Peter H.

Reynolds and FableVision Learning Present:

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide

for Big Screen Books
FableVision Team:
Karen Bresnahan, Becky Conners, Gary Goldberger,
Naomi Greenfield, Brian Grossman, Didi Hatcher, Heidi Hall,
Kate Laffond, John Lechner, Ryan McNulty, James Murphy, Bill Norris,
Samantha Oliver, Paul Reynolds, Peter H. Reynolds, Sarah Reynolds,
Emily Scarborough, Ellen Shay, Terry Shay, Julia Young

Special Thanks to
Norma Dodson, Molly Duffy, Jason Everett,
Jean MacDonald, Elena Mechlin, Peggy Healy Stearns, Ph.D.,
Patsy Templeton, Heather Temske,
and the wonderful folks at
Weston Woods for generously
offering content for some of our activities.
Copyright 2011 FableVision Learning, LLC
6 Allen Lane Dedham, MA 02026
888.240.3734 www.FableVisionLearning.com
Big Screen Books is a Trademark of FableVision Learning, LLC
THE DOT Copyright 2003 by Peter H. Reynolds
Used with the permission of Pippin Properties, Inc.
Originally published by Candlewick Press

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide

for Big Screen Books
Table of Contents
A Note from the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Using Big Screen Books to Help Students Interact With The Dot . . . . . . 5
Before Reading: Discussion Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
After Reading: Discussion Topics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Activity 1: Make Your Mark and Frame It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Student Handout: Make Your Mark Easel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Student Handout: Swirly Frame (Gold). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Student Handout: Swirly Frame (Outline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Activity 2: A Dot Thats as Unique as You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Activity 3: Polka Dot Appreciation Poster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Activity 4: A Plan to Encourage Someone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Student Handout: My Plan to Encourage Someone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Activity 5: Exploring Art in the Classroom and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Dots Galore! More Activities to Explore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Bonus! Connecting the Dots: A Chat With Peter H. Reynolds. . . . . . . . 17
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

A Note from the Author

I wrote and illustrated The Dot as a way to help children and grown-up children be
brave enough to make their mark.
While the book is about art, its really about process about ideas, creative
thinking, bravery, expression, original ideas, and sharing.
The Dot is about getting started getting un-stuck. It is also about creative
teaching, exploring an idea in many ways, and sharing our gifts with others. You
cant become better at something without trying. So, make your mark and see
where it takes you! Let it flow and see where it goes.
I hope my book provides encouragement as you nurture the creative spirit in your
classroom and in yourself. In this guide youll find ideas, materials, and activities
that can act as a springboard for using Big Screen Books to bring The Dot to your
students. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and I hope that, like Vashti,
youll be inspired to keep going as you explore and play with these themes. Id love
to hear from you feel free to email me at info@fablevisionlearning.com and share!
Wishing you a wonderful teaching and learning journey,

Peter H. Reynolds
Founder, FableVision Learning, LLC

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

Use Big Screen Books to Help Your

Students Interact With The Dot
Big Screen Books offers many ways to provide
students with a meaningful experience of The Dot.
A few examples you can show the story with
or without text on the screen, choose to have text
highlighted as its read by Peter H. Reynolds, or
invite students to record their voices while reading.
The fun Pick-A-Student feature is a great way
to randomly select a student to read the story or
answer the prompts. Also, call up the Glossary
feature to help students learn new words from the story. On any book page, click the
Discussion Prompts button at the top of the screen to call up ready-made prompts.
Click the Teacher Tools button at the top of the screen and choose Prompts to add
your own pictures, text, and web links to book pages. Lastly, make sure you dont
miss the fun activities and the author visit included in the software!
Tip: Learn about these options and check out several other features in the
Big Screen Books Users Guide, located under the Resources menu.

Before Reading: Discussion Topics

(see page 15 for alternative discussion topics focusing on art)
Before reading the book, have a discussion with your students. Here are some
possible topics:
1. Ask students how they feel when they
are starting something new. (This is a
great question to ask at the start of a new
school year!)
2. Have students share how they feel when
theyre doing something that feels difficult.
Encourage students to share a story
about when they had a hard time learning
something new.
3. Talk with students about whether theres
something they really dont enjoy doing or
dont think theyre good at. Have students
explain how they feel when they have to do
that thing. Brainstorm ways that students
can work through their challenges.
The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

4. Ask how many students like to draw. Tell students The Dot is a story about a girl
who doesnt think she is good at drawing, and then has a surprising discovery.
Ask them to think about the similarities between themselves and Vashti while they
listen to the story.

