Dr. Seuss

An Author Study By: Gina Aurelio

Introduction: When I hear the name Dr. Seuss, I automatically think of the all time best children’s author. His unique style and incredible impact on Children’s literature has always stuck out to me among all other authors. Dr. Seuss has taught me that reading can be so much fun. I would say he has taught me more than I could ask for then. This is why I have chosen Theodor Seuss Geisel to do my author study on. I have decided on ten books of his that I liked best and included them here. My first choice of an age group to teach would be second grade; therefore I have geared the activities and assignments to the second grade student. About the Author:

Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as “Dr. Seuss”, was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1925 and proceeded on to Oxford University in London with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. While attending Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he later married in 1927 at the age of 23. In 1927 Theodore returned from Europe and then began working for the leading humor magazine, Judge, submitting cartoons and humorous articles for them. In some of Theodore's early works, he made reference to an insecticide by the name of Flit. The references had gained notice, and led to a contract to illustrate comic ads for Flit.

In 1936, on the way to Europe for vacation, he began listening to the ship's engines. From the continuous rhythm of the engines, he came up with the book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. This book was rejected by the first 43 publishers that he showed it to. Eventually, in 1937, a friend published the book for him. The book led to moderate success.

Dr. Seuss joined the army when The United States entered World War II. During his army career, he continued writing and drawing. He would write documentaries for Frank Capra's Signal Corps Unit, for which he would win the Legion of Merit award. Dr. Seuss also won the Oscar's for Hitler Lives and Design for Death and created a cartoon called "Gerald McBoing-Boing”.

Life magazine published a report concerning illiteracy among school children in May of 1954. The report quoted, "Children were having trouble to read because their books were boring." This report inspired Dr. Seuss’s book publisher. His publisher sent him a list of 400 words that he felt were important. He then asked him to cut this list to 200 words that a first grader could read and then put them into a book. About nine months later Dr. Seuss used 220 of the words given to him to publish "The Cat in The Hat." It became the first of one of Random House's best-selling series, Beginner Books. "Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained, and delighted." stated Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss captivated his way into the minds of children and their parents. In the process, he helped kids learn to read better.

Dr. Seuss is the author and illustrator of 44 children books. Some of his works have been made into audiocassettes, videos, animated television specials, and even a major motion picture for children of all ages. Dr. Seuss was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and three Academy Awards in 1984. Through his writing, Dr. Seuss was able to tackle important issues and disguise them as children’s books. Theodore Seuss Geisel died on September 24, 1991. Even after his death, Dr. Seuss continues to be the best-selling author of children's books in the world.

Websites about the author:

www.seussville.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss

http://www.catinthehat.org/

Annotated Bibliography:

Green Eggs and Ham This is an amazing rhyming book by Seuss. It is a story about a boy who tries to get grownups to try his green eggs and ham. He takes 50 simple words and turns them into a magical story. I love this book because it has many great activities that can be done with children and easy words for them to learn and read.

The Lorax This is a classic Earth-care book that deals with consumerism and endangered species. The Lorax tries to speak for the trees and animals, but most people think profit and development is more important. In the end the environment is much polluted, but there is still a small seed of hope. Dr. Seuss’s genius and compassion really shine through in this book. I like this book because it and offers an invitation to stewardship for students.

Dr. Seuss’s ABC

In this book Dr. Seuss turns the alphabet from fifty-two shapes and twenty-six sounds one has to memorize into an exercise in rhymery and wordplay. Uppercase and lowercase letters are matched with an apt selection of fun words, all set in the suitably absurd world of Seuss characters and creatures. I particulary like this book for teaching younger children because Seuss's words

are chosen for maximum fun on the tongue, and there's a delightful interplay between the letters and Seuss's crazy-wild drawings.

The Fish’s Tale

In this shaped picture book, the Fish relates his disturbing and hilarious account of a day spent with the one and only Cat in the Hat. I really enjoy this book because of all the twist and turns it takes throughout the story. This is a great book for younger children because it can keep their attention with all the twist and turns.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

This is truly a classic holiday story that is beloved by generation after generation, This is a book about a mean Grinch who tries to steal Christmas from a village of people. The village ends up winning in the end and changes the heart of the mean Grinch. It is a great example of rhyming. The book is one of the best-known children's books by Dr. Suess.

