Author: Don Wulffson
Title: Toys! Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions
Book Genre: Informational
Publishing Info: Rigby, 137 pp
Summary: This book covers the idea, creation, invention, and history of toys and games such as Mr. Potato Head, Twister, the bicycle, and Pinball. It includes pretty much every famous and loved toy and game created. Children and adults both would love to read this book!
Personal rating: ****
Rationale: This book is very interesting for children of all ages. I actually learned a lot from reading it – like in the beginning, Play-Doh only came in the color white. Children will love to get into this book and learn where their favorite toys and games came from.
Reading level: 7.8
Interest level: all ages
Thematic Areas: art; entertainment; creation
Content Areas: history; science; art; language
Potential Problems or Difficulties: No potential problems or difficulties.
Possible use in classroom: Children could write down some of their own ideas for great games and toys – and could maybe create them at home and bring them for show and tell. Class could divide up and play some educational games that are in the classroom. Older children could pick a favorite inventor and write a short paper on him/her.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Informational
Information for students
Author: Sara Swann Miller Title: Pigs
Book Genre: Informational Publishing Info: Children’s Press
Summary: This book tells about the physical traits, behavior, and life cycle of pigs. It also discusses the different breeds of pigs and the role that pigs play in providing humans with meat.
Personal rating: *****
Pages: 43
Rationale: Content was organized in a logical sequence. There was a glossary with definitions. Visual format was appealing
Information for teachers
Reading level: 3.7 Interest level: K-3
Thematic Areas: Farms, pets.
Content Areas: Science, Language Art.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: none
Possible use in classroom:
· Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the different breeds of pigs.
· Tie this book in with a Language Arts lesson using Charlotte’s Web.
· After reading the book have students journal about what it would be like to be a pig.
· Read book before a trip to the farm.
Author: Sara Swann Miller Title: Pigs
Book Genre: Informational Publishing Info: Children’s Press
Summary: This book tells about the physical traits, behavior, and life cycle of pigs. It also discusses the different breeds of pigs and the role that pigs play in providing humans with meat.
Personal rating: *****
Pages: 43
Rationale: Content was organized in a logical sequence. There was a glossary with definitions. Visual format was appealing
Information for teachers
Reading level: 3.7 Interest level: K-3
Thematic Areas: Farms, pets.
Content Areas: Science, Language Art.
Potential Problems or Difficulties: none
Possible use in classroom:
· Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the different breeds of pigs.
· Tie this book in with a Language Arts lesson using Charlotte’s Web.
· After reading the book have students journal about what it would be like to be a pig.
· Read book before a trip to the farm.
Biography
Information for students
Author: Elizabeth Gillen Surcouf
Title: Grace Kelly / American Princess
Book Genre: Biography Publishing Info: Lerner
Summary: This book tells the story of Grace Kelly’s life. It goes through her wonderful career as an actress, her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco, her role as princess, and the all of the wonderful contributions that she made to society.
Personal rating: ****
Pages: 64
Rationale: Subject was presented in an interesting manner. Book was accurate and authentic, conveying the true nature of the subject. Very interesting book.
Information for teachers
Reading level: 5.9 Interest level: 3-6
Thematic Areas: family, friendship, and the life of a princess
Content Areas: language arts, social studies
Potential Problems or Difficulties: none
Possible use in classroom:
· Sequencing
· Find Monaco on a map and study about the country
· Journal about what it would be like to be a prince or princess of a country.
Author: Elizabeth Gillen Surcouf
Title: Grace Kelly / American Princess
Book Genre: Biography Publishing Info: Lerner
Summary: This book tells the story of Grace Kelly’s life. It goes through her wonderful career as an actress, her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco, her role as princess, and the all of the wonderful contributions that she made to society.
Personal rating: ****
Pages: 64
Rationale: Subject was presented in an interesting manner. Book was accurate and authentic, conveying the true nature of the subject. Very interesting book.
Information for teachers
Reading level: 5.9 Interest level: 3-6
Thematic Areas: family, friendship, and the life of a princess
Content Areas: language arts, social studies
Potential Problems or Difficulties: none
Possible use in classroom:
· Sequencing
· Find Monaco on a map and study about the country
· Journal about what it would be like to be a prince or princess of a country.