After Reading: Discussion Topics

1. Ask students if they understand how Vashti felt at the beginning of the story. Ask
if they have any ideas why she would not draw at first.
2. Have students explore reasons why Vashtis teacher might have framed her first dot
painting and put it on the wall. How did it make Vashti feel when she saw her
artwork there?
3. Ask students to tell the class about a specific person who has given them
encouragement in their lives. Younger students and second language learners
may need a definition of the word encouragement. How did it feel to have that
person supporting them?
4. Have students share a story about a time when they helped someone else get
better at something. Or, ask them to think about how they might help someone
they know develop a new skill.

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

Activity 1: Make Your Mark a nd Frame It

Summary:
Students follow in Vashtis footsteps, creating
their own dots. When finished, they frame
their work, sign it, and proudly display it!
Learning Objectives:
Students learn to explore their creativity
and express themselves.
Students who are self-conscious about
their artwork have a chance to make
their mark without worrying about
getting it right.
Students develop a sense of pride in
their abilities and enjoy a feeling of
ownership over their creations.
What Youll Need:
Art materials of your choice. You can use paper, construction paper, pencils, paints,
magazine clippings, glitter, photographs, and more the skys the limit!
Instructions:
1. To get your class started, ask your students to draw their own dots. If you have
students who are intimidated by a blank page, you can hand them the reproducible
Make Your Mark Easel handout on page 8. Encourage students to be brave and
make their mark, just like Vashti!
2. Give students free rein to color, paint, collage, add glitter, and otherwise change
their dots as they wish. Youll be amazed by what they come up with!
3. Have students create a swirly gold (or any color) frame made of construction
paper. Let them decorate the frames as they wish. If you want to keep things
simple, you can hand out copies of the ready-made frame on page 9. If students
want to color the frame, give them the outline version on page 10.
4. When theyre done, have students carefully cut out their dots and paste them into
their frames. Or, they can cut out the center of the frame, and lay it over their art.
5. Remind students to sign their artwork inside the frame.
6. Have students hang up their dots around the classroom or in the hallway. Youll
have an exquisite gallery to share with parents and the rest of the school.
The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

Teachers: Photocopy this page to share with your students.

Art & text copyright 2003 by Peter H. Reynolds. Permission granted for noncommercial use. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds is published by Candlewick Press.
Art & text copyright 2003 by Peter H. Reynolds. Permission granted for noncommercial use. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds is published by Candlewick Press.

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

Art copyright 2003 by Peter H. Reynolds. Permission granted for noncommercial use.

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

Art copyright 2003 by Peter H. Reynolds. Permission granted for noncommercial use.

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

10

Activity 2: A Dot Thats As Unique as You!

Summary:
The dots your students created in Activity 1 reflect their
creativity and individual artistic styles. Building on that,
the dots theyll create in this activity give students a
chance to share unique and meaningful information about
themselves.
Learning Objectives:
Students learn to reflect on their lives and what
makes them truly unique.
Students learn to communicate who they are through art and writing.
What Youll Need:
Large paper (thick paper is ideal), safety scissors, pencils, markers, and art
materials of your choice.
Instructions:
1. Pass out large pieces of paper to your students. Instruct them to cut out large
circles (dots), and ask them to write their names on the dots in large letters.
2. Ask students to add words or sentences that describe their lives and personality
traits. Below are suggestions for what students might add feel free to provide your
own prompts, too! Remind them to leave space to illustrate when theyre done.

Birthdays
Where theyre from or places they have lived or traveled
Important people in their lives: family members, teachers, coaches, friends
Something not many people know about them
Things they are good at, or special skills
What they want to be when they grow up
Favorite school subjects, hobbies, sports, and activities
Favorite authors, books, poems, movies, and TV shows
Favorite season, flower, and tree
A funny story about something that happened to them

3. After they write their words, ask students to illustrate and decorate their dots. To
make the dots even more unique, take a stamp pad and have each student add
a handprint or fingerprint! Remind them to sign their dots.
4. Have students post their dots in the classroom or hallway. Give students time to
look at everyone elses dots and learn new things about their classmates!
The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

