I created a brief story using storybird to pay a small tribute to our classmate and friend Trisha. I did not know that it takes 5 to 7 days to be able to use the share link from storybird. I have pasted below the url because when I try to insert it as a hyperlink it does not work?
http://storybird.com/books/a-pretty-girl-with-a-pretty-smile/
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Now is the Time for Running book trailer
I could not put this book down. Michael Williams does a magnificent job of painting an all too real painting of what life is like in Zimbabwe and Cape Town South Africa. I have a guest that just moved here from South Africa and I had conversations with him after reading this book and he confirmed that a lot of details were accurate. I do not know if I would let sixth grade students read this, maybe eighth grade. I hope if you read it, you enjoy it as much as I did.
Chapter 5- Traditional Literature
Traditional Literature is so much fun to use in the classroom. I was surprised to find out that Stone Fox by John Gardiner was traditional literature, I would have considered it historical fiction. As a little girl I loved and still do, fairy tales. It was always so much fun to read about some enchanted princess encounter some terrible evil and then miraculously be saved to live happily ever after. Traditional literature includes sub-genres like fables, myths, legends, tall tales, folk tales, and religious stories.
I found it amazing that the traditional story Cinderella had been told around the world in some form or another. I read many Cinderella stories deciding which one I wanted to use for my annotated bibliography. They all had an element of the Cinderella story I was familiar with. Sometimes Cinderella only had one sister instead of two. Or her father didn't actually die, or she had a fur boot instead of a glass slipper. The theme was always the same though, a young girl mistreated and then perseveres.
I think a fun activity to do with a folk tales is to play telephone with the class. Folk takes are stories passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, it is easy to assume that not all parts of the tales are true because they may not have been repeated 100% accurately.
I found it amazing that the traditional story Cinderella had been told around the world in some form or another. I read many Cinderella stories deciding which one I wanted to use for my annotated bibliography. They all had an element of the Cinderella story I was familiar with. Sometimes Cinderella only had one sister instead of two. Or her father didn't actually die, or she had a fur boot instead of a glass slipper. The theme was always the same though, a young girl mistreated and then perseveres.
I think a fun activity to do with a folk tales is to play telephone with the class. Folk takes are stories passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, it is easy to assume that not all parts of the tales are true because they may not have been repeated 100% accurately.
Chapter Six - Modern Fantasy
The genre modern fantasy is by far my favorite. I love stories like The Lightning Thief, where the hero goes on a quest. I also loved the book The Giver by Lois Lowry which is more science fiction. Modern fantasy can cover a variety of subjects from talking animals to ghost stories to quest tales. A modern fantasy can have fantasy and imagination woven into the story, but the story also needs to be believable to be modern fantasy.
The benefits of modern fantasy is that teachers can use these books to discuss difficult topics like death and loss. After reading the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, teachers can discuss why Gale and Katniss assume the roles provider when their fathers disappear.
Our textbook also suggests using the read aloud technique to expose children to this genre.
The benefits of modern fantasy is that teachers can use these books to discuss difficult topics like death and loss. After reading the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, teachers can discuss why Gale and Katniss assume the roles provider when their fathers disappear.
Our textbook also suggests using the read aloud technique to expose children to this genre.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Chapter 8: Historical Fiction
What is historical fiction? Well in short it is when we combine some fact and some fiction. Not just any facts, but maybe some events that took place. For example if I were to write a story about 911, I could incorporate some real facts like dates and times, and places that things occurred and combine those with some fiction, like characters that I could use to bring to life the tragedy of the event. Or I could take a real person like Albert Einstein and incorporate some of his discoveries or creation ns and fill in with blanks with believable fluff.
Some of the books that I have read that are historical fiction are: Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, Meet Kaya, An American Girl Kaya 1764 (American Girls Short Stories) by Janet Shaw, and The Watsons go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis. These books again take some fiction and some historical events and combine them to create a story. Christopher Paul Curtis is my favorite! His characters are so funny! Kenny in The Watsons go to Birmingham is a middle child that is growing up during the Civil Rights Movement. Although this subject is sensitive and painful it is important that we bring these events to light, and Curtis does a wonderful job doing that through Kenny. Kenny acts like a normal boy trying to avoid the wrath of his big brother.
The best things about historical fiction is that our students are learning history without even trying. We don't have to stand in front of a board and say "Blah, blah, blah!" We can read a story that peeks their interest and make our students want us to explain what the civil rights movement is and why it started. Why weren't blacks and whites treated equally? Reading stories that interest our class on historical figures and events is the ultimate hook!
Some of the books that I have read that are historical fiction are: Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, Meet Kaya, An American Girl Kaya 1764 (American Girls Short Stories) by Janet Shaw, and The Watsons go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis. These books again take some fiction and some historical events and combine them to create a story. Christopher Paul Curtis is my favorite! His characters are so funny! Kenny in The Watsons go to Birmingham is a middle child that is growing up during the Civil Rights Movement. Although this subject is sensitive and painful it is important that we bring these events to light, and Curtis does a wonderful job doing that through Kenny. Kenny acts like a normal boy trying to avoid the wrath of his big brother.
