Book Bag Activities for
The Mitten
By Heather Douthit

• Brett, Jan (1989). The Mitten. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Rationale:

• The Mitten is a wonderful book to introduce children to folktales. Jan Brett's adaptation of this Ukrainian folktale and her brilliantly detailed illustrations allow young children to become immersed in the story of a forest full of lovable animals who have an adventure with a boy's lost mitten.

Information about the author:

• Jan Brett is known for her detailed illustrations, borders, and side panels, which hold her "overflow of thoughts". Jan Brett was born on December 1, 1949 in Hingham, Massachusetts. By the age of six years old Jan knew that she wanted to be a children's book illustrator. She was a shy child and liked to use her drawing to express herself. Jan loves animals, and had many when she was growing up, now she writes and draws them in her children's books. In 1981, Jan Brett's wrote and illustrated her first book, Fritz and the Beautiful Horses. Her husband works for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which inspired her to write and illustrate Berlioz, the Bear. Jan Brett loves traveling with her family. She writes about many of her travel experiences. When Jan Brett began to retell The Mitten, she spent many hours working and corresponding with people from the Ukraine, as well as visiting a Ukrainian Museum to find out how to make everything in the book as accurate as possible.

Questions to use with the story:
(Utilizing the six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy)

• Before the Story: What is this story about? What do you think the animals are going to do with the mitten? What would be different if the setting was different? In the ocean? or In the desert?
• During the Story: What happened to the mitten when the animals crawled in? Can you think of another book where something was lost? Do you think another animal will fit? Should the bear crawl in? Should the mouse crawl in? Did the boy know he lost his mitten?
• After the Story: Who was the first animal to enter the mitten? Who was the last animal to enter the mitten? Where was the mitten lost? What did the boy call his Grandmother? Explain what caused the bear to sneeze. When do you think the mitten would fit best, in the beginning, middle, or end? What is another item of clothing that could be lost and this could happen to? What would have happened if the mouse had not crawled in? Should the mouse have crawled in the mitten? Or the bear?

Ten activities to use with the story:

• Before reading the story, students will investigate the animals who will appear in the book. This can be done individually or in small groups. Students can use a wide variety of resources to investigate animals, such as library books, specific websites, local zoo, etc. (Multiple Intelligence: Logical/Mathematical) (k-3)
• Prior to reading the story students will investigate different aspects of the Ukrainian culture. (i.e., clothing, language, food, community environment, etc.) This activity can be achieved in small groups or individually. The students will be given resource books, and specific websites. (Multiple Intelligence: Logical/Mathematical) (k-3)
• While telling the story use a large white mitten and stuffed animals (or paper mitten and paper animals), after you read the book, have students assist in retelling the story placing the appropriate animal in the mitten at the appropriate time. As the animal enter the mitten talk about action words that would describe how the animal entered the mitten. For example, the mouse scurried into the mitten. This can be accomplished in a whole group or a small group setting. (Multiple Intelligence: Bodily/Kinesthetic) (PreK-3)
• After reading the book allow children, in a whole group setting, investigate rhyming words that connect to the story: Mitten-kitten, fox-sock-box, bunny-funny, rabbit-habit, etc. (Multiple Intelligence: Verbal/Linguistic) (Prek- I)
• Following the reading of the text, the students will rewrite the story from a characters perspective. (Mouse, bear, boy, Baba (boy's grandmother), etc.) (Multiple Intelligence: Verbal/Linguistic) (As a whole class k- I, individually 2-3)
• Pre- or Post activity: Patternable activity: Students Will individually or in partners, use pattern blocks to fill in a form of one of the animals in the mitten, such as a rabbit) (Multiple Intelligence: Logical/Mathematical) (K-3)
• As a post activity have students assist teacher or work in small groups to place animals in chronological order, in which the animals entered the story. (Using stuffed animals or paper animal) (Pre-2) Older students could alphabetize the animals in the story. (2-3) (Multiple Intelligence: Logical/Mathematical)
• As a pre- or post- activity for Individuals or partners, create puzzle of each animal, for student to put together. Store each animal puzzle in a zip-lock bag or for more of a challenge mix two puzzles together. (Multiple Intelligence: Visual/Spatial) (k-3)
• Following the reading of the Mitten have a small group or whole group activity put on a play, using animal masks from Jan Brett's website, tape masks to stick, and have student hold mask up in front of their face. Or put on a puppet show by making stick puppets out of the mask. (Lamination of masks is recommended for extended use.) (Multiple Intelligence: Bodily/Kinesthetic) (K-3)
• Following the reading of the book students could individually write a diary from the mitten's point of view. (What was it thinking? How was it feeling?) (Multiple Intelligence: lntrapersonal)(2-3)
• Following the reading of the Mitten have students work in groups to create a diorama of the forest, mitten, and/or animals. A variety of Materials will be provided. (Multiple Intelligence: Interpersonal) (I -3)
• Prior to the reading of the Mitten have students listen to animal music and identify or move like the animal that the music might suggest. This can be achieved in small groups or whole groups. Use the Animal Walks CD. (Multiple Intelligence: Musical/Rhythmic) (preK-3)

