Teaching Resources for Art Spiegelman's Maus: A Survivor's Tale
One Book / One Bucks County 2005
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Teaching Resources for Art Spiegelman's Maus: A Survivor's Tale One Book / One Bucks County 2005 |
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PreK-6th Grade Resources for Art Spiegelman's Maus: A Survivor's Tale
About
the One Book · One Bucks County project…. Preschool-6th Grade Resources for Maus: A Survivor's Tale About this
resource guide
6 About Art
Spiegelman
7 About Maus
7 Background Notes
7 Themes/Issues 8 Maus programming resources
Mice
(preK)
9 Books
9 Fingerplays/Songs/Rhymes 11 Crafts
11 Lesson Plans/Theme Units/Activities 11 Parent/Child Activities 12 Sample Program 13 Heroes (preK) 14 Books
14 Fingerplays/Songs/Rhymes 17 Crafts
18 Lesson Plans/Theme Units/Activities 18 Parent/Child Activities 18 Sample Program
19 Heroes (Grades 3-6)
20 Books
20 Crafts
22 Lesson Plans/Theme Units/Activities 22 Parent/Child Activities 23 Sample Program 24 Biographies
& Family Stories (Grades K-2)
25 Books
25 Crafts
28 Lesson Plans/Theme Units/Activities 28 Parent/Child Activities 29 Sample Program 30 Telling
Stories through Art (Grades K-2)
31 Books
31 Lesson Plans/Theme Units/Activities 34 Parent/Child Activities 35 Sample Program 36 Cartooning/Comics (Grades 3-6) 37 Books
37 Crafts
40 Lesson Plans/Theme Units/Activities 41 Sample Program 42 This guide
is intended to aid librarians, teachers, community leaders, and parents
in using Maus-based themes in their libraries, classrooms, centers, and homes.
Because these environments vary widely, the guide must, of
necessity, be somewhat general, offering adults the opportunity to
adapt the ideas to their specific needs. Although there are many themes worthy of discussion
in Maus six were chosen for this guide. There will be overlap between the six sections
so several of them may be used together to create an entire program.
All books included are available at libraries throughout
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read the book!
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promote the reading of Maus
to teenagers and adults
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incorporate the themes into
lessons or activities with younger children For detailed chapter summaries, character descriptions, and middle school/high
school/adult appropriate themes and teaching ideas please see the
corresponding Teaching
Resources for Art Spiegelman’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale
available in public libraries and schools throughout
Born in
1948 in Maus:
A Survivor's Tale, I:
My Father Bleeds History. Maus:
A Survivor's Tale, II: And Here My Troubles Began. Maus is a complex work with multiple levels of meaning. It can be read as a fable with a moral for the
future, as a personal account of the Holocaust, and as a story in
which the tensions and conflicts of a family parallel those in the
public world. The animal characters are metaphors for the
racial and political conflicts of
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Heroes and what makes someone
heroic
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Animals – animals as metaphor
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Cartoons/cartooning/comics/graphic
novels
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Holocaust
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Racism
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Biography/Autobiography
and telling family stories
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Telling stories through
art
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Survival
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Values/morals Theme: Animals
– animals as metaphor
On its most simple level, Maus can be seen
as a book with animal characters, mice being the major protagonists. Mice (preschool) Books: Aylesworth The Completed Completes the classic nursery rhyme about the
mouse that ran up the clock. Cauley The Town Mouse
& the Town Mouse and Country Mouse exchange visits and discover each is suited
to his own home. Follows the activities of ten little mice as they
scurry home to their nest. Fleming Lunch A very hungry mouse eats
a large lunch comprised of colorful foods. Henkes Many of his books feature mice characters. Ivimey The Complete Story of the
Three Blind Mice Three small mice in search of fun become hungry,
scared, blind, wise, and, finally happy. Kraus Whose Mouse Are You? A lonely little mouse has to be resourceful in
order to bring his family back together. Leuck The Teeny Tiny Mouse A teeny, tiny mouse and his mommy point out objects
of various colors all around their teeny, tiny house Lionni Alexander and the Wind-Up
Mouse Alexander, the mouse, makes friends with Willy,
a toy mouse, and wants to be just like him until he discovers that
Willy is to be thrown away. Lionni McMillan Mouse Views: What the Class Pet
Saw Photographic puzzles follow an escaped pet mouse
through a school while depicting school items such as scissors, paper,
books, and chalk as seen from the mouse's point of view. Numeroff If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Relating the cycle of requests a mouse is likely
to make after you give him a cookie takes the reader through a young
child's day. Provencher Mouse Cleaning Grandma Twilly cannot find the motivation to get
her house cleaned until she discovers a mouse in her house. Riley Mouse Mess A
hungry mouse leaves a huge mess when it goes in search of a snack. Stevens The Town Mouse & the Country
Mouse Town Mouse and Country Mouse exchange visits and discover each is suited
to his own home. Walsh Mouse Paint Three white mice discover jars of red, blue, and yellow paint and explore
the world of color. Yolen Mouse’s Birthday Several animals try to squeeze into Mouse's small house to help him celebrate
his birthday. Young Seven Blind Mice Retells in verse the Indian fable of the blind men discovering different
parts of an elephant and arguing about its appearance. The illustrations depict the blind arguers as
mice. Videos: Henkes Owen (public performance
rights) Owen's
parents try to get him to give up his favorite blanket before he starts
school, but when their efforts fail, they come up with a solution
that makes everyone happy. Lobel Mouse Soup In
this animated musical film, Mouse gets snatched up by a hungry Weasel
who is determined to make him into soup.
