tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79461099729664313262024-03-13T16:45:04.014-04:00Teach with Picture BooksKeith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-74387440490020502812020-02-19T22:46:00.000-05:002020-03-01T20:15:56.777-05:00How to Effortlessly Pair Fiction and Nonfiction Texts <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xDynSYGAmBo/XkrOUeXeH3I/AAAAAAAAK8E/6iaQUF7xHgcG9WbSEVWyANWhf6dvelhlACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Are%2BGraphic%2BNovels%2BBooks_%2B_%2BWonderopolis.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Wonderopolis Screen Capture" border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="714" height="343" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xDynSYGAmBo/XkrOUeXeH3I/AAAAAAAAK8E/6iaQUF7xHgcG9WbSEVWyANWhf6dvelhlACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Are%2BGraphic%2BNovels%2BBooks_%2B_%2BWonderopolis.png" title="Wonderopolis Screen Capture" width="400" /></a><b>Q: I know that pairing fiction with nonfiction can benefit students in many ways, but I'm often at a loss to find short sources of nonfiction at an appropriate level for my students. How can I pair fiction and nonfiction easily?</b><br />
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Nearly any topic or theme you might address through fiction has a counterpart in juvenile or young adult nonfiction. In a previous post, for example, <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2014/02/heroes-of-history.html">I discussed how famous figures from history could be explored through biographical picture books</a>. I also shared book pairings for <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/animal-attraction-exploring-animals.html">Animals</a>, <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2010/05/exploring-invention-with-picture-books.html">Invention</a>, the <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/sit-down-and-be-counted-exploring-civil.html">Civil Rights Movement</a>, the <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/crossroads-of-revolution.html">American Revolution</a>, the <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/nation-divided-exploring-civil-war.html">American Civil War</a>, <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/03/holocaust-picture-books-annotated-list.html">the Holocaust</a>, <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2014/03/destruction-disruption-and-defiance.html">Jewish Resistance in the Holocaust</a>, and <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2010/03/science-girls-women-with-vision.html">Women's History</a> to name but a few topics.<br />
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But a resource I've been recommending recently to colleagues at conferences and through my PLN is <b><a href="https://www.wonderopolis.org/">Wonderopolis</a></b>. <b>Wonderopolis</b> is a well designed, daily-updated collection of topics from Science, Health, Social Studies, Language Arts, Technology, and Arts & Culture.<br />
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<b>Each Wonderopolis entry features</b><br />
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<li>prereading questions (to provide objectives for reading), </li>
<li>a student friendly article, with highlighted vocabulary which can be defined with a simple mouse-over, </li>
<li>a "Wonder Words" vocabulary bank (with optional quiz),</li>
<li>a "Did You Get It?" multiple choice quiz,</li>
<li>a list of Common Core standards, </li>
<li>some "Try It Out" activities which can be completed as class or home extensions, </li>
<li>and the opportunity for students to join a discussion about the topic through the site's moderated discussion forum.</li>
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A list of sources also accompanies each article, should students or educators choose to pursue further research.</div>
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The video below provides an overview of the site and its features.</div>
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<b>So how could teachers use this site?</b><br />
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<li>Students could access this site as a <b>part of their daily routine</b> (some teachers might call this bell work). The articles are engaging and the assessments are low-key.</li>
<li>Many of the topics discussed could serve as <b>current event pieces</b>. Some educators, with good reason, are hesitant to allow students to search out current events topics. Using this site as the source, however, guarantees that the content is school appropriate and rendered at an accessible reading level.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li>Teachers can use this site, paired with an appropriate picture book, to <b>initiate discussion of sensitive topics</b> such as bias and stereotype. For example, the wonderful picture book <b><a href="https://amzn.to/2PoyQnd">What Riley Wore</a></b> by Elana K. Arnold and Linda Davick follows "gender-creative Riley (who) knows just what to wear for every occasion." This book would pair well with the Wonderopolis article on <a href="https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-bias-and-why-do-people-have-it">"What is Bias and Why Do People Have It?"</a> </li>
<li>Teachers can <b>pair the nonfiction articles from Wonderopolis with fiction texts</b>. If reading a novel which discusses the Civil Rights Movement, for example, you could search that same term and find articles on Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, the Freedom Riders, Segregation, the Sit-In Movement, Ruby Bridges, and more. (Some articles may prove more challenging than others, so I recommend that teachers always preview before they assign in order to determine if assignments can be completed independently, or if they are better suited to a paired or full-class approach).</li>
<li>Students can use this site for <b>independent reading and study</b>. Since many of the posted articles were based upon student questions, even the most reluctant reader will likely find a topic of interest.</li>
<li>Content area teachers can <b>supplement classroom textbooks</b>.</li>
</ul>
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<b>How do you use this site in your own classroom?</b></div>
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I use this site in all many of the ways mentioned above, but I often supercharge it by adding <b><a href="https://insertlearning.com/v1/invite/2ldkp09y755wlpglacg">Insert Learning</a></b> elements.</div>
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<b><a href="https://insertlearning.com/v1/invite/2ldkp09y755wlpglacg">Insert Learning</a></b> embeds instant interactivity on nearly any web page by allowing you to add</div>
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<ul>
<li>highlights,</li>
<li>annotations and definitions (to accompany those highlights),</li>
<li>sticky notes (which can contain plain text, images, links, YouTube videos, or screen casts),</li>
<li>open ended questions (requiring a student response),</li>
<li>multiple choice questions (instantaneously graded), and </li>
<li>discussion questions (the responses to which are visible to all students).</li>
</ul>
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You can <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2017/11/how-to-instantly-increase-interaction.html">read more about Insert Learning in an earlier post</a>, or watch the video below to see how I added additional interactive elements to a Wonderopolis post.</div>
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Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-6376364467488572882017-03-15T23:50:00.003-04:002017-03-29T20:54:42.768-04:00Will's Words: Learning to Love Language with William Shakespeare<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Students are never too young to begin immersing themselves in the language of William Shakespeare. <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2mQFAvX">Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk</a></b>, is a wonderful place to start. Author Jane Sutcliffe and illustrator John Shelley takes us on a tour of 1600's London and its thriving theater culture, while at the same time pointing out many now-common words and phrases that originated from the quill of William Shakespeare.<br />
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The tour consists of backstage glimpses and onstage antics, while at the same time describing the scope of Shakespeare's work and his audience's reaction toward it. Students will love the images which are all-encompassing and minutely detailed at the same time. Your kids will leaf through this book again and again, searching out the secrets that John Shelley has so cleverly and humorously included in the illustrations.</div>
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Jane Sutcliffe admits that not all of Shakespeare's words and phrases were original, but are certainly recorded for the first time in his works:</div>
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We know that Shakespeare used words like no other writer before or since. The man had an amazing ear for words. At a time when the English language was changing rapidly, he noticed words in playhouses and taverns, and on London street corners. Then he put them in his plays and poems. Sometimes he was the first to write down a new word. Sometimes he seems to have made up his own. He put all those words together in extraordinary, ingenious ways.</div>
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Regardless of which activities you choose to try from below, I highly recommend <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2mQFAvX">Will's Words</a></b> as a starting point, no matter what grade level!<br />
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But Keith... <b>What if I don't know a lot about Shakespeare and his works? What if I hated Shakespeare when I was a student? </b><br />
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In his TED Talk titled <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh3gMcOUFao" target="_blank">How NOT to Hate Shakespeare</a></b>, actor/educator Rob Crisell explains:<br />
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For most of us in school, Shakespeare’s works were a "literary enema..." (but) he’s the world’s most famous author for good reason. No writer, not Homer, not Dante, not Cervantes, not J.K. Rowling, rivals him in terms of his art and influence. His characters have become part of our mental landscape... And how about his words? Shakespeare wrote 884,000 of them, credited with being the first to use or inventing more than two thousand of them.</div>
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So how can we explore poetry and language in the true spirit of Shakespeare? I've provided a few ideas below.<br />
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<b>1. Featured Creatures</b><br />
<span style="color: black;">Suggested Grades: 3 and up</span><b style="color: black;"> </b>
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<span style="color: black;">Curious as a cricket, happy as a lark, slow as a snail. See where this is going? Students enjoy creating simple similes, and their vast store of animal knowledge makes these comparisons easy.</span></div>
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A wonderful mentor text for this activity is <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2mQFQep">Shakespeare's Zoo (Volume 1)</a></b> by Laudea Martin. It was "a very old and well-loved boxed set of the complete works of
William Shakespeare, which once belonged to Laudea's great grandmother... that sparked her interest in the richness of
Shakespeare's written words." The author soon discovered that in many of Shakespeare's works, both famous and obscure, the Bard employed animal imagery to paint perfect pictures of human passions and pratfalls.<br />
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From the book description:<br />
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Shakespeare's brilliance shines through, not just in his most famous
lines, but in every line. The tiniest snippet of his work contains
fantastic wordplay and depth of imagery. This book takes some of his
less-known bits about various animals and pairs them with Laudea
Martin's unique illustrations assembled from textured layers.</div>
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And, like all Shakespeare, each page will become easier to understand
the more you read it. The brilliant words of Shakespeare are meant to be
heard, not seen, so read the words aloud and listen to the rhythm. Read
them again and again, and let your imagination fill in the details of
the scene.
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<b>Classroom Extensions:</b>
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<li>Students can search out favorite animals using the concordance at <a href="http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/concordance/" target="_blank">OpenSourceShakespeare</a>. They can illustrate the lines they find, or possibly even add to them.</li>
<li>Students can create biographical poems by first selecting adjectives that they feel describe them (pretty, busy, fast, etc.) and then selecting animals that match those adjectives. Students can pair the adjectives and animals in simile form, such as, "I snore like a lion when I'm really, really tired," and "I'm busy as a beaver every day when I get home."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.laurenstringer.com/uploads/2/5/6/4/25641572/make_a_six-page_book_out_of_one_sheet_of_paper.pdf" target="_blank">Creating a flip book</a> is a fantastic way to show off and illustrate the comparisons described above, and the sizes of the books can vary from tiny to huge.</li>
<li>Collect a pile of animal poem books and let students browse them and share their favorites. Then offer trade books or an assortment of animal pictures, and ask students to write a simile poem inspired by a favorite critter, perhaps using iambic pentameter to create it. The TED Ed lesson on <a href="http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-shakespeare-loved-iambic-pentameter-david-t-freeman-and-gregory-taylor" target="_blank">Why Shakespeare Loved Iambic Pentameter</a> is a fun and effective introduction to this poetry form, or use this <a href="http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/files/2013/07/can_you_write_like_shakespeare.pdf" target="_blank">kid friendly handout</a> (see image to the right) from Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.</li>
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<b>2. Reverse-A-Verse </b><br />
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Suggested Grades: 4 and up</div>
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In <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2npyfoP">Echo Echo</a></b>, Marilyn Singer retells Greek myths via reverso poems, poems that can be read both backward and forward, typically revealing new meanings each time. "When read from top to bottom, each poem tells a well-known story from a world of heroes and monsters. When read in reverse, however, the very same words convey a whole new point of view!" (from the book flap) Illustrator Josée Masse creates dramatically saturated pictures which truly complement the duality of the poems.<br />
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When reading these aloud, be sure to assign each poem to a different reader, and see where the words lead you.<br />
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<b>Classroom Extensions:</b><br />
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<li>After viewing a live production of a Shakespeare play, challenge students to write a reverso poem on any one of the play's characters. Have a script handy, as students may want to include snippets of a character's lines in their poem.</li>
<li>Older students might enjoy reading Jonathan Reed's <a href="http://www.scientistsfortomorrow.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Lost-Generation-Reverse-Poem.pdf">The Lost Generation</a>, arguably the most well-known reverso poem. <a href="https://genius.com/1612086">Genius.com</a> does a painstakingly thorough job of breaking down this poem. After discussion, challenge students to write their own reverso poems using characters from popular culture, contemporary novels, and, of course, Shakespearean plays. </li>
<li>After studying animals for a research project, students can use that same animal as the subject of a reverso poem. In my class, I purposely assigned students those animals traditionally considered pests. As the poem is read forward, the lines recount the pest's nasty reputation, but read backward, the lines vindicate the pest for what good it may do. This <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nSABPU5Wfp49OgUsWAPlo31_7eHwBU2jg5kmojjVpMY/edit?usp=sharing">Slides presentation</a> offers a template, plus two examples.</li>
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<b>3. Write a Sonnet Upon It </b><br />
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Suggested Grades: 4 and up</div>
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For this activity, I show my students actor Matthew Macfadyen's version of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOCL_NEgf0g">Sonnet 29</a>. Upon first playing, however, I leave the volume off. I then ask students to interpret what took place. I then play it again, with the volume up, and again ask students to interpret, first verbally, and then by rewriting the sonnet in their own words.<br />
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<b>Classroom Extensions:</b><br />
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<li>Have students write their own sonnet based on Sonnet 29. They can write it from one character to another (using a recent novel or play for inspiration), or they can write it to someone who has been meaningful in their life. <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1p9VsxJpKlm71d2KxlWd_39MryzSFVmJSZfvZr2SCm3E/edit?usp=sharing">This Google Slides presentation includes examples of both.</a> Feel free to copy and adapt this for your own uses.</li>
<li>A similar exercise could be done with Sonnet 18 (Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?...) which is likely more familiar to students. (Both Sonnet 29 and 18 can be found here in <a href="http://kidsloveshakespeare.com/wp-content/uploads/shakespearesonnet.pdf">a printable version</a>.) If you want students to examine this in more detail before writing on their own, check out this <a href="http://udleditions.cast.org/CONTENT,sonnet_18,1.html">annotated version</a>.</li>
<li>Depending upon your students' tech sophistication, they may like the idea of putting <a href="http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/">sonnets</a> to film. In <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y8gM9vrLhw">this version of Sonnet 18</a>, the poem is read by Peter O'Toole, the film footage is sourced from "No Country for Old Men" and "The American," and music is by James Newton Howard. Students are familiar with such mash-ups, and they might enjoy a similar challenge. </li>
<li>If needed, begin with a more contemporary sonnet that uses familiar language. This <a href="http://www.folger.edu/easing-shakespeare-modern-sonnet">lesson plan from the Folger Library</a> using Edna St. Vincent Millay's <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/46557">"What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why"</a> provides a comfortable starting place.</li>
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<b>4. Language Loopholes </b><br />
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Suggested Grades: 3 and up</div>
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When I taught fourth grade, I overheard one student complaining that Spanish class was aggronizing. “Is that a real word?” I asked. He replied that of course it was, since it combined agonizing and aggravating!<br />
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Just a week or two later, one of my students paused by the door before leaving. “Is something wrong?” I asked.<br />
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“No,” she responded, “I’m just waiting for the eighth graders to pass. I don’t want to get stampled.”<br />
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“Stampled?”<br />
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“Yeah, it’s a portmanteau I invented. It’s when you get trampled by a stampede. You can use it if you want.” And off she went.</div>
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It's true that Shakespeare coined many new words and recorded many others for the first time, but students are often surprised to discover that new words are entering our lexicon all the time. Sometimes students are even inventing their own! Language isn't static; like any other discipline, it continues to evolve.<br />
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One case in point is the July 2009 announcement from Merriam-Webster regarding the addition of new words to its dictionary:<br />
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Hardworking word-lovers everywhere can now learn the meaning of the word staycation ("a vacation spent at home or nearby") along with nearly 100 other new words and senses added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. America's best-selling dictionary offers its new 2009 entries in its updated print edition and online at Merriam-Webster.com.<br />
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"Our language evolves in many ways," said John Morse, president and publisher of Merriam-Webster Inc. "As we've seen from our Open Dictionary feature on Merriam-Webster.com, people enjoy blending existing words, like combining 'stay' and 'vacation' to make staycation. Staycation is a good example of a word meeting a need and establishing itself in the language very quickly. Our earliest record of use is from 2005, but it seems to have exploded into popular use in 2007."</div>
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<b>Classroom Extensions:</b><br />
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<li>Many of Shakespeare's original words are simple compounds, such as <b>bedroom</b>, <b>bloodstained</b>, and <b>moonbeam</b>. Give students time to play around with their own original compound creations.</li>
<li>Allow students to create <b>portmanteau words</b> to express those ideas for which no words exist. A portmanteau word is two words "jammed" together to make a new one, such as <i>smog</i>, <i>staycation</i>, <i>emoticon</i>, <i>administrivia</i>, and <i>brunch</i>. It differs from a compound word (where no letters are lost) and a contraction (where an apostrophe denotes removed letters). Start off by giving students <a href="https://www.vappingo.com/word-blog/86-great-examples-of-portmanteau/">a list of portmanteaus to dissect</a>, and then allow them to create their own.</li>
<li>Challenge students to define some of the latest entries to <b><a href="http://wordspy.com/">Word Spy, The Word Lover's Guide to New Words.</a></b> Word Spy is a wonderful resource for neologisms, or newly coined words. Wordspy takes on a recent word such as <a href="http://wordspy.com/index.php?word=vegangelical">vegangelical</a> and not only defines and parses it (n. An extremely zealous vegan who is eager to make other people believe in and convert to veganism; blend of vegan and evangelical) but also traces it to its earliest citation (in this case, to the blog <a href="http://thesmokingvegan.blogspot.com/2005_04_01_archive.html">The Smoking Vegans</a> in 2005). Wordspy is a fun site to browse, and readers are welcome to comment on entries and suggest new words as well. Its biggest strength is that it offers citations for all the words it lists. It isn't entirely G rated, however, so it's best left to the teacher to explore.</li>
<li>Ask the question, "Just because someone uses a word, does it become a word?" To put it another way, "Are all neologisms created equal?" Sure, <a href="http://www.rhymezone.com/g/shakespeare/coinages//">Shakespeare</a>, Dr. Seuss, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunting_of_the_Snark">Lewis Carroll</a> coined words all the time, but do the rest of us carry enough clout to do the same?</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qzitZeNP_us/WMlfD9dSlHI/AAAAAAAAChI/_OS36_Ek9hMk9-rp2H_ziAsnct7TA861wCLcB/s1600/Macbeth%2BScript.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qzitZeNP_us/WMlfD9dSlHI/AAAAAAAAChI/_OS36_Ek9hMk9-rp2H_ziAsnct7TA861wCLcB/s320/Macbeth%2BScript.png" width="278" /></a></div>
<b>5. Acting Out</b><br />
<div>
Suggested Grades: 3 and up</div>
<br />
In his TED Talk titled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh3gMcOUFao">"How NOT to Hate Shakespeare,"</a> educator/actor Rob Crisel asks the audience, "Were his plays meant to be read silently or aloud?” and then answers, “Trick question; his plays weren’t meant to be read at all; they were meant to be heard, and watched, and acted. They were meant to be experienced.” He likens most students' classroom experiences with Shakespeare to "trying to appreciate a musician by studying their lyrics, but never hearing their songs."<br />
<br />
If you think your students may struggle with original versions of Shakespeare, or if you face time constraints, dozens of adapted scripts are readily available online, such as the <a href="http://www.literarywonderland.com/wp-content/Websites/shakespeare/macbeth.pdf" target="_blank">Macbeth adaptation</a> pictured here.<br />
<br />
<b>Classroom Extensions:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Whenever possible, use the full scripts. In the same way that we do <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2012/12/six-ways-to-improve-close-readings.html">Close Reading</a> with other texts, do Close Acting with selected passages. If students struggle, consider using excerpts from films that portray actors speaking the lines in context.</li>
<li>If students plan to act out lines written in iambic pentameter, then definitely check out this lesson on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H2htG2bv20">Living Iambic Pentameter</a>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j6rdnyQgJiY/WMm1NHd_UuI/AAAAAAAACjA/otzHsmNZEGk-S3oa3GdzS47BqojUNq5YACLcB/s1600/Shakespeare%2Bwith%2BChildren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j6rdnyQgJiY/WMm1NHd_UuI/AAAAAAAACjA/otzHsmNZEGk-S3oa3GdzS47BqojUNq5YACLcB/s200/Shakespeare%2Bwith%2BChildren.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>If your students struggle with full texts of Shakespeare's plays, use a resource such as <a href="http://amzn.to/2ntDTD4">Shakespeare with Children: Six Scripts for Young Players</a> that uses original lines from the plays, but in shorter, abridged versions. These can be performed successfully in the classroom as readers' theater if time doesn't allow for students to memorize lines.</li>
<li>Challenge students to use soliloquys or scenes in an original interpretation. This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPyD4jyiObo">Levi's 501 commercial</a>, for example, uses line from Midsummer Night's Dream Act 3 Scene 1 in an innovative way. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>6. Pop Sonnets</b><br />
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<b><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3v43BwGE-w/WMoOEccSXkI/AAAAAAAACjg/LSYSqOQcMjsj1HVEqkJAf_qGaxWM_0Q9ACLcB/s1600/Pop%2BSonnets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3v43BwGE-w/WMoOEccSXkI/AAAAAAAACjg/LSYSqOQcMjsj1HVEqkJAf_qGaxWM_0Q9ACLcB/s320/Pop%2BSonnets.jpg" width="239" /></a></b></div>
<b> </b>Suggested Grades: 6 and up</div>
<br />
In <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2nuzb7Z">Pop Sonnets</a></b>, author Erik Didriksen has rewritten dozens of pop songs as Shakespearean sonnets. Works by artists such as Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Lorde, and the Backstreet Boys have been cleverly reimagined and reworked in sonnets such as these:<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #ffff99; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;">
<b>What thou requir’st, I harbor deep inside — </b><br />
<b>I too possess the things for which thou yearn’st. </b><br />
So if thou want’st these hungers slak’d, my pride<br />
should not be injur’d fast when thou return’st.<br />
I shall not cuckold thee or break thy trust;<br />
my wish is not to leave my lover spurn’d.<br />
But if I will not satiate my lust,<br />
I should be shown the deep regard I’ve earn’d.<br />
<b>’Tis true, thy kisses are like honey sweet, </b><br />
<b>but so’s the gold that doth my coffers fill. </b><br />
I have no need to once again entreat<br />
thee to be shown a shred of thy good will.<br />
<b> — And so, good sir, do not my heart neglect;
</b><br />
<b> when thou com’st home, pray show me some respect.</b>
<br />
~Aretha Franklin, “Respect”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="background-color: #ffff99; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;">
<b>A lonely maiden from a hamlet small;</b><br />
<b>a boy within a woeful city rear’d —</b><br />
they both at midnight left their ports of call<br />
t’ward any destination volunteer’d.<br />
A public-house is where their journeys end,<br />
where patrons’ pipes burn long and minstrels play.<br />
The darken’d hours have made them more than friends,<br />
the other’s smile inviting each to stay.<br />
<b>Look ye on those who wander through the streets</b><br />
<b>beneath the lamplight, searching for a soul —</b><br />
they comb the darken’d night in hope to meet<br />
the sweet companion that shall make them whole.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>— Ensure thy heart won’t let their spirit leave;</b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>’tis most important thou dost e’er believe.</b><br />
~Journey, “Don’t Stop Believin’”</div>
<br />
Can you still sing along with them? Surprisingly, yes! Some of them anyway. Give it a try, And then consider these additional ideas for using <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2nuzb7Z">Pop Sonnets</a></b> in your classroom:<br />
<div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>Classroom Extensions:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>As a warm-up to each class, post one of Erik Didriksen's sonnets on the whiteboard. Challenge students, perhaps working in pairs or groups, to identify the modern song which inspired it.</li>
<li>Challenge students to rewrite their own favorite songs in the form of a sonnet. Use the TED Ed lesson on <a href="http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-shakespeare-loved-iambic-pentameter-david-t-freeman-and-gregory-taylor" style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;" target="_blank">Why Shakespeare Loved Iambic Pentameter</a> and the handout <a href="http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/files/2013/07/can_you_write_like_shakespeare.pdf">Writing Like Shakespeare</a> (iambic pentameter) to get students feeling the rhythm of the sonnets rather than the rhythm of the song they've chosen.</li>
<li>Lay down the gauntlet for your class musicians: Now that you've rewritten the lyrics, can they be put to music that keeps the sonnet lines intact while restoring the spirit of the original song</li>
<li>Check out the ideas for <b>Hip Hop or Shakespeare</b> below. </li>
</ul>
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DK40XgWOqsc/WMl9Hkc3zcI/AAAAAAAACiM/-lRvnKvntzgLL1dHcx43X5EC7cAH8dFpACLcB/s1600/The%2BWord%2BMuseum%2BCover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DK40XgWOqsc/WMl9Hkc3zcI/AAAAAAAACiM/-lRvnKvntzgLL1dHcx43X5EC7cAH8dFpACLcB/s320/The%2BWord%2BMuseum%2BCover.png" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>7. Language Lost</b><br />
<div>
Suggested Grades: 5 and up</div>
<br />
In <a href="http://amzn.to/2mQUxhF">The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten</a>, Jeffrey Kacirk shares hundreds of fascinating archaic words and phrases. In the Introduction, Kacirk explains:<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #ffff99; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;">
The English language, as the largest and most dynamic collection of words and phrases ever assembled, continues to expand, absorbing hundreds of words annually into its official and unofficial rolls, but not without a simultaneous yet imperceptible sacrifice of terms along the way. Fortunately, before they're quiet disappearance, many of these reflections of antiquity, the remnants of History which casually escaped the Shipwreck of time, to use a phrase of Francis Bacon, were recorded in a variety of published and unpublished writings, including dictionaries and glossaries.</div>
<br />
Yes, we all studied history in school, but usually just the "big picture." Often we need to turn to the scholarly work of writers of historical fiction to get the specifics. This sentiment is shared by the author who explains:<br />
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<div style="background-color: #ffff99; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;">
In my schooling, I found that teachers and historians, because of their socially prescribed curricular attention toward larger social concepts, often bypass the smaller and more personal expressions of social custom and conduct, often leaving the novel as the best lens with which to view forgotten elements of everyday life… Specifically, my bias has been in favor of expressions that not only offer insights into the nature of our living language but simultaneously illustrate telltale beliefs and customs.</div>
<br />
Some words, like <b>anywhen </b>(meaning <i>at any time</i>), make perfect sense when compared with a surviving relative like <b>anywhere</b>. We still use the expression "out of <b>earshot</b>," but we've abandoned the equally useful words <b>armshot</b> and <b>eyeshot</b> to describe relative distances.<br />
<br />
Then we find words which make perfect sense when broken into Greek and Latin roots, such as <b>biblioklept</b> (<i>a book thief</i>), <b>ambidexter</b> (<i>one who plays both sides, usually unethically as in a court case</i>), and <b>noctuary</b> (<i>an account of what passes during the night, such as Mark Haddon's <a href="http://amzn.to/2nuca54">The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time</a></i>). Other words, such as <b>gazingstock</b> (<i>an object of public notice, contempt, and abhorrence</i>), seem to simply be compounds which have been forgotten.<br />
<br />
<b>Classroom Extensions:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Using the <a href="http://www.etymonline.com/">Online Etymology Dictionary</a>, students can research commonly understood words to discover their actual origins. Another great resource is the on line <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/">Merriam-Webster Dictionary</a>, which often provides detailed word histories, such as this one for <b>ostracize</b>: </li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: #ffff99; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;">
In ancient Greece, prominent citizens whose power or influence threatened the stability of the state could be exiled by a practice called ostracism. Voters would elect to banish another citizen by writing that citizen's name down on a potsherd (a piece of broken pottery). Those receiving enough votes would then be subject to temporary exile from the state (usually for ten years). The English verb ostracize can mean "to exile by the ancient method of ostracism," but these days it usually refers to the general exclusion of one person from a group at the agreement of its members. Ostracism and ostracize derive from the Greek ostrakizein ("to banish by voting with potsherds"). Its ancestor, the Greek ostrakon ("shell" or "potsherd"), also helped to give English the word oyster.</div>
<ul>
<li>As a daily challenge, list one of the words from <b>The Word Museum</b> on the board, and offer up three definitions. Let students defend their choices before the "big reveal." In many cases, students are likely to have very convincing arguments for their decisions.</li>
<li>Similarly, list three entirely fictional words and one from the book. See if students can guess which word really existed. Before the "big reveal," you can additionally provide a context sentence with a blank left for the real word. The sentence may provide enough context for students to not only choose the correct, genuine word, but also to ferret out its meaning.</li>
<li>Have students research those words that Shakespeare coined or recorded for the first time that <b>didn't</b> catch on. Have students report back with their own hypotheses of why these words were forgotten when other original words weren't.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><b>8. Hip Hop or Shakespeare?</b></span><br />
Suggested Grades: 5 and up<br />
<br />
Award-winning hip hop artist Akala challenges audience members at a TED Talk to decide whether a line he shares is Hip Hop or Shakespeare. More difficult than you'd imagine! The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSbtkLA3GrY">first four minutes shows this challenge</a>, but the remainder of the video is worth a watch.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DSbtkLA3GrY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DSbtkLA3GrY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<b>Classroom Extensions:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6c_ogu-UK5M/WMmOrXIdIuI/AAAAAAAACic/8yI3pblONL8sKZeekh6FTSXeiPTlirGIQCLcB/s1600/Lyrics.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6c_ogu-UK5M/WMmOrXIdIuI/AAAAAAAACic/8yI3pblONL8sKZeekh6FTSXeiPTlirGIQCLcB/s320/Lyrics.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Provide students with a similar list of lines, and see how they fare. <a href="http://lyrics.com/">Lyrics.com</a> is a straight-forward, ad-free site which allows you to easily search lyrics by most popular searches, artist, keyword, and more. Many songs are accompanied by the music video which can play in a small screen to the left. Also cool is that each page includes a bibliographic citation at the bottom!</li>
<li>Even better, challenge your students to stump one another with the Hip Hop or Shakespeare challenge. They can likewise use <a href="http://lyrics.com/">Lyrics.com</a> and <a href="http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/">OpenSourceShakespeare</a> to search up lines. Bonus points to those who can name the song or artist of the non-Shakespearean lines.</li>
</ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WbdBvGxlVos/WMmjd97ic3I/AAAAAAAACis/NwzODIGp4QE5MUB2LV-eHsSRYuTk58clwCLcB/s1600/How%2Bto%2Binsult%2Byour%2Bfriends%252C%2BShakespeare%2Bstyle.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WbdBvGxlVos/WMmjd97ic3I/AAAAAAAACis/NwzODIGp4QE5MUB2LV-eHsSRYuTk58clwCLcB/s400/How%2Bto%2Binsult%2Byour%2Bfriends%252C%2BShakespeare%2Bstyle.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>9. Shakespearean Shamings</b><br />
Suggested Grades: 8 and up</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not sure how I feel about encouraging elementary aged students to insult each other, but for upper middle schoolers and high schoolers this could be lots of fun. I would likely start with the video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Uej8LJ48Q">If Shakespearean Insults Were Used Today</a>, the source material for which <a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/09/watch-shakespearean-insults-used-today">can be found here</a>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Classroom Extensions:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Direct students to complete this TED Ed lesson on <a href="http://ed.ted.com/lessons/insults-by-shakespeare">Insults by Shakespeare</a>. Good intro activity.</li>
<li>As a sponge activity, allow students to use this <a href="http://playingwithplays.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/shakespeare-insult-generator.pdf">Shakespeare Insult Generator</a> (printable pdf) from <a href="http://playingwithplays.com/">Shakespeare for Kids</a>, (where you can also find fifteen minute plays from Shakespeare).</li>
<li>For fun, let students try an interactive insult generator, such as the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/20/europe/shakespeare-insult-o-meter-insult-generator/">Shakespeare Insult-O-Meter</a>. This allows you to specify male or female, and the resulting authentic insult is displayed with the play from which it originates, as well as its literal meaning.</li>
<li>Challenge students to replace all school inappropriate words they've been using with some of these new phrases for at least a week's time. Check in to hear the results.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Other Resources for Creating Your Own Activities and Finding Your Own Way:</b></div>
</div>
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<ul>
<li>Looking for an all-around excellent resource for teaching this Shakespeare stuff? Try <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2nuc65z">How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare</a></b> by Ken Ludwig. Excellent for parents, home schoolers, and teachers who want to raise the bar for what children can learn from the Bard. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.folger.edu/teaching-modules">Teaching modules for high school students</a> from Folgers (several of the plays and the sonnets, plus ideas to use with any play)</li>
<li>Simple <a href="http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/shakespeare-words/">list of words</a> coined by Shakespeare.</li>
<li>Simple <a href="http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/shakespeare-phrases/">list of phrases</a> coined by Shakespeare.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-sayings-shakespeare.html">135 Phrases Coined by William Shakespeare</a>, with meanings and origins.</li>
<li>From TED Ed, <a href="http://ed.ted.com/lessons/shakespearean-dating-tips-anthony-john-peters">Shakespearean Dating Tips</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.macmillanreaders.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Shakespeare-on-Love-Infographic.pdf">Shakespeare on Love</a>, an infographic.</li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Cy4-rfd24">Horrible Histories William Shakespeare Song</a>, containing many of the phrases he coined. Could be just for fun.</li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDWV_b3mgPk">Horrible Histories - Shakespeare Goes to School</a> video is even funnier.</li>
<li>This <a href="http://papertoys.com/globe.ht">Globe Theatre Model</a> can be printed out on paper and assembled.</li>
<li>The <a href="http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/about-us/virtual-tour">Virtual Globe Theatre</a> is an in-the-round tour of the theatre, with embedded videos to better explain each part of the venue.</li>
<li>Still afraid of Shakespeare? Check out the TED Talk video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_33rTUP2Pc">What would Shakespeare Think of Us?</a> in which Dan Poole and Giles Terera discuss <b>Shakes-spism</b>: A highly infectious, extreme and irrational aversion to Shakespeare (William) and his plays, caused by poor teaching, and bad experiences in the theatre.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
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Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-86239869011711306702017-03-15T10:24:00.000-04:002017-03-15T10:24:02.435-04:00How to Create Readers with Sustained Silent Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
One way that motivation and engagement are instilled and maintained is to provide students with opportunities to select for themselves the materials they read and topics they research. One of the easiest ways to build some choice into the students’ school day is to incorporate independent reading time in which they can read whatever they choose. Yet this piece of the curriculum is often dropped after the primary grades. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
~<a href="https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/education/leaders/attachments/tdoe3-summer2015LP-ReadingNext.pdf"><i>Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy</i></a></blockquote>
<br />
<b>Do you want your students to love reading? Allow them to read more.</b><br />
<br />
We over-complicate this. We ask students to read, but then we ply them with onerous reading logs or written responses that transform reading into a detested chore.<br />
<br />
For over twenty years, I taught my students how to read well, but I'm ashamed to admit that I only occasionally inspired a lasting love of reading. Too few students went on to become voracious readers for me to claim success in this regard.<br />
<br />
But that changed last year when I began to include sustained silent reading (SSR) in my classroom. For many years I followed the edict that independent reading was meant for home, and that it should be recorded in a draconian manner in a reading log. But after experiencing the headaches of these logs with my own daughters, I vowed to find a better way.<br />
<br />
In prior years, the irony never escaped me that many times during transitional periods, I was forced to admonish students to put away their self-selected books because we were moving on to the next part of a lesson. In other words, "How dare you read in Reading class?"<br />
<br />
If you’re a fan of the television drama <i>Law and Order</i>, you know that suspects are identified by determining motive and opportunity. We can grow readers by providing these two variables! In my classroom, SSR time is called <b>SQUIRT</b> (Super Quiet Uninterrupted Independent Reading Time). This fifteen minutes, which occurs at the start of each 90 minute block of ELA, is held sacred by providing everyone, including the teacher, the opportunity to read quietly.<br />
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Just a few benefits of SQUIRT observed since its inception:<br />
<ol>
<li>Students see their teacher, and their peers, as models for reading.</li>
<li>Students have immediate access to a wide variety of reading materials. </li>
<li>Reading takes on a social aspect when students read together (even quietly) or when students are allowed to discuss selections or recommend books to classmates. </li>
<li>The reading session acts as a "palate cleanser," allowing students to set aside the drama of the previous class periods and prime their minds for language instruction. </li>
<li>Students wrestle with content taught in the classroom using books of appropriate challenge and personal interest. According to the Educational Leadership report titled <i><a href="http://educationalleader.com/subtopicintro/read/ASCD/ASCD_341_1.pdf">Synthesis of Research/ Reading Comprehension: What Works</a></i>, a prime benefit of independent reading time “is the sheer opportunity to orchestrate the skills and strategies that are important to proficient reading—including comprehension. As in sports and music, practice makes perfect in reading, too.” </li>
<li>Students build a vast store of vocabulary and subject area knowledge. That same <i>Synthesis</i> states: "Reading results in the acquisition of new knowledge, which, in turn, fuels the comprehension process. Research of the late 1970s and early '80s consistently revealed a strong reciprocal relationship between prior knowledge and reading comprehension ability. The more one already knows, the more one comprehends; and the more one comprehends, the more one learns new knowledge to enable comprehension of an even greater and broader array of topics and texts."</li>
<li>The teacher can observe student reading behaviors firsthand. </li>
</ol>
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That last benefit is especially powerful. Many teachers use self-assessments to gather initial impressions of students' reading habits and preferences. Steven L. Layne provides an excellent self-assessment in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1571103856/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1571103856&linkId=daab0630caef49b467a674493cd4848c">Igniting a Passion for Reading</a>, an invaluable resource for those teachers seeking to grow avid readers. But ongoing observation yields equally valuable results.<br />
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On a daily basis I note what genres and topics interest individual students, and I also note who can persist with longer texts over time. I observe how students' book choices are influenced by those of their peers or by the book they’ve just completed. I can confidently recommend “next-reads” for individual students based upon what I've seen them enjoy. For example, the student who just finished the nonfiction baseball book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743233840/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0743233840&linkId=79289ebba7e0f01d100cb7f1a9d4a21a">Why is the Foul Pole Fair?</a> might be interested in reading a DiMaggio biography or some short fiction by Kinsella.<br />
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Realize that Sustained Silent Reading is NOT a reading program. SSR is not intended to take the place of direct instruction or student-centered inquiry approaches to language arts. In an article at <a href="http://www.adlit.org/ask-the-experts/21135/">AdLit.org</a>, Joan Sedita, founding partner of Keys to Literacy, additionally warns that
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“Educators must be careful to not consider SSR as an intervention for struggling readers or as an activity that can take the place of direct, systematic instruction to address weaknesses in reading skills. For example, for students who need to develop fluency skills, research has not yet confirmed whether independent silent reading with minimal guidance or feedback improves reading achievement and fluency … because struggling readers are not likely to make effective use of silent independent reading.”</blockquote>
<b>So how can teachers make the most productive use of SSR in the classroom? </b><br />
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Below I've listed potential problems which teachers often share, along with some suggestion solutions.<br />
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<b>Students will use this time for activities other than reading. </b><br />
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Only if you let them. From the beginning, establish strict guidelines for SSR and enforce those guidelines with vigilance, especially when first initiating the program. Modeling cannot be overemphasized.
