Activity
How I Met My Monster, book 3: Note taking and writing
What are the rules for the monsters lurking under your bed?
In the shadowy realms of Amanda Noll’s haunting series, the first book, I Need My Monster, beckons readers to peer into the chilling depths where nightmares dwell, lurking just beyond the page. Accompanying this eerie tale, ominous note taking and writing activities reveal the twisted characteristics of these sinister creatures that feed on fear. The second book, Hey, That’s My Monster!, offers yet another spine-tingling chance to sharpen those note taking skills, as shadows flit across the walls and whispers echo in the dark. With the third book, How I Met My Monster, the note taking format transforms into a chilling game of survival: students must answer haunting questions as they listen, knowing that every scribbled word could summon the very monsters they dread.
Resources
How I Met My Monster
One night, when Ethan reaches under his bed for a toy truck, he finds this note instead: “Monsters! Meet here for final test.” Ethan is sure his parents are trying to trick him into staying under the covers, until he sees five colorful sets of eyes blinking at him from beneath the bed. Soon, a colorful parade of quirky, squeaky little monsters compete to become Ethan’s monster. But only the little green monster, Gabe, has the perfect blend of stomach-rumbling and snorting needed to get Ethan into bed and keep him there so he falls asleep—which as everyone knows, is the real reason for monsters under beds.
How I Met My Monster StoryLine YouTube video:
Resources
- How I Met My Monster (Bookshare)
- How I Met My Monster (Amazon)
- How I Met My Monster Teacher’s Guide (by StoryLine Online)
Note taking activity
In the shadowy depths of the previous monster tomes, students honed their note-taking skills, etching a list of names of dread creatures alongside their chilling traits. As this new story unfolds, students are urged to capture these names and at least one unsettling characteristic or a haunting detail about each monster.
Be Warned: The characteristics can only be taken from the words in the book and not from the illustrations.
When the ominous five rules are whispered, students must listen closely, for the air thickens with tension. Replay the tale, but with a sinister twist—speeding up the audio, distorting the words into a frantic rush, like the heartbeat of a creature lurking just beyond the flickering light. Mastering this eerie skill of listening to an increased speech rate might just grant students tech super powers!
With each story, increase the speed of the YouTube video, – especially if reading the story twice! Select Settings and change the playback speed to 1.75 or higher!
Monsters in this story: Mr. Zee, Genghis, Gabe, Morgan and Abigail.
Discussion
- What role did Mr. Zee play?
- Three monsters did not scare Ethan. Name these three monsters and describe what they did and why they were not scary.
- Ethan thought one monster was scary. Name that monster and describe why this monster was scary!
- How did Rule #5 impact the story?
Writing activity
Can you write the next story in the sequence? What mischief does Gabe or his monster friends get into next? Keep in mind that this book series was created to take away a child’s fear of monsters lurking under the bed. Can you create the next monster story with a purpose? Examples:
- Encourage kids to clean up their rooms. Prompt: Instead of staying under the bed, the monster eats Ethan’s clothes that he left on the floor.
- Create a monster story that would encourage kids to brush their teeth or wash their hands.
- Think about something that you or other kids are scared of. Can you create a monster and write a story where the monster helps the child in a positive way?
Resources
- I Need My Monster, book 1: Note taking
- Hey, That’s My Monster! Book 2: Note taking and writing
- Make your own monster: Play dough activity and story telling
- Build a Monster online game: Low vision
- Monster: Note taking skills
- Monster: Note taking skills part 2
- Early elementary: Tactile pictures and drawing, engaging student in literacy activities, part 2
By Diane Brauner
Back to Paths to Technology’s Home page
