Rainbow Fish to the Rescue!

written and illustrated by: Marcus Pfister

intended for students in the (3.7)

web page created by: Danielle Moeller

          Summary:          

This book takes place in the “deep blue sea.”  We first meet a school of fish that does everything together.  One of the fish, named Rainbow Fish, has lots of shiny scales; when the other fish do not accept him because of the scales, he decides to share one with each of the fish.  They are playing a game with their shiny scales called “flash-tag” when a new fish with plain stripes comes by.  The fish do not let him play with them because he does not have a “flashy scale.”  Rainbow Fish wanted to be the plain striped fish’s friend, but he did not want to lose his new friends.  When a shark attacks them, however, Rainbow Fish and the others work together to save the plain-striped fish from the shark.  In the end, they change their game to “fin-tag” so that their new friend can play with them.

About the author:

Born in Berne, Switzerland, Marcus Pfister started off his career as a graphic artist for an advertising agency.  In 1983 he began his career writing and illustrating his own books with The Sleepy Owl.  It was published in 1986.  Most of the illustrations that he does for his books are done with watercolors.  For the books that use foil stamping, such as Rainbow Fish to the Rescue! (for the shiny fins), Pfister marks where they should be in the picture with a black marker.  The foil is then applied to the pictures between the printing stage and the final binding.  His best known book, The Rainbow Fish, has been on bestseller lists across the U.S. since 1992.  Even though most of his writing is done in his spare time, Pfister is still able to create award-winning children's books with many characters that readers know and love.  Besides writing, he is also an accomplished sculptor and photographer. If you would like to know more about Marcus Pfister, visit this webpage about him and see what you can find!

Materials needed:

book: Rainbow Fish to the Rescue! by Marcus Pfister

     pencil

printer and paper

your reading caps

directions:

Read the directions for each activity.  When you click on anything that is white and underlined, it will take you to that activity.  If it is a worksheet, print it out and use your pencil to do the activity.  Keep all of your worksheets and printouts together so that they can be stapled and turned in when you are finished.  Make sure that you read ALL of the directions!

* Use the <BACK button on the top left hand corner when you are finished with each link*

Prereading activities:

1. In order to get ready to read, print out this word search containing the vocabulary words for this lesson and see if you can find them all.  When you are finished, choose at least 5 words and look up their definitions at www.wordcentral.com.  Write the word and its definition on the back of your paper.

    * Make sure that you find the definitions for all of the words that you do not know the definitions

        for, even if there are more than 5.

2. Before reading, visit this website and fill in the worksheet with 3 interesting facts that you learned about rainbow trout. 

    * Be sure to use complete sentences.

As you read:

3. As you are reading the story, print out and answer the questions found on this worksheet.

4. Read through the book a second time.  As you are reading, complete this graphic map of the "high" and "low" scenes in the story.

    * Type the title as Rainbow Fish to the Rescue!

    * Put your name as the author.

    * Select the Scene bubble towards the bottom of the list.

    * Select the high/medium/low bubble at the very top of the next list.

    * In the box labeled scene, write a short phrase describing the scene you've chosen

        > For example, if you chose the scene in the beginning with all of the fish playing, title it "flash-   

            tag."  The program will only allow you to write a few words.

    * Type the exact same thing that you just typed in the scene box in the box underneath of it

        labeled topic.

    * Now describe the scene in 2-3 sentences.  Make sure that you tell why you think it is a high or a low

        scene in the story.

    * Finally, mark the scene as either a "high" point (something good is happening), a "middle" point (not

        good or bad, but just a part of the story), or a "low" point (something bad is happening).

    * Repeat these steps for at least 5 scenes from the story.

    * After you have done at least 5 scenes, click on the button on the top right corner that says 'finished.'

    * Check out your map!

    * If you find that you do not have enough scenes, click on the <back button and do more.

    * When you are finished, print your graphic map and put it with the rest of your activities to be turned

        in.

when you are finished reading:

5. After reading, think of your favorite part of the story and create your own cover for the book using this scene.  When you are finished, print it out and hand it in with the rest of your completed activities.

    * Be creative!

    * Use lots of colors!

    * Be neat!

6. Rainbow Fish learned that he could make friends by sharing, but he has given away too many of his scales!  Spend 2-3 minutes and see if you can put Rainbow Fish back together.  After you have tried this puzzle, take a few minutes and think about how you felt while you were doing it.  Was it difficult?  Were you successful?   What thoughts were going through your mind?  Print out this reflection writing page and write at least 4 sentences talking about these things and anything else that you want to write about that goes along with this activity.

grading rubric:

1. Print off this grading rubric.

2. Gather all of your printouts and worksheets and put them in the order that you did them.

3. Put the grading rubric on the top of the pile.

4. Staple your pile and hand in the packet.

* Remember that you should have 6 activities to turn in.

other Rainbow Fish books

to check out:  

    * Rainbow Fish   

    * Rainbow Fish Finds His Way

* Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale

    *Rainbow Fish and the Sea Monsters' Cave

   * Rainbow Fish and Friends: The Copycat Fish

* Rainbow Fish: The Dangerous Deep

    * Rainbow Fish Counting

    * Rainbow Fish Opposites

    * Rainbow Fish Colors

    * Rainbow Fish 1, 2, 3

      ...and many more!

*images taken from web pages, Google image, and FrontPage clip-art

*biographical information taken from http://www.artinaclick.com/artist/bio.asp?fk_artist=7383 and http://www.bravemonster.com/authors/marcuspfister.htm.