Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!
Discussion:
Poetry is not a strong interest for children at the primary ages. However, food is a topic that any age child can relate to. I would have the students bring their family home to the classroom and have the students discuss what favorite family foods are. The discussion would then lead to a classroom cookbook.
How to teach it:
I would start by reading the book. Next, I would discuss the different types of foods that were mentioned and ask if any of the kids have had any of these foods. I would then have the students' brainstorm their favorite meals are that their family makes. After, having the list I would make sure there wasn't duplicates and allow the students to write there favorite recipe down.
This craft lesson would probably be a two day lesson so that your students could go home and get help from their family on what the recipe ingredients calls for. Then you could bind the recipes together, form a classroom cookbook, make copies, and send them home with each kid. Therefore, each family will have their recipe and many new ones to try.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!
Mora, Pat. Yum! MmMm! Que rico!. Illus. Rafael Lopez. Madison Avenue NY: LEE & LOW BOOKS Inc., 2007.
I thought this book had wonderful artwork. The color and detail of each illustration was amazing. I think this book would be great for an art class. However, I did not enjoy the text in the book as much as the art work.
I thought this book had wonderful artwork. The color and detail of each illustration was amazing. I think this book would be great for an art class. However, I did not enjoy the text in the book as much as the art work.
Ch 12 Overview
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
History was one of my least favorite subjects. I never enjoyed reading or learning about it. However, I believe chapter 12 helped me learn the importance of historical fiction. After reading the section about textbooks versus trade books, I learned that trade books could be a great resource when teaching about historical events. I think that history was boring to me because it was just a short boring paragraph about an event. However, if you get an event and make it become alive, students will be interested and more willing to learn.
History was one of my least favorite subjects. I never enjoyed reading or learning about it. However, I believe chapter 12 helped me learn the importance of historical fiction. After reading the section about textbooks versus trade books, I learned that trade books could be a great resource when teaching about historical events. I think that history was boring to me because it was just a short boring paragraph about an event. However, if you get an event and make it become alive, students will be interested and more willing to learn.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Children's Literature Autobiography
Children’s Literature Autobiography
Reading as Easy as ABC: Early Memories
Reading is a journey of emotions, experiences, and memories. Growing up, I was exposed to a variety of children’s literature through my family, friends, and church. Children’s literature captured my heart at a very young age. Some of my first memories were my nightly bedtime reads. I would ask my parents or older brother to read me one of my two favorite books: Little Ducks Moving Day or Panda Bears Secret. However, after nights of reading I memorized the lines and would pretend that I could read but I was only reciting the book by memory. Having an older brother challenged me in every way, being four years younger I had to mature by four years to keep up with him. Therefore, this caused me to want to read what he was reading at four years above my reading level. This led me to continue to excel at a higher reading level throughout my education. My brother would sit there with me at night and read variety of books from comics, to bible stories, and Bernstein Bear books. Reading for me was a way for my imagination to be taken captive of and run.
Reading Building Blocks
My reading was enhanced when I entered my school years. Throughout elementary school I would have several assignments of writing my own books and the teacher would publish them. Having my books published in our schools library allowed for me to work harder and aspire to be a better writer. I then moved to Lubbock where Accelerated Reading was introduced to me. Through the AR program, I had the opportunity to read hundreds of books from 3rd till 8th grade. I would read books that were in series so that I could stay with the same characters but different story lines. Some of the series I read was Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley High and Hank the Cow Dog. The AR system took away my love for reading and forced me to learn to just read a book not for the enjoyment, but to just pass a test. I believe that in elementary and junior high literature wasn’t used to the full capacity that it deserves to be. Instead, literature was a way to read a quick book, take a test, and get an A in your class by achieving a certain point level. In high school, I read motivation books and Christian Inspirational readings outside of school. However, literature throughout high school was quite a miserable experience. Books were chosen because they were on a required list to read and we would read, take a test and learn nothing. Not until my senior year did I learn or enjoy a book. Finally, we read Tuesdays with Morrie my senior year and this was one of my favorite books. A book of inspiring life lessons was a wonderful way to teach literature.
