2004 Caldecott Medal
Grades 3-5
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is an enchanting account of Phillippe Petit's 1974 wire walking between the Twin Towers of New York City. The story was written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein in 2004. The technique of perspective is used in the illustrations to engage viewers. Perspective refers to the creation of depth in an image. Gerstein represents three dimensional form in a two dimensional space. The viewpoint perspective is unique to each viewer. Gerstein's goal is to to create a viewpoint that will communicate the story to each reader. The perspective creates a dizzying effect and the tiny dots of the cars below feel like they are a world away. Perspective causes the viewer to watch helplessly as Petit crosses a thin wire. The illustrations create suspense for the viewer.
Reader Response Activity
After reading the book aloud discuss Phillipe's determination, goal setting, and how he worked toward his goal. Give students the following writing prompt:
- Phillipe reached his challenging goal of walking high on the tight rope.
The instructions and template for the handout can be found on:
Tallest Building Challenge Activity
(small group activity)
1. Research the world's tallest buildings and skyscrapers on http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=203
2. Explore and compare the heights of the different buildings.
3. Gather information such as the name of the building, its location, and any patterns or trends about where the tallest buildings are located. Does any country have more on the list? Less?
4. Present small group project to the class.
Author and Illustrator Mordicai Gerstein's Website
References:
Gerstein, Mordicai. (2004). New York, NY: Squarefish Publishing
No comments:
Post a Comment