Thursday, April 24, 2008

Craft Lesson 10: Velma Gratch and the way cool butterfly

Discussion: Velma finds her way to fit into her 1st grade classroom by finding a butterfly. This book is a great book to use to interconnect curriculum.

How to Use It: I would make copies of the book into overhead copies so that you could have the whole classroom read the book with you. However, I would read the book while showing the slides of the pictures to the class on the overhead. Afterwards, I would have the students get into groups of four and discuss different type of bugs that could be found in Lubbock (or the city that they are living in). I would then have the class go out side and see if they could find any of these bugs. I would have them journal what they found and where they found it. I would have the students continue this over the weekend. The next Monday, I would have the students discuss what all they found. I would then have us make a chart of what all bugs were found and what they had in similar.

Resource: Velma Gratch & the way cool butterfly by Alan Madison and Kevin Hawkes

Read Aloud Plan and Journal

Read Aloud Plan

Title: Velma Gratch & the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison And Kevin Hawkes

The story is about a young girl who just wants to fit in with the rest of her first grade class. Velma ends up finding her way to fit in through butterflies. I chose this because being a girl you always want to fit in and tells a relateable story of Velma and how she fit in. Also, the story is about insects and since 4th grade science learns about insects I thought this would be a wonderful book to interlock reading and science. I hope that Tori finds the book interesting and learns about the metamorphosis stage of the butterfly. I hope that Tori finds it fun to learn about different subjects by reading.


Read Aloud Journal

Tori loved this book! She didn't really think that much about how Velma didn't fit in with her class. However, Tori enjoys Science and liked how Velma discovers her way of fitting in through butterflies. She really enjoyed the pictures and wanted to look at the longer. The book was long enough to tell the whole story but short enough to keep her attention. I think this book is a great book to tie in reading into the science.

Book Review

Pennypacker, S. Stuart's Cape. Illus. Martin Matje. New York NY: Scholastic/Orchard Books, 2002.
Sara Pennypacker: Stuart’s Cape

Sara Pennypacker has succeeded again! Stuart's Cape is a thrill to read. Stuart, who just moved to a new town and about to start the third grade, was absolutely bored before school start. So what did he do? He created a magical cape, of course that took him on exciting adventures. I thought that this book was a thrill to read. Pennypacker captivates the creative mind of a third grader and does a wonderful job taking the reader through Stuart's magical cape adventures. This book a must read! I will definitely use this book in my classroom. Stuart’s Cape is a great book for cheap entertainment.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Craft Lesson 9: Zoom

Discussion:
Reading isn't about just words but also what the picture says. The book Zoom is a great example of how the pictures tell the story. Students will learn the importance of detail and creativity.

How to teach it:
The class reading for the day can be Zoom. I would try and get an overhead projector version of this book so that we could go throughout each side that is projected in a large version on the wall. After a few slides, you can ask your students what they are expecting next or where they think the story is going. Throughout this process you can notice if some students catch on or if the ending is a complete surprise.

After words, I would give them each an example picture from an I Spy book. They can then write a few sentences of that picture with details someone might see if they went into close detail like the book Zoom. If they have free time after the assignment, they can draw pictures to go with each sentence and make a book that you can flip through like Zoom.

Chapter 17

Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.

Motivating students to read is one of the most important and useful chapter throughout this book. In order to get students engaged in reading, students must be motivated to read. This chapter provided many examples and ideas to motivate your students. They give several suggestions in ways that teachers and future teachers may organize their classroom to motivate children to read books. The suggestion that I read and thought was important is creating a reading atmosphere. I remember my 4th grade reading teacher room and it has tons of bean bags and couches and I loved reading because we got to go set somewhere in the room other than our desk. By motivating students though simple thing such as how you set up your room can change their prospective of reading.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Poetry Assignment

Poetry is an expressive form of art. When I'm teaching I hope to make poetry interesting and fun for my students. I plan to introduce poetry into my classroom by reading a poem each day, so that students will be used to hearing and seeing poetry in the class. I will read all varieties of poetry, that way students will find their preference of the styles of poetry that they enjoy. I will make picture books and poetry books available so my students are exposed to poetry at all times. I would not have the class study poetry as a unit but as a way to learn literature. I believe that it is important to introduce children to poetry because poetry is a form of expression. Students need an escape, a way to express their feelings and poetry is a great way to express emotions through words. I would allow students to use poetry as their writing during their free-writing time. By allowing students the option to write poetry during their free-time will allow them to be creative and not worried about being counted off. I would periodically suggest certain poetry styles for them to write in. By asking for a certain style, the students will learn all the styles and learn how to adapt their thoughts to a particular style. My students will learn that poetry in just another form of writing that authors use. I hope that they will take interest and find poetry interesting and fun. By introducing poetry to students in a fun and relaxed form, I hope that they will learn to love and appreciate poetry throughout their educational years.

