Clementine by Sara Pennypacker: Uploaded to Amazon.com
Clementine is a delightfully original romp through the wacky world of a sassy nine year old. I read it aloud to my 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son, and they both loved it. From the first page, we were all entertained by Clementine's interpretation of the world around her.
Clementine has had a rough week. No one told her she wasn’t supposed to answer the principal’s phone (she was only trying to be helpful), everyone told her to pay attention (she was paying attention, just to different things), and when she tried to help her best friend, Margaret, solve her hair problem, well, it was just a hard week. And the more Clementine tries to make things right, the harder her week seems to become. How was she supposed to know that glue wouldn’t stick hair back on? Or that cutting and coloring her hair to match Margaret’s was exactly the wrong thing to do? As she tries to sort out the messes she’s made, Clementine is ever cognizant of her role as “the hard one” (as opposed to her little brother, “the easy one”), which makes her worry that her position in the family lies precariously in the balance.
I loved how Pennypacker’s use of language made the text seem to flow right out of Clementine's own mind. For instance, when Clementine's art teacher calls her out for not paying attention, she is quick to step up for herself as she thinks,
"I was the only person in the whole art room who was paying attention. Which is why I could tell everyone in the middle of the Pledge of Allegiance that the lunchroom lady was sitting in the janitor's car and they were kissing. Again. No one else saw this disgusting scene because no one else was paying attention out the window!" (p. 4)
Marla Frazee’s hilarious illustrations, kept us in stitches. They were simple and uncluttered, showing a point of view beyond Clementine’s one-sided rendering of events. For instance, Clementine says that she “accidentally touched [Margaret’s] lamp,” but the illustration on pages 22 and 23 shows a different interpretation of the situation.
My daughter gave Clementine five stars, and I must concur. We can’t wait to read The Talented Clementine next!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Poetry Folder
I will be the first to admit that poetry never has been and probably never will be the genre of choice for my own personal ventures into literature. That said; I’ve enjoyed creating a poetry folder more than I expected. Many of my selections came from either Where the Sidewalk Ends or The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. The former, I actually read and enjoyed as a child, and the latter I recently acquired specifically for this assignment. I hope that this folder will sharpen my skills in searching for interesting poems and act as springboard for me to find creative ways to use poetry in my classroom.
1. “The New Kid on the Block” by Jack Prelutsky
2. “Sick” by Shel Silverstein
3. “Rhyme” by Elizabeth Coastworth
4. “Spring Rain” by Marchette Chute
5. “Thanksgiving Magic” by Rowena Bastin Bennett
6. “The Cares of a Caretaker” by Wallace Irwin
7. “Smart” by Shel Silverstein
8. “Boa Constrictor” by Shel Silverstein
9. “The Little Boy and the Old Man” by Shel Silverstein
10. “Gardner” by J.Patrick Lewis
11. “Little Miss Muffet” by Mother Goose
12. “Clickety Clack” by Rob and Amy Spence
13. “The Four Seasons” by Jack Prelutsky
14. “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore
15. “Keep a Poem in Your Pocket” by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
16. “Galoshes” by Rhoda W. Bacmeister
17. “Basketball’s My Favorite Sport” by Kenn Nesbitt
18. “My Normal Family” by Kathy Kenny-Marshall
19. “The Kindergarten Concert” by Robert Pottle
20. “My Teacher Sees Right Through Me” by Bruce Lansky
1.“The New Kid on the Block” by Jack Prelutsky
I’ve only recently discovered the poems of Jack Prelutsky. I enjoyed the ending of “The New Kid on the Block” because I knew some girls like this when I was in school. I might use it to teach rhyming couplets. But I think it would be more fun to use it in a lesson on following directions. I would ask my students to illustrate the poem only after reading it all the way through to the end, knowing that many of them would only get halfway finished before starting to draw a big, burly boy.
Prelutsky, Jack. “New Kid on the Block.” Children’s Literature, Briefly. Comp. Michael O. Tunnell and James S. Jacobs. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008. 83.
2. "Sick” by Shel Silverstein
Who couldn’t relate to this poem as a child? I envied little Peggy Ann McKay and her creative ailment on days when I did not feel like going to school. But I was neither a good faker nor good storyteller. I would use this poem to teach rhyme and rhythm and just to keep poetry fun.
Silverstein, Shel. “Sick.” Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York: Harper and Row, 1974. 58-9.
.
3. “Rhyme” by Elizabeth Coatsworth
One of the things I love about living in Lubbock is the storm activity in the spring. I love to watch storm clouds rolling in and the lightning streaking across the sky. So it makes sense that “Rhyme” appeals to me. I love the imagery and the sound of rolling thunder it makes when you read the poem out loud. I would use it in class to teach the use of words to create sound sensations in poetry.
Coatsworth, Elizabeth. “Rhyme.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 30.
4. “Spring Rain” by Marchette Chute
“Spring Rain” amuses me because the last line changes the tone for the rest of the poem. What seems to be a regrettable mistake turns into something fun. I would let students take turns reading it out loud to practice hearing the poetic rhythm.
Chute, Marchette. “Spring Rain.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 42.
5.“Thanksgiving Magic” by Rowena Bastin Bennett
Thanksgiving was a very important holiday in my family. We almost always either hosted extended family or travelled to visit them, and there was always lots of food. “Thanksgiving Magic” reminds me of my mom and granny, both of whom were amazing cooks. The change in the rhyme scheme at the end of the poem surprised me, so I think I would use it to illustrate rhyme scheme in my class.
Bennett, Rowena Bastin. “Thanksgiving Magic.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 46.
6. “The Cares of a Caretaker” by Wallace Irwin
“The Cares of the Caretaker” reminds me of the futility I feel at trying to keep my home dust free in Lubbock. It is an exercise in futility. And yet, I keep on . I would use this poem because I like how Wallace placed a lady cleaning her house in an abnormal context. This twist on what is expected would make a good lesson on imagery and tone.
Irwin, Wallace. “The Cares of a Caretaker.” Oh, What Nonsense!. Comp. William Cole. New York: Viking, 1966. 16.
7. “Smart” by Shel Silverstein
This was one of my favorite poems as a child. I loved the irony, especially the obvious misunderstanding of the dad’s silence. I would use “Smart” to introduce the concept of irony in literature, as it is smart, catchy and very easy to understand.
Silverstein, Shel. “Smart.” Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York: Harper and Row, 1974. 35.
8. “Boa Constrictor” by Shel Silverstein
The ending of this poem engaged my imagination as a child. I put myself in the place of the poor kid being eaten by a snake and wondered what I would do if it happened to me. For teaching purposes, obviously the rhyme and imagery are terrific. But I think I might rewrite it in narrative form and use it to teach the punctuation that goes along with exclamatory remarks.
Silverstein, Shel. “Boa Constrictor.” Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York: Harper and Row, 1974. 45.
9. “The Little Boy and the Old Man” by Shel Silverstein
Although I read a lot of Shel Silverstein’s poetry as a child, I did not discover this one until recently. It touches me as an adult because I remember what it felt like to be young, and yet I still sometimes find myself too busy, important, uncaring, etc. to pay attention to young people and old people. I think this poem would be a good one to use in a social studies unit about the elderly. It’s cute and would probably make the kids laugh, but there is also honest emotion in it that I think some students will be able to appreciate.
Silverstein, Shel. “The Little Boy and the Old Man.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 161.
10. “Gardner” by J. Patrick Lewis
This poem just makes me laugh. The imagery conveyed in the words “uprooted” and “transplanted” is so witty. I would use it just for its entertainment value and also maybe to explore imagery and metaphor.
Lewis, J. Patrick. “Gardner.” Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses. Illus. Simon Bartram. Cambridge: Candlewick, 2006.
