I thought that this project was very beneficial. I think that a book blog would be a great and engaging way for the students to be creative and summarize a book. I know that for me personally I like to type a lot more than I like to write. So this is a great way for me to get my work done, but it is also helping me to better understand technology. I really enjoyed going to the library and picking out the books. It forced me to become more familiar with the library and the librarians. This will be very important when I have a classroom of my own to be able to navigate the local library. I am still not totally comfortable with technology, but I am definitely getting better. I think that incorporating technology is very important because in our world today technology is taking over. It will be crucial that the students are exposed to technology because it is their future. I really enjoyed using the blog. It is so easy to use, and I also enjoy using wordles. There are students that struggle with reading and also writing if you use a wordle or a blog I think they will enjoy their assignments. I have seen many times where some of the slower students have not finished their work and then have to take it home for homework. I think that if they are able to use the computer and use something like a blog or wordle then they will be able to be done faster. Though I really enjoyed blogging and using wordles, I did struggle a little with the windows movie maker. I did not have a microphone so it was difficult for me to figure out how to add text to the story. I did figure it out, but then I had trouble trying to figure out how to upload it. Overall, I think that this project has helped me realize how important children's literature is and technology. I think that incorporating technology will make reading fun for those students who may not love reading. I really am going to try and learn about new types of technology often so that I can become more familiar and so that when I have a classroom of my own I will have many options for the students to chose from.
When I went into the 5th grade classroom I am in I chose to use a book about the White House. They are in fifth grade so they have been studying U.S. History. After reading this book the student will be able to explain why history is important. We first started talking about the United States as a country and some of the historical events that have taken place here. She talked about one of her favorite times in history. Then, we read the book about the White House. After we were done reading it she told me what she liked and what she learned. The White House has so much history itself. The Presidents are just one of the many things that can be talked about using the White House. It is also in Washington D.C. where there are numerous other monuments that have historical significance. This book can open up the door to much of U.S. History which as a 5th grader you learn about. After we talked about various things in the United States history she chose to do a wordle. She loved doing this. She thought that it was so neat that she could do a summary without writing a paragraph. She loved how she could adjust the wordle to make it how she wanted. She knew how to do more things with it than I did, and it was her first time making one. I think that this was a great way for her to incorporate technology into a lesson.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Websites
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/readlanguage/inventory/folklore-35.html
This is from the PBS website. They have great resources. I can select the grade level I want and a topic. I chose to do 3-5 and folklore. There were many lesson plans that popped up, and they give you an option of offline or online resources to use.
http://www.eduplace.com/tales/
This website lets children type in there own words using different parts of speech. It is like a madlibs and then will create a story for them. I think that the students would really enjoy this website. It would let the goof off in a productive way.
http://eduscapes.com/ladders/themes/w2.htm
This is a great website that sends children on webquests. It promotes things such as comparing books, and researching about authors and the time periods.
This is from the PBS website. They have great resources. I can select the grade level I want and a topic. I chose to do 3-5 and folklore. There were many lesson plans that popped up, and they give you an option of offline or online resources to use.
http://www.eduplace.com/tales/
This website lets children type in there own words using different parts of speech. It is like a madlibs and then will create a story for them. I think that the students would really enjoy this website. It would let the goof off in a productive way.
http://eduscapes.com/ladders/themes/w2.htm
This is a great website that sends children on webquests. It promotes things such as comparing books, and researching about authors and the time periods.
Science Fiction
The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
In the first book of the Spiderwick Chronicles Jared, Simon and Mallory have just moved with their mother to a creepy, old house. As they begin to settle in their new home they find that there is a strange and magical world that lives parallel with ours. With the help from a field guide written by their great grandfather they go on a quest to rid their home of a pesky faery.
In the first book of the Spiderwick Chronicles Jared, Simon and Mallory have just moved with their mother to a creepy, old house. As they begin to settle in their new home they find that there is a strange and magical world that lives parallel with ours. With the help from a field guide written by their great grandfather they go on a quest to rid their home of a pesky faery.
Biography
The Diary of Petr Ginz 1941-1942 Edited by Chava Pressburger
This is a journal from Petr Ginz. He was a Jew growing up in Czechoslovakia. This journal is a day by day of what was happening. You can see the progression of the war getting worse with the amount of friends and family taken away and also the right with Petr no longer had. When he was sent to the concentration camps he still continued to keep a journal and stay positive. He died in the concentration camp shortly before it was liberated.
