FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER

This activity gives kids a story souvenir that also makes a great bookmark as they "run away" through many more books.

SUPPLIES

• small clean trash can

• box of tissues

• lipstick

• make a ticket for each child, or make copies of the one In our printables set

PREP

Fill a small, clean trash can with clean wadded tissues, maybe some with the "lipstick kisses" made by Claudia's mother. Add enough tickets for everyone, layering them among the tissues so they're not all visible at once.

DIRECTIONS

As you're getting started, pretend you smell something and decide you must take out the trash. Halfway to the door, you see something interesting in the can—oh my, what's THIS? Someone will undoubtedly say WHAT? What is it? and you can say I'm not sure, come see what you think. Or you can just ask a volunteer to come poke around and see what it is. 

When s/he's discovered a ticket, suggest there might be more. Invite everyone else to come fish around to see if they can find one too. Depending on how many kids you have, they might need to stand in line . . . just like at the station.

When everyone has a ticket, tell them to get on board (sit down at their desks) and the conductor (that's you, now) will come around to punch the 10th ride. You can choose to punch that ride randomly throughout the "journey," as an incentive for keeping a neat desk or staying quiet or some other desired action. (We're sure you have desired actions.)

TALKING POINTS

• What is Claudia's big problem (the conflict in this story)?

• What is Claudia's goal in running away, and why?

SETUP

Before doing the project, give a brief overview of the HUGE life of Michelangelo. We've made that easier with selected facts and videos.

As Claudia and Jamie no doubt learned at the Donnell Library, Michelangelo was born in 1475 in Caprese, Italy.  At 13, he went to work as an artist, against his father's will. His work quickly got the attention of a wealthy noble, Lorenzo de Medici, who invited him to live at his grand home, and paid his expenses.

Go deeper into the life of Michelangelo through the videos below (or those of your own choosing).

This 4-minute video covers the early part of Michelangelo’s life including sculpture. We recommend the first 4 minutes, but please preview first:

This 2.5-minute video covers Michelangelo's greatest works (in a new genre every 10 years, all self-taught!):

SUPPLIES

Once your kiddos are properly awed by Michelangelo, let them try their hand(s) at sculpting, too, using not marble but Ivory—soap, that is! and some safe carving tools like a plastic knife, paper clip, and small paintbrush.

A cardboard tray contains the mess. It's easier if they have a soap-size template, which we've included in our printables set.  

DIRECTIONS

Here's our easy-peasy how-to video, complete with music of the Italian Renaissance...we think. That's how we hear it, anyway:

TALKING POINTS

• Why did Michelangelo run away? (He wanted to do something different than what was expected of him.)

• How might his reasons be similar to Claudia's? (He wanted to stand out for reasons of his own.)

• How were Michelangelo's and Claudia's lives changed by a "wealthy noble"? (Both benefited from the interest and encouragement of someone who had the power to help them stand out.)

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SETUP

Tell the kids there’s a real mystery about a possible Michelangelo Statue that was displayed at the Met!  It’s a damaged sculpture of a boy, missing the arms and lower legs, called “The Archer.” It was discovered in a mansion on Fifth Avenue – just across the street from the Met! 

Like Claudia, the scholar who found it (the Met curator) was sure it was by Michelangelo but no one believed him for a very long time. Now many historians and scholars believe it is in fact Michelangelo's work; others disagree. (There's more about this in our Learning Links section on this page.)

DIRECTIONS

Have a class discussion about the two statues, or use the comparison and analysis worksheet in our printables set, which gives kids a chance to weigh in on the mystery, in writing.

SETUP

Before the activity, sneak out and place Hershey bars (one for each child) on nearby steps, stairs, or in a hallway. Or anywhere, really.

DIRECTIONS

Pair up your kids and tell them that they get to be Claudia and Jamie at their most annoying. Have them decide who's who, and practice acting with each other, to warm up.

Tell them they might find something interesting on the steps on their way into the Met—one interesting thing for each child.

If they do, one team member has to be Jamie:  take a bite and pretend to pass out. The other has to be Claudia standing "with her mouth open, stunned" until her brother opens his eyes and says "It's delicious. Want a bite?"  He's such a rascal! But after her reaction, she gets to eat hers too.

TALKING POINTS

• Talk about Claudia's irritation over Jamie's misuse of prepositions—use this guide to talk about the subject, or have the kids do our grammar worksheet (in our printables set).

• Talk about the very special nature of sibling relationships—the loving, annoying, hilarious, maddening, sweet aspects of being related—ask for examples that have happy endings.

