Thursday, November 26, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Lesson Plan with Student
Department of Elementary Education
Lesson Plan Format
Intern/Student Teacher: Amanda Jones Date: March 23rd, 2009
SCOS Standard(s): 5th Grade English Language Arts
Objective 2.03
Read a variety of texts, such as:
• fiction (tall tales, myths).
Objective 3.01
Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
• analyzing word choice and content.
• examining reasons for a character's actions, taking into account the situation and basic motivation of the character.
• creating and presenting a product that effectively demonstrates a personal response to a selection or experience.
• making and evaluating inferences and conclusions about characters, events and themes.
Objective 4.06
Compose a draft that elaborates on major ideas and adheres to the topic by using an appropriate organizational pattern that accomplishes the purpose of the writing task and effectively communicates its content.
Objective 4.09
Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., clarification, essay, feature story, business letter).
Objective 4.10
Use technology as a tool to enhance and/or publish a product.
Essential Question/Measurable Learning Outcome:
The student will be able to create a written summary and commentary of the novel The Sign of the Beaver. This will then be placed into Wordle to create a visual.
Assessment (formative and summative):
The assessment will be the block of text the student creates which will be put into Wordle, creating a visual of the writing the student created.
Modifications:
There are several ways you could modify this lesson. You could have students create wordles on specific aspects or occurances in the book. If they are ELL students, you could allow them to write and create in their home language, so long as they verbally explained in English so you could check for understanding. This could easily be a whole class activity, wherein they explain to their neighbor what happened and what they remember about the book.
Materials:
Computer with internet access, paper, pencil, The Sign of the Beaver
Procedures:
The student has already read the book because the class as a whole read it together. Ask the child to tell you a little about the book, orally explaining some key points summarizing major events. Ask the student to elaborate, telling you more details about the book to check for attention, such as the Trapper’s name who took Matt’s food. Then ask the student to write down what they said, writing with pen and paper the summary they just gave you. Once this is complete, ask the student to type their response in www.wordle.net . Once the wordle is created, print it out and place them in an area of the classroom designated for artwork and/or vocabulary.
Anticipatory Set
This is having the student vocally tell you what occurred in the story. Students rarely have a chance to summarize an entire novel through speech, so allowing them to talk out the story helps them work through parts they might have forgotten and helps them become better writers.
Independent Practice
Having them orally tell you, physically write it down and then type it not only places the information in their mind three times, it also helps them work on all aspects of literacy and writing. They have the oral literacy component in being able to talk it out, and the writing practice when they write down what they told you.
Closure
Printing the wordle and placing it where other students can see it. You could also have the students create wordles of character traits about some of the main characters. This would allow them to make a list or map and then input it into wordle.
Lesson Plan Format
Intern/Student Teacher: Amanda Jones Date: March 23rd, 2009
SCOS Standard(s): 5th Grade English Language Arts
Objective 2.03
Read a variety of texts, such as:
• fiction (tall tales, myths).
Objective 3.01
Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
• analyzing word choice and content.
• examining reasons for a character's actions, taking into account the situation and basic motivation of the character.
• creating and presenting a product that effectively demonstrates a personal response to a selection or experience.
• making and evaluating inferences and conclusions about characters, events and themes.
Objective 4.06
Compose a draft that elaborates on major ideas and adheres to the topic by using an appropriate organizational pattern that accomplishes the purpose of the writing task and effectively communicates its content.
Objective 4.09
Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., clarification, essay, feature story, business letter).
Objective 4.10
Use technology as a tool to enhance and/or publish a product.
Essential Question/Measurable Learning Outcome:
The student will be able to create a written summary and commentary of the novel The Sign of the Beaver. This will then be placed into Wordle to create a visual.
Assessment (formative and summative):
The assessment will be the block of text the student creates which will be put into Wordle, creating a visual of the writing the student created.
Modifications:
There are several ways you could modify this lesson. You could have students create wordles on specific aspects or occurances in the book. If they are ELL students, you could allow them to write and create in their home language, so long as they verbally explained in English so you could check for understanding. This could easily be a whole class activity, wherein they explain to their neighbor what happened and what they remember about the book.