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<b>Some students will come to class without anything to read.</b><br />
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Create a “recommended reads” section of your classroom library stocked with popular titles, short stories, magazines, etc. This also serves as an excellent resource for early finishers to find a quick read.<br />
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<b>How will I know that students are “really reading” during quiet reading time?</b><br />
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Institute occasional opportunities for students to share what they’re reading with others. Check out this <a href="http://catlintucker.com/2015/04/fun-assessment-for-silent-sustained-reading/">fun assessment</a> suggested by educator Catlin Tucker. Other check-ins are available, such as those suggested in <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0325049041/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0325049041&linkId=37300aaccd6cd2e8ff4c9261b9c89c02">No More Independent Reading Without Support</a>. </b>The authors explain that “when we set children loose day after day with no focus or support, it can lead to fake reading and disengagement… It’s our job to equip children with the tools they need when we’re not there.”<br />
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<b>My administrator doesn’t see the value in this activity.</b><br />
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Share some of the quotes on this page, as well as research from the links collected on my <a href="http://tinyurl.com/Reading-for-Real">original roundtable hand-out</a>.<br />
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<b>I can't see myself reading with them; it simply isn’t a good use of my time.</b><br />
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Students need to see their teacher enjoying literature. Plus, you need time to read widely in many genres and authors in order to confidently recommend texts to your students.<br />
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<b>We teach according to the standards. Quiet reading doesn’t have a place in our curriculum.</b><br />
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Concepts discussed in class can be extended to discussions about students’ independent reading. If the class is studying similes and metaphors, for example, students can be asked to look for these in their own reading. Students can also be encouraged to bookmark <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2011/02/notable-sentencesfor-imitation-and.html">examples of writing which they feel to be exemplary in any way</a>.<br />
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<b>We like the idea of independent reading, and we feel that time spent reading is necessary. But we need help teaching students to read mindfully.</b><br />
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For this, I would recommend Doug Lemov's <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119104246/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1119104246&linkId=9aef8a29afff92ef6af817069459defb">Reading Reconsidered</a></b></i> and a method he calls Accountable Independent Reading (AIR).<br />
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In a chapter titled <b>Approaches to Reading; Reading More, Reading Better</b>, Lemov writes, "Accountable Independent Reading involves students in reading texts independently... and allows teachers to assess whether effective reading is actually happening. Much of the reading students do in school fails to meet these criteria. And, unfortunately, the students reading the least are often the ones who need to read the most." Multiple experiences with AIR (in its various forms described in the book) help students to read more purposefully when reading on their own. <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2017/01/reading-reconsidered-playbook-for.html">See my complete write-up on this invaluable resource.</a><br />
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<b>We can’t allow choice reading, but we want to use SSR for assigned reading. How can we ensure that students are engaging with the text?</b><br />
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Choice reading is really the point of SSR, but having students read an engaging assigned text is a step in the right direction. Accountability can be ensured through a guiding question, post-its, or a <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2015/09/reading-response-sheet.html">written reflection</a> that allows students to focus on those aspects of the text which appeal to them or challenge them at their independent level. And again, refer to the AIR methods described in Lemov's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119104246/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1119104246&linkId=29bb3f6dbe6d4ce77a4150b277f6adfd">Reading Reconsidered</a>.<br />
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<b>What excuse is keeping you from taking the plunge?</b> I would love to hear your experiences in the comment section below.<br />
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<b>Recommended Reading:</b><br />
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In <b><i><a href="http://amzn.to/2jxkceX">No More Independent Reading Without Support</a></i></b>, authors Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss ask, "What if there was a time when things slowed down? No rotations, activities, or worksheets—just you, your kids, and books. Would you take it?"<br />
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From the publisher: "We know children learn to read by reading. Is independent reading valuable enough to use precious classroom minutes on? Yes, writes Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss, but only if that time is purposeful. DEAR and SSR aren’t enough. Research shows that independent reading must be accompanied by intentional instruction and conferring. Debbie and Barbara clear a path for you to take informed action that makes a big difference,"<br />
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<b>For additional online resources, access the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/Reading-for-Real">original roundtable document</a> presented at the "Hot Topics by Top Teachers" session at the 2016 New Jersey Educational Association Conference.</b><br />
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This post originally appeared as <b><a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2016/11/reading-for-real-benefits-of-silent.html" target="_blank">Reading for Real: The Benefits of Silent Reading in the Classroom</a></b> at my <b><a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">How to Teach a Novel</a></b> blog.</div>
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Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-69528117434911975262016-10-26T10:58:00.001-04:002016-10-27T11:10:01.590-04:00Yet Another Game to Play in Class Tomorrow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you're looking for a game that students will beg to play every week, this is it. I've used it in classrooms and academic enrichment programs at summer camp with fantastic results. Add this to <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-game-your-students-can-play-tomorrow.html" target="_blank">Bug</a> and <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2016/10/another-game-you-can-in-class-tomorrow.html" target="_blank">The Mysterious Box of Mystery</a>, and you have three solid sure-fire games for your ELA toolbox.<br />
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<b>Big Words</b> is an activity which promotes an increase in phonetic awareness, spelling accuracy, and vocabulary development. The game I describe below was inspired by authors Patricia M. Cunningham and Dorothy P. Hall in their book <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0866538070/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0866538070&linkId=7a22a80ce12de321d82abfe6ad86f6c7" target="_blank">Making Big Words</a></b>. The copy I purchased over ten years ago encouraged me to turn their ideas into a class-wide game which has been a huge hit ever since.<br />
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<b>The first objective of the game is to create as many words as possible from a given set of letters.</b> To play, each student is given an envelope containing a strip of letters in alphabetical order, vowels listed first and then consonants. The student cuts these apart so that the individual letters can be easily manipulated on the desktop. Moving the letters about, students attempt to form as many words as possible. Beginners may only be able to form two-, three-, and four-letter words, but with time and practice will be able to use knowledge of word parts and blends to form much longer words.<br />
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<b>The second objective is to spell a single word (the Big Word!) with all the letters. </b>In my class, that Big Word very often relates to an upcoming trip, project, or special event, and thus serves double-duty to build excitement and enthusiasm.<br />
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As Big Words is used on a regular basis, the teacher can discuss strategies for increasing word counts. Some of these strategies include rhyming, changing single letters at the beginning or ending of each word, using blends, homophones, etc. Many additional words can also be generated through the use of <i>-s</i> to create plurals, and <i>-e</i> to create long vowel sounds. Some students will discover that reading their words backwards prompts additional ideas. Additionally, the teacher can discuss word parts which can help students to understand what they read (such as how the suffix <i>-tion</i> usually changes a verb to a noun, as in the word <i>relaxation</i>).<br />
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While the book emphasizes individual practice, we prefer to play Big Words as a class game. I've outlined our procedures below. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x-faksmBKhEcYHhtXXFBJsSANp02cMp-v0Y8T02B66M/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">You can also access these directions as a printable Google Doc.</a><br />
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BIG WORDS Game Play<br />
<ol>
<li>Have students cut apart the letters, and then begin forming as many words as possible using those letters. Remind them to not share ideas with partners, and to not call out words as they work (especially the Big Word). </li>
<li>After about fifteen minutes, have students draw a line under their last word, and then number their list. They cannot add to or change their lists, but new words that they hear from classmates should be added once the game starts.</li>
<li>Divide the class into two teams. Direct students to use their pencil to “star” their four best words which they would like to share. These should be words which the other team might not have discovered.</li>
<li>Determine how the score will be kept (on a chalkboard, interactive whiteboard, etc.). The teacher should also have a way to publicly write words as they're shared so that students can copy them more easily. Here are links to a <a href="http://davidharbinson.com/interactive-powerpoint-scoreboard/" target="_blank">PowerPoint scoreboard</a> or an <a href="https://www.barryfunenglish.com/tools/score-board" target="_blank">online scoreboard</a>.</li>
<li>Hand a stuffed animal or other object to the first student from each team. This tangible item will help the students, and you, to know whose turn it is to share. Tell students that only the player holding the stuffed animal may speak. Other players who talk out of turn will cost their team one penalty point. These penalty points should be awarded to the opposing team, not subtracted from a score. This will greatly reduce unnecessary noise. </li>
<li>Play takes place as follows: The first student shares a word, nice and loud. He or she spells it out. If any player on the <b><u>opposing</u> team</b> has that word, they raise their hand quietly and the teacher checks to see that it is the same word. (It doesn't matter if any student on the speaker's team has the word or not). Every player who has it should check it off, and every player who does not have it should write it into their notebook. </li>
<li>If no player <u>on the opposing team</u> has the word, then the team scores 3 points. If anyone on the opposing team has the word, then only 1 point is scored. </li>
<li>If a player shares a word which has already been given aloud, their team is penalized 2 points! This helps everyone to pay better attention to the game. </li>
<li>Ironically, the Big Word counts for as many points as any other word. Feel free to change that if you prefer, but I discovered that if I make it worth more points, students waste an extraordinary amount of time trying to form the Big Word alone, while ignoring the creation of any smaller words. </li>
<li>Play until a predetermined time, and then if the Big Word hasn't been formed yet, provide students with the first two or three letters to see who can create it.</li>
</ol>
Enjoy the game! I know your students will.<br />
<br />Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-51910058229202654732016-10-22T14:50:00.000-04:002016-10-27T11:06:50.654-04:00Another Game You Can Play in Class Tomorrow!I received some nice emails about <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-game-your-students-can-play-tomorrow.html" target="_blank">the Bug game</a> our class designed, so I wanted to share what we played this past Friday. I call it <b><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QbOhXVZuKlFC99ONmsKWNsVLn0S3oRnFw9PYVzVFvl0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">The Mysterious Box of Mystery</a></b>.<br />
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Worst name ever.<br />
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I know, but my students loved it. Well, the game, not so much the name. Surprising, since they all lost! But they see the potential for winning, so they're psyched about playing it again.<br />
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The game is simple. Find a box, tissue-box size or somewhat larger, in which you can hide an object. Ask students to number a page one through eight, and then prompt them to ask questions about the hidden object that can be answered yes or no. Each time you provide a yes/no answer, students write a new guess, or rewrite the one they've previously recorded if they feel it's correct.<br />
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Simple, right? Perhaps you've probably played something like this before. But to increase the "mystery" of it, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QbOhXVZuKlFC99ONmsKWNsVLn0S3oRnFw9PYVzVFvl0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">I created a rhyming script</a> that I read for each of my three classes, and I never deviated from the script. One student mentioned that it made Mystery Box "really scary," and another students mentioned that it built the suspense.<br />
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Cool. But the script was truthfully designed to achieve the first objective of the game: <b>to build better listening skills.</b> By sticking to the script, the game proceeded without interruption, and students were incredibly attentive throughout.<br />
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When students failed to name the object in each of the classes, I revealed the objects to them: a spork for Period 1, a candle for Period 5, a clothespin for Period 7. Each time when I asked, "Was it possible for you to actually guess this with just eight questions?" students reluctantly admitted yes.<br />
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"Possible, but not probable..." mused one student.<br />
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"Not with the dumb questions we asked," responded another unhappily. "We needed to ask better questions."<br />
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"We did waste a couple of guesses," added another.<br />
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And there it is, the second and more important objective of the game: <b>to learn to ask better questions. </b>For example, one student asked, "Is the thing in this room?" and the answer, of course, was yes. But what she meant was, "Is this thing observable to our eyes anywhere in the classroom right now?" That question would have cut down many possibilities and likely caused all students to change their guessing strategies.<br />
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So while students were disappointed, none complained that the game was unfair or impossible. Instead, many began discussing strategies for the next time the game was played. <b>I did promise students that I would never use an object that was rare, unique, or unknown to them;</b> they did fear, after all, that I would make the objects harder to guess as they became better guessers.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8UK6mJS881Y/WAu0uQKAT8I/AAAAAAAACJg/diuzMYX-byc9xaYAZt5IbEL0ZiRGASAfwCLcB/s1600/Games%2Bfor%2BReading.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8UK6mJS881Y/WAu0uQKAT8I/AAAAAAAACJg/diuzMYX-byc9xaYAZt5IbEL0ZiRGASAfwCLcB/s320/Games%2Bfor%2BReading.png" width="320" /></a>Beginning to finish, the game took ten minutes. The script was especially helpful in keeping me, the facilitator, from veering off course. In the future, when students are allowed to facilitate the game using their own objects, the script will likewise keep the class focused.<br />
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Give it a go, and let me know how it works out for you.<br />
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If you're looking to get more games into your reading and writing classroom, I highly recommend Peggy Kaye's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394721497/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0394721497&linkId=841a08f5bd5dd4e50ba3fa94b9a1fee2" target="_blank">Games for Reading</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374524270/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0374524270&linkId=a0e7187227da8c744184986514ddf4a1" target="_blank">Games for Writing</a>. I've used both books extensively in one-to-one instruction, but many of the games can be played with little planning in the ELA classroom. These games are also a huge help if you're seeking activities that a substitute can implement that will be highly engaging for your students.<br />
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POST EDIT: We decided that students would bring in objects,and use the script to facilitate the game. They're excited for the prospect, and I 'll let you know how it goes!Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-16643881848024517042016-10-15T13:09:00.002-04:002016-10-17T09:09:59.363-04:00A Game Your Students Can Play Tomorrow<b>Games are the most elevated form of investigation. </b> ~ Albert Einstein<br />
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I just finished reading Cathy N. Davidson's wonderful <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DU7DRTQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00DU7DRTQ&linkId=1d1f2d6f2304fadc21be943a5343505f" target="_blank">Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work and Learn</a>. I'll need to reread it, to be honest, because too often my mind began drifting to my own classroom as I read. I began asking myself if I was doing all that I could to engage students, and the answer was a sad and resounding no. My classes are severely lacking in game play.<br />
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According to Davidson, "Games have long been used to train concentration, to improve strategy, to learn human nature, and to understand how to think interactively and situationally." In the classroom, games capture and focus attention, increase motivation, and allow for complete, overt engagement.<br />
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My most often downloaded resource, in fact, is a <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2015/04/teaching-theme-in-literature.html" target="_blank">Theme Game</a> I created on Google Slides. At least one of my readers a day downloads this activity, which means that other teachers are seeing the value of game play in the classroom.<br />
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I readily admitted to my students that I created Bug, and it would have some, well, "bugs" that needed to be worked out. But students were eager to help in this regard, and our finished game is best described through the Google Slides presentation below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="299" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iV4sbd-ZlpWyE7EclppHN-4bboZjXAJJl2GNwxmAw4I/embed?start=true&loop=false&delayms=5000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe>
<b><br /></b>
<b>What We Learned Together</b><br />
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1) We decided that certain modifications were allowed (<b>simple switch</b>, <b>blend mend</b>, <b>one letter better</b>) since they were sophisticated and advanced the game, while others were not allowed (adding a simple s to create a plural, adding both a vowel and a consonant together, reconstructing a word that has already been spelled). Students likewise dismissed the possibility of allowing prefixes and suffixes, deciding that those modifications didn't truly change the words enough.<br />
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2) We learned that four to five minutes was a suitable time for each round of play. Once each round finished, players could challenge their current partner if the match ended in a tie, or winners could challenge other winners and losers could challenge other losers, or, simply, anyone else could challenge any other classmate. Students didn't care whom they played; students simply wanted to play! My period one class of only eight students played using a traditional bracket to decide a final winner, but other classes were content to engage in free range play.<br />
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3) Students did begin to employ strategies. One clever student used "shrug" as her first word each time, instantly earning a power up and leaving her partner with a difficult word to manage. When her second partner countered with "shrub," this student needed to quickly adapt and used her earned power down to create "scrum." Scrum? Yes, this game encourages vocabulary development as well.<br />
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4) By game's end we concluded that, catchy name aside, every new game couldn't begin with "bug." Too many students were trying to play the same words each round, and too many rounds fell into the same predictable list of words. We decided that each new game should start with a different three letter word.<br />
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5) We played our games with large (12 x 18) paper and colored markers, but for a future game we're likely to play with standard sized paper and colored pencils. Students liked the visual separation that two colors provided, but the size format probably won't be needed in the future.<br />
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We would love to hear your recommendations, variations, and success stories! Want more word challenges? Try the <a href="http://www.thebookchook.com/2016/10/10-fun-word-challenges-for-kids.html" target="_blank">Word Challenges posted at The Book Chook</a>!Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-7799760568068652162015-09-27T21:56:00.001-04:002015-12-29T13:47:54.191-05:00Mentor Text Display Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3_lXyl9Sf6o/VgiScrkalSI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/5liz4pc0dAs/s1600/Scan_Pic0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3_lXyl9Sf6o/VgiScrkalSI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/5liz4pc0dAs/s400/Scan_Pic0003.jpg" width="318" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I frequently use mentor texts in the classroom, and students find them incredibly valuable as exemplars for their own writing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But how many times have I asked, "Do you remember when we saw examples of this technique in one of our mentor texts?" only to be met with blank stares. Or worse, a student will say, "I remember in one of our picture books the author did this thing where she said something in a way that was cool and can you help me find that book?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So this year, in an effort to maximize our engagement with mentor texts, I began to create <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vWX42YI1xRUik2axTJRr6OvcnYptpqiwZgpa55NoRoo/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Mentor Text Display Cards</a>. For each exemplar text we study, whether it be a picture book, poem, article, or excerpt from a novel, I've posted a simple letter-size display card listing the book title, author, illustrator, genre, <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2015/04/teaching-theme-in-literature.html" target="_blank">theme</a>, notable text features, and a text excerpt (see example below). On a bookshelf adjacent to this display, I've shelved all of the mentor texts we've already read, as well as those I intend to use in the near future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">With just seven cards posted, already I've seen several benefits:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">During free reading time, students will return to these texts since they're familiar and meaningful.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students struggling to recall text features or literary devices will look to these cards for help.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students now make discoveries of their own in their independent texts, and some have even suggested picture books and excerpts for future sharing. This, in itself, is remarkably revealing, because some students are pointing out features and literary devices that haven't been formally introduced through our other texts.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The collection of cards serves as clear evidence of our classroom goal to create a common culture of literacy, while recognizing unique attributes of each text that we share. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While I created <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vWX42YI1xRUik2axTJRr6OvcnYptpqiwZgpa55NoRoo/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">the first few cards</a>, I see no reason why future cards can't be made by students themselves. The blank prototype card I've provided is easy to duplicate and edit. After reviewing <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vWX42YI1xRUik2axTJRr6OvcnYptpqiwZgpa55NoRoo/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">the cards I've shared</a>, you may also decide that what I've chosen to illustrate on my cards doesn't quite serve your purposes, so I welcome you to customize them as you see fit. <b>If you're a Google Docs user, simply open the link that I've shared, click on File in the top menu, and choose Make a Copy to create your own editable set of cards.</b></span></div>
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<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fYzz28a6roY/VgiXM2yYTCI/AAAAAAAAB8o/boxaZKEAA5o/s400/Animal%2BTeeth%2BDisplay%2BCard.png" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking to the future, I see some other uses for these cards:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Printed out, these cards can be inserted in the books they reference. That way, even if you choose not to use a book in a given year, a student can still benefit from the information the card provides.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Individual cards can be saved as pdf files, and these can be digitally stored for student access. My own teacher website has an index that would work well with this concept.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I chose to post my cards chronologically, since students will remember a book that was read "a long time ago" (two weeks ago!) and find it easier to reference if the cards are posted by occurrence. But I can also see posting cards closer to those shelves that they might reference. So my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375838414/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0375838414&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkId=OYC3DI63ZTNXT4H5%22%3ENew%20York%27s%20Bravest%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0375838414%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank"><i>New York's Bravest</i></a> card might be posted adjacent to the Tall Tale section of my class library, and my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419701665/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1419701665&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkId=4K6EQCHHYNGZBTP4%22%3EGeorge%20Bellows:%20Painter%20with%20a%20Punch!%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1419701665%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank"><i>George Bellows: Painter with a Punch</i></a> card might be located near the biography section.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As students read their own picture books (see the <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2014/02/heroes-of-history.html" target="_blank">biography book reports</a> here, for example), they can create their own display cards to illustrate the "take-aways" of their individual texts.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Via Google slides <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vWX42YI1xRUik2axTJRr6OvcnYptpqiwZgpa55NoRoo/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">I've provided you several cards to get started</a> (all the books on these cards have been featured on this blog), including a blank prototype for editing online, as well as a blank that can be printed out if you prefer students to create a card using paper and pencil. Again, you will need to open the link,<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">click on File in the top menu, and choose Make a Copy to create your own editable set of cards.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Need help teaching <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2015/04/teaching-theme-in-literature.html" target="_blank">theme and theme statements</a>? Check out this <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2015/04/teaching-theme-in-literature.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> at my <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">How to Teach a Novel</a> blog. You can also check out my write-ups or activities for any of the following books or stories featured on the sample cards:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375838414/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0375838414&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkId=OXQUZAC2AGONF4P3" target="_blank">New York's Bravest</a></i> <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/12/free-teachers-resources-from-childrens.html" target="_blank">teacher's guide</a>;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Cheerleading Challenge" <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2015/04/teaching-theme-in-literature.html" target="_blank">source text and activity</a>;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933491361/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1933491361&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkId=2D3YJMDKZ6XADK4G" target="_blank">The Secret Olivia Told Me</a></i> <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/04/secret-olivia-told-me.html" target="_blank">summary and activities</a>;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081182778X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=081182778X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkId=6FL4H5FLOW2CGLWJ" target="_blank">Enemy Pie</a></i> <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/enemy-pie.html" target="_blank">summary and activities</a>;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419701665/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1419701665&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkId=FIWEXHHOWA3IRLDK" target="_blank">George Bellows: Painter with a Punch</a></i> <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/fightin-words-using-picture-books-to.html" target="_blank">argumentative writing lesson</a>;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689853955/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0689853955&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkId=KY6ZTDIGXFMH5PSZ" target="_blank">The Honest to Goodness Truth</a></i> <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/honest-to-goodness-truth.html" target="_blank">summary and activities</a>; and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439918081/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0439918081&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkId=YL6AJFPXFTIAPN5V" target="_blank">How Big is It?</a></i> <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/world-according-to-ben-hillman.html" target="_blank">summary and activities</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'd love to hear your ideas for these cards, as well as ways you plan to customize them for your own classroom.</span></div>
</div>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-4927202126922252512015-04-02T00:03:00.001-04:002017-03-29T21:06:42.206-04:00Heroes of History, Part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4ScC3SagdE/VRytG7HFs-I/AAAAAAAAB4g/NpV2T2iG9Po/s1600/who%2Bsays%2Bwomen%2Bcan't%2Bbe%2Bdoctors.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4ScC3SagdE/VRytG7HFs-I/AAAAAAAAB4g/NpV2T2iG9Po/s400/who%2Bsays%2Bwomen%2Bcan't%2Bbe%2Bdoctors.png" width="318" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2014/02/heroes-of-history.html">an earlier post</a> I shared how students used biography picture books to practice
summarizing, recognizing opposing viewpoints, and citing textual evidence. Using the
<a href="https://app.box.com/s/loj3tmcg1et2hpycep8v">four-step process modeled there</a>, students cut to the chase to tell what was "most needed to know" about their famous man or woman from history. So what's
next?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Below I've shared some of the biography extensions and report options
which students have completed over the years in my classroom. I'm sure you'll find a new one to try out!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Time Machine</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
As students read their biography, they take the usual notes, either on a
prepared outline or free hand. When writing the report, however, the students
pretend that they're able to travel back in time to interview this famous person. The
most important details are then summarized in a question-answer format which
reads in a more interesting way than a standard report. The paragraph students
generated in the four-step summary process (above) serves nicely as the interview's
introduction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
I've provided <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mM6sG8AAttnrx7AYJyOJCfKAooDUopCqnpGXraUN-Ok/edit?usp=sharing">a sample of the interview format</a>, but I highly encourage you to have students brainstorm their own interview questions as well. The brainstorming and sequencing process is an excellent introduction to the research process where students will need to formulate inquiries for themselves. Students will also discover that the unique experiences of any given person will in large part dictate the type of questions which should be asked. When reading <a href="http://amzn.to/1MD97Bw" target="_blank">Who Says Women Can't be Doctors?</a> by Tanya Lee Stone, for example, one of my students was amazed to discover that Elizabeth Blackwell was turned down by twenty-eight different schools in her pursuit of attending medical school. "I think I would have quit trying after the first ten schools said no," the student remarked, and I wondered what Elizabeth Blackwell herself would have said to her in return.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Some years we presented these in a talk show format, with partners playing
the role of interviewer, and other years students chose to dress as the person
they were portraying. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U_dXAygpOLU/VRgc5BZ8hLI/AAAAAAAAB34/VwFWjpjx_8E/s1600/24%2BReady-to-Go%2BGenre%2BBook%2BReports.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U_dXAygpOLU/VRgc5BZ8hLI/AAAAAAAAB34/VwFWjpjx_8E/s1600/24%2BReady-to-Go%2BGenre%2BBook%2BReports.png" width="247" /></span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Journal</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/19Is6sD" target="_blank">24 Ready to Go Genre Book Reports</a> is a wonderful teacher resource full of ideas for responding to books, and one
project from this resource which students have enjoyed is creating a journal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
When I first began teaching, I assigned students a similar journal format,
requiring at least three entries that reflected events from the person's
childhood or teen years, university or training years, and years of notable achievement. Additional entries could be written at students'
discretion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">With the popularity of scrapbooking, students began asking if they could include artifacts in their
journals. Projects soon included replica photos, sketches, tickets, maps, currency, and so on. The journal covers likewise became more creative, with students creating covers that resembled television sets, suitcases, trading cards, shipping crates, cars, space shuttles, hats, jerseys, and wanted posters. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSuhDFdn4og/VRyw7DYbl8I/AAAAAAAAB4s/d7RSYpQHxAw/s1600/benjamin%2Bfranklin%2B10%2Bdays.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DSuhDFdn4og/VRyw7DYbl8I/AAAAAAAAB4s/d7RSYpQHxAw/s1600/benjamin%2Bfranklin%2B10%2Bdays.png" width="241" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
A wonderful set of biography books which rely upon a similar concepts of "snapshots" from a person's life is the 10 Day series by David Colbert, which so far includes books on <a href="http://amzn.to/1BP0Q24" target="_blank">Anne Frank</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/1FjEfzi" target="_blank">Abraham Lincoln</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/1ISB8ze" target="_blank">Thomas Edison</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/1GNNo54" target="_blank">Benjamin Franklin</a>, and <a href="http://amzn.to/1BP1Xim" target="_blank">Martin Luther King, Jr</a>. If all students in your classroom read the same biography or autobiography, they could likewise focus on the ten most pivotal days of that person's life, with students possibly pairing up and writing a first-person account of one of these days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
As mentioned above, the paragraph students
generate in <a href="https://app.box.com/s/z1igslpvmes0ffxs9p0h">the four-step summary process</a> can serve as an
introduction to the diary, as the entries themselves may not provide ample information for some readers to understand the importance of the subject's achievements.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Hz1iX0DiHk/U0DEWJ8uWqI/AAAAAAAABzg/k_LuY6R9ntw/s1600/Mia+Hamm+Cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Hz1iX0DiHk/U0DEWJ8uWqI/AAAAAAAABzg/k_LuY6R9ntw/s1600/Mia+Hamm+Cover.JPG" width="212" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Made in Quotes Cover</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lessons Learned</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
One of my students' favorite parts of the <b>Time Machine</b> assignment (above) is when they, in the guise of their famous person, are asked to give advice to future generations. Putting themselves "into
the shoes" of this famous person and distilling the experiences of a
lifetime into a bit of sage advice is a difficult yet rewarding task.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
In <b>Lessons Learned</b>, students generate eight to ten tips that
their hero might pass on to future generations. The advice can be published as beautiful quotes, using a quote making site such as <a href="http://quozio.com/">Quozio</a>, <a href="http://www.quotescover.com/">Quotes Cover</a>, <a href="http://recitethis.com/">ReciteThis</a>, or <a href="http://quotes.prowritingaid.com/en/Quotes/MakeAQuoteImage">ProQuoter</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Here, the four-step biography summary is used as an introduction
piece that acquaints the reader with the giver of wise counsel. The quotes themselves can be printed, or embedded into a Google Slides or similar sharing platform.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Timeline</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b>
Since most students best understand a biography in strict chronological order, creating a timeline would be a good way for them to explain and illustrate important life events.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
For creating an online timeline, I highly recommend <a href="http://www.hstry.co/">Hstry.co</a>, which <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2015/03/how-to-create-interactive-timelines.html">I discussed at length in a previous post</a>. Check out that post to see how easy it is to get started with Hstry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Telescoping Story</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Telescopic Text allows writers a chance to
