This guide was adapted by the North Carolina Children’s Book Award Committee
Theme: The book, Something Beautiful can be used to introduce your students to urban neighborhoods.
Pre-reading: Show students the cover of the book and read its title as well as the names of the author and illustrator. Ask them what they think the book will be about. Next show the illustrations in the book without reading the story. Now, ask the class what they think the book will be about.
Each person has a different idea about what the word “beautiful” means. Have the class make a list of things that are beautiful and ask them to explain why each item belongs on the list.
Reading: As you read Something Beautiful, show your class its illustrations and have students study them closely. What details can they find in the pictures? Have them look closely at the expressions on the little girl’s face – how do they change during the story?
Language Arts/Communication Skills/Writing:
- Interview five people and record or write down what they think is most beautiful.
- Go on a treasure hunt or organize a scavenger hunt with clues that find things of beauty.
- Using the alphabet, discover something beautiful for each letter of the alphabet.
- List 20 beautiful things in your world that would be missed the most if taken away.
- Ask students to compare their own neighborhoods and schools with those in the book.
- Write a poem about your neighborhood..
Social Studies:
- Talk about neighborhoods with the class. What makes up a neighborhood? Discuss the different types of residences in a neighborhood (homes, apartments, condominiums, etc.) Discuss the differences and similarities between counties, cities, towns, suburbs, etc.
- Investigate the art of cave drawings, hieroglyphics and the origins of graffiti. Where can you find graffiti?
- Discuss recycling with the class. Does your school have a recycling program. How can the class help promote recycling? What things can be recycled? Arrange a field trip to a recycling plant.
Science: Organize a clean up campaign. Pick up litter at school or at home. Discuss how this effort helps the environment and maintains beauty.
Learn the difference between annual and perennial flowers. Plant a small variety of colorful flowers in the schoolyard or at a local nursing home.
Music: Ask students to listen carefully to Louis Armstrong’s song “What a Wonderful World”. Have them make a list of all the beautiful things in his song and discuss the meaning of the song.
Sing with the class “This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land” and “The Green Grass Grew All Around”.
Art: Ask the students to take pictures of a neighborhood or downtown area near them and make a collage using digital cameras and Powerpoint presentations.
Make a giant classroom or hallway Rebus collage with four large symbols: U, a soda can, the recycle symbol (three arrows in a circle), and a 2. This creates the message: “You Can Recycle, Too”) Decorate your Rebus collage by pasting recycled materials i.e., foil, plastic, newspaper on it. Don’t forget to email Chris pictures. We love to post class projects on this website!
Post-reading: Have the students walk around the school. The students can do this together or in small groups. Write down all the beautiful things they see. Make a list of ideas that could make their school and/or community more beautiful. Make a plan with the class to complete one of the ideas from the list.
Geography: Have students plan a trip to the nearest big city. How far away is the city? How would you get there? How long it would take? What would they need to bring – food, clothes, entertainment items, books etc. have them look at a map and determine what they think they will see along the way – skyscrapers, malls, parks, fire hydrants, dog walkers, bicycles, stores, etc…
Social Studies/Literature: Spend more time reading about city and town life. Read Around Town by Chris Soentpiet, Dear Santa: Please come to the 19th Floor, by Yin. If you really enjoyed Something Beautiful write a review and post it on the book pages of Amazon or Barnes and Noble so others can enjoy your reading experience.
Bulletin Board: Ask each student write down what they think is beautiful in their lives. List them on your bulletin board under the headline: MY BEAUTIFUL IS…
Related books:
Granddaddy’s Gift by Larry Johnson
Braids Girl Chicken Soup For the Little Souls by Lisa McCourt
Momma, Where are you From? by Marie Bradby
Talking Walls by Margy Burns Knight (for older students)
Maple Tree by Nan Hayden Agle
City Green by DyAnne Disalvo-Ryan
My Town by William Wegman
New Neighbors for Nora by Johanna Hurwitz
Message from Sharon Dennis Wyeth
“When I was eight years old, I asked my mother, whose name is Evon, for “something beautiful.” She gave me one of her wedding gifts: a small white china pitcher with a golden handle and a golden rose embossed on it. I put the pitcher on my windowsill so I wouldn’t have to look at the alley outside. I called the pitcher my something beautiful. When Mommy gave me the gift, she cautioned me not to forget that I already had something even more beautiful-the something beautiful I had inside. I still have the little pitcher. I keep it next to my bed. It helps keep alive the memory of childhood and my mother’s love.”
Students inspired by the book Something Beautiful start a recycling program