Materials:
Computer with internet access, paper, pencil, The Sign of the Beaver
Procedures:
The student has already read the book because the class as a whole read it together. Ask the child to tell you a little about the book, orally explaining some key points summarizing major events. Ask the student to elaborate, telling you more details about the book to check for attention, such as the Trapper’s name who took Matt’s food. Then ask the student to write down what they said, writing with pen and paper the summary they just gave you. Once this is complete, ask the student to type their response in www.wordle.net . Once the wordle is created, print it out and place them in an area of the classroom designated for artwork and/or vocabulary.
Anticipatory Set
This is having the student vocally tell you what occurred in the story. Students rarely have a chance to summarize an entire novel through speech, so allowing them to talk out the story helps them work through parts they might have forgotten and helps them become better writers.
Independent Practice
Having them orally tell you, physically write it down and then type it not only places the information in their mind three times, it also helps them work on all aspects of literacy and writing. They have the oral literacy component in being able to talk it out, and the writing practice when they write down what they told you.
Closure
Printing the wordle and placing it where other students can see it. You could also have the students create wordles of character traits about some of the main characters. This would allow them to make a list or map and then input it into wordle.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
My Wordle: Farewell, Dawn: Ann M. Martin
Student Created Wordle
Lesson Plans
Wordle
I think a design brief where students solve a problem, such as one in The Sign of the Beaver, can easily be implemented. The students reflect on their success with solving the problem, and this can easily be uploaded into Wordle for them to see the language they are using and the effect it has on the teacher. I think that reflections done on stories or things they have read or heard can be incorporated into the classroom via Wordle, and the teacher can print them out and post them around the classroom.
Blogging
I think that blogging could easily be implemented within the classroom. To assign each student a blog site, and allow them to write essays and reflections on the blog would be great. I would implement a lesson where students either respond to a book the teacher read aloud to the class or a book that we all, individually read and discussed as a class would be amazing. To allow them to post on one another’s blogs and comment with discussion topics would be beneficial because the teacher could keep tabs on discussions and see who was participating and who wasn’t doing their job.
Voicethread:
I think a great lesson plan with Voicethread is one that incorporates both the students speaking and pictures they took. I think that using a flipcam, the students could take pictures of things that reminded them of a book, like a sunset or a certain type of food, and post those pictures on voicethread. Once they had posted them, the students could then go back and comment on how those particular pictures meant something to them when discussing the book. I also think that commenting on peer’s work is a great way to build student community and help them see that encouragement is encouraged.
I think a design brief where students solve a problem, such as one in The Sign of the Beaver, can easily be implemented. The students reflect on their success with solving the problem, and this can easily be uploaded into Wordle for them to see the language they are using and the effect it has on the teacher. I think that reflections done on stories or things they have read or heard can be incorporated into the classroom via Wordle, and the teacher can print them out and post them around the classroom.
Blogging
I think that blogging could easily be implemented within the classroom. To assign each student a blog site, and allow them to write essays and reflections on the blog would be great. I would implement a lesson where students either respond to a book the teacher read aloud to the class or a book that we all, individually read and discussed as a class would be amazing. To allow them to post on one another’s blogs and comment with discussion topics would be beneficial because the teacher could keep tabs on discussions and see who was participating and who wasn’t doing their job.
Voicethread:
I think a great lesson plan with Voicethread is one that incorporates both the students speaking and pictures they took. I think that using a flipcam, the students could take pictures of things that reminded them of a book, like a sunset or a certain type of food, and post those pictures on voicethread. Once they had posted them, the students could then go back and comment on how those particular pictures meant something to them when discussing the book. I also think that commenting on peer’s work is a great way to build student community and help them see that encouragement is encouraged.
Reflection on Integrated Technology
Blogging:
I feel like blogging was a great idea. I wrote all of the reviews in Word first, simply so I could organize them in the manner I felt was most appropriate. I then posted them on Blogger, and I think that this is a great technology to use. Children can type, therefore they can blog. By being able to set up privacy features, the children could respond to one another’s and participate in discussions on the web. I think this is a great idea, and I hope to one day have the opportunity to incorporate a similar task within my own classroom.
