Activities for Loreen Leedy Books!

Here is a handy list of links to download FREE printable activities and ideas to engage children with informational picture books such as Step by Step, Fraction Action, Amazing Plant Powers, and Seeing SYMMETRY by Loreen Leedy. Activities include writing, drawing, labeling, puzzles, presentations, coloring, and more.

The direct links below will take you to each resource in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop...enjoy! For all free book activities, click here.

• This 50+ page PDF guide to all Leedy math, science, social studies, and language arts picture books includes 2 X 2 = BOO!, There’s a Frog in My Throat, and Crazy Like a Fox: a Simile Story. Each book’s page includes a summary, reviews, art notes, and one or more activity ideas for students. Additional printables for Measuring Penny, My Teacher is a Dinosaur, and more are in the ZIP file.

• Amazing Plant Powers: How Plants Fly, Fight, Hide, Hunt, & Change the World is packed with photos and information about plant adaptations such as thorns, bark, flowers, and much more. The printables include a photosynthesis diagram to complete and a writing prompt to record plant products in the classroom such as paper, wood, and fiber.

• Crazy Like a Fox: A Simile Story tells how Rufus the fox sneaks up behind Babette the sheep to roar like a lion (which makes her as mad as a hornet) plus other antics to entice Babette to chase him to her own surprise birthday party. This PowerPoint presentation reviews the similes in the book using photographs of the real things used as comparisons (lion, daisy, and so on.)

• Jack & the Hungry Giant Eat Right with MyPlate updates the classic tale with a giant chef named Waldorf. This popular PDF (over 30,000 downloads) includes a graphic organizer to list items from the different food groups and a MyPlate template to draw and color.

• Missing Math: A Number Mystery shows how impossible life would be without numbers and math; we couldn’t keep score, have birthdays, use clocks, computers, or phones, and so much more. This poster prompts kids to design a new book cover and summarize their thoughts about the many ways that numbers are important.

• My Teacher is a Dinosaur and Other Prehistoric Poems, Jokes, Riddles, & Amazing Facts takes readers on a whirlwind tour from the early days of life on Earth to the emergence of humankind. These printable pages include a scavenger hunt inside the book, a prehistoric word search, and a book report poster prompt.

• Seeing SYMMETRY is a great STEM title to help children visualize math concepts such as wholes, halves, equality, transformations, and other math concepts in the world around them. This resource includes ideas for introducing the book, a scavenger hunt for images in the illustrations, draw-the-missing-half pages for a tiger or a triceratops, and templates for creating original designs with line or rotational symmetry.

• Step by Step is a guessing game about baby animal tracks for preschool, kindergarten, and first graders. Download this PDF for coloring pages with baby animals and their footprints, a craftivity, directions to make Animal Track Snacks, plus drawing and labeling activities. 

• 2 X 2 = BOO! A Set of Spooky Multiplication Stories stars ghosts, cats, witches, and skeletons in funny problems. The printable has a writing prompt for examples from the book and space to draw and write equations about something good to multiply (e.g. candy apples) as well as something bad such as smelly socks.

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading, teaching, and creating!

Loreen Leedy
Children's author-illustrator
Facebook: @authorLoreenLeedy
Pinterest: @LoreenLeedy

A baby sea turtle coloring page extension for the picture book Step by Step by Loreen Leedy

50+ ways to use comic templates in the classroom

Kids of all ages love cartoon characters and comics, so why not take advantage of that positive connection? Comic strips are sequential in nature and generally use both words and images to convey their message. Templates are a good option because having the panels already on the page provides some helpful structure and takes away the fear of the dreaded "blank page." Offering several different designs allows students to choose the layout that appeals to them.

How to use comic strip templates in the classroom for any subject

The educational concepts and topics that work well in a comic format are endless. Almost any subject matter or grade level is a possibility from STEM to ELA and beyond, and it doesn’t have to be humorous. Those students that prefer not to draw can make a collage of photos. We’ll start with ideas for a specific number of panels.