Mouse weaves one tale after another - all leading to his escape. Numeroff If you Give a Mouse a Cookie
(public performance rights) Relating
the cycle of requests a mouse is likely to make after you give him
a cookie takes the reader through a young child's day. Potter Tale of Two Bad Mice and Johnny Town-Mouse Beatrix
Potter's charming tale of a city mouse and a country mouse who trade
places comes to life in this wonderful animated version. Timmy Willie the country mouse and the debonair
Johnny Town-Mouse get involved in all sorts of adventures. Fingerplays/Songs/Rhymes: Lohnes,
Marilyn. Finger Folk. “Five Little
Mice”: http://www.theteachersguide.com/Songs/five_little_micefive_little_mice.htm Crafts: http://www.kinderart.com/seasons/val9.shtml http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/paper_bag_mouse_puppet.htm http://abcteach.com/Animals/mouse.htm http://www.coloring.ws/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.coloring.ws/animals/mouse.gif http://familyeducation.com/printables/package/0,2358,64-15950,00.html Totten,
Kathryn. Storytime Crafts. Lesson Plans/Theme Units/Activities:Preschool
Theme from the Child’s Play website.
Includes craft ideas, fingerplays, and recipes: http://www.angelfire.com/dc/childsplay/mice_theme.htm Lessons
from the Core Knowledge website: Preschool
Lesson on Town Mouse and Country Mouse: http://www.coreknowledge.org/CKproto2/resrcs/lessons/04_PreK_TownMouseCountry.pdf Kindergarten
Lesson on Aesop’s “The Lion and the Mouse” (see lesson #1): http://www.coreknowledge.org/CKproto2/resrcs/lessons/K2K_Aesop.pdf Kindergarten
Lesson on the moral in Aesop’s “The Lion and the Mouse” (see lesson
#1): http://www.coreknowledge.org/CKproto2/resrcs/lessons/K2K_Moral.pdf Kindergarten
Lesson on using Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh to teach a
lesson on colors and color mixing from the TeacherViews website: http://www.eduplace.com/tview/pages/m/Mouse_Paint_Ellen_Stoll_Walsh.html Kindergarten
Lesson on using Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh to teach a
lesson on colors and color mixing from Kinderart.com: http://www.kinderart.com/painting/mousepainting.shtml Activities
to accompany Laura Numeroff’s If You Give A… books: http://www.harperchildrens.com/webcontent/activities/pdf/0060283289.pdf If you
Give a Mouse a Cookie
related activities: Raines,
Shirley. Story S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-r-s:
Activities to Expand Favorite Children’s Books. Mouse’s
Birthday by Jane
Yolen and Bruce Degen activity: Materials Needed: Blanket or quilt, and if desired props for each
of the items the animals bring to mouse:
cheese, teapot, bowl, ski, brown purse, candle Procedure: Read story through first to the children and
then invite them to participate in a rereading.
