I Am Every Good Thing: introspection for elementary/middle schoolers

 

I Am Every Good Thing is a picture book written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James.  This is a book that is poem set to paintings.  Everyone who reads it can find a connection and be able to discuss that with others.  I had the privilege of hearing Barnes read this book aloud and it was a delight.  I knew that I wanted to use this book with my students so I ordered it immediately for our school library.  The book circulated on its own merit, however, I am looking forward to using it next year in a library lesson for every grade in my school as a whole school read and even share it with families.

First, I present the cover and ask students what they predict it will be about.  Then I share the slide that shows the awards the book has won and show the video of Barnes talking about why he made this story:

While students listen to the book, I will ask them to think about how they relate to the boy in the book's reasons for being every good thing.

After reading the story aloud I will review with the students what Barnes focused on in each verse of his poem and ask them to consider if this is something that they connect with or not.

Next, depending on the age level of your students you can have them respond in a number of ways:

• Choose one slide to draw a picture of yourself and how you relate to the topic
• Use a Flipgrid topic to post your connection to the book.
• Create a stop-motion animation clip of an example of how you are every good thing.
• Design a PicCollage EDU page where you include a selfie & words to describe how you're every good thing, too.
• Make a book using drawings, cutout pictures or words from magazines, that show how you're every good thing. (This could be done electronically on Seesaw, too.)
• Write a poem like Barnes to give examples of how you are like the boy in the book.
• Add your name to a graffiti wall (butcher block paper or a whiteboard) and add symbols that show how you relate to the boy in the book.

You can post these, send them home with students, have them exchange with other classes and write pen pal letters back and forth about what students chose to share.  

I predict that I will span this lesson over several class periods so to refresh the class on the book without reading it aloud again I will show the book trailer:

If you have additional ideas on how to use this book with readers, please comment below!