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Spend a day with children’s author Bernice Seward!
Would you like to spend a day with children’s author Bernice Seward? A day with Bernice includes four classroom visits (20-30 minutes each) and two workshop sessions (45 minutes each). Two additional classroom visits could replace one of the workshop sessions.
Classroom Visits:
Have You Seen My Frog? Kindergarten through Third Grade (20 minutes). This fun and engaging classroom visit includes an interactive reading of the picture book Have You Seen My Frog. After the story, volunteers will help show how the process of writing a book differs from the process of reading a book. We will wrap up with a question and answer session.
You can download the “Have You Seen My Frog? Kindergarten Worksheet” here, or the “Have You Seen My Frog? 1st and 2nd Grade Worksheet” here. Additional free resources include an “Activity Packet for Have You Seen My Frog?” and an “Activity Packet for The Very Hungry Duck.”
Additional ideas for using Have You Seen My Frog? in an early elementary classroom will be available soon.
Do NOT Turn This Page Third and Fourth Grade (20-30 minutes). This engaging and interactive classroom visit reinforces the value and necessity of the writing process. It begins with a discussion of how writing a story is like wrangling a watermelon–you have to cut it up in order to “eat” it! Next, students will be invited to join in turning pages in the book as we read a selection from Do NOT Turn This Page. We will end with a question and answer session.
You can download discussion questions and writing prompts for Do NOT Turn This Page here.
Writing Workshops:
“What’s THAT Crazy Word?” First and Second Grade (25-35 minutes). This workshop introduces the concept of made-up words and how to check for clues in the story to determine the meaning of the words. We will talk about Dr. Seuss’s writing, then look at the stanza of a song that includes the made-up word “puckaferzees.” Students will be invited to imagine what the word could mean, draw a picture, and write a second stanza to the song.
You can find the “Puckaferzees Problem Worksheet” here.
“Building the Story Gate Bridge” Third through Eighth Grade (45-60 minutes). This workshop walks students through story structure using a visual prewriting page called the Story Gate Bridge. Through interactive questions and answers, we will “build” the Story Gate Bridge on a chalkboard or dry erase board, filling in the parts of the Bridge as we talk about them. Then we will discuss a familiar story (such as a fairy tale) to see how it fits in the story structure. Students will begin writing their own stories based off a writing prompt and will have a chance to share their work.
You can find the “Story Gate Bridge Prewriting Worksheet” here. For an instruction sheet on how to use the Story Gate Bridge, check back soon.
Honorarium:
- Local: $495 ($795 for two days) plus meal(s) if applicable
- Regional: $795 ($1,295 for two days) plus travel, meals and lodging
- Out of area: $1,200 (Additional days $800 each) plus travel, meals and lodging
Local and Title 1 schools may qualify for a partial or full reduction in fees. Please enquire for details.
Email bernice@berniceseward.com for more information or to schedule an author visit at your school.