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? This is truly a fun children’s book. This book is filled with all the wonderful things Mr. Brown can do! In this "Book of Wonderful Noises," Mr. Brown struts his stuff, as he imitates everything from popping corks to horse feet while inviting everyone to join him in the fun. I like this book because it is great for young

readers who are still learning their sounds and letters because they will get a wacky workout as they follow along with Mr. Brown. Whether it's eggs frying in a pan or a hippo chewing gum, the skillful Mr. Brown just keeps topping himself. As usual, the words and pictures of Dr. Seuss make reading very hard to resist.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish This is another one of my personal favorites. This book is a fun book for young children all the way to teens. A book filled with tongue twisting rhymes starting out with just "One Fish". Many pages filled with great elaborate mad up animals to fit the amazing rhymes. This book really show’s its intention to teach children to read in a way that is both entertaining and educational. It matters little that each wonderful vignette has nothing to do with the one that follows. From what I have seen, children are so amused and enchanted when reading this story; in fact, they may not even notice they are learning to read!

Fox in Sox With this book Dr. Seuss has created another entertaining children's classic with "Fox in Socks." The plot is simple: the clever title character dazzles his friend Knox with a series of increasingly complex tongue twisters. Along the way, Seuss reveals a number of fantastic images: a marching band in which all the musicians are pigs, a crow in a top hat, and more. The book even has a touch of science fiction when the Fox introduces Knox to a weird lake of chewing gum-like blue goo. But it's the tongue twisting rhymes that are the central attraction of this book. By the time you get to the "muddle puddle tweetle poodle beetle noodle bottle paddle battle," you will certainly appreciate Seuss's writer virtuosity. This is a fun book, and the Fox earns his place alongside Seuss's most memorable characters.

Hop on Pop Hop on Pop is a rhythmic romp through the joys of reading, rhyme, and sight for babies, infants, toddlers, and parents alike. The work is both ageless and timeless. I read this book to my nephew and it never fails to get him squealing and wide-eyed in delight. There are so many things to enjoy about this book, that it's hard to find a place to begin, from the weird hybrid creatures, the creative rhymes to even wordplay. But the biggest joy of the book comes at the end when Seuss strings together endless rhymes with endless rhythm in the string of run-on words, "hethreemewepatpuppophethreetreebeetophopstop." It will be indelibly stamped on your brain and give children the joy of reading as well as reminding you how truly fun words and pictures can be.

There’s a Wocket in my Pocket!

This is a classic example of Seuss’s rhyming. "Wocket" is a fun little book of rhymes. Its about a kid who imagines strange creatures lurking in the dark corners and behind the objects in his house. The story begins with the Zamp in the Lamp and builds to the crescendo of the Tellar, Nellar, Gellar, Dellar, Bellar, Wellar, and Zellar in the cellar. The book ends nicely with a Zillow on a pillow. There is the nupboard in the cupboard, the bofa on the sofa. They are all made up words but rhyme. This is a classic book that everyone seems to know.

Guiding Questions: What are some inside and outside inspirations for student creativity? What is special about Dr. Seuss as an author? What makes a Dr. Seuss book different from any other book? Introductory Lesson Plan: I would start my unit on Dr. Seuss before Christmas break. In order to introduce this unit, I will place a variety of Dr. Seuss’s books in the front of the classroom. I