11. “Little Miss Muffet” by Mother Goose
I loved this rhyme when I was little. It did not matter that I did not understand all the words, such as tuffet and curds and whey. I would use this poem, along with others by Mother Goose, to teach rhyming words.
Mother Goose. “Little Miss Muffet.” Richard Scarry’s Best Storybook Ever. Comp. Richard Scarry. New York: Golden Book, 1968.
12. “Clickety Clack” by Rob and Amy Spence
Clickety Clack is published in picture book form, but it has an amazing rhythm when read aloud. I love how the words feel rolling off my tongue when I read it to my children. I would use it in my classroom teach rhythm and sound in poetry.
Spence, Rob and Amy. Clickety Clack. New York: Scholastic, 1999.
13. “The Four Seasons” by Jack Prelutsky
This poem is spilling over with elements of poetry. Imagery, descriptive words, onomatopoeia, alliteration, rhythm, and rhyme abound. I might use it in my class to teach any or all of these things. Or I might just use it in a social studies unit about the four seasons. I like that this poem is versatile, having broad educational potential.
Prelutsky, Jack. “The Four Seasons.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 35.
14. “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore
My dad read “A Visit from St. Nicholas” to my sister and me every Christmas Eve before bed time – only I did not realize that it was a poem. It was bound and illustrated like a children’s book. I only recently discovered that it was poetry in disguise. I would use this poem in my classroom to sneak in poetry unbeknownst to the less than eager poetry readers. I would “prove” that it is a poem by pointing out elements like rhyme scheme, poetic language, and alliteration.
Moore, Clement Clark. “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 50-51.
15. “Keep a Poem in Your Pocket” by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
I like this poem for several reasons. It’s leaves me feeling inspired by the quality of a good poem that has the power to stick with you even into your dreams. I like how the verses flip flop between the first and last stanzas – “keep a poem in your pocket and a picture in your head” becomes “keep a picture in your pocket and a poem in your head.” I just think it’s clever. I also like the image of a poem singing a little one to sleep. I would use this poem in my class in a social studies lesson about making choices. The image of filling your head with a poem to fill loneliness is powerful and I think it can be extended to filling one’s head with thoughts that build up instead of tear down. I believe that you are what you think, and what you think is a choice.
Regniers, Beatrice Schenk de. “Keep a Poem in Your Pocket.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 226.
16. “Galoshes” by Rhoda W. Bacmeister
I love the alliteration and rhyme in this poem. The tongue twister-feeling of the first and third stanzas make reading it aloud a satisfying challenge. In a classroom setting I would use it to demonstrate alliteration.
Bacmeister, Rhoda W. “Galoshes.” http://www.k12.hi.us/~shasincl/poems_prop_cycle_weather.html#galoshes
17. “Basketball’s My Favorite Sport” by Kenn Nesbitt
I like this poem because of its sports theme, which I think would make it appeal to the boys in my class, and because of its storyline. I would use it in class to show that students can write about anything that interests them, even athletics.
Nesbitt, Kenn. “Basketball’s My Favorite Sport.” www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=522&CategoryID=22.
18. “My Normal Family” by Kathy Kenny-Marshall
The “normal” family in this poem does an awful lot of odd things, but normal is often defined by our own personal experiences. I like the last two lines, “We’re very special, can’t you see? We’re just a normal family.” I would use this poem in a unit about what makes families special and how that is different from the way friends are special.
Kenny-Marshall, Kathy. “My Normal Family.” http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=85&CategoryID=28
19. “The Kindergarten Concert” by Robert Pottle
This poem is so true to life! I have lived it. I would use it in a third or fourth grade classroom to get my students’ minds warmed up for an autobiographical writing assignment about first memories of school.
Pottle, Robert. “The Kindergarten Concert.” http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=342&CategoryID=28
20. “My Teacher Sees Right Through Me” by Bruce Lansky
The surprise ending of this poem amuses me because my son is in my class this year. He’s too young to understand the disadvantage his situation poses for him, but when I reread the poem, I could picture an older version of him writing it. I would use it in my class for practice in identifying rhyme scheme, ABCB in this case.
Lansky, Bruce. “My Teacher Sees Right Through Me.” http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=350&CategoryID=1
1. “The New Kid on the Block” by Jack Prelutsky
2. “Sick” by Shel Silverstein
3. “Rhyme” by Elizabeth Coastworth
4. “Spring Rain” by Marchette Chute
5. “Thanksgiving Magic” by Rowena Bastin Bennett
6. “The Cares of a Caretaker” by Wallace Irwin
7. “Smart” by Shel Silverstein
8. “Boa Constrictor” by Shel Silverstein
9. “The Little Boy and the Old Man” by Shel Silverstein
10. “Gardner” by J.Patrick Lewis
11. “Little Miss Muffet” by Mother Goose
12. “Clickety Clack” by Rob and Amy Spence
13. “The Four Seasons” by Jack Prelutsky
14. “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore
15. “Keep a Poem in Your Pocket” by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
16. “Galoshes” by Rhoda W. Bacmeister
17. “Basketball’s My Favorite Sport” by Kenn Nesbitt
18. “My Normal Family” by Kathy Kenny-Marshall
19. “The Kindergarten Concert” by Robert Pottle
20. “My Teacher Sees Right Through Me” by Bruce Lansky
1.“The New Kid on the Block” by Jack Prelutsky
I’ve only recently discovered the poems of Jack Prelutsky. I enjoyed the ending of “The New Kid on the Block” because I knew some girls like this when I was in school. I might use it to teach rhyming couplets. But I think it would be more fun to use it in a lesson on following directions. I would ask my students to illustrate the poem only after reading it all the way through to the end, knowing that many of them would only get halfway finished before starting to draw a big, burly boy.
Prelutsky, Jack. “New Kid on the Block.” Children’s Literature, Briefly. Comp. Michael O. Tunnell and James S. Jacobs. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008. 83.
2. "Sick” by Shel Silverstein
Who couldn’t relate to this poem as a child? I envied little Peggy Ann McKay and her creative ailment on days when I did not feel like going to school. But I was neither a good faker nor good storyteller. I would use this poem to teach rhyme and rhythm and just to keep poetry fun.
Silverstein, Shel. “Sick.” Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York: Harper and Row, 1974. 58-9.
.
3. “Rhyme” by Elizabeth Coatsworth
One of the things I love about living in Lubbock is the storm activity in the spring. I love to watch storm clouds rolling in and the lightning streaking across the sky. So it makes sense that “Rhyme” appeals to me. I love the imagery and the sound of rolling thunder it makes when you read the poem out loud. I would use it in class to teach the use of words to create sound sensations in poetry.
Coatsworth, Elizabeth. “Rhyme.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 30.
4. “Spring Rain” by Marchette Chute
“Spring Rain” amuses me because the last line changes the tone for the rest of the poem. What seems to be a regrettable mistake turns into something fun. I would let students take turns reading it out loud to practice hearing the poetic rhythm.
Chute, Marchette. “Spring Rain.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 42.
5.“Thanksgiving Magic” by Rowena Bastin Bennett
Thanksgiving was a very important holiday in my family. We almost always either hosted extended family or travelled to visit them, and there was always lots of food. “Thanksgiving Magic” reminds me of my mom and granny, both of whom were amazing cooks. The change in the rhyme scheme at the end of the poem surprised me, so I think I would use it to illustrate rhyme scheme in my class.
Bennett, Rowena Bastin. “Thanksgiving Magic.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 46.
6. “The Cares of a Caretaker” by Wallace Irwin
“The Cares of the Caretaker” reminds me of the futility I feel at trying to keep my home dust free in Lubbock. It is an exercise in futility. And yet, I keep on . I would use this poem because I like how Wallace placed a lady cleaning her house in an abnormal context. This twist on what is expected would make a good lesson on imagery and tone.
