Eric Carle
Grade Levels: K - 2
Overview
Students use Web resources to visit the home page of author/illustrator Eric Carle. They explore his responses to FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), and then create their own “About the Author” page using the FAQ format.
Objectives
- Students will become acquainted with a noted author/illustrator.
- Students will learn more about the writing process through an interview with the author.
- Students will have a sense of being an author themselves.
- Students will formulate interview questions and respond in writing to those questions.
Materials
- About Me worksheet
- Collection of books by Eric Carle
Procedure
- Gather books by Eric Carle and engage students in a book talk.
Which of the books have they read? Which are their favorites? Which
would they like you to read aloud?
- Point out the author photo and blurb. Ask students,
“If Eric Carle were to visit our school, what questions would you want to ask
him?” List the students' questions on the board.
- Go online to visit The
Official Eric Carle Web Site. You and your students are going to explore the section called
"Answers to Frequently Asked Questions."
- Tell students that the abbreviation FAQ is often used for the phrase
Frequently Asked Question. Browse through Eric Carle's FAQs. Are any of your
students' questions on the list?
- Which FAQs interest your students the most? Check
out a certain number of answers together. Remind students that they will have
the opportunity to go back online in small groups to explore the remaining
FAQs, as well as the other areas of the Eric Carle Web Site.
- Tell children that they will be creating their own
“About the Author” pages, using the FAQ format. Have students brainstorm good
questions to ask each other. Write the questions on a chart. What do they like
to write and draw about? Who are their favorite authors and illustrators? The
FAQs to Eric Carle can spark ideas.
- Distribute the About Me worksheets. Students will draw a picture of themselves, write their name and age, then choose two FAQ's from the chart to answer.
Extensions
- Discover lessons and activities for use with all ages on Literature.
- Children can attach their completed About Me page to a favorite story they have written and illustrated. Some children may be interested in submitting their stories to an online fiction and poetry publications.
