Appropriate for most primary students and perfect for a substitute teacher folder or bag, check out this discussion guide plus follow up activities for “I DON’T CARE WHAT SIMON SAYS!”

DISCUSSION GUIDE QUESTIONS

Choose 4-5 based on the themes you want to discuss.

1. What game are they playing?

2. What are the rules of the game?

3. Who is Simon?

4. What does it mean to be powerful?

5. Do you think the children should have

followed all the instructions? (Even though

they were following the rules of the game.)

6. Which instructions do you think were okay?

Why?

7. If another kid asked you to do something

you think is a bad idea what would you do?

8. What are different words we can use

when we don’t feel good about a situation?

9. Were the children in trouble at the end?

10. Should they have been in trouble? What is fair?

FOLLOW UP WRITING PROMPT SUGGESTIONS

-Make a “Stolen Dog” for your favourite dog in the book, what is

their name? Where do they live? What do they like?

-Write the author a letter about what you would do if you got to be Simon, she will mail your class back. You can email her at readwithriver@gmail.com

QUICK WAYS TO USE SIMON SAYS IN YOUR CLASSROOM!

Often Simon Says instructions are limited to gross motor skills ie; touch your toes,

turn around, jump up and down, but there are a lot of otherways to consolidate

curriculum expectations quickly throughout it the day in a fun way.

Some Examples:

-Music: Use Simon Says to practice note lengths “Simon Says repeat after me, ta, ti ti, terry-terry, ta. Ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta.” You can do this using just voices, or you can do it with percussion instruments and body percussion.

-Math: Use Simon Says to practice different concepts that require memorization or easy to run around the room and practice, for example “Simon Says skip count by 2s” or “Simon says measure something smaller than your arm.”

-You can mix and match! For example mix gross motor instructions,

with math instructions, so kids get lots of movement breaks.

-You can also use this to clean up your classroom. “Simon Says

find five pieces of garbage and throw them in the recycle bin.”