How to Give an IGNITE Talk
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Most of us have heard of the inspirational TED Talks.
Slightly less well-known are the Ignite Talks, which allow speakers only
five minutes, with accompany...
How to Elaborate Writing with Telescopic Text
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*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...
American painter Georgia O'Keeffe once said, "To create one's world in any of the arts takes courage." Her life and work proved that she had such courage. Help your students learn more about this imaginative and innovative artist through some terrific picture books. Through Georgia's Eyes, written by Rachel Rodriguez and illustrated by Julie Paschkis, is a colorful, simply told narrative. It's the perfect introduction for younger students who need just a basic biographical sketch of the artist's life. Wonderful cut-paper collages echo artistic styles of the time, without trying to copy the style of Georgia herself. Georgia Rises: A Day in the Life of Georgia O'Keeffe, follows the artist through a single day, from rising to retiring. Author Kathryn Lasky used Georgia's own diary entries to cobble together this fictitious yet representative day spent in the remote hills of New Mexico. Georgia Rises would be of interest to students who might wonder how artists work, and could be nicely supplemented by a video which features the artist herself discussing her somewhat unusual routines. As with Georgia Rises, this book's artist (Ora Eitan) has also chosen not to attempt the book in Georgia's signature style, but rather in a simpler, blockier, more modernistic approach which captures the changing colors and moods of the day. The two books cover very different ground, in very different ways; this in turn provides a good jumping off point for a discussion of how artists do the same. Extensions:
IncredibleArt offers three simple yet satisfying art lessons which are equal parts artist study and art project. The lessons include links to recommended sites, sample student works, and in one case, a scoring rubric (designed for high school students but adaptable). If you want to share some beautiful images with students on a large screen, The Georgia O'Keeffe Online Gallery offers an excellent selection of her most popular works, including bones, flowers, and landscapes. I'd highly recommend this approach since so many of her paintings were, after all, quite huge (30" x 40" or even larger). Students should see the images in those dimensions to truly appreciate their beauty and power. In Georgia's own words, "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty." Speaking of Georgia's own words, I recommend you check out some of her thoughts on art and culture. O'Keeffe's biography at The Art History Archive provides dozens of quotes, as well as a timeline of her works, some images, and information concerning the awards she achieved in her lifetime. Several of her quotes could definitely be used as writing prompts for students, allowing students to relate thoughts about their own creativity to support O'Keeffe's opinions. For more, Google "Georgia O'Keeffe Quotes." A lesson plan from Teacher Vision (also available at the site) ties in math concepts to three other Georgia O'Keeffe books. Although Teacher Vision is a subscription site, it allows teachers to preview three resources before requiring a subscription. The lesson summary states that
Students will learn about size, scale, proportion, ratio, and measurement as they study the work of 20th-century artist Georgia O'Keeffe and read about her life in Georgia's Bones, Georgia O'Keeffe (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists), and Georgia O'Keeffe: One Hundred Flowers. Integrate math and art with the activities in this printable. Students will determine whether the flowers in O'Keeffe's paintings are drawn to scale, and they will sketch and color a scaled drawing of a flower in the spirit of the artist.
Finally, are you looking for an outstanding site to allow students to create their art online? Look no further than Sumopaint. Sumopaint is a fantastic, free, online paint application which has all the functionality of expensive programs. What's even better is that you can download Sumopaint for use on home or school computers. Images can be saved in a couple different formats, and even reopened for later editing. Two additional Georgia O'Keeffe picture books I'd recommend are My Name is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter, and the above mentioned Georgia's Bones.
The story of Cinderella is actually an ancient tale, and arguably the best known fairy tale. Although the most familiar retelling is Charles Perrault's Cendrillon, published in France in 1697, modern day readers more likely picture the blonde-haired, blue eyed Cinderella of Disney fame. But according to the Author's Note in Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella, the tale can be traced all the way back to China, circa 850 AD (see Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China). Scholars, in fact, have gathered over 500 versions of the tale. So what is it about this tale that has proven timeless? Why does it continue to capture the imagination of children generation after generation? And more importantly, what surprises are contained in these other variations on the Cinderella tale, collected from all over the world? Before I discuss individual books, let me say that if you're really serious about a Cinderella unit, I cannot recommend In Search of Cinderella: A Curriculum for the 21st Century by Katharine Goodwin highly enough. This curriculum guide features book talks on a wide variety of Cinderella tales, along with activity sheets for each. What I love most about it is its emphasis of motifs; if children can learn to recognize narrative patterns within the stories they read, they will read those stories (and others as well) with much greater comprehension. This excellent resource book also provides activities to teach analogies, grammar, vocabulary, text structure, poetry, and writing, all through interactions with the authentic Cinderella texts.
