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March 2 (1904) is Dr. Seuss' birthday, and though he has not been with us for nearly thirty years, Jim Whiting tells us how his legacy lives on. |
English/Language Arts
Explore publishing - posthumous
Students may be surprised after reading this Minute that sometimes authors continue to get published long after they have died. Joining Dr. Seus’ ranks are J. R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Amy Krantz Rosenthal, and Anne Frank. Start a round table discussion about the kinds of scenarios that may result in posthumous publications. How do they happen? Sometimes ghostwriters are heavily involve. Do your students think this is okay?
Explore biography - focus
Use this Minute to talk about focus. Another biography - what do your student think is Author Whiting’s main idea? Compare this biographical Minute to others, and build some practice time into your classroom for students to discuss focus and main idea. The more they practice, the better they will become and the more their comprehension skills will expand.
Explore word choice - Dr. Seuss
Time to pull out some Dr. Seuss books and decode his craft. For younger students, focus on the rhythm he creates. For older students, turn the discussion toward meter, word-creation, and the remarkably small number of words Seuss uses to tell a story - only fifty in Green Eggs and Ham. Develop a challenge for your students. Have them take an existing story or plot line and rewrite it using as few words as possible, then conduct a class vote for the winners!
Social Studies
Explore political cartoons
Theodor Seuss Geisel had an interesting career as a political cartoonist before he began writing children’s books. Have your students take a look at Dr. Seuss Goes to War : the World War II editorial cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel by Richard H. Minear, or take a look at the catalog of Suess’ political cartoons posted here. Can students “read” the cartoons for historical/political meaning? Can they find references in the cartoons to his later work in children’s illustration?
Art
Explore the artist
Though we tend to think of Dr. Seuss as an author, he was equally talented with illustration and other types of artwork. Have your students check out the special collections at The Art of Dr, Seuss with a special look at his Collection of unorthodox Taxidermy. Can your students use his ideas as a model and create their own unorthodox stuffed creature?
Explore sculpture gardens
This Minute includes a photo of two sculptures of Dr. Seuss characters that can be found at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden outside the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts. Here are beautiful sculpture gardens that can be found across the US. Challenge your students to look for them online and identify the sculpture garden they might be most interested in visiting.
Research Skills
Explore searching for fact or fiction - Snopes
There is a story oft told of how Green Eggs and Ham was the result of Seuss’ publisher challenging him to write a story using only fifty words. Is it true? How do you find out? Introduce your students to fact-checking websites (see this great lest that ISTE put together) and find the truth here.
Explore publishing - posthumous
Students may be surprised after reading this Minute that sometimes authors continue to get published long after they have died. Joining Dr. Seus’ ranks are J. R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Amy Krantz Rosenthal, and Anne Frank. Start a round table discussion about the kinds of scenarios that may result in posthumous publications. How do they happen? Sometimes ghostwriters are heavily involve. Do your students think this is okay?
Explore biography - focus
Use this Minute to talk about focus. Another biography - what do your student think is Author Whiting’s main idea? Compare this biographical Minute to others, and build some practice time into your classroom for students to discuss focus and main idea. The more they practice, the better they will become and the more their comprehension skills will expand.
Explore word choice - Dr. Seuss
Time to pull out some Dr. Seuss books and decode his craft. For younger students, focus on the rhythm he creates. For older students, turn the discussion toward meter, word-creation, and the remarkably small number of words Seuss uses to tell a story - only fifty in Green Eggs and Ham. Develop a challenge for your students. Have them take an existing story or plot line and rewrite it using as few words as possible, then conduct a class vote for the winners!
Social Studies
Explore political cartoons
Theodor Seuss Geisel had an interesting career as a political cartoonist before he began writing children’s books. Have your students take a look at Dr. Seuss Goes to War : the World War II editorial cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel by Richard H. Minear, or take a look at the catalog of Suess’ political cartoons posted here. Can students “read” the cartoons for historical/political meaning? Can they find references in the cartoons to his later work in children’s illustration?
Art
Explore the artist
Though we tend to think of Dr. Seuss as an author, he was equally talented with illustration and other types of artwork. Have your students check out the special collections at The Art of Dr, Seuss with a special look at his Collection of unorthodox Taxidermy. Can your students use his ideas as a model and create their own unorthodox stuffed creature?
Explore sculpture gardens
This Minute includes a photo of two sculptures of Dr. Seuss characters that can be found at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden outside the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts. Here are beautiful sculpture gardens that can be found across the US. Challenge your students to look for them online and identify the sculpture garden they might be most interested in visiting.
Research Skills
Explore searching for fact or fiction - Snopes
There is a story oft told of how Green Eggs and Ham was the result of Seuss’ publisher challenging him to write a story using only fifty words. Is it true? How do you find out? Introduce your students to fact-checking websites (see this great lest that ISTE put together) and find the truth here.
© Karen Sterling, 2018 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission
