Book Genre: fiction
Publishing Info: Simon and Schuster, 50 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: At the beginning of the story the students in Mrs. Ruler’s class stuck inside because it had been raining all week. The students began to misbehave and treat each other badly. So Mrs. Ruler kept 5 of the students to speak to them about kindness. She told them they each needed to perform 5 acts of kindness and share what they did at show and tell. The next day at show and tell some of the kids couldn’t wait to share their acts of kindness with the rest of the class. The whole class was excited and they decided to design a class project where everyone would participate. Everyday the class shared their kindness acts. Everyone was excited except for one little boy , David, who couldn’t think of anything to do. The class continued to share their random acts and wrote them down. Everyday they would count their acts of kindness. One day the class gerbils go out of the cage and everyone panicked. David ran around the room collecting the gerbils and his act was added to the kindness wall.
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** This is a cute book with a great theme, and the teacher speaks in rhymes. Students will love it and get ideas for random acts of kindness.
Reading level: 3.7
Interest level: K-5
Possible uses of the text: Social Studies - have your class participate in random acts of kindness. Read the book and discuss examples of how to be kind. Then have the students/teacher/parents write each act of kindness and display. Try for 100 acts of kindness. Expand your kindness to the school by picking up trash on the playground, bringing the principal a snack, holding the door open for other classes, etc. Get your community involved by collecting toys to give away, collecting food to donate to a food shelter, makes cards for a senior center, etc.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: none
Showing posts with label Tracy Fiedler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tracy Fiedler. Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Are Trees Alive? By Debbie S. Miller
Book Genre: non-fiction
Publishing Info: Scholastic
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This book compares trees to humans. The beginning of the book compares tree roots to feet that help you stand. The trunk of the tree is compared to the body of a person. It is used for support. Then the author compares the branches of a tree to the arms of a human which hold things. Trees can be dark or light, like skin color and the bark of the tree protects it like our skin protects us. The branches and leaves of the tree make a crown on top like the top of our head. Humans breathe with our mouth and nose and a tree breathes through its leaves. Sap traveling through the tree is compared to veins inside a human body transporting blood. The fruit and flowers on a tree are like a smile on a face, that draws people toward you. Seed grow up to be trees just like babies grow up to be adults. Some people grow very old, just like some trees do. Winter is a time for trees to rest, like the night is the time for humans to rest. Then Spring comes and the trees become alive again. The story ends rather suddenly by comparing a picnic to the food that trees provide
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** This story will get your students thinking about how trees and humans are alike. It has some really good information in it.
Reading level: 3.5
Interest level: K-5
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study (reading and writing across the curriculum): Science - this story could be a great way to introduce living/non-living objects. It could also be used to identify what living things need to survive. Students could participate in a web quest about trees.
Math - Seasons could be discussed with this book as it identifies what the tree does during each season. Students can draw and label a tree during each season. A Venn Diagram could be used to compare and contrast a human and a tree.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: The story just ends very suddenly and you wish there was a better ending.
Publishing Info: Scholastic
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This book compares trees to humans. The beginning of the book compares tree roots to feet that help you stand. The trunk of the tree is compared to the body of a person. It is used for support. Then the author compares the branches of a tree to the arms of a human which hold things. Trees can be dark or light, like skin color and the bark of the tree protects it like our skin protects us. The branches and leaves of the tree make a crown on top like the top of our head. Humans breathe with our mouth and nose and a tree breathes through its leaves. Sap traveling through the tree is compared to veins inside a human body transporting blood. The fruit and flowers on a tree are like a smile on a face, that draws people toward you. Seed grow up to be trees just like babies grow up to be adults. Some people grow very old, just like some trees do. Winter is a time for trees to rest, like the night is the time for humans to rest. Then Spring comes and the trees become alive again. The story ends rather suddenly by comparing a picnic to the food that trees provide
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** This story will get your students thinking about how trees and humans are alike. It has some really good information in it.
Reading level: 3.5
Interest level: K-5
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study (reading and writing across the curriculum): Science - this story could be a great way to introduce living/non-living objects. It could also be used to identify what living things need to survive. Students could participate in a web quest about trees.
