Rating Rear Ends!

When I found this book, I KNEW it would get students' attention.  Any and all things "gross," "weird" or potentially "inappropriate" scream out READ ME! I took this opportunity to purchase it, read it aloud and create a fun activity that would (hopefully) get students' attention (grades 2-5).

The book Battle of the Butts: The Science Behind Animal Behinds by Jocelyn Rish

I chose four animals to feature. Each animal's "behind" had a moment to shine (or block, stink, paralyze, etc). We read and "ewww-ed."

4 images from the book of animals used: beaded lacewing, herring, bombardier beetle, wombat
Four rear ends that paralyze, communicate, frighten, and block.

Then we rated the rump. The book had a 5 emoji rating system, but I modified it so we could have a "four corner" system. I created signs and put them at the corners of our rug.

4 emojis labeled terrific tushie, cool caboose, passable posterior, boring backside
Emojis used to "rate the rumps"


Students walked to the emoji rating that best fit their opinion of this rear. Once we took in how the voting landed, we returned to our reading spots and repeated this process for the next rump.

Read, rate, repeat!

Two students stand by an emoji saying "cool caboose"
Sometimes votes were evenly dispersed

The legs of 8 students are pictured along a wall
Often there was a heavy favorite

1 student stands by himself
Sometimes only 1 brave soul stood at their rating


Why?

Of course this book was an attention getter, but it was also the anchor to my  "Hopes and Dreams" lesson this year. I shared my hopes and dreams with students:

Bitmoji with two speech bubbles I am hoping to read more nonfiction books. I am hoping to do more talking with each other about the nonfiction books we are reading so we can help each other find new books to read.


I then had students share THEIR hopes for the coming school year.

Student responses on sticky notes and chart paper share what they hope to read this year
Students shared what they are hoping to read this year

Student responses on sticky notes and chart paper share what they hope to do this year
Students shared what they are excited about doing this year

My takeaways

I was concerned about what peer pressure might do to voting. (I am not a fan of public voting). However, I was pleasantly surprised. In most cases, students formed an opinion, rated it, and stood by it. Only in a few instances I saw students changing their minds and following friends.

I initially wanted students to share their rationale for their choices and do a bit of debating, but it became evident to me that if I wanted to get to the follow up activity (their hope for their year), I was going to have to skip this.

This book is now the most requested book in our library. I doubt I will see it on the shelf for the rest of the year.

Location: Massachusetts, USA

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