Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Virginia Lee Burton's Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, written in 1939, about the time when Oma and Opa were a little older than G5, is a great book for boys. We looked at the history of steam power vs. gasoline combustion engines that dominate today.I was able to share some live video of steam shovels at county fairs and festivals around the country and the boys really liked to watch and listen to the loud sounds and watch the steam and smoke. We also defined personification for the first time even though, without knowing it was a literary device, they have been reading about animals who talk, emote and wear clothes like people for a long time. The Beatrix Potter books, Winnie-The-Pooh books and many others for children. As well as movies like Babe, Milo and Otis and any Disney movie uses personification. Pointing out that the stories are from the artist's imagination was interesting to G5. I think at this age they know pigs cannot talk but giving it a name 'personification' was a new thing. It is fun to hear little G5 use big words.We drew some trees and noticed how the trunk branches off into smaller and smaller branches until they are very small with leaves on them. G5 had not drawn details on a tree like this one before this study.

Scientific problem solving and wondering 'what if' is G5s forte. He had his own solution for the story. In the end, the steam shovel and Mike Mulligan are 'stuck' down in the cellar they built for the town hall of Popperville because they did not dig a road way out of it. In Miss Burton's tale, they stay there and Mary Anne, the steam shovel becomes the furnace for the building and Mike Mulligan, the janitor. G5 was concerned that Mike could never get out but I told him that he did go home at night for dinner with his family and to sleep I suppose. G5 wanted a crane to lift Mary Anne out of the cellar before the town hall was built and Mike Mulligan could just climb out with a ladder. Sounds like a good solution to me.

The photos are of paddle steamers made of paper that we made together and this was the highlight of the project for both of us. I was amazed that G5 was able and focused to cut the tiny cuts with scissors required in order to glue this together properly so I have learned that he is capable of little fine motor skills with the proper motivation..if he really wants something. G5 also drew water and an island with people on it from the steamer.