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Children’s Bookshelf (Grades 7-8)

Suggested level: Grades 7–8

Subject Area: Language Arts
NOTE: This is an activity that even poor readers in the class can enjoy.

Goal: To understand that the way animals are portrayed in books can reinforce either good or poor attitudes.

Objectives: Students will:

  1. identify common ideas, atttitudes and feelings about animals.
  2. evaluate attitudes toward animals.
  3. analyze and evaluate a picture book.
  4. compile a bibliography.
  5. summarize their evaluation.

Materials

Enough children’s picture books featuring animals for each pair of students in the class.

Procedure

  1. As a class, decide on a list of ideas, attitudes and feelings about animals that should be developed in children.
  2. Divide the class into pairs. Each pair selects a children’s book dealing with animals, either from the school library or from the collection you have brought to class. The book should fall in one the following categories: * a story about an animal * a book in which animals are used incidentally to teach something, e.g. animal alphabet book * a story about people who happen to have an animal * a factual book about animals
  3. Students read and analyze their book. Consider the artwork as well as the text. * Are the animals presented realistically or anthropomorphized? * Are the animals presented in a positive or a negative light? * Is the factual information in the book correct? * What good attitudes does the book help to develop? * What poor attitudes does it reinforce? * How could the book be improved to better teach good attitudes toward animals?
  4. Compile an annotated bibliography of all the books studied by the class with students submitting entries for the books they read. Each entry should summarize the good and bad points of the book with a caution or a recommendation. Make copies of the bibliography to give to the librarian and kindergarten and grade 1 teachers.

Extension

  • Select the best books and arrange to read them to a kindergarten class or for a library story time.
  • Conduct a similar analysis of comics and cartoons.

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