The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin is an Algonquin Indian version of the Cinderella story. Two domineering sisters (who modern readers instantly recognize!) set out to marry the "rich, powerful, and supposedly handsome" Invisible Being. But as in many other tales, a test is involved: they must first prove that they can see him. They cannot, but their abused younger sister, the Rough-Face Girl, can, for she sees his "sweet yet awesome face" all around her. He appears to her, reveals her true hidden beauty, and marries her. David Shannon (creator of the popular No, David! series and illustrator of Jane Yolen's powerful Encounter) paints powerful, iconic figures and evocative scenes of nature and Native American life. Both this book and Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story, retold by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Daniel San Souci, would be excellent additions to units on Native Americans, and a perfect segue into a study of other Cinderella books. Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella, written by Alan Schroeder and illustrated by Brad Sneed, is a wonderful American version of the tale, told in folksy diction and illustrated in the exaggerated style of 1930s mural paintings. The "voice" of the book can be heard in its opening paragraph:
Now lis'en. Smack in the heart o' the Smoky Mountains, there was this old trapper livin' in a log cabin with his daughter. One night, while Rose was fryin' a mess o' fish, the trapper, he starts lookin' dejected like.
In its review of this book, the School Library Journal said:
Everyone knows what's going to happen, but getting there is half the fun. Sneed's slick, stylized watercolors seem at first to be out of sync with the down-home narrative, but it quickly becomes clear that the disparate union is a successful one. The paintings are realistically rendered but slightly distorted; figures are elongated and angular, features exaggerated, and perspectives askew... The fanciful, but decidedly quirky artwork effectively informs readers, in case they didn't already know it, that there's magic in them thar hills. An appealing all-American addition to the canon of "Cinderella" variants.
Smoky Mountain Rose is one of my favorite new versions of this tale. (Note that later versions feature a different cover which prominently features a glass slipper, obviously meant to draw in more young readers already familiar with the Cinderella tale).
The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story, retold by Rebecca Hickox with illustrations by Will Hillenbrand, is based on the Iraqi folktale of "The Little Red Fish and the Clog of Gold." In this tale, young Maha wishes for her widowed father to remarry the kindly neighbor lady who has a daughter of her own. Maha gets her wish, but in true Cinderella tradition her stepmother makes her do all the work while her stepsister makes the work all the more difficult. One day Maha spares the life of a small red fish, who from then on helps her out of many difficult situations, since he has promised her that she can "call for me any time and ask what you will." This same magic fish helps Maha prepare for the big event in town, where her beauty and grace are noticed by her future mother-in-law, who does the searching for the "dainty foot" which is also such a critical component of most Cinderella tales. (This lesson plan challenges students to read and compare four Middle Eastern Cindrella tales, including The Golden Sandal).
Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition, is an impressive take on the Cinderella tale. First of all, it's one of the few versions where characters show growth (in this case, the arrogant politician's son becomes compassionate). It's also a version which doesn't rely upon magic to save the day, but rather upon Domitila's innate qualities. There's more sophisticated language structure here as well, and of course a wonderful dose of Mexican culture. What I found to be very clever was that each page included (along with the text and large illustrations) a moral, printed in both Spanish and English. Students would enjoy discussing what is meant by "Deeds, more than words, are proof of love," and "A task well done cannot be hidden." Even the border decorations around the text beg to be deciphered on each page.
The Caldecott Honor Book Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters tells of two beautiful sisters: Nyasha who is selfless and considerate, and Manyara who is selfish and spoiled. They are equally loved by their father who sees no faults in either. When the king announces that he will take a wife and invites "The Most Worthy and Beautiful Daughters in the Land" to appear before him, Manyara sets out to make certain that she will be chosen. Each girl undergoes a very different experience along the way, based upon their unique dispositions. The late John Steptoe's illustrations make this a fabulous addition to any home or classroom library.
