Chocolate Lily Book Awards: Great Lakes & Rugged Ground~Imagining Ontario

Last week, I read this book to the K/1 and 1/2 classes. It was a little abstract for them...none of the students knew what Ontario was although one student knew it was a place. Before I read them this book, I did briefly go through the book about British Columbia like this by the same author. This seemed to help with the understanding of what a province was and about a historical timeline. We looked at a map of Canada too.

The book is written as a series of haiku poems that capture a period of time in Ontario's history. At the end of the book is extra factual information about each time period along with a list of items to "Seek and Find" in the illustrations.




Comments from our younger primary students:
I liked the parade picture. -by Alicia (div 10)
My mom's been to Toronto before. -by Harrison (div 10)
I learned something about the boats. -by Sean (div 10)
I really like how the pictures look real to me. I know what Ontario looks like. -Kayla (div 10)
It was really interesting because I learned things. -by Carissa (div 9)
I liked the pictures. -by Ginger (div 9)
It was first, then second. I liked that. -by George (div 9)
It was colourful. -by Zoe (div 8)
I liked the describing words. -by Quizzy (div 8)
The pictures are nice. -by Kai (div 8)
The Seek and Find was fun. -by Evan (div 8)
I liked the extra information at the back. -by Jayden (div 8)

This week the kindergarten students from division 11 were showed a map of Canada and we acted out some of the scenes from the book to help the history of Ontario come alive for them.

Their comments included:

I like the pictures. -Shannier

I like the painting page. -Adrian

I like the fall leaves on the first page. - Derick and Jonathan

This week divisions 6 and 7 (grades 2 and 3) also read the book and because they are studying Canada and are a bit older, these students had a much better grasp of the concept of what a province is and what "history" is. Division 6 created timelines, choosing four events from the book.

Comments from the students included:

I liked the book because it has lot of details and gives you information. -Caroline

I liked the pictures. - Annika

Division 7 discussed the illustrations and then dramatized the scenes from the book, creating "tableaus" (actors frozen in action to create  scene). They particularly like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Caribana parade scenes!

Comments from the division 7 students included:

The details are very good. -Calvin

The illustrations are spectacular. - Sharon

I like the Seek and Find and the poems. -Creighton

The colours are awesome. -Bobby

~Ms Novakowski