Project Choices for
The 21 Balloons
21 Balloons Project Selections
W - Newspaper (20)
Create a newspaper for your book. Summarize the plot in one article, cover the weather
in another, do a featured story on one or the more important characters in another.
Include at least two ads that would be pertinent to the story and one picture about the
story.
Up, Up, and Away! (20)
Using 3 or more online and offline resources about air flight and prepare a poster or
use technology such as Power Point or Prezi to share the information with the class.
Include information about the following topics:
I. History of Balloons
II. Kinds of Balloons
III. Uses for Balloons
A Unique Room (20)
The families of Krakatoa used their creative and inventive abilities to make their homes
magnificent. Some shelters were copies of famous homes, such as Mt. Vernon. Some
rooms were wildly imaginative and inventive. Whatever style the families chose, they
had all the wealth necessary to make their visions a reality.
Be inventive and create a unique room for yourself. Consider the type of inventions you
would want in this room. Using detailed pictures and descriptions explain the different
parts of your room.
W - Second Adventure (20)
Professor Sherman informs his audience at the end of his tale that he will be using his
diamond to finance a second attempt at a year of solitude up in a hot air balloon. Create
the next adventure of Professor Sherman and his second hot air balloon, “Globe the
Second.” Write a brief outline or synopsis of your story line including the main story
elements. You need not write the entire story. Briefly describe the setting, characters,
problem (plot) that must be solved and how the character(s) will solve the problem.
Remember to include as much absolute nonsense as possible! Include a cover design for
your story.
21 Balloons Project Selections
W - Character Description (10)
Write a description of one of the characters in the book. The description should be at
least three paragraphs long and contain information on both the physical appearances
of the character as well as character traits. Specific examples from the story must be
used to support your description. Draw a colored portrait of the character to
accompany the description.
Board Game (10)
There were many interesting characters and events in the story The 21 Balloons. Use
those characters and events to create a board game for your class to play. Be sure to
include facts and information from the book.
Design a Balloon (10)
Professor Sherman and the Krakatoans were fascinated with hot-air balloons and how
they worked. Today these balloons are used for scientific experiments as well as for
recreational purposes. Using the information provided by the author, along other
resources in your library, design your own recreational hot air balloon. Make your
design colorful. You might want to find information about hot air balloon shows to
add to your design. Provide a brief explanation of how a hot air balloon works.
W - Absurd and Fantastic (10)
The Twenty-One Balloons won the Newbery Medal in 1948 and has been in print ever
since. Its widespread popularity won it much praise. The Horn Book said that William
Pène du Bois had “rich imagination, scientific tastes, and brilliant artistry to tell a
story that has no age limit.” Provide evidence from the story to support this
statement. Use the following questions/statements to guide your response:
- What are some characters or events which are “absurd and fantastic?”
- Discuss the illustrations
- How are the principles of flight described throughout the book?
- Why some people might call this book science fiction?
21 Balloons Project Selections
Krakatoa (10)
Professor Sherman shared many interesting stories about his time on Krakatoa. Use a
variety of resources to research Krakatoa. Find, list, and explain ten facts and share the
facts in an interesting way (poster, Power Point, Prezi)..
Krakatoan (10)
We met many interesting characters throughout the book The 21 Balloons. Choose one
character and dress up like them as you share information about your house, inventions,
and food with your peers
21 Balloons Project Selections
W - The Quest Theme (5)
Most fantasy stories feature characters who leave home and experience an adventure
or series of adventures. These two aspects of fantasy — separation and initiation —
signal that the theme of the book is based on a quest. Write about another story which
has this theme using the following questions as a guide:
1. Which character(s) left home?
2. What was the purpose of the quest?
3. What kind(s) of adventures or challenges did the character(s) experience during the
quest?
4. Did the character(s) succeed in the quest? Explain your answer.
Around the World (5)
Professor Sherman went around the world in forty days! Using a world map, make a
map of the story events and the route that Professor Sherman took to accomplish this
feat. Use symbols to show the mode of travel he used between his starting and ending
points. For example, you can use tiny balloons to mark his balloon route. Label his two
landings: Krakatoa and the Atlantic Ocean. Be sure to label the continents and bodies
of water that he traveled over or on.
W - Dear Professor Sherman (5)
The last family to leave the balloon life raft was the “F” family, to whom Professor
Sherman had become very close during his stay on Krakatoa. Imagine that you are F-1
or F-2, the boy or girl in the family, and want to see Professor Sherman. You invite him to
visit your family in Belgium. Start your letter with “Dear Professor Sherman.” In the letter
you might tell the professor how you and your family miss him and what kind of
reception you received when you landed in Belgium. You might also try to persuade
Professor Sherman to join you and your family on a new adventure in a hot air balloon.
Current Events (5)
Hot air balloons were very popular during the period of 1860-1890. In recent years, the
interest in ballooning has increased. In 1963, the U.S. National Hot-Air Championships
were established. You may find records of balloon flights in almanacs, books of facts,
and The Guinness Book of World Records. Design a poster commemorating an
upcoming hot-air balloon championship. It may be a collage or drawing depicting the
sport of ballooning.
21 Balloons Project Selections
Welcome Song (5)
Professor Sherman received quite the welcome when he arrived in San Francisco.
Imagine you were asked to write a song which was to be performed during this
welcoming ceremony. Be sure to include important information from the story in your
song.
W - Diary Entries (5)
Many interesting events occurred throughout the story The 21 Balloons. Pretend you are
one of the characters and write at least 3 diary entries recounting your experiences on
or off the island. Some examples may be:
-
A child on Krakatoa talking about their daily life or special days
Mr. F or any other family during their first few days/weeks on the island
Any of the families after landing in India or the F family after landing in Belgium