the There Was an Ol' Cajun study guide. - Pelican Publishing ...

Creature Feature (a graphing exercise)
Make a graph where each creature in the story is represented. Then
carefully go through the book, as a class, and color in the appropriate
square under each creature as it is mentioned in the story. Once you
have filled in the graph, ask the children a series of questions to help
them utilize the information they have obtained.
A few questions may be:
Which creature was mentioned the most in the story?
Which creature was mentioned the least in the story?
This can be an introduction to graphing that could prove to be
invaluable. Graph other information such as what is everyone’s
favorite color is and so on. The possibilities are endless. Learning to
obtain information from various sources is a vital part of educating the
mind.
I Think I CAN!!
Make or obtain an object that represents each person or creature in the
story. Place them in a decorated can with a lid that is easily removed.
This can has 3 possibilities for usage.
*The first way to use it could be as a story can. Place the can in your
language area and let the children take it to their designated area and
use the objects to tell their own stories. The children can then either
write their story or dictate them to an adult.
*The second way the can comes into play is a part of a group activity.
Remove the objects from the can and name them. Ask a child to turn
away and place one of the objects back in the can. When the child
turns back, see if they can identify the missing object. This game is
fun for children of all ages.
*The last way (that I can think of) to use the can is for a sorting
activity. This could be done on an individual basis or as a group. The
objects could be sorted by mammals, reptiles, fish, or amphibians, and
warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals. By size or shape, there are
countless possibilities. You will find countless ways you CAN
enhance the learning of the children around you !
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