Star Wars Day, May 4, celebrates George Lucas's Star Wars media franchise. The date was chosen for the pun on the catchphrase "May the Force be with you" as "May the Fourth be with you." Both educators and students can get in on the fun, here. In this blog post, you’ll learn about some of our favorite books and activities!
(Click on any subheading to jump to that section)
May the 4th Books
Here are some of our favorite books to tie into May the 4th!
Are You Scarred Darth Vader is our personal favorite May the 4th book. Written and illustrated by Adam Rex (Illustrator of The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors), this kid friendly book proves that Darth Vader is in fact afraid of something!
From Amazon.com:
It's midnight and the moon is full, but Darth Vader isn't scared. OF COURSE I AM NOT SCARED. Nothing can scare Lord Vader! CORRECT. Not monsters or witches or ghosts, and especially not the dark. So what is Darth Vader scared of? Read on in Adam Rex's hilarious and spooky Star Wars tale to find out! YOU WILL LEARN NOTHING.
Star Wars Series from Jeffrey Brown
Darth Vader and Friends is a clever and kid friendly graphic novel styled book that explains the importance of friendships in short adventures. Something to note: This book is relatively small in size / dimension (approx. 6x6).
From Amazon.com: In this funny and sweet new book in the bestselling Darth Vader™ series, Eisner Award–winning author Jeffrey Brown offers an intimate look at the friendships between best pals in the Star Wars universe, from Darth Vader and the Emperor to Leia and her Ewok pals, Han and Chewie, C-3PO and R2-D2, the bounty hunters, and other favorite characters. Jealousy, birthday parties, lightsaber battles, sharing, intergalactic rebellion and more all come into play as Brown's charming illustrations and humor irresistibly combine the adventures of our friends in a galaxy far, far away with everyday events closer to home.
Darth Vader and Son is a graphic novel styled book that shares the (humorous) struggle of parenting Darth Vader experiences while trying to raise Luke Skywalker. Something to note: This book is relatively small in size / dimension (approx. 6x6).
From Amazon.com: What if Darth Vader took an active role in raising his son? What if "Luke, I am your father" was just a stern admonishment from an annoyed dad? In this hilarious and sweet Star Wars® comics reimagining, Darth Vader is a dad like any other—except with all the baggage of being the Dark Lord of the Sith. Celebrated artist Jeffrey Brown's delightful illustrations give classic Star Wars® moments a fresh parenting books twist, presenting the trials and joys of parenting through the lens of a galaxy far, far away. Life lessons include lightsaber batting practice, using the Force to raid the cookie jar, Take Your Child to Work Day on the Death Star ("Er, he looks just like you, Lord Vader!"), and the special bond shared between any father and son. It's a great option for baby shower gifts, especially for the expectant father. Darth Vader and Son is a Star Wars® book that makes a great gift or a just because purchase for yourself!
Goodnight, Darth Vader is a graphic novel styled book that (humorously) explains Darth Vader’s struggle with trying to get Luke and Leia to bed. There always appears to be something that comes up! Something to note: This book is relatively small in size / dimension (approx. 6x6).
From Amazon.com: It's time for a Star Wars bedtime story in a galaxy far, far away, and Darth Vader's parenting skills are tested anew in this delightful follow-up to the breakout New York Times Star Wars books bestsellers Darth Vader™ and Son and Vader's™ Little Princess. In this Episode, the Sith Lord must soothe his rambunctious twins, Luke and Leia—who are not ready to sleep and who insist on a story. As Vader reads, the book looks in on favorite creatures, droids, and characters, such as Yoda, R2-D2, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Maul, Admiral Ackbar, Boba Fett, and many others as they tuck in, yawn, and settle down to dream. As ever, Jeffrey Brown's charming illustrations and humor glow throughout, playing on children's book conventions to enchant adults and kids alike. This Star Wars makes a fun, unique pregnancy gift, a new Dad gift, or funny new parent gift!
May the 4th Action Movie FX App (iOS Only)
Action Movie FX uses your surroundings and adds in video FX. There are several Star Wars effects - all of which are a ton of fun! The app itself is free to download, but requires additional purchases. At the time of writing this post (4/29/21), the developers offered a sale: SAVE nearly 80% on the MEGA FX PACK and get 20 BLOCKBUSTER FX for $1.99 USD. We obviously think it’s worth it! We use this app to launch May the 4th activities. Record the video(s), then upload to Flipgrid for student responses. The files can also be saved as Gif’s, too! Here are some of the video FX included and a link to download the app:
Take on a Sith or Jedi! Can your students help save you from doom?
Run away from Darth Vader!
Put yourself right into the middle of an epic battle!
Run away from an incoming AT-AT!
Have BB-8 get in on the fun!
May the 4th Flipgrid Photo Sticker Activity
Customizable Flipgrid Photo Stickers are all the rage right now. With our frame (linked above), you can easily become Darth Vader in a Flipgrid video! After you’ve downloaded the file linked above, follow these steps to use the Photo Sticker:
Open up your Flipgrid Topic (or Shorts Camera).
Once the camera opens, click “Effects.” This opens several options.
Click “Photo.”
Upload your Spark file that you created.
Once it appears in the Flipgrid Shorts camera, resize it appropriately. Now you’re ready to record!
We use this as an extension for the books listed above!
May the 4th Build a Droid Seesaw Activity
Here’s a fun activity for littles! Use the built in shapes in Seesaw to design your own droid! Download the activity by clicking below and check out a student example!
To add this into your Seesaw Library, click the download button below!
May the 4th: Caption This Activity!
Here’s a fun activity where your students become screen writers! Have your students add the captions to the slide deck below. Click the button to download a copy for yourself!
May the 4th: Pixel Art Activity
Our friend Erin Flanagan has been creating quality resources for many years. Her May the 4th activities don’t disappoint! Students can use either Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel to create May the 4th inspired pixel art. There’s an option for addition & subtraction or multiplcation. There’s also a Google Slides activity where your students can create characters using shapes. Check out Erin’s TPT store and be sure to follow her on social media!
-- Please follow us on social media and tag us with how you’re using May the 4th activities in your classroom! 👓👗
For more tips, tricks and lesson ideas for making learning more interACTIVE, check out our books The InterACTIVE Class and Flipgrid in the InterACTIVE Class on Amazon!
