This is written by Suzy Red and can be sung to "Oh My Darling Clementine."

To find the main idea,
To find the main idea,
I read the passage through!
I circle words that say
To look for main idea,
Then circle topic too!

I find the topic first,
Important details next,
And then the main idea 
Is mine!

Here's some activities we've used after reading the story:

Compare A. Wolf with a real wolf. We used a venn diagram.
(Find one here: www.teachnology.com )
On one space we wrote characteristics of real wolves (shy, hunt in packs, etc.) In another space we wrote characteristics of A. Wolf (wore clothes, talked, lived in a house). In the middle you can write characteristics they both have (fur).

Color and label a picture of a wolf.

Try to make a (very) small house with a handful of straw and a handful of twigs. Were they sturdy? Is this good building material? Were the pigs smart to use this?

Color and label a picture of a pig.
Do a venn diagram on the pigs in the book and real pigs.

Make cupcakes (like A. Wolf was supposedly making a birthday cake for his granny.)

Discuss how we could tell A. Wolf was not always telling the truth in the story.

Read the original version of The Three Little Pigs. How is it different from A. Wolf's story?

Here are some  ideas to accompany the reading of A Cricket In Times Square.

1. Use a computer printout to label the parts of a cricket

2.Create a Character book for all the characters introduced in each chapter. Draw a picture of what you think they look like and write 1 -2 sentences describing them.

3. Create a pen and ink drawing imitating the style of illustration used in the book.

4. Mark key places on a printed world or country map

5. Ideas for bird migration: create a bird shaped mini book and color a bird picture. Write a short explanation for what migration is.

6. Essay writing on the computer - Imagine you are lost in a strange place. What would you do?

7. Look at germs on our hands using a microscope. Draw around hands on brightly coloured paper, then on each finger write 1 rule for good hygiene. Cut out hand shapes and paste on black paper.