A Guide For Using Curious George Series In The Classroom

A Guide for Using Curious George Series in the Classroom

Curious about George

In 1940, Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey built two bikes, packed what they could, and fled wartime Paris. Among the possessions they escaped with was a manuscript that would later become one of the most celebrated books in children’s literature—Curious George. Since his debut in 1941, the mischievous icon has only grown in popularity. After being captured in Africa by the Man in the Yellow Hat and taken to live in the big city’s zoo, Curious George became a symbol of curiosity, adventure, and exploration. In Curious about George: Curious George, Cultural Icons, Colonialism, and US Exceptionalism, author Rae Lynn Schwartz-DuPre argues that the beloved character also performs within a narrative of racism, colonialism, and heroism. Using theories of colonial and rhetorical studies to explain why cultural icons like Curious George are able to avoid criticism, Schwartz-DuPre investigates the ways these characters operate as capacious figures, embodying and circulating the narratives that construct them, and effectively argues that discourses about George provide a rich training ground for children to learn US citizenship and become innocent supporters of colonial American exceptionalism. By drawing on postcolonial theory, children’s criticisms, science and technology studies, and nostalgia, Schwartz-DuPre’s critical reading explains the dismissal of the monkey’s 1941 abduction from Africa and enslavement in the US, described in the first book, by illuminating two powerful roles he currently holds: essential STEM ambassador at a time when science and technology is central to global competitiveness and as a World War II refugee who offers a “deficient” version of the Holocaust while performing model US immigrant. Curious George’s twin heroic roles highlight racist science and an Americanized Holocaust narrative. By situating George as a representation of enslaved Africans and Holocaust refugees, Curious about George illuminates the danger of contemporary zero-sum identity politics, the colonization of marginalized identities, and racist knowledge production. Importantly, it demonstrates the ways in which popular culture can be harnessed both to promote colonial benevolence and to present possibilities for resistance.

Curious George - Literature Kit Gr. 1-2

Students explore their curious nature with a monkey named George. Students think a little deeper about the story by imagining the motivations behind the man in the yellow hat. Find different words that rhyme with the words in the story. Come up with different adjectives used in the book, then write a new sentence using these words. Answer multiple choice questions about George's adventures. Students share their own opinions about taking animals out of their natural habitats. Write a list of safety rules for George to follow so he can stay safe and out of trouble. Students share their feelings about certain events that happen in the story with a My Feelings graphic organizer. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: A well-loved story about a curious little monkey named George, who is caught in his home land of Africa by a man in a yellow hat. Inspired by his curiosity for the world around him, George has one adventure after another from the time he leaves Africa to the time he finally arrives at the Zoo. George tries to fly like the sea gulls, but this only gets him wet. He dials 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, which is the number for the Fire Department. He takes a man’s balloons and starts flying through the air over the city’s traffic. At the end of the story, George finally ends up in a tree at the Zoo. It was a nice place to live!