Math - Seasons could be discussed with this book as it identifies what the tree does during each season. Students can draw and label a tree during each season. A Venn Diagram could be used to compare and contrast a human and a tree.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: The story just ends very suddenly and you wish there was a better ending.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Alfie the Apostrophe by Moira Rose Donohue
Book Genre: fiction
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 29 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is about an apostrophe named Alfie. Alfie was a young apostrophe who went to school with other punctuation marks. The annual punctuation-mark talent show was the next day. Alfie was worried that he didn’t have any talent. He practiced in his bedroom but couldn’t get his magic tricks to work correctly. The next day at school everyone was excited to perform in the talent show. The question marks went first and they told riddles and jokes that made everyone laugh. Then the exclamation points cheered in their cheerleading outfits. Alfie began to get more worried. The parentheses worked with the commas and quotation marks to perform a jump rope routine, but they all got tangled up. Last went a group of periods and hyphens. They performed in Morse code. The director was about to end the show when Alfie raised his hand to present his magic tricks. First Alfie pulled out the words can and not. He covered them with a scarf and said the magic words. When he lifted the scarf, two letters had disappeared and the contraction can’t appeared. He did the same thing changing will and not into won’t. Then for his final act he performed his “possessive” trick. The crowd went wild and Alfie was very happy to be an apostrophe.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** This was a nice story with pictures of the different types of punctuation marks as characters. Students will see the marks as you are reading about the usage of each one.
Reading level: 3.2
Interest level: 1-4
Possible uses of the text: Literacy: This story would be a good lead-in for introducing contractions. Have student’s create “magic tricks” by changing two words into a contraction. Then they can be the detective to find which of the letters went missing. Make this activity into a game. Practice making contractions and reverse it, so the contraction becomes the two words. Re-read story when you teach about possessive nouns. Have students create a list of things that belong to them and write it with the apostrophe (Linda’s book). Students can then illustrate their belongings.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: this story might be a little difficult for the younger children, teacher will have to explain a lot as she reads.
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 29 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is about an apostrophe named Alfie. Alfie was a young apostrophe who went to school with other punctuation marks. The annual punctuation-mark talent show was the next day. Alfie was worried that he didn’t have any talent. He practiced in his bedroom but couldn’t get his magic tricks to work correctly. The next day at school everyone was excited to perform in the talent show. The question marks went first and they told riddles and jokes that made everyone laugh. Then the exclamation points cheered in their cheerleading outfits. Alfie began to get more worried. The parentheses worked with the commas and quotation marks to perform a jump rope routine, but they all got tangled up. Last went a group of periods and hyphens. They performed in Morse code. The director was about to end the show when Alfie raised his hand to present his magic tricks. First Alfie pulled out the words can and not. He covered them with a scarf and said the magic words. When he lifted the scarf, two letters had disappeared and the contraction can’t appeared. He did the same thing changing will and not into won’t. Then for his final act he performed his “possessive” trick. The crowd went wild and Alfie was very happy to be an apostrophe.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** This was a nice story with pictures of the different types of punctuation marks as characters. Students will see the marks as you are reading about the usage of each one.
Reading level: 3.2
Interest level: 1-4
Possible uses of the text: Literacy: This story would be a good lead-in for introducing contractions. Have student’s create “magic tricks” by changing two words into a contraction. Then they can be the detective to find which of the letters went missing. Make this activity into a game. Practice making contractions and reverse it, so the contraction becomes the two words. Re-read story when you teach about possessive nouns. Have students create a list of things that belong to them and write it with the apostrophe (Linda’s book). Students can then illustrate their belongings.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: this story might be a little difficult for the younger children, teacher will have to explain a lot as she reads.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
Book Genre: Fiction
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 24 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is about a little girl named Lena. She is seven years old and has skin the color of cinnamon. Her mom is an artist and has skin the color of French Toast. Mom tells Lena that is she mixes red, yellow, black and white, she will get just the right color brown to match her skin. Sonia, Lena’s friend, is the color of creamy peanut butter. This story goes on and describes the different people in the neighborhood. One girl is the color of a chocolate cupcake, another is the color of peaches. Lena thinks of all the beautiful colors of skin she sees each day. Then she gets out her paints and makes all the different people and names their skin the color of food; cinnamon, chocolate, honey, butterscotch, etc.
