Reading Group Guide for Blessed
BLESSED (Candlewick, 2011).
→ Reading Group Guide: Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith: features introduction; excerpt; discussion questions; author biography; author interview; and acclaim. Quick-print format.
Reading Group Guide for Eternal
ETERNAL (Candlewick, 2008, 2010).
→ Reading Group Guide: Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith: features introduction; excerpt; discussion questions; author biography; author interview; and acclaim. Quick-print format.
Reading Group Guide for Tantalize
TANTALIZE (Candlewick, 2007).
→ Reading Group Guide: Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith: features introduction; excerpt; discussion questions; author biography; author interview; and acclaim.
Teacher Guides for Holler Loudly
All activities in these HOLLER LOUDLY (Dutton, 2010) teacher guides are linked to state content standards. PDF format.
→ Pre-kindergarten Guide: offers activities to help you integrate HOLLER LOUDLY into English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, and theater/drama curricula.
→ Kindergarten Guide: offers activities to help you integrate HOLLER LOUDLY into English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, and theater/drama curricula. ELA and math activities are also linked to the Common Core Standards currently being adopted by many states.
→ First-grade Guide: offers activities to help you integrate HOLLER LOUDLY into English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, and theater/drama curricula. ELA and math activities are also linked to the Common Core Standards currently being adopted by many states.
→ Second-grade Guide: offers activities to help you integrate HOLLER LOUDLY into English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, and theater/drama curricula. ELA and math activities are also linked to the Common Core Standards currently being adopted by many states.
Readers Theater for Santa Knows
→ About Santa Knows
→ A reader’s theater of SANTA KNOWS, adapted by Toni Buzzeo, is featured in the December 2007 issue of Library Sparks: Engaging Activities to Reach Every Reader.
Guides for Indian Shoes
INDIAN SHOES (HarperCollins, 2002).
→ INDIAN SHOES puzzle: a word find with vocabulary words from the book. [PDF]
Indian Shoes by Cynthia Leitich Smith: Bloom’s Multiple Intelligence Projects, Pre-Reading/Prediction Guide, and Comprehension/Quiz Questions from Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, for use as classroom material and internet resources. Features include MI activities related to the following areas: Verbal/Linguistic; Logical/Mathematical; Visual/Spatial; Body/Kinesthetic; Musical/Rhythmic; Interpersonal; Intrapersonal. See also the Logical/Mathematical Worksheet.
→ Reading Group Guide: Indian Shoes by Cynthia Leitich Smith: features publication information; introduction; excerpt; discussion questions; author biography; author interview; and review excerpts. Quick-print format.
→ Readers Theater: “Don’t Forget The Pants” from INDIAN SHOES. Script developed by Sylvia M. Vardell. A short read-aloud theater script for a short story from the book.
Guides for Rain is Not My Indian Name
Rain Is Not My Indian Name
by Cynthia Leitich Smith
RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (HarperCollins, 2001).
A mega guide centers on RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. Related pages offer journal or book talk questions, short answer questions, quizzes, behind-the-scenes insights, curriculum tie-in information, related links, author trivia, and more.
Teachers may be especially interested in:
→ Discussion questions for each chapter, many of which also feature notes on the story behind the story and more. This has been very popular for classroom use, from elementary schools to college classrooms.
→ RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME puzzle: a word find with vocabulary words from the book. [PDF]
→ Rain Is Not My Indian Name: Multiple Intelligence Projects by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, for use as classroom material and internet resources. Features activities related to the following areas: Verbal/Linguistic; Logical/Mathematical; Visual/Spatial; Body/Kinesthetic; Musical/Rhythmic; Interpersonal; Intrapersonal.
Reading Group Guide: Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith: features publication information; introduction; excerpt; discussion questions; author biography; author interview; and award/review excerpts. Quick-print format.
→ CAMERAWOMEN by Pat Joel from Book Links. Features overview, bibliography (biography, non-fiction, fiction—including RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (HarperCollins, 2001)), discussion questions, activities, and Web connections.
Guides for Jingle Dancer
Jingle Dancer
by Cynthia Leitich Smith,
illustrated by
Cornelius Van Wright
and Ying-Hwa Hu
JINGLE DANCER (HarperCollins, 2000).
Teachers may be especially interested in:
Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith: Multiple Intelligence Projects, Pre-Reading/Prediction Guide, and Comprehension/Quiz Questions from Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, for use as classroom material and internet resources. Features include MI activities related to the following areas: Verbal/Linguistic; Logical/Mathematical; Visual/Spatial; Body/Kinesthetic; Musical/Rhythmic; Interpersonal; Intrapersonal.
→ See also Supplemental Curriculum for JINGLE DANCER. Includes discussion questions, a link to an online activity about Muscogees, a link to a fry bread recipe, outlets for powwow music and videos.
→ Williams School Multicultural Family Book Project (Grade 3): see how JINGLE DANCER inspired students.
Author and Site Activities
(1) Ask the class to write an author or illustrator report:
Read Cynthia Leitich Smith’s biography, learn more about her writing life, and visit her blogs, Cynsations and Spookycyn.
Read An Interview With Children’s Book Illustrators Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu from Cynthia Leitich Smith Children’s Literature Resources. Van Wright and Hu are the illustrators of JINGLE DANCER.
(2) Ask the class to write a letter to the author: Cynthia Leitich Smith. Some groups have sent interview questions of their own. Cynthia will write back to the entire class, mentioning each student by name (teachers are asked to write clearly the name of each student on his or her letter beneath the student’s signature so Cynthia can decipher them).
(3) Schedule a cyber visit with the author.