Reading and Art Extension Activities for Flower Power MEA
Reading: Counting in the Garden, by Kim Parker;
When reading, apply the language arts standards, as appropriate for your class:
LACC.1.SL.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
LACC.1.RF.1.1: Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
Recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence (e.g., first word, capitalization, ending punctuation).
LACC.1.RF.2.2: Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.
Orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.
Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.
Segment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes).
LACC.1.RF.3.3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.
Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.
Use knowledge that every syllable must have a vowel sound to determine the number of syllables in a printed word.
Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables.
Read words with inflectional endings.
Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
Focus Standard:
LACC.1.RL.2.4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
Before reading the book aloud, preview the book by showing the front and back covers and asking the students what they think the book is about; what it is like; how they feel about it; Do they think they will like it? Why?
Then tell the students that you want to read the book to them but the artwork is so special that you want them to take time to appreciate the art and the great work that Kim Parker did. Suggest to the students that art can be appealing (description of the words is emphasis not the words themselves) visually (their eyes like it), emotionally (their heart likes it), intellectually (their brain likes it), or it can be the opposite, the art might be unappealing because they do not like it for those same reasons (repeat them). Tie in the concept that words and art both can appeal to their senses or suggest feelings.
Art vocabulary words that you can use include: artist; background; balance; color, color scheme, cool colors, floral, flowers, foreground, paint, painting, visual, and warm colors; again, the focus is on having the students look around the pictures and having them focus on different aspects rather than these words themselves. For each picture ask the class who likes the picture and who doesn’t like the picture. Ask one of each why they like/don’t like it.
Information from Amazon.Com:
Product Details
Age Range: 3 - 5 years
Grade Level: Preschool - Kindergarten
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Orchard (April 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439694523
ISBN-13: 978-0439694520
Art: Kim Parker’s Flower Gallery
Obtain images of Kim Parker’s recent flower works on her website (display on projector) or order posters from AllPosters.Com ($12.99 an up).
Show 4-6 of the paintings to the students and tell them to take a few moments to “appreciate” them. Discuss the paintings in the same manner as before.
Prompt the students to each choose a favorite and to go stand by it (or stand in groups based on which picture they like the best). Tell them to take a few moments to discuss with their group, why they like that particular painting the most and that they will explain to the rest of the class. After they discuss in the group, then have each group explain to the rest of the class why they like the painting that they chose. The lesson can be further extended by having the students choose their least favorite and then discussing their reasons why, as they did before. If any of the paintings are not chosen as a favorite, then the class could also discuss why nobody chose that one.