Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Collaborative Pangram-ing”

In this activity, students will work to overcome challenges as they attempt to create the shortest pangram in the class.

In groups of four, you will try to write the shortest pangram in the class! You may use dictionaries and books, but you may not use phones, tablets, or computers. In your group of four, only two of you may talk and only two of you may write.

After completing your pangram, share your work with the class. Reflect on the challenges that arose with limited communication and your overall process for creating the pangram.

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to think outside the box both in terms of word choice and how they try to communicate with each other. It may be helpful to briefly model your own thought process first to give them a scaffold on which to build. Post-activity discussion can highlight the similarities and differences between student experiences and those presented in the novel.

“Interview a Character”

In this activity, students will write an interview with one of the characters in Ella Minnow Pea, tying in both plot and thematic concepts.