We're going on a book hunt!

Bear with me....no pun intended for those of you who have read the book... I want to explain this project for those who might want to tweek it and try it.

For this project, I read We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen with the kindergarten students.  We then talked about adjectives (describing words) and identified both the thing the family has to go "through" and the adjectives describing it as well as the associated sound effects and hand motions.  We then watched the video of Michael Rosen performing his book.  I can't say enough about this video.  I love it.  The students love it. Enough said.  

We then wrote our own book hunt traveling from their classrooms to the point of finding a book.  The students brainstorm both the things they will need to pass "through" as well as the associated adjectives, sound effects and body movements.  The students collaboratively wrote their adventure and made up hand or body movements.  I then video taped the students.  This was the first time video taping them and I learned quite a bit and have improvements in the works for next year.

This part of the project was followed by having the students each find a book they would like to read (one for which they would embark on a hunt).  I showed them how to use a digital camera and then sent them off to take pictures of each other holding their chosen books.  The students were careful to hold the camera in the correct way and ensure their "subject" was in the middle of the frame and that they could both see the face and the book cover.  

I uploaded the pictures to VoiceThread (with a little editing in iPhoto) and then set up a "recording studio"  with my laptop and a microphone in the hallway outside the classrooms. The students came out in small groups to record why they chose the book they did. 

Kindergarten Students Recommend