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Suggested Activities for The Trumpet of the Swan, by E.B. White (1970)
Intro: Since the whole school is reading the Trumpet of the Swan, it is hoped that teachers will find some way to celebrate the book in-class. What follows are a set of suggested activities that you may select, ignore, or use as inspiration. Naturally you will have to assess which activities seem appropriate for your respective grade levels
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1) Discussion
- It may be that students will just appreciate the opportunity to talk about the book together in some group setting: share favorite parts, ask questions, etc. Suggested topics:
a) How to behave in the woods if you want to appreciate Nature. (See: Sam Beaver)
b) The ethics of Louis’ father’s “theft” of the trumpet.
c) Why does Serena need to hear the beautiful song of her mate?
d) Louis’ “negotiations”: w/ Sam and his father; w/ the schoolteacher; w/ the Camp director; w/ the Boatman; w/ the Ritz; w/ the nightclub owner; w/ the Zookeeper.
e) Does anyone identify w/ Applegate Skinner?
f) Sam Beaver and his poem.
- Discussions might also work in other stories about preserving waterfowl, such as the excellent children’s film, Fly Away Home.
2) Art work
- This is a natural and hardly needs suggesting. But once one gets beyond the obvious - and appropriate - idea of children drawing favorite scenes or characters, one might move into the realm of the more imaginitive or ambitious. Are swans worthy of hauling out the watercolors? Might students want to illustrate other animals mentioned in the story (esp. Ch.s 2 and 20, and Sam’s poem in Ch. 19). Perhaps students want to illustrate supplementary tales to the story, perhaps via comic panels. Some students, in envisioning the further adventures of Louis and his family, might even want to storyboard the tale, using pictures instead of words to tell a supplementary story.
3) Writing projects
- Many ideas come to mind, far beyond dreaded book reports. Students can obviously write about favorite characters, scenes, parts, etc. Beyond that, students might write another chapter or adventure for Louis (and Serena; or their cygnets). Or Sam. Perhaps they even want to plot a sequel to the story. Perhaps a group of interested students could plot the sequel and parcel out the chapter assignments among themselves. They could crank out a “book” in 2 weeks. (RAV would be happy to copy, collate, and distribute - perhaps even read - such a book in school.) There are also individual elements of the book that might merit their own kind of distinct writing project: Sam’s journal and Sam’s poem.
4) Sam’s journal
- One of the most enticing elements of the opening of Trumpet of the Swan is Sam Beaver and his relationship w/ Nature, particularly as it is expressed in his journal. Beyond calling attention to it, asking questions about it, or discussing its details (or trying to answer some of the questions Sam asks), I can see students being invited to share their own journal-keeping. To relate private stories about Nature. Although many students are encouraged (or required) to keep their own journal in school, I suspect few have been invited to keep one especially about Nature. Once Louis takes over the book, Sam and his journal are lost (until Ch. 19). But I imagine there are some students capable of keeping a Nature journal for the month of October. (If teachers will make worthwhile writings available, RAV could select and collate and print up a collection of Fox students’ journal writings - experiences w/ Nature inspired by Trumpet of the Swan.)
5) Sam’s poem
- I think a lot of mileage cam be garnered from Sam’s poem (Ch. 19: pp. 220-221). Students could memorize and recite it. Students could look up and illustrate all the different animals in it (incl. the kinkajou and the wallaroo). Students could write their own, similar poems. Students could compare it to other, similar poems. (Dr. Seuss has one that’s similar - and yet very different.) Students could even look up (or teachers could read) the work of other poets on animals (e.g. Ogden Nash).
6) a Map
- Have a student - or the class - make a map of Louis’ travels and adventures. Include all the important spots in Canada, Montana, and the northeast. They can even plot his routes: e.g. draw in the RR lines from Boston to N.Y., and then to Philly. For extra credit, students can look up and plot the three pit stops Louis makes on the way back from Philadelphia at the end of Ch. 19 (p. 224). To do so, students will have to find out where the Red Rocks Lakes are (in Montana) and look up spots like the Yemassee River. Good map skills.
7) Music
- I can even see a way for the Music teacher to get involved. E.B. White mentions at least 13 songs by name, and identifies at least 7 different composers. In music class - or regular, homeroom class - students could hear some of these songs. They could, for example, learn the difference btwn Taps, Reveille, and Mess Call. I would imagine their are even a few students who could be inveigled to play - in class, or school-wide. There is musical notation for the song Louis “composes” for Serena - “Oh Ever in the Greening Spring.” I imagine some enterprising musician might be willing to learn it and play it for us. Or any of the songs E.B. White mentions: “Beautiful Dreamer,” “Summertime;” Brahms’ “Cradle” lullaby...
- Extra Credit: There is a song in Charlotte’s Web, too, a lullaby - written by E.B. White - that Charlotte sings to Wilbur. White wrote the words, but no music. Enterprising students might try creating a melody for this beautiful, 7-line song.