Wordle:
I think wordles are the coolest things! When we did them in class, I immediately knew that I wanted to do one for a book. I think that they are really fun and they help show kids the importance of the words you use. Without having full sentences, students see how one word choice can affect the entire meaning of the wordle. I really enjoyed using this, and it’s the technology I implemented with my student. I think the options that are open to you with this technology are limitless, and my student really enjoyed writing her reflection and posting it in Wordle.
Voicethread:
I enjoyed using this for the project we did for Dr. Jeffries. I think that some of the technology was difficult to use, because we struggled with the microphones sometimes and had to use the telephone connection and type responses. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed using the headphone microphones because I had never used one before. I think that with the proper set up, this technology can easily be implemented in a classroom and therefore can expand the technological advances our students make. I think with all the technology there is, Voicethread is one that’s really neat because students can see the efforts of their work and hear themselves speaking, which also improves verbal communication.
I feel like blogging was a great idea. I wrote all of the reviews in Word first, simply so I could organize them in the manner I felt was most appropriate. I then posted them on Blogger, and I think that this is a great technology to use. Children can type, therefore they can blog. By being able to set up privacy features, the children could respond to one another’s and participate in discussions on the web. I think this is a great idea, and I hope to one day have the opportunity to incorporate a similar task within my own classroom.
Wordle:
I think wordles are the coolest things! When we did them in class, I immediately knew that I wanted to do one for a book. I think that they are really fun and they help show kids the importance of the words you use. Without having full sentences, students see how one word choice can affect the entire meaning of the wordle. I really enjoyed using this, and it’s the technology I implemented with my student. I think the options that are open to you with this technology are limitless, and my student really enjoyed writing her reflection and posting it in Wordle.
Voicethread:
I enjoyed using this for the project we did for Dr. Jeffries. I think that some of the technology was difficult to use, because we struggled with the microphones sometimes and had to use the telephone connection and type responses. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed using the headphone microphones because I had never used one before. I think that with the proper set up, this technology can easily be implemented in a classroom and therefore can expand the technological advances our students make. I think with all the technology there is, Voicethread is one that’s really neat because students can see the efforts of their work and hear themselves speaking, which also improves verbal communication.
Kathy’s Hats: Trudy Krisher
Nonfiction
Kathy’s Hats is a biographical story about a little girl with cancer. She grew up wearing bonnets to protect her from the sun and match her outfits. She loved wearing hats and expressing herself through her clothing. Once she was diagnosed with cancer, everything changed for her. She starts pinning things on her hat to make them different and “happier.” When she found out that the cancer had gone into remission, everyone in her class wore hats to celebrate the good news. I feel like this book would be a great addition to my classroom. Cancer is word that children fear the meaning without understanding and properly knowing what all it is. I think that if children knew more about cancer and how children who have it behave, it would become less of an issue and more of a rallying point in the classroom. I know of many students and teachers alike who are affected by this illness, and younger children especially could benefit from this book as a read-aloud.
Kathy’s Hats is a biographical story about a little girl with cancer. She grew up wearing bonnets to protect her from the sun and match her outfits. She loved wearing hats and expressing herself through her clothing. Once she was diagnosed with cancer, everything changed for her. She starts pinning things on her hat to make them different and “happier.” When she found out that the cancer had gone into remission, everyone in her class wore hats to celebrate the good news. I feel like this book would be a great addition to my classroom. Cancer is word that children fear the meaning without understanding and properly knowing what all it is. I think that if children knew more about cancer and how children who have it behave, it would become less of an issue and more of a rallying point in the classroom. I know of many students and teachers alike who are affected by this illness, and younger children especially could benefit from this book as a read-aloud.
The Great Ships: Patrick O’Brien
The Great Ships is a nonfiction story about some of the great ships of the world throughout history. It spans history from the Gokstad Ship over a thousand years ago to Blackbeard’s infamous Queen Anne’s Revenge to the Enterprise naval craft. The book describes the time period in which seventeen well known vessels were used and their uses. It goes into detail about the major battles ships were in, their purposes within the navy or world culture at the time, and even has an index at the back where it tells where they are now. I think this book would be great within a classroom because it’s perfect for mechanics, the expansion in technology and invention over time, and even has a reference to North Carolina with Blackbeard and the Queen Anne’s Revenge. I think this book would be great to implement in a social studies curriculum and would be a perfect reading book for a student who is interest in nautical life.