will ask the students to chose a book and tell me what they think the book might be about. I will also ask them what book looks most interesting to them. I will talk a little bit about the author and see if anyone has ever read a book by Dr. Seuss and find out what they thought about it. Next, I will show the movie based on one of Dr. Seuss’s books, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, in order to get the students excited about reading his books. Lesson Plan 1: Sunshine State Standard: LA.2.4.2.2…The student will record information ) e.g., observations, notes, lists, charts, map labels, legends) related to a topic. Goal 3 Standards: Information Managers Creative And Critical Thinkers Objective: After researching Dr. Seuss, the learner will create a bookmark that demonstrates their new knowledge about his life, literature, and illustrations with 100% accuracy. Assessment And Evaluation: Initial Assessment: The class will complete the first part of a KWL chart together. The teacher will ask questions to discover what the students may already know about Dr. Seuss and his writing. The students will be given their own KWL graphic organizers to complete throughout the lesson. Informal Assessment: The students will search the Internet and any other source in the classroom on to find out about Dr. Seuss. They will use the graphic organizer to record the information. Formal Assessment: The students will use their completed graphic organizers to create a bookmark that displays what they believe to be the most important information about Dr. Seuss, his writing, and/or his life. They are to include information about his life, art, and a quote that will inspire others to read his works of literature. The bookmarks will be evaluated based on accuracy and completion. All necessary components must be present, (an illustration, at least 5 facts about Dr. Seuss’s life, and a quote that will inspire others to read his books). They should be completed with 100% accuracy. Introduction To The Lesson: “Good morning class! Today we are going to take a deeper look into Dr. Seuss’s life. Does anyone remember from yesterday who this man is?” Read the book How The Grinch Stole Christmas to the class. Afterwards, tell the students that they are going to learn more about Dr. Seuss and then they are going to create bookmarks that will inspire others to read his stories. Materials: Class set of computers Construction Paper- 1 per student Crayons, Markers, Pencils, - 1 box per every 4 students Scissors- 1 per student Graphic Organizers- 1 per student

Chart Paper- 1 Technology Integration: The students will use the Internet to research Dr. Seuss. Teacher Presentation or Facilitation: 1. Tell the class, “Good morning class! Today we are going to take a deeper look into Dr. Seuss’s life. Does anyone remember from yesterday who this man is?” (Give the students a chance to answer). 2. Read the book How The Grinch Stole Christmas to the class. Afterwards, tell the students that they are going to learn more about Dr. Suess and that they are going to create bookmarks that will inspire others to read his stories. 3. Hand out a KWL graphic organizer to each student. 4. Put the piece of chart paper in the front of the class. Ask the students what they already know about Dr. Seuss and his work. Ensure that every student answers. Place their answers in the “Know” section of the KWL chart. Tell the students to complete their graphic organizers along with you. 5. Once everyone has shared what they know about Dr. Seuss, ask the class, “What about Dr. Seuss would you like to know?” Allow every student to answer. Write their answers on the chart paper under the “Want to know” section. 6. Once the second part of the chart is complete, ask the students to quietly get their assigned laptop and bring it back to their desk. Tell the students, “I want you to search the Internet for answers to the things that we want to know about Dr. Seuss. Record the information in the last section of your graphic organizer. 7. As the students are researching, walk around the room to answer any questions, to check for understanding, and to make sure that every student is on task. 8. Once every student has completed their charts, ask them to put the computers away and return to their seats. 9. Have a few students help pass out the construction paper, scissors, markers, crayons, and pencils to the class. 10. Tell the students, “You are to create a bookmark using the materials at your desks. I want you to draw a picture on it that reflects Dr. Seuss’s artwork. If you want to look at some of his books, they are in the front of the room. Your bookmarks are to include at least 4 facts based on your information about his life and artwork. You also need a quote that will inspire others to read his books. They will be evaluated based on accuracy and completion. All necessary components must be present. They should be completed with 100% accuracy. Once everyone is done, I am going to copy them and give them to local libraries and schools. Therefore, make sure that you take your time. 11. Write the components needed for the bookmarks on the white board for the students to be able to refer back to. 12. As the students are creating their bookmarks, walk around the classroom to make sure that everyone understands what they should be doing. Answer any questions, and help those students who need any help. 13. Once everyone is done reflect with the class. Ask the class about some interesting things that they learned about Dr. Seuss. During this class discussion,

