Book Genre: Non-fiction
Publishing Info: Scholastic (48 pages)
Awards: None
Summary: This book describes the newest military fighter jet that the United States has to offer. Not only does the book give information about the F/A-22 Rapture, but it also gives a brief history of fighter aircraft that came before it, but also possible next generation fighter aircraft. The illustrations are excellent. There are close-up photographs of the aircraft in the hanger being manufactures, in flight, weaponry, and cockpit views.
Personal Rating: ****Great. I like the organization of the text. It contains a contents page, an introduction, a glossary of new words and their definitions, and an index. The book also contains resource pages, excellent illustrations and pictures, and lists citations for other books written about the F/A-22 Rapture aircraft. Finally, the author gives some technical specifications for the aircraft and its armament yet still remaining appropriate for younger children..
Reading Level: 6.2
Interest Level: 5-6
Possible uses in reading and writing across the curriculum:
Science: Both 5th and 6th grade science curriculums include objectives in technological design. This could include any of the various technologies associated with this aircraft: Stealth technology, engine design, aerodynamics, weapon systems, etc...
Math: Develop lessons on graphing speed, thrust, or maneuverability; also, comparing this aircraft to previously built aircraft used by the U.S.; and comparing this aircraft to the potential opponents built by other countries
Reading and Writing: For children who are interested in airplanes, this could be a good book to begin creating and writing research reports.
Potential Problems or difficulties: This is a high interest book for children who enjoy reading about military aircraft. Not every student will care to read it.
Showing posts with label Bill Elliott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bill Elliott. Show all posts
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
African Americans and American Indians Fighting in the Revolutionary War by John Micklos Jr.
Book Genre: Non-fiction
Publishing Info: Enslow Publishers Inc. (48 pages)
Awards: None
Summary: As the title suggests, this book discusses aspects of African Americans and Native Americans during the Revolutionary War. It starts by giving the reader basic background into the roles of African Americans and Native Americans and events that led up to the war. The following chapters briefly describe how the two races chose sides and what their roles and conflicts were during the war. The final chapter describes events that took place and effected there lives after the war had ended.
Personal Rating: ***Good. I like the organization of the text. It contains a Table of Contents, an index, glossary, very good illustrations, and a Revolutionary War timeline. Also, there is a section of the book that lists references by chapter. What I especially like about this book is that there is a section called "Future Reading" that lists content area books and websites for expanded studies. However, the book doesn't go very in-depth with information.
Reading Level: 5.2
Interest Level: 5-6
Possible uses in reading and writing across the curriculum: NCSCOS for fifth grade include teaching about the Revolutionary War. This would be a good book to include in a unit for teaching those objectives. The book is too short to use for a book report except maybe for students who are not on grade level. On the other hand, it does mention several people and events that could lead to more in-depth research.
Potential Problems or difficulties: You might have to have a discussion about slavery and racism but by fifth or sixth grade most students are aware of what went on in the past.
Publishing Info: Enslow Publishers Inc. (48 pages)
Awards: None
Summary: As the title suggests, this book discusses aspects of African Americans and Native Americans during the Revolutionary War. It starts by giving the reader basic background into the roles of African Americans and Native Americans and events that led up to the war. The following chapters briefly describe how the two races chose sides and what their roles and conflicts were during the war. The final chapter describes events that took place and effected there lives after the war had ended.
Personal Rating: ***Good. I like the organization of the text. It contains a Table of Contents, an index, glossary, very good illustrations, and a Revolutionary War timeline. Also, there is a section of the book that lists references by chapter. What I especially like about this book is that there is a section called "Future Reading" that lists content area books and websites for expanded studies. However, the book doesn't go very in-depth with information.
Reading Level: 5.2
Interest Level: 5-6
Possible uses in reading and writing across the curriculum: NCSCOS for fifth grade include teaching about the Revolutionary War. This would be a good book to include in a unit for teaching those objectives. The book is too short to use for a book report except maybe for students who are not on grade level. On the other hand, it does mention several people and events that could lead to more in-depth research.
