Power Up Your Program With the
Mark Twain Nominees
Presented by the 2011-2012
Mark Twain Award Committee:
Robin Gibbons, Belton, Chair
Cindy Matzat, Branson, Vice Chair
Lysha Thompson, Tuscumbia, Secretary
Lisa Johnson, Vandalia, Past Chair
Susan Ferguson, Rockwood
Hope Hunter, Saint James
Valerie Jankowski, Washington
Debbie Packard, Lathrop
Peggy Yoakum, Cass Co. Public Library
Technology
Ideas to
Promote the
Mark Twain
Because of Mr. Terupt
Activity Ideas
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Have your students do any of Mr. Terupt's math challenges. Can
anyone top Luke's fifty-four dollar words?
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Try a plant unit – grow plants and manipulate variables.
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Research any of the topics that emerge in the story: autism, stem
cells, comas, etc.
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Have your students pretend to be any one of the students from
Mr. Terupt’s class. Have them write in that voice about an event
from your classroom, or an event from Mr. Terupt’s classroom
that they could elaborate on.
Have your students pretend to be a different person in your own
classroom. Have them write in that voice to a prompt. Then
share each story and have the class try to guess who the voice
really is.
Promote conversation by sharing questions and predictions,
connections and thoughts in literature circles and/or small reading
groups.
Choose a social issue from the book to explore in more depth:
bullying, guilt, grief, self-esteem, friendship, etc.
Resource Guide
Online Resources
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Author’s Website
http://robbuyea.com/for_teachers
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Video – Conversation with Rob Buyea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E_yhjSN_aw&feature=player
_embedded
Belly Up
Activity Ideas
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Research animals and their habitats, specifically the
hippopotamus
Have students write their own short detective stories
Online Resources
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Resource Guide
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Author’s Website
http://stuartgibbs.com
Information and Activities About Animals
http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Audiences/kids/default.cfm
www.stlzoo.org
Sound of a Hippopotamus (louder than 115 decibels)
http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/hippopota
mus
Fun Hippopotamus Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QW85kfakJc
The Clockwork Three
Activity Ideas
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Look up the meanings of words that you will encounter in the
story: padrone, automaton, busker, journeyman, golem.
Look up information about Albertus Magnus, a scholar and
inventor from the thirteenth century.
Look up information about La Traviata, the opera that will play a
role in the story.
Online Resources
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The Clockwork Three Discussion and Activity Guide (Also
includes an author interview, suggestions for further reading,
and other online resources).
http://www.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/c/ClockworkThreeDiscussi
onGuide.pdf
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Resource Guide
Scholastic’s The Clockwork Three Websites—Search The
Clockwork Three to find an author bio, author visit kit, and a
video with a book trailer.
www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks
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or http://www.scholastic.com/matthewjkirby/clockworkthree/
Author Blog
http://matthewjkirby.com/kirbside
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See a real working clockwork man
Drizzle
Activity Ideas & Online Resources
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The author’s website is a colorful and fanciful
introduction to the book. The site provides a history
and map of the farm, plot and character summaries,
and information about the author, including her blog.
Cate Hennessey has posted a Q & A with Kathleen Van
Cleve from May 20, 2011 at
http://catehennessey.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/qand-a-with-kathleen-van-cleve-author-of-drizzle/ that
informs about how the author’s life and family influence
her work.
Resource Guide
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Take an online look at a rhubarb farm at
http://www.happysimpleliving.com/2010/06/21/a-visitto-an-organic-rhubarb-farm/
The Familiars
Activity Ideas
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Have students create their own Familiar and write a
story about it (see teacher’s guide on
www.thefamiliars.com)
The Familiars Scavenger Hunt (found in the teacher’s
guide)
The Familiars Trivia Challenge (found in the teacher’s
guide)
Online Resources
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Resource Guide
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The Familiars Website (Everything you need!-- includes
a blog, information about the authors, an introduction
to the Familiars, a book trailer, and the downloadable
teacher guide)
www.thefamiliars.com
The Familiars Official Book Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0djEE4OzdQ
You Tube—Type in “The Familiars, meet the authors” to
find more than one video featuring Epstein and
Jacobson
Ghost Dog Secrets
Activity Ideas
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Students create a quick sketch of their pet or the pet they
wished they could own on an 8x12 construction paper. They
describe on the poster information such as: Where does the
pet sleep? What do they eat? Who takes care of the pet?