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** Excellent book for diverse classes, illustrations are kid friendly
Reading level: 3.9
Interest level: K-2
Possible uses of the text: Social Studies/Art: At the beginning of the year - read the story then use multicultural paper and have students choose the color that is closest to their own skin color. Students trace and cut out a “child”. “Dress” the child with pieces of fabric or cloth. Use different colors of string for children to cut up into hair pieces. Read the poem, “A Circle of Friends”. -
We’ve joined together as classmates
As the new year begins…
A year full of learning while,
We become friends.
We’ll share and be kind
As we work and play.
And our friendship will grow
With each passing day!
Write the poem on a circle and put the “children” around the circle. Then students name their own skin color and try to make the color of their skin with paint.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: Some students could get upset that are not “white”, but most students will love this.
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 24 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is about a little girl named Lena. She is seven years old and has skin the color of cinnamon. Her mom is an artist and has skin the color of French Toast. Mom tells Lena that is she mixes red, yellow, black and white, she will get just the right color brown to match her skin. Sonia, Lena’s friend, is the color of creamy peanut butter. This story goes on and describes the different people in the neighborhood. One girl is the color of a chocolate cupcake, another is the color of peaches. Lena thinks of all the beautiful colors of skin she sees each day. Then she gets out her paints and makes all the different people and names their skin the color of food; cinnamon, chocolate, honey, butterscotch, etc.
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** Excellent book for diverse classes, illustrations are kid friendly
Reading level: 3.9
Interest level: K-2
Possible uses of the text: Social Studies/Art: At the beginning of the year - read the story then use multicultural paper and have students choose the color that is closest to their own skin color. Students trace and cut out a “child”. “Dress” the child with pieces of fabric or cloth. Use different colors of string for children to cut up into hair pieces. Read the poem, “A Circle of Friends”. -
We’ve joined together as classmates
As the new year begins…
A year full of learning while,
We become friends.
We’ll share and be kind
As we work and play.
And our friendship will grow
With each passing day!
Write the poem on a circle and put the “children” around the circle. Then students name their own skin color and try to make the color of their skin with paint.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: Some students could get upset that are not “white”, but most students will love this.
The Legend of the Indian Paint Brush by Tomie dePaola
Book Genre: Fiction
Publishing Info: Paper Star, 35 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is about a small boy who couldn’t keep up with the rest of the boys. He was called Little Gopher. He had a gift of making toys from scraps of leather and pieces of wood. He would paint the toys with colors from the berries he found in the hills. When Little Gopher grew a little bit older a dream vision came to him. An old man told him he would paint great pictures of deed of warriors and the shaman. A maiden told him to find a white buckskin and someday he will paint a wonderful picture on it. The next day the boy began to make paint brushes from different animal hair. Then he gathered berries and flowers to create colors. He began to paint pictures of great deeds so the people would always remember. Then he had another dream that he needed to take the white buckskin and paint the setting sun. He paint the most beautiful picture and after that the people called him; “He-Who-Brought-the-Sunset-to-the-Earth”.
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** Great book to lead into a unit on Native Americans. Beautiful illustrations that look like watercolors your students would want to paint.