Inspiration
My grandma has been the one person that has truly influenced my feelings toward books. She has introduced me to hundreds of books. Growing up, she always brought us brand new hard back books that were right off the printer. They were incredible children’s literature. The illustrations were always breathe taking and memorable. She taught me to see beyond the words but to read the pictures and to see what the pictures said that the book didn’t. My mom influenced my reading as well for she was the one who taught me how to read and bought the remaining of my books. She encouraged and motivated me to read a variety of books. She brought fantasy, Christian, humor, and educational books to expand and challenge my reading capacity. She taught me that through reading I would never stop learning and that reading would take me through a life’s journey. Finally, television influenced what I read. We weren’t able to watch television very often, therefore if I saw a show I liked I would go buy the books and read the books instead of watching them. I loved reading Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmans. I saw Madeline on TV one day and after that I bought several of her books. They were about a little French orphan girl who lived with twelve other girls. A few other series that I saw and then read was the Magic School Bus, Full House books, and Ramona books.
My Favorite Bedtime Titles
This paper allowed me to crawl into my attic and get out boxes of children’s books and allowed for me to relive memories of my favorite books. I have almost a hundred favorite titles. However, I limited it down to my favorite nighttime readings or books that truly captured my heart as a child. Nathan’s Fishing Trip by Lulu Delacre was about an elephant that went out a fishing trip. Nathan went on a day trip to learn how to fish by his instructor who ironically was a mouse. The book had wonderful illustrations and a cute storyline. Snuggle Piggy and the Magic Blanket by Michele Stepto was about a pig that had a magic blanket that took him through a magical journey. I loved this book for the fact that I had a blanket that I slept with growing up. The Velveteen Rabbit was a book that my family treasured and we had three different versions of. Flavia and the Velveteen Rabbit was the original version and is quite lengthy compared to the other series. However, it took children thru an emotional roller coaster and journey of losing something you once loved. Finally, the traditional If You Give a Mouse A Cookie was a book that never got tried of. The story was about when a boy gave a mouse a cookie that then led to a day of events. This book allowed for an experience that children could imagine and relate too.
Reading a continuous journey
Reading has been a continuous journey of experience and growth throughout my life. I am now currently reading a variety of subjects and titles. I am ranging from school textbooks, to the Wall Street journal, and back reliving my children’s literature books. However, I believe that the children’s literature brings back enjoyment and leisure of reading. Children’s literature can be used to teach a variety of life and educational lessons. However, it is our job as teachers to find creative ways to adapt of lessons to incorporate children’s literature and to capture the interest and the attention of our students.
Reading as Easy as ABC: Early Memories
Reading is a journey of emotions, experiences, and memories. Growing up, I was exposed to a variety of children’s literature through my family, friends, and church. Children’s literature captured my heart at a very young age. Some of my first memories were my nightly bedtime reads. I would ask my parents or older brother to read me one of my two favorite books: Little Ducks Moving Day or Panda Bears Secret. However, after nights of reading I memorized the lines and would pretend that I could read but I was only reciting the book by memory. Having an older brother challenged me in every way, being four years younger I had to mature by four years to keep up with him. Therefore, this caused me to want to read what he was reading at four years above my reading level. This led me to continue to excel at a higher reading level throughout my education. My brother would sit there with me at night and read variety of books from comics, to bible stories, and Bernstein Bear books. Reading for me was a way for my imagination to be taken captive of and run.
Reading Building Blocks
My reading was enhanced when I entered my school years. Throughout elementary school I would have several assignments of writing my own books and the teacher would publish them. Having my books published in our schools library allowed for me to work harder and aspire to be a better writer. I then moved to Lubbock where Accelerated Reading was introduced to me. Through the AR program, I had the opportunity to read hundreds of books from 3rd till 8th grade. I would read books that were in series so that I could stay with the same characters but different story lines. Some of the series I read was Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley High and Hank the Cow Dog. The AR system took away my love for reading and forced me to learn to just read a book not for the enjoyment, but to just pass a test. I believe that in elementary and junior high literature wasn’t used to the full capacity that it deserves to be. Instead, literature was a way to read a quick book, take a test, and get an A in your class by achieving a certain point level. In high school, I read motivation books and Christian Inspirational readings outside of school. However, literature throughout high school was quite a miserable experience. Books were chosen because they were on a required list to read and we would read, take a test and learn nothing. Not until my senior year did I learn or enjoy a book. Finally, we read Tuesdays with Morrie my senior year and this was one of my favorite books. A book of inspiring life lessons was a wonderful way to teach literature.
