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Importance of children’s literature to their literacy
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Lesson Description:
In this lesson, the students will discover some of the themes of Dr. Seuss 's major books. By working as, a group and deciphering the theme or themes of a particular Dr. Seuss book chosen for them. The students will figure out how, despite being written for young children, Dr. Seuss ' books contain powerful messages about important themes in American history and society. The students will conclude by creating posters to showcase one of these themes.
Learner Profile:
Grade Level: 11th Grade
Subject: Reading
Duration: 45 minutes to an Hour
Number of Students: 15 Students
Standards:
Standard Code Standard
LAFS.K12.R.1.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details
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One of the most important functions of literature, whether for teenagers, adults, or young children, is to convey a message, lesson, or overall idea that the author feels is important. As students will discover shortly, Dr. Seuss conveyed political and social themes that he felt were important.
After the teacher is sure the students understand that books have themes that are far beyond the eye can see. The teacher will have the students split into groups of three. The teacher will hand out to the students a sheet with these words and phrases listed: corruption, power, human rights, racism, tolerance, environmental stewardship, greed, pollution, war, anti-Semitism, Hitler, Holocaust, Cold War. The teacher will ask the students if they are familiar with all of these terms, and if not, the teacher will define any of the words they don 't know. Each group will have to decipher the theme of one of the given Dr. Seuss books. The books are Horton Hears a Who, Yertle the Turtle, The Sneetches, The Lorax, and The Butter Battle Book. Utilizing words or phrases from the sheet, the groups will identify depending on the book they get from the teacher with words relate to the theme of the Dr. Seuss
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Seuss Themes and Questions for Presentation)
• Paper
• Crayons, Markers, and Art Supplies to create Drawing/Cartoon
Resources:
N/A
Curriculum Integration:
Social Studies – The themes discussed in the Dr. Seuss books relate to topic that happened in United State History.
Remediation:
For those that do not master the lesson, the teacher will have the students read a Dr. Seuss book of their choice and determine whether it has any of the themes they 've discussed in this lesson. If so, the teacher will ask them to list these themes and write a paragraph explaining the book 's message with regard to the themes. If not, the teacher will ask them to list the themes they believe the book does express and to write a paragraph explaining how those themes are presented in the book.
ESOL Strategies:
A. Methodologies/Approaches
• A2 Frequent checking of comprehension
• A4 Build background information
• A13 Assess Prior Knowledge
B. Visuals
• B5 Pictures
C. Interactive Strategies
• C2 Small Group Activities
Accommodations:
Instructional methodology and materials needs concrete objects, pictures, or
The major themes of the book are directly related to the themes which John Demos uses to tell this story. The storyline moves on though the evolution of one theme to the next. The function of these major sections is to allow the reader to relate to John Williams overall state of mind as the story unfold. By implementing these major themes into his work, John Demos make it possible for the reader to fully understand the story from beginning to end.
Theodor Seuss Geisel. [A profile of the author’s life and works]. (2004). Contemporary Authors Online. Retrieved from Gale Cengage Learning.
One example of the theme occurs when the author first introduces the story. “But the summer I was 9 years old, the town I had always loved morphed into a beautifully heartbreaking and complicated place.” (pg. 1). The author is saying that the year she turned nine, she found out something about her town that broke her heart and changed the way she saw it. This quote is important because it supports the theme. It shows that now she is older she has learned something about her town that made her wiser than when she was younger. She is now more informed because the new information changed her and caused her to begin to mature.
Dr. Seuss is an important figure in the lives of children everywhere. His stories are children’s classics that are fun to read and also tackle some real life issues. Dr. Seuss’s political views are very apparent in his some of his books like The Butter Battle Book, which discusses the issues of the Cold War.