Select one child to be mouse and have him/her sit on the floor
with the blanket around him/her, face exposed as the “door.” As the story is reread the other children carrying
their props (or pretending) kneel down and enter mouse’s house by
moving the blanket to cover them until they are all underneath (faces
exposed). At the end of the
story everyone blows as hard as they can and throw off the blanket. Parent/Child
Activities: Hard-Boiled
Mice Eggs: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/feature/famf0400eggs/famf0400eggs2.html Clock and
Mouse Costume: Ross,
Kathy. Crafts from your Favorite Nursery Rhymes. Ross,
Kathy. Crafts from your
Favorite Children’s Stories. Sample Library Program: (Approximately 45 minutes) Read: The
Town Mouse & the Country Mouse by Janet Stevens Rhyme: “ Read: The Completed Read: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
by Laura Numeroff Fingerplay: “One Little Mouse” from Finger Folk
by Marilyn Lohnes Read: Ten Little Mice by
Joyce Dunbar Activity: Mouse’s
Birthday by Jane Yolen and Bruce Degen Read through
the story once and then invite the children to participate in a retelling. Materials Needed: Blanket or quilt, and if desired props for each of the items the animals bring to mouse: cheese, teapot, bowl, ski, brown purse, candle Procedure: Select
one child to be mouse and have him/her sit on the floor with the blanket
around him/her, face exposed as the “door.” As the story is reread the other children carrying
their props (or pretending) kneel down and enter mouse’s house by
moving the blanket to cover them until they are all underneath (faces
exposed). At the end of the
story everyone blows as hard as they can and throw off the blanket. Craft:
Mouse
Puppet (from Storytime Crafts,
p. 71) Materials: mouse
pattern photocopied onto heavier paper and cut out, yarn, craft sticks,
glue Procedures: cut
yarn into small pieces and glue onto mouse’s back for fur, glue longer
pieces onto back of mouse for tail, glue to stick Theme: Heroes
– and what makes someone a hero
Although
Vladek survived the concentration camps and is the protagonist of
Maus, Spiegelman does not portray him as a hero but as a real
person struggling to survive. Even
very young children are exposed to “heroes” as defined by the media
-- cartoon superheroes, sports figures and singers, and everyday heroes
just like themselves. Besides the ideas listed below, please also
see the Heroes 3-6th grade section and the Biographies
K-2 section. Heroes (preschool) Books:
Animal
Heroes – Fictional and True Life Barracca Maxi the Hero The
further adventures of Maxi, the dog, who rides with Jim in his taxi
and becomes a hero when he chases and catches a thief. Bridwell Clifford to the Rescue
Clifford
uses his size to help out in many ways--saving a kitten, rescuing
people from a fire, masquerading as an elephant, and supporting a
bridge so a parade can pass. Buehner Superdog: The Heart of a Hero Tired
of being overlooked because he is so small, Dexter, a big-hearted
dog with big dreams transforms himself into a superhero. Easy-to-read
series featuring real animals who acted in heroic ways. Driscoll Bravest Cat The
true story of a mother cat that becomes a celebrity when it rescues
its kittens from a burning building in Rey Curious George Gets a
Medal Following
a day of misadventures Curious George becomes the first space monkey. Books: Community
Heroes Albee Hooray for Our Heroes
The residents of Demerest Firefighters A to Z An
alphabetic look at a firefighter's day. Introduces a female deputy chief of police and
discusses the things she is does in her job. Gibbons Fire! Fire! Views
fire fighters fighting fires in the city, country, forest, and on
the waterfront. Johnson
Police Officers, A to Z Each
letter of the alphabet introduces a topic relating to police officers
and their jobs. Kalman Community Helpers from A
to Z An
alphabet book introducing occupations oriented to the community. Yee
Fireman Small series Books: Courage Beck Pepito the Brave Pepito
is afraid of heights. When
his brothers and sisters fly off to a new tree, the little bird decides
to make his own way there. Hayles He Saves the Day A
brave and daring champion saves the day, but sometimes he needs help. When
a mean dog blocks the path to the garden where a delicious breakfast
awaits, Little Chick shows her family how brave and clever she is. When
a mean dog blocks the path to the garden where a delicious breakfast
awaits, Little Chick shows her family how brave and clever she is. Waber Courage Provides
examples of the many kinds of courage found in everyday life and in
unusual circumstances, from tasting the vegetable before making a
face to being a firefighter or police officer. Wells Shy Charles Being
painfully timid and shy does not keep a young mouse from rescuing
his babysitter in an emergency situation. Books: Everyday
Heroes Bunting A Day’s Work When Francisco, a young Mexican American boy, tries to help his grandfather
