Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Index




  • Blindsided By: Priscilla Cummings
    • Read Aloud 5th-6th





  • One Crazy Summer By: Rita Williams Garcia
    • Historical Fiction
    • Reading Strategies






  • Wonderstruck By: Brian Selznick
    • Diversity
    • Reading Strategies
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Monday, April 4, 2016

Blindsided

Blindsided

Written By: Priscilla Cummings

Published By: Dutton Children's Books

Copyright: 2010


Blindsided

Heartbreaking, Courage, Unknown, Disability, Reluctant


Reading Level:

Lexile: 710L
DRA: 50
Guided Reading: V

Suggested Delivery

Read Aloud
Independent 
Small Group

Electronic Resources


This is a book trailer that the students can watch to intrigue them and make them want to read the book

This is the authors website. Any students that want to know more about Priscilla Cummings or read any other books she has written can follow this link

Teaching Suggestions


Vocabulary
Braille: A system of writing or printing. Uses dot combinations to make words
Beckoned: To signal someone over
Maneuver: A planned movement
Crucial: Extremely important
Nuisance: An annoying person


Reading Strategies
Before Reading: First Lines- Read the beginning lines from the book and make predictions based on it
During Reading: Partner Reading- Students are paired together and read the same book. Students take turns reading and get to discuss the book and give feedback
After Reading: Visual Imagery- Create images based on what the student has read in the text

Writing Activity

Have students pretend to be Natalie. They just learned that they are going to lose their eyesight forever. Have the students write about how they feel and what they would do to prepare for that to happen


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Emmanuel's Dream

Emmanuel's Dream

Written By: Laurie Ann Thompson

Illustrated By: Sean Qualls

Published By: Schwartz & Wade/ Random House

Copyright: 2015

Emmanuels Dream cover with sticker

Inspirational, Courageous, Making a Difference, Persevere, Community

Reading Level

Lexile: 770L
DRA: 52-60
Fountas & Pinnell: O-V


Suggested Delivery

Read Aloud


Electronic Resources

This website has information about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboa, and pictures of his journey that the students can use to gain background information. 

This is the author Laurie Ann Thompson's website about her book. She has the awards the book has won, reviews, information for educators, and links to blogs about the book.


Teaching Suggestions


 Vocabulary

Disability: A physical or mental handicap
Inability: Cannot do something
Perseverance: Steady persistence in a course of action
Self-Reliance: Relying on yourself
Interdependence: Relying on each other


Reading Strategies

Before Reading: Read the jacket summary. Have the students discuss what Emmanuel's disability, what can't he do because of his disability, and what can he do.
During Reading: Think-Aloud- Let the students say what they are feeling out loud as you read through the book
After Reading: Poems with two voices- Have the students write a poem from Emmanuel's perspective and a poem from his mother's perspective

Writing Activity

Look at the ways that Emmanuel's actions changed the way people in Ghana thought about physical disabilities. What is something you could change your communities minds about and how could you accomplish that goal.
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Big Nate

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

Written By: Lincoln Peirce
Published By: Harper Collins
Copyright: 2010


Big Nate In a Class by Himself

Witty, Relatable, Trouble Maker, Creative, Laugh-out-Loud


Reading Level

Lexile: 500L
DRA: 40
Guided Reading: S

Suggested Delivery

Individual
Group

Electronic Resources

This is the Big Nate website where students can find all of the Big Nate books, watch videos, find out information about the author, and view comic strips the author makes as well

This is a blog about the book. There are so many extra pieces in this blog such as comic strips, videos of the author talking about comic books, a link to make your own Big Nate comic and more. 


Teaching Suggestions


Vocabulary

Ace: a close friend
Caricature: Exaggerated picture
Diversion: Distraction
Forgery: A fake
Frivolous: Carefree, lack of seriousness
Gullible: Easily deceived
Insolence: Rude
Predicament: A difficult situation
Surpass: To go beyond


Reading Strategies

Before Reading: Word Wall- Create a word wall with all of the words and definitions from the book that students might not know
During Reading: Anticipation Guide- Students will answer questions about the text then read the text to confirm whether their answer was true or not
After Reading: Question-Answer Relationship- After reading the teacher will ask questions whose answers can be found in the writing, gathered from multiple parts of the text, based on information from the text and the students own experience, and prior knowledge the students would have

Writing Activity


Ask students to write about how Nate made P.S 38 History, if he deserved all seven detentions he received and what he did to recieve those detentions
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A Midsummer Night's Scream

A Midsummer Night's Scream

Written by: R.L. Stine

Published By: Square Fish

Copyright: 2014

Image result for a midsummer night's scream


Mysterious, Horror, Spooky, Gruesome, Magic


Reading Level

Lexile: 470L
DRA: 42-54
Fountas & Pinnell: I-P


Suggested Delivery

Group

Individual


Electronic Resources

http://rlstine.com/

This is R.L. Stine's website. Students can visit this and learn about his other books, play games based on his books, and learn about the author. 

