Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Lesson plans and teaching resources

This lesson describes how to use selected fiction and nonfiction literature and careful questioning techniques to help students identify factual information about animals. Children first identify possible factual information from works of fiction which are read aloud, then they listen to read-alouds of nonfiction texts to identify and confirm factual information. This lesson is designed for grades K-2.

Build prior knowledge with these worksheets and other activities.

This page begins with a report of an unusual bat phenomenon in Texas and then lists possible bat-related activities.

A great resource on bats to support reading Stellaluna .

This site from NASA uses an interactive story to help children learn about bats, their habits and habitats.

Students work in pairs to read introductory passages from several fiction texts and rate them for effectiveness. Then, the teacher guides the class in categorizing their favorite "hooks" according to the author's strategy (e.g., question, exaggeration, exclamation, description). Strategies and examples serve as resources for students' own writing, and students can then explore how the same story can be introduced in different ways. For the final part of this lesson, students write a variety of hooks for one story topic, using the interactive Flip Book (included on site) to publish their work. This lesson is designed for grades 3-5.

Informative/expository writing prompt. Students choose an animal and tell about it. Could serve as pre-reading or extension activity. 1 page; Adobe Reader required.

Students begin their inquiry by comparing fiction and nonfiction books about animals, using a Venn diagram. They list things they want to know about animals on a chart. As a class, students vote on an animal to research. They revise their question list, and then research the animal using prompts from an online graphic organizer. After several sessions of research, students revisit their original questions and evaluate the information they have gathered. Finally, students revise and edit their work and prepare to present their findings to an authentic audience. This lesson is designed for grades K-2.

This document includes target words to practice articulation/pronunciation, vocabulary, comprehension questions, practice with figurative language, and some followup craft activities. Access requires Adobe Reader.

Students make predictions about the story Verdi , based on the cover. After hearing the story they will make a new list of descriptions, personality traits, etc. Students will select an animal and write a narrative story about the animal.

A downloadable video of actor Pamela Reed reading the story aloud and The video runs about 11 minutes and resides at YouTube. The handout requires Adobe Reader for access.

Click on the link within the blog post for a lesson on fact vs. fantasy. Word processor required for access.

6 sets of discussion questions covering different aspects of the book.

In addition to a 10-question trivia quiz (and answers), this packet includes 4 printable coloring sheets. 6 pages; Adobe Reader required.

Learning activities for language arts, science, social studies, and math, with emphasis on language arts. Word Wall words, printable handouts, writing prompts, comparison/contrast, classification practice, and ideas for Bat Day. 23 pages; Adobe Reader required.

A printable bat outline with lines for student writing.

Pre/post-reading with KWL chart about bats, writing and science suggestions.