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     Pre-Reading Activities for Freckle Juice

These activities invite students to personally respond to text by contributing their own ideas and thoughts.  Pre-reading activities also activate prior knowledge the students have relating to the text.  These activities help students recognize a purpose for reading and motivate them to want to read.

Book Box
 Put all these items in a box and allow students to take out one item at a time. 
Students should then make predictions about how the item might fit into the story. 

Recipe card 5 dimes in a tissue mayonnaise
blue magic marker Pepto Bismol bottle pepper
washcloth & soap key  onion
 picture of neck  mirror glasses
blue glass moist towellette  olive oil
 figurines of boy and girl party blower salt
cards pink curlers grape juice
ketchup  mustard nose plug
lemon vinegar  crumbled up paper

Anticipation Guide

Students should read each statement and check either "agree" or "disagree".
Teachers should then prompt for class discussion of each topic.  As students debate the issues, they develop interest in the topics and are motivated to read to see how the topics are addressed in the book.  There are no right or wrong answers.  Students should refer back to these responses after reading the book to see if their opinions have changed in any way. 

Agree Disagree Statement
    It is OK to alter your appearance.
    How good we feel about ourselves depends on how we look.
    Parents don't always have to know what their children are doing.
    It is OK to sell something to someone even if you know it does not work.
    There is always going to be something about myself that I want to change.
    You should always believe what people tell you.
    Teachers can always solve our problems. 
    It is sometimes OK to lie to the teacher.
    It is good to be different from others.
    You can tell how smart a person is by the way they look.

Book Bits

Teacher selects sentences or phrases from the book and writes them on small strips of paper.  Every child participates by reading his or her own book bit, then moving around the room to share their book bit with others.  Students do NOT discuss the book bits, only read them to each other. After all book bits have been shared, students return to their desks and write notes about what they think the story will be about.  Students are then allowed to share their predictions and thoughts with others. 
NOTE: This is a list for a group of 11 students.

What have you done to yourself?
Andrew read the list twice, it did not sound like much of a recipe.
He opened his desk drawer and looked for a brown magic marker. 
And nobody would laugh at him.
After tomorrow I won't have any trouble paying attention, he promised.
Well, how did you get them?
All drinks tasted better cold and he was sure this would too.
Do you want to know how to get them?
He heard a lot of whispering, but he did not look up.
When they were in line Sharon whispered to Andrew, "Psst, I know how to get them."
Good heavens, Andrew what did you do to yourself?

Questionaire

Students respond to each question based on their opinion.  There are no right or wrong answers.  Allow discussion and debate related to questions prior to reading.  Students should refer back to these questionaires after reading the book to see if their opinions have changed in any way.

1.      What are features that other people have that you would like to have

                    ___dimples    ___eyeglasses     ___freckles  
 
 ___long hair  ____blue eyes      ____straight teeth      ___other__________

2.      Why would someone want to change their appearance?

___to fit in                        ___to have people like them

___other___________________________________________

3.      What would show that you have high self-esteem?

___You’re brave.  ___You’re confident.      ___You’re sad.

___You’re scared. ___You’re shy.  ___You’re out-going.

4.      What do you think causes a person to dislike himself/herself?

______________________________________________________

5.      What words best describe how you feel about yourself?

___love    ___like    ___okay    ___dislike    ___hate

6.      What can you do to help a friend that feels uncomfortable about himself/herself?

___________________________________________________________

Reference:  Yopp, R. H. and Yopp, H. K. (2001).  Literature-based reading activities, 3rd ed.  Boston:  Allyn and Bacon.  

11/02/2004 02:02:41 PM   Hit Counter