Irwin, Wallace. “The Cares of a Caretaker.” Oh, What Nonsense!. Comp. William Cole. New York: Viking, 1966. 16.
7. “Smart” by Shel Silverstein
This was one of my favorite poems as a child. I loved the irony, especially the obvious misunderstanding of the dad’s silence. I would use “Smart” to introduce the concept of irony in literature, as it is smart, catchy and very easy to understand.
Silverstein, Shel. “Smart.” Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York: Harper and Row, 1974. 35.
8. “Boa Constrictor” by Shel Silverstein
The ending of this poem engaged my imagination as a child. I put myself in the place of the poor kid being eaten by a snake and wondered what I would do if it happened to me. For teaching purposes, obviously the rhyme and imagery are terrific. But I think I might rewrite it in narrative form and use it to teach the punctuation that goes along with exclamatory remarks.
Silverstein, Shel. “Boa Constrictor.” Where the Sidewalk Ends. New York: Harper and Row, 1974. 45.
9. “The Little Boy and the Old Man” by Shel Silverstein
Although I read a lot of Shel Silverstein’s poetry as a child, I did not discover this one until recently. It touches me as an adult because I remember what it felt like to be young, and yet I still sometimes find myself too busy, important, uncaring, etc. to pay attention to young people and old people. I think this poem would be a good one to use in a social studies unit about the elderly. It’s cute and would probably make the kids laugh, but there is also honest emotion in it that I think some students will be able to appreciate.
Silverstein, Shel. “The Little Boy and the Old Man.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 161.
10. “Gardner” by J. Patrick Lewis
This poem just makes me laugh. The imagery conveyed in the words “uprooted” and “transplanted” is so witty. I would use it just for its entertainment value and also maybe to explore imagery and metaphor.
Lewis, J. Patrick. “Gardner.” Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses. Illus. Simon Bartram. Cambridge: Candlewick, 2006.
11. “Little Miss Muffet” by Mother Goose
I loved this rhyme when I was little. It did not matter that I did not understand all the words, such as tuffet and curds and whey. I would use this poem, along with others by Mother Goose, to teach rhyming words.
Mother Goose. “Little Miss Muffet.” Richard Scarry’s Best Storybook Ever. Comp. Richard Scarry. New York: Golden Book, 1968.
12. “Clickety Clack” by Rob and Amy Spence
Clickety Clack is published in picture book form, but it has an amazing rhythm when read aloud. I love how the words feel rolling off my tongue when I read it to my children. I would use it in my classroom teach rhythm and sound in poetry.
Spence, Rob and Amy. Clickety Clack. New York: Scholastic, 1999.
13. “The Four Seasons” by Jack Prelutsky
This poem is spilling over with elements of poetry. Imagery, descriptive words, onomatopoeia, alliteration, rhythm, and rhyme abound. I might use it in my class to teach any or all of these things. Or I might just use it in a social studies unit about the four seasons. I like that this poem is versatile, having broad educational potential.
Prelutsky, Jack. “The Four Seasons.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 35.
14. “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore
My dad read “A Visit from St. Nicholas” to my sister and me every Christmas Eve before bed time – only I did not realize that it was a poem. It was bound and illustrated like a children’s book. I only recently discovered that it was poetry in disguise. I would use this poem in my classroom to sneak in poetry unbeknownst to the less than eager poetry readers. I would “prove” that it is a poem by pointing out elements like rhyme scheme, poetic language, and alliteration.
Moore, Clement Clark. “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 50-51.
15. “Keep a Poem in Your Pocket” by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
I like this poem for several reasons. It’s leaves me feeling inspired by the quality of a good poem that has the power to stick with you even into your dreams. I like how the verses flip flop between the first and last stanzas – “keep a poem in your pocket and a picture in your head” becomes “keep a picture in your pocket and a poem in your head.” I just think it’s clever. I also like the image of a poem singing a little one to sleep. I would use this poem in my class in a social studies lesson about making choices. The image of filling your head with a poem to fill loneliness is powerful and I think it can be extended to filling one’s head with thoughts that build up instead of tear down. I believe that you are what you think, and what you think is a choice.
Regniers, Beatrice Schenk de. “Keep a Poem in Your Pocket.” The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. Comp. Jack Prelutsky. New York: Random House, 1983. 226.
16. “Galoshes” by Rhoda W. Bacmeister
I love the alliteration and rhyme in this poem. The tongue twister-feeling of the first and third stanzas make reading it aloud a satisfying challenge. In a classroom setting I would use it to demonstrate alliteration.
Bacmeister, Rhoda W. “Galoshes.” http://www.k12.hi.us/~shasincl/poems_prop_cycle_weather.html#galoshes
17. “Basketball’s My Favorite Sport” by Kenn Nesbitt
I like this poem because of its sports theme, which I think would make it appeal to the boys in my class, and because of its storyline. I would use it in class to show that students can write about anything that interests them, even athletics.
Nesbitt, Kenn. “Basketball’s My Favorite Sport.” www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=522&CategoryID=22.
18. “My Normal Family” by Kathy Kenny-Marshall
The “normal” family in this poem does an awful lot of odd things, but normal is often defined by our own personal experiences. I like the last two lines, “We’re very special, can’t you see? We’re just a normal family.” I would use this poem in a unit about what makes families special and how that is different from the way friends are special.
Kenny-Marshall, Kathy. “My Normal Family.” http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=85&CategoryID=28
19. “The Kindergarten Concert” by Robert Pottle
This poem is so true to life! I have lived it. I would use it in a third or fourth grade classroom to get my students’ minds warmed up for an autobiographical writing assignment about first memories of school.
Pottle, Robert. “The Kindergarten Concert.” http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=342&CategoryID=28
20. “My Teacher Sees Right Through Me” by Bruce Lansky
The surprise ending of this poem amuses me because my son is in my class this year. He’s too young to understand the disadvantage his situation poses for him, but when I reread the poem, I could picture an older version of him writing it. I would use it in my class for practice in identifying rhyme scheme, ABCB in this case.
Lansky, Bruce. “My Teacher Sees Right Through Me.” http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=350&CategoryID=1
Craft Lesson 9
Resource Materials:
Banyai, Istvan. Zoom. New York: Puffin Books, 1998.
Target Audience:
First Grade
Discussion:
In wordless books like Zoom by Istvan Banyai, details in the illustrations are extremely important to notice. Just before a major setting change, Banyai gives the reader a hint of what is to come. In this lesson, students will focus on finding clues in the pictures that indicate impending change. Such attention to detail is important to develop in young readers because it aids in comprehension of the story.
How to Teach It:
Show students to first picture in Zoom, and let them talk about what they think it is. Then move to the second picture and talk about whether or not they were right. Move on to the third picture and talk about whether or not they think their answer is correct. Follow this pattern of look, think, evaluate and talk through the seventh picture. Then ask the students what they think of the picture now and why did or why did they not change their answers. On the ninth picture, ask the students if they notice anything that indicates a change might be coming. Keep looking, thinking, evaluating and talking throughout the book, being sure to guide students to visual clues in the fourteenth, seventeenth, and twentieth pictures. At these pictures, allow each student to predict what the new setting will be.
1st Grade Standards Taught:
1) connect personal experiences and ideas with information and ideas presented in print, 2) make and explain inferences from texts such as determining important ideas and causes and effects, making predictions and drawing conclusions, 3) identify the importance of setting to a story’s meaning.
Banyai, Istvan. Zoom. New York: Puffin Books, 1998.
Target Audience:
First Grade
Discussion:
In wordless books like Zoom by Istvan Banyai, details in the illustrations are extremely important to notice. Just before a major setting change, Banyai gives the reader a hint of what is to come. In this lesson, students will focus on finding clues in the pictures that indicate impending change. Such attention to detail is important to develop in young readers because it aids in comprehension of the story.
