Interactive Writing

Interactive Writing: Definition

• students work with teacher to write text on chart paper
• teacher guides writing word by word
• students take turns writing familiar words, adding punctuation, and spacing
• students reinforce writing by copying on individual boards or paper
• students read and re-read with classmates or on their own
• teacher corrects student mistakes (misspelled words, grammar, punctuation)

Interactive Writing: Application

• classroom news
• pre-reading predictions
• retelling stories
• thank you letters
• reports
• math story problems
• group writing

Interactive Writing: Differentiation Examples

• K - practice writing letters/whole words
• 1st - practice writing entire words
• 2nd - whole group stories

Interactive Writing: Objective

• concepts about print
• letter-sound relationships
• spelling patterns
• handwriting concepts
• punctuation skills
• conventions (spelling, grammar, etc.)
• organization
• writing fluency

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

Book Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Blue Sky Press, March 1998

Summary:
Camilla Cream loved lima beans. Unfortunately, she never ate lima beans because no one else her age liked lima beans. One day Camilla screamed when she looked in the mirror because she was covered in colorful stripes. Every doctor, expert, and specialist tried to help Camilla; however, she kept changing into all kinds of different designs and patterns. A petite elderly woman came to her rescue with the perfect remedy, lima beans! After eating her lima beans that she adored Camilla Cream turned back into her normal self again. After that bizarre experience Camilla decided to always be true to herself no matter what anyone else thought.

Personal Rating, ****Great! The text articulated such a valuable lesson that we try to teach to children. The way the story was written was perfect for younger audiences to comprehend and appreciate.

Reading Level: 3rd grade (A.R. Level 3.8)

Interest Level: K-5 grades

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:

Math: Sort and group different kinds of beans. Give students a blank paper of Camilla and let them create their own pattern. Reading/Writing: A great text to teach cause-and-effect. Listening to this story online or with a Smartboard at http://www.storylineonline.net/. Have students complete a chart on character emotions at http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson377/emotions.pdf.
Guidance: Play the following game with class: It's My Life: Beat the Bully at http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/games/bullies_flash.html.


Potential Problems or Difficulties: No potential problems.

Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

Book Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, September 2007

Summary:
A mouse, Sam, lived in the public library. Each night when the library was vacant, Sam would scan the library for wonderful books to read. After awhile Sam decided to write a book of his own. After he completed the books he would place them in the appropriate section of the library. Children and even the librarian were impressed of Sam’s writing ability. They encouraged Sam to come to the library and share with others his talent. Sam was afraid to face everyone because he is a mouse. So he came up with a perfect solution to inspire others to write.

Personal Rating, ****Great! This book is a great way to introduce the library to students and the different genres. The illustrations will have students lining up to see what the library is all about!

Reading Level: 4th grade (A.R. Level 4.4)

Interest Level: K-3 grades

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:

Reading/Writing: Introduce this book before taking a tour of the library. Schedule a time to take your class and listen to a speaker at the library. Have a book making extravaganza! Allow students to pick what kind of genre they would like to follow and make a book! After students are finished with their book have a “Meet the Author” time set in your classroom. This will allow each student to feel like their work is special and worthy!

Potential Problems or Difficulties: No potential problems.

The Man Who Tricked a Ghost by Laurence Yep

Book Genre: Folktale

Publisher: Troll Communications, September 1997


Summary:
A courageous man, Sung, was not frightened by anyone or anything. After leaving his friend’s house, Sung meets a ghost on a dark and mysterious path. The ghost informs him that he is on his way to scare a man named Sung because he is not terrified of ghosts. Pretending to also be a ghost, Sung taunts the ghost. During the adventure Sung learns all of the ghost’s secrets. When they finally make it to Courtesy Town, the ghost turns himself into a white fluffy sheep. Knowing the ghost’s secrets, Sung is able to keep the ghost in the form of a sheep. Not only did Sung trick the ghost but he received a hefty sum for the sale of his new sheep!

Personal Rating, ***Good. This Chinese Folktale was full of extraordinary illustrations. The colors and innovative details were extremely creative.

Reading Level: 3rd grade (A.R. Level 3.9)

Interest Level: K-5 grades

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:

Reading/Writing: Do a lesson on conflict/resolution. Examine the way that Sung had a conflict and how he was able to resolve the situation. Compare and contrast ghost stories using a Venn Diagram. Students could create and write about their own ghost. Math: Create a classroom graph and see which students believe or do not believe in ghosts.

Potential Problems or Difficulties: At times, pictures and text may be a little scary for younger audiences.

Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine

Book Genre: Biography

Publisher: Scholastic Press, January 2007

Awards and Nominations:

Notable Children's Books, 2008
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2007
Top 10 Black History Books for Youth, 2008
Caldecott Honor Books, 2008

Summary:
Young Henry, born a slave, is sold to a new master. Separated from his mother, Henry meets a lovely young woman and establishes his own family. Sadly, his wife and children are sold to a new slave handler. Henry now aimless and desperate schemes up an unthinkable plan to freedom. Mailing himself in a box to Pennsylvania, Henry goes where so many have prayed and dreamed of, to freedom!

