{"id":263,"date":"2008-09-15T19:49:11","date_gmt":"2008-09-16T00:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/archives\/263"},"modified":"2008-09-15T19:49:11","modified_gmt":"2008-09-16T00:49:11","slug":"teaching-life-science-with-childrens-literature-crafty-chameleon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/2008\/09\/15\/teaching-life-science-with-childrens-literature-crafty-chameleon\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: Crafty Chameleon"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Mwenye Hadithi's work, The Crafty Chameleon<\/a>, teaches two lessons focusing on bullies and the lifestyle of chameleons.\u00a0 Adrienne Kennaway, the illustrator, does a wonderful job with the artwork in this book.\u00a0 She brings every page to life,\u00a0giving the reader\u00a0the urge\u00a0to turn the page.<\/p>\n

The Crafty Chameleon<\/em> is the story of a chameleon that has had enough of certain animals in the forest that are not very considerate and take advantage of the animals that are smaller.\u00a0 The chameleon wants to teach the animals a lesson about being courteous and in the process shows the reader how he is able to disguise himself to infiltrate his plan.\u00a0 The chameleon wants the leopard and crocodile to realize that they are not allowed to treat others the way they have been treating him.\u00a0 After being bullied by both of the animals, the chameleon threatened to tie them up and pull them around the forest.\u00a0 The leopard and crocodile laughed and refuse to believe that the little chameleon could neither tie them up nor pull them.\u00a0 Later in the story, the leopard and crocodile's worst nightmare came true and the chameleon was able to do all of the above.\u00a0 When the chameleon finished "pulling" them around the two animals said, "I am sorry, Mr. Chameleon, I will never bother you again, I promise! Please let me go (29)." \u00a0This apology allowed Hadithi, the author, to get the main point of her work across as she brought the book to a close.\u00a0 "For brains are often better than strength or size (32)."\u00a0 Throughout the book, the Chameleon was one of the smallest animals in the forest and he was having problems with the larger animals.\u00a0 He was not as strong or as big, but he used his individual characteristics to his advantage.\u00a0 The chameleon changed his color to adapt to his surroundings in order to survive and out smart the two larger animals. \u00a0"\u20ac\u00a6But just in case the animals find out about the trick he played, he changes color and hides when he hears them coming (32)."\u00a0 This book has the potential to be a child's favorite book because of the pictures and the very comprehensible literature.<\/p>\n

Curriculum Connections<\/strong>
\nThe student will learn about the specific characteristics that certain animals possess.\u00a0 The chameleon's ability to change its color and blend into its background is something that other animals are not able to do.\u00a0 This aspect of the story connects directly with the science SOL 1.5b.<\/p>\n

Additional Activities:<\/strong><\/p>\n