How to Teach It:
Show students to first picture in Zoom, and let them talk about what they think it is. Then move to the second picture and talk about whether or not they were right. Move on to the third picture and talk about whether or not they think their answer is correct. Follow this pattern of look, think, evaluate and talk through the seventh picture. Then ask the students what they think of the picture now and why did or why did they not change their answers. On the ninth picture, ask the students if they notice anything that indicates a change might be coming. Keep looking, thinking, evaluating and talking throughout the book, being sure to guide students to visual clues in the fourteenth, seventeenth, and twentieth pictures. At these pictures, allow each student to predict what the new setting will be.
1st Grade Standards Taught:
1) connect personal experiences and ideas with information and ideas presented in print, 2) make and explain inferences from texts such as determining important ideas and causes and effects, making predictions and drawing conclusions, 3) identify the importance of setting to a story’s meaning.
Read Aloud Plan #3
For this read aloud, I will use Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe. The story is about two daughters, one loving and kind, Nyasha, and the other greedy and selfish, Manyara, who vie for the proposal of the king. I will read it to Mrs. Sevigny’s first grade class at Wheelock Elementary. Parts of this story sound a lot like Cinderella, so I want to see if any of the children find the connection between the two folktales.
Before I even read the book one little boy surprised me with a text to text connection. As soon as he saw the cover he said, “Ooh, ooh, that’s a Jesus book.” What do you say to that? On one hand, it’s true. Part of the story parallels the Biblical parable of the sheep and the goats. As the daughters travel independently to meet the king, they each encounter a hungry boy and an old woman. Manyara treats them with contempt and hostility while Nyasha treats them with compassion. The king, who is also the hungry boy and the old woman, knows the heart of each daughter by how she treated him. I saw the connection as soon as I read it, but I thought it would be over the heads of 1st graders. Not wanting to get sucked into a theological discussion, I said, “Oh, you think so?” and changed the subject.
The reading didn’t quite go as I had planned. Mrs. Sevigny had forgotten that I was going to read, but she really wanted me to do it, so my read aloud cut into their outside play time. Since the kids were anxious to get out, I didn’t spend as much time as I should have setting up the story. Several of the students had a hard time following the plot, because it is an African folktale with native names. They kept getting stuck on which daughter was which instead of hearing the action of the story. If I had to do it again, I would spend time discussing the girls’ names, personalities and physical characteristics before reading the story.
I did ask them to be thinking about parts of the story that sound like other stories they know, but most of them didn’t get it. When I got to the part where the king asks for all of the most beautiful and worthy daughters in the land to be brought to the castle, I asked the class if they knew any other stories that were similar. Only one student responded appropriately. She surprised me, because she wasn’t thinking about Cinderella, but about Shrek. It was a completely valid text to text connection that I had not thought of on my own. I had intended to spend a little bit of time explaining the similarities between Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters and Cinderella, but I could see that I was on the brink of completely losing about half of the class, so I just let it go.
I was a little bit disappointed with this read aloud. I wasn’t as well prepared as I thought I was, and I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked. The students who actually paid attention to the story said that they really liked it. One little girl even said it was her favorite. So I think the selection was appropriate, the delivery just wasn’t all that great.
Steptoe, John. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. New York: Scholastic, 1987.
Before I even read the book one little boy surprised me with a text to text connection. As soon as he saw the cover he said, “Ooh, ooh, that’s a Jesus book.” What do you say to that? On one hand, it’s true. Part of the story parallels the Biblical parable of the sheep and the goats. As the daughters travel independently to meet the king, they each encounter a hungry boy and an old woman. Manyara treats them with contempt and hostility while Nyasha treats them with compassion. The king, who is also the hungry boy and the old woman, knows the heart of each daughter by how she treated him. I saw the connection as soon as I read it, but I thought it would be over the heads of 1st graders. Not wanting to get sucked into a theological discussion, I said, “Oh, you think so?” and changed the subject.
The reading didn’t quite go as I had planned. Mrs. Sevigny had forgotten that I was going to read, but she really wanted me to do it, so my read aloud cut into their outside play time. Since the kids were anxious to get out, I didn’t spend as much time as I should have setting up the story. Several of the students had a hard time following the plot, because it is an African folktale with native names. They kept getting stuck on which daughter was which instead of hearing the action of the story. If I had to do it again, I would spend time discussing the girls’ names, personalities and physical characteristics before reading the story.
I did ask them to be thinking about parts of the story that sound like other stories they know, but most of them didn’t get it. When I got to the part where the king asks for all of the most beautiful and worthy daughters in the land to be brought to the castle, I asked the class if they knew any other stories that were similar. Only one student responded appropriately. She surprised me, because she wasn’t thinking about Cinderella, but about Shrek. It was a completely valid text to text connection that I had not thought of on my own. I had intended to spend a little bit of time explaining the similarities between Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters and Cinderella, but I could see that I was on the brink of completely losing about half of the class, so I just let it go.
I was a little bit disappointed with this read aloud. I wasn’t as well prepared as I thought I was, and I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked. The students who actually paid attention to the story said that they really liked it. One little girl even said it was her favorite. So I think the selection was appropriate, the delivery just wasn’t all that great.
Steptoe, John. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. New York: Scholastic, 1987.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Craft Lesson 8
Resource Material:
Holm, Jennifer and Matthew Holm. Babymouse: Our Hero. New York: Random House, 2005.
Target Audience:
Fourth Grade
Discussion/ How to Teach It:
The ability to multi-task, or perform two or more tasks at the same time, is important in American culture. Rare is the opportunity to devote all of one's attention to a solitary endeavor. Because Babymouse: Our Hero is a graphic novel, students must multi-task in their reading in order to successfully interpret the illustrations, narration and dialog simultaneously. This "literary multi-tasking" is important to develop because it trains students to integrate information from multiple sources into a single idea. Students will independently read Babymouse: Our Hero. To assess comprehension of the plot, students will group-write a paraphrase of one part of the story, such as missing the bus, math class, or dodge ball, and then act out their paraphrase for the rest of the class.
4th Grade Standards Taught:
1) paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform and organize ideas, 2) use his/her own knowledge and experience to comprehend, 3) interpret text ideas through such varied means as journal writing, discussion, enactment and media, 4) determine a text's main ideas and how those ideas are supported by details, 5) draw on experiences to bring meaning to words in context such as interpreting figurative language and multiple-meaning words
Zoom
Banyai, Istvan. Zoom. New York: Puffin Books, 1998.
I left all the books for this course out on the coffee table right after I bought them. Almost immediately, my kids started flipping through them. They were enjoying themselves, so I took advantage of the opportunity to get some other things done. (I love it when I can let books be my babysitter.) A little while later, by 5 year old came into my room holding Zoom. "Mom, Mom! This is the best book ever!"
Right away I was excited about Zoom because my daughter was so excited about it. We liked how the scene kept changing. As soon as we thought we knew what was going to happen next, the perspective changed the "story." And I like how each chunk of related pictures was from such a dramatically different part of the world - a farm, a cruise ship, the Arizona desert, a native island. I do wish that he had added a little bit of detail to the illustrations at the end, like little planet and star dots to accompany the earth as the perspective zoomed back into outer space. But overall, Iiked it a lot.
I left all the books for this course out on the coffee table right after I bought them. Almost immediately, my kids started flipping through them. They were enjoying themselves, so I took advantage of the opportunity to get some other things done. (I love it when I can let books be my babysitter.) A little while later, by 5 year old came into my room holding Zoom. "Mom, Mom! This is the best book ever!"
Right away I was excited about Zoom because my daughter was so excited about it. We liked how the scene kept changing. As soon as we thought we knew what was going to happen next, the perspective changed the "story." And I like how each chunk of related pictures was from such a dramatically different part of the world - a farm, a cruise ship, the Arizona desert, a native island. I do wish that he had added a little bit of detail to the illustrations at the end, like little planet and star dots to accompany the earth as the perspective zoomed back into outer space. But overall, Iiked it a lot.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Craft Lesson 7
Resource Materials:
Pennypacker, Sara. Stuart's Cape. Illus. Martin Matje. New York: Scholastic, 2002.
