Teacher Review: Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark
3-Minute Video About Using Mary Pope Osborne’s Beloved Series to Help Students Engage with the Text
by Tatiana Florival
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Teacher’s Takeaway
“[Dinosaurs Before Dark] provides students with an exciting outlook on what their writing could be about—not just personal narrative, but an actual narrative where they can come up with a really great adventure story!” —Erin Warren
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Erin Warren’s second graders at Richmond Hill Elementary in Richmond Hill, Georgia, just read Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne—and they are bursting with questions, such as: Why does time stand still at home while Jack and Annie travel to prehistoric times? What would they do if they encountered a T. rex? What story will come next in the Magic Tree House series?
Watch Erin’s teacher review video to learn how she encourages her students’ creative and critical-thinking skills through activities including:
• Literature circles to discuss why time stands still
• Comparative character analysis of Jack and Annie
• Creative writing: What would you do if you stood in front of a T. rex?
• Making predictions about future adventures
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Teacher Tip
If your students write about what they would do if they stood in front of a T. rex, you can take their picture in front of a green screen and make it look like they actually are in front of a T. rex for fun. Kids love it!
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The Book Boys tried out one of Erin’s activities this week and loved it! Watch their video to see what they would do if they came face-to-face with a T. rex.
Do you have ideas for how you’ll use Dinosaurs Before Dark with your class? The Scholastic Book Clubs community would love to hear from you, so please share on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #ScholasticBookClubs.
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This Book Is Available from Scholastic Book Clubs
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