MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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WRITING TOOLS
Similes and alliteration are writing tools.
A simile is a comparison of two things using the words “like” or “as.” It
helps us look at things in a new way.
Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sound of neighboring words.
It makes words fun to read and links them together with a common sound.
How many examples of similes and alliteration can you find in MY BLUE
IS HAPPY? Use the chart below to list them. Circle the sounds that are repeated.
Color
Orange
Simile
fun like a bouncing basketball
Alliteration
bouncing basketball
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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ANTONYMS
Antonyms are opposites. Adjectives are words that describe things.
How many examples of antonyms can you find in MY BLUE IS HAPPY?
Read the book and find adjectives, then think of their antonyms or opposites
and write them in the chart below.
Adjective
light
Antonym
dark
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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SONGS WITH SIMILES
& MUSICAL METAPHORS
Have you ever heard a song that uses similes and metaphors? When you
recognize these writing tools, you’ll find them in many popular lyrics. Songs like
“Like a Rolling Stone” (Bob Dylan) and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Simon &
Garfunkel) use similes, and songs like “Love is a Battlefield” (Pat Benetar), “Love
is a Rose” (Neil Young), “I Am a Rock” (Simon & Garfunkel), and “Hound Dog”
(Elvis Presley) use metaphors.
What popular songs can you think of that use these literary devices? List
them below.
Song title:
Simile or metaphor:
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS
List things authors do in the left circle and things illustrators do in the right circle.
Write things they BOTH do in the middle where the circles overlap.
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
COMPARE & CONTRAST
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
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MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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SHOW YOUR COLORS
A simile is a comparison using “like” or “as.” In MY BLUE IS HAPPY, the
author uses similes to show how colors can remind us of feelings, objects, or
experiences. These are called “color associations.” In the chart below, write a
color, an adjective that describes that color, and something it reminds you of.
Try to think of colors and associations that are different than the ones in the
book.
Color
Blue
Gray
Feeling/Other
Adjective
Happy
Cold
Association (What It Reminds You Of)
My favorite jeans
The sky before a storm
Choose the color and association you like best and put them together to
make a simile.
Simile: My _______________________ is ___________________________ like
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________.
Draw a picture to illustrate your simile:
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
COLOR WHEEL
Fill in the primary colors – yellow, red, and blue – on the top, bottom
right, and bottom left sections. Then “mix” the primary colors to make the
secondary colors that go in between them – orange, violet, and green.
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
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MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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A CASE FOR COLOR
In the space below, write a brief persuasive piece about why one color is
better than another. Give specific facts and examples to make your case. You
can think about color associations and things each color represents – anything
that supports your point of view. Be prepared to present your persuasive
paragraph to the class.
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Sometimes our views of color are changed by our experiences. Make up
a story about a character whose view of color changes. You could even tell a
story about something that happened to you.
Draw a picture to illustrate part of your story:
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
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MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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CHARACTER-ISTICS
Circle the adjectives that describe the main character in MY BLUE IS
HAPPY. Be prepared to tell why you circled them – what clues in the words or
illustrations of the book make you think the main character is like that?
silly
mean
independent
hungry
loud
shy
kind
bossy
bored
thoughtful
creative
curious
imaginative
stubborn
hard-working
lonely
caring
confused
careful
sad
friendly
impatient
wild
brave
calm
honest
persistent
bubbly
cranky
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
responsible
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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COLOR MIXING EQUATIONS
Color in the bubbles to show how primary colors mix to make
secondary colors:
yellow red ? ? blue green blue ? violet ©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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CULTURE & COLOR
Colors represent many things and are used for different purposes
in cultures around the world. Research a particular color and its
traditional meanings and uses. Compare and contrast how that color
is viewed or used in at least three different cultures. Record your
findings on the chart below.
Color: ______________________________
Country/Culture
Things it represents/is used for
Illustrate one of the meanings/uses and give your drawing a title:
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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SEEING IN COLOR
Brainstorm names for colors as a group, take notes below, and circle the
final name you choose. Write the name on your paint chip and tape or staple it
to this sheet.
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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SAME & DIFFERENT
There are some things we all share as humans – things like needs and
wants, and the ways our bodies work. But there are things that differ from one
person to another – from physical differences, to things we like, or things we’re
good at. List things you have in common with others in your group, and things
that are different about you. Remember to be respectful of differences!
Same
Need food to live
Different
Like green olives
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
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SAME & DIFFERENT
Compare and contrast yourself with a friend or relative. List things about you in
one circle, things about her/him in the other, and things you have in common
where the circles overlap.
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
MY BLUE Activity Sheets, 3-5
FEELING FACES
Feelings are something we all share, although we may feel different
ways at different times. How many feelings can you name? Use the spaces
below to list them.
Draw simple “feeling faces” to illustrate four of the feelings you named above.
©2013 Jessica Young. All rights reserved.
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