In Fanny's Dream, written by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner, plain and simple Fanny chooses to marry an ordinary man and live an ordinary and, at times, even difficult life, running a farm and raising children. When given the chance to exchange it all for that trip to the ball which she always dreamed of, what choice will she make? This book is definitely one from the category of "Anti-Cinderella" books. Although she doesn't have that same cliched experience as our other heroines, perhaps she lives to be the happiest of all. A wonderful tale with gorgeous pictures by this husband and wife team.
Cinder-Elly is a modern, hip-hop version of the old Cinderella tale. In this version we find Cinder-Elly living a funky lifestyle in New York City, and she's invited not to a ball, but to a ball game. The story is told in rhyming four line stanzas, which makes it not only fun and lyrical to read, but perfect for chanting, rapping, or singing. I'm also a big fan of illustrator G. Brian Karas' simple, cartoon-like renderings. Cinder-Elly is a creative and appealing version for younger readers, or as an inspiration for older readers to "modernize" similar traditional tales. In The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition, the rabbi loves his three daughters very much, but one day wonders, "How much do they love me?" When asked, the eldest daughter replies that she loves him as much as diamonds. The middle daughter replies that she loves him as much as silver and gold. But the youngest, named Mireleh, replies that she loves him "the way meat loves salt." Insulted and hurt, the rabbi banishes her from his house and family. Mireleh begins living the life of a servant girl, assisted first by a kindly old man who gives her a magical stick, and later by a family that feels takes pity on her. From this point on, the more traditional events of the Cinderella tale take place, but it's through Mireleh's own ingenuity, rather than the timely rescue of a Prince Charming, that she gets what she wants. The author's introduction explains the origin of this tale and how it relates to both traditional Cinderella tales and other Jewish folktales.
Yeh-Shen, retold by Ai-Ling Louie, is probably the oldest version we're apt to find. Unlike most other Cinderella tales that we're told, however, this one features a more ethical heroine. The reader doesn't pity her, but feels instead that Yeh-Shen truly earns the "happily ever after" based upon her actions toward others. This series of activity pages from abcteach.com assesses student understanding of sequencing, vocabulary, and story elements from Yeh-Shen. Two others I'd recommend? If the Shoes Fits: Voices from Cinderella by Laura Whipple shares various perspectives from characters in our favorite fairy tales, all told in poem form. The Hummingbird King by Argentina Palacios is a South American legend with motifs we recognize from Cinderella, but with a terrific "flavor" of that continent. Extension Activities
If you're looking for an interactive version of Cinderella, Annenberg Media provides an animated, narrated version of the most familiar retelling. But this retelling is actually just a small part of the Annenberg activity which is called Interactives: Elements of a Story. This self-guided learning module uses the traditional tale to help students understand Setting, Characters, Sequence, Exposition, Conflict, Climax, and Resolution. Each story element tests students along the way, and a summative assessment not only allows a teacher to see a student's overall understanding, but allows the students to revisit sections of the tutorial to self-correct missed responses. A very cool activity overall, appropriate for grades 3-5. Also be sure to see the Tips for Adults section of this site, which features links and extension activities for the Cinderella tale. (If you dig this site's format but you teach older grades, be sure to check out the Annenberg literature interactive for older students based upon Susan Glaspell's short story "A Jury of Her Peers"). Looking for an older, more "authentic" telling? National Geographic's Grimm Brothers site features the Grimm retelling of the Cinderella tale, which is a bit more PG-13 (for its gruesomeness). Older students might enjoy reading less "cuddly" versions of storybook favorites there. Need more extension ideas?
If you're looking for a terrific collection of Cinderella books for your elementary curriculum, The Booksource has a nicely chosen set of fifteen Cinderella tales at a reasonable price. It includes many of the titles from above, plus others you'll want to explore.
Reading a book is a unique opportunity to see the world from another person or thing's perspective. When a child reads a book, whether it is a fantastical story about an object come to life or a very real article about a neighboring country, he or she becomes a part of that world and sees life, however briefly, through the eyes of another. Children are uniquely able to accept and invest in the reality created in what they are reading.
Couldn't have said it better myself! These are just a few of the advantages of picture books I've been preaching through this blog for nearly a year now. Check out the whole article, since Allyn includes more titles for each theme which might find a place in your classroom library. Looking for other reasons to use picture books in the classroom? Be sure to check out my static site Teaching with Picture Books which describes thirteen reasons why teachers in grades 3-8 should be using picture books in their instruction.