This is the link to the book trailer that can be used to get students interested in reading the book



Teaching Suggestions


Vocabulary

Veered: To change directions or turn
Uttered: To speak
Exasperated: To irritate or provoke
Staggered: To walk unsteadily


Reading Strategies

Before Reading: Interest Survey- This book would not be liked by everyone in the classroom so to make sure students will enjoy what they are reading have them take an interest survey before handing out books
During Reading: Fishbowl Discussion- Have a couple of students sit in the middle of the rest of the class and have a discussion about the book while the rest of the class listens in
After Reading: Students book talks- Have students get into groups with the people who read the same book they did to discuss what they read. After have the students get into groups with other classmates who read other books to discuss what they read and what could be the same or different in their books


Writing Activity

Under the "For Teachers" sections of R.L. Stine's website there is a writing program for students. Students can use this Any of the ideas in the link below can be used as a writing activity for students
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Saturday, April 2, 2016

Finding Winnie

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear

Written By: Lindsay Mattick

Illustrated By: Sophie Blackall

Published By: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Copyright: 2015

Finding Winnie

Heartwarming, True, Memories, Family, What you do Matters


Reading Level

Accelerated Reader: 3.4
Lexile: 590L
DRA: 4254
Fountas & Pinnell: I-P

Suggested Delivery

Read Aloud

Electronic Resources

This website has a video about the book, why the author choose to write it, and what she hopes parents and children will get out of the story.

The author's website has information about the book as well as information about projects she has set up and a tour she took to follow the footsteps of her grandfather and the other soldiers he served with. 

Teaching Suggestions


Vocabulary
Trapper: A person that traps animals for their fur


Reading Strategies
Before Reading: Watch the authors video about the book and why she wrote it to help students feel more connected with what they are reading
During Reading: Post-Its- Students can write post-its of information they learned, found interesting or surprised them
After Reading: Have students ask their classmates questions about the story as if they were a reporter writing an article about the topic. 

Writing Activity
Read the story Winnie by Sally Walker. Have the students compare and contrast the two stories.they can write about why the two authors chose to start their stories in different places and other differences. Students can also write about the personal connection between Lindsay Mattick and the book.


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Desk Stories

Desk Stories

Written By: Kevin O'Malley

Published By: Whitman, Albert & Company

Copyright: 2011



Funny, Relatable, Creative, Enjoyable, A Story for Everyone


Reading Level

Accelerated Reading Level: 3.0
Lexile: 600
DRA: 30
Fountas and Pinnell: N

Suggested Delivery

Individual
Read Aloud

Electronic Resources

If students like reading Desk Stories by Kevin O'Malley this is a website that lists 18 other title he has written. It lists all of his books from the 1990's to 2016.

This is the authors own personal website. He has information about school visits, free books you can download, information about getting published, and more. 

Teaching Suggestions

Vocabulary

Graphic Novel: A novel in the form of comic strips
Dynamic: Full of energy or action
Middle Ages: The time in European history between classical antiquity and the Renaissance
Dark Ages: A period in European history from 476 a.d to 1000 
Gaping: Stare with mouth wide open
Dumbfounded: To make speechless with amazement


Reading Strategies
Before Reading: Prior Knowledge- Ask students what their prior knowledge is about reading graphic novels, how they are written, and what is the purpose of them.
During Reading: Dear Classmate- Using email, twitter, or someother form of communicating have students write to each other as they read the book. 
After Reading: Text-connections- Use text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world to compare and contrast the story to the students lives, other students around the world and other graphic novels or stories that have been previously read


Writing Activity

Have students use www.toondoo.com to create their own comic strip or graphic novel. You can give them a specific topic to write about or let them do it on their own. This can be used as a comic maker, a book maker, a character maker, or a doodle maker. 


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