Unit Activities for the Book, Ramona and Her Father

Ramona and Her Father is a Newberry Honor Book, and my personal favorite in the Ramona collection. I remember reading this book as a child and being comforted that even though things didn't always go the way Ramona wanted them to (her father lost his job, tried to quit smoking, and her mother had to go to work full-time), her family still loved each other and life turned out okay. My children have been equally enchanted by this book, and out of all of the wonderful Ramona stories, Ramona and Her Father has a certain realism and charm that will appeal to elementary readers.

This particular book is full of life lessons, and many activities can be completed in the classroom to coincide with the reading of this story. Whether you want to complete a few Ramona and Her Father lesson plans or a whole Ramona and Her Father unit, students will have fun with these creative activities that teach everything from art to science and help the story come alive in a whole new way.

Jack-O-Lantern
Jack-O-Lanterns are a lot of fun for kids to create, so why not complete this fun activity in your classroom? In Chapter 3, The Night of the Jack-O-Lantern, the Quimbys create a fantastic face on their giant pumpkin, which is eventually eaten by their cat, Picky-picky. Part of the fun is that both Ramona and her sister, Beezus, have a hand in the design, and Mr. Quimby uses his excellent carving skills to bring it to life. Your students can create a similar project with paper. Simply cut out a large, orange paper pumpkin for each child, give them black paper, and allow them to design, draw, cut out, and paste facial parts on their very own Jack-O-Lantern. If you wish, you could hold a contest and the winning design could be carved into an actual pumpkin for the classroom. If you're reading this book in the fall, this project is also an excellent way to decorate the classroom.

No Smoking Posters
One of the most realistic elements of this book, which is not really found in modern-day chapter books, is that everyone, even the adults, struggle. And Mr. Quimby's struggle is that he smokes. When Ramona learns about the dangers of smoking from Beezus in Chapter 3, she and her sister persist in making anti-smoking posters to hang around their house in Chapter 4, Ramona to the Rescue. This theme in the book lends itself to an excellent health and science lesson on not smoking and taking care of our bodies. Encourage your class to make their own "healthy living" posters, whether they are anti-smoking, or pro-healthy diet and exercise. You can choose all kinds of health and environmental issues to discuss and make posters about; hang them around the classroom or even around the school to spread the message about a healthy lifestyle.

The Longest Picture in the World
Perhaps my very favorite Ramona moment of all time is when she and her father draw the "longest picture in the world" at the end of Chapter 4. Ramona wants to do something important, so she and her father decide to roll out a long piece of shelf paper and draw the entire state of Oregon, where they live. Your class can complete this fun art project by tying it into a Social Studies lesson about your own city or town. Encourage each child to choose a favorite landmark, from his own house to the police station, firehouse, lake, mountain, statue, or favorite store. Roll out a long piece of paper and invite small groups of students to add to the picture. When it's done, label each landmark and hang it on the wall to remind your students about the community in which they live.

Interview a Friend or Family Member
In Chapter 5, Beezus's Creative Writing, Beezus must interview an old person for school, finding out what they did when they were young. She and Ramona pay a visit to an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Swink, and learn all sorts of interesting things about her childhood. This project is wonderful for children, as learning about older friends, neighbors, and family members can yield fascinating results. Not only does this make a wonderful English project in which students can hone their writing skills, it's also a good Social Studies lesson on local history. Depending on the ages and abilities of your students, you can either have them write their own questions or come up with questions as a class and have everyone conduct their interviews with the person of their choice. It may also be fun to invite a faculty member, such as the principal, to answer your questions and give a brief history about the school and town. The lesson can wrap up by letting each child share the results, and even compiling their interviews into a class book to be read and shared.

Tin Can Stilts
When Beezus interviews their neighbor, Mrs. Swink, in Chapter 5, Ramona tags along and learns about the fascinating activity of make-your-own tin can stilts. This wonderfully noisy game is played with homemade stilts made out of large tin cans, like coffee cans, with holes punched in them and twine looped through to hold onto. Children walk on the cans by holding the twine to lift them up, one at a time, and walk forward. While you can purchase plastic versions in many educational toy catalogs, making your own is something that children will find to be a lot of fun. Whether you choose to make a few pairs for the class to share or allow each child to make his own, students will have a great time clanking around the playground on their very own tin can stilts, just like Ramona.

Animal Masks
At the end of Ramona and Her Father, the last two chapters describe Ramona's disappointment at having a less-than-perfect sheep costume for the annual church Christmas pageant. Through her sadness in her inferior costume, she is cheered up by some older girls who paint her nose to look like a sheep's and tell her how cute she is. Allow your students to design their own animal masks to dress up like the creature of their choosing. Have them draw their designs on white cardstock, color them, cut out eye holes, and attach elastic twine around the back so that they can wear them. The students will be feel special dressed as their favorite animals and have fun with this art project. If you want to turn this into an extended science lesson, the students can learn facts about their chosen animal to share with the class.