• Kids will enjoy making their own chalk mural just like Gregory.drawing of globe on the pavement and two pairs of feet image by Daria Miroshnikova from Fotolia.com
  
  Many elementary school students enjoy reading "The Chalk Box Kid," by Clyde Robert Bulla, which is about a lonely boy named Gregory who expresses himself through drawing a chalk mural of a garden. As a teacher, you can introduce the students to activities that will help them think more about the concepts and the characters in the book. "The Chalk Box Kid" lends itself to art, science, and writing activities.
  
  

Art Activities

• Since one of the main ideas in the book is that kids can find their expression through art, you may consider letting your own students use art as a form of expression as well. If the school has an empty wall that students can draw on, encourage them to create a class mural with chalk. They'll need to agree on an idea for the wall, delegate responsibilities, and draw the final product. You can also let each child sketch a picture of a plant to give them an idea of what Gregory did. Alternatively, you can discuss the fact that drawing is what made Gregory truly happy. Encourage them to create their own pictures of things that make them happy, and hang the pictures on the wall for them to look at on a "down" day.
  
  

Science Activities

• To build on the science concepts presented in the book, you may want to take the time to plant a garden with your students. If your school does not have a plot of land available for planting, you can let each child plant one seed or small plant in a flower pot instead. Kids will love watching their gardens grow and will learn about the world of nature at the same time.
  
  You can also let kids do research about the different types of plants mentioned in the book. Mr. Hiller's plants come in all shapes and sizes, and if your students live in an urban or suburban area, they have likely never come into contact with some of them. In small groups, they can write a paragraph or two about their findings or give small presentations for the rest of the class.
  
  

Writing Activities

• Gregory went through a difficult time at the beginning of the book because he felt like nobody liked him. Have students write a letter to Gregory, encouraging him and telling him about the qualities he has that will help other kids to become friends with him. Alternatively, kids can write a journal entry about a time that they felt unliked or alone just like Gregory. Either of these writing activities will help kids understand Gregory's character and motivation, as well as connect what they have read in the book to their own lives.
  
  You can also have students take one chapter of the book and write it from the point of view of another character. This will help them think about why the author chose the point of view that he did, as well as help them understand the personality traits of supporting characters in the story.