The One and Only Ivan

I am reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate to my 2nd grade students throughout the year. It is a book long enough for them to get into, but easy enough for them to understand the general idea of the story. If you haven't read it before, The One and Only Ivan is a book based on a true story. Ivan really was a gorilla kept in a mall, and used for entertainment. He spent 27 years of his life locked in one domain without living with another silverback gorilla. In this fictional rendition of this story, Ivan has several friends, an elephant named Stella, a dog named Bob and a girl named Julia. I often ask the students to think about how the main character feels about living alone in his domain. I ask them to draw images that show where Ivan lives and how they think that he should live. I show them the book trailer. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtPdqV2crQ0

 

Here are a few activities that I use for lessons while reading this story. 

 

I talk about Ivan being based on a true story: http://theoneandonlyivan.com/ivan/ 

 

Worldbook online features some videos of real gorillas in the wild: http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/extmedia?id=ar230200 

 

Discovery Education also features great videos featuring real gorillas in the wild as well:

World of Nature: Mountain Gorillas: Gentle Giants TV Ontario, 1994 . Full Video.
Discovery Education. Web. 17 March 2015. <http://www.discoveryeducation.com/>.  

There is a Wocket in my Pocket!

Dr. Seuss week is an important day in school libraries! Our students created Wocket activities based on the book Wocket in my Pocket by Dr. Seuss, one that I found free from Teachers Pay Teachers! http://https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wocket-in-my-Pocket-592577

 

I read the story to Kinder - 1st grade students and we talk about rhyming words, and the idea of the Wocket being a fictional, or make believe character.  We also look at the words Teller and the Nellar and the Gellar and the Dellar, and the Bellar, and the Wellar, and the Zellar in the Cellar. I ask them about what these words have in common and what is different about them.

 

Then the students color the wocket. This activity allows students to make up their own rhyming word using ocket as the ending. I give the students instructions about how to glue the pocket, and they write their names on the paper. Usually students work while others check out books. This allows students to remain seated while 4 students can be assisted when selecting their books. 

 

During the 2nd grade library time, I have been using a rhyming word activity with the students, found on page 6 and 8 of this page. http://www.seussville.com/activities/Seuss_PaD_Booklet_WEB.pdf There are so many great activities available on the Dr. Seuss website! I am still reading The One and Only Ivan to them, but our activity focuses on rhyming words with Dr. Seuss as a little deviation from the normal book reading, related activities. 

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