“[I Got the Rhythm] is great for teaching [how to use] your senses as a writer, onomatopoeia, word choice, and community building within your classroom!” —Kriscia Cabral
There’s rhythm everywhere if you look and listen!
K–5 specialist Kriscia Cabral from Highland Ranch Elementary in San Diego, California, shares how she uses the upbeat Book of the Week, I Got the Rhythm, written by Connie Schofield-Morrison and illustrated by Frank Morrison, to help her students find the beat all around them.
Please watch Kriscia’s Teacher Share video for more ideas on using I Got the Rhythm across all grade levels!
• Exploring Senses: While walking to the park, the young girl uses her senses to perceive the world around her. Download a free printable “You Got the Rhythm” worksheet in this week’s Cooked Up from a Book to help your students explore sensory details.
• Onomatopoeia: Words that sound like what they are can be fun to read aloud! Encourage your students to listen for as many onomatopoeias as they can in the story, then give them the opportunity to read the words out loud.
For something a bit more challenging, older students might enjoy writing their own poems using the onomatopoeias that they find in I Got the Rhythm.
• Reading Strategies: I Got the Rhythm works well as both an interactive read-aloud for younger students and a partnered-reading project for older students.
• Science and Music: You can use musical instruments to explore different takes on the onomatopoeias in the story, such as, “Which musical instrument would you use to represent ‘shake shake’?”. If you don’t have instruments, you can open up a conversation about finding other objects in your classroom that make vibrations.
• Text-to-Self Writing Activities: Students can write their own take on the story by considering a trip they might go on around town, such as to the grocery store or their commute to school. What sounds, smells, feelings, sights, and tastes might they encounter?
How do you plan to use I Got the Rhythm with your class? Please share with the Scholastic Book Clubs community on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #ScholasticBookClubs.
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