share a story just one bit at a time, while revealing small and large thoughts
alike in a measured manner. You can best understand this site by checking out <a href="http://www.telescopictext.org/text/KPx0nlXlKTciC">the site creator's
example</a>. To see how a text is entered and edited, and to see a pretty
impressive Telescopic Text created by a seven year-old, check out the video
below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZFZHn2bOzR8?rel=0" width="480"></iframe><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Students could use this site to create a
slowly expanding narrative of their hero's life. What's great about the site is
that it encourages elaboration, a <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2013/02/six-ways-to-increase-elaboration-in.html">tough
topic to teach students</a> who are often trying to write as little as possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Caveat: Students should register for their own accounts and learn
the difference between saving and publishing (saving allows for future edits;
publishing does not).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Newspaper Clipping</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zu90Q7LxEh8/VRy2-XTudUI/AAAAAAAAB48/yAirf415Kbg/s1600/The%2BNewspaper%2BClipping%2BImage%2BGenerator.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zu90Q7LxEh8/VRy2-XTudUI/AAAAAAAAB48/yAirf415Kbg/s1600/The%2BNewspaper%2BClipping%2BImage%2BGenerator.png" width="322" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A newspaper clipping describing an important event from a person's life is a terrific way to get students to focus upon what really merits attention. The <a href="http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp">Fodey Newspaper Generator</a> provides a very short format clipping (about 1000 total characters), which is just enough to provide facts without the clutter of details. The clipping to the right, for example, was created in response to <a href="http://amzn.to/1MDaUX6" target="_blank">A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis</a>, written by Matt De La Pe<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; line-height: 25px;">ñ</span>a and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. While the picture book chronicles Louis' rise as a fighter, the newspaper clipping captures just a highlight of that life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/newspaper-generator.html">This newspaper generator</a> (which I found at the <a href="http://seekoutlearning.blogspot.ca/">Learning Never Stops</a> blog) allows for more space and also an image, but fills in the rest of the front page with two nonsense articles. Students would need to screen shot and crop out the other articles if they didn't want them to show.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
In addition to a stand-alone activity, the newspaper clipping could also be used as an artifact in the Journal assignment above (some students have also used the <a href="http://www.fodey.com/generators/movie/clapper_board.asp">movie clapboard generator</a> at the Fodey site for their journal project). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He Said, She Said </span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OgvArfk8f-Y/VRy6BJ5pVSI/AAAAAAAAB5I/ds9lEbSpfPE/s1600/mary%2Bwalker%2Bwears%2Bthe%2Bpants.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OgvArfk8f-Y/VRy6BJ5pVSI/AAAAAAAAB5I/ds9lEbSpfPE/s1600/mary%2Bwalker%2Bwears%2Bthe%2Bpants.png" width="256" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
I <a href="http://teachingthatsticks.blogspot.com/2013/03/google-docs-story-builder-creating-back.html">previously discussed</a> <a href="https://docsstorybuilder.appspot.com/"><b>Google Story Builder</b></a> in another blog, and I'm still a fan. It's a very neat way to show differing points of view. Take a second to check out my review. <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Here's <a href="http://docsstorybuilder.appspot.com/V8Bs3mSun">a short Google Docs Story</a> I created after reading <a href="http://amzn.to/1CciL2G" target="_blank">Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor, Reformer, and Civil War Hero</a>, written by Cheryl Harness and illustrated by Carlo Molinari. Note that activist Mary Walker disagrees with what a fabricated nemesis named "Nathan Properbody" has to say. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Students can create both sides of such a fictional dialogue, or two students can take on opposing roles and write from each viewpoint. The process will need some trial and error, and the resulting pieces can't be long, but it's a very different type of writing requiring some critical and creative thinking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Looking for more tech tools to assess student learning? Be sure to check out <a href="http://techtoolsforassessment.pbworks.com/" target="_blank">this collection of over thirty of the best free sites</a> I've found to assess students at all stages of learning process.</span>Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-89026521758405808842015-03-29T12:42:00.002-04:002015-12-27T18:45:40.574-05:00How to Create Interactive Timelines<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JL-YsSwrjhs/VRgpLo1pGPI/AAAAAAAAB4I/ZrnjHJNoJoA/s1600/Hstry%2BLogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JL-YsSwrjhs/VRgpLo1pGPI/AAAAAAAAB4I/ZrnjHJNoJoA/s1600/Hstry%2BLogo.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're looking for an awesome online report option for biographies or nonfiction texts, you'll love <a href="http://www.hstry.co/">Hstry.co</a>. Hstry is a site where students can create cool looking,
interactive timelines with text, images, videos, and embedded quizzes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
These
are really good looking timelines! If you don't believe me, check out this
sample on <a href="http://www.hstry.co/timelines/back-to-the-mud-james-c-ketchell-in-world-war-i-part-i">World War I</a>, or this one about the <a href="http://www.hstry.co/timelines/a-history-of-immigration-in-the-usa">History of Immigration in theUnited States</a>. And your students can create timelines that look just as good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In my case, however, I didn't want a timeline. My sixth
graders had just read nonfiction books of choice, with topics as varied as
fashion, venomous animals, and accidental inventions. I needed a venue that
would permit them to show off their topic's most interesting facts. So in my
case, my students used the site to create linear collages rather than
timelines. The video below (which I created and hosted for free at
<a href="http://screencast-o-matic.com/">Screencast-O-Matic</a>) walks you through one of those projects.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="250" scrolling="no" src="//screencast-o-matic.com/embed?sc=coelnkeKjI&w=533&v=3" width="533"></iframe>
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I spent a good deal of time modeling the process of creating
a Hstry timeline in class (and you'll need to do the same), but some students
were still somewhat fuzzy on all the steps even after I finished. Plus, three
students were absent the day I modeled the how-to. So I created the following
video which walks students through the process. Note: do not make a video when
all you have for audio production is a dollar store microphone. The project
sheet to which the video refers is <a href="http://schochsite.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/90310919/HSTRY%20Nonfiction%20Report.pdf">here</a> if you care to see it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ItAu9Uv1yvc" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One downside to this site is that (at present) students
cannot publicly share their projects. So in my class we did mini field trips.
Students logged in and set up their projects on their screens. I then randomly
distributed our class name cards, and students went and visited the Hstry project
belonging to the classmate whose name appeared on the card. While visiting, my
students provided feedback via a form I created. After two visits, all students
were allowed to return to their projects, read the feedback form, and then make
corrections as needed. Following these revisions, we conducted two more staged
visits, and then students were permitted to visit as they chose or return to
their own laptop to improve their work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sample Applications for the Classroom:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Create a timeline of historical events.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Create a biographical timeline.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Embed multiple videos, each with its own quiz.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do what my students did, and use it as a linear collage for
a nonfiction book.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Create your own timeline (as a teacher) to provide students
with needed historical context they need before a new unit. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Notes and Caveats:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Again, student timelines are not publicly visibly (yet), and
may never be, so plan accordingly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Check-off sheets like the one I created are key to help
students manage the content they're adding.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking for other creative, tech-oriented ways to create
book reports? Check out these <a href="http://ipadders.eu/22-ipad-alternatives-to-the-book-report/">23 iPad Alternatives to the Book Report</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No, I did not really read the book about chickens, but I did
spend summers running a farm at camp, so I know my way around a chicken coop.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-61989794772521036172014-02-16T23:52:00.000-05:002015-12-29T07:17:58.394-05:00Heroes of History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XBG_uVERHpQ/UwGP3W8rj3I/AAAAAAAABvM/CgQej1Z2WlA/s1600/Marcel+Marceau.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XBG_uVERHpQ/UwGP3W8rj3I/AAAAAAAABvM/CgQej1Z2WlA/s400/Marcel+Marceau.png" width="343" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Read below for Marceau's amazing story!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One popular conversation in education centers around "What is worth knowing?" To that conversation I'd like to add the question, "<b>Who</b> is worth knowing?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
When I ask students to name someone famous and the first reply I hear is "Kim Kardashian," I die just a little bit inside. Students don't seem to have an understanding of, or appreciation for, the lives of great men and women who changed the course of history. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But biography picture books can help to remedy that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Wiser Words Were Never Spoken</span></b></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My high school daughter recently took her SAT and was describing the writing prompt she was given. She paraphrased the quote and named the speaker (which I won't reveal here), and then described for me the way in which she had crafted her response. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I finally asked, "And did you include why that quote was so important, considering the person who said it?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Her reply: "Well, I had heard of him, but I didn't really know who he was." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Opportunity lost.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Regardless of what some might have us believe (the PARCC assessment comes to mind), <b>historical context does, in fact, matter when examining any piece of text, and history is the product of those who made it. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students therefore need knowledge of heroes of history. </span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Getting Started</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Before showing students even a single biography, I gave them some practice summarizing current events articles from <a href="http://tweentribune.com/">Tween Tribune</a> using the tried and true 5Ws and 1H. This required a significant shift in students' responses; after all, I had been encouraging them for months to <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2013/02/six-ways-to-increase-elaboration-in.html">elaborate</a>, and now they were being asked to summarize an entire article in a single sentence. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Tween Tribune article <a href="http://tweentribune.com/tween78/its-even-too-cold-polar-bears">"It's Even Too Cold for Polar Bears!"</a>, for example, was summed up as follows:</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(252, 248, 192); color: black; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Due to her specialized diet designed to eliminate a thick layer of insulating fat, Lincoln Park Zoo's resident polar bear Anana had to be moved indoors last Monday during Chicago's record-low temperatures. </span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Note that in addition to the basic facts, the sentence also provides students with a model for writing a cause/effect relationship. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After some independent practice with longer articles (requiring even greater ability to discern important facts), we were ready to move on to trade books. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You may want to follow along on the <b>assignment guidesheet</b> which you're welcome to <a href="https://app.box.com/s/loj3tmcg1et2hpycep8v">download in pdf</a> (<a href="https://app.box.com/s/r51tmke4z3ipuv2z7b0q">or Word</a>) and be sure to grab the <a href="https://app.box.com/s/z1igslpvmes0ffxs9p0h">blank sheet</a> as well (also available as a <a href="https://app.box.com/s/mpihetrngrn533i83ju6">Word doc</a>). You'll notice that the instructional steps below differ somewhat from those given to students for their own work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="400" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://app.box.com/embed_widget/ql3uu70a95bq/s/loj3tmcg1et2hpycep8v?view=list&sort=name&direction=ASC&theme=blue" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
</span><br />
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just the Facts</span></b></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> </b> </span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_pYs6f6OVRo/UTIVNKndNZI/AAAAAAAABjM/osqlFQifiLw/s1600/George+Bellows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_pYs6f6OVRo/UTIVNKndNZI/AAAAAAAABjM/osqlFQifiLw/s400/George+Bellows.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For my mentor text, I selected Robert Burleigh's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419701665/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1419701665&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EGeorge%20Bellows:%20Painter%20with%20a%20Punch!%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1419701665%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">George Bellows: Painter with a Punch!</a><i>,</i> in part because while George Bellows' art might be familiar to students, the man as an artist was not. I also planned to return to this text in a later lesson on <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/fightin-words-using-picture-books-to.html">using opposing viewpoints to construct argumentative writing</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
In their notebooks, students jotted down a list of the 5Ws and 1H (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How) and were asked to listen for those facts as I read the book aloud. I read the majority of the book, stopping to monitor understanding and also to ask if any of our facts had been discovered.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
By story's end we had </span><br />
<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(252, 248, 192); color: black; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Who: George Bellows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What: painted pictures that weren't beautiful</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Where: New York City</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When: early 1900s</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Why: to show emotions and power</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How: showing scenes of everyday city life</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cobbled together after some discussion and experimentation, these facts became a fact-fixing sentence that sounded like this:</span><br />
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(252, 248, 192); color: black; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the early 1900s, George Bellows and other artists in New York City’s Trashcan School began painting pictures that showed the ugly, gritty, common scenes of the city in order to capture the emotion and power of everyday life.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Prove It!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students knew that this was coming. What textual evidence backed up what we just stated? We found several sentences which might work, and finally settled on just a snippet of one quote, which we placed into a sentence that included both the author and book:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">According to author Robert Burleigh in the book <i>George Bellows: Painter with a Punch</i>, Bellows thought scenes of everyday life were beautiful and was “determined to find them.”</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>So What?</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But then I asked, "So what? Why did that matter?" And here's where students begin to see the light. <b>Those people from history who changed the way others think, believe, or act tend to be those worth remembering.</b> In the case of George Bellows, he and other students of Robert Henri went against the traditional belief that the artist's role was to paint what was beautiful. </span><br />
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This led us to construct an opposing viewpoint statement to precede the summary sentence we had already drafted:
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For centuries, most people believed that artists should focus upon what is beautiful and romantic, but one artist named George Bellows thought differently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Legacy</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This, naturally, led to the question of legacy. "What lasting impact did this person's life and work have upon us? Why should they be remembered today?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I had to provide a bit of background here, discussing with students that at this time in history, many schools of art were wrestling with the role of the artist and the artist's responsibility to represent "real life." Eventually we came up with this closing sentence:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Artists of the Ashcan School helped others to explore "bold new worlds" while at the same time recording, in full color, what New York City looked like one hundred years ago. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pieced together, the finished summary read as follows:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For centuries, most people believed that artists should focus upon what
is beautiful and romantic, but one artist named George Bellows thought
differently. In the early 1900s, George Bellows and other artists in New York City’s
Trashcan School began painting pictures that showed the ugly, gritty,
common scenes of the city in order to capture the emotion and power of
everyday life. According to author Robert Burleigh in the book <i>George Bellows: Painter with a Punch</i>, Bellows thought scenes of everyday life were beautiful and was “determined to find them.” Artists of the Ashcan School helped others to explore "bold new worlds" while at the same time recording, in full color, what New York City looked like one hundred years ago. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An impressive summary once completed. But, could students could do it on their own?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Training Wheels</span></b><br />
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Armed with this model, students jotted down the sentence order in their notebooks as a quick reference:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I. Opposing Viewpoint </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">II. 5Ws and 1H</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">III. Textual Evidence</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">IV. Legacy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Each student was then assigned a picture book biography from numerous examples chosen by the teacher. Some teachers might be surprised that students aren't allowed at this point to choose their own books, but I feel it's important that students approach the exercise with no preconceived notions about the person they're studying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students read the books for homework and completed the four step process outlined on the guidesheet. The following day they shared their first attempt with a classmate and made revisions based on that peer's feedback. I then had students switch books with any <i>other</i> student in the class apart from the one who had heard their summary. This guaranteed that by day three, two students would have read each book and could get together to compare paragraphs. This sharing led to much more productive revisions, as both students had intimate knowledge of the text and could offer more specific feedback on not only form, but also content.</span><br />
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I was surprised by students' success with the process. While some, as expected, followed the Bellows model precisely, simply swapping out details as needed, others departed from the model. A couple of students tried switching sentence orders when writing summaries of their second books, while others tried different grammatical structures while maintaining the sentence order we had established.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XBG_uVERHpQ/UwGP3W8rj3I/AAAAAAAABvQ/Lw-nyCCug-U/s1600/Marcel+Marceau.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XBG_uVERHpQ/UwGP3W8rj3I/AAAAAAAABvQ/Lw-nyCCug-U/s320/Marcel+Marceau.png" width="273" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One student, not thrilled when handed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761339620/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0761339620&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EMarcel%20Marceau:%20Master%20of%20Mime%20(Kar-Ben%20Biographies)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0761339620%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Marcel Marceau: Master of Mime</a>, was amazed to learn that this entertainer played a major role in the French Resistance, and led many Jewish children to safety. His paragraph, which he knew fell far short of paying homage to this unsung hero, reads:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Many people might think that miming is a fairly recent type of drama, but it is actually an ancient form of art that, because of sound movies, might have been forgotten; however, a talented young Frenchman named Marcel Marceau revived its popularity. After serving bravely in the Resistance against the Nazis during World War II, Marceau followed his dream of becoming an actor capable of moving the audience to laughter or tears, all without saying a word. According to author Gloria Spielman in <i>Marcel Marceau: Master of Mime</i>, "By the time he died in 2007, Marcel had revived the ancient and almost forgotten art of silence." Because of Marceau's work, many performers who followed in his footsteps realize that it isn't what you say, but how your facial expressions and body gestures convey it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Most surprising to many students was how much they enjoyed reading about people they had never even heard of (many students had already made plans for the next book they wanted to read). The skepticism I witnessed on the first day when distributing books was replaced with enthusiasm by day two of the assignment. And since then, students have been asking to do the assignment again, and many have naturally been begging to read biographies of their own choosing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>So What's Next?</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While this lesson can certainly stand alone as an exercise in summarizing, I can see these simple summary paragraphs serving as introductions to other types of responses to biography, current events, and history.</span><br />
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In my next post I'll share some possible extension activities, as well as some of the more popular titles which students enjoyed.</span>Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-35585758501099620962013-04-30T06:51:00.004-04:002015-12-27T18:50:22.183-05:00We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ts4q8_oYMU/UX88IcAUHAI/AAAAAAAABtE/QbxcHujh_ik/s1600/Weve+Got+a+Job.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Ts4q8_oYMU/UX88IcAUHAI/AAAAAAAABtE/QbxcHujh_ik/s400/Weve+Got+a+Job.png" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"I want to go to jail," (third grader) Audrey told her mother. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Since Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks thought that was a good idea, they helped her get ready.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cynthia Levinson's stunning and moving <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561456276/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561456276&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EWe%27ve%20Got%20a%20Job:%20The%201963%20Birmingham%20Children%27s%20March%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561456276%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>We've Got a Job</b></a> chronicles the days leading up to the 1963 Birmingham Children's March. Read on to discover more about this historic event (and how you can win a copy of this book for your very own classroom).</span><br />
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In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561456276/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561456276&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EWe%27ve%20Got%20a%20Job:%20The%201963%20Birmingham%20Children%27s%20March%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561456276%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>We've Got a Job</b></a>, readers learn how young protestors, some just grammar school students, took to the streets in May of 1963 with the intention of filling the jails so that the segregationist policies of the South's most notoriously divided and violent city could no longer be carried out. For years Birmingham had seen vicious attacks on blacks, including countless fires and bombings, so many that the city was bitterly nicknamed "Bombingham" by its black residents. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Too often, however, those of us who view history as an ordered series
of dates in a textbook see the events of Birmingham as a given, as a
struggle which was destined to take place. Little do most of us know
how close the Birmingham protests came to utterly failing.</span><br />
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While many adults participated in sit-ins, marches, and public prayer meetings, it soon became apparent that retributions by whites, mostly through job loss, threatened to snuff the small flames of freedom before they ever caught. But encouraged by Martin Luther King, Fred Shuttlesworth, James Bevel, and others, children accepted the challenge and risked their own freedom and safety to do what had to be done. Facing the threats of dogs, high pressure fire
hoses, and crowd brutality, children took a stand for those
freedoms for which they can no longer wait.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_DPf89IkZAs/UX88IV4Y2bI/AAAAAAAABtA/auBQneafJmc/s1600/protestors.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_DPf89IkZAs/UX88IV4Y2bI/AAAAAAAABtA/auBQneafJmc/s400/protestors.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Told through the eyes and voices of those who participated, this book brings a sense of intimacy and urgency which is often lacking in textbook accounts. Cynthia Levinson mixes personal narratives, historical background, contemporary anecdotes, and headlines of the time to create a well-rounded, highly readable account of extraordinary heroism by ordinary folk. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Chain of Hate</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Martin Luther King wrote:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"To retaliate with hate and bitterness would do nothing but intensify hate in the world... Someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can be done only by projecting the ethics of love to the center of our lives." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And perhaps this defined the greatest challenge for the marchers: meeting hatred with love, violence with nonviolence, ignorance with understanding, intolerance with patience. What Levinson helps the reader to see is that the two sides weren't clearly cut; many whites sympathized with and supported the black cause, and many blacks disagreed with the nonviolent measures of the leaders of the protest movement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One excerpt from Chapter Eight: May 2. D-Day describes the excitement of the children as they're carted off to jail in buses after they've filled all the police paddy wagons:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The kids were exhilarated; the policemen were exhausted. An officer asked a marcher, "When is this going to end?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She responded, "Do we have our freedom yet?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"I wish you could have your freedom just to stop this," he admitted. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Later, at mass meeting in Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, King reassured hundreds of worried parents by saying:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Your daughters and sons are in jail... Don't worry about them. They are suffering for what they believe, and they are suffering to make this nation a better nation." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The book concludes with an Author's Note, a map of the city, and a timeline of the events described in the book. These documents, as well as the book's final chapter, will help teachers answer the many questions that students might have about the Birmingham Children's March, and its outcomes on history.<b><br /></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions and Recommended Resources:</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One key to strong informational writing is the ability to blend exposition and narrative in a way that provides readers with information, while at the same time encouraging the reader to read on. Cynthia Levinson makes this happen through wonderful transitional phrases, the inclusion of headings, and a well-researched collection of quotes from the very people who lived the events. Many excerpts from this text could provide wonderful models for students to use in their own writing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A study of Martin Luther King, Jr. would benefit greatly from this book, as it helps readers to see him as a very embattled, very conflicted, and very human figure. In the rear view mirror of history, we tend to see only the accomplishments and greatness of our heroes, and rarely their struggles. Students will be interested to learn that King faced disappointment, criticism, and failure; much of his greatness was his refusal to be defined or consumed by those same failings.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Peachtree Publishers has created a wonderful <b><a href="http://www.wevegotajob.com/major-players.html">companion site</a></b> featuring a synopsis, resources, and additional information about the players mentioned in the book. Also, be sure to check out the <a href="http://peachtreepub.blogspot.com/2013/04/weve-got-job-1963-birmingham-childrens.html"><b>Official Blog Tour</b></a> for this book. Every blogger has their own take, and lots more resources as well. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Greensboro Sit-Ins are mentioned as an inspiration for the nonviolent restaurant sit-ins which took place in Birmingham. I've collected some wonderful picture book recommendations as well as several resource sites in a post titled <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/sit-down-and-be-counted-exploring-civil.html"><b>Sit Down and Be Counted: Exploring the Civil Rights Movement with Picture Books</b></a>.</span></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-TluJy1mtQ/UX88m38Oc5I/AAAAAAAABtQ/ogL1Meik6Ws/s1600/A+Dream+of+Freedom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="289" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-TluJy1mtQ/UX88m38Oc5I/AAAAAAAABtQ/ogL1Meik6Ws/s320/A+Dream+of+Freedom.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;">If
you're looking for a teacher reference, or a book appropriate for
readers in grades 6 and up, I can recommend none more highly than <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Freedom-Civil-Rights-Movement/dp/0439576784?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">A Dream of Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0439576784" height="1" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />.</b>
Well organized by year and event, with plenty of period photographs,
this is the book that will help you answer all of your students
questions (and your own!) about this tumultuous and important time in
our nation's history Author Diane McWhorter provides fact in a beautiful
tapestry that reads like a story, full of real-life human beings whose
individual stories form the larger transformation that we call The Civil
Rights Movement.</span></span></span></div>
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</ul>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-58306624793630588252013-04-11T22:27:00.000-04:002015-12-27T18:52:40.398-05:00Betsy's Day at the Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfHMUX1Pbzw/UWdo1H6qOpI/AAAAAAAABsk/lsUkHQ3iQFg/s1600/Betsys+Day+at+the+Game.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfHMUX1Pbzw/UWdo1H6qOpI/AAAAAAAABsk/lsUkHQ3iQFg/s400/Betsys+Day+at+the+Game.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Peanuts, Cracker Jack, cotton candy, and hot dogs! Those are my fondest memories of the ball park, and they certainly top my daughters' lists as well. But one equally hallowed tradition of baseball had been fading from the American scene, so I'm glad to see a picture book that's bringing it back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1938063015/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1938063015&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EBetsy%27s%20Day%20at%20the%20Game%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1938063015%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Betsy's Day at the Game</b></a>, written by Greg Bancroft and illustrated by Katherine Blackmore, describes a young girl's visit to the ballpark with her grandfather. The book captures all there is to love about baseball, and that's because author <a href="http://scarlettapress.blogspot.com/2012/08/author-interview-greg-bancroft.html">Greg Bancroft</a> seems to be a baseball fan first and foremost. His descriptions and Katherine Blackmore's images capture the sights, sounds, smells, and (my favorite part) tastes of the ballpark. Via their narrative, we spend a day vicariously at the park. Simple enough, right?</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8_GPwg8hWhU/UWdlHpRaFSI/AAAAAAAABsM/jdQ8SjIdFaI/s1600/In+the+Stands.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8_GPwg8hWhU/UWdlHpRaFSI/AAAAAAAABsM/jdQ8SjIdFaI/s400/In+the+Stands.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As the story progresses and the game begins, however, we realize that much more is taking place. Betsy and Grandpa are teaching us, step by step and in plain English, how to keep score. For the those who are as clueless as me, keeping score in baseball goes way beyond tallying runs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Codes and symbols are entered onto a scorecard, effectively chronicling every offensive and defensive play of the game. From what friends have told me, baseball fans can read a score book and see the entire game played out in their heads in the same way that musicians can read musical notation and actually "hear the song."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So while I started out as a true scoring novice, by book's end I had a pretty good idea of the whole process. And trust me, if I can figure it out, anyone can! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1938063015/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1938063015&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EBetsy%27s%20Day%20at%20the%20Game%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1938063015%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Betsy's Day at the Game</b></a> would definitely score a home run with any young baseball fan. Using the handy scorecards supplied in the back of the book, fans could easily follow along with and score their favorite team at the park or on TV.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some Recommended Baseball Resources:</span></b><br />
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<ul><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J8gzO0bYupg/UWdlHCCW8DI/AAAAAAAABsE/QquLy7v17QI/s1600/Let+Them+Play.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J8gzO0bYupg/UWdlHCCW8DI/AAAAAAAABsE/QquLy7v17QI/s320/Let+Them+Play.png" width="240" /></span></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Aspiring writers will want to check out Greg Bancroft's <span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://scarlettapress.blogspot.com/2013/04/10-things-i-didnt-know-until-i.html">10 Things I Didn't Know Until I Published My First Book</a>. If you're planning on breaking into the book biz, you should read this article! </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: normal;">See more of <a href="http://www.katherineblackmore.com/">Katherine Blackmore's illustr</a><a href="http://www.katherineblackmore.com/">at</a><a href="http://www.katherineblackmore.com/">ions at her si</a><a href="http://www.katherineblackmore.com/">te</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: normal;">Check out a <a href="http://www.baseballscorecard.com/downloads/tutorial.pdf">tutorial on scoring</a> if you want more examples, plus the formulas to figure out all the stats you would ever need. The actual scorecard isn't as nice as the one in the back of <b>Betsy's Day at the Game</b>, however.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/kids-baseball/">The Baseball for Kids site</a> features lots of extras for young fans of baseball.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Taking your child to the park for the first time? Definitely make a Plan B! As parents, we know how attention spans can wane as kids become hot, tired, cranky, over-sugared, and restless. TeachMama has a fabulous set of suggestions for surviving your outing using <a href="http://teachmama.com/fun-kid-friendly-learning-at-baseball-games/">Kid-Friendly Learning During Baseball Games</a>.</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: normal;">Check out some earlier posts on the Teach with Picture Books site including <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/04/going-extra-innings-with-baseball.html">Going Extra Innings with Baseball Picture Books</a> (books and lots of sites for kids about baseball), <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/04/league-of-their-own-women-in-baseball.html">A L</a><a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/04/league-of-their-own-women-in-baseball.html">eague of Their Own: Women in Bas</a><a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/04/league-of-their-own-women-in-baseball.html">eball</a>, and <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2010/03/girls-got-game.html">Girls Got Game</a> (incredible female athletes). <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1585362603/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1585362603&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ELet%20Them%20Play%20(True%20Story)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1585362603%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Let </b></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1585362603/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1585362603&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ELet%20Them%20Play%20(True%20Story)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1585362603%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Them Play</b></a>, discussed in an <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/recommended-picture-books-for-black.html">earlier post on Bl</a><a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/recommended-picture-books-for-black.html">ac</a><a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/recommended-picture-books-for-black.html">k History</a>, is another baseball story from history that kids find incredibly intriguing.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QW8G0qlH8Cc/UWduenIFSkI/AAAAAAAABs0/OfSIQRJoOYI/s1600/Jackie+Robinson++American+Hero.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QW8G0qlH8Cc/UWduenIFSkI/AAAAAAAABs0/OfSIQRJoOYI/s320/Jackie+Robinson++American+Hero.png" width="214" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">With <a href="http://hollywoodandfine.com/reviews/42-stealing-home/"><b>42</b></a>, the Jackie Robinson movie, releasing in <b>theaters</b> this weekend, younger readers might be interested in learning more about this courageous hero of baseball history. For readers in grades 2-5, I highly recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545540062/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0545540062&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EJACKIE%20ROBINSON:%20AMERICAN%20HERO%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0545540062%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Jackie Robinson: American Hero</b></a>, written by the star's own daughter, Sharon Robinson. This <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/transitional-books-best-of-both-worlds.html">transitional book</a> features not only the perfect blend of images and text, but also the perfect blend of backstory and biography. Sharon Robinson provides young readers with just enough historical context to understand and appreciate what made Jackie </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Robinson's accomplishments </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">incredible not only for his time, but for all of time, and not only in sports history, but in our nation's history. If you're a teacher hoping to engage your reluctant readers with chapter books, this one is a winner!</span></span></li>