Potential Problems or difficulties: You might have to have a discussion about slavery and racism but by fifth or sixth grade most students are aware of what went on in the past.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Book Genre: Poetry
Publishing Info: Scholastic Press (227 pages)
Awards: This book won a Newberry Medal
Summary: This book consists of free verse poetry that explains the life of Billie Jo, the main character. She is fourteen years old and the story spans a year and a half of her life. The setting is the Oklahoma prairie during the 1930's. The prairie is a dust bowl (hence the name "Out if the Dust" and is portrayed as a miserable place to live.) Her father is a farmer, and they are trying to survive off the land. The poetry is written and sequenced almost like a personal diary. Through family and personal tragedy, she looses her mother and newborn brother because of an accident that her and her father are responsible for. The accident left Billie Jo physically handicapped and her father emotionally handicapped. Afterwards, the two of them had to somehow mend their relationship and figure out how to get on with life.
Personal Rating: ***Good. It's a good story and the author really makes you feel the emotions of Billie Joe but it's so depressing that it's hard to read. In 227 pages, not a single good thing happens to this child!
Reading Level: 5.3
Interest Level: 5-6
Possible uses in reading and writing across the curriculum: Of course, this would be a good book to include in a literature focus unit on poetry because it's a good example of free verse poetry. It would be easy to integrate this literature into fifth grade science because many of those learning objective could correspond with underlying themes of this novel. For example, climate on the prairie was very harsh, they would go through severe droughts and plants and livestock would die. Then rain would pour and the environment would flood. Fifth grade science teachers have to teach about the water cycle, landforms, eco-systems, and ecology. Even fifth grade social studies learning objectives focus on US history the Great Depression and many of the problems faced by this community were related to that era.
Potential Problems or difficulties: I believe that girls would enjoy this book much more so than boys. The reasons are because that it is written from a woman's perspective and it contains a lot of emotional writings that many boys just don't understand.
Publishing Info: Scholastic Press (227 pages)
Awards: This book won a Newberry Medal
Summary: This book consists of free verse poetry that explains the life of Billie Jo, the main character. She is fourteen years old and the story spans a year and a half of her life. The setting is the Oklahoma prairie during the 1930's. The prairie is a dust bowl (hence the name "Out if the Dust" and is portrayed as a miserable place to live.) Her father is a farmer, and they are trying to survive off the land. The poetry is written and sequenced almost like a personal diary. Through family and personal tragedy, she looses her mother and newborn brother because of an accident that her and her father are responsible for. The accident left Billie Jo physically handicapped and her father emotionally handicapped. Afterwards, the two of them had to somehow mend their relationship and figure out how to get on with life.
Personal Rating: ***Good. It's a good story and the author really makes you feel the emotions of Billie Joe but it's so depressing that it's hard to read. In 227 pages, not a single good thing happens to this child!
Reading Level: 5.3
Interest Level: 5-6
Possible uses in reading and writing across the curriculum: Of course, this would be a good book to include in a literature focus unit on poetry because it's a good example of free verse poetry. It would be easy to integrate this literature into fifth grade science because many of those learning objective could correspond with underlying themes of this novel. For example, climate on the prairie was very harsh, they would go through severe droughts and plants and livestock would die. Then rain would pour and the environment would flood. Fifth grade science teachers have to teach about the water cycle, landforms, eco-systems, and ecology. Even fifth grade social studies learning objectives focus on US history the Great Depression and many of the problems faced by this community were related to that era.
Potential Problems or difficulties: I believe that girls would enjoy this book much more so than boys. The reasons are because that it is written from a woman's perspective and it contains a lot of emotional writings that many boys just don't understand.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Book Genre: Historical Fiction
Publishing Info: Delacorte Press (236 pages)
Awards: This book won the Coretta Scott King Award and the Newberry Award.
Summary: It is the Great Depression and an 11 year old African American orphan named Bud Caldwell is on a journey to find his father. Bud never knew his father, but he held on tight to a few clues about the man that his momma left him before she passed away. Surviving only on street smarts and the kindness of a few strangers, Bud traveled across Michigan to discover, not his father, but the grandfather he had never known.
Personal Rating: ****Great! It is an adventure story that keeps you guessing what is going to happen. The author has a unique way of presenting the story from the mindset of an 11 year old boy.
Reading Level: 5.0
Interest Level: 5-6
Possible uses in reading and writing across the curriculum: This would be a great book to include in a unit on Black history or American history during the time period of the Great Depression. The book is rich in figurative language which is a learning objective in the intermediate grades. Because of the author's craft of writing style, I think students in intermediate grade will be able to relate to the main character. This could translate into a deeper connection and more thought provoking writing assignments.
