Book Genre: Informational Fiction
Publishing Info: Scholastic Inc, 32 pages
Awards or honors received: None
Summary: This book is about two little boys who want to pop some popcorn. They were curious about popcorn so they decide to look it up. The author uses word bubbles and these two little boy character to explain facts about popcorn and teaches readers about the history. After reading a lot about popcorn, and learning lot of different facts, the boys decide that the best thing about popcorn is eating it!
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** Good. Very informational, only a read aloud for younger grades, but would be an awesome picture books for 3rd and 4th grade also
Reading level: 4.3
Interest level: 1-5
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study (reading and writing across the curriculum): For younger children, this story can be used to show all of the cool things you can find out about something when you are curious. Looking words up in the dictionary, encyclopedia or even on the internet can be great ways to look up words and topics you are unfamiliar about. For older grades, this is also a good book to talk about popcorn, which is a very interesting food with an fun history.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: Students need to know how to read the book and follow the speech bubbles to understand the order of the dialogue.
Showing posts with label Informational Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Informational Fiction. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Fire Fighters by Norma Simon
Book Genre: Informational Fiction
Publishing Info: Scholastic Inc, 32 pages
Awards or honors received: None
Summary: Using Dalmation dogs as characters to act as firefighers, this book describes to the reader what happens from when the fire bell rings to getting to the fire and helping the people. Then the author explain how firefighters try to see how the fire started, and how the firefighters put away their equipment and go back to wait for the fire bell to ring again
Personal rating and reason for rating: **** Great. This book is awesome. Besides the illustrations being unrealistic, all of the information about firefighters is completely fact. It is a great way for young children to learn about the job of firefighters.
Reading level: 2.0
Interest level: k-2
Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study (reading and writing across the curriculum): Using this book as an informational read aloud during fire safty week would be a good idea. Also before a field trip to the fire department. Also would be a good read aloud for young children during a community helpers social studies lesson. It does an awesome job explaining the job of a fire fighter.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: I didn't see any
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall
Genre: Informational Fiction
Publishing information: Scholastic, INC 30 pages
Summary: Fall Leaves Fall! is about two kids who are experiencing fall their favorite season. They talk about how the leaves are green in summer but change colors when fall comes. This book shows all the different colors that leaves can be and talks about how they fall from the trees. The little boy talks about what all they like to do with the leaves like crunching and kicking them. The leaves are all different sizes and shapes. The end shows how the trees are bare and have no leaves.
Personal rating: **** Great! This book has lots of ways that it can be worked into the curriculum and it has lots of accurate information that is phrased pefectly for young children.
Reading level: 2.2
Interest level: PK-2
Integration: This book has lots of information about fall which can be used in a unit discussing the season. There are a lot of great ideas that a teacher can use from this book. The teacher could use this book to begin the fall unit and discuss what happens with leaves. After reading the book the students could take a walk outside the school and pick up leaves that have fallen from the trees. The teacher could also bring in a variety of leaves and have the children pick one out. The leaves could then be used in an art activity by laying paper over the leaves and making leaf rubbings. The students could also use the leaves to make collages just like the little boys did in the book. They can glue leaves and other materials to the paper to make animals. The teacher could also have the students to write about their favorite thing is to do with leaves. Then to finish up the unit they can have warm cider and leaf cookies just like the boys did in the book.
Potential problems: I do not foresee any problems with this book.
Publishing information: Scholastic, INC 30 pages
Summary: Fall Leaves Fall! is about two kids who are experiencing fall their favorite season. They talk about how the leaves are green in summer but change colors when fall comes. This book shows all the different colors that leaves can be and talks about how they fall from the trees. The little boy talks about what all they like to do with the leaves like crunching and kicking them. The leaves are all different sizes and shapes. The end shows how the trees are bare and have no leaves.
Personal rating: **** Great! This book has lots of ways that it can be worked into the curriculum and it has lots of accurate information that is phrased pefectly for young children.
