Southwest Children's Literature

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Clarence Goes Out West and Meets a Purple Horse

In the classroom/library:

Goal: to use literature as a writing and an art prompt

Objectives:
Students will hear Clarence Goes Out West and Meets a Purple Horse
Students will participate in a class discussion on the theme of the book
Students will write a summary of the story in their own words
Students will create artwork related to the story

Reading:
Predict events, actions and behaviors using prior knowledge and/or details to comprehend a reading selection
Identify the main idea and relevant facts in a reading selection
Compare characters (e.g., traits, roles, similarities, and differences) in a reading selection
Identify the author's main purpose in a reading selection

Writing:
Use the writing process, including generating topics, drafting, revising ideas and editing, to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks

Visual art:
Select and use subjects and themes works of art
Organize and develop visual solutions to given problems such as using color and line to influence a response (e.g., joy, warmth, happiness, sadness) from the viewer

Class time: 45 minutes

1. Before reading the book, show the book cover to the students and let the students predict the story based on the book title and cover picture.
2. Read the book Clarence Goes Out West and Meets a Purple Horse to the students.
3. Discuss with the class the theme of the story and compare the two characters in the book.
4. Ask students to write down their discussion about the main idea and theme of the book; encourage them to relate the theme of " friendship" to their personal experiences.
5. Use the illustrations in the book as prompts to encourage students to express their understanding of the book in visual art format.
6. Students present their summaries and artwork to the class.

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