Saints and Angels: edited by Carron Brown
This book was so interesting! The book discusses the major saints of the Christian and Catholic faiths, specifying dates that are important and correlate with the Saints. There are pages for all the major saints within the Catholic faith especially, and broken down among different groups, such as the Holy Family, the Gospel Writers, martyrs and so on. I think this book would be great for use as a reference when discussing different holidays from different religions. I think that multicultural holidays are a great way in introduce children to different cultures and have them aware of a cultural mindset far before it is normally discussed. I think that opening their eyes to a facet of a well-established faith would also allow them to delve further into other cultures, allowing them to see different aspects of a lot of different cultures. I’m not sure if I would read this book aloud, simply because of the content, but I do think it would be a neat book to have in one’s library for students to reference when discussing other cultures, including religions.
Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella adapted by Jewell Reinhart Coburn with Tzexa Cherta Lee
Multicultural and International Literature
This international story is one that I think would be great to use as a comparison. The story is that of a young girl, Jouanah, who’s father remarries and she finds herself the forgotten child of a man who no longer can love. She endures her tragedies quietly and kindly, and therefore she lives a life wherein she lives to appease others. She is rewarded when she finds a gift from her dead mother and goes to the New Year’s celebration, where she meets the village’s most honored man and they finally end up together. It is a Southeast Asian version of the classic Cinderella tale. I think this story would be great for three different reasons in the classroom. There is so much a teacher could do with a comparison piece on this version and the traditional American version. One could also use this story to illustrate some of similarities between cultures, especially useful if a new student from another culture joins your classroom. A third idea is the one that this could be used as a small window into another culture, using the artwork and illustrations to show how people in Southeast Asia once lived.
This international story is one that I think would be great to use as a comparison. The story is that of a young girl, Jouanah, who’s father remarries and she finds herself the forgotten child of a man who no longer can love. She endures her tragedies quietly and kindly, and therefore she lives a life wherein she lives to appease others. She is rewarded when she finds a gift from her dead mother and goes to the New Year’s celebration, where she meets the village’s most honored man and they finally end up together. It is a Southeast Asian version of the classic Cinderella tale. I think this story would be great for three different reasons in the classroom. There is so much a teacher could do with a comparison piece on this version and the traditional American version. One could also use this story to illustrate some of similarities between cultures, especially useful if a new student from another culture joins your classroom. A third idea is the one that this could be used as a small window into another culture, using the artwork and illustrations to show how people in Southeast Asia once lived.
Anansi does the Impossible: Verna Aardema
This international tale is one that I read when I was younger. The story regales the tale of a small spider who wants to know all the tales of the Sky God. The Sky God feels like this is an impossible task, so he feels confident in assuming that the small spider cannot fulfill his lofty demands for the price of the stories. He talks with his wife, who helps him figure out how to catch a live python, a real fairy and 47 hornets. He pays the full price the Sky God set for the stories and receives them at the end of the tale, after completing tasks men could not do. The story is exciting, the illustrations are beautiful, and the children will love the onomatopoeia that is developed throughout the story. This would be a fantastic read aloud for younger children especially, who would really get into the characters and sounds portrayed.
A Life Like Mine: Unicef
This book is one of the most interesting ones I read for this project. It is broken up into the Survival, Development , Protection and Participation of children around the world. I think it’s really neat because this book goes out of its way to discuss the ways in which children around the world live day to day. The book describes children’s lives in all major continents, from many religions, socioeconomic statuses and ages. I think this book is great because students could look up a specific child in an area they were interested in or were studying for in another class. It’s a true life story and would allow them to really see how children live in other parts of the world. I think what is also neat about this book is the fact that there is a section where it tells what students can do to help other children in other parts of the world. There are fantastic graphic descriptions and photos of the children they are reading about. I think this book would easily integrate into any classroom K-5 if the teacher used it properly and read it aloud in younger grades.
