Worksheets + activity printables for ages 9-12
Engage your students with this great book in fun, hands-on, meaningful ways!
I read Gentle Ben when I was 10 and loved loved loved it. Your activities were so fun and helped my students (and me too) understand much more about the story than I remembered. I'll be checking your site first for EVERY book I teach!
Rebecca M., 4th grade teacher
or scroll down for more info
ACTIVITY PRINTABLES
For activity instructions and more ideas, see our free creative teaching ideas for Gentle Ben.
Printables: paint-by-answer fish and bear template
Printable: answers to Ben's toughest questions
Printable: label model and template (2 sizes)
Printable: travel sticker
WORKSHEETS
Weave interactive worksheets between hands-on activities to help kids process ideas and information. For Gentle Ben, Your kids can use our five worksheets to:
take notes about the author while watching this video.
learn the important concept of the narrative arc and draw story symbols for each plot point.
locate the general setting of the story, and narrow down its timeframe.
learn some fishing vocabulary words and dialogue punctuation, and write a dialogue
compare excellent similes from the story with awful alternatives, and write better similes
Worksheets stand alone, but if you'd like to integrate them with hands-on activities and valuable discussions, check out our free creative teaching ideas for Gentle Ben.
Scroll down for more info & FAQ, or
ACTIVITY PRINTABLES
For activity descriptions, supplies, and directions, see our page of Creative Teaching Resources for Gentle Ben.
"Paint a salmon and teach Ben to fish" - paint-by-answer fish template and bear template for science and art activity
"Grab a bite and chat with Ben" - answers to Ben's toughest questions, during a snacktime conversation with a bear (image or giant cardboard bear < affiliate link) - for science activity
"Design a salmon can . . . if you can" - salmon can label templates in two can sizes (14.5oz and 16oz) - for art activity
"Wrap up with a souvenir" - sticker reward for completing the book and activities
INTERACTIVE WORKSHEETS
StoryMakers - author note-taking (to support viewing this bio video), to aid comprehension of story, context, and history
StoryLines - narrative arc concept and this story's plot points, to aid literary analysis and writing skills
WhereAbouts - geography and chronology worksheet, to enhance contextual knowledge and thinking skills
Brave New Words - fishing and boating vocabulary, punctuation for dialogue, and creative writing using new words and punctuation to writei dialogue; aids in comprehension of new words, punctuation, characterization, and story context
Write Angles - written analysis of author's similes, with comparisons to inferior similes and creative writing of alternative similes, for development and practice of analytic and writing skills
TEACHER SUPPORT
Welcome note - important "before you get started" information and links
Answer keys - answers for worksheets as needed
Common Core State Standards - alignment for grades 3-6
Terms of use - how to ethically and legally use our teaching materials
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
For activity descriptions, supplies, directions, and more lesson-planning aids, see our Creative Teaching Resources for Gentle Ben.
Please reach out to us anytime for any reason—we're happy to help! —Becky & Jenny
Don't see your question? Email us!
Aw, you’re just the right age, whatever that might be! Just kidding—we know what you mean. We find that 8-12-year-olds are consistently “ready to LitWit.” Generally speaking, their reading level is high enough to take on the vocabulary and syntax of literature, and they’ve acquired enough knowledge to grasp new ideas. Yet they’re still full of wonder, and are highly responsive to the “check this out!” nature of sensory immersion.
However, we often have mature kids of 6-7 in our experiential workshops, and sometimes fun-loving kids of 13-14. As a teacher or parent, you know best what your kids are ready for and interested in.
They're on this book's web page of Creative Teaching Resources (linked above), along with Takeaway Topics, Learning Links, Prop Ideas, and other fun stuff to do!
We keep all that virtual so that we can include helpful links, update them regularly, and let you use our materials on a screen. We’re trying to save time (yours and ours) and trees!
Also, because that page is virtual, you can access it on a hand-held device you refer to as you teach, or you might want to show parts of it on a bigger screen for the kids.
You can certainly print a copy of that page, if you'd like a hard copy—(be sure to open all the drop-downs first, like "supplies" and "directions," so they'll print.)
Sure you can, for your noncommercial use in your family or classroom. As long as you’re not calling your fun time a “LitWits” event or charging a fee, you can use our ideas and printables to do lots of wonderful things!
Just please don’t forward your printables or make copies for people who haven’t paid for them, of course, out of courtesy and to honor our copyright and per our Terms of Service.
We have TONS of testimonials, some of which you can see right here. Our platform doesn't offer a "Reviews" feature, unfortunately, but we'd sure love to hear from you by email! f your kids see the pleasure in the story, and want to read more because of their LitWitty experience, oh my goodness that would make our day.
That’s our goal – to get kids to WANT to read more, for fun. Because of course the learning HAPPENS when they’re reading for fun! And it’s easier and more fun to teach happy readers, too, as you know.
You're off to share the best of this great book in fun, hands-on ways!
