A Bad Case of Stripes!

Last week we read the book "A Bad Case of Stripes" by David Shannon. I love to read David Shannon's books because they are always fun, but also often have a good lesson to teach. In this book, Camilla loves lima beans, but won't admit it because she is afraid of what the other kids will think of her. So, she breaks into a bad case of stripes; changing her appearance every time the people around her change. At the end of the story, she learns that it is okay to be different and it doesn't matter what other people think of you. This, of course, is a difficult concept for a kindergartner to understand, but I gave it a try! :)I traced a large body outline onto 12" x 18" construction paper for each child. I also cut it out. Then in a literacy center, I asked each child to create a head from skin color paper and add facial details and hair. I put out the oil crayons and told the children that they were to pretend that they had broken out into a bad case of stripes and decorate their body in the way in which they thought they would look. At another center, they were to draw pictures and write words that showed what they felt they could use to get themselves back to normal. We brainstormed ways that make all of us special - special foods, talents, and foods that we like. They did a good job on their writing, but I am not sure if they really understood the concept of keeping true to ourselves! If you would like a copy of the words, click here.