Remaking the Earth: Paul Goble
Traditional or Folk Literature
This is a story of creation as told by some of the Native American tribes. It recounts how the world is made, because to their culture, the world is destroyed and remade continuously. There will be more Earths to come. The story follows the creation, starting off with the recycling of the old Earth. The animals must bring up mud from the bottom of the ocean for the Earth Maker to start work again, and the Earth Maker decides to place the Earth on Grandmother Turtle’s back. He then creates animals of all kinds and places them around the Earth where they are the happiest and fit in the best. He then continues and makes Man and Woman. After time, he teaches them to ride horses and hunt and cook. The tale ends with the Earth Maker starting the process on creating a new Earth. I think this book is neat because it allows another side to the Creation story, and would be useful when discussing Native Americans and their cultures in Social Studies. I also think that the illustrations are very beautiful and vivid, so students in younger grades would respond to read alouds with this book.
This is a story of creation as told by some of the Native American tribes. It recounts how the world is made, because to their culture, the world is destroyed and remade continuously. There will be more Earths to come. The story follows the creation, starting off with the recycling of the old Earth. The animals must bring up mud from the bottom of the ocean for the Earth Maker to start work again, and the Earth Maker decides to place the Earth on Grandmother Turtle’s back. He then creates animals of all kinds and places them around the Earth where they are the happiest and fit in the best. He then continues and makes Man and Woman. After time, he teaches them to ride horses and hunt and cook. The tale ends with the Earth Maker starting the process on creating a new Earth. I think this book is neat because it allows another side to the Creation story, and would be useful when discussing Native Americans and their cultures in Social Studies. I also think that the illustrations are very beautiful and vivid, so students in younger grades would respond to read alouds with this book.
Pegasus: Marianna Mayer
Pegasus tells the tale of the winged horse and a young man named Bellerophon. Bellerophon was suspected of falling in love with the King’s wife, so the King sets up Bellerphon to die. He sends him to a neighboring king with the message “Put to death the bearer of this message.” The King of Lycia had grown to like Bellerophon, so he decided he would ask a task that would surely bring his death instead of executing him. The only way for Bellerophon to succeed was to become friends with the beautiful Pegasus and defeat the Chimera. The two began to trust one another and one day went to fight the terrible monster and defeated it in a great battle. Upon returning to the kingdom, the King of Lycia welcomed him with open arms and allowed Bellerophon to marry his daughter. Again, I feel like the illustrations in this book are amazing. The detail is within the story and the illustrations, and I think children of all ages would enjoy it. It fits with the Greek Gods and Goddesses material in fifth grade and small children would respond to it as a read aloud. The artwork makes the story so much more vivid and I feel children would really enjoy this.
Shadow: Marcia Brown
Shadow is an African tale about what a shadow is and how it came to be. It discusses how a shadow is everywhere at noon and nowhere to be found at nighttime. It talks about how a shadow is important and why it makes no noise. The images in this book are beautiful, and the colors are vibrant. The Shadow hides at night and can only see by light, which is very much how our shadows can only be seen in the daytime. I think that this book could be used in a classroom where students are talking about different times of day and you could also create artwork similar to that of the book to take the topic and lessons in a different route.
Nancy Drew, Global Warming: Stefan Petrucha and Sho Murase
Realistic or Historical Fiction
Graphic Novel, Chapter Book
I had never read a graphic novel before. I was a little uncertain about them as a whole and wasn’t sure how I would implement them into my classroom. This particular graphic novel follows the case of Nancy Drew, girl detective, who when visiting a new bio-dome eco-park facility discovers new mysteries unfolding. She follows the clues and sees bio-domes destroyed by fictitious creatures from those areas of the world, such as the Sasquatch. In the end, she solves the mystery and the bio-domes are reconstructed so that visitors can again participate in the great advances in science. After I read this novel, my entire opinion changed. Students who struggle with reading can follow the pictures to help them clarify what is being discussed in the written dialogue. I think that these are a very important type of book to have in one’s library, especially with students who are struggling but don’t want it to be known. I think this would be a great book to have in a classroom library for checkout by students.
