Lillian Said:

how can i turn annie leibovitz's work into an art type project for school? (for mostly children)?

We Answered:

you can turn it with words.

Ricky Said:

What are some interesting American icons, places, people, or history?

We Answered:

Well it depends on how old they are.

If they're gifted you could talk about the relation between:

Elvis and Civil Rights

The Founding Fathers and their relationship with their Slaves and Women

Columbus and the exploitation of Native Americans

Ford/Carnegie and the assembly line and unions

Mark Twain's Huckelberry Finn and Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin and Slaves...particularly Twain

Also, on a side note for significant American poetry/music for younger people:

Maya Angelou's poetry...and Langston Hughes

Gershwin's Music, Blues Music

Also I'd encourage adding Women's Suffrage

Agnes Said:

Any good Activities or Lesson Plans for Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler's Gruffalo or Gruffalo's Child?

We Answered:

The official site:
http://www.gruffalo.com/

A great literacy-drama lesson plan:
http://tre.ngfl.gov.uk/uploads/materials…

Donald Said:

Do you know some interesting American icons, places, people, or history?

We Answered:

I do not teach elementary, so forgive me if this is too advanced.

If you go to http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/06…
you will find a list of 32 American icons.

Could you present your students with a list of American heroes/heroines/icons and allow them to choose one? Then throughout the year, students could learn bits and pieces about their icon and present it or share it with the class. For example: first the kids could learn where they were born and do a little research on that state/town. They could then share that info with the class or start a diary as that person, using the information they learned. This could continue all year, until the end where students could come into class dressed as their icon.

The goal would be that the student would not only learn a lot about their person and his/her impact, but would learn about other icons from their classmates. Because you would have all genres represented, you would include geography, history, literature, art, etc.

Good luck!