Kathi's+Author+Study

Author Study: Laura Numeroff [] Grade 1 This will be a one week unit for first graders on the author, Laura Numeroff. Classes will meet daily for forty five minutes. Teacher will discuss the patterns of cause and effect, if-then, round stories, and humor used within these stories. Students will gain an overview of this author and how she became a favorite amongst elementary aged students. Laura Numeroff was born in 1953. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother was a teacher and her father worked for a very popular newspaper company. She loved reading, playing the piano, singing, dancing, drawing, and making up stories. She loved reading books by Beverly Cleary. The Cat in the Hat and Stuart Little were two of her all time favorite stories. The publishers of these books also published her works. As a small child she wanted to be a writer, but as a teen she thought about being a fashion designer like her sister. She ended up hating it and took a class on illustrating children’s books. She found that she loved working with children’s books and won a contract for her first book. As an adult, she now lives in Los Angeles, California. What are round stories? What is a cause and effect story? What is an if-then story? How does humor lend itself to these stories? 1. During each class the teacher will begin by reading a story out loud to the class. The teacher will read five books from this author. 2. Students will participate in group discussions about cause and effect stories. 3. Students will practice orally telling this type of story out loud with a partner. 4. Students will compare and contrast two of the stories using a Venn diagram. 5. Students will prepare a short version of a book report on each book. (Template will be provided by the teacher) If You Give a Mouse a Cookie If You Give a Moose a Muffin If You Give a Pig a Pancake If You Give a Cat a Cupcake If You Give a Pig a Party
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