I'm a latecomer to this, but a post at Mental Floss details ten stories behind some of Dr. Seuss's most popular tales. A quick, fun read for fans! Also take some time to poke around the site for other fun stuff with which to waste your time (yet possibly fine tune your mind as well).
It's not a bad place to be: stuck between the vast and varied worlds of the picture books and the complex and conflicting worlds of the novel. That's where many children find themselves at age eight (give or take), when they're trying to make the independent reading leap from picture books to more difficult chapter books. Is the language in chapter books that much more complex? Not necessarily. But gone are the beautiful contextual clues provided by picture books' illustrations. Fortunately for these readers, we have what can be called transitional books. Transitional books may, in fact, be chapter books, but chapter books which are liberally illustrated. One of the finest examples I've seen in recent days is Rosemary Wells' Lincoln and His Boys. Historically factual yet unswervingly human, the short and easy to follow chapters are punctuated by detailed full-color paintings (by P.J. Lynch, the talented artist behind The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey). The life of Lincoln and the terrible costs of the Civil War are skillfully interwoven as the years of Lincoln's election and presidency are viewed through the eyes of his sons (read an excerpt here). This is a apt choice for any classroom study of our 16th president, the Civil War, or the universal theme of perspectives (see a recent post on universal themes at my How to Teach a Novel blog). Be sure to visit Candlewick for additional print and video resources and activities on some of your students' favorite books. My favorite: popular authors such as Kate DiCamillo discussing and reading from their upcoming books.
Yesterday marked the launch of National Picture Book Writing Week (or NaPiBoWriWee as it is affectionately called). As a lover of picture books, and one of the most ardent advocates for their use in the classroom, I should be on board with this, right? I'm not. In fact, at first, I hated the idea. But slowly I'm warming up to it. Some of my initial thoughts:
I thought it denigrates picture books and belittles the process which creates them.
I thoughts it works in direct opposition to what I'm trying to do, which is to elevate the status of picture books.
I thought that those writers who truly have "stories within them" will find a way to let them out, without a contrived reason to do so.
I felt badly for writers who take the process more seriously, in that their submissions may now be lost in a tidal wave of "one day wonders," as thousands, if not tens of thousands, more manuscripts may find their way to publishers because of this project. Imagine you're a picture book author, riding in an elevator at a national conference. The person next to you asks, "What do you do for a living?" After you reply, "I create picture books," this person retorts, "Oh yeah, picture books. I wrote seven of those last week."
See my point of view? Fortunately, I was level-headed enough to reach out to some professional authors for their point of view. Mark Noble, author of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, pointed out that Goodnight Moon was allegedly written in one morning. I guess that counts as an "in-favor-of" vote. A couple other authors I queried weren't ready to commit either way (bawk, bawk!). But the response from Daniel Kirk, author of Library Mouse, finally convinced me that perhaps I was really off-base with my criticisms (a rare occurrence, as my long time readers will attest). In his response to my tirade, Daniel made some good points:
Never heard of National Picture Book Writing Week. At first glance it seems a bit contrived, but sometimes it takes contrivances to get people motivated. Writing, or doing anything creative, requires monumental expenditures of energy, hope, courage and perseverance. Few have what it takes. It's easy to get frustrated in the process, and beyond writing, getting published is another formidable hurdle. What is successful in the marketplace is often something that panders to the lowest common denominator, and financial rewards often have little to do with the intrinsic value of a story. As you know, if you go into a Barnes and Noble and look at the picture book shelf, it is pretty hard to find a good book--ordinary people see what's out there and think, "Hey, I could do that!" I get requests all the time from people who want to get their stories published, and from my own experience it is VERY hard to get work published, though I've done over thirty books. For every one that finds a home at a publishing house, there are at least five or ten manuscripts I write that won't find an interested publisher.
