To encourage positive support in the classroom and have children understand what it is to support other children who are being bullied, write letters to Chrysanthemum. Have each child write a letter to Chrysanthemum, with the main purpose of encouraging her and supporting her, and her name. Gather the letters at the end of the lesson and read them aloud to the class.
One of the main themes in the book is names, and how unusual they can be. Create a large chart of the letters of the alphabet and make a graph based upon the the beginning letter of each child's name. This can be a simple introduction to graphs in math, as it displays how different amounts of something, even names, can be compared.
At the beginning of a school year, having children dialogue about their names in the classroom is a great icebreaker and a means of introducing the students to one another. After reading the book "Chrysanthemum" out loud, accentuating the part where the meaning of her name is explained, have each child guess the meanings of their names. Afterward, tell each one the meaning of their name and have them compare it with their guess. This is a fun activity that not only explains a variety of names, but also helps children learn their classmate's names.
Read the book "Chrysanthemum" aloud to the class, having each child aid in explaining the mouse's personality at the end of the story. Explain that everyone has a different personality, often as different an unique as their name. Provide each child with a large piece of paper. Have them write their name on it and then proceed to draw and decorate it with items, drawings or colors that fit their personality Tape the name tag poster to the front of their desk for them to use for the rest of the year to designate their spot.