For a teacher, having a set of curriculum-aligned teaching notes to accompany a new book is a godsend! Sure, the occasional word search or colouring-in sheet can be fun but what teachers want are engaging activities across a range of curriculum areas that will help their students get the most out of a book. That’s not to say books can’t just be read for pure enjoyment but sometimes it is nice to explore a book in different contexts to add value to curriculum areas.
When I was still teaching, I wrote and taught a unit of work using two of Braidwood poet Harry Laing’s wonderful poetry collections – Shoctopus and MoonFish. The unit was not, as you might expect, an English unit. It was science. And it was a hit with the Year 5/6 students, many of whom initially groaned when I said we’d be studying science through the poetry of Harry Laing.
I shared videos and activities from this unit with Harry and he later asked me to write the teaching notes for his latest poetry collection, RapperBee – Poems to give you a buzz …
Writing the teaching notes for RapperBee was so much fun. They span multiple year levels and include activities in a wide range of curriculum areas, including English, history, sustainability, music and, of course, science.
About Harry Laing and his poetry
Sitting in his writing hut (yes, he has a writing hut and I’m not jealous at all) on his Braidwood property, Harry Laing writes poetry about all manner of subjects, from marshmallow men to bushfires, for children and for adults. He is an accomplished performer, runs poetry retreats and teaches children of all ages to love reading and writing poetry.
If you would like to add value to your children’s book with some top quality activities for teachers, contact Kellie today.