So I find that I am motivated more by my own inner need to create than anything else...the striving for perfection, clarity, elegance and to bring heart to what I conceive intellectually. I encourage kids to write, but not necessarily with the goal of getting published. It's more about learning how to think, plan, empathize, clarify and express feelings, etc. There are times when I brainstorm ideas and come up with many projects in a week, and I suppose that this is the kind of thing the sponsors of this "National Picture Book Writing Week" are thinking of. When my "Library Mouse" editor asked me to come up with five new Library Mouse stories, so he could pick the one he liked best for us to work on, I carved a week out of my schedule to do just that. And I guess it's good to prod the imagination into working at full speed for a while, like sprinting on the track. If folks come up with seven ideas, they can then go into editor mode and see which of their ideas have promise. The hard part is the follow-through! Some people need a kick in the pants to get started, and that's okay, but it's important to recognize all the hurdles still to come. I think that most people who give a shot to coming up with seven stories and bringing them to completion are going to find it more difficult than they imagined, and maybe that will teach them something about the process. Might be a hard lesson, but certainly a worthwhile one. One can't look at Tiger Woods on the golf course and say "it looks so easy, I can do that, too", then go out and be a pro after an afternoon. It's part of the job of a professional to make something very difficult look completely effortless. There are lots of analogies--you can't run a marathon without building up speed and endurance for months, you can't be Yo You Ma and play the cello without a lifetime of grueling practice. But for some reason people look at picture books and don't get it. Maybe it's good for some of them to give it a try, and see what happens!
Thanks, Daniel, for taking the time to respond with such insight. While I still have some reservations, I can certainly see now how this project can be a good thing for fledgling and veteran writers alike. For those of you who take part in NaPiBoWriWee, I sincerely wish you the best, and I hope to be discussing your book in a couple of years.
Baseball is America's great pastime. But baseball is also history, science, biography, statistics, and story. Here I discuss just a few of the dozens of titles available for exploring this beloved (and to many, sacred) sport. And no worries, ladies; you'll get your turn at bat in the next post. Those ladies with "dirt on their skirts" have equally amazing stories to tell.
Who has ever been to a stadium to see a game? Do you prefer major leagues or minor leagues?
Who collects baseball cards? Why? Who has a favorite player, or who has a mom or dad that has a favorite player?
Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth written by Robert Burleigh illustrated by Mike Wimmer Through one at-bat, this story eloquently retells how Babe Ruth changed baseball forever. The illustrations are bold and immediate; each one puts us squarely in the action. Many, especially those that depict the crowd, are nostalgically reminiscent of Norman Rockwell paintings. The large text is almost poetry, and finer historical details are provided on the backs of baseball cards which adorn each page. For those of us who may have forgotten just how large a shadow the Babe cast (literally and figuratively), these facts remind us. For example, in 1921, with 59 home runs, Babe had more than most other entire American League teams.
Teammates written by Peter Golenbock illustrated by Paul Bacon While most Americans can identify Jackie Robinson and his achievement in becoming the first black player to play on a Major League baseball team, few know much about the players of the Negro Leagues and their contributions to the game. This simple picture book provides just enough background for students to understand the difficulties and sacrifice involved with Robinson's decision, and it beautifully illustrates how Pee Wee Reese stood by his friend when even his own teammates disparaged and ostracized Robinson openly. I often use this book to introduce the concept of conflict. We discuss the conflict of character vs. society when Jackie chooses to leave the Negro Leagues for the Major Leagues at a time when American society was still widely and systematically segregated. Character vs. character conflicts are evident in both the fans' and teammates' rejections of Robinson. Finally, Jackie faced a conflict with himself as he struggled to find the courage to persevere through the most trying times. Players on opposing teams tried to spike him with their cleats or beam him in the head with high pitches. He received death threats from both individuals and organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan. But Pee Wee Reese's single, bold show of solidarity and friendship proved to Jackie and the world that nothing could stand in the way of an idea whose time had come, ushered in by a man of good heart and great talent. Across the Alley written by Richard Michelson illustrated by E.B.Lewis Abe and Willie are next door neighbors but can't play together because Abe's grandfather feels that Jewish boys shouldn't waste their time with baseball. Little does Grandfather know that every night Abe pretends he's Sandy Koufax, and he and Willie toss a ball back and forth across the alley. But what happens when they're discovered by Grandfather? There's obviously more to this story, but I want you to experience it for yourself. In addition to some beautiful imagery and language, the author introduces readers to Sandy Koufax, Satchel Paige, and Jascha Heifetz, but only by name. Who were these people? Why are they mentioned? We also hear references to the Negro Leagues and the Nazis, but again, we're not given full explanations. So this book offers many opportunities for students to create their own historical context for a better understanding of the story's core ideas. Oliver's Game by Matt Tavares When Oliver discovers an old jersey in the back of his grandfather's shop, he's surprised to learn that it belongs to Grandfather. "But you never played for the Cubs," protests Oliver. And so Grandfather retells the tale of the jersey and how one fateful day (December 7, 1941) changed the life of every American. This book recalls the heroism of those who chose to serve their country, and it also points out that baseball is for everyone, not just the lucky few who can play on the field. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson You might argue that this isn't a picture book since it's divided into chapters. Well, I don't know what book you're talking about, because mine is divided into innings. It's also filled with some of the most outstanding artwork to grace the pages of any book in recent memory. Kadir Nelson's paintings are heroic, iconic, and simply mesmerizing. They dare the reader not to explore the lives of these great players of Negro baseball. Read in "installments" over a period of days, this book will prove a big hit with your students. Another thing I love about it: it's narrated in the first person, using "we." We are there to witness the tribulations and triumphs. Post Reading Questions Extension Ideas: Language Arts
Apart from baseball, what else was this book about?