Dr. Seuss, also known as Theodore Seuss, has written many poems as well as short stories, and is considered one of the greatest children’s author in history. His silly stories are able to excite children in ways that make them want read. His Wife says,” Ted doesn’t sit down to write for children. He writes to amuse himself;” Little do children know that often, in his stories, there is a lot of political undertone, a few examples include The Lorax, Yertle the Turtle, The Sneethces, and The Butter Battle Book. If you were to really critique some of his books or poems, you might see that some of his themes wouldn’t seem to pertain to children. But what he’s doing, is hoping that they will understand the main idea of the story enough that it challenges them to stand against the crowd of judgment and evil. Take notice of the issues around them, and make a change. He feels that they deserve to know about the issues, just as much as adults do. He is showing them early on, telling them that they do not need adults to make a difference.
As once said by Socrates, a famous Greek philosopher, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” He believes people should read between the lines, and in the case of books, delve into what the author is trying to say by using symbols and imagery. To someone who does not examine the book, The Catcher in the Rye, it may seem to be about a “messed up” teenager who wanders around town and doesn’t care about life. But when a range of ______ are explored, one will find that this book has common themes of innocence, changing, growing up and also death. It is discovered in various _____ the novel, such as in The Museum of Natural History, his red hunting hat, and the ducks in the Central Park Lagoon.
What are the important themes of the book? What questions or issues about teaching and learning does it address?
Not only did Seuss have an effect on politics and propaganda, but he had a huge impact on social and everyday life.
“Dr. Seuss At Work.” Scholastic News—Edition 1 69.6 (2013): 1. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 5 March. 2014
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The story “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison displays a few specific themes through the story which are easy to depict. A few themes from this story are, first racism and finding his self identity, then the danger of fighting stereotype with stereotype, and last blindness. These themes play an important role in the story to better help the reader understand it.
Dr. Seuss I took an unconventional approach in the topic I chose for my reading assignment – whereas most groups selected single novels, my partner and I opted to read a collection of short stories by none other than the notorious Dr. Seuss. Were I writing this essay on a “normal” book, I would be able to pose a question about the book itself and answer it in an ordinary sort of way. However, given the subject matter I have chosen, an essay on an individual book, though possible, would be a very tricky thing to do. It would be wiser, and probably easier, to respond to the man himself. My decision to respond to the man himself makes many more choices – what facet of Dr. Seuss shall I ask myself questions about? I think perhaps I first need to give some brief biographical information on the man to understand the background he’s coming from. In 1904, Theodore Seuss Geisel was born in Massachusetts, USA. I have not been able to find too much documentation about his childhood, but he certainly did not come from a terribly poor or terribly unsuccessful family… in fact, his family had owned a local brewery in their home town of Springfield for several years. Ever since his childhood, Geisel had dabbled in the fields we all know and love him for today… for instance, during bible recitals, he read the verses to a rhythm and often in rhyme. In High School he wrote many short essays and drew cartoons for the school paper, and even then he had adopted a pseudonym for himself – “Pete the Pessimist”. Upon graduation, Geisel began studying literature at Oxford university, as his original intent was to become an educator… even then, he punctuated his time at Oxford with his job editing and contributing to the “Jack-O-Lantern”, ...
According to literary critic Clifton Fadiman, “Theodor Geisel Seuss provided ingenious and uniquely witty solutions to the standing problem of illiteracy among children (qtd. in Kaplan).” Due to various influential figures and profound experiences during his lifetime, as well as expert use of creative literary techniques, Theodor Seuss Geisel’s children’s books continue to compel readers of all ages – allowing them to escape into different worlds filled with nonsense.
One of the first themes that comes to mind when one reads this book is the
Tell students that you will be reading them the story of Little Red Riding Hood by Anne Faundez. Tell the children that the story is about a little girl who runs into the Big Bad Wolf on her way to her grandmother’s house. Tell the children that the wolf was very hungry and wanted to eat Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother and that you’ll read the story to see if he does actually eat Little Red Riding Hood and her
For an abundance of authors, the driving force that aids them in creation of a novel is the theme or number of themes implemented throughout the novel. Often times the author doesn’t consciously identify the theme they’re trying to present. Usually a theme is a concept, principle or belief that is significant to an author. Not only does the theme create the backbone of the story, but it also guides the author by controlling the events that happen in a story, what emotions are dispersed, what are the actions of characters, and what emotions are presented within each environment to engage the readers in many