Target Audience:
3rd Grade
Discussion:
By the third grade, students should be able to listen critically to interpret and evaluate material presented in class. The line between fantasy and reality is not always easy for students to discern, and Pennypacker blends the two seamlessly in Stuart's Cape. In this craft lesson, students will use critical listening and thinking skills to pick out events of fantasy as opposed to the events that could really happen.
How to Teach It:
After reviewing comprehension strategies like visualization, self-questioning and evaluating, read one chapter of Stuart's Cape aloud to the class. On a chart tablet, make a "real" column and a "fantasy" column, and remind students that "real" means it could happen in real life and "fantasy" means it could not really happen. Give students a chance to share orally what they remember from the story and whether or not it was real or fantasy. The students then write their responses in the appropriate column on the chart tablet. Repeat the process each day of the week, combining the last two chapters. Each day before reading time review the previous days' chart tablet entries to help students focus on the story and the concept of real vs. fantasy.
3rd Grade Standards Taught:
1) listening critically to interpret and evaluate, 2) listening responsively to stories and other texts read aloud, 3) distinguish fiction from nonfiction, including fact and fantasy, 4) ask and answer relevent questions and make contributions in small or large group discussions.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Babymouse
I'm really not a fan of graphic novels. Call me lazy, but it annoys me to have to think about pictures in order to get the jist of the story. I'd rather just read. And when I read I like to be able to get into the flow of the words. But Babymouse was so choppy. It just was not a great reading experience for me.
That said, I have to give Babymouse props for content. In particular, I love how she says that real heroes don't give up on pg. 59. Her imagination was funny, and I think that some kids might reall get into it. I think it's interesting that the last 2 books we've read were both about characters with huge imaginations, but they were presented in really different ways.
That said, I have to give Babymouse props for content. In particular, I love how she says that real heroes don't give up on pg. 59. Her imagination was funny, and I think that some kids might reall get into it. I think it's interesting that the last 2 books we've read were both about characters with huge imaginations, but they were presented in really different ways.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Craft Lesson 6
Resource Materials:
Fleischman, Paul and Kevin Hawkes. Sidewalk Circus. Massachusetts: Candlewick, 2004.
Target Audience:
Second Grade
Discussion:
Sidewalk Circus is a great reminder that reading the pictures is just as important as reading the words. Once the kids get the hang of "reading" the shadows, I think their imaginations will take off. I especially like the way it seems that the story ends with a new beginning. This book begs for a sequel.
How to Teach It:
I would read the book in guided reading groups of about four students each. After discussing the story to ensure that all of the kids understood the concept, I would let them write the sequel cooperatively and illustrated it if time allows.
Craft Lesson 5
Resource Materials:
Mora, Pat. Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!. Illus. Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee & Low, 2007.
Target Audience:
Fourth Grade
Discussion/ How to Teach It:
According to the TEKS, fourth graders should be able to use a variety of sources and materials to research a topic and present it to the class.
We will read Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! to create a schema for an essay on the origin of one's favorite food might look like. Then the kids will each choose a food that they really enjoy to study. They will use a variety of resources to research their foods such as the internet, the dictionary, the encyclopedia, and other selections from the library. This will be a major project that we will work on once or twice a week for several weeks. In the end, we will bind each students' contribution together to create a class book, complete with illustrations.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Read Aloud Plan #2
For my second read aloud, I plan to use a book by my current favorite children’s book authors, Don and Audrey Wood, called The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear. It is about a little mouse, who finds a red, ripe strawberry and must eat it before the big, hungry bear gets it. The solution? Cut it in two and share half with the narrator. The story and illustrations are really cute, but the story takes on a humorous quality when the reader infers that the narrator (who is “helping” the little mouse) is actually the bear himself.
Making inferences is an important skill for young readers to acquire to aid in comprehension, and this book is the best I’ve read to introduce the concept. My daughter’s teacher has agreed to let me use her kindergarten class for the read aloud. The skill is technically a 1st grade TEK, but Honey Elementary is an early literacy campus, and I think the students are sophisticated enough in their listening and thinking skills to get it. And even if they don’t understand the concept yet, I think the book will still be enjoyable for them.
So here’s how it went…
First I talked to my daughter’s teacher, Mrs. Scoggin, about the rumor I heard from Mikea that they have already read my book. Apparently, Mrs. Scoggin did read it to the class a few months ago, but none of them understood who the bear was. She was interested in seeing if any of the kids had matured enough in their comprehension to “get” it.
The kids were so funny. Most of them remembered the book, and several said they had it at home. I told them that I wanted them to look and listen very carefully because I had some questions to ask about the bear. They did a terrific job paying attention. When we were finished, I asked them questions like “Does anybody think the bear got to eat any of that strawberry?” and “Did anybody see the bear in the book?” This is where things got funny, because even though there are absolutely no pictures of the bear in the book, several of the boys were absolutely sure that they could see him on one of the pages, lurking in the background underbrush. Mrs. Scoggin and I worked hard to suppress giggles as they took turns showing me how this shadow and that tree branch had to be the bear hiding.
Now there was one little guy who was right on the verge of understanding. He said that there was just something about that bear; that he was there, but he wasn’t. And he would look at me and vaguely point his finger, like the answer was just on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t quite get it out. He was so close. A few other kids decided that the bear was a faker. I’m not sure what they meant by it, but they were emphatic.
I ended by asking them if any of them had any questions about the book for me. My foolish assumption was that they all had a grasp on what exactly a question is. One girl asked me how the bear was able to “smell a red, ripe strawberry from a mile away,” but the rest of the kids offered up an assortment of statements and observations, some pertaining to the book and some not.
All in all, it was a fun experience. The students were not able to infer who the bear was, but one was really close and a few more of them were on the right track. The illustrations did a great job activating their imaginations; I loved listening to their bear sightings. And I learned that most kindergarteners don’t understand the difference between asking a question and making a statement, at least not in the context of a read aloud.
Wood, Don and Audrey. The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear. Illus. Don Wood. Child’s Play Unlimited: Singapore, 1984.
Making inferences is an important skill for young readers to acquire to aid in comprehension, and this book is the best I’ve read to introduce the concept. My daughter’s teacher has agreed to let me use her kindergarten class for the read aloud. The skill is technically a 1st grade TEK, but Honey Elementary is an early literacy campus, and I think the students are sophisticated enough in their listening and thinking skills to get it. And even if they don’t understand the concept yet, I think the book will still be enjoyable for them.
So here’s how it went…
First I talked to my daughter’s teacher, Mrs. Scoggin, about the rumor I heard from Mikea that they have already read my book. Apparently, Mrs. Scoggin did read it to the class a few months ago, but none of them understood who the bear was. She was interested in seeing if any of the kids had matured enough in their comprehension to “get” it.
The kids were so funny. Most of them remembered the book, and several said they had it at home. I told them that I wanted them to look and listen very carefully because I had some questions to ask about the bear. They did a terrific job paying attention. When we were finished, I asked them questions like “Does anybody think the bear got to eat any of that strawberry?” and “Did anybody see the bear in the book?” This is where things got funny, because even though there are absolutely no pictures of the bear in the book, several of the boys were absolutely sure that they could see him on one of the pages, lurking in the background underbrush. Mrs. Scoggin and I worked hard to suppress giggles as they took turns showing me how this shadow and that tree branch had to be the bear hiding.
Now there was one little guy who was right on the verge of understanding. He said that there was just something about that bear; that he was there, but he wasn’t. And he would look at me and vaguely point his finger, like the answer was just on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t quite get it out. He was so close. A few other kids decided that the bear was a faker. I’m not sure what they meant by it, but they were emphatic.