Tricks the pet can perform? Problems with the pet?
Invite guest speakers to the classroom to develop interest,
excitement, and understanding about the issues surrounding
animal abuse.
See page 5 of Ghost Dog Secrets. Have students write a
short poem about their pet (or one they would like to have).
Create a triorama (See Teacher’s Guide)
Online Resources
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Resource Guide
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Author’s Website (Includes a biography, list of books, awards,
blog, teacher’s guides)
http://pegkehret.com
Ghost Dog Secrets Teacher’s Guide
http://pegkehret.com/docs/Ghost-Dog-Secrets-TeachersGuide.docx
American Humane Society Pet Care Page
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/
Half Upon a Time
Activity Ideas
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Review the original Jack and the Beanstalk at
www.speakaboos.com .
Keep track of the fairy tale characters and elements that
appear in the story. Compare and contrast them with
their “traditional” counterparts.
Online Resources
Resource Guide
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The author’s YouTube video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBPMajgBqs0
Hide and Seek
Activity Ideas
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Create a geocache and place at a location near your
school. Track the locations of people who visit your
cache. Create your own travel bug to place in the cache
and map where it travels.
http://www.geocaching.com/
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Here is an article that talks about setting up your own
geocache.
http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/practicallyparadise/201
0/07/09/hide-seek-by-katy-grant-what-is-geocachinghow-can-you-integrate-this-in-middle-school/
Online Resources
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Resource Guide
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Author’s Website –
http://www.katygrant.com/index.html
Interview with Katy Grant http://peachtreepub.blogspot.com/2010/06/treasurehunting-not-just-for-pirates.html
Out of My Mind
Activity Ideas
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Create a book trailer for Out of My Mind using a site
such as Animoto. (You can get a free educator account
at http://animoto.com/education/).
Make a video book review using free software such as
Photo Story 3, Windows Live Movie Maker, or iMovie.
Research cerebral palsy and create a PSA to educate
other students about this condition.
Online Resources
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Resource Guide
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Author’s Website – http://sharondraper.com/
Sharon Draper’s Blog http://sharondraper.blogspot.com
Discussion Questions and Activity Ideas http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail-guides.asp?id=35
Palace Beautiful
Activity Ideas
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Research the history of your town
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Create a time capsule
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Introduce/review journal writing– Use the website
“Journal Buddies” (http://journalbuddies.com/) for ideas
(site includes ads)
Online Resources
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Author’s Website
http://sarahdefordwilliams.com/#
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Salt Lake City History
http://www.utah.com/cities/slc_history.htm
Resource Guide
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Salt Lake City Website
http://www.slcgov.com/
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PBS’s American Experience– Influenza 1918
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/influenza/
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
Activity Ideas
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Since this story ends with a mistrial, have students write an
ending for a sequel to this story. What happens after the new
trial? How will the case end? (Language Arts)
Look at these websites:
http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/kidspage/
http://www.fbi.gov/fun-games/kids/kids
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What are the three branches of government? This story
involves which branch of government? (Social Studies)
Have students draw a courtroom sketch from a scene in the
story. (Art) For exampleshttp://www.courtroomartist.com/composite_sketches.htm
http://courtartist.com/
Online Resources
Resource Guide
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Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer Teacher’s Guide
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/images/yr/pdf/tl-guide-theo-boone.pdf
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John Grisham Biography
http://www.jgrisham.com/bio/
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Theodore Boone Poster
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/images/yr/pdf/tl-guide-theo-boone-poster.pdf
Twenty Gold Falcons
Activity Ideas
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Create a Museum Box with items that describe Aiden or another
character in this story.
Family is the main theme in this story. Create a family tree for
Aiden’s family, and then create one for your own family. How far
can you document?
Mrs. Ingle wanted to create a castle in Gill Park for Patsy. Sketch
how you pictured Patsy’s castle in Gill Park.
Complete an Alphabox Chart for this story. Using the provided
template or a blank piece of paper, write an important word from
the story for each letter of the alphabet. These words may be
characters, places, themes or vocabulary words. It is okay to think
of more than one word for each letter as long as you are writing
only one word!
Collect enough research about a peregrine falcon to write an
informational pamphlet about the birds for the residents of Ingle
Building.
Online Resources
Resource Guide
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Author’s Website:
http://www.amyagordon.com/
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United States Mint Historic Image Library: