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My Origional Post: I was just given a copy of the Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy and the puppet to go along with it. I would like to read it to my first grade tomorrow. We have a 45 minute period so I'd like to follow up the story with an activity or discussion. I have a few ideas, but nothing very exciting. Has anyone done something great with this book? If you have please share! Thank you! Thanks so much to everyone who shared an idea. A number of people mentioned that the book was better suited to older students. I agree, but since I only teach K and 1st grades I decided to read it anyway. We discussed some of the language (incinerate, singed, etc) before we read the story and that helped make it more accessible to them. I hope in the future to be able to use the book with older classes. However, even though my first grade did not get all of the humor of the story they did enjoy the book and the puppet. The activity I ended up doing was introducing Venn Diagram's and using one to compare our library to the Sunrise Elementary Library from the story. The students did a great job with that and it will tie in nicely to another Venn Diagram activity I will be doing with them next week. Below is a list of all the responses I received. Responses: For several years I used to use it with second grade classes at the beginning of the year, incorporating it into a review of library etiquette & book care. After reading the book we discussed the library dragon's rules and our "real rules". We simplified the rules so they were short enough for younger writers. (ie: Always wash your hands before handling a book" became "clean hands") Then, each child wrote one rule on "dragon scales" I had made on bright green, orange, or yellow heavy paper and we put them on a dragon outline on the wall. I am not an artist, but using crepe paper and drawing the tail & flames coming out of her mouth, and adding a healthy dose of imagination, it worked. The kids loved doing it, and it was a great way to review a dry subject. I've never done an activity with it, but they could create their own dragon scale bookmarks and then you could laminate them. I drew the big cat-eye glasses (2 on one piece of paper). In the lens, I wrote "Today in the Library we read Library Dragon by Carmen Deedy." The children could color the frames and decorate with the handful of sequins that I put on each table. Could you make scales out of pringles potato chips? Let the kids paint them with food coloring, and eat later? Just a thought When I was reading that book, I always wanted to make me a dragon costume to wear while I read it, and then unzip myself to show that I am not really a dragon as the story ends. I never got that done, though. I have the puppet too, however, I don't think I would recommend it for kindergartners. The language is difficult. I made a dragon tale out of cardboard and read the book to 3-4th grade and even they didn't understand it all. We didn't do any follow up activity though. IN my opinion this book is best done with 4th grade since the meanings of the many "fire related or heat related words" are way beyond the understanding of 1st grade. The illustrations alone take alot of explaining even to older students and I would not use it with children younger than 3rd. I know there are activities with it, but since I have been using it we do a list of words that are related to heat and discuss that aspect, having students look up each of the words we list. I made a big cut out of the dragon minus the scales. Then I cut out green and purple scales. The kids promised To take good care of the books, etc. so the library dragon Doesn't have to come visit. The dragon stays up all the Time and I remind them every once in a while. I have been doing this with kinder ever since I got the Book and my kids who are in higher grades still ask Me if the library dragon is still there! I use this book also. I thought I would point out that the wording is a bit difficult for the first graders. Much of the vocabulary is difficult for them. I tries it with the fourth graders and it seemed to work a bit better I made large scales out of construction paper and had the kids write rules for the library on them. We attached the scales to the head and claws of a dragon that I had made and displayed it in the hallway. I actually used the book with fourth graders... they were better able to grasp some of the puns and jokes than my little guys. First graders would really like the story, too, though! With fourth, we created a chart for words and phrases in the book that had to do with heat or fire... they made a non-verbal sign (fanning themselves) when they heard one of those words. It was fun to see how many times she used words having to do with heat/fire! Maybe you could do a variation on that? Maybe they could make their own puppets? Or perhaps you could write a whole-class story on the Student Dragons that make a mess of the library but lose their scales as they learn book care rules. Library Dragon Lesson: http://www.howard.k12.md.us/met/media/k-6less/three/Library%20Dragon/Library%20Dragon.3.doc Thanks again to everyone for sharing your wonderful ideas! Jessica Walsh Library Media Specialist Kindergarten Center Plainview-Old Bethpage School District jwalsh@pob.k12.ny.us -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. 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