July 12, 2016

Character & Setting Lesson: Make Your Own Page of a “Lift-the-Flap” Book

Character, Setting Icons If you’re looking for an entertaining, summertime activity to do with preschoolers or kindergarten students, get a copy of the book Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill. This book was originally published in 1980 and was the first book in the Spot series. This engaging lift–the-flap book will bring you and your students on Sally’s journey to find her pup, Spot, in the house so that he will eat his supper. It’s the perfect book to reinforce the Descriptive Sequence and focus on the Character and Setting icons using Braidy the StoryBraid.

After reading (or viewing on YouTube) the book, make a list of characters (Sally, Spot, bear, snake, hippo, bird, lion, monkey, alligator, penguin, turtle) with the students. You may then play a character game by describing the character and having the children try to guess which one you are describing. This could easily be expanded by having the children then draw an animal or give them an animal picture card and have them give clues to describe their picture.

Below is an activity we did in Kindergarten class:

Spot Photo 1 Spot Photo 2

Ask the children to think of a setting for Spot.
Have them draw the Setting and color it.
With your help, cut an opening in the picture and fold it back so that it opens like the flaps found in the book Where’s Spot? Where’s Spot?
Tape a smaller piece of paper to the opening onto the back of the picture.
Have the children draw Spot.
The Settings may be labeled or a sentence can be written describing where Spot is. As each child shares his/her picture ask: Where’s Spot? (In the pictures shown, Spot is at the circus!)

You may also expand on this activity using Braidy the StoryBraid by retelling the story as an Action Sequence following Sally on her way to find Spot.

Sheila Zagula

Author

Sheila Zagula works with MindWing Concepts in product development, drawing on her expertise and talents as well as many years of implementing the Story Grammar Marker® and related materials. Her teaching career spans thirty-eight years, most recently as literacy coach in the Westfield Massachusetts Public School System. Sheila has experience as an early childhood educator, a teacher of children with special needs, and a collaborative instructor within an inclusion framework serving children in grades K-5.