Innovative Literacy Activities Inspired by the Blackout Picture Book by John Rocco
The Blackout picture book by John Rocco transports readers into an unexpected citywide blackout. On a humid night, a sudden power cut brings life to a standstill, forcing a family and their community to engage in traditional entertainment. The post delves into engaging literacy activities related to the Blackout book, aimed at enhancing reading comprehension, prediction skills, cause and effect and inference skills analysis among students. These activities also help students understand community, simplicity, and the balance between human connection and technology.
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Blackout Summary
In Blackout by John Rocco the power unexpectedly goes out on a sweltering summer evening in the city. Seeking relief from the heat, a family climbs to their rooftop, where they can clearly see the stars in the night sky. They see their neighbours making the most of this rest bite from technology by dancing, talking, playing, and making new friends.
When the power returns, life gradually returns to normal, but the experience leaves a lasting impact. The Blackout book fosters a sense of community, nurturing an appreciation for the simple things and finding a balance between technology and human connection.
Book Series
- Blackout
- Blizzard
- Hurricane
Blackout Picture Books Activities
The Blackout book promotes the importance of fostering a sense of community, nurturing an appreciation for the simple things, and finding life balance.
This post will focus on Blackout activities for character traits, cause and effect, and sequencing.
Blackout Read-Aloud Questions
- Who are the main characters in the Blackout book? How do their actions and attitudes change throughout the story?
- What is the main problem the characters face in this story? How do they solve it?
- Describe the setting of the story. How does the blackout change the atmosphere of the city?
- What themes can you identify in this story? For example, can you see themes of family, community, or technology dependence?
- Why do you think the family starts to enjoy the blackout? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
- What is John Rocco's purpose for writing the Blackout book? Is it to entertain, inform, persuade, or express a personal belief?
- How does the blackout affect the characters' behaviour? Give examples of cause and effect from the story.
- How do the illustrations contribute to the story? Do they change your understanding of certain events or characters?
- Do you agree with how the characters handled the blackout? What would you do differently if you were in their situation?
- Have you ever experienced a power outage? How did your experience compare to the one in the story? If not, how do you imagine you would react?
Blackout Cause and Effect Activities
The Blackout picture book revolves around a citywide blackout (cause) and how it affects the characters' lives (effect). This presents an opportunity to discuss cause and effect relationships. For example:
The Cause: A sudden, unexpected blackout plunges the city into darkness.
The Effect: Initially engrossed in their individual activities, the family comes together to create fun and enjoyment without electricity.
Clear Cause and Effect Scenario: The book provides a clear cause and effect scenario – the power goes out (cause), and the city's normal functioning stops (effect). This can be used as a basis for discussions with students about what might happen next, helping them predict the outcomes based on the cause.
Activity: After reading the part where the power goes out, stop and ask students to write down what they think will happen next. After everyone has made their predictions, continue reading to see if their predictions are correct. This exercise helps students understand the story to make accurate predictions.
Multiple Effects from One Cause: The Blackout picture book shows multiple effects stemming from one cause – the blackout. It affects each family member differently, providing a diverse range of effects for one cause.
Activity: Create a cause and effect chart. Ask students to list the cause (the blackout) and then write down all its effects on each character. This will help them understand that one cause can have multiple effects, enhancing their analytical skills.
Problem-Solving in the Story: The characters develop creative solutions to the blackout, demonstrating problem-solving skills. This can be used to discuss with students how sometimes adverse situations lead to unexpected positive outcomes.
Activity: After reading the book, discuss the solutions the characters came up with during the blackout. Then, ask students to think of other potential solutions the characters could have used.
Blackout Inference Activities
Students can infer the feelings and thoughts of the characters based on their actions and facial expressions. The Blackout picture book’s storyline – a sudden power outage in a city – and the characters' reactions allow students to make educated guesses or inferences about the story's progression and the characters' behaviours.
Unstated Emotions and Reactions: The book does not explicitly state how each character feels about the blackout, leaving room for students to infer the characters' emotions based on their actions.
Activity: Create an emotion inference chart for each character. Ask students to fill in the chart with the possible emotions each character might be experiencing during the blackout, based on their actions and dialogues.
Implied Changes in Routine: The blackout disrupts the normal routine of the characters, creating a scenario where students can infer how their routines have changed.
Activity: Ask students to create a table comparing the characters' routines before and after the blackout. This will help students infer changes based on the events in the story.
Unexplained Events: The book contains several unexplained events, like why the power went out and how it eventually came back. These events can provoke curiosity in students and encourage them to make educated guesses.
Activity: Have students write down their explanations for the unexplained events in the book, using clues from the story to support their theories. This exercise encourages students to think critically, make educated guesses, and support their inferences with evidence from the text.
Blackout Retelling Activities
After reading, students can retell the Blackout picture book in their own words, focusing on the key points, which aids in comprehension and memory.
Clear Sequence of Events: The book follows a clear sequence of events, which makes it easier for students to practice retelling.
Activity: Provide students with blank cards. After reading the Blackout book, have them write down the main events on these cards in the order they occurred in the book. Then, ask them to use these cards to retell the story in their own words. This will help them remember the sequence of events and practice articulating them.
Relatable Characters and Situations: The characters and situations in the Blackout book are relatable, making it easier for students to recall and retell the story.
Activity: Have students create character profiles for each character in the book. These profiles should include details about the character's personality, appearance, and actions during the blackout. Students can then use these profiles as a reference when they retell the story, helping them remember key details about each character.
Rich Visual Details: The Blackout book’s illustrations provide rich visual details that can aid in retelling.
Activity: Ask students to describe the scenes from the book using only the illustrations. This activity will help them practice visual recall, a crucial part of retelling.
Interesting Plot Twist: The plot twist in the Blackout picture book – the power outage – makes the story interesting and memorable, aiding in retelling.
Activity: Have students analyse the story's plot, focusing particularly on the blackout. They can discuss how the blackout affected the characters and the story's progression. This understanding will help them retell the Blackout book accurately and with more detail.