Which parts of this book do we know are real? Which parts might be fiction? Does it matter which are which?
What were some difficulties the main character faced in this book?
What do you think happened next?
Many students will want to write about their own experiences playing baseball. Those who prefer another sport or activity or who have had little experience with playing or watching baseball can either write about their own sport, or create a fictional narrative about any sport they choose.
The Educator's Reference Desk features a Negro League Baseball lesson plan on writing which uses the picture book The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. The plan includes printable activity sheets.
Have students brainstorm a list of baseball-inspired idioms (such as "batting a thousand"). Each students can then define and illustrate one of those expressions for a class book on Baseball Idioms. (This activity was adapted from a set of ideas which can be found at Education World).
Extension Ideas: Math
Imagine sports without numbers. What problems would that cause? Have students first brainstorm a list of ways in which numbers are used in baseball. Then, ask student teams to redesign the game so that numbers would need to be used in any way for player identification, field designations, scoring, seating, ticketing, concessions, etc.
Teach your students how to calculate a batting average. Students can then use this skill to calculate their own batting average after playing a virtual batting game online, such as the one found at the kids' section of the Major League Baseball site. Illuminations provides a more complete, structured lesson plan for middle and high school teachers wishing to do more with the math concepts behind batting averages.
Batter's Up gives kids a good math work-out while swing the bat at multiplication facts.
Extension Ideas: Science
The Science of Baseball at Exploratorium is a well-designed site with a retro feel. It features baseball history infused with the science behind the game. Lots to explore here, including a neat simulation that allows students to change variables of batting in order to try hitting one out of the park, and a simulation testing reaction time when swinging at a 90 mph major league pitch.
Science of Baseball from the Why Files isn't nearly as interactive or charming, but provides the rest of the science behind the game for any student interested.
Extension Ideas: Social Studies
Kaboose features a neat baseball timeline. Students can use this as a starting point for researching some of baseball's most important events. An exhaustive site such as the Baseball Almanac will help provide additional facts. Your kids may also enjoy the online companion to Ken Burns' phenomenal Baseball mini-series on PBS.
Also, the folks over at TeqSmart (a company which develops some really awesome SMART applications) came up with one cool baseball link I hadn't seen before, the Kids' site from the West Michigan Whitecaps, featuring baseball content categorized by subject area. More math ideas, baseball terms, and fun historical facts, plus a cool glossary of baseball-related injuries.
Picture books are a fabulous resource for building background knowledge on a historic topic. The true but ugly fact is that in most history textbooks today there's simply not much story. Without details and drama, few kids get excited about the past. Picture books to the rescue! While your curriculum may not include the Revolutionary War or a historical fiction text set in that time (such as Esther Forbe'sJohnny Tremain), you nonetheless can get some ideas for using multiple-perspective texts as we discuss the picture book interpretations of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. However, if you like the Midnight Ride topic, one great way to use these ideas to to play up the poetry angle! April is, after all, Poetry Month. Also, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which came as a result of the midnight ride, occurred on April 19th, so the timing is serendipitous. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow illustrated by Christopher Bing Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow illustrated by Monica Vachula Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow illustrated by Ted Rand The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow illustrated by Jeffrey Thompson Paul Revere's Midnight Ride by Stephen Krensky illustrated by Greg Harlin Before Reading Questions
In the 1770s, which country owned the most colonies in America? How many colonies did Great Britain own along the Atlantic coast?
