Tops and Bottoms, by Janet Stevens, is a trickster tale that will capture the attention of young readers. Clever Hare solves his family’s problems by tricking Bear. Bear and Hare get involved in a gardening business where Hare’s tricks and hard work allow him to reap all the vegetable profits, while Lazy Bear sleeps through every planting season and doesn’t make any profits. Students will learn the value of hard work and doing things for yourself!
Bear is lazy. His father, being a smart business bear, gave Bear all his money and land, but all Bear wanted to do was sleep, all the time!
Hare lived down the road from Bear. He and his family were in very bad shape. Hare had lost a bet to a tortoise and had to sell his land to Bear to pay off his debt. They had no money and the children were starving, so Hare and his wife came up with a plan.
Hare went to see Bear, who was, of course, asleep. Hare said he and his family would plant, harvest, and do all the work on the farm, if they could use Bear’s field. Then when the crops were ready they would split it 50/50. With the condition that Bear would get the top half of everything, Bear agreed.
Bear went back to sleep and Hare and his family went to work. Harvest arrived, Hare woke up Bear and then he dug up the radishes, carrots, and beets. He pulled off all the tops and tossed them in a pile for Bear and the bottoms for himself. Bear knew he had been tricked; Hare had a wonderful pile of vegetables, while he had a pile of useless tops. He ordered Hare to plant again, this time he would get the bottoms and Hare would get the tops.
While Hare’s family worked planting the second round of crops, Bear slept. When it was time for the harvest, Hare woke up Bear. Hare piled up lettuce, broccoli, and celery for his pile and tossed the bottoms into Bear’s pile. Bear looked at his pile and was furious because he had been tricked again. He ordered Hare to plant the crops again but this time he would get the tops AND the bottoms.
Bear was asleep again while the Hare family planted, watered, and weeded the third round of crops. Harvest arrived and they brought in what they had planted, cornstalks. Hare pulled off the roots at the bottom and the tassels at the top, putting them in a pile for Bear. Then he collected the ears of corn in the middle and put them in his pile. Bear was really awake now and told Hare that he would plant his own crops from now on, so he could keep the tops, bottoms, and middles.
Bear never slept through another planting season, and Hare was able to buy his land back from Bear and open a vegetable stand. Bear and Hare learned to live happily as neighbors, but they never became business partners again.
Ieviesiet praktisku aktivitāti, izveidojot nelielu klases dārzu. Tas veicina skolēnu saikni ar stāsta tēmu par cītību un ļauj viņiem tieši redzēt, kā aug dārzeņu augšdaļas un apakšdaļas. Tas ir jautrs, sadarbību veicinošs veids, kā nostiprināt mācīto no grāmatas!
Izvēlieties dārzeņus, piemēram, burkānus, redīsus vai salātus, kas skaidri parāda augšdaļas un apakšdaļas. Piešķiriet skolēniem lomās kā stādītājiem, laistītājiem un ierakstu veicējiem, veicinot atbildību un komandas darbu. Katram skolēnam piešķirot uzdevumu, palielinās ieinteresētība un piederības sajūta.
Vadiet skolēnus, izpētot sēklas un stādus, un paredzēt, vai ēdīs augšdaļas, apakšdaļas vai abas. Izmantojiet to kā sarunas sākumu par augu daļām un saistiet ar Bear un Hare biznesa darījumiem.
Uzturiet vienkāršu diagrammu vai dienasgrāmatu, kurā skolēni reģistrē laistīšanu, saules gaismu un augšanu. Veiciniet pārdomas par to, kā viņu darbs ietekmē augus un saistiet to ar Hare neatlaidību stāstā.
Kad pienāks ražas novākšanas laiks, ļaujiet skolēniem nogaršot savus ražojumus un salīdzināt savus paredzējumus ar faktiskajiem rezultātiem. Izmantojiet šo mirkli, lai apspriestu, kā cītīgs darbs atmaksājas – tāpat kā Zaķis iemācījās!
Galvenā mācība grāmatā Tops and Bottoms ir tāda, ka cītīgs darbs un viltīga domāšana nes panākumus, bet slinkums noved pie iztrūkstošām iespējām. Skolēni apgūst, cik svarīgi ir darīt lietas pašiem, nevis paļauties uz citiem.
Izmanto aktivitātes, piemēram, stāstu veidošanu, salīdzinot Zaķa raksturu dažādās stāstos, un pētot, kā aug dārzeņi. Šīs praktiskās pieejas padara mācīšanos aizraujošu un palīdz efektīvi izprast stāsta ziņojumus.
Jautras aktivitātes ietver stāstu panelu veidošanu, notikumu ilustrēšanu no Zaķa skatu punkta, piemēru sniegšanu par Zaķa viltību un salīdzināšanu ar Žurkas un Zaķa. Šīs aktivitātes veicina radošumu un kritisko domāšanu.
Darīt lietas pašam ir svarīgi, jo tas māca atbildību un nodrošina, ka gūsti labumu no saviem pūliņiem. Stāstā, Mednieka atkarība no Zaķa noved pie vilšanās, bet Zaķa iniciatīva palīdz ģimenei gūt panākumus.
Zaķis ir viltīgs un darbīgs, risinot problēmas un palīdzot ģimenei ar pūlēm un plānošanu. Mednis ir slinks un zaudē atlīdzību, jo paļaujas uz citiem un guļ laikā, kad tiek sēts dārzeņi.