Personal Rating, ****Great! What a magnificent and touching piece of literature. The words in the text cause an immediate connection and emotional bond between the reader and Henry. You can feel his grief and triumphs throughout the book.

Reading Level: 3rd grade (A.R. Level 3.0)

Interest Level: K-5 grades

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:

Social Studies/Art: Have students work in groups to create their very own freedom box. Display a map of the U.S. and plot the route that Henry took to get to freedom. Reading/Writing: Have students illustrate a "Wanted" poster for Henry. Complete a KWL chart on slavery with your class prior to reading the text. Math: Have students compare the miles that it took Henry to get to Pennsylvania (350 miles) to how many miles it takes them to get from school to home.

Potential Problems or Difficulties: No potential problems.

The Legend of the White Buffalo Woman by Paul Goble

Book Genre: Legend/Myth

Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books; 1st edition, July 1, 1998

Summary:
This is a significant legend told by the Lakota people. The story begins with the extermination of mankind on earth. An Eagle of the Sky and a Woman of the Earth were married and bore children. Then from this process the Nation is born again. As time and years passed the Sadness of War took over. A mystifying and stunning Buffalo Woman came to share the power of the pipe. The Lakota people believe that the pipe is a person’s way to correspond with God.

Personal Rating, **Okay. I am partial to books that depict and enlighten readers on diverse cultures from around the world; however, this legend did not have an engaging grasp to pull readers in. My expectations were set extremely high for this book since it was part of the National Geographic Society. The text lacked a consist flow from beginning to end.

Reading Level: 4th grade (A.R. Level 4.6)

Interest Level: 3-6 grades

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:

Art/Social Studies: Create and construct peace gifts that the Lakota people would have shared. Make a class teepee with drawings from students of Native symbols. Reading/Writing: Do a character study on the White Buffalo Woman. Students will have to illustrate a picture of her and write three sentences about why she is important to the Lakota people.

Potential Problems or Difficulties: The story has some mature topics and some gruesome illustrations.

Daisy Comes Home by Jan Brett

Book Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile, February 2002

Awards or honors received:

North Carolina Book Award Nomination, 2003-2004
Colorado Children's Book Award Nomination, 2003

Summary:

A young Chinese girl, Mei Mei, has six happy hens that she adores and cares for. Daisy, one of the six hens, is bullied by the other hens in the coop. Exhausted from being bullied in the coop; Daisy decides to sleep in a basket by the river. While she is snoozing the river sweeps the basket away from the shore. Daisy is confronted by various animals along the way that she has to defend herself from. A fisherman stumbles upon Daisy in the river. He takes her to the local market to sell, when Mei Mei comes to her rescue. When Daisy arrives back to her coop, the other hens are astonished of the attitude that she acquired from her adventure. Daisy now has her on place in the coop.

Personal Rating, ***Good. The text was reader-friendly while still giving a little taste of the Chinese vocabulary. The illustrations were bold and realistic.

Reading Level: 3rd grade (A.R. Level 3.8)

Interest Level: K-3

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:
Reading/Writing: Discuss author, Jan Brett, and watch the video clip from http://www.janbrettvideos.com/video/video_main_page.htm. Complete a picture walk and do a sequencing activity. Science: Review and discuss the Life Cycle of a Chick. Social Studies: Compare and contrast Chinese Culture from our own culture.

Potential Problems or Difficulties: I could not find any potential problems or difficulties.

Waiting for the Whales by Sheryl McFarlane

Book Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Philomel, March 24, 1993

Awards or honors received:

IODE National Chapter Book Award (text)
Governor General's Literary Award (illustration)
Canadian National Library Notable Book
A CBC Radio's Morningside's Children's Book Panel “Recommended Book”
Canadian Children's Book Centre “Outstanding Book”
Short-listed for the Mr. Christie Book Award
Short-listed for the BC Book Prize (children's book category)

Summary:

Waiting for the Whales, is a powerful but yet touching story about the bond between individuals. A lonesome elderly man lived by the ocean. Every summer the man lived to see the orcas. The orcas gave him a sense of warmth that dismissed the loneliness that he had felt all year. When the orcas would swim off for the winter the old man would say his goodbye with a tear. Over the next year he would live his life doing chores as if he was not alone. Then one day his daughter arrived with a new baby. The elderly man spent the next years of his life schooling his granddaughter on the lessons of life and the power of the orcas. The day the old man passed, his granddaughter ran to the shore to see the orcas. In her amazement she saw a mother with her baby calf swimming with an old bull.

Personal Rating, ****Great. The words in the text left vivid pictures in my mind about my own relationship with my grandparents.