Inspiration
My grandma has been the one person that has truly influenced my feelings toward books. She has introduced me to hundreds of books. Growing up, she always brought us brand new hard back books that were right off the printer. They were incredible children’s literature. The illustrations were always breathe taking and memorable. She taught me to see beyond the words but to read the pictures and to see what the pictures said that the book didn’t. My mom influenced my reading as well for she was the one who taught me how to read and bought the remaining of my books. She encouraged and motivated me to read a variety of books. She brought fantasy, Christian, humor, and educational books to expand and challenge my reading capacity. She taught me that through reading I would never stop learning and that reading would take me through a life’s journey. Finally, television influenced what I read. We weren’t able to watch television very often, therefore if I saw a show I liked I would go buy the books and read the books instead of watching them. I loved reading Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmans. I saw Madeline on TV one day and after that I bought several of her books. They were about a little French orphan girl who lived with twelve other girls. A few other series that I saw and then read was the Magic School Bus, Full House books, and Ramona books.
My Favorite Bedtime Titles
This paper allowed me to crawl into my attic and get out boxes of children’s books and allowed for me to relive memories of my favorite books. I have almost a hundred favorite titles. However, I limited it down to my favorite nighttime readings or books that truly captured my heart as a child. Nathan’s Fishing Trip by Lulu Delacre was about an elephant that went out a fishing trip. Nathan went on a day trip to learn how to fish by his instructor who ironically was a mouse. The book had wonderful illustrations and a cute storyline. Snuggle Piggy and the Magic Blanket by Michele Stepto was about a pig that had a magic blanket that took him through a magical journey. I loved this book for the fact that I had a blanket that I slept with growing up. The Velveteen Rabbit was a book that my family treasured and we had three different versions of. Flavia and the Velveteen Rabbit was the original version and is quite lengthy compared to the other series. However, it took children thru an emotional roller coaster and journey of losing something you once loved. Finally, the traditional If You Give a Mouse A Cookie was a book that never got tried of. The story was about when a boy gave a mouse a cookie that then led to a day of events. This book allowed for an experience that children could imagine and relate too.
Reading a continuous journey
Reading has been a continuous journey of experience and growth throughout my life. I am now currently reading a variety of subjects and titles. I am ranging from school textbooks, to the Wall Street journal, and back reliving my children’s literature books. However, I believe that the children’s literature brings back enjoyment and leisure of reading. Children’s literature can be used to teach a variety of life and educational lessons. However, it is our job as teachers to find creative ways to adapt of lessons to incorporate children’s literature and to capture the interest and the attention of our students.
Ch 11.
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Chapter 11
I enjoyed this chapter. I found it interesting that in contemporary realistic fiction that the age of the main character in the book is approximately the age of the reader. I started to think back and I noticed that several of my favorite books throughout my life have been when the main character was about my age. Perhaps the reason is because the main character is going through problems that the reader may relate to as well. I enjoy contemporary realistic fiction because it's relatable. I learned that one of my favorite authors Beverly Cleary's Ramona books were categorized as humor in contemporary realistic fiction.
Chapter 11
I enjoyed this chapter. I found it interesting that in contemporary realistic fiction that the age of the main character in the book is approximately the age of the reader. I started to think back and I noticed that several of my favorite books throughout my life have been when the main character was about my age. Perhaps the reason is because the main character is going through problems that the reader may relate to as well. I enjoy contemporary realistic fiction because it's relatable. I learned that one of my favorite authors Beverly Cleary's Ramona books were categorized as humor in contemporary realistic fiction.