I ended by asking them if any of them had any questions about the book for me. My foolish assumption was that they all had a grasp on what exactly a question is. One girl asked me how the bear was able to “smell a red, ripe strawberry from a mile away,” but the rest of the kids offered up an assortment of statements and observations, some pertaining to the book and some not.
All in all, it was a fun experience. The students were not able to infer who the bear was, but one was really close and a few more of them were on the right track. The illustrations did a great job activating their imaginations; I loved listening to their bear sightings. And I learned that most kindergarteners don’t understand the difference between asking a question and making a statement, at least not in the context of a read aloud.
Wood, Don and Audrey. The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear. Illus. Don Wood. Child’s Play Unlimited: Singapore, 1984.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Read Aloud Plan #1
My selection is My Many Colored Days By Dr. Seuss. I will read it to the 4 year olds in my PDO class primarily to teach colors, but also to teach feeling words. I think it is good choice for this age group because they are currently learning both their colors and also how to respond appropriately to their emotions in the context of cooperative play and learning. I will read it in groups of 2 or 3 and assess comprehension by following up with a coloring activity.
The kids liked the book. Since I used very small groups, it was easy for them to get close enough to see the pictures clearly. I scrapped the coloring activity because it didn't fit into my schedule. Instead I asked them to show me where the beginning, middle, and end of the book was. Every one of them got it right, which I think is awesome! Then I let each kiddo flip through the pages and show me what kind of day they were having. Their answers surprised me. They often answer with a "herd" mentality. One of the extroverts answers, then everyone else in the group picks the same thing. But this time they each did their own thing. One little girl showed me the black howling wolf picture. I asked her how that feels for her and she said "Good." And I said "Really? Because some kids might think that this picture looks scary or angry." And she said, "No, it looks happy." Alrighty, then. To each his or her own.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Children's Literature Autobiography
I love to read! Sometimes, when I can't choose what book to dig into next, I just read two or three at the same time. My recent favorites have been The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, The Time Travelers's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger, and Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and the entire Harry Potter series. Unfortunately, my life is so incredibly busy right now with school, work, and family commitments, that it is a struggle just to keep up with my book club's choice of the month. And my heart grieves just a little bit when I see the three unread books on my nightstand, and I know that it will probably be May before I can start them. How did I get this way?
I'm sure it was my parents' fault. They took me to the library on a regular basis and read to me every night before bed. The library was always one of my favorite places to be. We didn't just go to find books, but also for puppet shows and story hour. I loved sitting on the floor listening to the "library lady" tell stories. Then we would look for books. Many times I hauled so many books home from the library that I had a hard time carrying them into the house. But my mom didn't mind. She was also an avid reader, and I think it made her happy to see me get so excited about books. Bedtime stories were also a big deal in my family. Every night my sister and I would climb into bed with our dad and he would read us a story. I still remember some of the picture books, like There's a Monster at the End of this Book, The Little Rabbit, and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. We did this well into elementary school. When I started bringing home reading homework, I would read the selection to my dad and my sister, Ashley, and then Dad would read us a chapter book. We read Judy Blume's Fudge books and Beverly Cleary's Ramona books and classics like Heidi. Reading for 30 minutes or so each night before bed was just what we did. It was a part of our family culture. By the 3rd grade I preferred to read exclusively to myself. The habit had taken hold.
I knew from the beginning that I was a good reader. And it was important to me to be the best. We didn't have AR back then, but I'm confident that if we had, I would have out-read everyone in my grade and probably most of the rest of the school. By 2nd grade, I had all but left picture books behind in the dust. I felt like they were for kids who couldn't read well enough to get into chapter books. What an elitist idiot I was! I realize now that I have a huge gap in my children's literature experience because I focused on reading what the older kids were reading instead of enjoying the literature that was intended for my age and experience. And I totally missed the illustration boat. Even when I did read picture books, I only paid attention to the words in the story. It never occurred to me that the pictures also tell a story.
By the 3th grade, I'm pretty sure my mom thought she had created a little reading monster. That was the year I read my first adult fiction book, V adapted by A.C. Crispin. I had seen bits and pieces of the TV miniseries, but since it was on past my bedtime, I had missed big chunks of the story. One day I saw the book at the grocery store and begged my mom to let me buy it with my allowance money. She was reluctant, but eventually gave in. So at 9 years old, I read my first 400+ page grown up book complete with cussing, violence and, eh-hem, adult relationships. I was hooked. By 6th grade I was plowing through VC Andrews and Dean R. Koontz. I grew up in the Bible belt going to church every Sunday like all the other good little girls did, but boy did I rebel in the books I chose to read. I sought out the occult and psychological thrillers, all the while being careful to conceal from my parents the nature of what I was reading.
I look back on that time now with the eyes of a parent, and it makes me cringe. No wonder I was such a bitter, depressed, self-loathing teenager. I put garbage in my mind and got garbage right back out again. Thankfully, the monumental required reading load placed on the honors and advanced placement students at my high school severely limited the spare time I had for reading books of my own choosing. I hated required reading. The only books I can remember actually enjoying were To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men. In fact I rarely even finished the books we were assigned. I was a master at figuring out what the teacher was looking for and reading (skimming) just enough to be able to regurgitate A- material. So while works like The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, and Tess of the D'Urbervilles made it into my backpack, I can't really claim to have read them thoroughly. It was a seriously dry time in my literary history. The college years weren't much better. Occasionally, I'd pick up reading outside of my class assignments, but almost never fiction. I read a lot of self-help and inspirational Christian literature. I had forgotten that reading could be just for fun…for about 15 years. During that time I graduated from high school and college, got married, and had a couple of kids.
The dry spell lifted when one of the mommies in my kids' playgroup suggested that we should all read Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik and get together one Saturday morning without the kids to discuss it. Three years later, we have read at least 30 books together. We keep a journal of all our meetings and a brief synopsis of each book. Some of my favorite selections have been ones that I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own, like The Time Traveler's Wife and The Five People you Meet in Heaven. I have been challenged by my friends' thoughts and feelings about what we have read and by my revelations of my own assumptions and prejudices. Book Club has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life and I hope that 20 years from now our kids (we have 14 collectively) will carry on the tradition. And I hope to plant little book loving seeds into the hearts and minds of the kids I teach, because if those kids grow to love books, they will be able to navigate the desert of standardized tests and required reading to find a paradise of literature waiting for them.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!
Mora, Pat. Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!: America's Sproutings. Illus. Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc., 2007.
The first time I read this book it was to my kids. They are 5 and 3 years old, so I just read the haikus to them because I thought the informational part would be over their heads (especially for my 3 year old). We all LOVED IT!!! I hadn't read haikus in years. And they never did much for me when I was a kid. I think I tried to read them literally. It never occurred to me that maybe they are intended to paint a picture rather than make linear sense. And the pictures in this book are amazing! It's like an adult crib mobile in book form. I just love looking at them.
I enjoyed the informational part in each section too. I never knew that cacao seeds were originally used to make a spicy drink or that cranberries pop. Have any of y'all actually simmered cranberries before? I've only eaten them dried or jellied.
I think I will go back and read the whole book with my 5 year old, just to see what she thinks. She might ignore the information she doesn’t understand, choosing to focus on the pictures and poetry. Or I might end up spending an hour trying to explain things like why Central America is not the same as the America we live in, who the Aztecs were and why they aren't around anymore, and what "tax" and "imported" mean. On second thought, maybe I'll just stick with the haikus for now.
The first time I read this book it was to my kids. They are 5 and 3 years old, so I just read the haikus to them because I thought the informational part would be over their heads (especially for my 3 year old). We all LOVED IT!!! I hadn't read haikus in years. And they never did much for me when I was a kid. I think I tried to read them literally. It never occurred to me that maybe they are intended to paint a picture rather than make linear sense. And the pictures in this book are amazing! It's like an adult crib mobile in book form. I just love looking at them.