Reading level: 4.4
Interest level: K-5 (read aloud K-2)
Possible uses of the text: Social Studies/Art This story would be great around Thanksgiving as a lead in to teach about Native American culture. Have each student bring in a brown grocery bag. Cut them into vests and turn them inside-out so they are blank. Introduce Native American symbols. Have students paint symbols on their vests that represent who they are and their likes and dislikes. Introduce new vocabulary words. Discuss what a legend is. Have students make up their own legends or work with partners. Create a Native American name for each student. Students could also create a story using only symbols and orally tell the story as they point to each symbol.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: none
Publishing Info: Paper Star, 35 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is about a small boy who couldn’t keep up with the rest of the boys. He was called Little Gopher. He had a gift of making toys from scraps of leather and pieces of wood. He would paint the toys with colors from the berries he found in the hills. When Little Gopher grew a little bit older a dream vision came to him. An old man told him he would paint great pictures of deed of warriors and the shaman. A maiden told him to find a white buckskin and someday he will paint a wonderful picture on it. The next day the boy began to make paint brushes from different animal hair. Then he gathered berries and flowers to create colors. He began to paint pictures of great deeds so the people would always remember. Then he had another dream that he needed to take the white buckskin and paint the setting sun. He paint the most beautiful picture and after that the people called him; “He-Who-Brought-the-Sunset-to-the-Earth”.
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** Great book to lead into a unit on Native Americans. Beautiful illustrations that look like watercolors your students would want to paint.
Reading level: 4.4
Interest level: K-5 (read aloud K-2)
Possible uses of the text: Social Studies/Art This story would be great around Thanksgiving as a lead in to teach about Native American culture. Have each student bring in a brown grocery bag. Cut them into vests and turn them inside-out so they are blank. Introduce Native American symbols. Have students paint symbols on their vests that represent who they are and their likes and dislikes. Introduce new vocabulary words. Discuss what a legend is. Have students make up their own legends or work with partners. Create a Native American name for each student. Students could also create a story using only symbols and orally tell the story as they point to each symbol.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: none
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The Wolf Who Cried Boy By Bob Hartman
Book Genre: Fable
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 27 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is a version of “The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf”. It is about a wolf family that ate the same things for dinner every night: sheep, deer, squirrel, and muskrat. Little Wolf constantly complained about what Mother Wolf made for dinner. So his parents told him that if he found a boy in the woods they would catch him and eat him for dinner. Little Wolf decided to play a trick on his parents. On his way home from school he cried “boy!”. His parents came running and looked everywhere but couldn’t find the boy. Mother’s dinner burned while they were gone and Little Wolf thought it was funny. The next day Little Wolf did it again. The same thing happened and dinner was ruined again. That night Father Wolf overheard Little Wolf telling a friend how he tricked his parents. After school the next day Little Wolf came across a troop of boy scouts. He shouted and shouted but no one came. He ran home to tell his parents, but they didn’t believe him. From that day forward Little Wolf never shouted boy again.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** Very entertaining way to introduce Fables to your class.
Reading level: 3.1
Interest level: K-2
Possible uses of the text: This story would be used in a unit about Fables. Discuss the moral of the story. Use a graphic organizer to show the difference between this story and “The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf”. Then have students write their own Fable. Begin with a planning sheet: moral of the story, characters, setting, etc. Write a draft with a title, then edit and publish with illustrations.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: None
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 27 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is a version of “The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf”. It is about a wolf family that ate the same things for dinner every night: sheep, deer, squirrel, and muskrat. Little Wolf constantly complained about what Mother Wolf made for dinner. So his parents told him that if he found a boy in the woods they would catch him and eat him for dinner. Little Wolf decided to play a trick on his parents. On his way home from school he cried “boy!”. His parents came running and looked everywhere but couldn’t find the boy. Mother’s dinner burned while they were gone and Little Wolf thought it was funny. The next day Little Wolf did it again. The same thing happened and dinner was ruined again. That night Father Wolf overheard Little Wolf telling a friend how he tricked his parents. After school the next day Little Wolf came across a troop of boy scouts. He shouted and shouted but no one came. He ran home to tell his parents, but they didn’t believe him. From that day forward Little Wolf never shouted boy again.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** Very entertaining way to introduce Fables to your class.
