Chris Van Allsburg
3rd Grade Author Study Choice Board
When you have completed reading the books, you will choose from the projects below to learn about Chris Van Allsburg. Two (2) projects will be from the “Technology” choices and two (2) projects will be from the “Print” choices. ALL students will complete the “Ben’s Dream: Google Earth” project.
To save paper, the teachers have NOT provided paper copies of every project. If a project requires a handout, click on the link and print the handout when you start working on the project.
Ben's Dream: Google Earth and Strip Design App Smash
Take screenshots of all the famous locations in Ben's Dream. Create a comic using Strip Design to share factual information about each location. (Required by all)
Technology Choices
1. Choose a character from any book. Create a word cloud of the thoughts that might be inside that character’s head at an important point in the story. Print the word cloud, cut it out, and glue it inside the human head on the handout. Add drawings if you wish. At the bottom of the handout, write and explain why those thoughts and images would be in that person’s mind at that point.
2. Research one of the famous landmarks in Ben’s Dream in more depth. Create a board on Discovery Board Builder about it. Include 5 items on your board.
3. Find ONE example of a book that has a good example of “character change.” Make a Tellagami using the iPad that introduces the character & explains how he/she changes. The Tellagami character should be YOU. The background of the Tellagami should be a picture of the character. Write your script on notebook paper before you record your Tellagami so you remember what you want to say.
4. Visit the author’s website. Create a Thinglink to share 5 interesting tags you have learned about the author.
Print Choices
5. Read Just A Dream or The Sweetest Fig. Both these stories deal with dreams. Write your own story on notebook paper about a dream you had. Then watch the YouTube video about how to draw with charcoal. Finally, do a charcoal sketch about your dream. The teacher will provide drawing paper and charcoal pencils.
6. Think about the books you have read. Many of the books connect somehow to another book. Write about and explain one of these Text-to-Text connections on the handout.
7. Choose two books from the collection. Compare and contrast using a Venn diagram.
8. Find the hidden white dog in several books. Read the author’s bio on his website and learn why white dog exists. Complete the handout. Then sketch a picture on the back and hide a white dog in it.