I enjoyed the informational part in each section too. I never knew that cacao seeds were originally used to make a spicy drink or that cranberries pop. Have any of y'all actually simmered cranberries before? I've only eaten them dried or jellied.
I think I will go back and read the whole book with my 5 year old, just to see what she thinks. She might ignore the information she doesn’t understand, choosing to focus on the pictures and poetry. Or I might end up spending an hour trying to explain things like why Central America is not the same as the America we live in, who the Aztecs were and why they aren't around anymore, and what "tax" and "imported" mean. On second thought, maybe I'll just stick with the haikus for now.
Historical Fiction
Tunnel. Michael O. James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008.
What a slam on history textbooks! I must confess that I found reading them to be pure drudgery. I've never been a huge fan of historical fiction either. I've always just lumped them together. But I can definitely see how historical fiction can fill in the blanks (i.e. people, setting, and personal connection) and make history come alive for students. In fact, while reading the text, I remembered a few works of historical fiction that I actually liked (The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder and These Is My Words by Nancy Turner).
We've talked in class about how young people need to be able to identify with the books they read either by cultural or situational relevance, and I think this is especially important in teaching history. As teachers, if we can build a bridge between the realities that our students face and those of the past, maybe they will really "own" their knowledge of history rather than just learn enough to regurgitate facts for a test. Using historical fiction seems like a great idea. But when I think about the extensive background knowledge a teacher would have to have (which specific books to teach specific subjects, making sure that they are age and level appropriate) to use historical fiction effectively, I can see why so many teachers continue to use textbooks. It's just easier. What a daunting task to balance what you have time and energy to implement in your classroom with what really connects in your students' minds!
What a slam on history textbooks! I must confess that I found reading them to be pure drudgery. I've never been a huge fan of historical fiction either. I've always just lumped them together. But I can definitely see how historical fiction can fill in the blanks (i.e. people, setting, and personal connection) and make history come alive for students. In fact, while reading the text, I remembered a few works of historical fiction that I actually liked (The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder and These Is My Words by Nancy Turner).
We've talked in class about how young people need to be able to identify with the books they read either by cultural or situational relevance, and I think this is especially important in teaching history. As teachers, if we can build a bridge between the realities that our students face and those of the past, maybe they will really "own" their knowledge of history rather than just learn enough to regurgitate facts for a test. Using historical fiction seems like a great idea. But when I think about the extensive background knowledge a teacher would have to have (which specific books to teach specific subjects, making sure that they are age and level appropriate) to use historical fiction effectively, I can see why so many teachers continue to use textbooks. It's just easier. What a daunting task to balance what you have time and energy to implement in your classroom with what really connects in your students' minds!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Craft Lesson 4
Resource Materials:
Seuss, Dr. My Many Colored Days. Illus. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York: Random House, 1996.
Target Audience:
Pre-K
Discussion:
Children experience feelings just like adults, but they often lack the vocabulary to express themselves clearly. The illustrations in My Many Colored Days provide a concrete handle for children to use to explore their feelings. The point of this lesson is to label feeling words (i.e. mad, sad, and happy) with colors (i.e. black, purple, red) that make sense to the individual child.
How to Teach It:
First review the colors that will be presented in the book (Crayola 8-pack + grey and pink). Then read My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss aloud to the class. Initiate a brief grand discussion where students can reflect on times when they have felt red, blue, etc. Reread the story, this time encouraging the students to act out the text. For instance, on purple, they might hang their head down and drudge around the room in loneliness. It is important to allow the students the freedom to connect their feelings to the colors that make sense to them. For example, some kids might describe angry days as red instead of black or sad days as black instead of purple. For this lesson, it is more important that the students make a personal connection than it is for them to repeat what was stated in the text. Finally, roll out a long sheet of butcher paper on the floor (Be sure to protect the floor with a drop cloth). Provide finger paints in the colors presented in the book and give the students 10 minutes to finger paint a "how-I-feel-today" mural, which can be displayed on a wall in the classroom or in the hallway.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Craft Lesson 3
Resource Material:
Wong, Janet. Minn and Jake. New York: Farrar, 2003.
Target Audience:
4th Grade
Discussion:
Minn and Jake by Janet Wong explores the complexities of a developing friendship between 5th graders, Minn and Jake. This theme of friendship can be peeled away like an onion exposing several layers of depth. Students' background experiences with friendships and personal maturity will surely influence their reflections of this piece of literature. This craft lesson takes into account these differences and provides for a variety of personal writing preferences.
How to Teach It:
After reading Minn and Jake independently, form small groups for the students to briefly share their thoughts and feelings about the story. Bring the entire class together for a grand conversation for further reflection. Offer the following choices for a written reflection paper:
- Chose a purpose*: to inform, to influence, to express, or to entertain
- Chose a form*: narrative, poem, instructions, or review
- Choose a topic: The topic choices would depend on the grand conversation, but might include peer pressure, Minn and Jake's summer, bullies, making friends, etc.
Allow students a day or two in writing workshop to develop a first draft. On Day 3, form small groups again for a peer revising session before beginning work on the final draft. Papers should be handed in on Day 4.
*This lesson would be one of several designed to prepare for TAKS testing. Students will be expected to choose each purpose and each form at least once over the course of the year. The manner in which students combine purpose and form provides a measure of creative license for the students.
True Confessions
To be completely honest, I was not excited to be sacrificing my only free day of the week to a literature festival dedicated to the arm of literary arts that I enjoy the very least. Imagine my surprise at Janet Wong's confession that she, too, hated poetry.
What?!? Did I hear that right?
Indeed she was not a lover of verse when she started writing. Maybe there is hope for me yet.
I want to be the best teacher I can be, and I want my students to fall in love with reading. But I know that I will be selling them short if I can't impart a wholistic enthusiasm for literature. So it is my goal over the next 6 months to fill that gaping hole in my literary interest. The 4th Annual COE Lit Festival turned out to be a great springboard in this endeavor.
I enjoyed getting to hear the inflection of Janet Wong and J. Patrick Lewis as they read, especially Lewis recitation of "One Child Left Behind." I think that was the title. Did anyone catch who wrote it? I'd like a hard copy of it, but I've had a hard time finding it. I also found hopeful, Lewis' declaration that poets are born, not made, but usually after their 30th birthday. I'm going to choose to believe that my ELA teachers were just 20 years too early to truly engage me in poetry.
Overall, I'm really glad that I went. I learned a lot, but more importantly, I had fun and I left with a sense of encouragement that as I choose to broaden my poetry schema, I might actually enjoy the journey.
What?!? Did I hear that right?
Indeed she was not a lover of verse when she started writing. Maybe there is hope for me yet.
I want to be the best teacher I can be, and I want my students to fall in love with reading. But I know that I will be selling them short if I can't impart a wholistic enthusiasm for literature. So it is my goal over the next 6 months to fill that gaping hole in my literary interest. The 4th Annual COE Lit Festival turned out to be a great springboard in this endeavor.
I enjoyed getting to hear the inflection of Janet Wong and J. Patrick Lewis as they read, especially Lewis recitation of "One Child Left Behind." I think that was the title. Did anyone catch who wrote it? I'd like a hard copy of it, but I've had a hard time finding it. I also found hopeful, Lewis' declaration that poets are born, not made, but usually after their 30th birthday. I'm going to choose to believe that my ELA teachers were just 20 years too early to truly engage me in poetry.
Overall, I'm really glad that I went. I learned a lot, but more importantly, I had fun and I left with a sense of encouragement that as I choose to broaden my poetry schema, I might actually enjoy the journey.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
"Creating a book"
Tunnel, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Liteature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008.