The best things about historical fiction is that our students are learning history without even trying. We don't have to stand in front of a board and say "Blah, blah, blah!" We can read a story that peeks their interest and make our students want us to explain what the civil rights movement is and why it started. Why weren't blacks and whites treated equally? Reading stories that interest our class on historical figures and events is the ultimate hook!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Christopher Paul Curtis did a fantastic job of putting the reader into the shoes of Bud. Bud is an orphaned 10 year old black boy living during the Depression. After he has been abused by his latest foster family he runs away, riding the railroad trying to find his birth father. Bud's life experiences are heartbreaking at times, but he is a hilarious 10 years old that once knocked down, gets right back up on his feet. I would 100% recommend this book to any reader, adult or young alike.
I also found this book trailer on youtube and apparently this book has been acted out in Chicago and I have attached a clip from that as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paLKLoeozvU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIwiNWSRl1U
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Chapter 10 Nonfiction: Biographies and Informational Books
This chapter gives great advice on how to choose Informational text and Biographies for your students. Remember to consider your children's preferences. If you are doing a review of Abraham Lincoln, it would be a good idea to have a variety of texts for students to choose from. Also just because it is informational text, it does not have to be boring. For my upper informational text, I chose: Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World, by Jane
Yolen. This book is so interesting and informational. You could take this book and break it up your class into pairs and them have them give a brief summary of their pirate and what she did during her life.
It is also important that when you make your book selections, you choose books that are written based on accurate facts. Some research can be controversial at times, but if you consider the sources that the author used, you can quickly identify if they have done thorough research or just made stuff up. Our text book explains that children often have difficulty with non-fiction, (especially first grade students). I think that animal books are a great way to expose them to non-fiction. Kids love animals and when you point out that we can learn many other interesting things that are true through non-fiction books, we can hook our students on reading.
It is also important that when you make your book selections, you choose books that are written based on accurate facts. Some research can be controversial at times, but if you consider the sources that the author used, you can quickly identify if they have done thorough research or just made stuff up. Our text book explains that children often have difficulty with non-fiction, (especially first grade students). I think that animal books are a great way to expose them to non-fiction. Kids love animals and when you point out that we can learn many other interesting things that are true through non-fiction books, we can hook our students on reading.
CHAPTER 7 - Realistic Fiction
CHAPTER 7
Realistic Fiction was never my favorite... I am much more of a fairytale or fantasy girl! But over the last few weeks I have read more realistic fiction than in my whole life and I have found it to be most intriguing. The stories I have read are; Because of Winn-Dixie, Bud... Not Buddy, The Watsons go to Birmingham, and Now is the Time for Running. Michael Williams wrote Now is the Time for Running and while I was reading it ideas for incorporating it into my class were just popping off of the pages. The story follows a young boy and his older brother (who has exceptionalities) through their journey from Zimbabua to South Africa. This book gives examples of the challenges of being different and trying to blend in with surrounding society. Death, Starving, Abuse, these topics are very difficult to bring up out of the blue in our classrooms, but if we incorporate a book into the subject it can become more acceptable to speak about. The classroom I just interned in during the Spring was comprised completely of students who qualified for free lunches. I am sure some of them understand what it is like to go to bed hungry, but this would be a difficult conversation to bring up without embarrassing any of these big fifth graders. However, if you incorporate a book and have your students journal a response to the question "How do you identify with this character?" about death or starvation, or abuse you can discuss these difficult subjects. I would have my students break into groups and write a different outcome to the story. Students could also list possible solutions to the situations.
In the stories Bud... Not Buddy and The Watsons go to Birmingham, by Christopher Paul Curtis he incorporates abuse and abandonment and being raised in a foster home, but even though all this sounds very depressing, the stories are actually quite funny.
I have learned that while fantasy and fairytales are still fun, I really enjoy realistic fiction and I find that I could use them in many ways in my classroom to teach about controversial issues.
Realistic Fiction was never my favorite... I am much more of a fairytale or fantasy girl! But over the last few weeks I have read more realistic fiction than in my whole life and I have found it to be most intriguing. The stories I have read are; Because of Winn-Dixie, Bud... Not Buddy, The Watsons go to Birmingham, and Now is the Time for Running. Michael Williams wrote Now is the Time for Running and while I was reading it ideas for incorporating it into my class were just popping off of the pages. The story follows a young boy and his older brother (who has exceptionalities) through their journey from Zimbabua to South Africa. This book gives examples of the challenges of being different and trying to blend in with surrounding society. Death, Starving, Abuse, these topics are very difficult to bring up out of the blue in our classrooms, but if we incorporate a book into the subject it can become more acceptable to speak about. The classroom I just interned in during the Spring was comprised completely of students who qualified for free lunches. I am sure some of them understand what it is like to go to bed hungry, but this would be a difficult conversation to bring up without embarrassing any of these big fifth graders. However, if you incorporate a book and have your students journal a response to the question "How do you identify with this character?" about death or starvation, or abuse you can discuss these difficult subjects. I would have my students break into groups and write a different outcome to the story. Students could also list possible solutions to the situations.
In the stories Bud... Not Buddy and The Watsons go to Birmingham, by Christopher Paul Curtis he incorporates abuse and abandonment and being raised in a foster home, but even though all this sounds very depressing, the stories are actually quite funny.
I have learned that while fantasy and fairytales are still fun, I really enjoy realistic fiction and I find that I could use them in many ways in my classroom to teach about controversial issues.
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