Reading The Grinch in upper elementary is a must. You’d be surprised how many kids have not read the book before, just watched the movie. The book is full of great figurative language and reading comprehension! Have a “Grinch Day” in your classroom and do these simple activities!
Read the Book & Watch the Movie (or the short version)
Well, this goes without saying, but read the book first thing to start your day!
You could watch the movie or this short version on YouTube sometime throughout your day too!
Compare and Contrast
Writing compare and contrast essays is a huge part of upper elementary! Guess what?! You can write a compare and contrast essay with The Grinch. You can do this two ways. One, you can read the book and write an essay comparing and contrasting it to the movie. Or you can read the book and compare and contrast Cindy Lou and the Grinch. Either way, you are getting a ton of content practice!
Plus you can get even more comparing and contrasting practice using this free resource! There are two close reads that relate to The Grinch. The kiddos can read them and then make a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting them.
Vocabulary
The figurative language and vocabulary in The Grinch are HUGE! There is so much to dive into!
Grab this freebie to have students look at the different vocabulary words in the book!
You could also have them searching for different types of figurative language throughout the book as you read!
Add Green Elements for Engagement
The day before Grinch Day, tell your students to wear green tomorrow, but don’t tell them why. This adds excitement to your day!
Throw some green streamers or green paper on your door to add even more excitement.
Then, let your kids write in green utensils for any work you do all day. Easy and free engagement.
Directed Drawing with Writing
For writing time you could have your kids writing the compare and contrast essays that are mentioned above. Or you could do a how-to writing on how to make the Grinch smile. Either way, it is an easy writing lesson.
Want to make the writing more engaging and look better?!
Extra Fun Ideas
Here is a quick list of some extra fun ideas I have found online.
Hannah Wilde
I am so glad you’re here! I love helping 3rd-5th grade teachers by providing ideas, engaging resources, and professional development they need. I am a literacy coach who is here to help lessen the workload for teachers while making them more confident! I want students to be continually engaged in a rigorous environment!