record the students answers in the last section of the KWL chart that is on the chart paper. 14. Collect the bookmarks. 15. Grade the bookmarks. They should be completed with 100% accuracy. Differentiated Instruction: Auditory learners will benefit from the teacher reading the book aloud and the many class discussions. Visual learners will benefit from the illustrations in the books and the graphics on the Internet. ESE students will be able to help other students that may need it, and will benefit from the research because they will able to work at their own pace. ESOL/ELL students will be paired up with the more excelled students . They will benefit from the graphic organizer, illustrations, and graphics. Lesson Plan 2 Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.1.1.The student uses the reading process effectively; predicts what a passage is about based on its title and illustrations. Goal 3 Standards: Goal 1 – Information Managers/ 2. Interpret and explain concepts and ideas in information/ 2. Retell and sequence main ideas and information; demonstrates meaning of ideas using pictures, graphics, acting role-play. Objectives:

• The student will be able to identify and count the fish in One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, using knowledge, in an logical fashion.

• The student will be able to design his or her own version of the fish, in a neat manner, using synthesis

Assessment And Evaluation: Initial- The teacher will introduce the lesson by reading the book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish to the class. Informal –Students will discuss the book, as a class, after book has been read, the teacher will ask for any questions the students may have about the story or the fish. Integrating Dr. Seuss, the author, the teacher will ask what they think of the author, Dr. Seuss, and maybe why he chose this topic to write about- which will promote higher ordered thinking. Formal- The teacher will tell the students that they will now act as the author of the book, and illustrate and create their own version of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and will decorate their own fish with crafts provided by the teacher. Introduction to Lesson: The teacher will bring to class a goldfish in a fishbowl. Before reading the story, the teacher will hold up the goldfish in story time circle, before reading the book, and ask students what is in the bowl, facilitating a discussion about fish and the story. Materials: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Construction paper Markers Colored pencils Glue Fish Cutouts Scissors Technology Integration: The teacher can use the overhead projector as a projection example of how to go about creating students’ own version of their fishes. Teacher Presentation or Facilitation: The teacher will read the book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. While reading, the teacher will point out rhyming words and descriptive words for students to become familiarized with. After the reading of the book, the teacher will ask for questions about the story or the author. The teacher will relate back to the fish bowl that she brought in to show a type of fish. The teacher will use the fish bowl as a conversation topic and visual on how fish act and look. Assessment- The teacher will ask students what they think of the author of the book they just read, and ask the student if they would like to become an author or illustrator one day. The teacher will then explain that they will be acting as their own author and illustrator, and will be creating their own fishes, and will write a sentence about their creation, serving as the author portion. The teacher will hand out cut outs of a fish, depending on what the student wants, and will display images on the overhead projector for examples, usefully to the visual learners in the class. Students may use any of the arts and crafts provided by the teacher, and may get as creative as they want in creating their project. When projects are completed, the teacher will display the works of art and written sentences around the room throughout the Dr. Seuss author study unit. The teacher will evaluate the students work by checking for understanding of the concept in their artwork and through class discussion. Differentiated Instruction: For the auditory learners in the classroom, I will be reading the story aloud for them to follow along, as well as verbally voicing directions. For the visual learners, I will use the overhead projection to show examples of what is to be done with their fish when decorating, as well as where to write the sentence when they are done illustrating their work of art. For the kinesthetic learners, the hands on activity of creating their own character from the story will stimulate their minds and imagination, satisfying ADD or ADHD students that may need to get up and move around to collect materials for their project. I will pair up ESOL students with fluent bilingual speaking students to help guide them along with directions. Lesson Plan 3 Sunshine State Standards: LA.1.4.1 The student develops and demonstrates creative writing. Goal 3 Standards:

