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Together We Can

"Swimmy" by Leo Lionni is a timeless classic about a brave fish who shows how teamwork can overcome danger. Children will be inspired by the book and its illustrations to create a Swimmy collage.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Craft Materials
  • Paper
  • Recycled Cardboard

Steps

  • Step 1

    Read the book "Swimmy" by Leo Lionni. While this classic was written in 1963 and won the 1964 Caldecott Honor, it is a timeless favorite with a message that resonates today. Have a discussion about the importance of teamwork in solving problems and finding solutions. Ask questions relating to the book, such as "How did Swimmy feel when he was isolated and swam alone?" or "How did uniting with other fish help them all swim freely and without fear?" Ask children to think about times they've collaborated with others to achieve a goal.

  • Step 2

    Have students create their art collage on pieces of recycled cardboard. They can create colorful fish by using crayon, marker, or paint on paper. When the paint is dry they can cut or tear pieces of red or blue paper to glue into fish shapes, using the collage overlapping technique. They could focus only on red Swimmy or they could include Swimmy in a school of blue fish friends. To add an eye on the fish they can either glue a craft wiggle-eye or cut out a hand-drawn eye made from marker on plain paper.

  • Step 3

    When their fish collages are complete, hang them on a bulletin board and have each student contribute an end to the sentence: "When we work together we can..."

Standards

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to written text to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

LA: Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a story.

SEL: Relationship Skills: Provide leadership and seek or offer help when needed.

SEL: Responsible Decision-Making: Learn how to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing information, data, and acts. Identify solutions for personal and social problems.

Adaptations

Have children form small groups, and have each group choose a scene from the book to act out using the fish collage they created.

Play a problem solving game that requires cooperation. For example, two students would for a team where they will each assume a role, either a character from the Swimmy book or another story that involves problem solving. One might say, "There's a hungry shark hiding behind the coral reef ahead of us..." The other player will suggest ways they could work together to solve the problem, such as by stretching a large piece of seaweed between them to distract the shark.