2 Panel Comic

• Before and After
• Then and Now: for example, what your street looked like 100 years ago and today
• Main Idea and Key Details
• Cause and Effect
• Pros and Cons
• DOs and DONT’s
• Fact vs. Opinion
• Idiom: Literal and Understood meaning
• Theme vs. Main Idea of a story
• Proper and Common nouns
• Synonyms and Antonyms
• Prefixes vs. Suffixes
• Fiction and Nonfiction characteristics
• Contraction vs. Two Words such as I’ll vs. I will
• Even and Odd numbers
• Numerals and Number Names
• 2D shapes and 3D shapes

Two panels work well for 2-part concepts such as Cause and Effect

3 Panel Comic

• Beginning, Middle, and End of a story, event, or process
• A 3-step sequence such as making the bed: First, Next, Last
• A life cycle process such as Seed, Sprout, Flower
• Main Character, Setting, Plot
• Author’s Purpose definitions: Persuade, Inform, Entertain
• KWL chart: what I Know, what I Want to know, what I Learned
• Place Value: Standard form, Word form, Expanded form
• Fraction Forms: Number, Words, Picture
• Types of Fractions: Proper, Mixed Numbers, Improper
• Types of Lines: Parallel, Perpendicular, Intersecting
• Steps in an illustrated recipe
• Text Connections: to Text, Self, and World

4 Panel Comic

• The 4 Seasons: a tree or scene as it changes through the year
• Types of Sentences: Declarative, Interrogative, Exclamatory, Imperative
• Ways to Revise: Add, Remove, Move, Substitute
• How to Edit: Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling
• Types of Angles: Obtuse, Acute, Right, Straight
• Story summary: Characters, Setting, Problem, Solution
• Sights, Smells, Sounds, Tastes of a country, holiday, habitat

General Ideas

• Science concepts such as erosion, growth, mitosis, the scientific method, and so on
• Graphic novels
• Things to do on vacation
• My goals
• Jokes and riddles
• Autobiography or biography
• Book report
• Announcement
• Advertisement for a fund-raiser
• Tell a story using dialog only
• Define vocabulary words
• Illustrate verbs, nouns, adjectives
• Measure something several ways
• Write word problems and solutions
• Compare two or more ideas, books, people, or objects
• Define several fiction genres
• News story with Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How?

Writing a biography of Abraham Lincoln using a comic strip template

Seasonal Ideas

• Back to School get-acquainted activity: My Pets, Favorite Foods, Hobbies, Interests
• How-to Steps: carve a pumpkin, rake leaves, build a snowman, or plant a seed
• Facts about Bats, Turkeys, Reindeer, President Lincoln, and so on
• New Year’s Resolutions
• Things I love for Valentine's Day
• My Favorite President: Opinion and Evidence
• Signs of ______: a season, event, or holiday

Tips for Creating Comics in the Classroom

1) Write ideas and sketches on scrap paper first. 

2) Choose template or draw panels to organize content. Don’t forget to leave space for a title and student name.

3) Write and draw in pencil first. 

4) Use numbers and/or arrows to guide readers if reading order is important. 

5) Go over pencil lines with pen or marker (or paste in cut out pictures.) Color if desired with favorite coloring tools. 

6) Add more pages as needed. 

So, I got on a roll with these ideas and there are a few more than fifty as it turns out. Hopefully these will be inspiring, and students will no doubt think of other great ways to use the comic format for thinking, writing, and making pictures about multiple topics. With all these different options, it would be easy to make new comics every week!

It’s not that difficult to make your own templates with a simple graphics program. If you would prefer print and go printable pages with 40 templates including themes such as apple, pumpkin, and Christmas tree layouts plus extras such as comic-style words and speech bubbles, please visit this link in my TPT shop.

Comic strip templates for Kindergarten through 12th grade writing and art

If these ideas have been useful, please subscribe to my blog >>> in the sidebar >>>

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading, teaching, creating, and/or taking a break!

Loreen Leedy
Children's author-illustrator
Instagram: @loreenleedybooks
Pinterest: @LoreenLeedy
Facebook: @authorLoreenLeedy

50+ ways to use comic strip templates in the classroom for any subject or grade level

Growth Mindset Rebus Puzzles

Many teachers, school counselors, and parents are using growth mindset concepts to help children learn more effectively. As students find out how their own brains work, they learn methods to “train their brain” such as choosing a different strategy, extra practice, making a plan, and thinking outside the box.

Growth Mindset Rebus Puzzles give kids a fun challenge as they "think sideways" to solve them.

One growth mindset principle is that struggle is the start of making new pathways in our noggins. As we practice a new skill, the neural connections become stronger until what began as novel and difficult becomes an easier task. It occurred to me recently that rebus puzzles would make a fun challenge for kids because creative, "sideways" thinking is required. In addition, multiple brain pathways are engaged due to combination of visual and verbal clues. Hopefully this makes the solutions, i.e. the growth mindset statements, more memorable.

