Here you’ll find a variety of lesson plans, with one for each age group. Feel free to mix and match the activities that work best for your students. There’s also an alternative lesson plan at the end for even more flexibility.
Note the Optional Q&A won't be available until after the live interview with the author.
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Pre-K Lesson Plan (Ages 3-4)
Learning Objectives
Recognize that books are special places for stories and learning.
Practice fine motor skills through creative art activities.
Express personal interests in specific story themes.
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (35 minutes)
(10 mins) Opening Circle and Discussion. Gather students and ask them about their favorite things to do. Use these open-ended questions to connect to the theme: What do you think lives inside a book? If you could go on a big adventure anywhere, where would you go? How do you feel when someone reads a story to you? What kind of things do you like to learn about?
(10 mins) Watch the read along video and listen to the story. Encourage students to wiggle like Benjamin whenever they hear his name.
(15 mins) Crafting Benjamin's Home. Provide students with construction paper and yarn. Have them draw a library or a bookshelf and glue their 'worm' (yarn or gummy) onto the page. Ask them to describe what their worm is reading about.
Kindergarten Lesson Plan - Age 5
Learning Objectives
Identify the character's motivation and the obstacles he faces.
Connect the concept of persistence to personal experiences.
Demonstrate understanding of the library's role in a community.
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (40 minutes + 20 minutes optional Q&A)
(10 mins) Introduction to Persistence. Discuss the idea of trying hard even when things are difficult. Ask the following questions: What is something that was hard for you to learn at first? How did you feel when you finally did it? Why do you think someone might go on a long journey to find a book? What makes a book feel like a treasure?
(15 mins) Watch the read along video and follow Benjamin's journey. Pause briefly when he faces an obstacle (like the cat) to ask what he might do next.
(15 mins) My Adventure Map. Have students draw a map of Benjamin's journey from the garden to the library, including the obstacles. Have them share one way Benjamin was brave.
(20 mins) Watch the author's Q&A interview video. Lead a discussion prompting students to come up with new questions they would like to ask the author. Example questions to start: 'What inspired you to write this?', 'How did you choose the characters?'
1st Grade Lesson Plan - Age 6
Learning Objectives
Analyze how character traits help resolve conflicts in a story.
Understand the sequence of events in a narrative arc.
Visualize and describe a 'magical' library setting.
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (45 minutes + 20 minutes optional Q&A)
(10 mins) Prediction and Theme Discussion. Talk about the value of curiosity. Ask students: If you had a library with every book in the world, what would you look for first? Why is it important to keep asking questions? What do you think a 'bookworm' actually does in a story? How can stories help us see the world differently?
(15 mins) Watch the read along video. Instruct students to look for the 'secret' the librarian shares at the end.
(20 mins) Writing Activity: The Infinite Library. Ask students to write two sentences about what Benjamin finds after the story ends. What is the place bigger than he imagined? Have them illustrate their ideas.
(20 mins) Watch the author's Q&A interview video. Lead a discussion prompting students to come up with new questions they would like to ask the author. Example questions to start: 'What inspired you to write this?', 'How did you choose the characters?'
2nd Grade Lesson Plan - Age 7
Learning Objectives
Evaluate the theme of lifelong learning and curiosity.
Create an original ending or 'next chapter' for Benjamin.
Compare and contrast Benjamin with traditional worm characters.
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (50 minutes + 20 minutes optional Q&A)
(10 mins) Pre-reading Concept Discussion. Explore the concept of 'unlimited' resources. Ask students: Is it possible to learn everything there is to know? Why or why not? What would happen if a library actually ran out of books? How can one person's dream change the people around them? What does 'imagination' mean to you?
(15 mins) Watch the read along video. Focus on the transition from the garden to the library and Benjamin's interactions with the cat and macaw.
(25 mins) Interactive Story Extension. Divide students into pairs. Have them act out a scene where Benjamin discovers a new 'magical place' mentioned by the librarian. Then, have each student write a 'Review' of Benjamin's bravery on an index card to post on a 'Classroom Library Wall'.
(20 mins) Watch the author's Q&A interview video. Lead a discussion prompting students to come up with new questions they would like to ask the author. Example questions to start: 'What inspired you to write this?', 'How did you choose the characters?'
Alternative Lesson Plan - Ages 3 - 7
Learning Objectives
Engage in active listening and narrative comprehension.
Develop social-emotional skills through character empathy.
Identify different types of books and their purposes.
Materials
Book and/or Read Along Video
Procedure (40 minutes)
(10 mins) Thematic Warm-up. Engage the children in a talk about searching for things they love. Ask: Have you ever looked really hard for a favorite toy? How did it feel when you found it? What is your favorite story to hear before bed? If you were a tiny worm, what would look very big to you?
(15 mins) Watch the read along video together. Encourage children to cheer for Benjamin when he reaches the library.
(15 mins) My Dream Library Collage. Have students cut out pictures from old magazines of things they would like to read about (animals, space, cars) and glue them onto a 'bookshelf' page. Ask each child to name one 'story' they included in their library.