"Mice" in the Media Center

This lesson plan will foster literature appreciation in the Elementary School through sharing a variety of books(fiction and non-fiction) poems, puppets or models, focusing on a mouse or mice as a main character or characters.

A lesson plan for grade 1 Information Skills

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Learning outcomes

Young students will see how much fun it is to read and “experience” books. The Media Specialist can foster the process of literature awareness and begin to develop a life-long appreciation for all aspects of literacy. If we can reach the hearts and minds of young children, we have started them on the path to what the next century has to offer in all forms of communication.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

3 hours

Materials/resources

Media Center and Computer Center Station
Books (Fiction, Non-Fiction, Reference)
Puppets and Models that correlate with Books
Mice Collection for decoration
Charts, Pictures, Poems, Rhymes, Songs and Art Projects

Technology resources

Optional:
Computer/Mouse (This play on words for a component of the computer/keyboard relates to the unit on “Mice” in a fun way to encourage learning.)
Internet Access - Websites related to a lesson on mouse care and appreciation. (This is optional.)

Pre-activities

None

Activities

Lesson 1 (Approximately 30 minutes) Take a walk around the Media Center and play “I Spy”. There will be all kinds of signs where little mice have been. (Examples: Shredded tissue or yarn like a nest, small plastic cheese, real mousetrap (not set, of course) etc. Have a small stuffed mouse hidden except the tail so the kids finally catch on .……we are looking for “Tales” about Mice. Read the book “Mice are Amazing” by Robin Robbins to learn some interesting facts about mice. (You may substitute your own non-fiction book for this purpose.)

Lesson 2 (Approximately thirty minutes) Share the Big Book Ten Little Mice by Joyce Dunbar for a beautiful expedition of ten little mice finding their way home to their cozy nest. This reading which you will probably do several times before advancing to a spin-off activity such as a math or a writing lesson. This book also would encourage the children to want to draw,paint and create cute little mice. (These activities can be done in the classroom and with the Art teacher as well as independently at home. I have contact with all grade levels and resource teachers weekly for correlation.

Lesson 3 (Approximately 30 minutes)This lesson would require extra help from my fifth grade library helpers. We would have a good selection of books to share with mice as the characters on display. We would break up into small groups throughout the Media Center for reading and sharing the books. Then the small groups would plan how they would like to share with the other children their book of choice. (The actual completion of planning may have to be completed at other times. My fifth graders can go to the classrooms for small group work according to teacher discretion.) They could draw a group picture or write a group synopsis. They might choose to act out the book. The ideas are endless.…because kids are so creative.

Lesson 4 (approximately 30 minutes) After using the book Come Out and Play Little Mouse by Robert Kraus, share a book made by the Media Specialist of what I do each day of the week in the Media Center. This activity explains to the children why I can’t come out and play with them as well as making them aware of my job duties. This also shows how we get new ideas from the books we read and can change them to suit our needs.

Follow-Up Fun:

Dress up as your favorite mouse and have a small snack of cheese and crackers with mouse juice. This can be one class or school wide as fits your needs and size of school.

Assessment

Have the children write in journals to assess these lessons. The children are encouraged to turn in any work they want to display to the Media Center. Video taping any plays produced to show school-wide is a wonderful way to foster creativity. Teachers and Media persons have an endless array of ways to assess this project.

Supplemental information

Just a few other books I use with this unit:

• Three Kind Mice by Vivian Sathre
• Whose Mouse Are You by Robert Kraus
• Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley
• The Mother’s Day Mice by Eve Bunting
• Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
• Mouse Count and Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
• Owen by Kevin Henkes
• The Lion and the Mouse by Gail Herman
• Livingstone Mouse by Pamela D.Edwards

More and More and More “MICE” books are available!

Related websites

http://www.rmca.org/
http://www.ferretstore.com/mice.html

Comments

There are so many fun ways to expand on this topic. It is amazing how many good books have mice characters. The kids would love to share some of their mice (real and fake) for a visit in the Media Center. The displays are so much fun to share. This lesson can be adapted to all grades K-5 and the research can be intensified for older groups.