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Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-42691821343213252402013-04-06T20:20:00.001-04:002015-12-27T18:58:26.651-05:00Purposes for Poetry: Ten Ways to Use Poetry in Your Instruction<div style="color: black;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ0rJiLuN8E/UWCIuId-EfI/AAAAAAAABrk/Qha-WbAhxSM/s1600/Book+of+Animal+Poetry.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ0rJiLuN8E/UWCIuId-EfI/AAAAAAAABrk/Qha-WbAhxSM/s320/Book+of+Animal+Poetry.png" width="258" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Often when I mention poetry during a workshop, at least one teacher laments, <b>"I would love to do more poetry with students, but there's so much else to teach in my curriculum!"</b> What I try to encourage (and I'm often helped <i>big time</i> by the workshop participants) is for this teacher to consider using poetry <i>within</i> her curriculum, as an integral part of her language, reading, and writing lessons, rather than as an add-on. In other words, I ask her to find a purpose for poetry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, before you poetry purists flame me and cry out, "Poetry is in itself worth reading!" let me explain that I agree with you. I fondly recall organizing poetry picnics in third grade, where we would spread sheets and blankets on the field adjacent to the school playground and share favorite poems as we munched on morning snacks. So yes, I believe in poetry for its own sake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But at the same time, I'm a realist. Many of us find it increasingly difficult to allocate the time to read poetry for its own sake; we would, in fact, like to discuss it beyond the month of April without needing an excuse or (<i>shudder</i>) a learning objective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So increasingly it seems that while teachers can name lots of good <a href="http://timbuktu.me/blog/why-do-children-love-poems/#more-3759">reasons for using poetry with children at an early age</a>, they still wonder how they can continue to integrate poetry in later grade levels. I offer a few suggestions below. And even if you can't get through my ten reasons, do take the time to explore the recommended sites and resources appearing at the close of this post.<b> I could in no way do justice to all the fantastic poetry books that are available, so I encourage you to share your favorite title in the comments section below.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Activate Prior Knowledge</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students are most receptive to new learning when they can connect it to what they already know. Poetry provides a quick and fun way to do this.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Texts:</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gCT1Mnr0l_Q/UWBzyAe4LCI/AAAAAAAABpU/tTbPy4H_FnI/s1600/The+Year+Comes+Round.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gCT1Mnr0l_Q/UWBzyAe4LCI/AAAAAAAABpU/tTbPy4H_FnI/s320/The+Year+Comes+Round.png" width="256" /></span></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807581291/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0807581291&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Year%20Comes%20Round:%20Haiku%20through%20the%20Seasons%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0807581291%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>The Year Comes Round: Haiku Through the Seasons</b></a> by Sid Farrar and illustrated by Ilse Plume presents students with vignettes of each season in the signature haiku 5-7-5 syllable, three line form, focusing upon nature with a surprising perspective. Each month is represented by its own poem, and students can write their own after determining what makes a poem a haiku. Students can also unearth the literary devices employed by Farrar such as personification, metaphor, alliteration, and simile. A sample from the book:</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lawns call a truce with</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">mowers and slip beneath their</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">white blankets to sleep. </span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547240031/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0547240031&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EGUYKU:%20A%20Year%20of%20Haiku%20for%20Boys%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0547240031%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys</b></a> by Bob Raczka
and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds stays true </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fY299ppzQlo/UWBzxZ6VH9I/AAAAAAAABo4/nyiDTdB5R1g/s1600/Guyku+A+Year+of+Haiku+for+Boys.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fY299ppzQlo/UWBzxZ6VH9I/AAAAAAAABo4/nyiDTdB5R1g/s320/Guyku+A+Year+of+Haiku+for+Boys.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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to the form and function of haiku, with each poem offering a funny twist in the final line. Apart from pure enjoyment, this book shows students (especially some of your hard to motivate boys) that poetry can be simple and straight forward and even fun. in "why I wrote Guyku," Raczka says, "When I was a boy, I didn't even know what a haiku was. But I did spend a lot of time outside with my friends. Nature was our playground, and we made the most of it - catching bugs, climbing trees, skipping stones, throwing snowballs. Now...I realize that haiku is a wonderful form of poetry for guys like us. Why? Because a haiku is an observation of nature, and nature is a place where guys love to be." A sample from the book:</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If this puddle could</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">talk, I think it would tell me</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to splash my sister. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Establish Theme</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Teaching with a theme and its accompanying guiding questions isn't new to most of us, and the majority of teachers maintain a ready repertoire of methods to establish themes for classroom novels or other literature units (see some ideas and a huge list of <b>Universal Themes</b> in my <b><a href="http://teachingreadingandla.pbworks.com/w/page/30693152/How%20to%20Teach%20a%20Novel%3A%20The%20Blog">How to Teach a Novel Handout</a></b>). The perfect poem, however, can lead to a wonderful writing reflection or discussion that allows students to construct the theme and essential questions for themselves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Recommended Sites and Texts for </b><b>Theme</b>:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/home.do">The Children's Poetry Archive</a></b> groups poems by themes, and my class always enjoys reflecting upon <a href="http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/search.do?method=theme&searchTerm=death">poems about death</a> since, after all, every novel we read seems to be about death! Many poems on this site are read aloud by their authors, and my students especially love hearing <b><a href="http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=1527">The Carrion Crow</a></b> read aloud.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A common theme in upper elementary and middle school novels is Change. Encourage an in-depth study of Change using Paul Janeczko's examination of <b><a href="http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E02710/Nothing%20Gold%20Can%20Stay.pdf?hsCtaTracking=022f2129-b35e-482d-95be-10000b735b6f%7C19ca35e7-db3f-4a10-bb24-12c1da0439b0&utm_campaign=2013_s_pb_janeczko&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9IJBa1sj7jeZ1Wkc4rE79aZYuANaUq-h9JT5ZJods0H43rd2nu4SweSsrR-jbcSGQ18mIFNESdXv5ycPaH4pk36-s0NwdmnEKWtQg4mKYd-i_M2uk&utm_content=7704693&utm_source=hubspot_email_marketing&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=7704693">Nothing Gold Can Stay</a></b> in his new Heinemann title <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0325027102/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0325027102&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EReading%20Poetry%20in%20the%20Middle%20Grades:%2020%20Poems%20and%20Activities%20That%20Meet%20the%20Common%20Core%20Standards%20and%20Cultivate%20a%20Passion%20for%20Poetry%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0325027102%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades</b></a>. This highly recommended book features 20 thought-provoking poems from contemporary writers, with extensive lesson plans which help students to better understand each poem, and to apply it to other texts and their own experiences.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students can compose and publish their own poems using the <b><a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/theme_poems/">Theme Poems interactive</a></b> from ReadWriteThink. </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Explore Language</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're anything like me, you struggle to teach students grammar in way that is motivational or memorable. How many of us can recall learning our parts of speech and verb forms in deadly dull exercise books? While drill and example books might have a place in instruction, I'd recommend some verse to liven up the process of language learning.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Texts and Sites: </span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're seeking to help students learn parts of speech, </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_csdnsU3vE/UWB1PKVn-kI/AAAAAAAABpc/N_-VoEro1_I/s1600/Around+the+House+the+Fox+Chased+the+Mouse.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E_csdnsU3vE/UWB1PKVn-kI/AAAAAAAABpc/N_-VoEro1_I/s200/Around+the+House+the+Fox+Chased+the+Mouse.png" width="161" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
check out the <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/make-language-adventure-learning.html"><b>Language Adventures</b></a> from Gibbs Smith. These highly engaging and hilarious books focus on
discrete parts of speech through the incorporation of rhyme and humor,
and later editions contain learning activities, definitions, and
reproducibles related to the
book's topics. Answer keys and additional activities can be accessed at author <b><b><a href="http://www.rickwalton.com/">Rick Walton's website</a></b>. </b>There Rick offers some wonderful language learning activities (your
lesson plan for next week might just be waiting for you there), as well as an
amazing assortment of ideas for using his picture books (over fifty in
print!). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At <b><a href="http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/">The Poem Farm</a></b>, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater shares wonderful original poems and teaching ideas. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AKX_YfrqqYY/UWBzyE1UkcI/AAAAAAAABpQ/pLYnCiyFosw/s1600/The+Forest+Has+a+Song.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AKX_YfrqqYY/UWBzyE1UkcI/AAAAAAAABpQ/pLYnCiyFosw/s320/The+Forest+Has+a+Song.png" width="243" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
One of my favorites is <b><a href="http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2013/03/getting-dressed-personification.html">Getting Dressed</a></b>, a wonderful poem featuring personification. In addition to the many poems she shares on the site, you can have her work for your very own in her newly published collection of poems titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618843493/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618843493&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EForest%20Has%20a%20Song:%20Poems%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0618843493%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Forest Has a Song</b></a>. In addition to the resources at Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's site, you can also download a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt <b><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/128649625/Poetry-Kit-2013">Poetry Activity Kit</a></b>, featuring ideas for "Forest Has a Song" as well as several other poems from HMH titles.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554537150/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1554537150&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAlphaBest:%20The%20Zany,%20Zanier,%20Zaniest%20Book%20about%20Comparatives%20and%20Superlatives%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1554537150%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Alphabest: The Zany, Zanier, Zaniest Book</b> <b>about Comparatives and Superlatives</b></a> probably isn't a poetry book, since each page contains just three words (such as Fuzzy, Fuzzier, Fuzziest) but it reads like poetry, and helps kids understand how adjectives can be changed to compare two or more things. Author <a href="http://www.helainebecker.com/justforteachers.html">Helaine Becker</a> sets the scene in a busy amusement park, and illustrator Dave Whamond delivers the goods with his spirited and wacky illustrations. Students can likewise choose a single adjective, and create images to illustrate its comparative and superlative forms. </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E4pR2iqGoRE/UWBzxSA6YQI/AAAAAAAABpE/H9w7GXCxBBg/s1600/Alphabest+The+Zany%252C+Zanier%252C+Zaniest+Book.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E4pR2iqGoRE/UWBzxSA6YQI/AAAAAAAABpE/H9w7GXCxBBg/s400/Alphabest+The+Zany%252C+Zanier%252C+Zaniest+Book.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">From <i>Alphabest: The Zany, Zanier, Zaniest Book</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking for poems with onomatopoeia? Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554537061/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1554537061&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ENoisy%20Poems%20for%20a%20Busy%20Day%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1554537061%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Noisy Poems for a Busy Day</b></a> by Robert Heidbreder and Lori Joy Smith. Short and fun, and easily replicated by students. Collect all your students' poems and create your own Busy Day anthology!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, check out this <b><a href="http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/figure/">Figurative Language lesson</a></b> on personification and alliteration from TeachersFirst.
</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Focus on Facts</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Creating poetry is a wonderful way for students to share information they learned through class or independent study. What's fantastic about poetry is that it can bring life to otherwise dry and lifeless facts!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
I can recall assigning fourth grade students to create poems for mathematical operations, and as a class creating couplets describing the most important names, places, events, and dates for the American Revolution. Students are incredibly receptive to these challenges! So after checking out some of the examples below, be sure to devise your own lessons to have students write informational poems in class as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Recommended Texts:</b> </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811879054/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0811879054&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EGolden%20Domes%20and%20Silver%20Lanterns:%20A%20Muslim%20Book%20of%20Colors%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0811879054%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors</b></a>, Hena Khan introduces young readers to the world of Islam by describing its colors and traditions in simple rhymes.
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QyBtoLSLwes/UWB26yW2UQI/AAAAAAAABqM/GZJO2RVLj88/s1600/Golden+Domes+and+Silver+Lanterns.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QyBtoLSLwes/UWB26yW2UQI/AAAAAAAABqM/GZJO2RVLj88/s320/Golden+Domes+and+Silver+Lanterns.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
Each poem serves as a definition, and the terms introduced are explained in greater detail in the book's end. Mehrdokht Amini's gorgeous bright and intricate illustrations make this book itself a treasure, perfect for reading with groups or sharing on a parent's lap. A sample from the book:
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Gold is the dome of the mosque,</b>
<b> </b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">big and grand.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Beside it two towering</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>minarets stand.</b> </span></div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="color: black;">
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607181371/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1607181371&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAnimalogy:%20Animal%20Analogies%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1607181371%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Animology: Animal Analogies</b></a>, written by Marianne Berkes and illustrated by Cathy Morrison, introduces students to word relationships (also known as analogies) through the simplest of rhymes. Bold, full spread pictures show realistic depictions of the animals in their natural settings. Like all Sylvan Dell books, this one includes the "For Creative Minds" follow-up activities in the back of book, which can also be accessed <a href="http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=Animalogy">at the publisher's site</a>, along with an e-book preview, a video trailer, a 48 page <a href="http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/documents/TeachingActivities/Animalogy_TA.pdf">teaching guide</a>, and other resources.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VDyMo9j7Adw/UWB27DiFl8I/AAAAAAAABqE/W-mi9-PVSJg/s1600/Hey+Diddle+Diddle+A+Food+Chain+Tale.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VDyMo9j7Adw/UWB27DiFl8I/AAAAAAAABqE/W-mi9-PVSJg/s320/Hey+Diddle+Diddle+A+Food+Chain+Tale.png" width="270" /></span></a></div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607181401/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1607181401&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHey%20Diddle%20Diddle:%20A%20Food%20Chain%20Tale%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1607181401%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Hey Diddle Diddle: A Food Chain Tale</b></a> is another Sylvan Dell title featuring a wealth of support materials for classroom instruction (see the menu bar to the <a href="http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=HeyDiddle">right on this page</a>). In catchy rhyme, author Pam Kapchinske describes the the animals and complex relationships which make up a food web, the circle of life, and more specifically the ecosystem on a pond and forest habitat. Sherry Rogers' images capture each animal playing its part in this ongoing natural cycle. </span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Set a Scene</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Before launching a science, social studies, or math unit, I often used poetry to set the scene. The poems I chose from myriad books would spark discussion, curiosity, and prior knowledge, ultimately building excitement and anticipation for the new unit. If only all textbooks were nearly as engaging!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Texts:</span></b></div>
<ul style="color: black;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UzBJjoViFEI/UWB27XsX-fI/AAAAAAAABqI/MxKKyqZS_R4/s1600/Water+Sings+Blue.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UzBJjoViFEI/UWB27XsX-fI/AAAAAAAABqI/MxKKyqZS_R4/s320/Water+Sings+Blue.png" width="320" /></span></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081187284X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=081187284X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EWater%20Sings%20Blue%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=081187284X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Water Sings Blue</b></a>, written by Kate Coombs and illustrated by Meilo So, provides the denizens of the deep with their own voices, priming student curiosity about life in the ocean. One of my favorites is the poem "Old Driftwood," wherein this artifact is described as a "gnarled sailor"..."telling of mermaids/ and whales thi-i-i-s big/ to all the attentive/ astonished twigs." Another sample from the book:
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sea Urchin</span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(255, 204, 51); color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 0pt; padding: 10px; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The sea urchin fell in love with a fork.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">With a tremble of purple spines,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">she told her mother, "He's tall, not a ball,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">but just look at his wonderful tines!</span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="color: black;">
</ul>
<ul style="color: black;">
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547152280/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0547152280&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EDark%20Emperor%20and%20Other%20Poems%20of%20the%20Night%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0547152280%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night</b></a> is a perfect poetry/informational text companion to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380727692/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0380727692&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPoppy%20%28Tales%20from%20Dimwood%20Forest%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0380727692%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Poppy</b></a> or any other novel that takes place in the forest. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sCvTox5-sss/UWB37MsRW4I/AAAAAAAABqQ/Fs1e0E-aoXI/s1600/Dark+Emperor+and+Other+Poems+of+the+Night.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sCvTox5-sss/UWB37MsRW4I/AAAAAAAABqQ/Fs1e0E-aoXI/s320/Dark+Emperor+and+Other+Poems+of+the+Night.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
Each of Joyce Sidman's wonderful poems about the nocturnal world of the woods is accompanied by a fact-filled sidebar, exploring the creatures described in the poems and in Rick Allen's beautiful relief print illustrations. The title poem in part reads: "Perched missile, almost invisible, you preen silent feathers, swivel your sleek satellite dish of a head." This small excerpt gives you an idea of the book's sophisticated verse! The author cleverly formatted the poem "Dark Emperor" in the shape of an owl, and if your students are interested in creating concrete poetry like this, you might find that <a href="http://www.eduplace.com/shapebook/">shape templates</a> are a good way to get started. And if you're not familiar with Avi's novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380727692/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0380727692&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPoppy%20%28Tales%20from%20Dimwood%20Forest%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0380727692%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Poppy</b></a>, be sure to check it out! Boys find it easy to root for this strong female character because "she is, after all, a mouse."</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">6. Inspire Writing</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FRK-ySeia0Q/UWB4GBqTEBI/AAAAAAAABqY/BtizTFo5JxY/s1600/Poetry+Mentor+Texts.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FRK-ySeia0Q/UWB4GBqTEBI/AAAAAAAABqY/BtizTFo5JxY/s320/Poetry+Mentor+Texts.png" width="254" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're seeking ways to get students writing, poetry is an effective vehicle to transport them to success. Take the opportunity to <a href="http://www.stenhouse.com/shop/pc/viewprd.asp?idProduct=9651&r=">preview Poetry Mentor Texts online</a> at the Stenhouse site; you'll be amazed at the simple steps to sophisticated writing using the lesson ideas presented there. In addition to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1571109498/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1571109498&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPoetry%20Mentor%20Texts:%20Making%20Reading%20and%20Writing%20Connections,%20K-8%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1571109498%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Poetry Mentor Texts</b></a> inspiring students to write their own verse, this book will also provide you with ideas for using poetry as a creative response format for other disciplines as well: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Poetry shouldn't be just a part of the language arts curriculum. It offers another way to communicate and demonstrate our understanding of a concept in content areas. It is a method for deepening comprehension and developing a level of empathy and knowledge that can be applied to real-world situations. Poetry can be used to informally assess science and math. It can help students link content areas.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Additional Recommended Texts and Sites: </span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jr70VGIfRQ/UWB4gzwElLI/AAAAAAAABqg/fSWTvV7MzCo/s1600/Casey+Back+at+Bat.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jr70VGIfRQ/UWB4gzwElLI/AAAAAAAABqg/fSWTvV7MzCo/s320/Casey+Back+at+Bat.png" width="265" /></span></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students can extend or rewrite or revisit favorite or famous poems. In <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060560274/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060560274&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ECasey%20Back%20at%20Bat%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060560274%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Casey Back at Bat</a></b>, sports writer Dan Gutman revisits the classic American poem (the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689854943/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0689854943&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ECasey%20at%20the%20Bat:%20A%20Ballad%20of%20the%20Republic%20Sung%20in%20the%20Year%201888%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0689854943%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">picture book version</a>
illustrated by Max Payne is one of my favorites). Choose similar
narrative poems, and challenge students to extend them, revise them, or
"answer them" with poems of their own. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/valentines-for-vermin-love-poems-for.html">In an earlier post</a>, I discussed writing "Valentines for Vermin" using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983459452/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0983459452&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EVulture%20Verses:%20Love%20Poems%20for%20the%20Unloved%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0983459452%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Vulture Verses: Love Poems for the Unloved</b></a> as a mentor text. The book closes with a request: <i>"So many
cards to write! So many animal friends! I may need some help. Do you
know someone who is misunderstood? Will you help me write friendship
notes, too?"</i> Such a fantastic suggestion! Working in pairs or teams,
students can research basic facts about other unloved animals that
"scuttle, slither, buzz, and sting." A really fun and stress free way to get students writing creatively, with results which they'll be eager to share with others.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're seeking inspirations for students to write poetry in a number of forms, </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rdJHbPBR_Rw/UWB-p3IqLuI/AAAAAAAABrU/wF4cIe1aJVY/s1600/Fly+with+Poetry.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rdJHbPBR_Rw/UWB-p3IqLuI/AAAAAAAABrU/wF4cIe1aJVY/s320/Fly+with+Poetry.png" width="244" /></span></a></div>
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you'll be amazed and delighted to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1563977982/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1563977982&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EFly%20with%20Poetry:%20An%20ABC%20of%20Poetry%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1563977982%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Fly with Poetry: An ABC of Poetry</b></a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/156397438X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=156397438X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ELeap%20Into%20Poetry:%20More%20ABCs%20of%20Poetry%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=156397438X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Leap Into Poetry: More ABCs of Poetry</b></a>. First, it's amazing that author/illustrator Avis Harley has found enough poem forms to write and illustrate not just one but two ABC collections, and second, she's done it by focusing solely on the topic of insects! So she not only presents and explains the poetry forms in detail, but these mentor texts teach students wonderful facts about dozens of creatures that crawl, climb, and fly as well. Extensions using other animal species are possible, although I can see these form poems being applied to almost any subject area.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students love the idea of fractured fairy tales, so a book like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152054170/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0152054170&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EMonster%20Goose%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0152054170%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Monster Goose</b></a> by Judy Sierra is certain to be hit. The author's creepy and comedic new versions of classic childhood rhymes will inspire your students to want to create the same. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n8F0tE8Oo7g/UWB53bM8ErI/AAAAAAAABrI/RGhBtCp4Sho/s1600/Monster+Goose.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n8F0tE8Oo7g/UWB53bM8ErI/AAAAAAAABrI/RGhBtCp4Sho/s320/Monster+Goose.png" width="274" /></span></a></div>
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After sharing a few poems such as Humpty Dumpty (below), provide students with a collection of unrevised rhymes, and see where their imaginations can take them. See, too, if their accompanying illustrations can be as entertaining as those of Jack E. Davis, illustrator extraordinaire of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689860021/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0689860021&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EBedhead%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0689860021%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Bedhead</b></a> fame. Davis not only captures a key moment of each poem, but also cleverly establishes and then breaks the borders of each illustration, creating an off-the-page effect.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Humpty Dumpty</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Humpty Dumpty swam in the sea</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Humpty's sunscreen was SPF-3.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Because he was so lightly oiled,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dear Humpty ended up hard-boiled. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">7. See New Perspectives</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of poetry's transcendent powers is its ability to refocus, if not totally transform, our point of view. It's far too simple for students (and teachers!) to lose themselves in their egocentric viewpoints, and fail to consider issues from another perspective. Poetry open students' eyes to new ways of seeing. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Texts:</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763657468/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763657468&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EMake%20Magic%21%20Do%20Good%21%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0763657468%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Make Magic! Do Good!</b></a> by Dallas Clayton is a quirky and crazy collection of verses that collectively encourage readers to see the best in themselves, in others, and in every situation. </span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RYlJ58vDoUI/UWB49pZ7XrI/AAAAAAAABq8/ii6X24khGAg/s1600/Make+Magic+Do+Good+poem.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RYlJ58vDoUI/UWB49pZ7XrI/AAAAAAAABq8/ii6X24khGAg/s320/Make+Magic+Do+Good+poem.png" width="294" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">From <i>Make Magic! Do Good!</i></span></td></tr>
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So much of modern day communication relies upon snark and sarcasm, it's refreshing to find poems that are open and honest and encouraging, while at the same time remaining zany and random, which kids also appreciate. I also think that the way the book cover turns into a poster is a pretty cool twist!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Perspective, or point of view, plays a huge role in history and its interpretation. Although not entirely accurate in historic detail, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's <b><i>The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere</i></b> remains a classic of American Literature. Check out this <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/paul-revere-rides-again-and-again-and.html">previous post</a> where I discuss several picture versions of the text, and the unique perspective supplied by each. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In Daniel Kirk's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786819499/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0786819499&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EDogs%20Rule%21%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0786819499%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Dogs Rule!</b></a> and his later <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YNS1LQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002YNS1LQ&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ECat%20Power%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002YNS1LQ%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Cat Power!</b></a>, the author/illustrator profiles some of the furriest and funniest heroes of each species. See my <b><a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/04/daniel-kirk-words-and-images-in-perfect.html">Words and Images in Perfect Harmony</a></b> post for more details, as well as teaching suggestions.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The National Geographic's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1426310099/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1426310099&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ENational%20Geographic%20Book%20of%20Animal%20Poetry:%20200%20Poems%20with%20Photographs%20That%20Squeak,%20Soar,%20and%20Roar%21%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1426310099%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Book of Animal Poetry</b></a> is wonderful in that it often features multiple poems for a single animal. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ0rJiLuN8E/UWCIuId-EfI/AAAAAAAABrk/Qha-WbAhxSM/s1600/Book+of+Animal+Poetry.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ0rJiLuN8E/UWCIuId-EfI/AAAAAAAABrk/Qha-WbAhxSM/s320/Book+of+Animal+Poetry.png" width="257" /></span></a></div>
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The zebra and the pig, for instance, are both celebrated by four different poets. Examining the poems, students can discuss what facts and features each poet chose to discuss. In what ways are their poems alike? Different? Older students can even attempt to identify the poem form used by each writer. After reading some of the examples in this book from both classic and contemporary writers, students can then try their own hand at describing animals both foreign and familiar. Such poems are an excellent addition to those animal reports and presentations which many teachers already include in their curriculum.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">8. Ignite Curiosity</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Much has been said in educational texts about inquiry learning. From my own experiences, however, I find that students are naturally inquisitive, and there's not much more we need to do but focus their natural curiosity. Poetry can do this! </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Texts: </span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452101205/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1452101205&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EA%20Strange%20Place%20to%20Call%20Home:%20The%20World%27s%20Most%20Dangerous%20Habitats%20&%20the%20Animals%20That%20Call%20Them%20Home%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1452101205%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>A Strange Place to Call Home</b></a>, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Ed Young, is an intriguing exploration into diverse and unique habitats of the world. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gkONJw1q28E/UWB49vi6ETI/AAAAAAAABq4/gE4QAT4BeWw/s1600/A+Strange+Place+to+Call+Home.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gkONJw1q28E/UWB49vi6ETI/AAAAAAAABq4/gE4QAT4BeWw/s320/A+Strange+Place+to+Call+Home.png" width="242" /></span></a></div>
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In the preface, the author explains: "Extreme environments such as deserts,
glaciers, salt lakes, and pools of oil may not seem appealing, yet in
these places, there is often less competition and more safety from
predators. So over time, a variety of animals have adapted to these
challenging conditions. This collection of poems celebrates some of
these great adapters and the risky places where they live." End notes give further explanation of each animal and its adaptations to its specialized niche, along with notes about the poetry forms employed for each piece. Below is a sample poem, written in sonnet form:</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">TOP OF THE WORLD </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">mountain goats </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b><b>Atop a rocky peak, the air is pure, </b>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> but the wind blows fierce and the climb is steep. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Each step must be confident and so sure, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> there's little need to look before you leap. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The ice, the snow, the winter's biting cold </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> require a cozy, insulated coat. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What animal lives here, hardy and bold? </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Behold this king of cliffs, the mountain goat! </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Feasting in springtime on grass that is lush, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> avoiding in summer the sun's blazing rays. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Browsing in autumn on stubborn dry brush, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> learning to deal with the year's hardest days. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Living where enemies cannot intrude, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> it succeeds indeed at this altitude.