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise
By: Alice Davidson
I chose this poem because it was one of my favorite poems growing up. I want students' to learn that poetry can be a great form of memorization.

A Soft Answer Turneth Away Wrath
By: Alice Davidson
I believe that this poem teaches a life lesson. I would want children to learn that simply smiling can change the attitude of others.

Madeline's Rescue
By: Ludwig Bemelmans
Madeline was one of my favorite books growing up. I would want my students to learn that poetry comes in all forms; maybe their favorite books can also be considered poetry.

Believe in Yourself
By: Jillian Hunt
I chose this poem because it was a poem of aspiration that my parents made me read growing up. I would want students' to learn that they can be anything that they want to be, as long as they believe in themselves.

My Dad
By: Alijon Farin
Poetry is a great way to express feelings. I would want children to learn that poetry is a form of expression and this a way for them to vent through a form of writing.

Paint Brush
By: Bettie Youngs
I chose this poem because I felt this way growing up. I would want my student's to learn that this is a great way to learn from others experience and learn about others lives.

And the Answer Is...?
By: Carol Shield
I chose this poem because it represents every classroom. I would have the students learn that every student is one of these students or somewhere in between. Poetry can be a true representative of classrooms.

Eight-Oh-Three
By: Carol Shield
I chose this poem because it is a great lyric poem. I would want children to see an example of different styles of poetry.

English Is Pain! (Pane?)
By: Shirlee Bingham
I chose this poem because it was a humorous poem that precisely said how I felt about English. I would want students' to learn that poetry is humorous. I believe it is important for students to learn that poetry can be fun.

Everyday Angels
By: Mark Moulton
Everyday Angels is one of my favorite books and this poem is an excerpt taken from the book.
I would want students to learn that poetry is found everywhere. I would hope that they could start recognizing poetry in different places.

Could Have Been Worse
By: Bill Dodds
I chose this poem because it is a humorous poem that made me laugh. I would have students' learn that this poem is an example of a limerick and that they are fun and humorous.

Too Busy
By: Bruce Lansky
I chose this poem because I believe everyone can relate to having hectic days. I would want students' to learn that a short story can be told through poetry.

Homework! Oh, Homework!
By: Jack Prelutsky
I chose this because it is how most people feel about homework and will make students laugh. I would want students to learn that poetry has no boundaries. I believe this is a great example to teach students rhyme.

A Student's Prayer
By: Anonymous
This poem is a short, simple poem that I believe everyone has probably prayed during their educational career. Students will learn that poems come in all lengths.

School, Some Suggestions
By: Bobbie Katz
I thought this poem was cute and a true representative of what a student would suggest about school. I would want students to learn that you can be creative and be expressive about issues throughout poetry.

Tree House
By: Shel Silverstein
I chose Shel Silverstein's poem, Tree House, to show children a very popular poetic author. I would want children to be familiar with certain authors and learn that authors have particular writing styles.

I Should Have Studied
By: Bobbi Katz
I chose this poem to teach the consequences of actions. I would want students to learn a rhyming form of actions and consequences.

New Angel
By: Esther Christensen
I chose this poem because it was my great-grandmothers way of coping with her sons young death. I would want students to have another example of how to express emotions through writing. I would want them to learn that everyone copes differently and that writing is a form of coping.

Pretending
By: Esther Christensen
I chose this poem because it was a special poem that my parents read to me. I would want students to learn to be creative and that pretending is a form of creativity.

Bubble Bath
By:Esther Christensen
I chose this because it is a great representative of my great grandmother's personality. I would show how poetry can be descriptive and tell a short story.

With Love-
By: Esther Christensen
I chose this poem because it was a present that my great grandmother wrote for me. I would have the students learn that poems can be a wonderful gift to give to others.

Zoom by: Istvan Banyai

Banyai, Istvan. Zoom. New York: Puffin Books, 1998.