How to solve Growth Mindset Rebus Puzzles in 4 easy steps: Decode, Record, Color, Reflect.

The steps to solving the rebus puzzles

• Decode the clues, which may consist of pictures, letters, numbers, arrows, and so on.

• Record the growth mindset statement on the How My Brain Grows! response page.

• Use favorite coloring tools to color in the puzzle.

• Invite children to think more deeply about the statement by completing the writing and drawing prompts on their response page.

Let's get started

Each of the 12 Growth Mindset statements has 3 ability levels to choose from from Beginner to Advanced. I suggest using one puzzle at a time so students can absorb the concept. A workable schedule could be to introduce one statement a week for 12 weeks.

Choose from 3 ability levels for each growth mindset rebus puzzle (36 options in all).

• Print a puzzle and a How My Brain Grows! response page for each child.

• Go over the rebus examples on the How to Solve a Rebus Puzzle page. Laminate if desired for students to refer to.

• After children solve the puzzle they color it in and record the growth mindset statement on their response page.

• Students complete the writing and drawing prompt for that week’s growth mindset statement. 

Display the finished puzzles and prompts for everyone to enjoy, then switch them out when the next puzzles are completed. Add to student portfolios or journals or have students take them home to decorate their rooms.

Building on what they've learned

As a follow-up activity students will use the Blank Templates and additional 12 statements provided to create their own original rebus puzzles with a growth mindset theme. Along with a template and response page, each child will need scratch paper to sketch out their new puzzle before writing and drawing the final version. After displaying the original student-made puzzles for awhile, consider placing them into plastic page protectors in a binder to make a unique class book. Use one of the printable Display Titles as the cover for the book.

Please click on this link to see a preview and video of the puzzles and other pages in this resource.

I hope this article has been useful. If you would enjoy more posts about children's books, classroom activities, educational resources, and freebies >>> please subscribe on the blog sidebar >>>

Thanks so much for coming by!

Happy reading,

Loreen Leedy
Children's author-illustrator
Instagram: @loreenleedybooks
Pinterest: @LoreenLeedy
Facebook: @authorLoreenLeedy

Help students train their brains with engaging growth mindset rebus puzzles!

21+ Activity Ideas for Nonfiction Children’s Books

Parents, teachers, librarians, and children’s book authors have the same goal, to inspire kids to become good readers for academic and career success as well as lifelong enjoyment. It's vital for students to master informational texts according to the education learning goals set forth in the Common Core State Standards and similar guides.

Students must be familiar with a number of concepts to effectively read and write informational text.

Providing quality resources to young readers is a great way to start. Nonfiction books for kids have come a long way from the traditional style that included just the facts plus some photographs. A wide variety of attractively designed titles are available including narrative nonfiction, image-laden books that are great for browsing, and “active” nonfiction that teaches the skills to make or do something. For a helpful guide to 5 overall categories of nonfiction books, please see the posts about The Nonfiction Family tree on children’s author Melissa Stewart’s blog, such as this article.

How are book-based activities useful?

Reader engagement is increased by activities that help students think deeply about and work with the text, images, vocabulary, diagrams, and other content in the book. Writing, drama, art, and other creative projects require multiple learning styles and brain pathways, and help make the information much more memorable. Let's explore some options!

Blog post: 21+ activity ideas for nonfiction children's books

Introducing the book

Make it as simple or involved as you prefer. Sometimes it's fine to jump right into reading a book with little advance preparation and go with the flow. Here are some additional approaches to try:

• Preview a book’s content ahead of time to get kids thinking about it. For example, to introduce the topic of my book Step by Step, show a photograph of animal tracks and invite guesses about which animal made them.

• Read a page or two aloud with students and ask for predictions about what the rest of the book will contain. Take a survey to see what students believe about the topic.

• Students can complete a KWL chart to record what they Know before reading the book, what they Wonder about while reading, and what they Learn from it.

• Older students can choose a book to read on their own then create a project based on its content. Suggest a few ideas such as the ones listed below to help them get started.

• Read a fictional story that relates to the nonfiction book’s content.

Record the content

During or after reading, make a list, mind map, or topic cloud of the subject matter, themes, and curriculum connections for the book. The image below lists the topics in Step by Step.

Click the book cover image to get FREE Step by Step activity pages in my TPT shop

Inspiration for creation

Brainstorm activities that will allow students to think carefully about, research, write, and create using the book's content. Some may require advance prep by the teacher. Below are several examples that work for many nonfiction books, depending on the age level.

