This is the latest in a series of The Planning Department articles that suggest ways to organize school-wide literacy events around a single book title. The previous articles are available online at www.CanadianTeacherMagazine.com. Click on “Articles” in the menu bar and then “Literacy.”
Mean Jean was Recess Queen and nobody said any different.
Nobody swung until Mean Jean swung.
Nobody kicked until Mean Jean kicked.
Nobody bounced until Mean Jean bounced.
If kids ever crossed her,
she’d push em and smoosh ‘em,
lollapaloosh ‘em,
hammer ‘em, slammer ‘em,
kitz and kajammer ‘em.
“Say WHAT?” Mean Jean growled.
“Say WHO?” Mean Jean howled.
“Say YOU! Just who do think you’re talking to?”
Mean Jean always got her way.
Until one day…a new kid came to school.
The arrival of a new, teeny, tiny kid name Katie Sue completely changed the dynamics of the playground. Oblivious to Mean Jean’s reputation, she proceeded to swing, kick, bounce and have fun at recess time. The Recess Queen was not amused. She chased after Katie Sue and confronted her.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
No one BREATHED.
Then from her pack pulled Katie Sue a jump rope clean and bright. “Hey Jeanie Beanie,” sang Katie Sue. “Let’s try this jump rope out!” Here’s one thing true—until that day no one DARED ask Mean Jean to play. But Katie Sue just hopped and jumped and skipped away.
Jean was too surprised to even shout at Katie. Soon they were giggling and skipping together. This rollicking story ends with Jean accepting her role as a friend, and recess becomes a fun time for everyone.
Meeting new people, establishing friendships, and settling into new routines is a big part of the first few weeks in an elementary school. Classes traditionally spend time developing social skills, building relationships and a spirit of co-operation amongst the children. Establishing expectations for playground behaviour and discussing bullying behaviour is one of the first items for classroom discussions. Our staff thought that The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill and Laura Huliska-Beith would be an ideal book for a school-wide literacy project for our school start-up in September.
WHAT RESOURCES WERE NEEDED?
Materials
- multiple copies of The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill (Scholastic, ISBN 0-439-20649-9)
- timetable and day plans for the first week in September
- lesson plans and instructional materials
People
- school-based literacy committee
- administrators and staff as a planning group
- assembly performer
WHAT WAS THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS?
February
The literacy committee shortlisted a number of books for the next year’s start up. The book was chosen at a staff meeting and the books were ordered.
April
A staff brainstorming session collected information on the following: resource people, related art/craft projects, assembly ideas, literacy activities, related videos and books, activity circuits to teach playground games and sports.
May
The lead literacy teacher and the committee worked to:
- Plan the timetable for the primary and intermediate classes for the first week of school.
- Take the ideas from the brainstorming session and format four literacy lessons (including an art/craft activity to decorate the gym for the assembly).
- Book an assembly performer.
- Put all of the information into a printed package for the staff.
June
A work party was held to prepare and, package all of the materials needed to support this theme for the first week. These jobs included:
- Photocopying all the printed materials and making class sets.
- Cutting name tags.
- Preparing banners to display the artwork.
- Planning the activity circuits, etc.
By the end of this time all of the planning was finished and the support materials were stored in bins for September.
September – First Week
Students were placed in grade groups each day but were not assigned to permanent classes until Friday afternoon (this is standard policy at our school since the school population changes so much over the summer). Each student engaged in Before Reading activities with the teacher they were with.
September – Second Week
All students were now placed with their classroom teachers. Various During and After Reading activities took place, depending on the grade level. September – Third Week Each class created a skipping rhyme based on the one in the book. At the assembly at the end of September, students from each class skipped as the school chanted the rhymes.
Before Reading Literacy Activities That Work With This Book
The four literacy lessons that we planned for the first week were designed to introduce important vocabulary and concepts. The students knew nothing about the story at this point and we wanted to tap into their prior knowledge and experiences to challenge them to think about what the story might be about. Here are two of the lessons that we used to get them to make predictions.
1. Guided Imagery
Behaviour Goal
• To use oral language and respectful listening and speaking skills.
Literacy Goals
• To access prior knowledge.
• To make connections.
• To build, change and revise schema.
• To make mental images from a verbal description.
Materials
• One copy of The Recess Queen
• Blank paper
Process
1. Ask: Can you be a good book detective and use this clue to guess what the story will be about?
2. Conceal the cover of the book from the students (a file folder works well).
3. Distribute a blank sheet of paper to each student.
4. Give a verbal description of the front and back covers of the book while the students draw their images on the paper.
5. Invite the students to ask questions about the cover to sharpen their images. They can add to or change their drawings at this time.
6. Show the cover illustrations to the students. Ask the students to think about their own drawings. What is the same/different about their pictures and the covers?
7. Partner talk: Invite the students to share their observations.
8. Ask: What do you know for sure about this book from looking at the cover?
9. Partner talk: Respond to the question.
10. Have the students share their responses. Possibilities: author name, title, crown on her head, etc.
11. Ask: What connections can you make to this book? What does it remind you of? Repeat the Partner Talk and Sharing process.
12. Ask: What questions do you have about this book?
13. Repeat the Partner Talk and Sharing process.
14. Ask: What do you predict the story will be about?
15. Repeat the Partner Talk and Sharing process.
2. Word Puzzle
Behaviour Goal
• To use oral language and respectful listening and speaking skills.
Literacy Goals
• To access prior knowledge.
• To make connections.
Materials
• One copy of The Recess Queen
• Word Puzzle BLM The blackline master for this activity is available on the Canadian Teacher Marketplace: https://marketplace.canadianteachermagazine.com/product/the-recess-queen-worksheet/
Process
1. Have the students create new words from the scrambled letters under the different categories.
2. Have them unscramble the letters to solve the word puzzle at the bottom line of the page. Primary students could do this as a whole class activity on paper or the chalkboard. (Solution: The Recess Queen.)
3. Reflection: Comment on the great detective work done this week. Explain that the book will be read next week in their new classes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brenda Boreham
Brenda is the Literacy Resource Teacher at her school. This part-time position allows her to plan fun literacy events when she isn’t busy in her own classroom.
This article is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s March 2010 issue.
