SEPTEMBER 13: Roald Dahl's Birthday

I was introduced to James And The Giant Peach in 2nd grade. Clearly, it remains near and dear to my heart. Older students may not remember nor know of Roald Dahl's fantasy story of a boy escaping the clutches of his crazy aunts with the help of a huge peace and a few critters most kids have grown to fear.



Here are some suggestions for introducing Roald Dahl and reluctant readers to this imaginative author on Roald Dahl day.


KWL CHART
If you're unable to read the book in class, pick up a copy for yourself and read portions of the book aloud in the class. Have students write questions inquiring what they know, what would like to know, and what they learned (KWL chart). Engage their curiosity and interest by reading interesting sections or chapters, encouraging them to borrow the book from their library.

IMAGES
Plan an imagery lesson. Read a part of the chapter that describes James' two aunts and have the students draw a picture of what they imagine the aunts to look like.

IMAGES WITH WORDS
Or, select any other paragraph or chapter that allows for descriptive imagery. For students who are not much of an illustrator, have the students create word posters or go on the computer to do a Wordle assignment.

SOMETHING SKETCHY
Instead of note-taking, off the option of sketching and jotting down words or phrases to help with comprehending the story.

LISTEN
Have access to the audiobook version of James and the Giant Peach? Excellent. Have this for students to do ANY of the above activities while you walk around and assess the students' learning of the book. Students can follow along with the book, take notes, draw, and sketch while the audiobook is being played. This allows for students to use any of their multiple intelligences to help comprehend the book.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Additional activities can be found on the Roald Dahl Fans website or on the Roald Dahl official website.

YUMMY
For an added bonus, why not share peach slices with your students? Serve them fresh, from the can, from the small single-serving cups, or in candy form.