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fn0ae5pFugk/UWCBZRpR-pI/AAAAAAAABrY/riHa6WlWJeA/s1600/World+Rat+Day.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fn0ae5pFugk/UWCBZRpR-pI/AAAAAAAABrY/riHa6WlWJeA/s320/World+Rat+Day.png" width="272" /></span></a></div>
<ul style="color: black;">
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763654027/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763654027&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EWorld%20Rat%20Day:%20Poems%20About%20Real%20Holidays%20You%27ve%20Never%20Heard%20Of%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0763654027%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>World Rat Day</b></a> by...wait for it...J. Patrick Lewis is a fun collection of unusual but authentic holidays, celebrated here in verse. Where else could you learn about Cow Appreciation Day, Limerick Day, or Chocolate-Covered Anything Day? Students will enjoy researching these and other wacky holidays, and even inventing their own to commemorate people, places, and events that are important to them. (See a <a href="http://www.candlewick.com/media_view.asp?isbn=0763654027&size=2&url=./book_files/0763654027.bov.1.flv&type=format&format=video">video trailer here</a> at the Candlewick Press site).</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">9. Provide Pleasure</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay, so you may think I cheated on this one. After all, I'm supposed to be giving you purposes for using poetry. <b>But if we can't convince our students that one of reading's purest functions is pleasure, then I don't think we've really done our job.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
So many poems and books of poems exist to fill this classification that I won't even begin to list them all here. <b>So if you have a favorite poem or book you read with students for pleasure, please share it in the comments section below!</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Texts: </span></b></div>
<ul style="color: black;">
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811878961/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0811878961&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EA%20Dog%20Is%20a%20Dog%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0811878961%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>A Dog is a Dog</b></a> by Stephen Shaskan is an incredibly simple, yet funny and clever book about a dog who may not be a dog at all, but perhaps instead a cat...or is it a squid?...or a moose? </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wHM3PAIcWeQ/UWB26Rz-ZuI/AAAAAAAABps/vR4V6s_PoBc/s1600/A+Dog+is+a+Dog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wHM3PAIcWeQ/UWB26Rz-ZuI/AAAAAAAABps/vR4V6s_PoBc/s320/A+Dog+is+a+Dog.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
This crazy dog sheds one disguise after another, and who knows what he'll be next? It's short, fun, and you'd better be prepared to read it more than once, although its simplicity, meter, and rhyme make it easily accessible to independent beginning readers. Also be sure to check out the <a href="http://stephenshaskan.com/rhymes_with-Trashcan/?cat=7">cool stuff on the author's site</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you have older students who are obsessed with zombies? The <b><a href="http://www.zombiehaiku.com/index.html">Zombie Haiku</a></b> site offers a unique twist on this traditional poetry form, with submissions from famous contemporary authors, as well as poetry "fakes" by greats of the past.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">10. Capture Character</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Most of us have assigned biography reports, only later to be disappointed when some students fail to capture the greatness of the men and women they studied. What's awesome about biographical poems is that they encapsulate the essence of what makes a person's life memorable and meaningful.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Texts: </span></b></div>
<ul style="color: black;">
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452101191/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1452101191&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EWhen%20Thunder%20Comes:%20Poems%20for%20Civil%20Rights%20Leaders%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1452101191%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders</b></a> by Children's Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis features a satisfying mix of heroes and heroines from the world-wide struggle for human rights. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fnIJ1jlPXpY/UWB4-Brr3mI/AAAAAAAABrE/A-FUqfkr8Jg/s1600/When+Thunder+Comes+Poems+for+Civil+Rights+Leaders.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fnIJ1jlPXpY/UWB4-Brr3mI/AAAAAAAABrE/A-FUqfkr8Jg/s320/When+Thunder+Comes+Poems+for+Civil+Rights+Leaders.png" width="249" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
Familiar names such as Jackie Robinson, Harvey Milk, and Mohandas Gandhi share the pages with new discoveries such as Sylvia Mendez (Mexican-American-Purto Rican civil rights leader), Muhammad Yunus (Bangladeshi banker), and Dennis Banks (Cofounder of the American Indian Movement and Anishinabe political activist). Several artists collaborate to illustrate the poems, which can also lead to a discussion of what each artist chose to represent the whole of a person's life in a single image. For more teaching ideas integrating these poems with informational writing, see the related post at <b><a href="http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/informationalpoems/">Two Writing Teachers blog</a></b>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Another collection of biographical poems, also be J. Patrick Lewis, is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439554234/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439554234&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EFreedom%20Like%20Sunlight:%20Praisesongs%20for%20Black%20Americans%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1439554234%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Freedom Like Sunlight: Praisesongs for Black Americans</b></a>. These poems are notable in that they capture the content of each person's character, rather then the rote facts of his or her life. John Thompson's realistically rendered illustrations help to make this title a standout. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Use the <b><a href="http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/graveyard.cfm">The Explorers' Graveyard</a></b>
lesson plan for sharing facts and findings when reading biographies.
Again, the aim here is to get to what's worth knowing about this famous
person.If you're looking for a funnier take of epitaphs, I recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763618373/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763618373&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EOnce%20Upon%20A%20Tomb:%20Gravely%20Humorous%20Verses%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0763618373%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses</b></a> by J. Patrick Lewis (yes, him again!), and illustrated by Simon Bartram. The hilarious and revealing tombstone tidings capture in the most clever way the humor of many professions. Take this one, for instance, written for a Book Editor:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Miss Spellings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Exclamation points</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Were myriad!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She live on the margin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And died. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Period.</span></div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Online Tools for Writing Poetry:</span></b></div>
<ul style="color: black;">
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My top pick is <a href="http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm"><b>Instant Poetry Forms</b></a>,
which allows students to enter prompted words and verses in order to
form (you guessed it!) instant poetry. Some of the forms are purely
creative and student-centered, while others allow students to enter
researched information (such as data on an early explorer) to create
nonfiction verse. An excellent way to encourage your poetry-phobic
students (usually the boys!). Each prompt generator includes an example
of a finished poem in that style, so students can get a good idea of how
the finished poem might sound. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://rhymebrain.com/en">Rhyme Brain</a></b> isn't just another rhyming site; instead, it has three functions: rhyme creator, alliteration creator, and portmanteau creator. The results for the latter two tools are pretty impressive, and lend themselves to some real playfulness with language.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/gamestation/poetrysplatter.htm">Poetry Splatter</a></b> is a decent site for reluctant or struggling writers. Students are offered limited words to complete template poems. The results are fairly closed ended, but this might be a good place to start for those students who struggle to generate poems wholly on their own.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At the <b><a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/poetry/index.html">PBS NewsHour Extra Poetry site</a></b>, students can write poems based on current events using the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june00/poetryboxformexamples.html">poetry forms and examples</a> found there. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At <b><a href="http://writerhymes.com/">WriteRhymes</a></b>, it's as easy as "As you write, hold the alt key and click on a word to find a rhyme for it..." That's it. You can Copy, Save, or Print from the site.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Additional Recommended Resources for Poetry Month:</span></b></div>
<ul style="color: black;">
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stenhouse Publishing has compiled a wonderful collection of poetry lesson plans and teaching ideas from about a dozen of their best-selling professional resources. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OcLARDcztgY/UWC7qZ-OXZI/AAAAAAAABrw/8ya3IEZ-POo/s1600/Stenhouse+Poetry+Sampler.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OcLARDcztgY/UWC7qZ-OXZI/AAAAAAAABrw/8ya3IEZ-POo/s320/Stenhouse+Poetry+Sampler.png" width="249" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
Check out the <b><a href="http://www.stenhouse.com/html/npoetry.htm">Poetry Sampler</a></b>, available as a pdf download directly from the publisher.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/search/?sort_order=relevance&q=Poetry&srchgo.x=17&srchgo.y=14&old_q=">ReadWriteThink</a></b> is a go-to resource if you're seeking poetry lesson plans complete with interactive or printable components. From the search page, you can narrow down the 285 results by grade level, resource type, or popularity.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If needed, here's an <b><a href="http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/handbook/a.html">extensive glossary of poetry terms</a></b>. I wish each term was accompanied by an example, but a good place to start regardless. If you can't find a term there, then you can likely find it in this <b><a href="http://www.poeticbyway.com/gl-a.html">Glossary of Poetic Terms</a></b>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bruce Lansky books and teaching ideas at <b><a href="http://poetryteachers.com/">Poetry Teachers</a></b>. Sixteen poetry categories, fun ways to get students writing, and poetry theater (poems to download in read-aloud theater versions).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The <b><a href="http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/poemsHome.do">Children's Poetry Archive</a></b> is a wonderful collection of poems selected just for children, and read by their creators.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For older students (middle school and up), <b><a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/poetry/index.html">The Virtualit Interactive Poetry Tutorial</a></b> features three study poems, as well as extensive online aids including <b><a href="http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/poetry/elements.html">Elements of Poetry</a></b> (understanding language), <b><a href="http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/poetry/cultural.html">Cultural Contexts</a></b> (social, political, and economic currents) and <b><a href="http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/poetry/critical.html">Critical Approaches</a></b> (literary criticism). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.tweenverses.com/">Tweenverse</a></b> is a fun collection of poems by Richard Thomas. No activities included here, but you'll several of these to be perfect as mentor texts for helping students write verse to reflect on their own experiences. See <a href="http://www.tweenverses.com/1.html">Summer Camp Souvenirs</a> or <a href="http://www.tweenverses.com/5.html">Brother Trouble</a> for a quick idea of what you'll find there.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The <b><a href="http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/6">Poets.org Educator Site</a></b> provides teaching tips, popular poems to share, curriculum units and lesson plans, and suggestions for Poetry Month.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://poetryfortoughguys.blogspot.com/">Poetry for Tough Guys</a></b> features poems written by Steven Micciche, mostly aimed at guys. Don't worry; it's still kid appropriate! Perhaps a good stop for reluctant boys to gain entry into verse.</span></li>
</ul>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-6525739819046713742013-03-16T11:17:00.000-04:002015-12-27T18:59:12.570-05:00Failure IS an Option; A Really Funny One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VY8AyLGZJL8/UUSCmIvbzzI/AAAAAAAABm4/dMHsfQG0lFU/s1600/TF+Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VY8AyLGZJL8/UUSCmIvbzzI/AAAAAAAABm4/dMHsfQG0lFU/s400/TF+Cover.png" width="257" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763660507/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763660507&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ETimmy%20Failure:%20Mistakes%20Were%20Made%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0763660507%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made</b></a> by <a href="http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine">Pearls Before Swine</a> strip creator Stephan Pastis is a hilarious new title guaranteed to win big with fans of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0810993139/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0810993139&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EDiary%20of%20a%20Wimpy%20Kid,%20Book%201%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0810993139%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Diary of a Wimpy Kid</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439629047/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0439629047&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ELet%27s%20Pretend%20This%20Never%20Happened%20%28Dear%20Dumb%20Diary,%20No.%201%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439629047%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Dear Dumb Diary</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I read it with much amusement and delight, but thought that perhaps my own immaturity and snarkiness prevented me from qualifying as an unbiased judge of its greatness. I therefore turned to an expert on books of this type: my third grade daughter Mackenzie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I decided Mackenzie could serve as an impartial judge due to the following qualifications:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Timmy Failure is aimed at her demographic, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She's a voracious reader of this genre,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She regularly discusses and swaps books with her third grade posse, and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She stole the advance review copy the day it arrived at our house before I even had the chance to open the cover.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I also felt I owed it to her after she scoured the shelves of our public library looking for Number Two in the series. I believe Mackenzie suffered intense emotional damage upon learning that the follow-up wouldn't be available for quite some time. Nonetheless, she graciously agreed to be interviewed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: So what's Timmy Failure all about?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: It's about this boy who's really bad in school that decides to open up a detective agency. The problem is, he's really bad at being a detective and he misses lots of obvious clues. And he owns a fifteen hundred pound polar bear named Total.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: Is the polar bear real, or stuffed?</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pJg7B7dYRhk/UUSClOhdCUI/AAAAAAAABmo/1Y9uabzM3gQ/s1600/TF+Total.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pJg7B7dYRhk/UUSClOhdCUI/AAAAAAAABmo/1Y9uabzM3gQ/s1600/TF+Total.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: It's real! <i>(She shrugs her shoulders and lifts her hands up, palms to the ceiling as if to say. "Duh!").</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: You're sure it's real?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: What does it matter?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: Good point. So apart from this polar bear, does Timmy have any friends?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: He has one friend name Rollo, but Timmy thinks he's not that smart, which is crazy, because Rollo studies all the time and gets really good grades, and Timmy doesn't.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: Any other friends?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: Well, he has an archenemy <i>(speaking with increased enthusiasm now)</i> and her name is Corinna Corinna, and what's funny is that at first he won't name her or even let you see her face. She has her own detective agency and Timmy thinks she's reeeeeally annoying.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: Any favorite parts?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: I like when he tries to solve cases, because he always ignores really obvious clues. This one time a boy named Gunnar hires him to find out who ate all his candy. On Timmy's way out, he peeks in the room and sees Gabe, Gunnar's brother, his face all covered with chocolate, sitting on his bed surrounded by candy wrappers. You think he's solved the crime, but all Timmy does is write in his notebook, "Gabe: Not tidy."</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rIhkHSvsDQs/UUSCliMAcNI/AAAAAAAABmw/xlDS_LJyiPs/s1600/TF+page+one.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rIhkHSvsDQs/UUSCliMAcNI/AAAAAAAABmw/xlDS_LJyiPs/s640/TF+page+one.png" width="385" /></span></a></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: Any other favorite parts?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: Well, I think it's funny that the librarian is really, really tough, and he has "Dewey" on a tattoo...</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: You mean like, the Dewey decimal system? </span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: Yeah. You don't really expect a librarian to look like that.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: <i>(picking up the book)</i> I noticed some pretty hard words in here. Did you understand them all?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: Yeah. If you read the book, you can tell what the words mean.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: Really? All of them?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: Well, most of them. But you don't have to understand every word to get the story. Plus, I think that sometimes even Timmy doesn't know what the words mean. He names his detective agency Total Failure, Inc. because the polar bear's name is Total, but he doesn't even get why that's a really bad name for a company.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: So who would enjoy this book?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: Anyone who likes funny stories. Every day I show funny parts to my friend, so she wants to borrow it next. And then her friend wants to borrow it... yeah. You might not get it back.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Me: So<i> is</i> Timmy a failure?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kenzie: Yes. Actually, no. He's not a failure. He's just clueless. Are we done yet?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"># # # </span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There you have it: the insightful and thought provoking reflections of a third grader.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One point on which we both agree is the vocabulary. Stephan Pastis intersperses fantastic vocabulary throughout the book, purposefully heavier at times to indicate moments of importance. Check out how in the following short excerpt he combines specific vocabulary, repetition, sentence variety, and even sentence fragments, in a wonderful way:</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(252, 248, 192); color: black; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 15px;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But that greatness did not prepare me for what I would see at the Weber residence.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For today it is the scene of total devastation. All marred by the remnants of someone inhumane. Someone determined. Someone whose weapon of choice comes in packs of six, twelve, and twenty. If you are squeamish, look away.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Toilet paper. It is everywhere. </span></b></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And this isn't one isolated and out-of-the-ordinary passage; this is how he writes the entire book. For that reason, I would definitely recommend this book for middle schoolers, and certainly reluctant and struggling readers. I could even see myself using several portions as mentor texts to teach sentence and paragraph structure, understatement, satire, and word choice.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So pick up a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763660507/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763660507&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ETimmy%20Failure:%20Mistakes%20Were%20Made%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0763660507%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Timmy Failure</b></a> for yourself, or visit the <a href="http://www.timmyfailure.com/">official Timmy Failure site</a> for fun extras such as wallpapers, interviews, and videos.</span></div>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-63382911839207967762013-03-12T07:06:00.000-04:002015-12-27T19:01:28.416-05:00Teaching That Makes Sense: An Uncommonly Good Resource<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rklu-gR18U8/UT8LwfnaqwI/AAAAAAAABlc/HhZY6abqI8E/s1600/TTMS.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rklu-gR18U8/UT8LwfnaqwI/AAAAAAAABlc/HhZY6abqI8E/s400/TTMS.png" width="312" /></span></a></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Years ago I first posted on <a href="http://www.ttms.org/index.htm">Teaching That Makes Sense</a>, founded by <a href="http://www.ttms.org/steve_peha_get_to_know_me/get_to_know_me.htm">Steve Peha</a>, an impressive web site full of well-organized, original resources on reading and writing.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
They're all in pdf format and they're all free. And since the time that I first posted, Steve has added a ton of more stuff, again all free! He's added some fantastic new Common Core stuff (and love it or hate it, we've gotta face it) and according to the site's splash page, it's about to get bigger and better!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Is this guy insane? <b>It would be easy to understand his generosity if the stuff was mediocre.</b> But Steve has put together hundreds of pages of strategies, structures, checklists, and posters for teachers that are high quality, practical, and immediately usable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Getting started in Reader's or Writer's Workshop? Looking for authentic student writing samples or mentor texts? Seeking sound ideas for writing across the curriculum? Need a writing lesson to use tomorrow? Want some posters for Writing Traits? It's all there. And if that's not enough, Steve and his crew are continually adding articles on the teaching profession that are truly worth a read.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
And it's incredibly useful stuff, because the ideas are <b>concrete</b> (yet not closed-ended) and <b>simple</b> (yet not dumbed down).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
So visit the site. Read the articles. Download the pdfs. Before <a href="http://www.ttms.org/steve_peha_get_to_know_me/get_to_know_me.htm">Steve</a> comes to his senses. </span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span>Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-82259479282029975142013-03-04T22:31:00.000-05:002015-12-27T19:03:44.418-05:00Prairie Chicken Little: The Sky is Falling! Again!<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e25xM5IhMqw/UTag2Yd_I9I/AAAAAAAABk0/Yc0fowGozVA/s1600/Prairie+Chicken+Little.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e25xM5IhMqw/UTag2Yd_I9I/AAAAAAAABk0/Yc0fowGozVA/s320/Prairie+Chicken+Little.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Contest closed. Sorry!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In a funny and frenetic remake of the traditional tale, <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561456942/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561456942&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPrairie%20Chicken%20Little%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561456942%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Prairie Chicken Little</a></b>
by Jackie Mims Hopkins chronicles the over-reaction of one prairie
chicken who thinks the sky is falling, or more accurately, a stampede is
coming!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Listen to this text's unique voice as the story begins: </span><br />
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(252, 248, 192); font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 15px;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Out
on the grasslands where bison roam, Mary McBlicken the prairie chicken
was scritch-scratching for her breakfast, when all of a sudden she heard
a rumbling and a grumbling and a tumbling.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br />"Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "A stampede's a comin'! I need
to hightail it back to the ranch to tell Cowboy Stan and Red Dog Dan.
They'll know what to do."</b>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br />So away Mary ran, lickety-splickety, as fast as her little prairie chicken legs could carry her.</b>
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
onomatopoeia, the rhymes, and the word choice (such as "hightail it")
combine to create a voice that matches both the book's setting and its
levity. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The book's fun is well supported by Henry Cole's splendid
pictures. You might recall seeing his handiwork in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561455644/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561455644&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThree%20Hens%20and%20a%20Peacock%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561455644%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Three Hens and a Peacock</a>, mentioned <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/making-peace-with-picture-books.html" target="_blank">here in a previous post</a>. To me, Henry Coles' work is Audubon meets Looney Tunes. His animals are faithfully rendered in the physical sense, but with a personality and pluck that embodies them with all-too-human emotions. I particularly love that he gets us up close and personal with each animal, making the images seem larger than the book itself.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o1GJH2PgqFk/URaZo23EinI/AAAAAAAABYg/oRoa-WVSEI0/s1600/three+hens+and+a+peacock.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o1GJH2PgqFk/URaZo23EinI/AAAAAAAABYg/oRoa-WVSEI0/s320/three+hens+and+a+peacock.jpg" width="258" /></span></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the event that your students are studying
other ecosystems such as as rain forests or polar regions, you could
adapt this idea, challenging students to create a crisis or calamity, as
well as appropriate creatures who would help spread the word. It's a
pretty cool way to synthesize students' collection of random facts from a
unit into a creative response. Can't you just see a penguin or a toucan
as the main character? The book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763635626/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763635626&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ELoony%20Little:%20An%20Environmental%20Tale%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0763635626%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Loony Little: An Environmental Tale</a> by Dianna Hutts Aston does just that for the Arctic region.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fractured Fairy Tales are an all time favorite for kids to read, and they're fun to write as well. A recent post at the <a href="http://peachtreepub.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-celebration-of-fairy-tales.html" target="_blank">Peachtree Publishing blog</a> provides some great titles to get you started.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Contrast Prairie Chicken Little with other books of this genre such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596434643/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1596434643&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EChicken%20Little%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1596434643%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Chicken Little</a> by Rebecca and Ed Emberly, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455617040/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1455617040&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EChachalaca%20Chiquita%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1455617040%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Chachalaca Chiquita</a> by Melanie Chrismer, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416902600/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1416902600&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EEarthquack%21%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1416902600%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Earthquack</a> by Margie Palatini, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/189437939X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=189437939X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Rumor:%20A%20Jataka%20Tale%20from%20India%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=189437939X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">The Rumor: A Jataka Tale</a> by Jan Thornhill. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Try some other fun animal activities! Lots to choose from in my previous <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/animal-attraction-exploring-animals.html">Animal Attraction</a> post.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Have students research any of the animals from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561456942/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561456942&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPrairie%20Chicken%20Little%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561456942%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Prairie Chicken Little</a>. Some of the real-life critters who populate this book sport some pretty amazing features. A good place to start? The <a href="http://www.prairiechicken.org/" target="_blank">Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-51378791238793141762013-03-03T09:46:00.001-05:002015-12-27T19:07:09.125-05:00Holocaust Picture Books: An Annotated List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SvJJlNx_s_U/UTJ5A2bOpnI/AAAAAAAABjg/4h90RTMnd0I/s1600/Irena+Jars+of+Secrets.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SvJJlNx_s_U/UTJ5A2bOpnI/AAAAAAAABjg/4h90RTMnd0I/s1600/Irena+Jars+of+Secrets.png" /></span></a></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After many requests, I've finished compiling an annotated list of Holocaust books. I resisted the urge to categorize them by grade level, as I feel they can be used effectively in both upper elementary and middle grades.</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">First, however, I wanted to make special mention of one of the newer Holocaust picture books available. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600604390/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1600604390&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EIrena%27s%20Jars%20of%20Secrets%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1600604390%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Irena's Jars of Secrets</b></a> by Marcia Vaughan, illustrated by Ron Mazellan, is a wonderful and important addition to the canon of children's literature on the Holocaust (see the full list below), and certainly one worth adding to your own library.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In <b>Irena's Jars of Secrets</b>, Irena Sendler learns compassion at an early age from her father, a Catholic physician who treated Jewish patients at a time when most Christian doctors would not.When her father contracts typhus treating these same patients, he tells Irena on his death bed to "help someone who is drowning, even if you cannot swim." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Irena takes this advice to heart, and begins administering to the Jews imprisoned within the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto by occupying Nazi forces. Beginning in 1940 and continuing for the next two years, Irena smuggles in food, clothing, and medicine. She realizes, however, that this isn't enough. As the Nazis begin transporting the Ghetto inhabitants to concentration camps, Irena joins a secret organization called Zegota, and makes plans to smuggle Jewish children to safety. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But what parent will give up their child? Only after Irena swears to provide new identities and preserve the real names of their children do the Jewish parents reluctantly release them to her. The book chronicles the close calls of the smuggling operation, as well as the capture and near execution of Irena.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After the war's end, Irena unearths her buried jars which contain the real identities of the children that were saved. Most of the children's parents have been killed in the camps, but the lists allow the Jewish National Committee to locate living relatives for many of the children. An afterword provides additional information about Irena Sendler, who never considered herself a hero. Instead, she said this in a letter to the Polish Senate in 2007:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful
secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification
of my existence on this earth, and not a title to glory.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wYmTNmgJfg0/UTJ5mREnq1I/AAAAAAAABjo/2RhU0rQT0a8/s1600/The+Harmonica.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wYmTNmgJfg0/UTJ5mREnq1I/AAAAAAAABjo/2RhU0rQT0a8/s320/The+Harmonica.png" width="238" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Rich, wonderful paintings by Ron Mazellan (who also illustrated the Holocaust title <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570914893/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1570914893&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Harmonica%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1570914893%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>The Harmonica</b></a>) help to capture both the tragic and triumphant moments of this book. His subjects and scenes are dramatically lit, and in his own words "moody and mysterious," putting the absolute perfect finishing touches on this title.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Why are names so important? Ask students to interview their parents and find out how their names came to be. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pair <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600604390/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1600604390&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EIrena%27s%20Jars%20of%20Secrets%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1600604390%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Irena's Jars of Secrets</b></a> with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0823425959/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0823425959&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EIrena%20Sendler%20and%20the%20Children%20of%20the%20Warsaw%20Ghetto%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0823425959%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto</b></a>. What information do both books share? What information is provided by one book but not the other? Why might we want to consult multiple sources when conducting research?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Check out <a href="http://www.leeandlow.com/p/irena_s_jars.mhtml">Discussing Historical Fiction and the Definition of Courage with </a><a href="http://www.leeandlow.com/p/irena_s_jars.mhtml">Marcia Vaughan and Ron Mazellan</a> at Lee and Low's website. Both creators discuss how this topic relates to their own experiences, and the processes they underwent to bring this story to life.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At this same site you'll also find <a href="http://www.leeandlow.com/p/irena_s_jars_of_secrets_dq.mhtml">some wonderful discussion questions</a> in Lee and Low's collection of <a href="http://www.leeandlow.com/p/teachers-multiethnic.mhtml">Teacher's Guides</a>. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For this particular picture book, as well as any that mentions the Warsaw Ghetto, I'd recommend <a href="http://ghetto.galim.org.il/eng/">Children in the Ghetto</a>, an interactive site which describes itself as
</span><blockquote style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"...A website about children, written for children. It
portrays life during the Holocaust from the viewpoint of children who
lived in the ghetto, while attempting to make the complex experience of
life in the ghetto as accessible as possible to today’s children. <br /><br />
Along with the description of the hardships of ghetto life, it also
presents the courage, steadfastness and creativity involved in the
children’s lives. One of the most important messages to be learned is
that despite the hardships, there were those who struggled to maintain
humanitarian and philanthropic values, care for one another, and
continue a cultural and spiritual life."
</span></blockquote>
<div style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mihE76tA4co/S8kUqmwvZiI/AAAAAAAAA54/X_CCg9x_vxs/s1600/Children+in+the+Ghetto.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mihE76tA4co/S8kUqmwvZiI/AAAAAAAAA54/X_CCg9x_vxs/s320/Children+in+the+Ghetto.png" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By
examining artifacts, writings, and first hand interviews, students gain
an understanding of the "anything-to-survive" mentality which the
ghetto created and demanded of its inhabitants. Students can either
explore freely, taking advantage of the interactive elements, or
additionally respond in writing using the printable handouts. I
chose to download the handouts, available in Word format, and tweaked them
according to my students' strengths and needs.. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Once they've completed this exercise, students will have a mental bank
of sites, sounds, stories, and symbols from which to draw upon, greatly
increasing their understanding of this period in history. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Annotated List of Holocaust Picture Books </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Embedded below you'll find an annotated list of Holocaust Picture Books.Using the provided controls, you can share, download, print, or enlarge this pdf. I hope you'll find this useful when searching out the best books for your own studies. Feel free to leave a comment to let me know which books I missed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <iframe src="https://app.box.com/embed/preview/fzgva3k76kzlypufrri2?theme=dark" width="500" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe></span>
</div>Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-5172091445015905602013-03-02T10:19:00.002-05:002015-12-29T07:26:38.651-05:00Five Ways to Share Picture Books More Effectively<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lYjApH8kkrg/UTIZVLiHv1I/AAAAAAAABjQ/ZQCQ4kha7cI/s1600/Becoming+Babe+Ruth.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lYjApH8kkrg/UTIZVLiHv1I/AAAAAAAABjQ/ZQCQ4kha7cI/s400/Becoming+Babe+Ruth.png" width="329" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In my workshops, teachers often express the desire to use picture books in their classroom but wonder how to do it most effectively. The answer to that question depends entirely upon what we want to accomplish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Below I've provided a few thoughts on this topic, as well as some recommendations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1) Teacher to Class Sharing</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This strategy is probably as old as reading itself,
and most closely mimics the read-together experiences shared by many children
at home with family. The close proximity, the intimacy of this approach,
explains why reading picture books online or on a tablet feels so much less satisfying. I
would recommend this approach the majority of the time, no matter what the age
group. When I read a picture book to my sixth graders, I still ask them to "come join me on the rug."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Before you choose this method, however, you might want to define your purpose. Why this picture book, and why now? Below are some thoughts which might help you clarify or find a purpose for sharing a picture book aloud.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvwFdGlxmK0/UTIHeGjYPxI/AAAAAAAABio/_4TmYFnhXWs/s1600/honest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvwFdGlxmK0/UTIHeGjYPxI/AAAAAAAABio/_4TmYFnhXWs/s400/honest.jpg" width="330" /></span></a></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Picture books activate not only prior knowledge, but also attitudes, beliefs, and
misconceptions.</b> Picture books create a bridge between the
student’s prior knowledge and newly introduced learning. In a Social Studies lesson, for example, you might read
aloud the picture book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689853955/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0689853955&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Honest-to-Goodness%20Truth%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0689853955%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>The Honest to Goodness Truth</b></a> (see <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/honest-to-goodness-truth.html">summary and lesson suggestions</a>).
After reading, you say, “I thought we all agreed yesterday in our
discussion about elections that ‘Honesty is the best policy.’ Yet this
book seems to say almost the exact opposite! So who’s right? Is there a time when honesty <i>isn't</i> the best policy?”</span></li>
</ul>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Pictures books construct schema.</b> A
teacher wishing to introduce a fantasy genre might share a picture book
which exemplifies six traits of that genre. Upon completion of the
reading, the teacher asks her students to list the traits they noticed.
