Dress Up Wilbur
From Kennedy Center: Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems · 2020
20 minK1st2nd3rdReading & Writing (ELA)
Summary
Episode 7 brings out Wilbur -- the fashion-loving naked mole rat from Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. Mo leads a "Pin the Clothes on Wilbur" doodling activity where kids design outfits and think about how what we wear expresses who we are. A surprisingly rich entry point into self-expression and identity.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- Wilbur loves getting dressed even when others think it's strange. Have you ever worn something you loved that surprised other people?
- What outfit did you design for Wilbur? What does it say about Wilbur's personality?
- Mo's book is really about being yourself. What does it mean to be yourself -- can you show it in a picture instead of words?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: self-expression, costume, design, identity.
Try it: Draw Wilbur (or a simple figure) and design three different outfits for three different moods: one for feeling brave, one for feeling cozy, one for feeling silly.