Activities for Verna Aardema's Books:

1. In your literature log or response journal answer the following question as well as add any thing you thought was important:

• Why would this folktale be considered a porquoi?
• Although this story comes from a different culture, can you see any similarities with the way these animals act and the way people in our society act? Give examples please.

2.Make puppets and present this porquoi to the class.

3.Write a creative porquoi of your own.

4. Choose stensil of an animal ( teacher has available) to make cover for your alphabet book (1st graders only) or story books or poem (2nd grade and up). Example: For the book Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears you may choose to use the shape of the iguana for your poem that is based on the accronym iguana.

Social Studies:

1. Make a salt map of Africa or Mexico which ever contry your story was about. Then paint it with the appropriate colors to show its geographical terrain such as major lakes or rivers would be blue, light brown for desserts, ect.

2. If a tale came from a particular tribe, do some research on that tribe and report back to the class in any format you prefer. For example, video, pictures from National Geographics, sample of food, or make a tribal craft.

Science:

1. Classify African animals in the phylum Chordata (having backbones).

2. Investigate why photosynthesis is important to the plants, animals and people of Africa.

3. Investigate how the geograpical location of Africa effects the climate and how do people and animals adapt?

To activity page 2