How best to confirm or disqualify these traits? Have the students read
additional fairy tales in small groups or stations (see below). Discovering the critical attributes of any genre could be done in this same way (<a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/animal-attraction-exploring-animals.html">see ideas on exploring Fables</a>)</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Tbiw21MKoA/UTIH99-KtUI/AAAAAAAABiw/GrA1VWMIOjg/s1600/let+them+play.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Tbiw21MKoA/UTIH99-KtUI/AAAAAAAABiw/GrA1VWMIOjg/s400/let+them+play.jpg" width="302" /></span></a></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Picture books create common
ground.</b> Before reading a novel set in the Depression, you might read aloud or show images from several picture books which deal with that
topic. One might be illustrated with photographs and eyewitness reports,
one with period art works sponsored by the WPA, and one with
illustrations and a narrative by a contemporary author. In just a
few minutes time, students would construct a shared set of images, feelings, and
understandings on a single topic. Recently, my own students were challenged to address the topic "Is Winning Everything?" in an argumentative essay. In addition to a number of videos and discussions, our principal visited as a guest reader and shared :<b>Let Them Play</b> by Margot Theis Raven and Chris Ellison (<a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/recommended-picture-books-for-black.html">see summary</a>). When finished, he asked, "What would these boys have to say about winning? Was that all they wanted?" (See the <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2010/04/video-writing-prompts.html">video prompts at my How to Teach a Novel blog</a>). </span></li>
</ul>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Picture books can make abstract
concepts (such as life skills) concrete.</b> As teachers we are often expected
to teach “fuzzy” character concepts such as cooperation, responsibility,
and integrity. Where are those lessons in our textbooks? Here is where
picture books can play a large role. Through picture books, universal
themes such as patience, empathy, teamwork, cooperation, forgiveness,
fairness, and responsibility are captured in just sixteen or twenty-four
pages, creating a memorable model for children who still think and generalize
in very concrete terms. An idea such as integrity becomes very real to students through a <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/empty-pot.html">shared reading and discussion</a> of a book such as Demi's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805082271/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0805082271&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Empty%20Pot%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0805082271%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>The Empty Pot</b></a>.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2) Paired Readings</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This type of reading usually occurs with a specific
outcome in mind. In lower grades, paired readings allow readers to practice
fluency and clarity. It also demands that readers are “attentive” at least 50% of
the time. However, many students suffer in comprehension when required to read
aloud. They are so concerned with the demands of meeting the needs of an
audience that they “check out” from comprehending. It’s not uncommon for a
student to read aloud an entire paragraph or page, and then have no clue what
was read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Possible solutions? You might provide students with assigned portions and require that they silently read their selections first, seek help with unknown words, and then read aloud only after they've previewed the text in this way. You might also create “checkpoints” for discussion, which require reading pairs to stop and discuss what they've read, and only continue if they've understood the text.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3) Group Readings or Station Readings</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tU4uT8KQD-U/UTILjCz88iI/AAAAAAAABi8/w7Ipz79uV04/s1600/Irena+Jars+of+Secrets.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tU4uT8KQD-U/UTILjCz88iI/AAAAAAAABi8/w7Ipz79uV04/s400/Irena+Jars+of+Secrets.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In this format, students are grouped in threes or fours, and rotate to various stations. At each station is a single title (perhaps multiple copies of that title), and students read together with a set purpose. One purpose, for example, might be to establish common
knowledge about a topic through its presentation in a number of diverse picture
books. Students might read from a number of <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/04/going-extra-innings-with-baseball.html">baseball picture books</a>, for
example, and then report back to the group on the <b>author's purpose</b> in each. Then, the teacher might read a newer title from that same topic, such as Matt Tavares' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763656461/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763656461&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EBecoming%20Babe%20Ruth%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0763656461%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Becoming Babe Ruth</a>, and ask students to discuss how this author's purpose may compare and contrast with those of other authors they had experienced. (See the cover image at the top of the post, and <a href="http://www.candlewick.com/bookxtras.asp?isbn=0763656461&id=&browse=Author&view=sprd&sprd=./images/cwp_spreads/648/0763656461.int.1.jpg&bktitle=Becoming+Babe+Ruth">see an inside image here</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In order to ensure attentiveness to specific ideas from
books within a theme, teachers might provide handouts with questions for
each title. An essential question might be repeatedly asked of each and
every book in the stations to gauge awareness of the "big idea," with a
more title-specific question included to assess reading comprehension
of each text. I've done this in the past with <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/holocaust-picture-books.html"><b>Holocaust Picture Books</b></a>
such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600604390/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1600604390&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EIrena%27s%20Jars%20of%20Secrets%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1600604390%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E"><b>Irena's Jars of Secrets</b></a> with great success; key to the success of this experience, however, is
having many diverse titles and plenty of copies, since some picture
books are much longer than others. Students might also read a number
of picture books containing the same print content (<a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/paul-revere-rides-again-and-again-and.html"><b>The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere</b></a>) with <b>different visual interpretations</b>
by the various illustrators. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4) Independent Reading</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_pYs6f6OVRo/UTIVNKndNZI/AAAAAAAABjI/Me4S8hKp32s/s1600/George+Bellows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_pYs6f6OVRo/UTIVNKndNZI/AAAAAAAABjI/Me4S8hKp32s/s1600/George+Bellows.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students read independently for a number of reasons,
pleasure being the foremost. But as students mature, they should also <b>read
picture books as models for their own writing</b>. This makes perfect sense, as
picture books are typically the length of student stories in the upper
elementary and middle grades, and the length of writing tasks expected on
standardized tests. Sixth grade students such as my own might be <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/fightin-words-using-picture-books-to.html">seeking creative ways to include opposing viewpoints in their argumentative writing</a>. A book like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419701665/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1419701665&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EGeorge%20Bellows:%20Painter%20with%20a%20Punch%21%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1419701665%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">George Bellows: Painter with a Punch</a> does that masterfully. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students may also <b>read picture books as sources of
reference</b>. A student seeking background on the Sioux tribe, for example, might express reluctance to wade through a difficult nonfiction text, encyclopedia entry, or web
site meant for more mature readers. This same student, however, could access similar
information through three or four picture books whose illustrations would aid
in deciphering and extending difficult terms and concepts. Now armed with a general understanding of the topic, he might now be more willing to check out that difficult nonfiction text, encyclopedia entry, or web
site which seemed so onerous earlier. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When my students were researching predators for their HOWL Museum essays, many chose to use trade books versus the Internet to gather facts and supporting details to prove that their creature was a predator worthy of the Hunters of the Wild Lands Museum (see <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/animal-attraction-exploring-animals.html">Peerless Predators at my Animal Attraction post</a>).</span><br />
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<b>5. Independent Choice Reading</b></span><br />
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This one I can't emphasize enough. Having a library full of enticing titles, attractively displayed, is one of the best methods for getting students to read. And I'm not asking you to break the bank and spend all of your personal money on books! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When I started out as a teacher a million years ago, I tried to build my classroom library as quickly as possible through garage sales, thrift shops, and Scholastic Book Club bonus points. But additionally, I would visit my public library and sign out twenty-five to fifty different picture books each week. These rotating titles offered my students plenty of variety and in turn encouraged them to visit the public library as well (our small private school didn't have a library). I continued to do this even when I began teaching at a public school, and in 25 years of teaching, only two books ever went missing. A small price to pay for encouraging the love of reading!</span><br />
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How do you share picture books in your classroom? We'd love to hear from you in the Comments section below.</span></div>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-61622688996667632562013-02-26T07:38:00.000-05:002015-12-29T07:13:25.839-05:00Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? and Other Prehistoric Picture Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uu4SusQcnAk/UScMZWUhPYI/AAAAAAAABfM/AFyihgYl4Jk/s1600/Are+the+Dinosaurs+Dead.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uu4SusQcnAk/UScMZWUhPYI/AAAAAAAABfM/AFyihgYl4Jk/s400/Are+the+Dinosaurs+Dead.png" width="328" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/156145690X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=156145690X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAre%20the%20Dinosaurs%20Dead,%20Dad?%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=156145690X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad?</a> young Dave's uneventful trip to the museum takes an unlikely and entertaining twist. From the book's inside flap:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dad takes Dave to the museum to see the dinosaurs. Dad is sure he
knows all there is to know about these amazing creatures. But soon Dave
gets the feeling that Dad has one hugely important fact very, very
wrong.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Because, you see, as Dad and Davey pass each dino, the dino seems to come to life!</span><br />
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This is one of those terrific books that relies upon dramatic irony via the illustrations, because Julie Middleton's text doesn't let on to what's happening. Young readers, however, can certainly see for themselves that toes, tails, and terrible jaws are moving! During a read-aloud, a "knowing" adult will wisely avoid being in on the joke, as children love to scream and point out the "secrets" that adults (because of their advanced age and failing eyesight) apparently don't notice for themselves.</span><br />
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Artist Russell Ayto's whimsical images are half the fun, showing us giant-headed monsters balanced on impossibly tiny legs. The creatures' equally understated, overstated, and improbably body part dimensions are fun to discuss as well. The format is large, with plenty of open space on each spreads that lends credibility to the size of the space and the dinosaurs themselves. </span></div>
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Below you'll find some terrific companion books with activity extensions that could work equally well with <i><b>Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad?</b></i> In addition to being mistaken about dinos, some adults are also mistaken in thinking you can ever have enough dinosaur books!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ela-HrNhV28/USb9mgRdUfI/AAAAAAAABeY/L7iwsZGGAzk/s1600/Harry+and+the+Dinosaurs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ela-HrNhV28/USb9mgRdUfI/AAAAAAAABeY/L7iwsZGGAzk/s320/Harry+and+the+Dinosaurs.png" width="257" /></span></a><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cretaceous Companions </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For the younger set, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141502444/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0141502444&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHARRY%20AND%20THE%20DINOSAURS%20GO%20TO%20SCHOOL%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141502444%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Harry and the Dinosaurs Go to School</a> by Ian Whybrow is a wonderful combination of a dino book and a first-day-of-school-jitters book. Harry's toy dinos help him makes new friends, and even assist another shy boy in acclimating to his new surroundings. Adrian Reynolds' bright and sunny illustrations are perfect for sharing and discussing during read-alouds. Check out other titles in this series including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141501030/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0141501030&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHarry%20and%20the%20Dinosaurs%20Say%20%22Raahh%21.%22%20Ian%20Whybrow%20and%20Adrian%20Reynolds%20%28Harry%20&%20the%20Dinosaurs%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141501030%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Harry and the Dinosaurs Say, "Raahh!"</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0071MZHRG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0071MZHRG&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHarry%20and%20the%20Bucketful%20of%20Dinosaurs%20%28Harry%20and%20the%20Dinosaurs%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0071MZHRG%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs</a>.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students can bring in one of their own "prized possessions" and discuss what makes it special. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students might want to create their own <a href="http://www.alittledelightful.com/2012/08/craft-paper-plate-dinosaurs.html">simple paper plate dinosaurs</a>, which can be displayed with a colorful bucket on the bulletin board. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students could imagine that they have a real, live dinosaur for a pet. How would that work? How would you feed him? Where would he sleep?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking for a fun and easy cooking project? Check out these <a href="http://www.tipjunkie.com/food/diy-creepy-fossil-cookies/">fossil cookies</a>.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Marvelous, Monstrous Models</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6zKYnc9QNBU/USb7hMA2GQI/AAAAAAAABeI/-AIEWHt2veQ/s1600/The+Dinosaurs+of+Waterhouse+Hawkins.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6zKYnc9QNBU/USb7hMA2GQI/AAAAAAAABeI/-AIEWHt2veQ/s400/The+Dinosaurs+of+Waterhouse+Hawkins.png" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439114942/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0439114942&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Dinosaurs%20of%20Waterhouse%20Hawkins:%20An%20Illuminating%20History%20of%20Mr.%20Waterhouse%20Hawkins,%20Artist%20and%20Lecturer%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439114942%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins</a> by Barbara Kerley with illustrations by Brian Selznick ("many of which are based on the original sketches of Mr. Hawkins"). Working with scientist Richard Owens, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins wanted to create such perfect models of dinosaurs that anyone who gazed at his creations would see into the past. By using just the bits and pieces of fossils, bones, and teeth that had been found by early palaeontologists, Waterhouse filled in "gaps" by thinking of existing animals which the dinosaurs might have resembled. This book chronicles his triumphal premiere in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham Park (when tens of thousands of spectators, including the Queen, gaped in wonder at his creatures), as well as his tragedy in Central Park (when vandals under the vindictive order of Boss Tweed destroyed his dinosaurs destined for the Americans). Although we now realize that many of Waterhouse's guesses were somewhat inaccurate, no one can dispute his ability to light the imaginations of the thousands who viewed his works.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V5vNSFouv1Q/UScED4uycUI/AAAAAAAABe0/Uymu4ORhZ2c/s1600/Were+We+Wrong+About+Dinosaurs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V5vNSFouv1Q/UScED4uycUI/AAAAAAAABe0/Uymu4ORhZ2c/s320/Were+We+Wrong+About+Dinosaurs.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For more explorations into what we've learned about dinosaurs since the earliest days of their discovery, check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142411930/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0142411930&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EBoy,%20Were%20%20We%20Wrong%20About%20Dinosaurs%21%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142411930%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs</a> by Kathleen Kudlinksi and S.D.Schindler.A terrific book for helping students understand that science never rests!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions: </span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students can use clay to design their own dinosaurs. They don't need to sculpt one specific, real-life dino; instead, they should simply use their imaginations to create an original prehistoric monster. Since scientist continue to discover new dinosaurs all the time, who's to say what the next dino discovery might look like?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students might also enjoy building their own prehistoric pasta pets. Show students pictures of assembled dino skeletons in museums. Explain that while these models take many years to collect, piece together, and display, today students will create their own models using pasta as bones. Given a wide variety of different pasta shapes, students can assemble their own dinos by gluing their selected noodles to black construction paper. Once partially dry, the pasta will need a second coat to affix it well to the paper. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For a look at how those dinosaurs get to the museum, check out the book (coincidentally called) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609050908/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1609050908&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHow%20the%20Dinosaur%20Got%20to%20the%20Museum%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1609050908%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum</a> by Jessie Hartland. This book explains how dinosaur bones go from the earth to you, the museum visitor, via fourteen other people, who are named and collected in a House-that-Jack-Built type progression.</span></li>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9CZg3knbiSQ/USb8AFy5h7I/AAAAAAAABeQ/7RCNke4K8T4/s1600/Dino+Alphabet.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9CZg3knbiSQ/USb8AFy5h7I/AAAAAAAABeQ/7RCNke4K8T4/s320/Dino+Alphabet.png" width="305" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bold and Beautiful</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A wonderful abecedarium can be discovered in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0590464868/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0590464868&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAn%20Alphabet%20of%20Dinosaurs,%20an%20%28hc%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0590464868%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">An Alphabet of Dinosaurs</a> by Peter Dodson, with paintings by Wayne D. Barlowe. Familiar favorites mix with newcomer neighbors on full spreads that features two text sections (one for emerging readers and another for fluent readers) and a full color illustration. The vivid and uniquely imagined colors and patterns of these dinos is what caught my eye when I first viewed this book. In the books' introduction we read: "The paintings in this book show the dinosaurs as we now think of them. Gone is the image of slow-moving giants. Gone is the picture of tail-dragging lizards. Instead, we see vibrant, active dinosaurs living in a world filled with brightly colored animals and plants.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions: </span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Taking a cue from this book, students can create their own unique dino patterns on simple coloring sheets. They can either color with vivid colors (danger! stay back!, bold colors (look at me!), muted colors (I need to hide), or patterns which create camouflage (to avoid being seen by prey or predator).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Older students can be given a simple white dino silhouette (shape) and a variety of a magazine from which to choose pictures. After choosing a large picture which can serve as a background, students will color in their dino shape to camouflage into the background. </span></li>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JfmeWjGp5YY/UScClfIIqpI/AAAAAAAABes/HlvVBRY1kN0/s1600/Dino+for+a+Day.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JfmeWjGp5YY/UScClfIIqpI/AAAAAAAABes/HlvVBRY1kN0/s320/Dino+for+a+Day.png" width="233" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dino for a Day </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In Jim Murphy's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0590921266/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0590921266&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EDinosaur%20for%20a%20Day%20%28Blue%20Ribbon%20Book%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0590921266%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Dinosaur for a Day</a>, older readers can explore a typical day in the life of a Hypsilophodon, a 90 pound herd animal that depended upon its wits and its companions for survival. Additional information from the author precedes and follows this din's "biography," providing for a complete profile of one specific creature. Mark Alan Weatherby's gorgeous paintings put us at dinosaur's-eye view with our surroundings, a perspective rarely seen in other dino books.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions: </span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Have each student choose a dinosaur, and write about "a day in the life of..." Students may need to do some research on which dinosaurs lived in which period, and many students may discover that their dinos and their friends' dinos might have shared the same habitats! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Instead of a dinosaur, have students choose any other animal (or use an animal they've already researched). Require that students illustrate their "daily routine" with view that would be seen from their critter's perspective.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/p06create_304664_7.pdf">Create dino fossils</a> in the classroom.</span></li>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wNFKdHq2wjw/USb219fe8yI/AAAAAAAABeA/YPdp9vw1fNI/s1600/If+Dinosaurs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wNFKdHq2wjw/USb219fe8yI/AAAAAAAABeA/YPdp9vw1fNI/s320/If+Dinosaurs.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Modern Monsters</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What if dinosaurs were alive today? How would our daily lives be different? In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762431423/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0762431423&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EIf%20Dinosaurs%20Were%20Alive%20Today%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0762431423%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">If Dinosaurs Were Alive Today</a>, author Dougal Dixon answers that question with frightening predictions of predatory sea creatures that hunt sperm whales, and tyrannosaurs that terrorize longhorns. The photo-realistic illustrations are amazing as they juxtapose the prehistoric past with the present.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Can you picture yourself flying in a jet across peaceful skies, and suddenly seeing a Quetzalcoatlus, a pterosaur with the wingspan exceeding a small airplane? Can you imagine seeing your trashcan tipped over at the curb, not by a raccoon or even a coyote, but a scavenging carnivorous dino called Coelophysis? Students will love the retouched photos, so disturbingly realistic that one might begin to wonder, "What are the chances of the dinosaurs coming back?"</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Challenge students to draw dinosaurs in modern day settings. How would their traits and habits affect their interactions with people?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Challenge students to put dinos to work. If they existed today, how could their size and strength be helpful to humans?</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLJOZz0-W7g/UScGB5oZ99I/AAAAAAAABe8/gJBITaV0iUU/s1600/Chalk.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLJOZz0-W7g/UScGB5oZ99I/AAAAAAAABe8/gJBITaV0iUU/s320/Chalk.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Wordless Wonders</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Two clever books that tell neat dino
tales are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0517885557/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0517885557&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ETime%20Flies%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0517885557%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Time Flies</a> by Eric Rohmann and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008P3J4QU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008P3J4QU&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EChalk%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008P3J4QU%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Chalk</a> by Bill Thomson.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
wordless format of both books offers the perfect opportunity for
students to tell their own stories. Students can "write" similar books
as a group, and tell their own stories.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students might also be challenged to write the tales they "see" using poetry rather than prose.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0BOQyVoBQk/UScJjTnb2rI/AAAAAAAABfE/6vV2frXy0is/s1600/How+Do+Dinosaurs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0BOQyVoBQk/UScJjTnb2rI/AAAAAAAABfE/6vV2frXy0is/s320/How+Do+Dinosaurs.png" width="244" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How Do Dinosaurs...</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From Jane Yolen and Mark Teague come the fantastic series of <i>How Do Dinosaurs...</i> books including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439241006/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0439241006&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHow%20Do%20Dinosaurs%20Get%20Well%20Soon?%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439241006%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0590316818/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0590316818&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHow%20Do%20Dinosaurs%20Say%20Goodnight?%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0590316818%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?</a> Kids will love all the dinos that Mark Teague includes, and they'll also appreciate the funny and fun-to-recite rhymes of Jane Yolen.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extension:</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Brainstorm a How to... problem with the class and write a similar story as a group, or challenge pairs or teams to come up with their own ideas (focusing on social skills seems to work well here).</span></li>
</ul>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-57014330322311428902013-02-24T11:32:00.000-05:002015-12-27T19:13:11.604-05:00The Secret to Descriptive Writing<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Either I’ve encountered a conspiracy to confound teachers of writing, or I’ve discovered an “obvious secret” of descriptive writing. To paraphrase a classic School House Rock Video, <b>it appears that verbs are, indeed, “what’s happening.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I heard about the power of compelling verbs first from <a href="http://teachingthatsticks.blogspot.com/2009/03/ralph-fletcher-way-with-words.html">Ralph Fletcher</a> in a visit to the Garden State. He explained that well-intentioned teachers encourage their students to use numerous adjectives to create interesting prose, which leads to detail-sodden writing which drags under its own weight. Simply unnecessary. In Ralph’s own words, <b>“Nouns make the pictures, verbs make the pictures move.”</b> (See my enthusiastic endorsement of a recent book by this author at the bottom of this post).</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HfdR1w4bcYM/USkVcqsfI9I/AAAAAAAABgA/Z-sE78b8j5I/s1600/Turtle+Tide.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="289" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HfdR1w4bcYM/USkVcqsfI9I/AAAAAAAABgA/Z-sE78b8j5I/s320/Turtle+Tide.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Flash forward to the New York State Reading Association (NYSRA) Annual Conference held in Saratoga Springs, New York (one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended). During the Author’s Progressive Dinner I had the pleasure of sitting with <a href="http://www.steveswinburne.com/">Steven Swinburne</a>, creator of several wonderful nonfiction picture books including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1563979802?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1563979802">Lots and Lots of Zebra Stripes: Patterns in Nature</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1563979802" height="1" style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1590780817?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1590780817">Turtle Tide: The Ways Of Sea Turtles</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1590780817" height="1" style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px;" width="1" />. As he spoke with his guests about the creative process, he mentioned the importance of verb selection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When I asked why he had mentioned verbs rather than any other part of speech, he quickly replied, <b>“The correct verbs are essential. Verbs are the motor which drives the sentence.”</b> Now I’m thinking that I’m on to something.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wM_CK1afGMU/USkWEE5ZjyI/AAAAAAAABgI/hwDfN4OL9Ao/s1600/Play+Ball+Like+the+Pros.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wM_CK1afGMU/USkWEE5ZjyI/AAAAAAAABgI/hwDfN4OL9Ao/s320/Play+Ball+Like+the+Pros.png" width="246" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The following day I enjoyed a conversation with <a href="http://www.nudgingtheimagination.com/">Steven Krasner</a>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561453390?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561453390">Play Ball Like the Hall Of Famers: The Inside Scoop From 19 Baseball Greats</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561453390" height="1" style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561452610?ie=UTF8&tag=teachthatstic-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561452610">Play Ball Like the Pros: Tips for Kids from 20 Big League Stars</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561452610" height="1" style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0px;" width="1" />. Through his Nudging the Imagination workshop, Steve explained, he creates stories with students on-the-spot in order to model the writing process. <b>“A huge key,”</b> he explained, <b>“is helping them to find the verbs to really move the story.”</b> Opening one of his picture books, he pointed out he crafted the precise, vivid verbs of the final draft during the revision process, replacing common verbs which served only as place holders in the early stages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If three very different writers can agree on the importance of verb choice, then I think there are some lessons to be learned by teachers of young writers:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Encourage students to examine verb choice in novels, poems, picture books, and informational texts. I choose existing mentor texts and rewrite excerpts using “common verbs” (or, as Krasner would call them, <i>place holders</i>). Students are then challenged to replace these with more precise or colorful verbs.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Direct your students to consider verb choice in their own writing, and work to find action words that are more exact. As a start, outlaw there is, there are, there were, there was phrases. A better alternative always exists. As do exceptions. Remember the first line of <i>Holes</i>?</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Teach children how to use a print thesaurus or online reference source (such as the <a href="http://www.m-w.com/">Merriam Webster dictionary</a> or <a href="http://www.wordnik.com/">Wordnik</a>) for assistance in locating more exact expressions.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Reading</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yi-hyM2Mic8/USo9BV4OXRI/AAAAAAAABgc/sdg1oWqyLRU/s1600/Pyrotechnics.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yi-hyM2Mic8/USo9BV4OXRI/AAAAAAAABgc/sdg1oWqyLRU/s320/Pyrotechnics.png" width="253" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're looking for a resource to take your students' writing to the next level, check out Ralph Fletcher's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1571107835/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1571107835&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPyrotechnics%20on%20the%20Page:%20Playful%20Craft%20That%20Sparks%20Writing%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1571107835%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Pyrotechnics on the Page: Playful Craft that Sparks Writing</a>. Ralph explains the book's title by saying: </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I am defining pyrotechnics as deliberate playfulness with language used by writers to create a particular kind of effect as well as the specific tools used to create that that effect.</span></b></div>
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The term includes (but isn't limited to) puns, invented words, allusions, idioms, metaphors, similes, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, and alliteration. (A good deal of the text discusses sentence structure, which is key to complex and elaborated writing as defined by the Common Core standards).</span><br />
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While at first these devices might seem like window dressing, realize this: your best readers can recognize these devices (even if not by name) and understand them in texts, which leads to improved comprehension. <b>Therefore, giving students practice with literary devices in writing will not only make them better writers, but better readers as well.</b></span><br />
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Among a ton of other issues in this book, Fletcher discusses the need for writing teachers and student writers to switch from the <i>what</i> (subject/meaning) to the <i>how</i> (language), and he follows up with many ways to make this important distinction. And to prove his point, the author provides this lovely extended metaphor:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The purpose of a dinner party isn't merely to sate your guests' hunger - they could easily go to the local greasy spoon for that - but rather to take them on a gastronomic journey. Certainly you want the food to taste good, but it's much more than that You plan, prepare, and cook the food so that it has the proper texture, crunch, visual and flavorful variety. The spices should be in harmonious balance with each other. Writers know the same thing. If you want to make your writing memorable to readers, you must give them an aesthetic experience.</span></b></div>
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In another section called <i>Shimmering Sentences by Other Writers</i>, he talks about how's he fascinated by writers who violate common ideas about usage, and get away with it. Not just get away with it, but produce stronger writing as a result! See <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2010/04/breaking-all-rules-of-writing.html">Breaking All the Rules of Writing</a> at my <b>How to Teach a Novel</b> site which discusses how author Andrew Clements does exactly that.</span><br />
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If you still think that the books' about "play" and not about "practice," consider what not just Ralph Fletcher, but other experts, had to say:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">...Language play carries the huge cognitive benefit of helping children become more efficient language users. Many educators have pointed this out, including Vygotsky, who famously described a child's language as "a head taller" during play. Jerome Bruner said that "language is most daring and most advanced when it is used in a playful setting."</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And for those who prefer practice over theory, Fletcher includes a number of hands-on, ready-to-use-tomorrow resources here, including a Q and A section, craft lessons divided by grade level (K-5+), and a number of appendices which supply the teacher with loads of language exemplars, as well as recommended mentor texts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I can't recommend this book too highly! Preview it in its entirety <a href="http://www.stenhouse.com/shop/pc/viewprd.asp?idProduct=9202">online at Stenhouse Publishers</a> and see if you don't agree! But <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1571107835/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1571107835&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPyrotechnics%20on%20the%20Page:%20Playful%20Craft%20That%20Sparks%20Writing%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1571107835%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">buy it on Amazon</a>, save the shipping, and support this site!</span></div>
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/link-enhancer?tag=teachthatstic-20&o=1" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><noscript><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/noscript?tag=teachthatstic-20" alt="" /></noscript></div>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-79165372297161477792013-02-20T06:16:00.000-05:002015-12-27T19:15:54.325-05:00Celebrate Something! Creating Culminating Activities for Reading Units<div style="color: black;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Most of us meticulously plan how we'll begin and carry out our novel studies and units, but the culminating events are often an afterthought. </b>Should our novel study simply end with a test? Is that any way to honor this glorious novel which we held so closely to our hearts these past four, five, six weeks?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I would recommend that we plan a culminating activity to close our units.</b> In its <i>simplest</i> form, the culminating activity might be:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a film version of the book (<a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2011/03/value-of-lousy-movie-adaptation.html" target="_blank">even a bad adaptation!</a>),</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a theatrical version of the book, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a magic or variety show, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a reader’s theater production of scenes from the book,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">individual or group art, writing, or cooking projects,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">presentations of writing and other projects based upon the novel, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a call to action or service, or </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a theme-based party.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-01Wacnek1Lw/USLUbedchpI/AAAAAAAABc0/3eZAFHWa2nk/s1600/The+Lion,+the+Witch,+and+the+Wardrobe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-01Wacnek1Lw/USLUbedchpI/AAAAAAAABc0/3eZAFHWa2nk/s320/The+Lion,+the+Witch,+and+the+Wardrobe.png" width="213" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The culminating activity could also involve a combination of these. Many years ago, we arranged to see a private showing of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064409422/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0064409422&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Lion,%20the%20Witch%20and%20the%20Wardrobe%20%28Full-Color%20Collector%27s%20Edition%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064409422%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064409422/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0064409422&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Lion,%20the%20Witch%20and%20the%20Wardrobe%20%28Full-Color%20Collector%27s%20Edition%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064409422%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</a> (before it was even opened to the public), as that movie was premiering just as we completed the novel. Talk about great timing! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But as we viewed "sneak peeks" on the Internet, I saw that my students were mesmerized by the costumes and armor of the four main characters. We therefore launched into an art/research/tech project creating family shields complete with heraldic symbols which reflected each student’s personal traits and<br />preferences as well as those of their families. The bulletin board display of these shields later appeared on the website of Walden Media, a co-producer of the movie. Kids were pretty psyched to see that their creations had a world-wide audience.<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you choose to throw a theme based party, I suggest you focus on the five senses. Below are two plans illustrating culminating events which my class has celebrated in the past (back in the good old days of third and fourth grade).</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8-yvflPIVVQ/USK14xRwFnI/AAAAAAAABbw/nXnqFN9Gks4/s1600/Because+of+Winn+Dixie.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8-yvflPIVVQ/USK14xRwFnI/AAAAAAAABbw/nXnqFN9Gks4/s320/Because+of+Winn+Dixie.png" width="248" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Novel:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NC7330/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002NC7330&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EBecause%20of%20Winn-Dixie%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002NC7330%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank"><b>Because of Winn Dixie<span id="goog_1681777196"></span><span id="goog_1681777197"></span></b></a><br /><b>Theme:</b> Identity<br /><b>Party Overview:</b> This is a gathering of new friends, based upon the party which Opal and Gloria throw at the end of the novel. In the novel, the gathering takes place in Gloria’s overgrown backyard, and the food and drinks are an interesting orchestration of many hands.<br /><b>Look:</b> Since the book’s party was held at night, all lights in the classroom were off. Each desk contained a brown bag filled partway with sand, containing one battery operated candle. These were in place of the<br />luminaria which Opal created for her party. Some white Christmas lights were also hung. Several students printed out or collected dog pictures which they posted around the room, just as Sweetie Pie Thomas had at the party; after all, "every party needs a theme."<br /><b>Sound:</b> Taped recordings of crickets played throughout the party. Later, a thunder soundtrack was added to create the approaching rainstorm. The music teacher played guitar and led us in a few songs, just as Otis did at the party. We also played some bluegrass and country music when we weren't singing ourselves.<br /><b>Taste:</b> “Dump Punch,” pickles, and egg salad sandwiches were on the menu, just as they were at Opal’s party. Since the students made the sandwiches themselves, they were much more willing to try them!<br /><b>Smell:</b> A spring scented air freshener was placed on the vents. It made the whole room smell like a Southern garden (at least, how we imagined it might smell). The air freshener had never been used before<br />in the class, and was never used again, which made that smell unique.<br /><b>Feel:</b> In keeping with the “new friends” theme of the party, we brought in another class to share the theme. The closeness of that many people in that setting we created made the party truly memorable.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jHZV0w2I2Rc/USK2YxNe4mI/AAAAAAAABb4/qczMJgkPLrM/s1600/American+Tall+Tales.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jHZV0w2I2Rc/USK2YxNe4mI/AAAAAAAABb4/qczMJgkPLrM/s320/American+Tall+Tales.png" width="233" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Genre: Tall Tales</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(especially as influenced by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679800891/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0679800891&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAmerican%20Tall%20Tales%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0679800891%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">American Tall Tales</a> by Mary Pope Osborne, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0698118111/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0698118111&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ECut%20from%20the%20Same%20Cloth:%20American%20Women%20of%20Myth,%20Legend,%20and%20Tall%20Tale%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0698118111%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Cut From the Same Cloth: American Women of Myth, Legend, and Tall Tale</a> by Robert D. San Souci, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152026258/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0152026258&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EBig%20Men,%20Big%20Country:%20A%20Collection%20of%20American%20Tall%20Tales%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0152026258%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Big Men, Big Country</a> by Paul Robert Walker)<br /><b>Theme:</b> Larger Than Life <br /><b>Party Overview: </b>An old fashioned, lumber-jack type breakfast.<br /><b>Look:</b> The students ate at one long table, which was set up in a glassed-in foyer on a snowy day in January. Red and white checked table cloths and old-fashioned lanterns set the scene. Also, students were dressed as their favorite tall tale characters, or as tall tale characters of their own creation from a unit writing assignment. Book boxes (book shaped dioramas containing summaries and a three-dimensional scene) were hung nearby.<br /><b>Sound:</b> In the background was a recording of traditional American folk songs played on fiddles and banjos. Later, students read aloud their original tall tales.<br /><b>Taste:</b> Students enjoyed a Paul Bunyan sized meal of pancakes and bacon, washed down with hot chocolate. Twenty students (and some parent helpers) ate over 80 pancakes and 80 pieces of bacon!<br /><b>Smell:</b> The food was cooked there, in that room, from pancake batter that students made from scratch. The smell of pancakes and sizzling bacon mingled with pine shavings which were sprinkled on the ground to give it that “woodsy” smell.<br /><b>Feel:</b> The blustery cold day visible through the windows, contrasted with the warm food inside, made for a close, comfortable gathering. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Does every novel or unit lend itself to this type of activity?</b> Absolutely not. When we read a Holocaust themed novel, for example, a party is NOT appropriate. Instead, we might write an argumentative piece on why the Holocaust should be studies in middle schools (some schools think it shouldn't). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Can we even launch these types of parties anymore, with all the food and festivities they entail?</b> Perhaps not. But I think we owe our students a bit more closure than simply saying, "Please pass your books to the front of the class." As Cesare Pavese once said, "We do not remember days, we remember moments." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Let's give our students one moment to remember.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What do you do to bring closure to your studies? Please leave a comment below!</span></div>
Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-71999798934990708362013-02-15T22:50:00.000-05:002015-12-27T19:23:09.392-05:00Fightin' Words: Using Picture Books to Teach Argumentative Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FAOBWk8hX20/UR7Y7tZAqVI/AAAAAAAABaY/qDFrB1keV_E/s1600/George+Bellows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FAOBWk8hX20/UR7Y7tZAqVI/AAAAAAAABaY/qDFrB1keV_E/s320/George+Bellows.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So what's the difference between persuasive writing and argumentative writing? </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>In persuasive writing, students passionately defend their point of view, relying upon opinion, personal experience, anecdotes, data, and examples</b><b>. Argumentative writing, however, seeks to offer a more balanced approach, as it acknowledges points from the opposing view.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This approach may sound counterproductive; after all, won't writers weaken their arguments by providing the reader with counterclaims? Surprisingly, no. <b>By naming objections and then refuting them effectively, writers actually strengthen the position of their arguments. </b>Persuasion, on the other hand, is weak by comparison: it ignores, in a cowardly way, any viewpoint that is contrary and threatening to its own. It's blatantly one-sided and subjective.</span><br />
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<b>So where can our young readers witness the power of argumentative writing? In picture books, of course!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419701665/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1419701665&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EGeorge%20Bellows:%20Painter%20with%20a%20Punch%21%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1419701665%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">George Bellows: Painter with a Punch</a>, author Robert Burleigh chronicles the career of a fascinating and prolific artist who is celebrated for his gruff and gritty observations of the vitality and vigor of early twentieth century New York City. Burleigh provides the reader with "just enough" details of Bellows the man to make him real and rounded, and "just enough" context of the art scene of the time to build color and context. The majority of the text rightfully focuses on the images (profusely provided in beautiful color) and on Bellows' artistic legacy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As a teacher of reading and writing, I am struck by Burleigh's use of argumentative text structures which can serve as wonderful exemplars for young writers. Consider this passage from early in the text:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One man - seated at ringside - observes the events
somewhat differently. He watches closely both the fury of the fighters
and the fans' reactions. But who wins the bout doesn't matter to him. He
has his own goal: to wrestle a picture from the chaotic scene, to
capture the wild energy of this moment!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Is this strange? An artist here, in a smelly, grungy saloon?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Shouldn't an artist be searching for
<i>beautiful</i> things to paint? Golden sunsets? Quiet, tree-lined rivers? Or
perhaps a wealthy gentleman, or a celebrity dressed in her finest
clothes? Many people would say just that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But not George Bellows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In that example, a series of questions defines the opposing viewpoint. We know that George will need a pretty darn good reason for choosing subjects so contrary to those of traditional artists!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In another selection, the opposing argument is presented more traditionally as a juxtaposition of one perspective to another:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">George's paintings gain attention. He is among a group
of artists who focus on the less romantic parts of the city, like bars,
train stations, movie theaters, and alleyways...Reviewers attack the
group, calling them "apostles of ugliness" because they dare to paint
the seamier side of life...But a few reviewers find complimentary things
to say about George's art. They especially praise his ability to convey
strong feelings in his work.</span></div>
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One critic, although won over by Bellow's radical approach, still qualifies his admiration for the artist in a compliment that acknowledges the two opposing viewpoints of the time:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"It's in bad taste," one says, "but it's life - and that is the main thing."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As you can see, the examples of argumentation are there. They're subtly written, however, so as not to crowd out the narrative. That is exactly what makes them effective, and so worthy of our students' admiration and study and replication. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the excerpt below, note that the first two sentences juxtapose opposing viewpoints, with the word <i>yet</i> being the giveaway. The second pair of sentences follows the classic "some people say ______, but _______" format, with <i>though</i> serving in place of <i>but</i>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"I don't know anything about boxing," he likes to say.