Reading Level: 4 grade (A.R. Level 4.7)

Interest Level: K-5

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:

Reading/Writing: Converse with students about this book on Grandparent’s Day. Students could write a journal entry about the memories they may have of someone special. Science: A lesson on orcas and animal babies. An inquiry study on migrations. Social Studies: An extension activity on the compass and directions; north, south, east, and west. Music: Listen to the different sounds that orcas make. Compare their sounds to musical instruments.

Potential Problems or Difficulties: The story discusses the death of a grandparent.

The First Strawberries, A Cherokee Story by Joseph Bruchac

Book Genre: Folklore

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA), June 1998

Summary:
This is a legend told by the Cherokee people of how strawberries came to be. This book tells about an innocent quarrel between the first man and woman on earth. The woman is out picking beautiful flowers instead of making her husband supper. He becomes angry with her and learns the impact that harsh words can do to someone’s feelings. When the man went to apologize to his wife, he found her eating these bizarre berries. When the man asked his wife for forgiveness she answered him by sharing her strawberries. The Cherokee people view strawberries as a way to remember friendship and kindness.

Personal Rating, ****Great. I am partial to books that depict and enlighten readers on diverse cultures from around the world. The illustrations were exceptionally authentic and really kept true to the Cherokee people.

Reading Level: 3 grade (A.R. Level 3.5)

Interest Level: K-5

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:

Math: Compare and contrast different berries by their shape, size and color. Make a class pictograph that shows which students like or dislike strawberries. Social Studies/Writing: Use this book to discuss how the Cherokee people are different from our own families. Make a list of all the things that are made from strawberries. Field Trip: Take a class field trip to a local strawberry farm.

Potential Problems or Difficulties: The story discusses how the creator made the first Cherokee man and woman. This may bring up questions about how man and woman were first created.

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina

Book Genre: Folktale, Classic

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 1938

Awards or honors received: Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958, Reading Rainbow Book

Summary: A peddler walked around town trying to sale caps on his head for 50 cents each. He would walk up and down the streets of town shouting for people to buy his caps. One day he did not sale any caps, so he decided to go to the country for a walk. Once he was in the country he decided to take a nap. While he was asleep monkeys stole all of his caps. Once the peddler realized what had happened it became a battle of monkey see monkey do! In the end, the monkeys returned the peddler his caps.

Personal Rating, **Ok. I consider this book standard with average illustrations. I thought the colors in the illustrations correlated well with the words of the text, very monotone.

Reading Level: 3 grade (A.R. Level 3.1)

Interest Level: K-2

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:
The text would be a superb choice to use for several different math lessons. Students could use the caps to study different types of patterns and money. A lesson on positional words and phrases: over, under, on top of, behind, in back of, in front of, and beside.

Students possibly could study community jobs, entrepreneurs, in a social studies lesson.

Reading: Compare and contrast two different folktales. (Caps for Sale and The First Strawberries)

Writing: Write a short journal essay on, "What would you do if monkeys took something that belonged to you?"

Potential Problems or Difficulties: I could not find any potential problems or difficulties.

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, By Kevin Henkes

Book Genre: Fiction

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, August 1996

Summary:

Lilly, a gorgeous mouse, is an over the top and enthusiastic student. She adores her teacher and wants to be just like him. She tries her very best to impress Mr. Slinger with her desire to be unique and stand out; however, her willingness to stand out gets her in a little bit of a dilemma. Lilly brought a new purple plastic purse full of “diva like” accessories to show to the class. Mr. Slinger asked her to be patient and wait for show and tell before she shared her most valuable possessions. Lilly could not wait any longer and disrupted her class with her show and tell. Mr. Slinger made Lilly face the consequences for her actions. Lilly was not pleased with Mr. Slinger’s decision to punish her. She retaliated and then began to feel remorseful for her ugly behavior. In the end Lilly learned the true value of forgiveness.


Personal Rating, ***Good, The illustrations are light-hearted and cute. The overall theme is expressed with kindness and love. The text is kid-friendly.

Reading Level: 3 grade (A.R. Level 3.1)

Interest Level: K-2

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:

The text would be fantastic to use with a guidance lesson on character building; therefore, teaching students about consequences, appropriate behaviors, and using manners. For a reading lesson you could discuss the adjectives that were used to describe Lilly and Mr. Slinger. Set up your very own Lightbulb Lab in your classroom where students could write their own stories about when they asked for forgiveness.

Potential Problems or Difficulties: I could not find any potential problems or difficulties.

Adrian's First Blog

Wow! Dr. Brown has all the information organized and ready to go! I am excited about the reading of children's literature and how we would use this work of literature in our classroom. I like to take things that I am actually going to use in my classroom from my graduate courses. Literacy can be used in so many diverse ways and I am looking forward to seeing how other teachers are using books in their classrooms. Sharing of best practices can be one of the most powerful professional resources out there!
The amount of quizzes and short-essay questions per chapter is a little overwhelming. I am trying to picture in my head how I am going to get all this done in 5 weeks and still teach. Positivity and lots of prayers will get me through!