Reading level: 2.2
Interest level: PK-2
Integration: This book has lots of information about fall which can be used in a unit discussing the season. There are a lot of great ideas that a teacher can use from this book. The teacher could use this book to begin the fall unit and discuss what happens with leaves. After reading the book the students could take a walk outside the school and pick up leaves that have fallen from the trees. The teacher could also bring in a variety of leaves and have the children pick one out. The leaves could then be used in an art activity by laying paper over the leaves and making leaf rubbings. The students could also use the leaves to make collages just like the little boys did in the book. They can glue leaves and other materials to the paper to make animals. The teacher could also have the students to write about their favorite thing is to do with leaves. Then to finish up the unit they can have warm cider and leaf cookies just like the boys did in the book.
Potential problems: I do not foresee any problems with this book.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Coco Ice by Diane Applebaum
Genre: Informational Fiction
Publisher: Orchard Books (NY) (September 1997)
Pages: 56
Awards/Honors: N/A
Summary: Two young girls, one from Santo Domingo and the other from Maine, learn about the life and culture of each others world. As the story tells of life in Santo Domingo, the reader learns of the rainforest and the harvesting of cocoa beans. As traders from Maine come to trade their resources with the people of Santo Domingo, the reader is given information about each place and the resources that are important to each region. As the two girls learn, their lives are similar and the both love "cocoa ice".
Personal Rating: **** Great! Great way to learn of two different areas of the world. This is story allows for many enriched learning opportunities for the children.
Reading Level: 3.6
Interest level: 2nd-4th grade
Curriculum: Great unit for integrating across the curriculum.
Reading: Venn Diagrams comparing/contrasting the two girls or the two locations. Triple Venn comparing yourself to the girls or a triple Venn comparing North Carolina, Maine, and Santo Domingo.
Make "Cocoa Ice" (Chocolate milkshake)
Social Studies: locate on map the locations from the story and chart the path the trade ships may have taken. Discuss the people, culture, life, weather, history and other information of each place.
Science: Study the history of chocolate and how it is made from the cacao beans.
http://www.chocolatelovers.com/history.htm
Study the rainforest.
Students can do research papers on different rainforest.
Math: Graph our favorite type of chocolates
There are many ideas and other activities that can be incorporated into this unit. Especially if you look on the Internet.
Problems/Difficulties: The story is long and tedious to read. For slower readers it may be too overwhelming to read independently.
Publisher: Orchard Books (NY) (September 1997)
Pages: 56
Awards/Honors: N/A
Summary: Two young girls, one from Santo Domingo and the other from Maine, learn about the life and culture of each others world. As the story tells of life in Santo Domingo, the reader learns of the rainforest and the harvesting of cocoa beans. As traders from Maine come to trade their resources with the people of Santo Domingo, the reader is given information about each place and the resources that are important to each region. As the two girls learn, their lives are similar and the both love "cocoa ice".
Personal Rating: **** Great! Great way to learn of two different areas of the world. This is story allows for many enriched learning opportunities for the children.
Reading Level: 3.6
Interest level: 2nd-4th grade
Curriculum: Great unit for integrating across the curriculum.
Reading: Venn Diagrams comparing/contrasting the two girls or the two locations. Triple Venn comparing yourself to the girls or a triple Venn comparing North Carolina, Maine, and Santo Domingo.
Make "Cocoa Ice" (Chocolate milkshake)
Social Studies: locate on map the locations from the story and chart the path the trade ships may have taken. Discuss the people, culture, life, weather, history and other information of each place.
Science: Study the history of chocolate and how it is made from the cacao beans.
http://www.chocolatelovers.com/history.htm
Study the rainforest.
Students can do research papers on different rainforest.
Math: Graph our favorite type of chocolates
There are many ideas and other activities that can be incorporated into this unit. Especially if you look on the Internet.
Problems/Difficulties: The story is long and tedious to read. For slower readers it may be too overwhelming to read independently.
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