Reading level: 3.1
Interest level: K-2
Possible uses of the text: This story would be used in a unit about Fables. Discuss the moral of the story. Use a graphic organizer to show the difference between this story and “The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf”. Then have students write their own Fable. Begin with a planning sheet: moral of the story, characters, setting, etc. Write a draft with a title, then edit and publish with illustrations.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: None
Bug Dance by Stuart J. Murphy
Book Genre: Math Reader
Publishing Info: Harper Collins, 28 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This is a cute story that introduces children to directions such as left and right. Centipede loves gym class and loves to do everything except dance. But today they were dancing in gym class. Coach Caterpillar demonstrated the dance. All of the bugs were excited to try the dance except Centipede. He had too many feet! So the class danced and Centipede messed up over and over. All of the other bugs cheered on Centipede and finally he did it. This book actually includes the song with the music so you can teach it to your students.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** Humor will make students laugh as they learn left and right.
Reading level: 1.9
Interest level: K-2
Possible uses of the text: P.E./ Music/Math are integrated - Have students get up and practice the dance. Repeat song until all students are moving left or right correctly. Sing the Hokey Pokey and have children move the left and right sides of the their bodies. Play Simon Says with direction words.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: None
Publishing Info: Harper Collins, 28 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This is a cute story that introduces children to directions such as left and right. Centipede loves gym class and loves to do everything except dance. But today they were dancing in gym class. Coach Caterpillar demonstrated the dance. All of the bugs were excited to try the dance except Centipede. He had too many feet! So the class danced and Centipede messed up over and over. All of the other bugs cheered on Centipede and finally he did it. This book actually includes the song with the music so you can teach it to your students.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** Humor will make students laugh as they learn left and right.
Reading level: 1.9
Interest level: K-2
Possible uses of the text: P.E./ Music/Math are integrated - Have students get up and practice the dance. Repeat song until all students are moving left or right correctly. Sing the Hokey Pokey and have children move the left and right sides of the their bodies. Play Simon Says with direction words.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: None
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
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
Monday, May 25, 2009
Flat Stanley (the picture book), by Jeff Brown
Book Genre: Nonfiction, Picture Book originally a chapter book
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 34 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: The original Flat Stanley chapter book has been turned into a picture book with the same adventures as the original. Stanley is just a normal boy sleeping in his bed when a bulletin board falls and flattens him. His mother takes him to the doctor, but he can’t fix him. So Stanley remains flat and does silly things like sliding under doors. The family fold him up and mails him to California to visit friends. When he gets home his adventures continue. His brother ties a string to him and flies him like a kite. Stanley even helps catch 2 thieves by pretending to be a painting hanging in a museum. Stanley becomes very famous and his brother gets jealous. Eventually the fame wears off and Stanley wants to be a normal boy again. His brother comes up with an idea to use a bicycle pump to blow air into Stanley. It works and Stanley becomes a normal boy again.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** The picture book is a fun way to introduce Flat Stanley to younger children.
Reading level: 4.0
Interest level: K-8 (read aloud for younger students)
Possible uses of the text: Geography - first have students color a picture of Flat Stanley or of themselves. Then have the children write a letter to go with it. Have the letter tell the receiver that we just finished reading a book about a boy who was flattened by a bulletin board. His family mails him to California and he has many adventures. We are sending you Flat Stanley (or Flat Abby…whatever their name is) and hope you will have many fun adventures with him. Then include your school address and have people send back pictures, post-cards, and information about where they live. It is a great way to introduce students to different places and learn about different communities or even cultures.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: This book might be a little boring for younger kids.
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 34 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: The original Flat Stanley chapter book has been turned into a picture book with the same adventures as the original. Stanley is just a normal boy sleeping in his bed when a bulletin board falls and flattens him. His mother takes him to the doctor, but he can’t fix him. So Stanley remains flat and does silly things like sliding under doors. The family fold him up and mails him to California to visit friends. When he gets home his adventures continue. His brother ties a string to him and flies him like a kite. Stanley even helps catch 2 thieves by pretending to be a painting hanging in a museum. Stanley becomes very famous and his brother gets jealous. Eventually the fame wears off and Stanley wants to be a normal boy again. His brother comes up with an idea to use a bicycle pump to blow air into Stanley. It works and Stanley becomes a normal boy again.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** The picture book is a fun way to introduce Flat Stanley to younger children.
