Hank has a dream

Hank has a dream by Rebecca Dudley

Common Core Teaching Guide ABOUT THE BOOK In this poetic tale, Hank dreams that he can fly. Come along for the ride as he re-creates the dream for his little friend. How far will Hank fly? What will he see? How high will he go? These dreamland mysteries capture his friend’s imagination, and they will capture yours, too.

The enchanting images of Rebecca Dudley’s meticulously crafted dioramas set the scene for this gentle fantasy. Readers will set sail, gliding through Hank’s world, as he discovers the wonders of flight and the magic of friendship.

INTRODUCTION Dear Teacher, A picture book with spare text and rich illustrations offers so many opportunities for young readers to practice inference and interpretation skills as they also try their hands at creating narratives of their own. As Hank relates his dream to his little bird friend, he enacts it in his wooded world. Invite your students to

tell the story of the wooded world journey as you meet Common Core Reading Literature and Writing standards. In addition, you can use the book as a springboard for a mixed media art activity. You and your students may create such intriguing and original scenes that you will need to stage an art show for other classes to visit.

This guide was prepared by Toni Buzzeo, M.A., M.L.I.S., author, educational consultant, and school librarian. www.tonibuzzeo.com


Common Core Teaching Guide READING LITERATURE AND WRITING STANDARDS Reading Literature Standard 2 RL K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. RL 1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. Writing Standard 3 W K.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened. W 1.3 W rite narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

IN THE DREAM / IN REAL-LIFE Kindergarten and Grade One: Because the narrative describes only Hank’s dream, the corresponding story thread might be considered a wordless story that invites your students to practice both retelling and visual literacy skills. Begin by using a document camera to project the book and read it aloud to students seated at desks or tables. As you share each double page spread and Hank’s description of what happened in the dream, ask students to discuss what is happening in the real-life scene. After the first reading, ask students, individually or in small groups, to retell the real-life story, including each of the key details.

Grade One: After completing the story retelling, ask: What do you think the central message or lesson of Hank Has a Dream is? Focus student attention on the last double-page spread and the final text that accompanies the last illustration as they answer the question. Kindergarten and Grade One: After you are certain that students clearly understand the sequence of events, invite them to complete the In Real-Life activity sheets on the following pages. Then, select the best sentences for each of the ten scenes, and write a group narrative using temporal words as necessary to indicate event order and create a smoothly structured text.


IN REAL-LIFE What is Hank doing in this scene? Complete the sentence that begins with “Hank _____________________.”

Hank . Hank . Hank . Hank . Hank .


IN REAL-LIFE What is Hank doing in this scene? Complete the sentence that begins with “Hank _____________________.”

Hank . Hank . Hank . Hank . Hank .


Common Core Teaching Guide

Reading Literature Standard 3 RL K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. RL 1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

DETAILS ARE KEY After reading Hank Has a Dream aloud, invite your students to answer the following questions about the text. • Who is the main character in this story? •W ho is the secondary character? How do you know that he/she is not the main character? • Where does this story take place?

•W hen does this story take place? What clues do you see in the illustrations to tell you time of day and time of year? • Why does Hank tell his friend about his dream? • What does Hank do as he is retelling the dream? •H ow is the dream the same as what Hank is doing in the story? How is it different?

Reading Literature Standard 7 RL K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts). RL 1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

REBECCA DUDLEY’S STORYWOODS While the setting of Hank Has a Dream might look familiar to children who live surrounded by woods, meadows, or parks, it is actually a handmade setting created entirely by author/illustrator Rebecca Dudley. She meticulously fashions each item, creates scenes, and then photographs them. After reading the book, share the seven-minute film Storywoods by Mary Horan about Rebecca Dudley and her artistic process as well as its roots in her childhood. http://vimeo.com/39157781. Then ask students to look closely at each of the illustrations and describe the characters and setting in detail. What elements of the forest and meadows appear in each of the photographs? How do you think Rebecca Dudley made each one?


Common Core Teaching Guide

Reading Literature Standard 9 RL K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories. RL 1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.

THE TWO ADVENTURES OF HANK After students are thoroughly familiar with the characters, setting, and events of Hank Has a Dream, introduce them to another Hank book, Hank Finds an Egg. Discuss the events of this wordless Hank book. When they are completely familiar with Hank’s other story, ask them: How are the adventures and experiences of Hank similar in the two stories? How are his experiences and

adventures different? Record the experiences that only apply to Hank in Hank Has a Dream on the left side of The Two Adventures of Hank Venn diagram activity sheet (on the following page), and the experiences that apply only to Hank in Hank Finds an Egg on the right side. If there are experiences that occur in both stories, record them in the intersection of the two circles.

HANK HAS A DREAM

HANK FINDS AN EGG

THE TWO ADVENTURES OF HANK


Common WRITING WITH PICTURES

Carefully cut out around the figures Guide and fold along Core Teaching the dotted lines to stand the figures up.

Writing Standard 1 W 1.1 W rite opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure. W 2.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

IN MY OPINION Kindergarten and Grade One: Ask each child, individually, to write or dictate a review of Hank Has a Dream using the In My Opinion graphic organizer on the following pages. Remind them to be sure to state their opinion of the book and its illustrations, a reason for their opinion, and an ending sentence or statement.

Grade One: Additionally, request that grade one students offer at least two reasons for their expressed opinion and use linking words to connect the reasons to the opinion.

ART EXTENSION ACTIVITY What Kind of World Will You Create? After viewing the film, Storywoods, from Rebecca Dudley’s Storywoods activity earlier, visit the Storywoods on the Road blog at http://storywoodsontheroad.blogspot.com/ and share the many scenes that other children have created. Next, enlist the parents of your students to help you gather as many of the materials Rebecca Dudley uses in the film as possible, along with any other materials you and your students identify by looking closely at the photographs in the book or the scenes pictured on the blog. Then, ask your art teacher to collaborate on a joint project in which you assist students in creating their own scenes as the children did when Storywoods went on the road.


IN MY OPINION

Hank Has a Dream is a book because


IN MY OPINION

DRAW A PICTURE OF HANK!


Common Core Teaching Guide About the Author and Illustrator

Photo: Jill Liebhaber

Rebecca Dudley is a builder, creator, photographer, and artist.

www.peterpauper.com

She makes everything that appears in her illustrations—the trees, leaves, ponds, skies, and the creatures themselves. She has a small architectural practice, and lives in Evanston, Illinois with her husband John, dog Josephine, and her many magical Storywoods characters. This is her second children’s picture book. Visit her blog at www.storywoods.blogspot.com.

Illustrations © Rebecca Dudley