Goal 1 – Information Managers/ Interpret and explain concepts and ideas in information. Objectives: The Student will write a letter to the Author, Dr. Seuss using synthesis. The student will interpret and explain concepts and ideas in information. Assessment And Evaluation Initial- The teacher will touch back on to the previous day’s lesson on One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and how Dr. Seuss wrote the book. The teacher will read to the class a little background information on Dr. Seuss’s life, and stop frequently to explain and discuss with the class his background. Informal – Students will break into groups of four and discuss their thoughts about Dr. Seuss and what kind of a writer he is. Formal – Students will then, individually, write a letter to Dr. Seuss, asking him questions about his books, his life, and his love for reading and writing, telling him about themselves, and what they (students) would do if they could write any book, what would it be about and why. After the letters are written, the teacher will check for correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Introduction to Lesson: The teacher will ask the students the following questions: Do you remember the story that we read yesterday? What was your favorite part? (promoting reading comprehension) Do you remember who wrote that story? What is Dr. Seuss all about? –Well, lets find out! Materials: Colored paper Notebook paper Pencils Technology Integration: The teacher will use the overhead projector to show an example of what their letter should look. Teacher Presentation or Facilitation: During the Language Arts, and writing section in class, students will be given a colored piece of lined paper, a pencil, and various stickers located at the sticker station, to decorate their letter to Dr. Seuss when they are finished writing. Students will address the following topics in their letter:

Questions about his book that we read in class. Questions about his life, and his love for reading and writing. Students telling him about themselves. What the students would do if they could write any book.

After the letters are written, the teacher will check for correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Differentiated Instruction: For the auditory learners in the classroom, I will be reading directions aloud for them to follow along with. For the visual learners, I will use the overhead projection to show examples of what their letter should look like. For the kinesthetic learners, writing the letter will be a fun and interactive way to express

their thoughts and questions toward Dr. Seuss. I will pair up ESOL students with fluent bilingual speaking students to help guide them along. Culminating Activity: At the end of our unit, student’s art work will be displayed all around the classroom for them to refer back to, and remember the unit, as well as being displayed for family and friends that may enter the classroom. Student’s letters that they will write to Dr. Seuss will be compiled into a booklet that will either be displayed somewhere in the classroom then I would send the letters to Dr. Seuss. When all of the projects are complete, we will go to the library to find more of Dr. Seuss’s books that the students would be interested in. Each student will choose one book to take home to share with their family. Works Cited – (no author’s of websites found) Welcome to Seussville. (2006) Retrieved June 5, 2008, from http://www.seussville.com/ The Dr. Seuss Web page. (2004) Retrieved June 5, 2008, from http://www.seuss.org/ FEAP Reflection: As I created this unit plan, I was thinking a lot about the FEAP of continuous improvement. Especially in creating the lessons, I had so many ideas I wanted to include but I realized a lot of them would be based on my class in particular. The activities I do with one class may show me areas that could have been more challenging for them or less, or where I should add more individual or group work time for example. I discovered that continuous improvement really is important because my class one year can help me to improve with the class the following year. One of the indicators of continuous improvement is “identifies principles and strategies for affecting changes occurring in her classroom and school.” Continuously improving can also mean making changes at the last minute according to circumstances that may come up.

The FEAP of communication comes into every lesson plan that I create. Communication is the absolute key to a successful plan and unit when presenting to a class of students. Directions, questions, comments, and concerns all play a part, and without the communication to tackle each of these, the lesson would be pointless, and simply, just a lesson. Being able to communicate effectively with all students, of every learning type, needs to be considered when planning assessments as well. Thinking of the ways you will communicate with each student is crucial, seeing as how some students need the visual assistance, some need the verbal assistance, and some need the physical assistance. I try to incorporate each of these factors into all of my lessons and make sure that I would communicate effectively within each.

Planning is also an important FEAP involved in creating my unit plan. I realized that planning a unit is a lot more challenging than just creating one lesson. I also realized it can be that much more exciting too. With a longer unit, there is definitely more planning required, but there is much more time for bigger

activities that can really engage the students. I feel that I demonstrated the indicator of utilizing a variety of support and enrichment activities and materials. In this author study, students come into contact with books, websites, traditional activities such as writing assignments, and also creative activities such as the creating their own fish. I will also assist the students in using the resources available to them. I have also planned and plan to conduct the lessons with identified student performance and learning outcomes. I feel I have created a unit I am very confident in using in my future classroom.