Historical Fiction
Information for student
Author: Karen Hesse Title: Out of the Dust
Book Genre: Historical Fiction Publishing Info: Scholastic Press
Summary: Set in the Oklahoma dust bowl during the Great Depression. At fourteen, Billie Jo, has a lot to deal with. Billie Jo’s pregnant mother is killed by an accident that her father caused. Billie Jo is also injured by the accident. She must learn to heal herself and live again.
Personal rating: *****
Pages: 227
Rationale: Story is interesting to elementary children. The setting is integral to the story. The characters are believable and the language is authentic. Wonderful story!
Information for teachers
Reading level: 5.3 Interest level: 6-8
Thematic Areas: American history, communities and ways of life, coping with death, grief, and loss, determination and perseverance, extended family, homelessness and poverty.
Content Areas: Social Studies, History, Science, Music, Language Arts
Potential Problems or Difficulties: none
Possible use in classroom:
To introduce this lesson, tell the students you are wondering whether the classroom needs a good clean up. Give them a chance to look for dust in the room. Do they think there is a potential "dust problem"? How bad could it get? If it were 10 times worse, how would it affect activities in the classroom? What if it were a hundred times worse? Could it ever get that bad? Worse?
· Discuss the students' hypotheses about this question from Lesson 1. Remind students of the previous discussion about dust in the classroom. Of course, the classroom often could use some sprucing up, but for people living in the Dust Bowl region, dealing with the dust and its ramifications became the center of everyday life.
For a social studies lesson talk about the Great Depression and what led up to it. Who was president during this time? How did he try to help the American people?
Author: Karen Hesse Title: Out of the Dust
Book Genre: Historical Fiction Publishing Info: Scholastic Press
Summary: Set in the Oklahoma dust bowl during the Great Depression. At fourteen, Billie Jo, has a lot to deal with. Billie Jo’s pregnant mother is killed by an accident that her father caused. Billie Jo is also injured by the accident. She must learn to heal herself and live again.
Personal rating: *****
Pages: 227
Rationale: Story is interesting to elementary children. The setting is integral to the story. The characters are believable and the language is authentic. Wonderful story!
Information for teachers
Reading level: 5.3 Interest level: 6-8
Thematic Areas: American history, communities and ways of life, coping with death, grief, and loss, determination and perseverance, extended family, homelessness and poverty.
Content Areas: Social Studies, History, Science, Music, Language Arts
Potential Problems or Difficulties: none
Possible use in classroom:
To introduce this lesson, tell the students you are wondering whether the classroom needs a good clean up. Give them a chance to look for dust in the room. Do they think there is a potential "dust problem"? How bad could it get? If it were 10 times worse, how would it affect activities in the classroom? What if it were a hundred times worse? Could it ever get that bad? Worse?
· Discuss the students' hypotheses about this question from Lesson 1. Remind students of the previous discussion about dust in the classroom. Of course, the classroom often could use some sprucing up, but for people living in the Dust Bowl region, dealing with the dust and its ramifications became the center of everyday life.
For a social studies lesson talk about the Great Depression and what led up to it. Who was president during this time? How did he try to help the American people?
Food
Author: Williams, Brenda
Title: Food
Book Genre: Informational
Publishing Info: Raintree Steck-
Vaughn Publishers, 32pp.
Summary: This book provides resourceful information about various foods in a manner that is easily understood by students. A range of topics are discussed including: various types of food, organic farming, methods of farming, preserving foods, and transportation of food. All of the illustrations are actual photographs, which help students further relate to the various topics being discussed. Each page contains a short statement which suggests activities relating to nutrition or further explains particular topics. I particularly found the information about where various foods are grown and ways to preserve them as important facts that many students may be unaware. This book provides a wealth of vital nutrition information that would be helpful to any student.
Personal rating: ****
Rationale: Well-written; beneficial information for students; illustrations are very realistic or actual photographs
Reading level: 3.8 Interest level: K-4th
Thematic Areas: Healthy lifestyle; nutrition
Content Areas: Health
Potential Problems or Difficulties: N/A
Possible use in classroom: Have students complete the activity as described in the text, involving making a list of foods eaten daily, followed by placing each food under its proper food group; students could research to find where many of the crops we eat are actually grown; students could create their own healthy menus, for several days, which should include only healthy foods they enjoy
Title: Food
Book Genre: Informational
Publishing Info: Raintree Steck-
Vaughn Publishers, 32pp.