The first time I looked at this book I really didn't enjoy it that much. However, the second time I started to notice the connections between each picture, I truly enjoyed the book. I liked how each page was in such detail, however on the other side it was contrasted by a black page. The black page allowed me to truly concentrate on the details on the opposite page. I enjoyed how the book kept me guessing because I never would have guessed that the first pages were a magazine that ended up being a cruise advertisement. I found this book amazing due to the detail throughout the book.

Chaper 16

Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.

I found this chapter interesting. I knew of several issues that were controversial when it came to teaching students about subjects. However, I didn't really think that much about literature and what all was considered controversial. After reading this chapter, I think that it will be a challenge looking at books deciding if it is controversial or not because to some it may be and to other it won't be. Therefore, I believe that if I even have to think if a book is controversial or not I will probably avoid it because there are thousands of other books that can be chosen from.

Craft Lesson 8: BabyMouse Our Hero

Discussion:
Students need to see that writing comes in all styles ranging from books to comic books. I would show students that writing can be creative and fun by showing them an example of a comic book.

How I Would Teach It:

If possible, I would get all students a copy of Baby Mouse and have the students read their book on their own. Afterwards, I would have the class discuss their favorite parts of the story. I would show them that the detail throughout Baby Mouse allows for the reading to be enjoyable. I would then have each student get a comic strip and have them write their own comic. I would try to have other comic books available in the classroom that way students have other examples to look at. After the students finish, I would have them read their comic to the class.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Chapter 15

Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.

I thought chapter 8 was a great chapter to read. I found the information very informative and useful. One of my favorite quotes from the chapter was by James Baldwin: "Literature is indispensable to the world... The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way a person looks at reality, then you can change it." I loved this quote because it brought in so much insight of what literature can do for children. By using multicultural literature in the classroom you can bring in great insight about others cultures.

Children's Literature Autobiography

Reading as Easy as ABC: Early Memories
Early on, I was introduced to a variety of children’s literature through my family, friends, and church, and it captured my heart. Some of my first memories are of my nightly bedtime reads. I asked my parents or older brother to read me one of my two favorite books: Little Ducks Moving Day or Panda Bears Secret. After nights of reading I memorized the lines and pretended that I could read, though I was only reciting the book by memory. But I was bound to grow in my literacy skills, and I learned any way I could. 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 encouraged me to continue to excel at a higher reading level throughout my education. My brother sat with me at night and read comics, bible stories and Bernstein Bear books. Reading for me was a way to disappear into magical worlds and kingdoms.


Reading Building Blocks

My reading was enhanced when I entered my early school years. Throughout elementary school, I had several assignments where I wrote my own book. My teacher, of course, published these well-written episodes. Having my books published in our school’s library drove me to work harder and aspire to be a better writer. My family then moved to Lubbock. It was here that I was introduced to Accelerated Reading. Through the AR program, I had the opportunity to read hundreds of books from 3rd grade until 8th grade. I read books that were a part of a series so that I could stay with the same characters but still experience different story lines. Some of the series I read included The Babysitter’s’ Club, Sweet Valley High and Hank the Cow Dog. Although there were many positives to the AR system, I experienced some negatives as well. The AR system took away my love for reading and forced me to read a book in order to pass a test, but not for the enjoyment. 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 book quickly, take a test, and get an A in your class by achieving a certain point level. During high school, I read motivational books and Christian inspirational readings outside of school. However, in-class literature 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 to enjoy a book. We read Tuesdays with Morrie and it immediately became 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 bought us brand new hardback books, hot off the presses. They were incredible examples of children’s literature. The illustrations were always breath-taking and memorable. She taught me to see beyond the words and to read the pictures to see what the pictures said that the text didn’t. My mom influenced my reading as well. She was the one who taught me how to read and bought more books for me. She encouraged me to read different genres to expand and challenge my reading capacity. She bought fantasy, Christian, humor and educational books. 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 bought and read the books, as opposed to watching them.


My Favorite Bedtime Titles

This paper allowed me to crawl into my attic and get out boxes of children’s books and to relive memories of my favorite books. I have almost a hundred favorite titles. However, I pared it down to my favorite nighttime readings or books that truly captured my heart as a child A few of my favorite bedtime titles are Nathan’s Fishing Trip, Snuggle Piggy and the Magic Blanket, The Velveteen Rabbit and If You Give a Mouse A Cookie.


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 titles covering a myriad of subjects. However, I believe that the children’s literature brings back enjoyment and leisure of reading.