3 presented ways to teach kids new concepts and vocabulary in the context of a Read-Aloud. We showed ways to bring real-world experiences into your Read-Alouds by making your activity a hands-on experience. We'll be sharing these ideas with you over the next couple of blog posts and throughout the summer.

 At the seminar, we presented six Read-Alouds that focus on typical summer experiences that kids at Read-Aloud sites might not get to have because of their current economic or living situations. But, have no fear, the kids will still get to experience camping and air travel. You'll be the ones bringing it to them through at Read-Aloud! 


Click on the following Read-Aloud titles for an outline with books, activities and conversation starters.

Camping Read-Aloud - Set up a tent and read inside. Make a pretend campfire, read by flashlight and then tell ghost stories or sing camp songs. Make s'mores in the microwave.

Air travel Read-Aloud - Make the whole Read-Aloud an air travel adventure. Set carpet squares or chairs in rows like airplane seats. Give kids boarding passes, check them in and make them clear security before reading.

Museum Read-Aloud - Create your own museum of the kid's art and let the kids be the museum docent. Imagine you come from the future and think about how you'd interpret everyday items.

Rainy day Read-Aloud - If it's too wet to play outside, how can we entertain ourselves indoors? Think about forts and old fashioned games like pick-up-sticks, while reading The Cat in the Hat and Jumanji.

Beach Read-Aloud - Lay out beach towels instead of carpet squares and engage all the senses with items you might find at the beach.

Extreme weather Read-Aloud - We've already experienced tornadoes and hurricanes this summer. Read about how they're formed and what kind of damage they can do then make your own tornado with water bottles or a hurricane out of cotton balls.

We encourage you to use these Read-Alouds with the kids at your site. With the planning mostly done, your team can focus on implementation, and the kids will love the hands-on activities and will hopefully learn something new in the process. We'll be posting more Read-Aloud outlines later in the summer for you to use, so stay tuned.

To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Ninjas! Read-Aloud

Our team took a stealth approach to our last Read-Aloud with a theme of "Ninjas!" We gathered as a large group and began with the non-fiction book, "You Wouldn't Want to Be a Ninja!" to learn exactly what a ninja is and where the name comes from.  

To set the stage, we also read a bit about the historical role of ninjas in 16th century Japan. We moved on to some picture books, including: 

• Wink, the Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed by J. C. Phillipps 
• Wink, the Ninja Who Wanted to Nap by J. C. Phillipps 
• Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta
• Ninja Cowboy Bear Presents the Way of the Ninja by David Bruins and Hilary Leung
• The Boy Who Cried Ninja by Alex Latimer

We also had a large selection of older reader books that were thematically appropriate (Stone Rabbit, Choose Your Own Adventure, etc.). However, most were graphic novels and did not lend themselves well to being read aloud in a group setting, and the kids opted to stay together this night as our group was smaller than usual.

After reading we moved to the tables to create ninja headbands. We took 3" x 44" strips of muslin fabric and used fabric markers to write our ninja names using a ninja alphabet one volunteer found online.  

While we worked the kids were able to taste a variety of Japanese snacks including green tea drinks, ginger cookies, rice cracker snack mix, and plain and wasabi dried seaweed.  

Kids who finished their headbands quickly moved back to the rug to play Sensei Says (like Simon Says with ninja moves). We said things like "Master Tsutsu [from one of the books we read] says put your hands at your heart and bow," or "Master Tsutsu says kick your leg once."

We had planned ahead and added a few ninja books to the book selection choices and those were well received during the give-away portion of the evening.



To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Election Day — Hold the Politics

In anticipation of Election Day, we organized a theme around elections, voting and democracy. We began the session by discussing ways in which the children already get to vote, whether for their favorite food at home, for a class representative at school, or about what to do with their friends. 

We first read Duck for President by Doreen Cronin, in which Duck is tired of doing his farm chores so holds elections to take over the farm from Farmer Brown. In an entertaining story, Duck continues to run for higher and higher offices to redress certain grievances.  

In Max for President by Jarrett Krosoczka, Max and Kelly decide they both want to be class president in a tale about election processes and compromise.  

Otto Runs for President by Rosemary Wells presents a similar theme of class elections, but shows what happens in a “race to the bottom” filled with unrealistic campaign promises. 

