So often we read Jan Brett books in the winter, but she has so many great books to read year round. Mossy is a great Jan Brett book to read to your students in the spring. We love her use of rich vocabulary and detailed illustrations. Students are sure to love this imaginative story about a very unique turtle. This book is great for teaching visualizing, setting and descriptive writing. - Jodi and the Starts With a Story Team
SUMMARY
Mossy is a turtle that lives in Lilypad Pond. She is a special turtle because a garden grows on her back. There are flowers, plants, and berries that grow on her shell making her look unique and beautiful. One day, Mossy runs into another turtle, Scoot and the two are amazed by one another. However, before they can get close, Dr. Carolina scoops Mossy up.
Dr. Carolina owns a museum nearby. She and her niece Tory were taking a walk when they noticed Mossy and Dr. Carolina thought she would be perfect for the museum. Mossy becomes a popular attraction at the museum, but Tory notices Mossy seems sad. When Tory’s class visits the museum the classmates wonder if Mossy has friends. This gives Dr. Carolina the idea to have a portrait made of Mossy for everyone to see. This allows them to return Mossy to the pond where she reunites with Scoot.
USE THIS BOOK TO TEACH:
Jan Brett books are great for a wide range of grade levels because they lend themselves to teaching many different skills. They can be used as a mentor text for reading comprehension and writing skills. We also encourage teachers to use her books as an opportunity to add social emotional learning to your lesson plans.
- Read the story without showing the pictures and have students practice their visualization skills.
- Examine the cause and effect of actions taken throughout the book.
- Ask students to write their own descriptive paragraphs about the character.
- Integrate opinion writing by having students write their thoughts on Mossy’s time in the museum.
- Teach students about shades of meaning using examples from the book.
- Practice using compound words and action verbs.
- Teach students about showing compassion.
NO-PREP PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES:
If you are looking for “ready to go” activities for the first day of school, be sure to check out the book companion. With it you’ll receive all of the following resources to align with this specific book:
- comprehension questions
- 30 writing prompts with themed paper
- vocabulary activities
- word study print & go activities
- ideas for grammar lessons with focus sentence printables
- social emotional learning discussion topics
- graphic organizers to target specific comprehension skills and strategies
Chances are, you might not have heard of this book before. The good news is, you can teach it right away with these printable lessons and activities. We’ve created these activities to be used across a range of elementary grade levels so they are great for differentiation too!
ADDITIONAL BOOK SUGGESTIONS
You and your students will also love these similar books:
- Hedgieβs Surprise by Jan Brett
- The Mitten by Jan Brett
- Alfie by Thyra Heder
- Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Denene Millner
TRY OUT A SAMPLE COMPANION
It's hard to explain how amazing the Starts with a Story book companions are because there is just so much goodness included in each one. It's best if you experience using one for yourself. Sign up below & we'll send you an entire book companion to try out for FREE!
