The Salamander Room- Lesson Idea

[Jennifer Berryhill Carroll]

My second and third graders read The Salamander Room by Ann Mazer. It's a wonderful book about a boy who finds a salamander in the woods and uses his imagination to think of the things he can do to turn his room into a home for the salamander. The books goes through the changes that takes place so the boy can provide the best environment for this amphibian. I think it's the perfect read for Earth Day. I had the students think of an animal they would like to bring home. They created a poem and illustration using the following format based on the style of the book. We discussed the importance of leaving animals in their original environment and the affects of taking animals away from their homes. Students learned that we can always use our imagination to "bring" animals home!

The _____ Room
I found a _______ in ________.
The _______ was _____ and _____.
"Come home with me!" I said.
I will _____________.
I will bring you __________ to eat.
You can play with _____________.
We will sleep __________.