I loved what Madeleine L'Engle said on page 234 about the necessity of a reader to "create a book along with the writer." I think it speaks to the importance of developing students' schemas. The richer their background knowledge of pictures, art, sounds, words, etc.,the better equipped they will be to creatively engage in the reading process.
She also that the difference between reading a book and watching tv is that in watching tv, "we are passive - sponges; we do nothing." I think this is a critical issue in fostering a love of reading in our students. Most people (at least in American culture), all else being equal, will choose the easy way. What "readers" have discovered is that all else isn't equal. There is a richness, a realness in really submerging one's self in the world of a good book that isn't like anything else, and it makes the extra mental energy expended totally worth it.
I loved what Madeleine L'Engle said on page 234 about the necessity of a reader to "create a book along with the writer." I think it speaks to the importance of developing students' schemas. The richer their background knowledge of pictures, art, sounds, words, etc.,the better equipped they will be to creatively engage in the reading process.
She also that the difference between reading a book and watching tv is that in watching tv, "we are passive - sponges; we do nothing." I think this is a critical issue in fostering a love of reading in our students. Most people (at least in American culture), all else being equal, will choose the easy way. What "readers" have discovered is that all else isn't equal. There is a richness, a realness in really submerging one's self in the world of a good book that isn't like anything else, and it makes the extra mental energy expended totally worth it.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Craft Lesson 2
Exploring Cultural Diversity
Resource Material:
Wong, Janet. Apple Pie 4th of July. Orlando: Harcourt, 2002.
Discussion:
Young children don't realize that the way their families celebrate holidays may not be the same way their neighbors celebrate the same holiday. In Apple Pie 4th of July, Janet Wong illustrates a young girl's frustration with her parents as they celebrate the 4th of July. This craft lesson provides a springboard for class discussion of cultural diversity.
How to Teach It:
Begin by reading Apple Pie 4th of July out loud to the class. Initiate a class discussion comparing the protagonist's experience to the experience she thinks her American neighbor is having, recording responses on a chart tablet. In groups of four students each, have the students discuss other holidays that might be celebrated differently by different cultures. Then have students individually create their own chart comparing/ contrasting their own traditions with those of another group member.
Second Grade Standards Taught:
1)Participating in conversations and discussions, 2)connecting experiences and ideas with those of others through speaking and listening, 3)representing information on a chart
Craft Lesson 1
Using Onomatopoeia
Resource Material:
Wong, Janet. Buzz. Orlando: Harcourt, 2000.
Discussion:
The world is full of sounds. They are all around us in everything we do, but students often fail to pay attention to such detail. In Buzz, Janet Wong uses the sound "buzz" as the driving force in a small boy's morning routine. Using onomatopoeia vividly describes the hustle and bustle of the family. In this craft lesson, beginning writers will explore the use of sound in their own story writing.
How to Teach It:
Sound words are called onomatopoeia. Read Buzz by Janet Wong and look for all the things "buzz" can describe. Then brainstorm other examples of onomatopoeia, keeping track of students' ideas on a chart tablet. In groups of 2 or 3, have students construct their own story using from the examples generated by the class. Allow each group to present their story to the rest of the class.
Second Grade Standards Taught:
1)Identifying elements of literary language, 2)specifically onomatopoeia, 3)listening responsively to a story, 4)participating in a large group discussion, 5)working cooperatively in a small group, 6)using a published piece as a model for writing.
Monday, January 21, 2008
In the Pits of Poetry
Tunnel, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Liteature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008.
I've never been a big poetry fan. Trying to write something so creative with very little objective criteria for judgement was torture. And I was always so concerned with figuring out how my teachers interpreted poetry (so that I could then interpret it the "right" way). It just about killed any potential for enjoyment.
I liked what they said about sharing poems without any ulterior motive and about focusing on kids' preferences and feelings instead of technical interpretation.
I've never been a big poetry fan. Trying to write something so creative with very little objective criteria for judgement was torture. And I was always so concerned with figuring out how my teachers interpreted poetry (so that I could then interpret it the "right" way). It just about killed any potential for enjoyment.
I liked what they said about sharing poems without any ulterior motive and about focusing on kids' preferences and feelings instead of technical interpretation.
Off Topic
I feel like this kid in a Far Side cartoon. He's leaning (almost laying) on his desk in class with his hand in the air (supported by the other hand), and the caption reads, "Mrs. So-in-so, may I be excused? My brain is full."
Anybody else feel this way?
Anybody else feel a little bit panicky about feeling this way and it's only 2 weeks into the semester?
Or maybe it's only me.
Anybody else feel this way?
Anybody else feel a little bit panicky about feeling this way and it's only 2 weeks into the semester?
Or maybe it's only me.
Books, Books and More Books- Chapters 6 & 7
Tunnel, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Liteature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008.
For the past 2 weeks I've been on a book buying binge. I think I had forgotten how much I love children's books, especially picture books. I loved the illustrated section in chapter 4. Even as kid I paid more attention to the words than the pictures of a book. And I prided myself on graduating to chapter books way before my peers. I realize that I missed out on a lot of fabulous picture books. My mental wish list is growing daily - Round Trip, Tuesday, Anno's Counting Book, Not a Box, Flotsam, Millions of Cats. And I've remembered books I read as a child and subsequently forgot - Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, The Ox-Cart Man, Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears, Ira Sleeps Over. I think what I've learned in these 2 chapters is that I could quit my job and drop out of school and read until I die and still never finish reading. And I could be happy doing that. As a teacher, how do I bring my students to that place of wonder and awe of books? I guess that's the $1,000,000 question.
For the past 2 weeks I've been on a book buying binge. I think I had forgotten how much I love children's books, especially picture books. I loved the illustrated section in chapter 4. Even as kid I paid more attention to the words than the pictures of a book. And I prided myself on graduating to chapter books way before my peers. I realize that I missed out on a lot of fabulous picture books. My mental wish list is growing daily - Round Trip, Tuesday, Anno's Counting Book, Not a Box, Flotsam, Millions of Cats. And I've remembered books I read as a child and subsequently forgot - Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, The Ox-Cart Man, Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears, Ira Sleeps Over. I think what I've learned in these 2 chapters is that I could quit my job and drop out of school and read until I die and still never finish reading. And I could be happy doing that. As a teacher, how do I bring my students to that place of wonder and awe of books? I guess that's the $1,000,000 question.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Why read?
Tunnel, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Liteature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008
The text highlights some interesting evidence why people read or don't read, but I really think it boils down to kids' earliest experiences with books. When a touchy, feelie, huggy kiddo gets to spend time sitting in mommy or daddy's lap and get one on one attention while reading a book, it registers as a great experience. One that hopefully will get replayed manytimes until kiddo can read on his own.
Likewise, a rough and tumble kiddo might not get so excited at sitting still in anyone's lap long enough to get his shoes tied, much less long enough to read a story. But when this kiddo knows that after he's finished reading with mommy or daddy, he'll get to act out the story with his friends or siblings, it also can become a good experience.
I think as teachers (and parents for that matter) we have to be able to figure out which kind of kids we have and make books fun on their level.
The text highlights some interesting evidence why people read or don't read, but I really think it boils down to kids' earliest experiences with books. When a touchy, feelie, huggy kiddo gets to spend time sitting in mommy or daddy's lap and get one on one attention while reading a book, it registers as a great experience. One that hopefully will get replayed manytimes until kiddo can read on his own.
Likewise, a rough and tumble kiddo might not get so excited at sitting still in anyone's lap long enough to get his shoes tied, much less long enough to read a story. But when this kiddo knows that after he's finished reading with mommy or daddy, he'll get to act out the story with his friends or siblings, it also can become a good experience.
I think as teachers (and parents for that matter) we have to be able to figure out which kind of kids we have and make books fun on their level.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