Graphic Novel, Chapter Book
I had never read a graphic novel before. I was a little uncertain about them as a whole and wasn’t sure how I would implement them into my classroom. This particular graphic novel follows the case of Nancy Drew, girl detective, who when visiting a new bio-dome eco-park facility discovers new mysteries unfolding. She follows the clues and sees bio-domes destroyed by fictitious creatures from those areas of the world, such as the Sasquatch. In the end, she solves the mystery and the bio-domes are reconstructed so that visitors can again participate in the great advances in science. After I read this novel, my entire opinion changed. Students who struggle with reading can follow the pictures to help them clarify what is being discussed in the written dialogue. I think that these are a very important type of book to have in one’s library, especially with students who are struggling but don’t want it to be known. I think this would be a great book to have in a classroom library for checkout by students.
Meet Felicity: Valerie Tripp
Chapter Book
Meet Felicity is a historical fiction novel about a young girl, Felicity, who is growing up in the 1770’s colonial America. The novel describes the young girls’ penchant for horses and helping her father. She falls in love with a particular horse, Penny, owned by and old man, Jiggy Nye who mistreats the beautiful horse. Penny befriends the boy who works in her father’s store, Ben, and together they bond to save the horse from the cruelty of her master. I think that this story is a cute one, and could be read by students in the middle of elementary school, grades 1 or 2 to 3 or 4. I think that this book is especially interesting because it follows a headstrong and brave girl who young girls of today can admire for her intelligence, courage and strength. I also appreciate the back of the book, where it gives a glance into the past, telling some important historical information and a character tree at the front of the book.
Meet Felicity is a historical fiction novel about a young girl, Felicity, who is growing up in the 1770’s colonial America. The novel describes the young girls’ penchant for horses and helping her father. She falls in love with a particular horse, Penny, owned by and old man, Jiggy Nye who mistreats the beautiful horse. Penny befriends the boy who works in her father’s store, Ben, and together they bond to save the horse from the cruelty of her master. I think that this story is a cute one, and could be read by students in the middle of elementary school, grades 1 or 2 to 3 or 4. I think that this book is especially interesting because it follows a headstrong and brave girl who young girls of today can admire for her intelligence, courage and strength. I also appreciate the back of the book, where it gives a glance into the past, telling some important historical information and a character tree at the front of the book.
Out of the Dust: Karen Hesse
Out of the Dust is a historical fiction story about a girl, Billie Jo, born during the Dust Bowl of the Americas. She is from a poor family, and the book tells of her struggles during this time. She plays the piano well, but loses a lot of her spirit when her mother dies. The book is written in free verse and set up like a diary. I read this book when I was younger as well, and when re-reading it, remembered how vivid I felt like this particular style of prose was. When she describes her farm, herself, her hands, you can see them in your own mind. Her spirit is never broken, even when she burns her hands. The style of writing is one that I feel would challenge older students, breaking apart their stereotypes of what writing and literature is, making them see how it is something that is fluid and beautiful. I think this book would be great in any classroom in upper elementary, because the language is beautifully written and it tells of a time in American history where our citizens struggled. I think the diary organization also helps students see how her life changes day to day.
The Sign of the Beaver: Elizabeth George Speare
Chapter Book
I read this book because it was one of the ones that the classroom I’m observing in read. The students were really excited about this book and she read it aloud to the class. The book is about a young boy, Matt, who builds a cabin with his father in Maine. His father returns home to fetch his mother and siblings. Matt is told to wait at the cabin until his father comes, and he works and keeps up the land while he waits. After a traumatizing experience, he meets members of the Beaver tribe and becomes friends with them. He is asked if he wants to join them and move further north, leaving his cabin behind. This is difficult because his family is very late, and he is unsure if they will ever be able to make it to the cabin. He decides to wait for his family and eventually they make it back to the cabin and reunite. He plans to tell them of Attean and how his life is forever changed because of his friend. I think this book can be used when discussing this time in history, with the expansion of the colonies, the diseases present at the time, and show the everlasting power of friendship among those who aren’t alike. I also think that the fact that the boys are from completely different cultures and still find ways to be friends shows that we can all work together to make a better world, therefore enforcing ideas of cultural awareness and diversity among your classroom.