Books

Vote! by Eileen Christelow

If I Ran for President by Catherine Stier

Larue for Mayor by Mark Teague

I Could Do That! by Esther Morris

Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio

Woodrow, the White House Mouse by Peter and Cheryl Barnes

Clifford for President by Acton Figueroa

My Teacher for President by Kay Winters

D is for Democracy by Elissa Grodin

Why Are Elections Important? by Jacqueline Laks Gorman

Voting in an Election by John Hamilton

Activities

The team and children then demonstrated democracy in action by voting at multiple polling stations. To prepare for the voting, every child made a Voter Identification card and every volunteer an Election Official card. The children wrote their names on pre-printed identification cards, then hole-punched them and tied a yarn “lanyard” through them. At the same time, the Central Election Official also set up three separate tables for polling places. 

When everyone had their IDs, we assigned the voters and election monitors to their first polling place. To be successful, following directions is important, much like in real-life voting. The volunteers helped the children understand the voting question and method at each polling place.

• Favorite Color/Favorite Sport—Ballot Box
• Choice of Snack—Cast Lots
• Future Read-Aloud Topics—Computer Tabulation (requires a laptop)

At each station, the election monitors checked the voter IDs, verified that each child had not already voted, explained the voting question and helped the children cast their vote.  

At the first polling place, the children marked a paper ballot and deposited it in a box. At the second, a marble was added to the jar representing their vote and at the third, the voters selected from multiple options on a computer. The team used this last vote as a way of determining the interest level in certain topics we were considering for future Read-Alouds. 

About every 5 minutes, once everyone had voted at their polling place, the Central Election Official called time and each group moved to the next polling place. After everyone had voted at all of polling places, the volunteers and 1 to 2 Deputy Monitors tallied the vote, and then the deputies delivered the official results to the Central Election Official. 

We then discussed the differences of each voting method, revealed the overall results to all the children on a white board, and informed them that they (unknowingly) had voted for a treat at a future Read-Aloud (the snack choice vote). 

Everyone really enjoyed the voting. It was entertaining to see the children and volunteers take their roles seriously and to watch the children try to influence each other.  

Guest blog post written by Jason Dutil, volunteer at Woodbury Park.



To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

A super Read-Aloud about superheros!

There are few things that little boys (and girls) get more excited about than superheroes. Superheroes in books come in all shapes and sizes and are not limited to the ones created in comic books. There are books about super sisters, super animals and super athletes.

We took this topic for a recent Read-Aloud.  We started out with Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz about a boy who gains super powers when his mother mends his pajamas. He uses his new-found powers to help those in need including a princess, an old woman and a crew of sailors. This sparked a good discussion of types of powers one could have and how to best use them for good.  We even talked about Olympic athletes and how they are like superheroes.

Books
Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz
Supersister by Beth Cadena
Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero by Anne Cottringer
Princess Super Kitty by Antoinette Portis
Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod
Charlie's Superhero Underpants by Lee Wildish
Super Guinea Pig to the Rescue by Udo Weigelt
Superduck by Jez Alborough

Superman: The Story of the Man of Steel by Ralph Cosentino

Activities

For our activity, we made superhero masks and arm cuffs. We did some preparation beforehand to make this work with a younger age group, but most of it could be done onsite as well.

We used the four mask templates found here.  If your printer takes construction paper, print the templates right onto construction paper in a variety of colors. You could also print the templates on white paper and let the kids color them. We cut out the masks, including the eye holes, to save time, but that could be done by the kids if they're old enough.  

We used a hole punch and ribbon to attach the masks.  It worked really well to have a long piece of ribbon already tied on to one side.  When the child put on the mask, an adult tied the ribbon through the other hole, fitting the mask to the child's head. This process allowed for some one-on-one discussion time as well.

We also made wrist cuffs. These were simply toilet paper rolls with a slice down the middle. We curved the edges at one end to keep them from poking our hands, but that step is not absolutely necessary. The instructions for this project came from this site. We simplified things and the kids decorated cuffs and masks with markers.  

While the kids picked out their books, we asked each about his/her superpower(s). The kids were excited to share their invented powers and all walked away proudly wearing their new gear.

Don't forget to make a mask for yourself!




To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Read-Aloud Feature: Wild Animals

Team D at the Berkeley recently organized a “Wild Animal” themed Read-Aloud. All the kids present -- a wide range of ages -- had a blast reading animal books, making animal masks and getting their faces painted like their favorite animals.