Summary: This book provides resourceful information about various foods in a manner that is easily understood by students. A range of topics are discussed including: various types of food, organic farming, methods of farming, preserving foods, and transportation of food. All of the illustrations are actual photographs, which help students further relate to the various topics being discussed. Each page contains a short statement which suggests activities relating to nutrition or further explains particular topics. I particularly found the information about where various foods are grown and ways to preserve them as important facts that many students may be unaware. This book provides a wealth of vital nutrition information that would be helpful to any student.
Personal rating: ****
Rationale: Well-written; beneficial information for students; illustrations are very realistic or actual photographs
Reading level: 3.8 Interest level: K-4th
Thematic Areas: Healthy lifestyle; nutrition
Content Areas: Health
Potential Problems or Difficulties: N/A
Possible use in classroom: Have students complete the activity as described in the text, involving making a list of foods eaten daily, followed by placing each food under its proper food group; students could research to find where many of the crops we eat are actually grown; students could create their own healthy menus, for several days, which should include only healthy foods they enjoy
Bill Cosby
BOOK ENTRY FORMAT FOR GENRE PROJECT
Information for students
Author: Bruce W. Conord Title: Bill Cosby-Family Man
Book Genre: Biography Publishing Info: Chelsea House Publishers, 78 pp.
Summary: A biography of the popular entertainer, discussing his childhood, television shows, and continued success.
Personal rating: ****
Rationale: good display of information and pictures, interesting biography and the things he’s been through
Information for teachers
Reading level: 4.8 Interest level: 4th-6th
Thematic Areas: Struggle, family, friendship, love, responsibility, determination, success, failures and encouragement
Content Areas: history, social studies, language arts
Potential Problems or Difficulties: N/A
Possible use in classroom: use book when studying African Americans. Divide the students into groups of three or four and divide the chapters and have them summarize to the class what they were about. Have a discussion on his success and failures and how difficult it was for black Americans back then to succeed in television and such.
Information for students
Author: Bruce W. Conord Title: Bill Cosby-Family Man
Book Genre: Biography Publishing Info: Chelsea House Publishers, 78 pp.
Summary: A biography of the popular entertainer, discussing his childhood, television shows, and continued success.
Personal rating: ****
Rationale: good display of information and pictures, interesting biography and the things he’s been through
Information for teachers
Reading level: 4.8 Interest level: 4th-6th
Thematic Areas: Struggle, family, friendship, love, responsibility, determination, success, failures and encouragement
Content Areas: history, social studies, language arts
Potential Problems or Difficulties: N/A
Possible use in classroom: use book when studying African Americans. Divide the students into groups of three or four and divide the chapters and have them summarize to the class what they were about. Have a discussion on his success and failures and how difficult it was for black Americans back then to succeed in television and such.
Tsunami Monster Waves
Information for Students
Author: Mary Dodson Wade Title: Tsunami Monster Waves
Book Genre: Informational Publishing Info: Enslow pp. 48
Summary: Although
Personal Rating: ****
Rationale: Well-written, descriptive illustrations and photographs, problems related to tsunami disasters, descriptive and informational plot
Information for Teachers
Reading Level: 5.7 Interest Level: 4th-6th
Thematic Areas: Waves; earthquakes; death; destruction of land; troughs; crests
Content Areas: Oceanography; meteorology; history; science
Potential Problems or Difficulties: Children could develop fear of the ocean because the death and destruction of land that the tsunamis created. Information is a little “jumpy”, not sticking to certain topics.
Possible Use in Classroom: Read about Tsunamis on the internet, good site for this would be the National Geographic WORLD site. Discover how Tsunamis or formed. Find an eyewitness account from someone who survived a Tsunami (in either a newspaper or a real survivor) and have a class discussion. Have a discussion on what causes waves and tsunamis, and list ideas. Search the internet and discover facts about how waves and tsunamis are developed. Construct a Venn diagram, compare, and contrast tsunamis and waves.
Blair
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