Yet the paintings he makes based on these fights will become his best
known works. Some critics note that the figures in the paintings are
awkwardly drawn or that the ringside spectators have odd, caricatured
faces. What concerns George most, though, is creating a "you-are-there"
feeling.</span></div>
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Can students incorporate this same argumentative style into their writing? Absolutely. The key, in my opinion, is starting with some great exemplars. The next step is getting students to see that argumentative writing often relies upon a fairly standard set of sentence structures. This "sentence grammar" is more common in writing than you think!</span><br />
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Consider these templates:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>At first you might
think _____, but _____.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>While it's true
that _____, you need to remember that _____.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It's possible that _______, but __________.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Some people believe that _____; however, _____.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are those same templates, reworked with spelling words:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At first you might
think that <b>vivacious</b> children are wonderful, but after three hours you would
find them to be very exhausting.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>While it's true
that <b>vitamins</b> are part of a healthy diet, you need to remember that they can't
take the place of nutritious foods.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It's possible that
coffee increases <b>vitality</b>, but it's still no substitute for a good night's
rest.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Some people believe that
bees are attracted to sugar; however, bees are equally attracted to <b>vivid</b> colors.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Somewhat better than what students typically produce, right? But with the models, it's possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And again, those same templates as part of an expository paragraph about common misconceptions of the Holocaust, based upon a reading of <i>An Introduction to the Holocaust for the Young Reader</i>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At first you might
think that World War II caused the Holocaust since the two events are
mentioned together so often; after some study, however, you would find
that persecution of Jews in Germany began six years earlier. And while
it's true
that six million Jews were exterminated by the Nazis, you need to
remember five million others who were considered undesirable were killed
as well. It's possible to believe now that people should have stepped
in to save the Jews, but you'd be surprised how few countries seemed to
care at the time. You might think the United States was the exception,
that we cared enough to step in; however, of the thirty-two countries
that attended the <a href="http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007698" target="_blank">Evian Conference</a>, only one chose to accept Jewish refugees, and it wasn't the United States.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A perfect paragraph? No. But one that shows a balanced consideration of ideas; one that acknowledges common misconceptions, and then dispels them, one at a time.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Share <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419701665/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1419701665&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EGeorge%20Bellows:%20Painter%20with%20a%20Punch%21%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1419701665%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">George Bellows: Painter with a Punch</a> with students, reading through from beginning to end for the sheer enjoyment of the narrative and images.</b> Show students additional Bellows' paintings in over-sized library books or online. I prefer using images online, as I can often resize them on-screen to match their approximate real-life sizes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Reread selections from the text in order to discuss the use of opposing viewpoints.</b> Why does the author include them here? In what way is this text argumentative? How does mentioning the opposite viewpoint strengthen each point that author Robert Burleigh makes? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Once students have discussed some text selections, work with them to identify the "skeleton" or "template" of each argumentative structure. Then, <b>supply students with new content to be rephrased in argumentative format using the author's exemplars.</b> One example from above reads, <i>"</i><i>Some critics note that the figures in the paintings are
awkwardly drawn or that the ringside spectators have odd, caricatured
faces. What concerns George most, though, is creating a "you-are-there"
feeling." </i> This excerpt relies upon the "Some people..." format, with the counter-punch statement using "though" to express opposition (<i>however </i>could have been used as effectively as <i>though</i>).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Discuss the book's title with students. Some students will notice that the subtitle is
alliterative, in that words share the same beginning sounds. If your
students have recently read biographies, <b>challenge them to write
fictitious subtitles that rely upon either alliteration, rhyme, or word
play</b>. (Other students will notice that the top rope of the ring serves
to underline the book's main title).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Show students other nonfiction books which utilize a title and subtitle, and discuss this feature's purpose. </b>Authors and editors may do write titles in this manner for many different reasons: to separate their book from others on the same topic, to add a creative twist while still keeping the main topic "out in front," or to provide prospective readers with the book's focus (for example, <i>Abraham Lincoln: A Pioneer Boyhood</i> is aimed at a different audience than <i>Abraham Lincoln: Making of a President</i>). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Require that students use sentence stems </b>(aka templates, models, patterns) <b>such as those above to contrast simple ideas.</b> Start with simple single sentences, move to paired sentences, and finally to paragraphs. My own students have used them for lesson summaries, spelling sentences, responses to current events, summary paragraphs (such as the Holocaust piece above), and comparison/contrast writings about character motives.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Check out this <a href="http://www.smekenseducation.com/08ff55594d_sites/www.smekenseducation.com/files/Arg_v__Pers_T_CHART__Updated_SMEKENS_10-13.pdf" target="_blank">fantastic break-down of argumentative writing</a> from Smekens Education Solutions, Inc.</b> In addition to some teaching tips, you'll find a <a href="http://www.smekenseducation.com/argumentative-v-persuasive-writing.html" target="_blank">ready-to-go activity</a> that challenges students to identify what makes a revised piece of writing argumentative. They've also produced a clever <a href="http://www.smekenseducation.com/constructed-responses-require-textual-evidence.html" target="_blank">student friendly/teacher friendly interpretation</a> of the ELA Writing Standard (6.1) for Text Types and Purposes.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recommended Reading</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68Ad1iaTym0/UR79uNxbLaI/AAAAAAAABao/I1dMktfXHrk/s1600/They+say,+I+say.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-68Ad1iaTym0/UR79uNxbLaI/AAAAAAAABao/I1dMktfXHrk/s320/They+say,+I+say.png" width="224" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're looking for a single, go-to title for working with argumentative text models like those above, check out <span id="btAsinTitle"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/039393361X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=039393361X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThey%20Say,%20I%20Say:%20The%20Moves%20That%20Matter%20in%20Academic%20Writing%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=039393361X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing</a>. This book explains in clear words, dozens of templates, and numerous real-world examples the powerful concepts which guide argumentative writing.</span></span><br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle">Here you'll find templates for openings, closings, discussion, disagreement, etc. You'll also have at your fingertips many professionally written articles, essays, and speeches which show these same templates at work (check out the explanation of argumentative writing in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail shown in the book preview on Amazon). </span></span><br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This work, aimed at both instructors and high school- and college-aged students, is must reading.</span></div>
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Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-43130837673363721082013-02-10T17:30:00.000-05:002015-12-27T20:11:40.199-05:00Valentines for Vermin: Love Poems for the Unloved<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G9dAYNKpoRU/URgcxT4Al-I/AAAAAAAABYw/gsUeE46myOc/s1600/Vulture+Verses.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G9dAYNKpoRU/URgcxT4Al-I/AAAAAAAABYw/gsUeE46myOc/s320/Vulture+Verses.png" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Looking for a fun writing activity that integrates well with Valentine's Day? </b>Then look no further than <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983459452/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0983459452&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EVulture%20Verses:%20Love%20Poems%20for%20the%20Unloved%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0983459452%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Vulture Verses: Love Poems for the Unloved</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This book is a funny and fact-filled collection of "friendship notes" written to some of the most unlovable creatures one could imagine. Through her poems and accompanying facts, author Diane Lang helps us see that even bats, turkey vultures, spiders, skunks, and mosquitoes (to name but a few of the animal dignitaries) deserve some love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The friendship note to the fly, for example, reads: </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh fly, though no one seeks to ask,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recycling is your secret task.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You eat the things that die or spoil</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And make them part of growing soil.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, though I shoo you from my plate, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">You're someone I appreciate!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Below that we read:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Flies are specialists at eating things that are dead and decaying, getting them ready to become part of new, healthy soil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lovely paintings by Lauren Gallegos illustrate each animal at its most industrious, making even the most scream-worthy of the lot seem noble, or, at the very least, tolerable.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QmAtKe7hOnc/URgc6SHZCBI/AAAAAAAABY4/Bje3rQHTwOA/s1600/Animal+Grossapedia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QmAtKe7hOnc/URgc6SHZCBI/AAAAAAAABY4/Bje3rQHTwOA/s320/Animal+Grossapedia.png" width="251" /></span></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The book closes with a request: <i>"So many cards to write! So many animal friends! I may need some help. Do you know someone who is misunderstood? Will you help me write friendship notes, too?"</i> Such a fantastic suggestion! Working in pairs or teams, students can research basic facts about other unloved animals that "scuttle, slither, buzz, and sting." Why are these creature seen as so horrible? What makes them worthy of our admiration? See if your students can write similar poems to change the loathsome to the lovable. Picture books such as Melissa Stewart's marvelous <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545433487/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0545433487&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAnimal%20Grossapedia%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0545433487%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Animal Grossapedia</a> will provide ample information and inspiration for even the most reluctant writers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As an additional challenge, ask students to write the above poems in the first person, as if they are the animal. They must defend themselves to humans, and justify the "bad rap" which they've been given. Students could be further challenged to write these poems without naming themselves (the animal could be identified at poem's end or in the title alone). Students can then read the poems aloud, and classmates can guess the identity of the nefarious narrator.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What role do these animals play in other stories, whether fables, myths, or folktales? With what traits have they been branded? Have students create original fables using one of the creatures from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983459452/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0983459452&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EVulture%20Verses:%20Love%20Poems%20for%20the%20Unloved%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0983459452%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Vulture Verses: Love Poems for the Unloved</a>, or from their research project above. See my earlier post <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/animal-attraction-exploring-animals.html" target="_blank">Animal Attractions</a> for more ideas and suggested titles for fables. <b><br /></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Diane Lang uses fantastic vocabulary in both her poems and follow-up facts. Discuss some of these words and challenge students to define them, using context clues alone. Why did the author choose these and not their simpler synonyms? If students completed any of the above activities, ask them to revisit their writing to substitute words that are more exacting and creative for those which are overused or ordinary. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you have a favorite reading or writing activity to celebrate Valentine's Day? If so, please leave a comment below!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And if you haven't entered yet, be sure to get in on the <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/animal-attraction-exploring-animals.html" target="_blank">raffle for one of three animal picture books</a> happening on this blog (scroll to the bottom of that page). </span></div>
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Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-81964201344794109542013-02-09T14:18:00.000-05:002015-12-27T20:12:32.080-05:00Tales to Tell: Exploring Author's Voice Through Picture Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0sK2IAYbL0E/URZpa3Vi3vI/AAAAAAAABXQ/mxhtS049qv4/s1600/Jangles+A+BIG+Fish+Story.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0sK2IAYbL0E/URZpa3Vi3vI/AAAAAAAABXQ/mxhtS049qv4/s400/Jangles+A+BIG+Fish+Story.png" width="310" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When we read a truly wonderful picture book, one whose words resonate as much as the pictures themselves, we should take the opportunity to stand back and ask ourselves, "How did the author do that?" And more importantly, <b>How can we get our students to find their own strong voices in writing?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If we recall the opening lines of some favorite middle-grade novels, we discover that the author's voice begins to take form in just the first few words. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Consider Avi's <span id="internal-source-marker_0.4578968171863288" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Newbery winning <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545477115/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0545477115&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20True%20Confessions%20of%20Charlotte%20Doyle%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0545477115%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle</a></span>, a fantastic sea yarn in which the protagonist finds herself at the center of a mutiny:</span></div>
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.4578968171863288" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Not
every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial,
and found guilty. But I was such a girl, and my story is worth relating
even if it did happen years ago.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Or consider the ominous first lines of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064400557/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0064400557&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ECharlotte%27s%20Web%20%28Trophy%20Newbery%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064400557%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Charlotte’s Web</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by E. B. White:</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.4578968171863288" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Out to the hoghouse,” replied her mother. “Some pigs were born last night.”</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As both novels progress, we immerse ourselves in the narrator's point of view, falling in step with the rhythm of words, the tone, and the exacting word choice.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But neither picture books nor our students' own writing has the luxury of 200+ pages to build voice. It needs to happen much sooner.Here are three picture book exemplars to get us started.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Mentor Text: Jangles: A BIG Fish Story</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ce_BuDrXGbU/URZqQ40NJNI/AAAAAAAABXY/_CCrtCm2hkE/s1600/Jangles+Page+Spread.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ce_BuDrXGbU/URZqQ40NJNI/AAAAAAAABXY/_CCrtCm2hkE/s400/Jangles+Page+Spread.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">David Shannon's recent picture book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545143128/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0545143128&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EJangles:%20A%20Big%20Fish%20Story%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0545143128%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Jangles: A BIG Fish Story</a> harkens back to the day of the traditional Tall Tale. Tall Tales, characterized mainly by their penchant for hyperbole (that is, their tendency to exaggerate to the point of lying!) developed a boastful and boisterous voice over time, due to the fact that many of the original Tall Tales were spread orally. Each subsequent teller would add his or her own embellishments (as well as quaint colloquialisms), resulting in crowd-sourced versions of the tales that were rich in both authentic voice and vocabulary.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545143128/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0545143128&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EJangles:%20A%20Big%20Fish%20Story%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0545143128%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Jangles: A BIG Fish Story</a> would serve as an excellent introduction to this literary genre. Author and illustrator David Shannon writes in a style that harkens to the boasts of the Tall Tale tradition:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When I was a kid, Jangles was the biggest fish that anyone had ever seen - or heard! That's right, you could <i>hear</i> Jangles. He'd broken so many fishing lines that his huge, crooked jaw was covered with shiny metal lures and rusty old fishhooks of all shapes and sized. They clinked and clattered as he swam. That's why he was called Jangles.</span></b><br />
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<b>Jangles was so big, he ate eagles from the trees that hung over the lake, and full-grown beavers that strayed too far from home.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Compare that with the beginning of Jerry Spinelli's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003F76I3S/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003F76I3S&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EManiac%20Magee%20%28Newbery%20Medal%20Book%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003F76I3S%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Maniac Magee</a> (another Newbery Medal book):</span></div>
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<b><span id="internal-source-marker_0.4578968171863288" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“They
say (he) was born in a dump. They say his stomach was a cereal box and
his heart was a sofa spring. They say he kept an eight-inch cockroach on
a leash and that rats stood guard over him while he slept…They say.”</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And to be sure, you'll find the "They say..." phrase in Shannon's book as well, since, while the facts of any Tall Tale might not be verified empirically, they must undoubtedly be true, since so many people agree on them.</span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8BuSHmEob6U/URZsOsRwKdI/AAAAAAAABXg/ssTOGb_jCRs/s1600/A+Bad+Case+of+the+Stripes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8BuSHmEob6U/URZsOsRwKdI/AAAAAAAABXg/ssTOGb_jCRs/s200/A+Bad+Case+of+the+Stripes.png" width="156" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The story itself is an engaging narrative, with an ending that requires a bit of inferring on the reader's part. The story also begs the question, "What would <i>you</i> have done in his place?" Close rereadings can reveal simile, alliteration, personification, and many other wonderful literary devices masterfully woven into the tale.</span><br />
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And the illustrations! Fans of David Shannon know from earlier books such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083P0SEM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0083P0SEM&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EA%20Bad%20Case%20of%20Stripes%20[Paperback]%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0083P0SEM%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">A Bad Case of the Stripes</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545381789/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0545381789&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHow%20Georgie%20Radbourn%20Saved%20Baseball%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0545381789%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball</a> that his pictures are lush and vivid and sculpturesque. Whenever I'm explaining to my students that their own illustrations should be saturated with color, Shannon's books are among the exemplars I share.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To begin a Tall Tale unit, let children read a number of traditional retellings of Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, John Henry, and Slue-Foot Sue. Have them generate the critical attributes of this genre, explaining as well how it differs from (and yet takes cues from) legends, folktales, and myths. Find some <a href="http://www.42explore.com/talltale.htm" target="_blank">online resources at 42explore</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After reading <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Jangles: A BIG Fish Story</i>, challenge students to write a Tall Tale about an animal of their choosing. You might consider supplying a simple story map based upon the mentor text which can guide students in their writing.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ask students to generate a list of some of their most memorable experiences (circus, baseball game, birth of a sibling, family reunion, recital, getting lost at the mall, etc.). Share the <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/jangles-big-fish-story-conversation-author-david-shannon" target="_blank">interview with the David Shannon</a> at the Scholastic site. Discuss how personal experiences can often serve as the basis for writing fiction, and then have students choose one of their events to turn into a fictional account.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Mentor Text: </b></span><b>Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Another recent picture book which features a strong voice is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080758035X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=080758035X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ETouch%20the%20Sky:%20Alice%20Coachman,%20Olympic%20High%20Jumper%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=080758035X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper</a>. Author Ann Malaspina tells the true-life tale of a young girl who dreams of being the first African-American woman to win gold at the Olympics. Her medals won while competing as part of Tuskegee Institute's famous Golden Tigerettes only increase her determination to reach that goal. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vARwAC3Tp44/URZ2J9cD6qI/AAAAAAAABXw/-PDs-cmnvCU/s1600/Touch+the+Sky.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vARwAC3Tp44/URZ2J9cD6qI/AAAAAAAABXw/-PDs-cmnvCU/s320/Touch+the+Sky.png" width="243" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tall Tale boasting would be inappropriate for this genre, of course, because as Dizzy Dean (and <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/bragging.html" target="_blank">others</a>) would say, "It ain't bragging if you can do it." Instead, the prose here is more lyrical, and almost poetic:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Alice Coachman raced</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">down the dirt road,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">bare feet flying,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">long legs spinning, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">braids flapping</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in the wind...</span></b><br />
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<b>LEAP!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<b>She sailed over</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">a tree branch</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and kept on running. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Students will come to appreciate the power of <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2011/04/teach-your-students-to-flirt.html" target="_blank">repetition</a>, parallel structure, and <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2013/01/finding-flow-in-writing.html" target="_blank">flow</a> in such lines as:</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xeqBWT1r7ZA/URZ4U3B23VI/AAAAAAAABX4/rU9A6qVfjb0/s1600/Touch+the+Sky+Spread.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xeqBWT1r7ZA/URZ4U3B23VI/AAAAAAAABX4/rU9A6qVfjb0/s320/Touch+the+Sky+Spread.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fields shut.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tracks shut. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Doors shut</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">to girls like Alice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No place to practice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No crossbar to raise.</span><br />
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Alice and her friends got busy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Knotting rags.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tying rags to sticks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Planting sticks </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">in the red Georgia clay.</span><br />
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Then her friends stood back </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and let Alice jump. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Illustrations by <a href="http://www.ericvelasquez.com/" target="_blank">Eric Velasquez</a> (trust me, you know this guy; we all have <a href="http://www.ericvelasquez.com/gallery/covers5.html" target="_blank">chapter books</a> in our classrooms bearing his work) fill each page, providing not only energy and emotion, but historical context as well.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></b></div>
<ul><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jyCVlMRax2k/URaB6qyvNlI/AAAAAAAABYI/dD14u-fubiQ/s1600/Heart+on+Fire.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jyCVlMRax2k/URaB6qyvNlI/AAAAAAAABYI/dD14u-fubiQ/s320/Heart+on+Fire.png" width="320" /></span></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Check out the <a href="http://www.albertwhitman.com/resources/BookResources/6/6/documents/teachers-guide.touchthesky.annmalaspina1.pdf" target="_blank">Teacher's Guide</a> at <a href="http://www.albertwhitman.com/" target="_blank">Albert Whitman and Company</a> for discussion questions, cross-curricular extensions, and ready-to-use assessments. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In connection with biography readings for either Back History Month or Women's History Month, encourage students to rewrite key events from a famous person's life using the lyrical style of (fellow New Jerseyan) <a href="http://www.annmalaspina.com/" target="_blank">Ann Malaspina</a>. Existing lines from chapter books can be reformatted into parallel structures (where possible), although I'd prefer for students to adapt those events or anecdotes they find most compelling.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you enjoy Malaspina's writing, which Kirkus Reviews called "spare and elegant free verse," then definitely check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080753188X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=080753188X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHeart%20on%20Fire:%20Susan%20B.%20Anthony%20Votes%20for%20President%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=080753188X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Heart on Fire: Susan B. Anthony Votes for President</a>, another spot-on writing exemplar for young authors, with superb illustrations by Steve James. Susan B. Anthony's law-defying act of voting is little known to students, but rivals the illegal actions of such "criminals" as Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr. See the <a href="http://www.albertwhitman.com/resources/BookResources/8/3/documents/heart_on_fire_guide11.pdf" target="_blank">classroom guide</a> for this book which was named to the Top Ten of the <a href="http://ameliabloomer.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Amelia Bloomer Project</a>.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Mentor Text: </b></span><b>Prairie Chicken Little</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b></b>In the tradition of this age old tale, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561456942/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561456942&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPrairie%20Chicken%20Little%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561456942%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Prairie Chicken Little</a> by Jackie Mims Hopkins chronicles the over-reaction of one prairie chicken who thinks the sky is falling, or more accurately, a stampede is coming!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Listen to this text's unique voice as the story begins: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Out on the grasslands where bison roam, Mary McBlicken the prairie chicken was scritch-scratching for her breakfast, when all of a sudden she heard a rumbling and a grumbling and a tumbling.</span><br />
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"Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "A stampede's a comin'! I need to hightail it back to the ranch to tell Cowboy Stan and Red Dog Dan. They'll know what to do."</span><br />
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So away Mary ran, lickety-splickety, as fast as her little prairie chicken legs could carry her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The onomatopoeia, the rhymes, and the word choice (such as "hightail it") combine to create a voice that matches both the book's setting and its levity. The book's fun is well supported by Henry Cole's splendid pictures. You might recall seeing his handiwork in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561455644/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561455644&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThree%20Hens%20and%20a%20Peacock%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561455644%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Three Hens and a Peacock</a>, mentioned <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/making-peace-with-picture-books.html" target="_blank">here in a previous post</a>. <span id="goog_1106168276"></span><span id="goog_1106168277"></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Extensions:</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o1GJH2PgqFk/URaZo23EinI/AAAAAAAABYg/oRoa-WVSEI0/s1600/three+hens+and+a+peacock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o1GJH2PgqFk/URaZo23EinI/AAAAAAAABYg/oRoa-WVSEI0/s320/three+hens+and+a+peacock.jpg" width="258" /></span></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the event that your students are studying other ecosystems such as as rain forests or polar regions, you could adapt this idea, challenging students to create a crisis or calamity, as well as appropriate creatures who would help spread the word. It's a pretty cool way to synthesize students' collection of random facts from a unit into a creative response. Can't you just see a penguin or a toucan as the main character?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fractured Fairy Tales are an all time favorite for kids to read, and they're fun to write as well. A recent post at the <a href="http://peachtreepub.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-celebration-of-fairy-tales.html" target="_blank">Peachtree Publishing blog</a> provides some great titles to get you started.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Have students research any of the animals from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561456942/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561456942&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPrairie%20Chicken%20Little%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561456942%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Prairie Chicken Little</a>. Some of the real-life critters who populate this book sport some pretty amazing features. A good place to start? The <a href="http://www.prairiechicken.org/" target="_blank">Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society</a>.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you have a favorite picture book to teach author's voice? If so, share it below!</span><br />
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And if you haven't entered yet, be sure to get in on the <a href="http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/animal-attraction-exploring-animals.html" target="_blank">raffle for one of three animal picture books</a> happening on this blog (scroll to the bottom of that page).</span></div>
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Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7946109972966431326.post-10473549801399447482013-02-03T20:18:00.011-05:002023-06-13T11:41:27.841-04:00Animal Attraction: Exploring Animals with Picture Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Children love animals, so it's not surprising that the canon of children's literature is populated with iconic rabbits, bears, elephant, and mice. <b>So how can we continue to take advantage of this connection with animals as students enter their upper elementary and middle school years?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Below I've listen ten ideas for making the most of students' animal attractions. Feel free to leave a comment to share how you've used animal books in your own classroom.</span></div>
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Fantastic Fables</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project Type: Creative Writing</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Suggested Grades: 2 and up </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">The Ancient Greeks </span><span style="color: black;">understood the power of storytelling for instructing youth. Traditional ancient fables typically feature animals acting with human traits (anthropomorphism) and conclude with a moral, whether explicitly stated or not. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A popular version of this genre is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756787610/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0756787610&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EYo,%20Aesop%21:%20Get%20a%20Load%20of%20These%20Fables%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0756787610%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Aesop's Fables</a> by Charles Santore, a reinterpretation of twenty-four of the illustrator's favorites, told and illustrated in a classic manner. My favorite illustration depicts "The Hare and the Tortoise" in a trifold page, featuring the entire cast of animals posed against a rolling landscape forested with crumbling Greek pillars, witnessing the triumph of the Tortoise. In choosing the tales and creatures to include, Santore explained:</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>"Each animal - the wolf, the clever fox, the
silly crow - represents and symbolizes some particular aspect of the
human condition. Whatever the situation, the animal's reaction is always
predictable. This is true of all the creatures that populate the
fables, and they never disappoint us. They are never more or less. That
is the great lesson and the essence of the fable."</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fL84_0JpW-I/UQ0f9pyehSI/AAAAAAAABUA/WaaCVSzDwXI/s1600/yo+aesop.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fL84_0JpW-I/UQ0f9pyehSI/AAAAAAAABUA/WaaCVSzDwXI/s1600/yo+aesop.png" width="248" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">One modern take on this topic is Arnold Lobel's original <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064430464/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064430464&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EFables%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064430464%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Fables</a>, told in plain English with the morals plainly stated. A lesser known but entertaining new look at fables can be found in </span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.31523569172247756" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756787610/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0756787610&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EYo,%20Aesop%21:%20Get%20a%20Load%20of%20These%20Fables%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0756787610%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Yo, Aesop! Get a Load of These Fables</a> by Paul Rosenthal and illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. Each of these thoroughly modern fables in presented in a tongue-in-cheek way, followed by a critique and commentary by Aesop himself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After reading several fables, ask students to describe which human traits are typically assigned to which animals. Why these animals? What is it about their physical traits or behaviors that makes them deserving of these attributes? Challenge students to assign human traits to some animals not traditionally seen in fables.Then ask, "If you were depicted as an animal in a fable, which animal would you be? Why?"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Provide each student with a moral. Using one of your own, model how a story might be created to illustrate its lesson. Challenge each student to choose a cast of animal characters and write an original fable (they could even include themselves from the activity above). Need some moral ideas? Check out <a href="http://homepage.smc.edu/reading_lab/american_english_proverbs.htm" target="_blank">American English Proverbs</a> for some thought-provoking lines. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Select
an illustration from one of the books described above. Challenge
students to write the fable it illustrates. Another terrific source for
traditional fables is Jerry Pinkney's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1587170000/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1587170000&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAesop%27s%20Fables%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1587170000%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Aesop's Fables</a>.</span> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142500402/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0142500402&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ESquids%20Will%20Be%20Squids%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142500402%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Squids Will Be Squids</a>
is Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's collection
of fantastically original fables. <a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/fractured_fairy_squids.htm#Classroom" target="_blank">Check out the related teaching ideas at Scholastic.</a><br />
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Peerless Predators</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project Type: Argumentative Essay/Research</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">Suggested Grades: 4 and up</b><b style="color: black;"> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">Animal research projects are so common as to be cliche. So much of what we call "research" amounts to simple regurgitation of facts that are, in isolation, somewhat meaningless. </span><b style="color: black;">So how can we revamp this assignment to make it more meaningful for students and their audience alike? I suggest an assignment called The HOWL Museum.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To practice argumentative writing