Helpful Websites:

• Jan Brett's Website

Props:

• Pattern Block manipulatives
• Animal masks (found at Jan Brett's website)
• Animal Walks CD
• Large knitted white mitten and one small knitted mitten.
• Animal cutouts or stuffed animals to place in mitten while reading story. (Cutouts found at Jan Brett's website)
• Animal puzzles (Created using clipart and cardboard).

Bibliography of other related books:

• Catterwell, Thelma (I989). Aidito and the Forest, Houghton Mifflin Company.
• Singer, Isaac B. (I971). Alone in the Wild Forest. Farrar Straus & Giroux.
• Betz, Dieter. (I992). The Bear Family. William Morrow.
• Tomlinson, Theresa (I997). The Forestwife. Yearling Books.
• Vaughan, Marcia (I995). Hands, Hands, Hands. Mondo Pub.
• Waddel, Martin (I992). Owl Babies. Candlewick Press.
• Smucker, Barbara Claassen (I995). Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt. Crown Publishers.
• Modesitt, Jeanne (I992). Sometimes I Feel Like a Mouse. Scholastic.
• Steptoe, John (I984). The Story of Jumping Mouse: a Native American legend. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.
• Carle, Eric (I996). Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? Henry Holt & Company.
• Keats, Ezra Jack (I962). The Snowy Day. Viking Press.
• Potter, Beatrix (I987). The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Frederick Warner & Company.
• Rosen, Michael (I989). We're going on a Bear Hunt. Margaret K. McEiderry Books.
• McDermott, Gerald (I992). Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster tale from West Africa. Harcourt Brace Jovanvich.

Other Books by Jan Brett:

• Daisy Comes Home (2002). G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Christmas Treasury (2001). G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Hedgie's Surprise (2000). Putnam.
• The Hat (1997). G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Comet's Nine lives (I996). G.P. Putnam's.
• Armadillo Rodeo (I995). G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Christmas Trolls (1993). G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Trouble with Trolls (1992). G. P. Putnam's Sons.
• Berlioz, the Bear (I991). G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• The Wild Christmas Reindeer (I990). G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Annie and the Wild Animals (I985). Houghton Mifflin Company.
• Fritz and the Beautiful Horses (I981). Houghton Mifflin Company.

Books retold by Jan Brett:

• Gingerbread Baby (I999). G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Town Mouse, Country Mouse (I994). G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Beauty and the Beast (I989). Clarion Books.
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1989). Putnams.

Books illustrated by Jan Brett

• Moore, Clement Clarke (I998). The Night Before Christmas. G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Lear, Edward (I991). The Owl and the Pussycat. Putnam.
• Bunting, Eve (I988). Happy Birthday Dear Duck. Clarion Books.
• Porazinska, Janina (I991). The Enchanted Book. Harcourt Brace.
• Brett, Jan (I986). The Twelve Days of Christmas. Dodd, Mead & Company.
• Bunting, Eve (I986). Scary, Scary, Halloween. Clarion Books.
• Bunting, Eve (I986). Mother's Day mice. Clarion Books.
• Jane, Pamela (I986). Noelle Of the Nutcracker. Houghton Mifflin.
• Van Woerkom, Dorothy (I985). Old Devil is Waiting. Harcourt Inc.
• Bunting, Eve (I983). Valentine Bear. Clarion Books.
• Cross, Diana (I983). Some Plants have Funny Name. Random House.
• Cross, Diana (I981). Some Birds have Funny Names. Random House.
• Taylor, Mark (I981). Young Melvin and Bulger. Doubleday.
• Boegehold, Betty Virginia Doyle (I984). In the Castle of Cats. E.P. Dutton.
• Bunting, Eve (I980). St. Patrick's Day in the Morning. Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books.
• Cuneo, Mary Louise (I979). Inside a Sand Castle. Houghton Mifflin
• Krensky, Stephen (I978). Woodland Crossings. Atheneum.

Assessment:

Assessment will be based upon the specific activity being accomplished as well as developmentally appropriate criteria and appropriate assessment criteria.

• For group activities students will be assessed by informal teacher observations as well as student's self-assessments as to whether they worked cooperatively.
• For individual activities students will be assessed using check lists, rubrics, as well as informal assessment procedures.

For example, when a third grader completes the diary activity, which the student is to write from the mitten's point of view, then the teacher might use writing assessment criteria such as writing with appropriate voice and using journal format.