Robert Munsch Journal

• Introduction
• Learners
• Standards
• Process
• Resources


• Student Page

by Nancy Araujo, Western University

Teacher Introduction

This assignment focuses on the concept development of character, setting, problem, resolution, and fiction. Students are to choose their favourite Robert Munsch book and create a Journal that will be shared with a friend. Students also complete a Wanted Poster of the main character of their book.

I chose Robert Munsch because it is important to expose students to Canadian authors and their texts. Also, Robert Munsch does several appearances in the area. His next storytelling is January 18 at Kitchener's Centre in the Square. This provides students with a meaningful purpose in which to complete the assignment.

Students also need an audience. Once complete, students will share their journals and Wanted Posters with a friend. This meets the oral component of the Language Arts program.

I value choice and although I have provided the context and framework for the assignment, students are able to choose the book they would like to research. This is particularly important for boys, who are generally reluctant readers. After all, the purpose of this assignment is to develop an interest in reading and books. In order to further interest boys, a similar assignment could be done on genre (such as science fiction), or non-fiction (such as biographies).

This assignment also allows students to reflect on the book. Students will construct their own meaning from the text in the sharing component of this assignment. Students will be encouraged to explore their thoughts and feelings on the text with a set of propsed questions (in Step 6).