Reading level: 4.0
Interest level: K-8 (read aloud for younger students)
Possible uses of the text: Geography - first have students color a picture of Flat Stanley or of themselves. Then have the children write a letter to go with it. Have the letter tell the receiver that we just finished reading a book about a boy who was flattened by a bulletin board. His family mails him to California and he has many adventures. We are sending you Flat Stanley (or Flat Abby…whatever their name is) and hope you will have many fun adventures with him. Then include your school address and have people send back pictures, post-cards, and information about where they live. It is a great way to introduce students to different places and learn about different communities or even cultures.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: This book might be a little boring for younger kids.
Pinduli by Janell Cannon
Book Genre: Nonfiction, Picture Book
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 28 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: Pinduli is a hyena who has always been told that she is beautiful by her mother. One day she disobeys her mother and goes exploring far from home. While exploring she encounters a pack of dogs and they tease Pinduli about her ears. So Pinduli lets her ear fall flat on her head and she continues to explore. Then she come across a lion who teases her about her straggly coat. She jumps in the watering hole to flatten her fur. A zebra teases her because her stripes are not symmetrical. So Pinduli roles around in white dirt. Now Pinduli doesn’t look anything like herself and she starts out for home. On her ways she sees all of the animals at the watering hole. They see Pinduli and think she is a ghost and they are frightened. Pinduli plays along and finds out that each animal was originally teased by another animal. She tells them they have to go find their tormentors and make peace.
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** This story has a great moral for teaching students not to tease and words are hurtful. The illustrations are beautiful with lots of animals and scenes from Africa.
Reading level: 3.6
Interest level: K-8 (read aloud for younger students)
Possible uses of the text: Character Education - Discuss how word can hurt your or they can make you feel great. Have students write about a time someone said something that hurt their feelings. Then have them think or write about a time they hurt someone’s feelings. Make a poster of phrases to say that make people feel good.
Science - This would be a perfect story if you were teaching a unit on animals. It would be a good introduction to animals in Africa.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: None
Publishing Info: Scholastic, 28 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: Pinduli is a hyena who has always been told that she is beautiful by her mother. One day she disobeys her mother and goes exploring far from home. While exploring she encounters a pack of dogs and they tease Pinduli about her ears. So Pinduli lets her ear fall flat on her head and she continues to explore. Then she come across a lion who teases her about her straggly coat. She jumps in the watering hole to flatten her fur. A zebra teases her because her stripes are not symmetrical. So Pinduli roles around in white dirt. Now Pinduli doesn’t look anything like herself and she starts out for home. On her ways she sees all of the animals at the watering hole. They see Pinduli and think she is a ghost and they are frightened. Pinduli plays along and finds out that each animal was originally teased by another animal. She tells them they have to go find their tormentors and make peace.
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** This story has a great moral for teaching students not to tease and words are hurtful. The illustrations are beautiful with lots of animals and scenes from Africa.
Reading level: 3.6
Interest level: K-8 (read aloud for younger students)
Possible uses of the text: Character Education - Discuss how word can hurt your or they can make you feel great. Have students write about a time someone said something that hurt their feelings. Then have them think or write about a time they hurt someone’s feelings. Make a poster of phrases to say that make people feel good.
Science - This would be a perfect story if you were teaching a unit on animals. It would be a good introduction to animals in Africa.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: None
Friday, May 22, 2009
A Giraffe and a Half, Shel Silverstein
Book Genre: Poetry
Publishing Info: Harper Collins, 1964 - 46 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: The book is a poem of silly things that happen if you stretched a giraffe into a giraffe and a half. Each page introduces a new event for the giraffe, then it repeats all the things that happened previously. It is a rhyming poem that repeats and is very funny. Every page also has an illustration of what is happening to the giraffe and the little boy.
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** This book is very funny and the illustrations are simple in black and white. I think everyone will love this story.
Reading level: 2.3
Interest level: K-8
Possible uses of the text: This story could be a lead-in for many different subjects: rhyming words, poetry, fluency, sequencing, author study
Rhyming Words: students look through the book and “highlight” the rhyming words with highlighter post-its
Poetry: students listen to the teacher read the story and then practice writing their own rhyming poems.