Books:

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• This old favorite got everyone in the mood for the evening’s theme. 
• In the Wild by David Elliott
• Lovely color woodblock illustrations accompany short poems for each animal.
• Snarlyhissopus by Alan MacDonald
• In this jungle version of the game “telephone,” a hippopotamus becomes a scary “Snarlyhissopus” in the wild imaginations of the other animals.
• Elephants Can Paint Too! by Katya Arnold
• Based on the author’s real-life experience teaching elephants in Thailand to paint, this book also presents fun facts (for example, elephants have 150,000 muscles in their trunks). 

Activities

The team prepared two activities to follow the Read-Aloud: face painting and mask making. Two volunteers began the face painting. While two children had their faces painted, the other volunteers helped the kids who were waiting their turns to create animal masks using crayons, markers and paper plates. Pictures from the books provided inspiration.

The team came prepared with the following supplies for face painting:

• A pre-packaged set of face paints, which also included makeup pencils, sparkles and fake blood.
• Sponges and paper towels. To keep things hygienic, separate sponges were used for each child. Brushes might be easier, but they need to be cleaned frequently.
• Library books on face painting and color printouts of different ideas from the internet.

The volunteers tried to provide the kids with a limited number of options for animal faces. Although the theme was wild animals, other types of (easy) animals were encouraged. 

In the end the menagerie included a tiger, a couple of butterflies, three snakes, some rabbits, and a spider. One young man who requested a Spider-Man face agreed to be transformed into a puppy instead.

Recommendations for a face painting activity:

• Ask permission of the site staff beforehand to make sure the activity is acceptable.  
• Face painting can be time-consuming, especially with non-professional artists. Make sure you have a large volunteer team for this activity. Ask for additional volunteers from other teams to help out if needed.
• Get photo releases for the kids beforehand and bring a camera. Make sure there is enough time for a photo session at the end. 

The kids loved getting their faces painted and liked the extra one-on-one attention from the volunteers.


To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Embracing Our Differences

Team 3 at ARHA's Ruby Tucker Center recently chose “Embracing Our Differences” as its Read-Aloud theme.

The team introduced its theme by asking the kids to identify differences and similarities between two of the TRC volunteers who look different (gender, race, height, etc.) but have lots in common (favorite food, love of animals, work in the same city, etc.). They captured the similarities and differences in a Venn diagram. The Venn diagram provided a visual display of how much similarity exists between these two people who look different. 

The team then showed a short video entitled "The Animal Odd Couple," which is a story of a dog and elephant becoming best friends. After watching the video, the team led a discussion about how you might miss the opportunity to have a really great friend if you only focus on exterior differences. 

Here is The Animal Odd Couple video:

The team chose the following two books for the large-group Read-Aloud:

• I Am America by Charles R. Smith, Jr. Smith is a wonderful photographer of children. This book uses photos to show a diverse group of children doing commonplace American things.
• It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr. Fun illustrations engage children, while the text focuses on acceptance and individuality.  

The small groups used additional books by Todd Parr along with these other theme-related titles: 

• Marshall Armstrong Is New to Our School by David Mackintosh
• Not All Animals Are Blue by Beatrice Boutignon
• Black Is Brown Is Tan by Arnold Adoff
• Chocolate Me! by Taye Diggs
• Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin
• We Are a Rainbow by Nancy Maria Grande Tabor

For their activity, the kids drew self-portraits. In the words of volunteer Kevin Gilliam, "Recognizing that it is just as important to help the kids take pride in what makes them an individual as it is to accept others’ differences, we asked them to draw self-portraits, making sure to include what made them unique."  

The team is excited about building on this theme in future Read-Alouds by focusing on the diversity in our communities and among our talents.

For additional activities, consider the exploration of two eggs, one with a brown shell and one with a white shell. Have kids describe the eggs' different outside appearances and inside similarities. For details on this idea, click here.  TRC also created a Read-Aloud tips based on this idea back in September of 2010. For even more book and activity ideas check it out.


To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Report Feature: Flight Read-Aloud

The kids at SOME's Independence Place were thrilled when they found out they were hopping a "flight" to attend The Reading Connection Read-Aloud on a recent week. 

Each kid and adult got their very own boarding pass (found here or here) for the flight and lined up to be checked in (name tag and all)! This made the traditional set-up process of getting a name tag and taking attendance more fun for the kids. Each kid stated their name, then got a name tag and a "beep" as we pretended to scan each boarding pass. After check-in, each kid got settled into their own carpet mat "seat" and secured their imaginary seat belts before take off.  

Volunteers discussed where the kids wanted to fly and the kids enjoyed discussing the times they have seen or flown in airplanes.  

We read books about a variety of flying objects including Take Off! by Ryan Ann Hunter and Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray.  