Craft Lesson 4: My Many Colored Days
My Many Colored Days
Grade Level Third: TEKS focusing on Reading Literacy: analyzing characters feelings and capturing a sense of audience. Mathematics: fractions, multiplying, geometric, and measurement. Health: nutrients and food pyramid.
Discussion:
My Many Colored Days book teaches emotions and art. Children need to know the importance of controlling emotions and the appreciation of art work. I would discuss how a children's board book can be used for creative thoughts and ideas at all levels even though it is a simple children's board book. I would incorporate the curriculum of several subjects by using Dr. Seuss My Many Colored Days.
How to Teach It:
I would start off by asking different types of emotions that the students could think of. After hearing them, we would read the book and see if the book covered all the emotions. Then, we could continue to think of other emotions that might have not been discussed in the book.
Next, introduce a half of a day project that would incorporate reading, mathematics, health, and art. The project would to design your own cereal box with a creative artwork like My Many Colored Days. The students may develop their own cereal brand name and design their own cereal box cereal representative (like the Bee off of Honey-Nut-Cheerios.) The cereal box representative can express their brands emotions. The students would have to choose a target audience for your cereal. Also, they would do the artwork to display brand personality of your cereal. They can decorate the back with a subject line topic if it is an adult cereal or games if it's a children's cereal. They would then determine the nutritional facts and serving size that their private label cereal would be.
After deciding the design of the cereal box they will construct a cereal box by using the knowledge of geometric shapes and put the designs in a final hand designed cereal box.
I would display the unique boxes throughout the room and allow the kids to vote on their favorite peer's cereal box. The prize for the winner could be a free homework pass or a free day. Then, you will have the cereal box artwork to decorate the classroom with and then the students will have an artwork that they created to bring home.
Grade Level Third: TEKS focusing on Reading Literacy: analyzing characters feelings and capturing a sense of audience. Mathematics: fractions, multiplying, geometric, and measurement. Health: nutrients and food pyramid.
Discussion:
My Many Colored Days book teaches emotions and art. Children need to know the importance of controlling emotions and the appreciation of art work. I would discuss how a children's board book can be used for creative thoughts and ideas at all levels even though it is a simple children's board book. I would incorporate the curriculum of several subjects by using Dr. Seuss My Many Colored Days.
How to Teach It:
I would start off by asking different types of emotions that the students could think of. After hearing them, we would read the book and see if the book covered all the emotions. Then, we could continue to think of other emotions that might have not been discussed in the book.
Next, introduce a half of a day project that would incorporate reading, mathematics, health, and art. The project would to design your own cereal box with a creative artwork like My Many Colored Days. The students may develop their own cereal brand name and design their own cereal box cereal representative (like the Bee off of Honey-Nut-Cheerios.) The cereal box representative can express their brands emotions. The students would have to choose a target audience for your cereal. Also, they would do the artwork to display brand personality of your cereal. They can decorate the back with a subject line topic if it is an adult cereal or games if it's a children's cereal. They would then determine the nutritional facts and serving size that their private label cereal would be.
After deciding the design of the cereal box they will construct a cereal box by using the knowledge of geometric shapes and put the designs in a final hand designed cereal box.
I would display the unique boxes throughout the room and allow the kids to vote on their favorite peer's cereal box. The prize for the winner could be a free homework pass or a free day. Then, you will have the cereal box artwork to decorate the classroom with and then the students will have an artwork that they created to bring home.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Children's LitBlog Ch 10, Craft Lesson 3, Dr. Seuss and Minn & Jake Part 2
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Chapter 10
This chapter wasn't one of the most exciting chapters that I have read except for the fact it was short. However, Chapter 10 related to some of my favorite movies that have been out in the past few years. After viewing Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and reading this chapter, I understood the six basic fantasy motifs. The book fully describing them and see a movie or reading a book that used these allowed for a complete understanding of the material.
I think after reading the past few chapters that I have realized that it is very important to have a wide variety of material to capture and engage children's interest.
