Cricket in Times Square lends itself very well to several different inquires in multiple intelligences.  Music and diversity in several different areas are underlying themes from the very beginning of the book.

The setting for Cricket in Times Square is mainly in a subway station of New York City, a place my students have never been.  First the students will draw a map of New York City, and then do research projects on the major landmarks in the city.

Learning about the parts of a cricket, about their diet, about the sounds they make, and just observing live crickets in the classroom are other inquiries the students will enjoy.  As a concluding project on crickets, the students will make a paper-mache model of a cricket and be able to label all the parts correctly.

In the book, Chester lives in a newsstand that is not making much of a profit; but with Chester’s help this family business starts to boom.  I plan to have the students research or interview someone they know that owns their own business and see what it takes to start and keep a business profitable.  This will need to include charts, posters, or videos to share their findings.

My personal favorite part will be when the students research different types of music or musical artists.  Hopefully some will want to try dancing to the music and perform an original dance for the class.

All of these projects will then be shared at our dynamic inquiry which will be a picnic where parents, other relatives, or other classmates will be invited.  I am planning for the students to bring food items that are unique to their ethnic background or family favorites and all of us have a picnic buffet.  The students’ projects will be displayed at this time and students will be encouraged to perform any music or dancing they have created.  Chester’s favorite songs mentioned in the book will be playing in the background during our dynamic inquiry.

Research of New York City Attraction

Cricket in Times Square takes place in New York City.  Since most fourth grade students have not studied United States History, this is a good time to let the students research a major landmark in the city.  The website http://www.worldexecutive.com/cityguides/new-york/attractions.html has city maps of New York City where the students can find the different attractions and then print out a map.

Research should include the following:

1.       Map of New York City including the following:

A.     Title includes purpose/content of map

B.     All lines on map are neatly drawn (use ruler when making straight lines) and map is colored

C.     Locate major attractions and label correctly (assessment will be taken on finding major attractions)

D.     Spell and capitalize names correctly

E.      Legend is easy to find and has complete set of symbols

2.       Research on one major landmark or attraction including the following:

A.     Location/address/telephone of attraction/landmark

B.     Hours of operation

C.     Review/ History of attraction/landmark

D.     Creativity and good organization in presenting information

Rubric for this activity can be found by going to Microsoft Excel – New York City Maps

Cricket Observations

The main character in Cricket in Time Square is Chester the cricket.  An excellent activity for students would be to observe and record their observations in a journal.  Live crickets should be made available to the students and an anatomy diagram of the cricket.  All parts of the cricket will need to be identified and labeled.  Diet and behaviors of the cricket will also need to be observed and recorded.  Some research may need to be done to complete the activity.  The internet could be a good resource for the information (web site is given and full lesson plan available).

This activity will culminate with the making of a paper mache cricket in a small group.  This can be done during art class and the student’s grade will depend on cooperative group work and appropriate parts labeled on the cricket (rubric is attached).

There will also be extra credit available if a cricket cage is constructed.  Students will have an option of construction materials and this also will be graded with a rubrics.

Paper Mache Cricket

Materials Needed:

Balloons

Paper mache compound

Paper towel rolls

Newspaper

Masking tape

Picture of cricket anatomy

Wire

Tissue paper

Rubber cement

Long balloons will be blown up to form the different sections of the cricket’s body.  A layer of newspapers or paper towels soaked with the compound will be put over the balloons and then left to dry.  This process will continue until they are covered with several layers of paper.

After the first layer of newspaper is put on the balloon, attach the paper towel rolls in their correct positions and use the masking tape to hold them there while the compound soaked paper is put over them and dry.

After the cricket is constructed, you may add the wings and then paint the cricket.

Cricket Cage  

Materials needed:  (Student’s choice)

Gourds

Dowel rods

Metal mesh

Etc.

The cricket cage should be constructed out of appropriate materials using a plan of their own making.  The students will be graded by a rubrics that is attached and will be handed out before the project is started.

Owning Your Own Business

The family that Chester ends up living with owns a newspaper stand in a New York City subway station.  The business is not very profitable until Chester becomes famous for his singing.  To give the students an idea of what it takes to start and run a business, the students should either research or interview a person who owns their own business.  The students can present their finding in the form of a video, chart, poster, report, etc.

Owning a Business

You will be writing a short report on owning a business.  This will require you to do some research.  You may gather information from books, magazines, web sites, and interviews of business owners.  This information will then be organized into a report to present orally to the class.  You will need to use the following plan to prepare your report.

1.                             Gather information about owning a business from at least three sources.  This may include books, magazine articles, web sites, or interviews.  List your sources below:

2.                             Write four questions about your topic.  (Start your questions with words like why, how what, where, and who).

3.                             Gather your information on note cards, outlines, or grids.

4.                             When writing the report, use the writing process and make sure you have a strong beginning, informational middle, and interesting ending.

5.                             Presentation of your report should include some type of visual aid.  It should show that you have read through the report and practiced your presentation.

6.                             A rubrics is attached that shows what your grade will be based when you present your report.

Various Types of Music 

From the list below pick one type of music and bring a sample of the music for the class to listen to.  Also, do a little research into the background of the type of music you are bringing before presenting it to the class.  Along with this presentation, don’t forget to include your own opinion of the music.  This will also be shared during our dynamic picnic time for the parents and guardians.

Web site to visit:  www.accessplace.com/genres.htm

Types of music:

Blues

Bluegrass

Classical/Opera

Country

Easy Listening

Jazz

Pop

Rock

Soul/R & B

Soundtracks

Titles:

Come Back to Sorrento

Loochy the Murmurere

Lucia di Lammermoor

Onward Christian Solders

The Rosary

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

Dynamic Inquiry –

Picnic in Time Square  

Invitations will be sent out to parents or other relatives that would be interested in coming to a culminating activity when the students complete their projects for Cricket in Time Square.  During this fun celebration the students will share the projects that they did during our reading of the book.  The students will be graded on their presentations at this time which will have a rubric like the other projects they did.

Along with sharing their projects, the students will be responsible for bringing one food item from their family’s culture or their personal favorite item of food.  All these will be gathered for a buffet.

Blankets, sun screen, and picnic items will be necessary along with polite manners and smiling face.

Dear Parent or Guardian,

  Our class has been working on several projects connected with the book Cricket in Time Square.  As a culminating activity, your children are inviting you to a picnic at the school.  You are asked to bring a specialty item from your cultural background or one of your family’s favorite dish to share with the others attending.  Your children will be presenting some of the projects that they completed during our reading of the book.

Please plan to attend our fun event and enjoy seeing what exciting things the children have been doing in school.  We are all looking forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,