After reading, the kids decorated wooden airplanes and butterflies before landing and disembarking to get a Read-Aloud giveaway book.  

Overall, a trip worth taking!


To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Report Feature: Pizza Party!

What could be better than pizza? 

The kids at a recent Carpenter’s Shelter Read-Aloud could not contain their exuberance when they found out they were going to make their own pizzas and get to eat them!  

The kids were set up with English muffins, pizza sauce and toppings (including lots of cheese!). They assembled their own personal pizzas with a little help from volunteers. There is nothing better than a delicious snack made just the way you like it!

Recipe:
English muffins (split)
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese

Put the pizzas in a toaster oven set to broil. Have someone keep an eye on them so the cheese doesn't burn!

While the pizzas were toasting, volunteers read the following books about pizza:
The Little Red Hen by Philemon Sturges
The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane
Dragon Pizzeria by Mary Morgan

The kids at Carpenter's especially loved Dragon Pizzeria. They loved it when all the adult readers got involved with voices for all the charaters. When the adults are into the story, the kids will get in to it too!

While you're sitting with the kids eating pizza, start a conversation about the books or even just about food.  Ask the kids to name their favorite kind of pizza, and then ask what they'd like to put on it next time. You'll all have a great time -- it's not hard to keep a roomful of kids excited about pizza!

Here's to a creative and delicious Read-Aloud idea!



To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Report Feature: Unexpected Endings

Learn more about a Read Aloud from the Berkeley, where kids ages 4 to 10 heard stories with unexpected endings, and then enjoyed an unexpected ending of their own!

 

Books

• Guess Again! by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex
• Beware of the Frog by William Bee
• The End by David LaRochelle
• Tadpole's Promise by Jeanne Willis

Activity 
After a summer hiatus, the fall kick-off event for the Berkeley was the "unexpected ending" Read-Aloud. The unexpected ending for the evening was an ice cream social. 

Additional activity ideas:

Create an outlandish story by the group. An adult begins a story with a traditional start. "Once upon a time there was a little boy who lived with his family in a small cottage in the woods. One day, he went out for a walk, only to find...." Then, let each Read-Aloud participant contribute to the story with the most unexpected twist they can think of. For example, "...an orange octopus wearing a top hat and eating 8 lollipops." The story should continue from person to person until every child has had a chance to add his or her outlandish details.

Rewrite traditional fairy tales or nursery rhymes. In this activity, children create new, unexpected endings for familiar stories. What if Little Red Riding Hood stopped for a picnic, eating all the snacks she was supposed to bring to Grandmother? What if Grandmother captured the Big Bad Wolf and kept him as a pet? What if Cinderella decided she'd rather go to library instead of the ball? What if Snow White got super powers from that poisoned apple? This activity will stimulate great discussions among the kids. At the end, they'll enjoy drawing a scene from their favorite version.

Roll with the ideas the kids produce and have a great Read-Aloud with unexpected endings! Use the comments section below to let us know your ideas for an unexpected ending Read-Aloud or share some of the stories created in your Read-Aloud. 


To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.

Report Feature: Detectives Read-Aloud

Learn about a great forensics Read-Aloud held at Sullivan House, where six- to ten-year-olds discovered the how-tos of investigation. The sample activities below will help you hold your own Detetives or CSI Read-Aloud.

Books

• Crime Lab Technician by John Townsend (nonfiction)
• Mystery at the Club Sandwich by Doug Cushman (fiction)
• The Robbery at the Diamond Dog Diner by Eileen Christelow (fiction)

The Read-Aloud included listening to Crime Lab Technician, followed by fingerprint matching! By comparing nine real fingerprints to a copy of a fingerprint found at the crime scene, the children tested their investigative skills. 

Activities

• Compare bar codes by preparing 15 sample bar codes to bar codes drawn from a bag. The skills used to find matching bar codes are the same skills used to compare DNA by CSI!
• Tape an animal to each child's back (the child should not know what animal it is), have the children pair off, and show them how asking questions of their partner about the mystery animal leads to correct identification. Making deductions from interviews is an important part of investigative work.
• Prepare a tray containing 10 items and give the children about 10 seconds to look at the tray. Then take the tray away and ask the children how many items they remember. This demonstrates how difficult it is to remember detailed information and how hard it is to obtain details from an interview.

These activities are a great way to incorporate science, nonfiction, and thinking about careers into a Read-Aloud. Great job Team 3!


To receive credit for this online training, please fill out the form here.