Apr. 15, 2009: Meet Illustrator Beth Krommes

The Mini Page is a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children found each Wednesday in The Denver Post. This issue of The Mini Page is available through the eEdition Archive to registered eEdition subscribers. Click here to learn about subscribing to the eEdition at no cost to you (for Colorado teachers).

Activities:

1. Select a news photo you like. Pretend it is the cover art for a book. Paste the photo on a piece of paper. Make up a title for the book. List yourself as the author. On the back of the paper, write several sentences telling what your story will be about.

2. Divide a piece of paper into three columns. Using the book titles from today¹s Mini Page, put stories in a "Fiction" column. Put books about real people and things in a "Nonfiction" column. Put books of poetry, fairy tales and folklore in a "Poetry and Folklore" column. Now put a star next to a book you would like to read from each column.

3. List the experiences in the childhoods of Beth Krommes and Kathi Appelt that encouraged their creativity. Put a check next to the experiences that are similar to yours. Add your personal experiences to the list.

4. Draw a large circle on a piece of paper. Divide the circle into three equal parts. Now skim the newspaper for stories about people who would make good subjects for books. Write the names of community or political leaders in one section of the circle, the names of entertainers in the second section and sports figures in the third section. Write one fact about each person under his or her name.

5. Use one of the names you selected in No. 4 to develop a story and art for a book. Create a detailed outline for your story: write (a) setting, (b) a series of adventures the person will have, and (c) an ending. Share your outline with several friends. Then ask everyone to design cover art for your story. Share your designs and vote on the best one.

This week's standards:

• Students comprehend and respond to a variety of images and text. (Language Arts: Reading)
• Students identify forms and elements of literature. (Language Arts: Reading)
  
  

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)