This is a journal from Petr Ginz. He was a Jew growing up in Czechoslovakia. This journal is a day by day of what was happening. You can see the progression of the war getting worse with the amount of friends and family taken away and also the right with Petr no longer had. When he was sent to the concentration camps he still continued to keep a journal and stay positive. He died in the concentration camp shortly before it was liberated.
Science Fiction
The hidden stars and the magic carpet by Tony Abbott
Three friends are cleaning up in the basement. The open the door under the stairs and fall down stairs. They are in another world. They run into a princess who is in need of their help. They try to help her escape from an evil man but end up getting caught themselves. They do not know how they are ever going to get back to their world, until a magic carper comes and saves them and the princess. They must hurry to the stairs before they will go away forever and they would be stuck in this other world. They are able to make it to the stair in time and safely back in their basement where they cannot believe what just happened.
Image from https://www.novelaction.com/system/data/bookimages/8308/2604.JPG
Fiction
Historical
Squanto's Journey by Joseph Bruchac
Squanto and some of his tribe were taken by English men. They were taken back to England to be sold as slaves. Squanto encountered some nice men who wanted to help him go back home. When Squanto arrived back home those who were left of his tribe fought the English men. Squanto helped to make peace between the English men and his tribe. In the fall when their crops had done well they all gathered together to have a feast, which we now call Thanksgiving.
Image from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/h0/h1366.jpg
Historical
The White House: the official history for children by Catherine O'Neill Grace
"The White House" is a great book that is interesting and full of facts. It says when the white house was built, how many rooms there are, why it is named the white house, etc. I think we all are curious as to what it is like inside the white house. In this book there are a few pictures, and it really tries to give as much information as possible. I think that this would be a great book to have in the classroom because I think students would enjoy it and it can be used when discussing presidents.
Image from http://www.visitingdc.com/images/white-house-picture.jpg
Historical
Friday, March 27, 2009
Biography
Anne Frank by Yona Zeldis McDonough
Anne Frank was a brave girl. She was a Jew and had to go into hiding because of Adolf Hitler coming into power. Her family and a few others hid above her father's store for two years. While there they had to keep very quiet, to pass the time Anne would write in a journal. After two years of hiding in the same place someone discovered them and told the police. Everyone was sent to concentration camps. Anne Frank died in a concentration camp. Her father survived and went back to their hiding place where he found Anne's diary and published it. Anne Frank is a great and touching story and could be used in the classroom to teach about World War II.
Anne Frank was a brave girl. She was a Jew and had to go into hiding because of Adolf Hitler coming into power. Her family and a few others hid above her father's store for two years. While there they had to keep very quiet, to pass the time Anne would write in a journal. After two years of hiding in the same place someone discovered them and told the police. Everyone was sent to concentration camps. Anne Frank died in a concentration camp. Her father survived and went back to their hiding place where he found Anne's diary and published it. Anne Frank is a great and touching story and could be used in the classroom to teach about World War II.
Folklore
Image from http://www.mysticalunicorn.net/images/Copper%20Sun%20and%20Moon%205565-lrg.jpg
Why the sun and the moon live in the sky by Elphinstone Dayrell
This is a story of how the sun and moon came to be in the sky. Sun and Moon were married and they had a friend name River. They wanted River to come over to their house, but River wanted to bring his friends and they did not have room for all of them. So Sun and Moon decided to build a house big enough for all River's friends. They did and so River and his friends came over. There were so many that they pushed Sun and Moon all the way into the sky and so that is where they stayed. This was a cute book. If I read this book in my classroom I would have to make sure that the students are aware of the many misconceptions in the book.
Folklore
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
This is a Chinese folklore. Two brothers the older Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo, and then the younger Chang loved to play outside while their mother washed clothes in the river. One day they were playing by a well Chang fell in and Tikki went to get help, and they got him out. A few months later they were playing by the well again and Tikki fell in the well, Chang went to get help and everyone he went to he tried to say Tikki's full name and they could not understand him. Tikki was in the well for a long time before they could get him out. It took him a while to recover from all the water in his lungs.
Image from http://www.edu.pe.ca/miscouche/projects/Grassroots/our_community/people/mosaic/images/tikki.jpg
Folklore
Cinderella by K.Y. Craft
There are many versions of Cinderella. In this version Cinderella's father dies and she is left to the care of her stepmother and her step sisters. Cinderella is there servant. Her friends are the animals in and around the house. There is a ball for the prince and Cinderella's stepmother and sisters are going. After they leave for the ball Cinderella's god mother appears. A blue bird turned into her god mother. Her god mother says she can go to ball but she must be home before midnight. Cinderella goes to the ball and meets the prince. She loses track of time and has to run out of the ball. She loses her slipper while running. The prince finds the slipper and goes around the town to find the girl whose slipper he has. He finds Cinderella and the slipper fits and they get married and live happily ever after.