find work, he discovers that the old man has something even more valuable
to teach Francisco. Demi The Empty Pot When
Henkes Sheila Rae, the Brave
When
brave Sheila Rae, who usually looks out for her sister Louise, becomes
lost and scared one day, Louise comes to the rescue. Hoban Arthur’s Loose Tooth
Arthur
the chimp is a little worried about losing his loose tooth, until
his sister and their babysitter show him the real meaning of bravery. Lester Hooway for Wodney Wat
All
his classmates make fun of Rodney because he can't pronounce his name,
but it is Rodney's speech impediment that drives away the class bully. SanAngelo Spaghetti Eddie Eddie's
love of spaghetti turns him into a hero when he not only solves neighbors'
problems through ingenious use of noodles, but also stops a robber
cold with a well-thrown meatball. Steig Brave Irene Plucky
Irene, a dressmaker's daughter, braves a fierce snowstorm to deliver
a new gown to the duchess in time for the ball. Books: Folklore
Heroes Osbourne New York’s Bravest Tells of the heroic deeds of the legendary Books: Superhero
vs Real Hero Brown Bionic Bunny Show As
an ordinary rabbit in real life is portrayed as a bionic bunny on
his television series, the reader views all the production efforts
that provide that illusion. Cazet
Minnie and Moo and the Musk of Zorro Cows
Minnie and Moo masquerade as the hero Zorro in order to protect the
barnyard, but the results are not quite what they intended. Graham Max Max,
the young son of superheroes, is a late bloomer when it comes to flying,
until he is inspired by the plight of a falling baby bird. MacDonald Another Perfect Day What
started out as another perfect day for a superhero suddenly goes awry. A
man known as the Great Elastic Marvel has an unexpected adventure
when his jump on a trampoline takes him out his apartment window. Van Leeuwen Oliver the Mighty Pig Oliver
feels like the superhero Mighty Pig when he wears his Mighty Pig cape,
but he finds that being a superhero in the real world has some complications. Whatley Captain Pajamas In
the middle of the night, Brian transforms himself into Captain Pajamas,
Defender of the Universe, to save his older sister Jessie from attacking
aliens. Wheeler When Pigs Fly Fitch
and Chip learn that you do not have to wear a cape to be a hero. Videos: American Heroes and Legends
series Spend
a Day with… series Spend a day with real firefighters, police officers, or rescue workers following them on real live action adventures and experiencing how they train, what tools they use, and how they work. Fingerplays/Songs/Rhymes: http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/funfingerplay.cfm?fingerplayid=127 http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/funfingerplay.cfm?fingerplayid=128 http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/supersongs.cfm?songsid=224 Lesson
Plans/Theme Units/Activities: “Heroes
in My Community” – 7 part kindergarten level unit: http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/LPTools/LPShared/displayunit.asp?UnitID=1191 “Community
Helpers” lessons adaptable for preschool: From Reading
Rainbow to accompany The Bionic Bunny Show by Marc Brown: http://gpn.unl.edu/guides/rr/46.pdf From Reading
Rainbow to accompany the episode featuring superhero, Max by
Bob Graham: http://gpn.unl.edu/guides/rr/143.pdf Preschool
lesson, “My Heroes Picture Book” on the Education World Website: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2281.shtml http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/0-375-82196-1.pdf Parent/Child
Activities: From Reading
Rainbow to accompany the episode featuring superhero, Max by
Bob Graham: http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/everyday_heroes.html Sample Library Program: (Approximately 1 hour) Opening:
Traditional storyhour opening fingerplay,
song, or other activity Intro:
Ask children to name their heroes and talk briefly about what
makes someone a hero. Tell them you are going to share stories about
many different kinds of heroes. Read: Max
by Bob Graham Song: ”Did You Ever See a Super Hero?” (to the tune of “Did You Ever See a Lassie?”) Not all
heroes have super powers: Read: The Bionic Bunny Show
by Marc Brown Read: Superdog: The Heart of the Hero
by Caralyn Buehner Real life
people, like those in your neighborhood, can be heroes too. Give some examples. Read: Fireman Small by
Wong Herbert Yee Fingerplay:
“Five Fire Fighters” from http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/funfingerplay.cfm?fingerplayid=128 Kids can
be heroes too. Read: Sheila Rae, the Brave
by Kevin Henkes Materials: craft
paper, crayons Procedures: have
children invent their own hero (either superhero, community hero,
or real-life hero) and draw a picture of them and the hero together. If desired, regroup after the art activity and
allow the children to tell about their hero. |
