Questions, Questions, Questions
There are so many things I want to ask for pre-reading for Pies Ligeros!
Looking at the pictures:
- What colors does the artist use in these pictures?
- How do these colors make you feel?
- What kind of story do you expect from this style of painting? Fairy tale? Fable? Biography?
- Who will be some of the characters in this book?
- What activity are all of the characters doing?
About the idea of Death:
- What adjectives or feelings do you associate with Death?
- How is Death like a jumprope contest?
About the animals:
- What adjectives do you associate with (toad, iguana, monkey, coyote, rabbit, alligator, grasshopper)?
- Who would win a jumprope contest (see above) or Man? Why?
I really wish I could find a page in SPANISH about the significance of the animals represented in the story as a warm-up reading. Then again, that would make, what, the 4th pre-reading activity? What’s worse: I’m in the process of adding visuals for the animal words (even the familiar ones) for the illustration powerpoint–still ANOTHER pre-reading.
I think I could overload with pre-reading if I do it this way. Then again, If I spent one day talking about Death and words and ideas associated with it and THEN did all the powerpoint/reading/post-reading the next day…it might work. Then I could use quotes about Death for Comparisons. Or perhaps they could look up their own quotes about Death for homework: simple, quick, and interesting.
OK, so they have their quotes, and with them answer: ¿Qué es la Muerte? ¿Cuáles son unas palabras para describir la Muerte?
THEN we look at the pictures! I could add words they don’t expect to associate with Death, asking them if Death is also those things (especially things to describe a jumprope game). Then that would facilitate the post-reading with the Venn Diagram and jumprope poem!
