A Grand Old Tree

 

Written and Illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma

Summary: This book presents the story of a tree’s life, with the tree as the main character.  The author uses strong verbs, along with fantastic illustrations, to share the life cycle of the tree.

Mini-Lesson: Sequence

This book provides a natural connection to story sequence, using a personified tree as the main character. Create a timeline of the tree’s life, showing the connection between the life cycle of the tree and the sequence of a fictional story.

Mini-Lesson: Expanding Vocabulary - Verbs

Create a list of the verbs used in the book.  Engage students in a discussion about the definitions of the verbs. This activity could also extend to creating lists of synonyms or antonyms.