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A teachers' guide is available for Something forNothing, and can be downloaded free from the HoughtonMifflin/Clarion Books website (link in the column to the left.) The guide was prepared by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, who has more than 200 more useful classroom guides for children's books available without charge on her site at www.tracievaughnzimmer.com.
Please check back for a teachers' guide for Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost, which should be ready before school starts in September, 2006.
Several different arts and crafts projects have been especially successful at school, museum, and library events for these folktales.
Something for Nothing
Cat and dog masks are particularly appealing. The only advance preparation is for groups of smaller children not accompanied by parents, for whom the eyes must be cut out of the masks. Supplies include: white paper plates; small paper cups for the snouts; felt, cardboard, or construction paper for the ears; pipecleaners or straws for whiskers; markers, paints, glitter, beads, buttons, and sequins for general decoration with paste or glue sticks. Ribbons or string can be used to tie the masks on, threaded through holes punched on either side of the masks. Masks can also be affixed to popsicle sticks, although this works best if the masks are seen as art objects rather than as parts of costumes or toys.
Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost
Large cardboard spoons approximately the shape of the spoon on the cover can be cut out of cardboard or very stiff, heavy paper. Because Shlemazel's spoon is "tarnished, and pock-marked, and green around the edges," decorating the spoons lends itself to the use of found and natural objects. Spoons can also be decorated in a way that underlines class discussion related to the themes of the book, for example, in Jewish classrooms, pictures or objects related to mitzvot; in secular classrooms, pictures or symbols relating to things the students have done to help others, or people they're "lucky" to have in their lives such as parents, friends, teachers, etc. |
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