skills, students are told that the HOWL (Hunters of the Wild Lands)
Museum is seeking nominations for predators to be included in their
exhibits. In order for a predator to be selected, students need to prove that their nominee is a well-equipped and skilled hunter. Students are then assigned predators for research, and they begin to organize initial ideas on a <a href="https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1ZTIrVixf6G2V7mvjuakFzOi0_L1fswFM53f03TNfCh4/edit?usp=sharing">Google Drawing doc template</a> (notes could also taken using Read Write Think's <a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/persuasion-30034.html" target="_blank">Persuasive Map</a>). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;"><br /></b>While students used several Internet sources for research on this project, many students used trade books as well. One favorite was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141693863X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=141693863X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EPredators%20%28Insiders%20%28Simon%20and%20Schuster%29%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=141693863X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Predators</a> by John Seidensticker and Susan Lumpkin (one of the INsiders series published by Simon and Schuster), as it featured not only profiles of some of the world's top hunters, but also sections on the weapons and instincts that make these killers the pinnacles of their food pyramids. The text reads like any excellent nonfiction text, with plenty of illustrations, captions, text boxes, and cut-away diagrams. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KilhiHGvpe4/UQyY5QH3qtI/AAAAAAAABTQ/5e7qs6-EQd4/s1600/TTW+KIller+Animals.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KilhiHGvpe4/UQyY5QH3qtI/AAAAAAAABTQ/5e7qs6-EQd4/s1600/TTW+KIller+Animals.jpg" width="236" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433940760/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1433940760&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EKiller%20Animals%20You%20Wouldn%27t%20Want%20to%20Meet%21%20%28Top%2010%20Worst%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1433940760%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Top 10 Worst Killer Animals You Wouldn't Want to Meet</a> by Fiona Macdonald and David Antram boldly counts down the top killers from around the world, providing curious readers answers to questions such as, "How do jellyfish feed?" and "How do you avoid a shark attack?" Kids find this book fascinating since it profiles not only the predators, abut also those malevolent creatures that carry infection and kill by disease.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But perhaps the hottest commodity was <i>Predator Showdown: 30 Unbelievably Awesome Predator vs. Predator Faceoffs</i> by Lee Martin. Students loved the grudge-matches depicted on the pages, along with the vital stats of each contender. Rather than reveal the winners immediately, the author lists the winner on the book's final page, along with a short explanation of why one animal would overcome the other. I think students enjoyed the format because its competitive nature mirrored the fierce loyalty they began to feel for their own nominee to The HOWL Museum. Unfortunately, it seems that book is out of print, so if you can't find it at your library I'd alternatively suggest <a href="http://www.blogger.com/href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0737301244/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0737301244&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ENature%27s%20Deadliest%20Predators%20%28Killer%20Science%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0737301244%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Nature's Deadliest Predators</a> by Shelly Silberling. While it is limited to sharks, bears, tigers, and alligators and crocodiles, this text demonstrates the interactions between these predators and the humans who increasingly compete with them for limited habitable space.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Assign each student a predator, and direct them to learn about that animal's physical traits and behaviors. </span></li>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Use a simple checklist to allow students to peer review first drafts. One of our checklists can be accessed below. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Click on the icon on the lower right corner to see this document full size.</b></span></span></li>
<br /><li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Publish the essays and post them with an announcement about the HOWL Museum. To create the illusion of a grand opening, I used the image editing site <a href="http://www.photo505.com/" target="_blank">Photo505</a> to create some "publicity shots." To this day, some students think the museum is real! See the photos below, and feel to use them as well.</span></li><li><span style="color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">If you're not crazy about the notion of predators, consider research projects on animals that live in productive harmony through symbiosis, a</span><span class="content"> "close, prolonged association between two or more
different organisms of different species that may, but does not
necessarily, benefit each member" (<a href="http://wordnik.com/">wordnik.com</a>).</span></li></span></ul></div>
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Crazy Critters</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project Type: Creative Writing/Art</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">Suggested Grades: 2 and up</b><b style="color: black;"> </b><b style="color: black;"><br /></b></span></div>
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kids love the idea of mixing and matching animal parts! Explore some picture books that celebrate these crazy mixed up animals, and then let your students loose to give it a try themselves. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060753684/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060753684&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EScranimals%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060753684%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Scranimals</a>, written by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Peter Sis, animals are not only combined with other animals, but with fruits, vegetables and flowers as well! Thus we get spinachickens, broccolions, and bananacondas. </span><span style="color: black;">Fun poems accompany each full spread illustration. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442434090/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1442434090&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAnimals%20That%20Ought%20to%20Be:%20Poems%20About%20Imaginary%20Pets%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1442434090%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Animals that Ought to Be: Poems about Imaginary Pets</a>, Richard Michelson and Leonard Baskin exercise equal creative liberties in morphing creatures that are both creepy and utilitarian, such as the Nightmare Scarer which feeds upon bad dreams. </span><span style="color: black;">In a third book of poems, author Keith DuQuette offers up some hilarious homemade hybrids in </span><span id="btAsinTitle"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399238891/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0399238891&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ECock-a-Doodle-Moo:%20A%20Mixed%20Up%20Menagerie%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0399238891%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Cock-a-Doodle-Moo: A Mixed Up Menagerie</a>.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hvAnckx_LY/UQ1YBaI3VCI/AAAAAAAABUQ/a2JNRN7FZPU/s1600/Switch+Zoo.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hvAnckx_LY/UQ1YBaI3VCI/AAAAAAAABUQ/a2JNRN7FZPU/s1600/Switch+Zoo.png" width="316" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Explore the concept of portmanteau words with your students. Unlike compound words that simply combine two smaller words, or contractions which drop letters, portmanteau words combine words and lose letters to form new words entirely. Thus smoke and fog create smog, and breakfast and lunch create brunch. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060753684/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060753684&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EScranimals%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060753684%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Scranimals</a> is a terrific choice for introducing this concept.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Have students cut apart magazine images of animals to create collage critters. Students can then write descriptions of these animals, including the unique abilities they're granted given their hybrid qualities.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Explore the online possibilities for creating crazy animal combinations using a site like <a href="http://www.switchzoo.com/" target="_blank">Switch Zoo</a> or <a href="http://www.buildyourwildself.com/" target="_blank">Build Your Wild Self</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Beasts of Burden</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7VVdwGHJLSA/UQ7tsm95VBI/AAAAAAAABWY/Rz1p0VvQ194/s1600/AnimalsThatChangedtheWorld.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7VVdwGHJLSA/UQ7tsm95VBI/AAAAAAAABWY/Rz1p0VvQ194/s1600/AnimalsThatChangedtheWorld.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project Type: Creative Writing/Research</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">Suggested Grades: 3 and up</b><b style="color: black;"> </b><b style="color: black;"><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">In addition to language and the wheel, perhaps nothing defines human evolution more than the ability to domesticate animals. </b><span style="color: black;">In fact, according to Keltie Thomas, there are some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554512425/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1554512425&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAnimals%20That%20Changed%20the%20World%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1554512425%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Animals that Changed the World</a>:</span></span></div>
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<b><span class="CatalogLabelArea" id="lblMainText" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From furry felines to
hard-working horses, animals have had a tremendous impact on world
history. For example, rats, through the diseases they carry, have
probably killed more people than any war or natural disaster, goats may
have been the first to discover coffee and, thanks to camels, people
were able to survive for long periods in the desert and open up trade
routes between Europe and Asia. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In this amazing book, the author describes how 20+ animals have had a profound impact on human history for good (dogs, camels, horses) and bad (rats, mosquitoes). A fascinating nonfiction read for the students 10 and up, this full-color text features photos, diagrams, maps, and timelines, paired with easy-to-understand text. Overall the information is organized by topic (Animals at Work, Secret Agents of Disease, etc.) and also by individual animal. See <a href="http://www.annickpress.com/pdf/AnimalsThatChangedtheWorld.pdf" target="_blank">some sample pages</a> from publisher Annick Press.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VUDiM8jnkNY/UQ0ME0HE-4I/AAAAAAAABTg/rO2jjCYaOvI/s1600/Tales+of+Famous+Animals.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VUDiM8jnkNY/UQ0ME0HE-4I/AAAAAAAABTg/rO2jjCYaOvI/s1600/Tales+of+Famous+Animals.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're interested in getting "up close and personal" with some amazing animals who have found their ways into our human history, check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545430291/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0545430291&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ETales%20of%20Famous%20Animals%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0545430291%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Tales of Famous Animals</a> by Peter and Connie Roop, illustrated by Zachary Pullen. These true tales tell how amazing animals, from the time of Alexander the Great to the present, have played critical roles in the lives of humans they've encountered. Find familiar names like Koko the Gorilla and Smokey Bear, and not-so-familiar names such as Quest and Old Abe. While some critics may argue that animals serving humans are in bondage, this book clearly illustrates that affectionate and respectful relationships between humans and animals are mutually beneficial. Highly recommended as a read aloud!</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_1hUIpH_h8I/UQ8KH8MaZzI/AAAAAAAABWo/mSUQzeQTQkQ/s1600/Do+Animals+Work+Together.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_1hUIpH_h8I/UQ8KH8MaZzI/AAAAAAAABWo/mSUQzeQTQkQ/s1600/Do+Animals+Work+Together.png" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In addition to working with humans, younger readers may also be interested to learn how animals work together. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0766037495/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0766037495&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EDo%20Animals%20Work%20Together?%20%28I%20Like%20Reading%20about%20Animals%21%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0766037495%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Do Animals Work Together?</a>, author Faith Hickman Brynie describes the many ways that animals communicate among their colonies, packs, and herds. What's neat about this book is that each spread features a picture page and a text page, with the text page containing new reader sentences at the top, providing basic information, and a fluent reader section at the bottom, providing more details. One text section isn't dependent upon the other, and both can be read without sounding redundant. Enslow Publishing provides an <a href="http://www.enslow.com/product_images/worksheets/EducatorsGuide/9780766033283_tg.pdf" target="_blank">educator 's guide</a> for this book, as well as all books in the <a href="http://www.enslow.com/catalog.asp?Exact=true&SeriesID=309" target="_blank">I Like Reading About Animals</a> series. <i>(Win this book! See bottom of the post).</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span><br />
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<li><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Assign each student an animal that has played a significant role, for good or bad, in human history. After they've researched their animal, allow students to present to the class in a creative way. For example, what would each animal have to say about its life's work in a retirement speech? Would it be proud of its accomplishments?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Using </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554512425/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1554512425&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAnimals%20That%20Changed%20the%20World%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1554512425%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Animals that Changed the World</a> and other resources, students can practice writing simple expository essays describing how animals assist people. While children can likely generate three ways that dogs are useful to people, including a resource text reinforces the the importance of backing arguments with facts and quotes.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pair individual accounts of animal labor from </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554512425/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1554512425&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAnimals%20That%20Changed%20the%20World%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1554512425%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Animals that Changed the World</a> with related fiction texts (for example, real-life sled dogs paired with Stone Fox) or related nonfiction texts (camels and their role in the Silk Route). </span></span></li>
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Creature Comparisons</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project: Poetry/Figurative Language</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">Suggested Grades: 3 and up</b><b style="color: black;"> </b></span></div>
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Curious as a cricket, happy as a lark, slow as a snail. See where this is going? Students enjoy creating simple similes, and their vast store of animal knowledge makes these comparisons easy.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mUGg_DMFUBA/UQ6CsRCGErI/AAAAAAAABVY/MDtYsAGWAOc/s1600/Passions+Like+a+Whale.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mUGg_DMFUBA/UQ6CsRCGErI/AAAAAAAABVY/MDtYsAGWAOc/s1600/Passions+Like+a+Whale.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">A wonderful mentor text for this activity might be <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615751032/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0615751032&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EShakespeare%27s%20Zoo%20%28Volume%201%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0615751032%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Shakespeare's Zoo (Volume 1)</a> by Laudea Martin. It was </span>"a very old (c. 1896) and well-loved boxed set of the complete works of
William Shakespeare, which once belonged to Laudea's great grandmother... that sparked her interest in the richness of
Shakespeare's written words.<span style="color: black;">" The author soon discovered that in many of Shakespeare's works, both famous and obscure, the Bard employed animal imagery to paint perfect pictures of human passions and pratfalls. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From the book description:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Shakespeare's brilliance shines through, not just in his most famous
lines, but in every line. The tiniest snippet of his work contains
fantastic wordplay and depth of imagery. This book takes some of his
less-known bits about various animals and pairs them with Laudea
Martin's unique illustrations assembled from textured layers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And, like all Shakespeare, each page will become easier to understand
the more you read it. The brilliant words of Shakespeare are meant to be
heard, not seen, so read the words aloud and listen to the rhythm. Read
them again and again, and let your imagination fill in the details of
the scene. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Each illustration was digitally constructed using
layers of textured color. Some textures will be immediately
recognizable, such as wood grain or leaves; others may be more difficult
to discern, but all come together to create whimsical representations
of just a few of the animals mentioned by Shakespeare. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FNWxmMF_DIs/UQ6oRvwH5aI/AAAAAAAABVo/uty0ycPrnj0/s1600/About+Hummingbirds.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FNWxmMF_DIs/UQ6oRvwH5aI/AAAAAAAABVo/uty0ycPrnj0/s1600/About+Hummingbirds.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Simple nonfiction picture books can provide students with countless ideas for writing about their own traits. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561455881/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1561455881&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EAbout%20Hummingbirds:%20A%20Guide%20for%20Children%20%28The%20About%20Series%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1561455881%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">About Hummingbirds</a>, for example, author Cathryn Sill discusses in plain language how hummingbirds are brightly colored and fast (we knew that!) while at the same time stealthy and even quarrelsome! Illustrator John Sill's images back up the text with vivid details, showing the reader in fine detail what could never be seen in real life by the naked eye. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">For students seeking more details, the creators included a plate-by-plate addendum providing more data about each image, including information on habitats, physical dimensions, and behaviors, with rich words such as <i>iridescent</i>, <i>preening</i>, and <i>vigorously</i>.</span><b style="color: black;"> </b><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://peachtree-online.com/index.php/books/category/Science-and-nature" target="_blank">See other books</a> in the award-winning <b>About... </b>series, or </span><i>Win this book! See bottom of the post for more information.</i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Students can create biographical poems by first selecting adjectives that they feel describe them (pretty, busy, fast, etc.) and then selecting animals that match those adjectives. Students can pair the adjectives and animals in simile form, such as, "I snore like a lion when I'm really, really tired," and "I'm busy as a beaver every day when I get home."</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.netc.org/classrooms@work/classrooms/fernan/images/makeflipbook.pdf" target="_blank">Creating a flip book</a> is a fantastic way to show off and illustrate the comparisons described above, and the sizes of the books can vary from tiny to huge.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Collect a pile of animal poem books and let students browse them and share their favorites. Then offer trade books or simply pictures of an assortment of animals, and ask students to write simile poem inspired by a favorite critter.
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<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">6. Pack Behavior</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project: Analytic Essay/Novel Extension</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">Suggested Grades: 5 and up</b><b style="color: black;"> <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-725Y63nZu7s/UQ1aysi9oZI/AAAAAAAABUg/qGBexZw436c/s1600/face+to+face+with+wolves.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-725Y63nZu7s/UQ1aysi9oZI/AAAAAAAABUg/qGBexZw436c/s1600/face+to+face+with+wolves.png" /></span></a><b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">We all know that wolves and dogs are pack animals, but did you realize that humans are as well? </b><span style="color: black;">If you don't believe me, ask Cesar Millan, who in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307381676/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307381676&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EBe%20the%20Pack%20Leader:%20Use%20Cesar%27s%20Way%20to%20Transform%20Your%20Dog%20.%20.%20.%20and%20Your%20Life%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307381676%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Be the Pack Leader</a> has this to say:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The power of the pack idea doesn't just apply to dogs. It applies to another species of pack animals whose destinies have been intertwined with those of dogs for tens of thousands of years.That would be our very own species, <i>Homo sapiens</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I've had a good deal of success with partnering books on wolf pack behavior with books that deal with similar "pack" behavior in humans. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440414806/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0440414806&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EHoles%20%28A%20Yearling%20Book%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440414806%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Holes</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZUV4TO/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007ZUV4TO&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Outsiders%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007ZUV4TO%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The Outsiders</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060592826/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060592826&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EWringer%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060592826%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Wringer</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399537422/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399537422&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ELord%20of%20the%20Flies,%20Centenary%20Edition%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0399537422%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Lord of the Flies</a> are just a few of the books that demonstrate the irresistible hold a dominant alpha can have over a pack, leading subordinates to follow blindly, even when consequences might prove disastrous. The boys of Group D in <i>Holes</i>, for example, certainly adhere to a ranking system, and protagonist Stanley Yelnats quickly learns that small concessions on his part can improve his own position in that ranking. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And of course, I'd recommend a quick study in pack behavior before reading any novel dealing with dog packs, such Island of the Blue Dolphins, Julie of the Wolves, and Call of the Wild, to name just a few.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For picture books I would recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802776027/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802776027&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EScruffy:%20A%20Wolf%20Finds%20His%20Place%20in%20the%20Pack%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0802776027%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Scruffy: A Wolf Finds His Place in the Pack</a> by Jim Brandenburg, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1575057484/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1575057484&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EWolves%20%28Animal%20Predators%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1575057484%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Wolves</a> by Sandra Markle, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1426306989/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1426306989&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EFace%20to%20Face%20with%20Wolves%20%28Face%20to%20Face%20with%20Animals%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1426306989%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Face to Face with Wolves</a>, also by Jim Brandenburg.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Choose a fact-rich picture book such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802776027/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802776027&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EScruffy:%20A%20Wolf%20Finds%20His%20Place%20in%20the%20Pack%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0802776027%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Scruffy: A Wolf Finds His Way in the Pack</a>. Once students have read and discussed the text, have them write a simple essay explaining how pack behavior is critical to survival.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Later, assign students the challenge of drawing comparisons between the group behavior observed in your novels and the previously studied pack behavior. <br />
</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Feathered Friends</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project: Poetry/Research</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">Suggested Grades: 5 and up</b><b style="color: black;"> </b><b style="color: black;"></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xa1GWDYoeyU/UQ7GLUcU9wI/AAAAAAAABV4/mtRKN8VOR1Q/s1600/Lino+It+Image.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xa1GWDYoeyU/UQ7GLUcU9wI/AAAAAAAABV4/mtRKN8VOR1Q/s1600/Lino+It+Image.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Screenshot of a LinoIt discussion of Dunbar's The Sparrow (see below)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">In his classic poem <a href="http://poestories.com/read/raven" target="_blank">The Raven</a>, Edgar Allan Poe describes the unsettling midnight visit of a raven to the windowsill of a melancholy and mournful narrator. When that narrator asks repeatedly if the raven will provide solace and comfort, the raven simply answers, "Nevermore." Similarly, poet Paul Laurence Dunbar is visited by a sparrow who, unlike Poe's raven, seems to offer reprieve from the author's toil and dullness</span><b style="color: black;">. </b><span style="color: black;">The sparrow's attempts to distract the poet are rebuffed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black;">If you suspect a theme is developing, you would be correct. Poets in particular seem to enjoy expounding upon serendipitous meetings with birds, taking some delight in reading their stoic expressions and wondering about their mysterious lives (see Emily Dickinson's <a href="http://10000birds.com/emily-dickinsons-a-bird-came-down-the-walk.htm" target="_blank">A Bird Came Down the Walk</a>, </span>Paul Laurence Dunbar's <a href="http://schochsite.pbworks.com/w/page/47639244/The%20Sparrow">The Sparrow</a>, and Edwin Morgan's <a href="http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=1685">A Gull</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Share
some of these poems with students, particularly Edgar Allan Poe's "The
Raven." This poem's fantastic vocabulary, figurative language, and creepy author's tone can be
explored interactively <a href="http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/raven/index.php" target="_blank">The Interactive Raven</a> and <a href="http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/writer/annotated_play.asp" target="_blank">Knowing Poe: Annotated Poe</a>. </span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gLbLNyzDDNA/UQ2TDI81blI/AAAAAAAABUw/zVexxk2uLhc/s1600/Knowing+Poe.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gLbLNyzDDNA/UQ2TDI81blI/AAAAAAAABUw/zVexxk2uLhc/s1600/Knowing+Poe.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Compare and contrast Poe's poem with others about chance meetings with birds. <a href="http://howtoteachanovel.blogspot.com/2013/01/responding-and-reflecting-colaborating.html" target="_blank">This post</a> discusses using a cool collaborative site called LinoIt to create online discussions, complete with stickies, images, and videos.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Assign each student a bird, asking them to explore its history and mythology, as well as its physical characteristics and habits. Armed with this information, challenge students to write a poem about a meeting with this bird, basing it upon some of the exemplars above.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Check out the haunting poem <a href="http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=1527" target="_blank">Carrion Crow</a> by John Heath-Stubbs (definitely share the audio!), which describes a literal bird's eye view of history. After discussing the text and researching the battle to which it refers, ask students to write a similar poem as observed from a bird's point of view.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you feel that this activity is for the birds, consider allowing students to write poetry about their own choice of animal after conducting some basic research. Eric Carle's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0698118553/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0698118553&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EEric%20Carle%27s%20Animals%20Animals%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0698118553%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Animals Animals</a> features animal poems by some of the literary greats (think Kipling, Carroll, Sanburg, Rossetti) accompanied by his signature cut-paper illustrations. These poems might also serve you if you choose to tackle any of the <b>Creative Comparisons</b> activities listed above.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PgCc8nAaf74/UQ7YFEJiJjI/AAAAAAAABWI/pV3q8u7KSUk/s1600/One+and+Only+Ivan.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PgCc8nAaf74/UQ7YFEJiJjI/AAAAAAAABWI/pV3q8u7KSUk/s1600/One+and+Only+Ivan.jpg" width="227" /></span></a></div>
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">8. Who's to Choose When It Comes to Zoos?</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project: Argumentative Essay/Research</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">Suggested Grades: 6 and up</b><b style="color: black;"> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Should zoos exist? </b>The <a href="http://scan-werecriticaltothinking.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">SCAN</a> post titled <a href="http://scan-werecriticaltothinking.blogspot.com/2012/12/simple-question-lead-to-complex-learning.html" target="_blank">Simple Questions Lead to Complex Learning</a> is a good jumping off place for getting started with this topic (as well as many others).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For ages 8 and up, the dilemma of animal captivity is thoughtfully explored in Katherine Applegate's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061992259/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061992259&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20One%20and%20Only%20Ivan%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061992259%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The One and Only Ivan</a>, the 2013 Newbery Winner<span style="color: black;">. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From the Author's Biography: </span><i>Katherine was inspired to write The One and Only Ivan after reading
about the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, the "Shopping
Mall Gorilla." The real Ivan lived alone in a tiny cage for twenty-seven
years at a shopping mall before being moved to Zoo Atlanta after a
public outcry. </i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I highly recommended this text as a read-aloud, or as a class novel for grades 4 and up. Check out the official book trailer below.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Let
students explore a number of zoo and circus themed picture books. What
messages about zoos and their purposes seem to be conveyed in those
texts? Have more recent titles on these topics attempted to redefine the
roles of these institutions?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Assign students to prepare both pro and con arguments for zoos, and then divide the class arbitrarily to debate the issue.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Upon
the debate's conclusion, invite students to write an argumentative
essay for the position they would like to take, being certain in their
writing to address the claims of the opposing viewpoint.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span></div>
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">9. Animal Allies</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project: Art/Research</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: black;">Suggested Grades: 5 and up</b><b style="color: black;"> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.animaltribe.com/" target="_blank">Animal Tribe</a> introduces students to the mythologies and wisdom of animals as celebrated by various indigenous peoples from around the globe. </b>Explore that site to see what's offered, and consider ways that these studies could be incorporated into your existing curriculum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyaakKqlAuY/UQ1ZvxCIYeI/AAAAAAAABUY/1zk8euBe7oI/s1600/once+a+wolf.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyaakKqlAuY/UQ1ZvxCIYeI/AAAAAAAABUY/1zk8euBe7oI/s1600/once+a+wolf.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A logical connection to this project is research in how animals are being threatened by their struggles to share this planet with humans. Books such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618111204/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618111204&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EOnce%20A%20Wolf:%20How%20Wildlife%20Biologists%20Fought%20to%20Bring%20Back%20the%20Gray%20Wolf%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0618111204%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Once a Wolf: How Wildlife Biologists Fought to Bring Back the Gray Wolf</a> by Stephen R. Swinburne and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193527998X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=193527998X&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EDorje%27s%20Stripes%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=193527998X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Dorje's Stripes</a> by Anshumandi Ruddra can get this discussion started.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the latter book, a beautiful Royal Bengal Tiger arrives one day, broken and tired, at a small Buddhist Monastery in Tibet. He begins to lost his stripes as his fellow tigers are poached from the surrounding countryside. Hope for the future shines, however, when one day a single stripe, and a beautiful female tiger, return. (<i>(Win this book! See bottom of the post).</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Visit Animal Tribe and see how that site's activities can be adapted to your lesson plans. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rather than traditional animal research projects, assign each student an animal that is threatened or endangered. In addition to describing the causes of their animal's predicament, they should offer possible solutions that serve all parties involved.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In connection with a text such as <i>Once a Wolf</i>, appoint students to play various roles including ranchers, conservationists, tourists, etc. Plan a debate with each interest group required to provide support for their point of view.<br />
</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">10. Home Sweet Home</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project: Creative Writing</span></b><br />
<b style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Suggested Grades: 2 and up</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Almost every child at one time or another has dreamed of owning an exotic pet. Many books have explored the possibilities and pitfalls of this fantasy. Perhaps the most well-known of this genre is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679861874/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0679861874&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3EThe%20Salamander%20Room%20%28Dragonfly%20Books%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0679861874%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">The Salamander Room</a> by Anne Mazer. In this simple yet beautiful story, a child patiently counters his mother's every protest against his plan to adopt a salamander and transform his bedroom into a forest refuge. The question-answer format of storytelling is a familiar one, but the facts we learn about salamanders and the illustrations by Steve Johnson are alone worth the price of admission. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439439817/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0439439817&linkCode=as2&tag=teachthatstic-20%22%3ENot%20Inside%20This%20House%21%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=teachthatstic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439439817%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Not Inside This House!</a> written by Kevin Lewis and illustrated by David Ercolini, addresses this same topic in a much more humorous way.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KyR1qQQU0dA/UQ7Ox-V-V5I/AAAAAAAABWA/Dgjv-kaJRBw/s1600/Not+Inside+This+House.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KyR1qQQU0dA/UQ7Ox-V-V5I/AAAAAAAABWA/Dgjv-kaJRBw/s1600/Not+Inside+This+House.jpg" width="313" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A curious boy named Livingstone, who finds ordinary toys and diversions a bore, loves to explore. To his mother's horror, however, he enjoys bringing the results of those explorations home. From the book: </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">His wary mom?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She did implore...</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll have no bugs inside this house!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll say it once. Won't say it twice.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To speak again will not suffice."</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As you can see, Kevin Lewis' text is replete with wonderful words, and David Ercolini's vivid illustrations beg closer inspection. <a href="http://www.davidercolini.com/not-inside-this-house/" target="_blank">See more here</a> at the artist's site.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Extensions:</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Play devil's advocate using <i>The Salamander Room</i>. Is it right for Brian to keep this wild creature in his home? If the salamander's comfort demands so many changes to Brian's room, then is this the best place for it?</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In <i>Not Inside This House</i>, the pets Livingstone chooses to bring home become increasingly large and troublesome. When his mother finally relents and agrees that he can have the one bug he started with, we have to wonder, <i>Is this what he had planned all along?</i> Have students choose an extraordinary animal they'd like to adopt, and then create both sensible and outlandish reasons they'd give for why this animal should be permitted.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I hope this list gives you a few ideas to try out in your classroom, as well as a few new titles to add to your library! Please comment below and share with your fellow readers how you use animals books in your classroom.</b> </span></div>Keith Schochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04487459160222497971noreply@blogger.com16