11

Activity 3: Polka Dot Appreciation Poster

Summary:
Students reflect on people who have
encouraged or helped them in their
lives. They create a poster covered in
large and small polka dots one dot
for every kind act they remember. At
the end, they reach out to the people
on their dots to express their thanks.
Learning Objectives:
Students learn how to
make a visual representation
of something that is important
to them.
Students learn to express
their gratitude in person or
through writing.
What Youll Need:
Large pieces of paper, sheets of colored paper, safety scissors, glue and tape, and art
materials for decorating dots (pencils, markers, crayons, paints, glitter, etc.)
Instructions:
1. Ask students to reflect upon people who have helped them in their lives. Ask
students to write down one sentence about each act of kindness.
2. Have students share stories with their classmates about people who have helped
them. Hearing their classmates may spark some other ideas.
3. Have students cut out dots of various sizes (on colored paper). On each dot,
using a pencil or marker, have them write about how someone helped them.
They can decorate the dots however they would like.
4. Have students tape or glue their dots to large paper, creating a poster they can
hang on the wall.
5. Have students bring their posters home to share with the people who inspired
their polka dots. Encourage them to also write thank you notes to the people on
their posters they can use dot shapes for those, too!

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

12

Activity 4: A Plan to Encourage Someone Else

Summary:
Students think about times when they have
helped someone in the past and draw up a new
plan to help someone.
Learning Objectives:
Students learn to reflect on personal
experiences.
Students learn about goal setting and
carrying out plans.
What Youll Need:
Large pieces of paper, sheets of colored paper, safety scissors, glue and tape, and a
wide variety of art materials for decorating dots.
1. Ask students to think about times when theyve encouraged or helped someone.
What did your students do? How did helping that person make them feel? If
students cant think of a time when they encouraged someone else, tell them the
next part of the activity will be that much more special for them!
2. Hand out the My Plan to Encourage Someone reproducible on page 14. Have
students fill in the blanks to create a plan for how they will support someone. Tell
students their plan should be something that they can easily do within the next
week. Help young students by writing down their ideas.
You may find it helpful to give students an example. Heres a sample:
My Plan to Encourage Amy This Week
I am going to give this person encouragement about: Learning to ride a bike.
Here is how I will help:
My sister is scared to ride a bike without training wheels. I can tell her that I was
scared to ride a bike at first, but that its not as hard as it looks. Ill go with her
when she tries, and if she falls Ill have band-aids.

Tip: Your students will be excited and inspired if you draft up your own plan to
encourage someone!
3. A few days after finishing the activity, ask students how their plans are going.
Gently remind them to try out their plans. When everyone has completed the
activity, ask them to tell the class what happened and how they felt afterwards.
The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

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My Plan to Encourage
(write persons name here)

I am going to give this person encouragement about:

Here is how I will help:

Art copyright 2009 by Peter H. Reynolds. Permission granted for noncommercial use.

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

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Activity 5: Exploring Art in the Classroom and Beyond

Art-Related Discussion Topics for Students New to The Dot:
Before Reading: Discussion Topics
1. Have a discussion about students ideas of art
and what constitutes a work of art, and record
their answers. Here are a few guiding questions:
When someone asks you what art looks
like, what do you immediately think of?
Who are some artists that you can think of?
What did they make?

After Reading: Discussion Topics

1. As a class, review students ideas of art from
your class discussion before reading. Have
their perceptions of art changed, and if so,
how? Make a chart or other graphic organizer that categorizes the changes
in the students opinions and understanding of what a work of art is.
2. Show students slides or pictures of a famous artists artwork. For example, you
might show them some pictures of paintings by Jackson Pollock. Ask students
to discuss in small groups their opinions of the artists work. Give students the
opportunity to attempt to create artwork modeling that artists style. How do they
find this style compared to other types of art that they have created?

Field Trip or Virtual Visit to an Art Museum

If you dont have the funding to take a field trip, visit museums online. There are many
excellent websites. Do a quick search for these: The Art Project, powered by Google
(explore museums or view art) and The National Gallery of Art (visit Online Tours).
If possible, bring your class to a local art museum. Try to arrange a meeting with one
of the featured artists through the museum curator (this is often possible through a
university art exhibit or a museum that features local artists). Encourage students to
ask questions about the artists inspirations and people who supported him or her.
Also, create a fun scavenger hunt to guide students through the museum. Lead
discussions as your class wanders, or have students take notes to share later.
Some ideas:
Find the piece of art that you like the most. Why do you like it? How do you
think the artist created this piece of art?
Find the piece of art that looks the most difficult to make. What challenges do you
think the artist came up against? How did he or she solve his or her problem?
Find the piece of art that is made of the most unusual material. What is the
material? What is the material usually used for? How did the artist use it?
The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

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Dots Galore! More Activities to Explore

Help your students make their mark with these other
fun activities! We also encourage you to come up
with your own ideas.

What Dot? There it is!

