It is rare for someone not to know about Dr. Seuss or read one of his books. We’ll learn more about the man and his works.
Steps
1. Theodor Seuss Geisel.
The man who would become known as Dr. Seuss was Theodor Geisel. He was an author and illustrator. Find out more about the man behind the name.
2. Read Across America.
Schools celebrate the man and his achievements in March. This is because he was born on March 2, 1904. Find out more about this holiday. Plan your own event.
3. Education.
Geisel left Oxford to travel Europe and didn’t finish his doctorate in English Literature. He did receive an honorary doctorate from Dartmouth College. Learn about his education.
4. Career.
Geisel started with ads, then moved to training films and propaganda movies. He drew over 400 political cartoons. He even wrote a screen play — The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. Explore the aspects of his career before he started writing children’s books.
5. Children’s books.
Geisel wrote over 45 children’s books during his career. He never won the Caldecott or Newbery Medals. Look through his children’s books to see not only his writing but artwork as well.
6. Success through failure.
While Dr. Seuss books are popular today, it wasn’t always so. “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” was rejected 43 times. Brainstorm ways to incorporate this into a discussion on failure and success.
7. Personal life.
Geisel never had children. That didn’t stop him from inventing them. The one he discussed most was “Chrysanthemum Pearl”. Learn about his imaginary children.
8. Hats.
Not only were his artistic endeavors crazy and exuberant, so was his fashion sense. He loved to collect hats. Find out about his collection of hats. Start a crazy collection of your own.
9. Find inspiration.
Find inspiration to create your own artwork, writing or even a book. Search engines can also offer a wonderful collection of ideas for inspiration. Be sure to track what you find so you can return to it.
10. Oral cancer.
Geisel died of oral cancer, a result of smoking. Learn more about health issues resulting from smoking.
11. No longer lost.
Materials for a new book were found by Geisel’s wife and should be released in 2015. There are also other “lost” stories that have been published after his death. Learn about how these items were “found”.
12. Continued legacy.
Random House has continued Dr. Seuss’ legacy with “Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library Series”. Many authors try to imitate his fun style. Learn about how others are carrying on his legacy.
Sites to Explore
- www.biography.com/people/dr-seuss-9479638
- www.catinthehat.org/history.htm
- www.drseussart.com
- www.seussville.com
- www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/seuss/about-dr-seuss
- flavorwire.com/316065/the-amazing-advertising-artwork-of-dr-seuss
- flavorwire.com/442939/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-dr-seuss/view-all
- www.teachersfirst.com/spectopics/seuss.cfm
- www.pinterest.com/victoria_saley/obseussed-with-dr-seuss
To download a PDF of this badge program, click here: EP_Seuss on the Loose
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