Why were the colonies upset with Great Britain? (Large debts incurred due to the recent French and Indian War had prompted Britain to tax the colonies; this was done, however, without the colonists having any representation in Parliament, the law-making body of British government. Thus, the phrase "taxation without representation." The British government had also decided that colonial settlement should expand no further to the West; this upset George Washington and others who had commercial interests in lands beyond the thirteen colonies).
What events had occurred in Boston prior to 1775 that had increased tensions? (taxes which were deemed unfair, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party)
What did the group of Patriots in Boston call themselves? (the Sons of Liberty) Who were some of the most famous leaders of this group? (Samuel Adams, Paul Revere)
Summary For most picture book experiences in my class, I prefer a group read-aloud approach. That is certainly true of the Holocaust picture books we use to provide background for our Number the Stars unit. In the case of The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, however, we took a different approach. I divided students into groups of four and gave each student a double-spaced copy of Longfellow's poem. Students read the poem as a group, underlining words and passages which they didn't understand. I then spread out the six picture books on the topic, and assigned each group a place to begin. Working just six minutes at each station, students read the book together and viewed the illustrations. They then attempted to add notes, definitions, and general thoughts and questions to their printed copies of the poems. As time ended, each group rotated clockwise to the next station which offered a slightly different perspective of the same story. After Reading Questions
How many of you were able to define unknown words or explain unfamiliar phrases by looking at the pictures in the books provided? Which words or phrases are still confusing?
What did you group like most about this book? (hold up each book in turn) Overall, which book did your group find most helpful?
Why would this historical event appeal to this poet?
Extension Ideas: Language Arts/Social Studies
Following a very brief discussion of students' findings through the picture books, I introduce them to The Midnight Rider Virtual Museum, an interactive, online resource which allows students to read a hypertext version of the famous poem. As students read, they can click on any highlighted text for which they'd like more information. This resource allows them to independently confirm or emend any information which their group has recorded. The site contains additional printable resources which teachers can choose from to enrich the experience. A highly recommended follow-up to the picture book experience.
Show the Disney film version of Johnny Tremain in class, or read select text passages from that book. Have students compare and contrast with the poem version of the famous ride. What other information does the movie or book provide that helps the reader to better understand the poem?
ReadWriteThink.org features a multi-part lesson plan on Paul Revere which makes use of its online student writing tools and The Midnight Rider Virtual Museum. Even if you don't prefer to extend this lesson for four or five class periods, do check this site for the additional online references it provides.
Paul Revere was just one rider charged with the task of spreading news. Who were some other Patriots who defied the odds in carrying out these dangerous missions? Why were couriers such as these necessary at this time in history?
Provide some additional versions of the event, such as the graphic novel Paul Revere's Ride, as alternatives for the picture books mentioned above.
As you study the American Revolution, assign these same student groups historical events or dates which they must set to verse using a given number of lines. Combine all groups' efforts for a class poem (and an effective study guide!).
Children need role models, and picture books deliver! Here I share just a few of the hundreds of possible books which can be combined to create a fantastic study of both real and fictional heroes. You may also want to check out a previous post about Molly Pitcher if you're looking for a strong, true-life heroine. Tall Tales, Myths, Biblical Heroes, and Biographies are other sources you might consider. I discussed further ideas using Heroes from History in another post. Universal Themes: Conflict Resolution, Courage, Heroism, Identity, Integrity, Problem Solving Before Reading Questions
What is a hero? What are some adjectives that describe a hero?
Who are some heroes you can name from history? What did they do that makes them heroic?
Who are your role models? Are role models the same as heroes?
Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Depression-era teens, resemble one another enough to be brothers. Along with their similar physical appearances, they share a shyness around girls, an aversion to athletics, and a love for pulp fiction heroes such as Buck Rogers and Tarzan. Who would ever have thought that this unlikely pair could create the much-copied but never equalled Superman? This book chronicles the friends' determination in bringing this super hero to the page, and the resulting birth of modern comic books as we know them. Extension Ideas: Social Studies
Superman appeared as the Depression was drawing to a close and America entered into a World War. Why would audiences so readily welcome such a hero in times like these?