Challenge students to make a dot by NOT painting
a dot. They may need a hint: They can try painting
around the imagined dot, leaving the center blank.

Dot Duo
Take a sheet of paper and cut out circles that are
about the same size. Assign students to groups
of two. Have each student color in his or her own
circle. Students can add multiple colors. Instruct
each student to cut his or her circle in half and then
trade halves with his or her partner. Connect the two parts together and glue them
onto paper. Voil! Theyve created a Dot Duo!

Potato, Dot-ato
Have two students cut one potato in half. Each student gets one half of the potato
his or her very own Dot stamper! Provide students with a large stamp pad or acrylic
paint, which you can find in any craft store. Using their potato stamps, students can
create a collage of dots on a big sheet of paper. If you get very large paper, you can
even create a class collage!

Little Dot, Big Dot

Have students make the smallest dot they can. Scan it into your computer at a high
resolution 300 or 600 dpi works well. Scale the dot to a BIG size (about 7 inches
wide), print it out, and ask students to sign it. Students will notice all sorts of details
they might not have noticed when it was tiny. Students can try different sized dots in
different colors.

Dot Dash
Help students explore Morse code a language made up of dots and dashes. Students
can write their names in Morse code, making each dash and dot a different color.

Dot, Dot, Everywhere a Dot

Take students around the school or bring them on a field trip. Ask students to make
lists of all the dots they can see. Or, lead students on a dot scavenger hunt with a
digital camera. Create a photo montage of all the dots students notice.
The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

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BONUS! Connecting the Dots:

A Chat With Peter H. Reynolds
Share Peters answers to these frequently asked questions with your students.
Encourage them to come up with their own questions, and email them to:
info@fablevisionlearning.com.

Q: What is The Dot about?

A: The Dot is the first of three books a trilogy of books dedicated to creativity. I

call it the creatrilogy. In this first book, we meet a girl named Vashti who has
convinced herself she cannot draw. Her teacher dares her to make a mark. Vashti
makes one little dot on her sheet of paper. . . which turns out to be the beginning
of her creative journey!

But The Dot is more than a book about art. It is a book that encourages us to be
brave about expressing ourselves. It gently reminds us to start small and explore
the IDEA. It is also a tribute to great teachers who know how to use humor and
off-the-path approaches, and have the vision to see the possibilities in EVERY
student. The book ends off with Vashti sharing this gift with others, beginning a
ripple of inspiration.

Q: How long did it take you to write The Dot?

A: It took me about a year and a half to complete The Dot.
Q: How did you get the idea for The Dot? What inspired you?
A: Although it did take me about a year and a half to complete The Dot, the initial

idea came to me as a quirky accident. I have a promise to myself that I will make
a mark in my journal each night, even if I am tired. I will try to jot a drawing, or a
poem, or a word, or even a simple mark to just prove I was alive that day.

One night, when I was exhausted, I made a mark with a black felt-tipped marker
and promptly fell asleep. When I awoke with a start an hour or two later, I noticed
the little mark had mushroomed into one giant black dot.

I put the cap on the pen, put the book to one side, and went back to sleep.
When I awoke the next morning, I looked at the journal again and instead of
seeing it as a mistake. . . I suddenly realized that perhaps this was one of the
best ideas I had ever had.

I grabbed the pen and quickly jotted The Dot above the black dot and by
Peter H. Reynolds below it. I had just created the cover to my new book.

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

17

The story that belonged to the cover came to me quickly after that. I had the
image of a girl staring at a blank page. She was frustrated by not being able to
draw. I had another image of a gentle and wise teacher who would not see a
blank page, but rather the potential that was there. With an encouraging word
she could help this girl take a step in the direction of self-expression.

Q: Where did the name of the main character come from?

A: Vashti is the name of the main character in The Dot. This was inspired by a

young girl who I met at a coffee shop in Dedham Square, Massachusetts. She
was selling flowers to raise money for her school. After I bought a carnation, she
asked what I was doing. I said, Painting. Here. . . you can have this one. Ill sign
it to you whats your name?

Vashti.
I smiled. Vashti? Youre the very first Vashti Ive met! Can I use your name in my
next book?
Her big brown eyes lit up. YES!
She disappeared with the drawing I had made for her. I have not seen her since.
Perhaps one day she will discover The Dot and make the connection!

Q: As its creator, what do you like most about The Dot?

A: Im really excited about the message

in The Dot, and Im eager to hear from

people who are inspired to make their
own mark.

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

18

Notes
(Add a few dots and jot away!)

The Dot Classroom Activity Guide for Big Screen Books

19