Potential Problems or difficulties: None
Publishing Info: Delacorte Press (236 pages)
Awards: This book won the Coretta Scott King Award and the Newberry Award.
Summary: It is the Great Depression and an 11 year old African American orphan named Bud Caldwell is on a journey to find his father. Bud never knew his father, but he held on tight to a few clues about the man that his momma left him before she passed away. Surviving only on street smarts and the kindness of a few strangers, Bud traveled across Michigan to discover, not his father, but the grandfather he had never known.
Personal Rating: ****Great! It is an adventure story that keeps you guessing what is going to happen. The author has a unique way of presenting the story from the mindset of an 11 year old boy.
Reading Level: 5.0
Interest Level: 5-6
Possible uses in reading and writing across the curriculum: This would be a great book to include in a unit on Black history or American history during the time period of the Great Depression. The book is rich in figurative language which is a learning objective in the intermediate grades. Because of the author's craft of writing style, I think students in intermediate grade will be able to relate to the main character. This could translate into a deeper connection and more thought provoking writing assignments.
Potential Problems or difficulties: None
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Anticipation Guides
Anticipation Guides are pre-reading activities designed to activate students' prior knowledge about a book's topic. It can be used for either naraitive or expository text. The idea is to prepare statements concerning the topic. A few statements need to be true and a few false. Before reading, students choose which statements are true and which ones are false. After reading, students decide whether they were correct in there thoughts or not.
Procedures:
1 Identify several major concepts related to the reading assignment.
2 Develop a list of 4 to 6 statements.
3 Discuss the anticipation guide.
4 Read the text.
5 Discuss each statement again.
Procedures:
1 Identify several major concepts related to the reading assignment.
2 Develop a list of 4 to 6 statements.
3 Discuss the anticipation guide.
4 Read the text.
5 Discuss each statement again.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Book Genre: Fantasy/fiction
Publishing Info: Houghton Mifflin Company (289 pages)
Awards: None
Summary: This book is a prelude to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It introduces the readers to a wide cast of characters and fictional races that include Hobbits, Elves, dwarfs, and others. They all live in Middle Earth and go on an adventure with many turns and twists. The purpose of their journey is to take back a great treasure from a dragon named Smaug who had previously stolen it from the Hobbit's ancestors.
Personal Rating: ****Great! I like adventure books. Even though it's a fairly long story, it keeps you interested throughout with suspense and wondering what is going to happen next.
Reading Level: 6.6
Interest Level: 5-6
Possible uses in reading and writing across the curriculum:
This would be a great book to include in a genre study unit on fantasy books. Not every student will like it, but given as a choice for a book club, it would be a good teaching tool. Many writing ideas come to mind within the context of this book. Students could create their own fantasy stories, write alternate endings of this book, character analysis, etc... Because the characters travel through many lands, you could integrate math and geography by designing maps of Middle Earth.
Potential Problems or difficulties: Readers need to have good decoding skills in order to read this book. The author uses many nonsense words for names of characters and settings.
Publishing Info: Houghton Mifflin Company (289 pages)
Awards: None
Summary: This book is a prelude to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It introduces the readers to a wide cast of characters and fictional races that include Hobbits, Elves, dwarfs, and others. They all live in Middle Earth and go on an adventure with many turns and twists. The purpose of their journey is to take back a great treasure from a dragon named Smaug who had previously stolen it from the Hobbit's ancestors.
Personal Rating: ****Great! I like adventure books. Even though it's a fairly long story, it keeps you interested throughout with suspense and wondering what is going to happen next.
Reading Level: 6.6
Interest Level: 5-6
Possible uses in reading and writing across the curriculum:
This would be a great book to include in a genre study unit on fantasy books. Not every student will like it, but given as a choice for a book club, it would be a good teaching tool. Many writing ideas come to mind within the context of this book. Students could create their own fantasy stories, write alternate endings of this book, character analysis, etc... Because the characters travel through many lands, you could integrate math and geography by designing maps of Middle Earth.
Potential Problems or difficulties: Readers need to have good decoding skills in order to read this book. The author uses many nonsense words for names of characters and settings.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday
I am looking foward to learning more about teaching literacy. I am concerned about all the technology and the reading assignments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)