I read this book because it was one of the ones that the classroom I’m observing in read. The students were really excited about this book and she read it aloud to the class. The book is about a young boy, Matt, who builds a cabin with his father in Maine. His father returns home to fetch his mother and siblings. Matt is told to wait at the cabin until his father comes, and he works and keeps up the land while he waits. After a traumatizing experience, he meets members of the Beaver tribe and becomes friends with them. He is asked if he wants to join them and move further north, leaving his cabin behind. This is difficult because his family is very late, and he is unsure if they will ever be able to make it to the cabin. He decides to wait for his family and eventually they make it back to the cabin and reunite. He plans to tell them of Attean and how his life is forever changed because of his friend. I think this book can be used when discussing this time in history, with the expansion of the colonies, the diseases present at the time, and show the everlasting power of friendship among those who aren’t alike. I also think that the fact that the boys are from completely different cultures and still find ways to be friends shows that we can all work together to make a better world, therefore enforcing ideas of cultural awareness and diversity among your classroom.
Ella Enchanted: Gail Carson Levine
Modern Fantasy or Science Fiction
Chapter Book
Ella Enchanted is a spin of the Cinderella tale. Ella is a beautiful, intelligent, kind girl who is cursed at birth with the “Gift of Obedience”. Ella grows up living a life wherein she is magically forced to do all the she is told. Her mother, her best friend in the world, gets sick one day and passes away. The house cook, who is actually a fairy, starts to watch over Ella and try to protect her. As Ella’s life continues, her father finds a new bride with two daughters, both of whom treat Ella horribly. She continues to grow, becoming more and more of a beautiful example of what women are; intelligent, kind, giving, funny and strong. She finds and falls in love with the prince, and their relationship is torn asunder by her conniving family. Ella finally reunites with the Prince, breaks the spell on her own, and can finally live her happily ever after. I feel like this story is a grown-up version of the classic fairy tale and that this is important because Ella deserves more than she is given. She struggles through adversity and deserves what she receives in the end, not having it handed to her simply because she is beautiful. I think this is a feminist version of a classic story that not only flows beautifully through it’s writing, but gives an example to girls struggling with self-confidence.
Chapter Book
Ella Enchanted is a spin of the Cinderella tale. Ella is a beautiful, intelligent, kind girl who is cursed at birth with the “Gift of Obedience”. Ella grows up living a life wherein she is magically forced to do all the she is told. Her mother, her best friend in the world, gets sick one day and passes away. The house cook, who is actually a fairy, starts to watch over Ella and try to protect her. As Ella’s life continues, her father finds a new bride with two daughters, both of whom treat Ella horribly. She continues to grow, becoming more and more of a beautiful example of what women are; intelligent, kind, giving, funny and strong. She finds and falls in love with the prince, and their relationship is torn asunder by her conniving family. Ella finally reunites with the Prince, breaks the spell on her own, and can finally live her happily ever after. I feel like this story is a grown-up version of the classic fairy tale and that this is important because Ella deserves more than she is given. She struggles through adversity and deserves what she receives in the end, not having it handed to her simply because she is beautiful. I think this is a feminist version of a classic story that not only flows beautifully through it’s writing, but gives an example to girls struggling with self-confidence.
Eragon: Christopher Paolini
Chapter book
Eragon is about a boy who finds a dragon egg. It follows the same lines of the typical epic, but has fresh and invigorating humor, prose, and vocabulary. The characters are human and make mistakes. Eragon finds a blue stone, which later hatches into a dragon. Along this adventure, he finds out that the dragon is one of the last remaining dragons and it becomes his duty to not only save and raise it, but to fight the evil forces that are running his homeland. Eragon not only becomes a Dragon Rider, but saves the Empire from the cruel King Galbatorix. I think this book is great because it can help show students the typical elements of an epic tale. It’s entertaining to read with high vocabulary, and students can compare and contrast characters in this novel with others that they have read. I think it’s a challenging read, but one that will help students further their thinking if they are able to handle the material.
Eragon is about a boy who finds a dragon egg. It follows the same lines of the typical epic, but has fresh and invigorating humor, prose, and vocabulary. The characters are human and make mistakes. Eragon finds a blue stone, which later hatches into a dragon. Along this adventure, he finds out that the dragon is one of the last remaining dragons and it becomes his duty to not only save and raise it, but to fight the evil forces that are running his homeland. Eragon not only becomes a Dragon Rider, but saves the Empire from the cruel King Galbatorix. I think this book is great because it can help show students the typical elements of an epic tale. It’s entertaining to read with high vocabulary, and students can compare and contrast characters in this novel with others that they have read. I think it’s a challenging read, but one that will help students further their thinking if they are able to handle the material.