Image from http://www.thebookstacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/cinderella.jpg
Multicultural
Mr. Lincoln's Way by Patricia Polacco
We are all different. This book is about a beloved principal. Everyone at the school loved him except Eugene. Eugene had been taught at home that anyone who has a different color skin than him were people he should not like or associate with. Eugene was a bully at school. The principal realizes that he needs to do something about Eugene before he seriously hurts someone. The principal sees Eugene admiring birds. He asks Eugene to help him pick out plants for the atrium that will attract birds. Eugene enjoys what he is doing, and realizes that people of other races are no different than him. This is a great book to portray that we are all equal, and we should try and find things in common with each other.
We are all different. This book is about a beloved principal. Everyone at the school loved him except Eugene. Eugene had been taught at home that anyone who has a different color skin than him were people he should not like or associate with. Eugene was a bully at school. The principal realizes that he needs to do something about Eugene before he seriously hurts someone. The principal sees Eugene admiring birds. He asks Eugene to help him pick out plants for the atrium that will attract birds. Eugene enjoys what he is doing, and realizes that people of other races are no different than him. This is a great book to portray that we are all equal, and we should try and find things in common with each other.
Fiction
Earth Day by Linda Lowery
Our Earth is very important and the way in which we treat it is very important. This book discusses Earth Day and how it came to be. The first Earth Day was a great success and many people in the United States took it very seriously. Other ways were introduced to get rid of trash like recycling. A couple of years after the first Earth Day everyone went back to their regular ways. After many years had passed the same man who started Earth Day called all the people up he did the first time and got Earth Day to be recognized like it was the first time. In the classroom this would be a great book to teach about our Earth. The students need to know how important our Earth is and they need to know in what ways they can help to keep it clean.
Image from http://www.spacetoday.org/images/SolSys/Earth/EarthBlueMarbleWestTerra.jpg
International
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Arthur Ransome
When the Czar of the land issues a proclamation that says whoever brings him a flying ship can marry his daughter three peasant brothers set out to compete in hopes of winning the daughter. One of them is the fool of the world and even his own parents and two brothers do not think he is capable of accomplishing this task. This does not influence the fool of the world, but rather he sets out cheerfully to accomplish the task with no support from his family. He is able to do what seems the impossible with help from an unlikely source and showing kindness to everyone he meets on his path.
When the Czar of the land issues a proclamation that says whoever brings him a flying ship can marry his daughter three peasant brothers set out to compete in hopes of winning the daughter. One of them is the fool of the world and even his own parents and two brothers do not think he is capable of accomplishing this task. This does not influence the fool of the world, but rather he sets out cheerfully to accomplish the task with no support from his family. He is able to do what seems the impossible with help from an unlikely source and showing kindness to everyone he meets on his path.
Science Fiction
http://www.mrspalmisano.com/leppot1.gif
Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones
There is something unusual about Mrs. Jeepers, some students think she is a vampire. Whenever any of the students are misbehaving she will touch a green brooch on her neck, and they will stop. The students think she is very weird and when they go to school on St. Patrick's Day they learn about her hatred towards St. Patrick's Day and especially leprechauns. When the students go to gym they have a new teacher there who is from Ireland and reminds them of a leprechaun. When Mrs. Jeepers found out about this teacher she was very mad. The students were very intrigued as to what was going on, one of the students grandmother's is from Ireland so they went to talk to her. She told them about a fight that occured between the vampires and the leprechauns. They decide they need to run the leprechaun out of town because Mrs. Jeepers was there first. This is exactly what they did. I think that this story could be read a couple days leading up to St. Patricks Day. I think that the students could use various resources like books and computers to research about St. Patricks Day and how it orginated.
Science Fiction
Sunset of the Sabertooth by Mary Pope Osborne
This book is about two siblings Annie and Jack who find a magic tree house. This tree house is owned by a magical librarian, Morgan. Morgan is under a spell and Jack and Annie are sent different places to gather special things so that they can save Morgan. When they arrived at the tree house there was a book open with their next destination. They were sent to the time of the ice age. As they were trying to find the special thing they encountered many animals like woolly mammoth, saber tooth tiger and many other ice age animals. The saber tooth tiger want them to be his lunch. They ended up finding the special thing and get back to the tree house. Now, they have one more thing to find before they can set Morgan free. I think that this would be a great collection to have in the classroom. These books send you on adventures to many different time periods. I think that the students would love to read them, and they could also get them interested in researching more about a time period in which they do not know a lot about.