Strong Man: The Story of Charles Atlas by Meghan McMarthy How did a poor Italian immigrant boy named Angelo Siciliano become real-life strong man Charles Atlas? In another unlikely story, readers will enjoy hearing how a ninety-pound weakling (who did, in fact, have sand kicked in his face at the beach) became known as "The World Most Perfectly Developed Man." In addition to his famous mail-order bodybuilding course found in the pages of countless comic books, Atlas also became famous as a model for sculptors. His physique, and often his face, appear on seventy-five statues across the country, including those of George Washington in Washington Square Park in New York City, and Thomas Jefferson in Washington, D.C. This real-life hero's exercise and healthy living routines created a fitness craze across America. Heroes written by Ken Mochizuki ; illustrated by Dom Lee Donnie is dismayed because whenever his friends play war, he's forced to be the enemy "Because he looks like them." Donnie hates being the bad guy and wishes he could prove to the other boys that his father and uncle had fought bravely for the United States in two different wars. The ending is both surprising and satisfying, but still left open to discussion. Extension Ideas: Language Arts
Students can interview a grandparent or another significant adult in order to tell about "A Hero in my Life." The interview can ask that relative about their heroes as they were growing up.
Some students may be interested in learning about the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II. A great place to start is Baseball Saved Us, also by Ken Mochizuki. This book tells how baseball raised the spirits of interred Japanese Americans, while providing just enough historical context for some discussion.
Boys Who Rocked the World: From King Tut to Tiger Woods by the Editors of Beyond Words Publishing Girls Who Rocked the World : Heroines from Sacagawea to Sheryl Swoopes by Amelie Welden Okay, I'll admit it. These two are not picture books. But I love their short chapters, the informative trivia text boxes which appear on every page, and the diversity of heroes and heroines represented. Perhaps the best features of both books, however, are the real-life boys and girls who appear at the end of each selection to answer the question, "How will you rock the world?" Extension Ideas: Language Arts
Many of the people chronicled here have also been captured in picture book. Dragon in the Rocks, for example, details how fossil hunter Mary Anning of England discovered the first full skeletons of an Ichthyosaurus and a Plesiosaurus. Students can search the library for such books, and then compare the interpretations of the picture books with the facts they've collected elsewhere.
And those heroes who have not yet been immortalized in a picture book? Have your students design such a book. The class as a whole can draft the text, and then pairs of students can be given text pages (containing just one or two paragraphs) for illustrating.
After Reading Questions
How is this person like other heroes we know?
Which of our adjectives match her? What other adjectives did this story make you think of?
Did he try to become a hero? How did it happen? What circumstances forced him to act heroically?
Extension Ideas: Technology, Art, and Language Arts I thought the boys in my class would go crazy for this site (and they did!) but the girls loved it just as much! The plan: create a hero who would be the main character (and source of motivation) for a tale of action and adventure. Hero Factory allows visitors to custom build a hero of their choice (male or female), making it truly their own through countless combinations of hair color, eyes, noses, outfits, accessories, color schemes, and more. (I created the bearded, bald, super-handsome hero shown here in less than two minutes). My one concern is that the site does allow the hero to have a weapon (although they don't have to be holding one in the completed image). We agreed, however, that this weapon could only be used to fight off monsters, aliens, and imaginary creatures of all hideous and horrendous dimensions, and that no humans would be killed in our stories. The weapon might also be used to battle natural disasters. Additionally, the final image (which appears as a comic book cover) features a name for the hero which is based upon the combined attributes chosen. We agreed that these names could be nicknames, but that we reserved the right to christen our own heroes. After creating their original heroes, some students returned to the application to create allies and enemies as well. (The site is super-easy to navigate, requires no log-ins, and features no ads of any kind. I still can't figure out who even created the site, or for what purpose!) All students found the activity to be exciting, and their written results were just as creative and diverse as the super heroes themselves.
Posts
pointed out that Goodnight Moon was allegedly written in one morning. I guess that counts as an "in-favor-of" vote. A couple other authors I queried weren't ready to commit either way (bawk, bawk!).
, finally convinced me that perhaps I was really off-base with my criticisms (a rare occurrence, as my long time readers will attest). In his response to my tirade, Daniel made some good points:
), you nonetheless can get some ideas for using multiple-perspective texts as we discuss the picture book interpretations of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. However, if you like the Midnight Ride topic, one great way to use these ideas to to play up the poetry angle! April is, after all, Poetry Month. Also, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which came as a result of the midnight ride, occurred on April 19
unit.
in class, or read select text passages from that book. Have students compare and contrast with the poem version of the famous ride. What other information does the movie or book provide that helps the reader to better understand the poem?
, also by Ken 
