Birds in Picture Books: Characters, Plots, and Themes
Students will explore the different parts of a narrative story such as character, plot, and theme by observing how birds are depicted in various stories read by the library media specialist.
INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES:
-Either the teacher or the library media specialist may complete the lesson.
ACTIVITY AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION:
-Select two or three stories to intersperse with finger plays and movements. Introduce the session with a picture of a bird or a small stuffed replica. Ask students to think about birds and what they do, such as eat, fly, build nests, and sing. Introduce the first story. Follow it with rhymes such as "Birds in a Nest" or "Five Little Robins". Follow with another story which features birds in a different way. This may be followed with movements (flapping arms as if flying, scratch for a worm, etc.). End with a third story depicting birds in a different way.
-Talk about the stories that were read and summarize how the birds in the stories were featured differently.
Some examples include: Bird as the character(Are You My Mother?); Birds as part of the story or plot (Subway Sparrow); or Birds as a symbol of something else (Fly Away Home).
-Distribute the cut out bird body and wings to the students. Each child writes the title of the story he or she liked best on the wings and then slides the wings through the slit in the bird body.
FOLLOW-UP:
-The students may find other titles and make mobiles of the bird shapes and titles.