• Scavenger hunt inside the book for vocabulary words, facts, and/or pictures
• Coloring pages, a craft, diorama, mobile, drawing, or painting
• Diagram with labels
• Write a song, chant, or poem
• Book review in a unique form such as comic book style
• A new front cover design
• Sequencing cards to put events in order
• Illustrate and describe a step-by-step process
• A follow-up slide presentation about the content
• Poster to summarize or promote the book
• Mini-book or class book inspired by the topic
• A chart or map of the information
• A board game, illustrated glossary, skit, or bulletin board display
• Think of a food tie-in such as this example of animal tracks snack ideas

Putting it all together

Round up some materials, help the kids start planning, and let the creating begin! The activities will vary depending on the book, student level, and time available. And based on my experience, kids find book-inspired projects challenging, enjoyable, and very memorable.

Hopefully this article has given you some fresh ideas for nonfiction book extensions to help your students get more out reading informational texts. If you would enjoy more posts about children's books, classroom activities, educational resources, and freebies >>> please subscribe on the blog sidebar. Thanks so much for coming by!

Happy reading,

Loreen Leedy
Children's author-illustrator
Instagram: @loreenleedybooks
Pinterest: @LoreenLeedy
Facebook: @authorLoreenLeedy

21+ Activity Ideas for Nonfiction Children's Books

Plant Adaptation Book and Activities

Amazing Plant Powers has been out for awhile but I just got around to making these FREE printable activity pages...oops! This picture book is full of information about plant adaptations and has received nice reviews such as "A great supplement to plant units, and a welcome introduction to informational texts,” from a review by School Library Journal. More info is available on this page of my web site.

Click book cover image to get FREE activity pages in my TPT store.

My husband Andy and I co-wrote it and took most of the photographs, which are the primary images in the book. Andy has a Ph.D. in plant pathology so that was a big help! Amazing Plant Powers is available from the usual sources so request it from your librarian or order it from a bookstore to make use of these printable pages.

The objective for these activities is to engage students in looking closely at the text, photographs, vocabulary, and other content in the book, per the Common Core State Standards for Reading Informational text. Here is what is included:
• a photosynthesis diagram to label
• plant power searches
• book report poster activity
• plant superhero writing prompt
• plant product search
• scavenger hunt
• journal note pages

Click image to view FREE printable pages for Amazing Plant Powers.

I hope these pages will be useful and enjoyable for your classroom or library. Thank you so much for coming by, and if you’d enjoy more posts about children's books, classroom activities, educational resources, and freebies >>> please subscribe on the blog sidebar.

Happy reading!

Loreen Leedy
Children's author-illustrator
Instagram: @loreenleedybooks
Pinterest: @LoreenLeedy
Facebook: @authorLoreenLeedy

Easter egg math activity with symmetry

The Easter bunny wants a selfie too, and one with symmetry is extra special, don't you agree? Any image with line symmetry can be used; the idea is for Kindergarten to Grade 4 students to make every shape on one half the same color as the corresponding shape on the other half. For example, if one cheek is pink, they will color the other cheek pink also. Here are a few symmetry words and concepts this activity will review:
• Half • Whole • Line of symmetry • Match • Equal • Repeat • Mirror image •
Supports the Common Core State Standard for 4th grade geometry: 4.G.A.3.

Click image to preview Easter eggs with symmetry in my TPT shop

To do this activity from scratch, you could fold a piece of paper in half lengthwise and crease it to make the line of symmetry. With the paper folded, cut out the shape of half an egg. Unfold, then draw a design on one half, then repeat it as a mirror image on the other half. Color so that both sides match. Another idea is to use construction paper to make the egg, then put splotches of paint on it, fold on the crease and press, then open the egg and allow to dry.

For a low prep printable version, check out my Symmetry is Eggciting! resource. It was recently updated to include 3 levels of difficulty for each of the 10 designs to allow for differentiation:

Print one level or let students choose what they're comfortable with.

If you already have this printable activity, please check on your My Purchases page on Teachers Pay Teachers to download the updated version that now includes the intermediate option. The finished symmetrical eggs make a beautiful bulletin board or door display.

I hope you and your class have a wonderful spring!

Loreen Leedy
Children's author-illustrator
Instagram: @loreenleedybooks
Pinterest: @LoreenLeedy
Facebook: @authorLoreenLeedy