Mike Thaler Jared Lee

Dear Teacher,

This year marks the 25th anniversary

of the beginning of the Black Lagoon

series, and we couldn’t be more excited.

We’re incredibly proud that for 25 years

Hubie has been helping young readers

face their fears with humor.

We hope your students continue

to enjoy Hubie’s wacky adventures.

He’s come a long way, but there’s

always more to learn!

Art from The Teacher from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler, illustrated by Jared Lee. Created with help from Linda Kraus, a Reading Club teacher in Oakdale, CA.

Exclusive 25th-Anniversary

Poster and Classroom Activities Inside!

Celebrate 25 Years of the

Created exclusively for you by Scholastic Book Clubs

®

Discussion QuestionsFor The teacher from the Black LaGoonThese discussion questions support the following Common Core State Standards: RL.2.1, RL.2.3, SL.2.2

• Why is Hubie so worried? RL.2.1

• Where does the story take place? RL.2.1

• When do all of the events of the story take place? RL.2.1

• What has Hubie heard about Mrs. Green? SL.2.2

• What does Mrs. Green do to Freddy Jones after he throws a spitball at her? SL.2.2

• What is the class homework on the first day of school? SL.2.2

• How does Mrs. Green teach Derek Bloom and the class about fractions? SL.2.2

• What does Doris Foodle do that annoys Mrs. Green? SL.2.2

• How does the story end? RL.2.1

• How does Hubie respond when he finds out the truth about his teacher? RL.2.3

• How does Mrs. Green respond to Hubie’s reaction? RL.2.3

After-Reading ActivityFor The teacher from the Black LaGoonThis activity supports the following Common Core State Standard: W.2.3

Ask your students to write about how they felt before their first day of school. • Had they heard anything about their

new teacher or grade? • What were they hoping would happen

and what were they dreading? • Did what they had heard end up being true,

and how did it make them feel?

Art from The Teacher from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler, illustrated by Jared Lee.

Created exclusively for you by Scholastic Book Clubs

NEW!

Read More Wacky Stories from the Keep the Laughs Coming!

Black Lagoon Chapter Books 64 pages each black & white

Black Lagoon Picture Books 32 pages each full-color

Visit scholastic.com/blacklagoon

The book

that

started

it all!

Story Map Name: ______ _________________

Date: _______________________ This activity supports the following Common Core State Standard: RL.2.5

Use the story map below to think about the plot of The Teacher from the Black Lagoon. Using details from the story, fill in each section with a summary of what happens in the beginning, the middle, and the end.

TEA

CHER

: Ple

ase

phot

ocop

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is a

ctiv

ity w

orks

heet

and

dis

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ute

to y

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nts.

Beginning:

Middle:

End:

Art from The Teacher from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler, illustrated by Jared Lee.Created exclusively for you by Scholastic Book Clubs

Art from School Riddles from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler, illustrated by Jared Lee.

Laughing your pants off is a great way to conquer your fears. Here are some of Hubie’s favorite fall-down-funny riddles.

Laugh Away Your Worries With a Good Riddle!

If Hubie has 3 apple pies and he eats 2 of them, what does he have?

A stomachache.

What president did the most laundry?

Washing-ton.

Where do baby cows eat?

In the calf-eteria.

What part of the computer runs

on cheese?

The mouse.

What’s the worst animal to take a test with?

A cheetah.

Why was Hubie’s nose sent to the principal’s office?

For running in the hallways.

TEA

CHER

: Ple

ase

phot

ocop

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is a

ctiv

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orks

heet

and

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to y

our s

tude

nts.

Use these instructions from Black Lagoon author Mike Thaler to make your own ridiculous riddles:

1. Pick a subject: PIG

2. Make a list of synonyms and related words: HOG, SWINE, OINK, HAM

3. Take any word from the list: “HAM” and drop the first letter. “HAM” becomes “AM.”

4. List words that begin with “AM”: AMBULANCE, AMNESIA, AMATEUR

5. Take the “H” that you dropped from “HAM” and add it to the beginning of your other words: HAMBULANCE, HAMNESIA, HAMATEUR (These are your riddle answers.)

6. Now make up your riddle questions using the answer’s definition. Question: How do you get a pig to the hospital? Answer: In a HAMBULANCE.

7. Draw a picture that goes along with your riddle in the box below!

Question:

Answer:

Create Your Own Riddle! Name: ______ _________________

Date: _______________________

Created exclusively for you by Scholastic Book Clubs

Your Name

This activity supports the following Common Core State Standard: L.2.2

Write a letter to Hubie, the main character in the Black Lagoon books, about a time you were afraid. Remember to use correct capitalization and punctuation.

Dear Hubie:

I was afraid when

I was able to get through it because

Sincerely,

TEA

CHER

: Ple

ase

phot

ocop

y th

is a

ctiv

ity w

orks

heet

and

dis

trib

ute

to y

our s

tude

nts.

Name: ______ _________________

Date: _______________________

Facing My Fears

Created exclusively for you by Scholastic Book Clubs

Created exclusively for you by Scholastic Book Clubs

Pizza Breathing Deep and focused breathing is a great way to help students calm down when they’re upset or stressed out. Have your students imagine they are holding a slice of pizza. Invite them to breathe in deeply, smelling the pizza, and then blow out slowly through their mouths to cool the pizza off. The oxygen flowing through their bodies will help them relax.

Worry-Eating MonstersA fun way to let go of worries is to feed them to a kooky monster! To turn an empty tissue box into a worry-eating monster, start by decorating the outside of the box. Then add some eyes and glue teeth inside the opening to create a monster mouth. Encourage students to write down their worries and feed them to the monster whenever they feel overwhelmed.

Relaxation BottlesSlow a racing heart and ease jitters by giving kids something calming to focus on.Remove the label from an empty plastic bottle and wash it thoroughly. Then fill it three-quarters of the way with hot water and add a full bottle of glitter glue and a small tube of ultra-fine glitter. You can add more clear glue to make the glitter swirl more slowly. Once you’re finished, use Super Glue®® or Krazy Glue to secure the top.**Please make sure your students do not drink contents of the bottle.

Calm-Down CornerSetting aside a stress-busting zone in your classroom will give your students a place to take a break and regain their concentration.Claim a corner of your classroom and fill it with books that inspire and affirm students’ self-confidence. Add items that please the senses. Brightly colored crayons and paper, textured balls, Play-Doh, pebbles, scented sachets, and kaleidoscopes are all great ways to help students focus on the here and now. This is also a great place to keep your worry-eating monsters and relaxation bottles.

Calm Down Resources for Your ClassroomStudents face stress and anxiety every day. Here are some ways you can help them relax, stay calm, and let go of their worries.

Art from The Teacher from the Black Lagoon and The Book Fair from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler, illustrated by Jared Lee.Content courtesy of Scholastic’s Parent & Child magazine and the Scholastic Top Teaching blog.