Fluency: students read aloud several times
Sequencing: type up the events that happened in the story, then have students put them in order as they happened in the story.
Author Study: Read several books by Shel Silverstein. Compare and contrast. Research Shel Silverstein.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: The story doesn’t really make sense, so you would not want to use it for comprehension.
Publishing Info: Harper Collins, 1964 - 46 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: The book is a poem of silly things that happen if you stretched a giraffe into a giraffe and a half. Each page introduces a new event for the giraffe, then it repeats all the things that happened previously. It is a rhyming poem that repeats and is very funny. Every page also has an illustration of what is happening to the giraffe and the little boy.
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** This book is very funny and the illustrations are simple in black and white. I think everyone will love this story.
Reading level: 2.3
Interest level: K-8
Possible uses of the text: This story could be a lead-in for many different subjects: rhyming words, poetry, fluency, sequencing, author study
Rhyming Words: students look through the book and “highlight” the rhyming words with highlighter post-its
Poetry: students listen to the teacher read the story and then practice writing their own rhyming poems.
Fluency: students read aloud several times
Sequencing: type up the events that happened in the story, then have students put them in order as they happened in the story.
Author Study: Read several books by Shel Silverstein. Compare and contrast. Research Shel Silverstein.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: The story doesn’t really make sense, so you would not want to use it for comprehension.
When I was Little : A Four-Year-Old’s Memoir of Her Youth By: Jamie Lee Curtis
Book Genre: Memoir/Picture Book
Publishing Info: Harper Collins, 1993 - 29 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is about a four year old girl who writes her memoirs of what she remembers as a baby. She compares the things she was able to do as a baby to the things she is able to accomplish now that she is four. As a baby the little girl was only able to say a few words like no, now she is able to have conversations. As a 4 year old the little girl is able to eat cereal and paint her toe nails. It is a really cute book for young children. The story can help students realize how much they have already learned in their young lives and how much more they will be able to accomplish in school.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** This book has a very good message for students, and the drawings are very engaging for a 5 or 6 year old.
Reading level: 2.3
Interest level: K-1
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study (reading and writing across the curriculum): Use this book as an introduction to writing memoirs. The book demonstrates how simple, everyday things can be turned into a story. Have students start the year off with a “My Life Journal: Memoirs of a First Grader.” For homework. once a week, the students will write about something they experienced. It could be as simple as: playing a game with their family or having a sleepover with friends. After each story the student will illustrate the page. At the end of the year they will have a completed memoir book of first grade.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: No potential problems
Publishing Info: Harper Collins, 1993 - 29 pages
Awards or honors received: N/A
Summary: This story is about a four year old girl who writes her memoirs of what she remembers as a baby. She compares the things she was able to do as a baby to the things she is able to accomplish now that she is four. As a baby the little girl was only able to say a few words like no, now she is able to have conversations. As a 4 year old the little girl is able to eat cereal and paint her toe nails. It is a really cute book for young children. The story can help students realize how much they have already learned in their young lives and how much more they will be able to accomplish in school.
Personal rating and reason for rating: *** This book has a very good message for students, and the drawings are very engaging for a 5 or 6 year old.
Reading level: 2.3
Interest level: K-1
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study (reading and writing across the curriculum): Use this book as an introduction to writing memoirs. The book demonstrates how simple, everyday things can be turned into a story. Have students start the year off with a “My Life Journal: Memoirs of a First Grader.” For homework. once a week, the students will write about something they experienced. It could be as simple as: playing a game with their family or having a sleepover with friends. After each story the student will illustrate the page. At the end of the year they will have a completed memoir book of first grade.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: No potential problems
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tracy's First Post
I am most looking forward to learning about the "new literacies". The children we teach are very technologically advanced and love anything to do with computers and technology. I am interested in being able to bring them new and exciting reading techniques. I am also excited about reading children's literature and reading everyone's blogs about the books they read. The thing that I am most nervous about is the amount of work between this class, the other class I am taking and working full time.
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