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SETUP

You might ask the kids, as they eat, if they’re dining at Horn & Hardart’s Automat or in Mrs. Frankweiler’s dining room. What’s the difference, after all, between mac and cheese and nouilles et fromage en casserole? Nothing but their containers and the way they're presented. 

That “message in the mac” is about people, too. In this story, the wealthy, sophisticated Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler embodies extreme refinement – yet she cheats at cards and eats macaroni and cheese. As she herself says to Claudia, “under the fancy trappings, I’m just a plain lady.” 

If you'd like to make this snack even more "straight from the story," the automat label is included in our printables set, and in the photo, it's on these bowls.

TALKING POINTS

• Look up the word refined, and contrast it with the antonym common. What does it mean to be refined?

• What do you think when you see or hear a refined person?

• Is that always true? 

• Why do you think the author had Mrs. Frankweiler serve her guests a fancy version of mac 'n' cheese?
  

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SETUP

If your kids did the travel planning activity, they've learned that dreams can be expensive! Tell them not to be dismayed by the estimated costs. Explain that Mrs. Frankweiler is still funding projects and is willing to consider theirs!

All they have to do is write a grant proposal explaining where they want to go and why.(They should keep in mind that most philanthropists like to fund a noble cause.)

DIRECTIONS

You can have the kids write this as a letter, or use the proposal worksheet in our printables set.

The next step is to visit Mrs. Frankweiler at her country estate in Farmington, Connecticut, and pitch the proposal! Have a volunteer play “Parks” and announce each hopeful grantee, while you take on the role of “Mrs. Frankweiler” yourself. Kids love it when Parks is stuffy, and when Mrs. F. is slightly intimidating, and dispenses wads of board-game cash. Or not—she’s kind of quirky, and can be unpredictable.

But they won't have to wait for Mrs. F to pass away before they get to keep the Angel sketch!.

SUPPLIES

• manila file folders

• black cardstock trimmed to approximately 7.5" x 10"

• black marker

• the basics:  scissors, pencil, and glue

• Design your own templates, or use those included with our printables set. These will need to be trimmed for the project - you can do it ahead or have the kids do it.

• mini file folder template; print on ivory card stock.

• file cabinet template; print on white card stock (or the ivory).

• Michelangelo sonnet (for sketching "Angel" on the back); print on regular paper.

DIRECTIONS

1. Write Bologna, Italy on the tab of the large manila folder.

2. Glue trimmed black card stock to the front of that folder.

3. Cut out the cabinet if it hasn't been done yet.

4. With black pen, label the cabinet drawers starting at the top: A, B and C.

5. Cut almost all the way across the top of the second cabinet drawer.

6. Glue the cabinet to the card stock, but ONLY put glue around the outer edges (or the mini-file won't be able to slip into the drawer).

7. Cut out the mini-folder, and fold it in half. Write Bologna, Italy on the tab.

8. Sketch Michelangelo's angel on the back of his sonnet, in pencil or charcoal. Slip it into the mini-folder.

9. Tuck the mini-folder into the cabinet drawer marked B for Bologna!

ALTERNATIVE VERSION

1. Cut a map into large pieces and glue them to cover the cardstock, overlapping the pieces so that none of the cardstock shows. Trim away any pieces hanging off the edges.

2. Search for adventurous, story-and-travel related words in magazines; cut them out and add them to the map collage.

3. Add the labeled mini-folder with the sonnet-sketch inside.

TALKING POINTS

• Mrs. Frankweiler's files are in a special order that only makes sense to her. Where do you store the things you know?

• How are Mrs. Frankweiler's filing cabinets like your mind?

• Why does the author let Jamie be the one who saves the day (by saying "boloney")?

• How has Claudia's and Jamie's partnership changed since they first set out?

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You can discuss the narrative arc in any of these three ways; we've found the first to be the most engaging, because it breaks up the discussion into bite-size chunks.

1. Introduce the concept of the narrative arc up front, but save the story's scenes to discuss as you go, pausing to "do what the characters did" in fun hands-on ways, while weaving in discussions and other worksheets.

2. OR introduce the concept and complete the worksheet before the activities, so kids have a review of the story fresh in their heads first, and you can remind them "where we are" on the arc as you go.

3. OR at the end of your activities, introduce the concept, then help kids figure out where the different parts of this story fit on it.

The narrative arc worksheet in our printables set summarizes the story by plot point, and has kids fill in some blanks.

Give the kids the souvenir travel sticker included in our printables set, or have them design their own.

Kids might like to add their sticker to a reading kit, like an old briefcase (or faux vintage) or a suitcase that can hold a book, bookmark, glasses, snack, blanket, journal, pen, and whatever! Or they might want to put it on a binder or water bottle.

No matter where they see their sticker later, it will remind them of this wonderful journey they've taken with you!

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