Image from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n26/n132963.jpg
Folktale
The Wise Washerman by Deborah Froese
This is a folk tale from Burma. This story is about a hard working man, Aung, whose job is to wash clothes. He does such a great job that the king only trusts him to wash his royal clothes. Aung's neighbor is very envious of his neighbor so he tries to come up with a plan to have Aung exiled from the village. In the end his neighbor failed and ended up being the one who was exiled from the village and Aung became even more loved and trusted by the king. This is a great story to use in the classroom to talk about envy and greed.
Image from http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Y4JHRR1EL.jpg
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Folk
Stone Soup by Heather Forest
After long days of travel two men came upon a village. They were hoping that in the village there would be someone kind enough to share a little food with them and even let them stay the night. They went through the whole village knocking on doors and no one would let them in and they all said that they had just enough food for themselves and none to spare. The travelers thought that these people were worse off than them if they had nothing to spare so they decided that they would make their special soup for the village. The people gathered not believing that these two men could make a soup to feed the whole village. The travelers would say that the soup would be great with a few vegetables, meat, etc. The people would run to their house to bring whatever ingredients they could find. With everyone contributing the soup was delicious and enough to feed the whole village. This is a great story about sharing. I think that this would be a great story to use in the classroom in the beginning of the year. I think that when we read this book I would tell the students that we all need to be willing to contribute our best actions, thoughts, and work to the classroom. If we all do our part and add our "ingredients" then we will have a successful classroom where the best learning takes place.
After long days of travel two men came upon a village. They were hoping that in the village there would be someone kind enough to share a little food with them and even let them stay the night. They went through the whole village knocking on doors and no one would let them in and they all said that they had just enough food for themselves and none to spare. The travelers thought that these people were worse off than them if they had nothing to spare so they decided that they would make their special soup for the village. The people gathered not believing that these two men could make a soup to feed the whole village. The travelers would say that the soup would be great with a few vegetables, meat, etc. The people would run to their house to bring whatever ingredients they could find. With everyone contributing the soup was delicious and enough to feed the whole village. This is a great story about sharing. I think that this would be a great story to use in the classroom in the beginning of the year. I think that when we read this book I would tell the students that we all need to be willing to contribute our best actions, thoughts, and work to the classroom. If we all do our part and add our "ingredients" then we will have a successful classroom where the best learning takes place.
Multicultural
"I Am Not Afraid!" by Kenny Mann
This book is based on a Masai tale. This book shows the relationship between two brothers, and the positive effect each can have on each other. These brothers are traveling with their cattle to a river to get water. The younger brother Leyo, went to the river to get water. The river spoke to him and was angry that he was going to steal water from it. Leyo was afraid so he ran to his brother to tell him and to get him to go over to the river. When his brother arrived at the river the river was angry at him also, but Leyo's brother told the river that he was not scared and that he was brave. He was able to take water. There were many other tasks that Leyo had to do like getting branches for a fire. Each task he tried to do he was scared. In the end, he asks his brother to teach him how to be brave and he is no longer scared.
This book is based on a Masai tale. This book shows the relationship between two brothers, and the positive effect each can have on each other. These brothers are traveling with their cattle to a river to get water. The younger brother Leyo, went to the river to get water. The river spoke to him and was angry that he was going to steal water from it. Leyo was afraid so he ran to his brother to tell him and to get him to go over to the river. When his brother arrived at the river the river was angry at him also, but Leyo's brother told the river that he was not scared and that he was brave. He was able to take water. There were many other tasks that Leyo had to do like getting branches for a fire. Each task he tried to do he was scared. In the end, he asks his brother to teach him how to be brave and he is no longer scared.
Biography
George W. Bush by Jill C. Wheeler
This is a kid friendly biography on our former President George W. Bush. In this book you learn about George's life growing up in Texas with his brothers and parents. There are a lot of other interesting things in this biography such as when he started to become involved in politics, and when he met his wife, Laura, and the family that they started. This book also touches on when he first became president and the tragedy of September 11th. It tells where he was at the moment the first plane hit the tower, and then the days following the attacks. This is a very informational book, and can be tied into the classroom very easily. It would be helpful to teach about our former president and his life. Also, it would be great as a reference to teaching about the attacks on 9/11.
Image from http://blogs.sundaymercury.net/thegrassyknoll/President-George-W-Bush.jpg
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