Activities
Watch the video interview of Christopher Myers and find out how reading touches every part of his life!
Have students make their own black cat hats by following the instructions at the Enchanted Learning site. When they are finished, have them put their hats on as they explore their school community or read their own Black Cat in Powder Springs poem they created in the writing lesson!
Show the video Black Cat (PRO E BLA) after reading the story. Christopher Myers introduces the book and tells about the illustrations process and the story background.
Black Cat was a stray without a name. Let your students use their creative minds to think of names for a variety of cats, including Black Cat! Open Kidspiration - Click on the More button - Click on the Here Kitty template. Follow the directions on the template.
Show the Reading Rainbow video, Tar Beach (PRO 304 TAR), to show students an example of an "urban oasis."
To provide further background knowledge into urban environments, share the book Alphabet City (411 Joh). The letters of the alphabet are presented using illustrations of objects in an urban setting. Challenge your students to create an Alphabet School book. Have teams of students use the digital cameras to photograph different objects around the school and grounds that depict the shape of letters. Display the finished results in a Power Point slide show or a Word document.