Craft Lesson 3: Minn and Jake
Discussion: Minn and Jake is a wonderful book and it could be applied to the classroom is many ways. I would use it to focus on differences in children and how differences make some one unique. I would use Minn and Jake at the beginning of the year to bring out unique characteristics in the students so everyone could learn about one another.
How to Teach It:
I would start off by taking a few days and reading Minn and Jake. Afterwards, I would discuss friendships and the unique characteristics of Minn and Jake and their friends. To apply it to class, I would make a sheet up in the form of bingo and in each box have a unique characteristic. Examples could be: I have blonde hair, I was born outside Lubbock, I have 3 or more siblings. Then I would allow the class to mingle amongst each other and see as a class if you can get all the boxes full and hopefully get a black out. In the meantime of playing the game, you learn new things about your classmates.
This would be a great first of the week craft idea to have the class meet each other and get ready for the year.
Seuss, Dr. My Many Colored Days. Illus. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1996.
My Many Colored Days
My Many Colored Days was a unique book for the fact that it said so much in such few words. I thought the illustrations were wonderful and truly captured the text. It goes through the emotions of different days and shows that every day varies in how some one may feel. This is a great book because a child may not understand the words exactly but perhaps the illustrations will speak louder than the words and bring in a better understanding of emotions.
Wong, Janet S. Minn and Jake. Illus. Genevieve Cote. New York, NY: Frances Foster Books, 2003.
Minn and Jake Part 2
Minn and Jake was a wonderful and enjoyable book to read. I loved how she broke the book up in short chapters. It made for a fast read. The pictures in the book allowed for you to see the cleverness of her writing. It allowed you to experience part of Minn and Jake's adventures throughout the book. I love how at the end Jake/ Soup caught a lizard for Minn right before they left for the summer. It was such a wonderful book and being able to talk to Janet Wong at the Literature Festival brought some wonderful insight of Minn and Jake.
Chapter 10
This chapter wasn't one of the most exciting chapters that I have read except for the fact it was short. However, Chapter 10 related to some of my favorite movies that have been out in the past few years. After viewing Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and reading this chapter, I understood the six basic fantasy motifs. The book fully describing them and see a movie or reading a book that used these allowed for a complete understanding of the material.
I think after reading the past few chapters that I have realized that it is very important to have a wide variety of material to capture and engage children's interest.
Craft Lesson 3: Minn and Jake
Discussion: Minn and Jake is a wonderful book and it could be applied to the classroom is many ways. I would use it to focus on differences in children and how differences make some one unique. I would use Minn and Jake at the beginning of the year to bring out unique characteristics in the students so everyone could learn about one another.
How to Teach It:
I would start off by taking a few days and reading Minn and Jake. Afterwards, I would discuss friendships and the unique characteristics of Minn and Jake and their friends. To apply it to class, I would make a sheet up in the form of bingo and in each box have a unique characteristic. Examples could be: I have blonde hair, I was born outside Lubbock, I have 3 or more siblings. Then I would allow the class to mingle amongst each other and see as a class if you can get all the boxes full and hopefully get a black out. In the meantime of playing the game, you learn new things about your classmates.
This would be a great first of the week craft idea to have the class meet each other and get ready for the year.
Seuss, Dr. My Many Colored Days. Illus. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1996.
My Many Colored Days
My Many Colored Days was a unique book for the fact that it said so much in such few words. I thought the illustrations were wonderful and truly captured the text. It goes through the emotions of different days and shows that every day varies in how some one may feel. This is a great book because a child may not understand the words exactly but perhaps the illustrations will speak louder than the words and bring in a better understanding of emotions.
Wong, Janet S. Minn and Jake. Illus. Genevieve Cote. New York, NY: Frances Foster Books, 2003.
Minn and Jake Part 2
Minn and Jake was a wonderful and enjoyable book to read. I loved how she broke the book up in short chapters. It made for a fast read. The pictures in the book allowed for you to see the cleverness of her writing. It allowed you to experience part of Minn and Jake's adventures throughout the book. I love how at the end Jake/ Soup caught a lizard for Minn right before they left for the summer. It was such a wonderful book and being able to talk to Janet Wong at the Literature Festival brought some wonderful insight of Minn and Jake.
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