written
by Veronica Leasiolagi-Lualemagafaigä Barber
illustrated by Eric Woo
To the Teacher:
PURPOSE: This book can stimulate imagination
through the introduction of simple and amusing children's games
played in Samoa when it rains. This book also introduces free
verse poetry.
ACTIVITIES RELATING TO PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:
1. Application to own world.
2. Identification of action words (verbs) and acting out the
movement.
3. Expression of reasons for enjoying or not enjoying text.
4. Identification of the literary form, poetry.
BEFORE READING:
Ask the children:
Do you like rain?
What are some of the games that are fun to play in the rain?
CULTURAL BACKGROUND FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS:
This book tells what some children do when
it rains in Samoa. Much recreation for island children is water
oriented. Besides swimming and surfing, rain playing is a delight
for children.
In both work and play, Samoan children do
things together in groups most of the time. Samoans often feel
that it is unpleasant to have to do work all by themselves,
without the friendship and support of other people. Surely the
rain games shown here wouldn't be nearly so much fun for a child
alone!
ACTIVITIES:
1. Would you like to have a rain party with
your friends? Do you think your friends would like to come to
a rain party? Would your parents allow you to have a rain party?
2. Action words are words that tell about
movement. Action words in this book include:
Can you find two more action words in this
book?
Find one action word and don't tell the others
what your word is. Act out your word and have the others in
your group try to guess which action word you have picked.
3. Is it fun to think about all the things
you can do when it rains? Was this book fun to read? Why?
4. This book is written in the form of poetry.
In this poetry, many of the words sound alike. This is called
rhyming. For example,
timuga
and musa
mea'ai and fala'ai
Read one page out loud in Samoan and tell
which words rhyme.