Jumanji: Chris Van Allsburg
This beautifully illustrated book is the story of two children, Peter and Judy, who find a board game outside and decide to take it home and play it. Once they start the game, it doesn’t end until someone wins. The two children must play through lions appearing, lost men, monkey’s stealing food and a volcano eruption that are all caused by the spaces they land on on the board. The children finally finish the game, just as it looks like a lost cause. Upon winning, the house returns to normal, their parents arrive, and the story ends with two other children taking the game off to play it. This story can be used in the classroom as a read aloud, a story about character motivation, or even as a slight warning about curiosity and reading directions before participating in something.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: J.K. Rowling
Chapter Book
This well known novel is about a young boy, Harry, who discovers he is a wizard. He has grown up in the typical world we live in, and discovers a whole new one when he enrolls at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He learns spells, makes friends, and even saves the school from the evil Lord Voldermort, who he finds murdered his parents when he was young. This story is one of bravery, intelligence, and the beneficial qualities of great friendships. I think this book is a great one to use as a read-aloud, a checkout book, or a classroom discussion book. I felt like this was an important book to include because it has caused such a start in children’s literature. The popularity of the series has really increased the number of students who are interested in reading, and I feel like that alone makes it worthy of an option within a classroom. The vocabulary, the plot and the character development make it developmentally appropriate for upper grades.
This well known novel is about a young boy, Harry, who discovers he is a wizard. He has grown up in the typical world we live in, and discovers a whole new one when he enrolls at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He learns spells, makes friends, and even saves the school from the evil Lord Voldermort, who he finds murdered his parents when he was young. This story is one of bravery, intelligence, and the beneficial qualities of great friendships. I think this book is a great one to use as a read-aloud, a checkout book, or a classroom discussion book. I felt like this was an important book to include because it has caused such a start in children’s literature. The popularity of the series has really increased the number of students who are interested in reading, and I feel like that alone makes it worthy of an option within a classroom. The vocabulary, the plot and the character development make it developmentally appropriate for upper grades.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Giver: Lois Lowry
Modern Fantasy and Science Fiction
The Giver is a story about a young boy named Jonas. Jonas is about to turn 12, and in his hometown, at 12, you are given your assignment, which is like today's career. Jonas receives a special assignment; he is called the Receiver. He is to work closely with the Giver, and the Giver "gives him" memories. In Jonas' town, there are no colors, no music, and very little variation. The big problem occurs in this story with a small child named Gabriel. Gabriel is a small child, less than a year old at the beginning of the story, and he doesn't sleep well. Jonas' father brings him home, and Gabriel seems to adjust better. Gabriel is under scrutiny to be "released", but when Jonas realizes what exactly "releasement" entails, he has to confront the ideas he has been given and overcome his fears to make a hard decision. I think this book would be used in a classroom that is discussing the ethics of right and wrong within society, and civil rights. Fifth grade social studies curriculum fits well with this book, allowing students the opportunity to talk about whether they feel the citizens had civil rights or not.
The Giver is a story about a young boy named Jonas. Jonas is about to turn 12, and in his hometown, at 12, you are given your assignment, which is like today's career. Jonas receives a special assignment; he is called the Receiver. He is to work closely with the Giver, and the Giver "gives him" memories. In Jonas' town, there are no colors, no music, and very little variation. The big problem occurs in this story with a small child named Gabriel. Gabriel is a small child, less than a year old at the beginning of the story, and he doesn't sleep well. Jonas' father brings him home, and Gabriel seems to adjust better. Gabriel is under scrutiny to be "released", but when Jonas realizes what exactly "releasement" entails, he has to confront the ideas he has been given and overcome his fears to make a hard decision. I think this book would be used in a classroom that is discussing the ethics of right and wrong within society, and civil rights. Fifth grade social studies curriculum fits well with this book, allowing students the opportunity to talk about whether they feel the citizens had civil rights or not.
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