Teacher Tips

 

 

 

 The Great Fuzz Frenzy Pumpkin South Bosque Elementary, Waco, TX

     

1.  Making connections

  • Have students read the golden retriever's dog tag:  VIOLET

  • Find Violet in 2 other books by Janet and Susan

     

 

2.  Science / Nature

Have students study real prairie dogs and compare to the prairie dogs in this book:

  • geographic location

  • habitat

  • behavior

  • language

  • predators

Why are they called Prairie Dogs?

3.  Circular Story

After studying the final end papers with Violet and the orange tennis ball, have students write a sequel to The Great Fuzz Frenzy. 

 

4.  Creative Fun

  • Give students some lime green yarn, material, or real tennis ball fuzz and a pre-cut brown prairie dog cut-out and have them decorate their dog

  • Have students name their dog and write a story

 

 

.

5.  Language

  • alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words

  • onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it represents

  • anaphora is repetition of a word at the beginning of a clause, line, or sentence

  • Simile is the comparison of two unlike things using like or as.

6.  Big Bark's Rodent Talk

     Since Prairie Dogs are rodents, Big Bark talks in "rodent talk."  Find all references he makes to rodents.