The Mysteries of Harris Burdick Interactive Read - Aloud Activities | Halloween

This picture book companion is a fantastic supplemental resource for the book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg. It’s the perfect interactive read-aloud for the days or weeks leading up to Halloween. Students will love the engaging and fun activities, and you will appreciate the time it saves you looking for high-level activities to teach reading, grammar, and writing concepts that students often struggle with.

With 35 reading, writing, and grammar exercises to select from, this resource is ideal for personalizing instruction based on your student's needs and academic capabilities. Students will practice adverbs, adjectives, and abstract nouns; identify story elements; determine tone and mood in images; apply the elements of plot to write creative stories; sequence events from their own creative writing; research the author; practice reading text and illustrations to gain a better understanding; and so much more! The included activities were designed to encourage students to use higher-level thinking skills, require students to provide evidence to support their thinking, challenge them to provide their own opinions and/or perspectives, and inspire them to use art and their imaginations to become creative writers.

This Resource Includes:

• Link to Slideshow of Images with Captions
• Art Appreciation – Students choose an image that caught their attention and reflect on how the image made them feel, what it reminded them of, and what they imagined as they viewed it.
• Cause and Effect – Students examine the numbered images and create cause and effect statements for each picture.
• Tone and Mood in Art – Students identify the tone and mood in the pictures, choose words they think relate the best, and explain their thinking.
• 3 Questions – Students examine two pictures and write three thought-provoking questions for each one.
• Picture Comparison – Students compare the different elements of the two images and create a new caption for each picture.
• Strangely Ordinary - Students imagine a strange occurrence taking place in a typical setting and create an illustration of the event, add a picture caption, and include a hashtag.
• Found - Students answer questions regarding Mr. Burdick's disappearance and draw a picture of him.
• Author and Illustrator Study – Students research further into the life of the author and illustrator, Chris Van Allsburg to learn more about his writing and artwork.
• Two Versions - Students write a short story based on the mood the picture evokes. Then, they will write a second short story, but in the opposite mood.
• Patterns in Pictures – Students view the image slideshow and record their observations for each image; look for patterns within their observations; create a new rule based on those observations; and explain what would happen if the rule was broken.
• Sensational Writing - Students describe the image using the senses listed on the page and write 4-5 sentences describing the image using adverbs and adjectives.
• Grammar Practice: Adverbs - The sentences included give students information that is shared in the letter in the preface of the book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Students will complete the sentences with the adverbs listed. (Includes Answer Key)
• Grammar Practice: Adjectives - The sentences included give students information that is shared in the letter in the preface of the book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Students will complete the sentences with the adjectives listed. (Includes Answer Key)
• Grammar Practice: Abstract Nouns - Students will connect and apply abstract nouns to images and explain their connections.
• Creative Writing Graphic Organizers - Students can use the graphic organizers for any of the included writing activities.
• Creative Writing: Image & Caption - Students will write a story to go with the picture on the handout and include the picture caption to any part of their story. Included are handouts for each of the 14 images featured in the book.
• Creative Writing: Missing Plot Elements - There are 3 variations of this activity that can be used to differentiate based on student needs, as a gradual release model (I do, we do, you do), or each variation can be given as a separate assignment.
• Creative Writing Story Plot Maps (3 pages) - Students use the series of included pictures on the plot map as inspiration for writing their own story. There are 3 different versions included.
• Brainstorm Missing Plot Elements - Students will use the provided picture and caption included at the climax to inspire the rest of their story. There are 7 different versions included.
• Creative Writing Plot Brainstorm - Students will complete the plot map with cut and cut-and-paste and text.

Please check out my other picture book, short story, and novel companions that are perfect for the weeks leading up to Halloween!

• Funny Bones Picture Book Companion | Hispanic Heritage | Dia de los Muertos
• The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe | Literary Analysis | Close Reading Annotating
• Bone Soup Picture Book Companion | Interactive Read Aloud | Halloween Activities
• The Graveyard Book | Novel Study BUNDLE
  

I’m so glad you stopped by my store and checked out this resource! Follow my store, Creatively Gifted, on TPT to be updated on new products and sales.