Creating Learning Guides and Instructional Activities for Trade Books
April 27, 2010 by Adrian
Filed under teaching tips
by Amy M. O’Quinn for the National Writing for Children Center
Why Learning Guides Are Important
Authors write books. Educators purchase many of those books to use in the classroom or for other instructional purposes. It is a wonderful partnership, and everyone benefits—the author, the teacher, the students, and the publisher. But there is something else to consider.
Teachers are increasingly using more and more trade books in the classroom along with or in lieu of traditional textbooks to teach everything from A to Z. There are books on every subject or topic imaginable, and these ‘real’ books written by (usually) one author who is passionate about the topic appeal to students on many levels. Whereas textbooks can be a bit dry and tend to summarize, ‘real’ books are exciting, compelling, informative, and immediate.
However, teachers (and librarians) often want some sort of learning guide or additional instructional activities to go along with the books they have chosen. Many authors and publishers are catching on to this trend, and they are delivering just what ‘the teacher ordered.’ They are discovering that if they create learning guides for their book(s), they will probably sell more copies to teachers and librarians. Again, everyone benefits!
I’ve noticed that many children’s authors, especially those who write non-fiction, have all kinds of links, activities, and lesson plans to coordinate with their books right on their websites. And some publishers, such as Sylvan Dell, are doing the same. In fact, Sylvan Dell provides a page on their website that aligns all their titles to science and math standards for every state.
So if you are an author, consider creating a simple learning guide or some instructional activities to go with your book(s). These can be as basic or as complex as you want to make them, and you can easily make these available to educators via your website. Perhaps you can even include links to resources you found during your research. Carla McClafferty’s website is an excellent example. Just remember, teachers love it when much of the educational legwork is done for them. Instead of starting from scratch, they get to do what they do best—teach!
Teachers Can Also Create Learning Guides
However, if learning guides are not available from an author or publisher, teachers can still create their own to align with state standards.
1. First, review a list of standards for your state. Most educators are already very familiar with these standards, and they can easily be found online as well. Since I live in Georgia, I went to the georgiastandards.org website and chose to review educational standards for fourth grade. For residents of other states, you can simply go to your state’s Department of Education and follow the links to the appropriate grade level.
2. Next, you can match up specific standards with a book or books that apply. Or if you have a special book you really like, you can probably find a standard that correlates, especially in the areas of language arts and social studies. Most of the time, the spectrum is rather broad.
3. Have fun coming up with activities and lesson plans that will enhance the book’s content, reinforce learning concepts, and provide an enjoyable alternative to run of the mill worksheets.
An Example of a Learning Guide/Instructional Activities for Fourth Grade
A Fourth of July on the Plains
Written by Jean Van Leeuwen
Illustrated by Henri Sorenson
Pre-Reading Activities:
Meet the Author: Jean Van Leeuwen (Give brief biographical information about the author and perhaps look at her website.)
Meet the Illustrator: Henri Sorenson (Give brief biographical information about the illustrator.)
Show a few illustrations from the book and discuss the medium used.
Story Summary (from the publisher): Young Jesse and his family are with a wagon train traveling from Indiana to Oregon when they stop to celebrate the Fourth of July, but Jesse is too young to go hunting with the men, so he comes up with his own contribution to the festivities.
Background: This story is based on an account of a July 4th celebration along the Oregon trail in 1852, as recalled in the Diary of E.W. Conyers, 1905 and combined with the lively memories of Jesse A. Applegate, a seven-year-old traveler, as told in Recollections of My Boyhood, 1914.
Set the Scene: Discuss the setting of the story and view photographs of a plain. Discuss the Oregon Trail and geographical features encountered along the journey.
Vocabulary Words: Introduce new vocabulary words/terms.
Meet the Characters: Introduce characters and give their ages if relevant.
Reading:
Read the book aloud or let students alternate reading orally in small groups.
Discussion:
What was it like to travel in a wagon train? Talk about and make a list of some of the things Henry and the other travelers experienced. What were some of the dangers? How long had they been traveling? Would the students be willing to face the hardships of such a journey, regardless of the adventure? Why or why not?
Patriotism: Why was a Fourth of July celebration so important to the travelers? What are some things we do to celebrate in modern times? What did the travelers do to celebrate the day? How did Henry and his friends participate? What happened to make Henry declare that they got their cannons after all?
Creative Writing: Have students pretend they are part of Henry’s wagon train and write a diary entry about the Fourth of July celebration—including all five senses.
Summarizing/Sequencing: Discuss the events of the story. Let students orally narrate what happened. What was the climax? Make a list of the events in the order they occurred.
Map Work/Math:
Trace the route of the Oregon Trail on a U.S. map. Pinpoint the general area of the story. Identify the states along the trail and calculate the number of miles covered in the journey. If the wagon train traveled an average of fourteen miles per day, how long would the trip take, etc.?
In Conclusion
The suggestions above are just a sampling of learning opportunities or instructional activities that can be used with the book, A Fourth of July on the Plains by Jean Van Leeuwen. Notice how well they correspond to the Georgia educational standards for fourth grade listed below. And there are many more standards I could have chosen as well.
SS4H6 The student will explain westward expansion of America between 1801 and 1861.
a. Describe territorial expansion with emphasis on the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the acquisitions of Texas (the Alamo and independence), Oregon (Oregon Trail), and
California (Gold Rush and the development of mining towns).
SS4CG5 The student will name positive character traits of key historical figures and government leaders (honesty, patriotism, courage, trustworthiness).
ELA4R3 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.
ELA4LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and group verbal interactions.
SS4G1 The student will be able to locate important physical and man-made features in the United States.
SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems.
e. Describe physical barriers that hindered and physical gateways that benefited territorial expansion from 1801 to 1861 (SS4H6a).
SS4CG4 The student will explain the importance of Americans sharing certain central democratic beliefs and principles, both personal and civic.
SS4CG5 The student will name positive character traits of key historical figures and government leaders (honesty, patriotism, courage, trustworthiness).
M4P1. Students will solve problems (using appropriate technology).
If you are an author, creating a learning guide is a great idea. It does not have to be complex, but you know your book(s) better than anyone else does, and you can provide teachers with some guidance for using your work in the classroom. Moreover, you increase your chances for more sales if you have additional resources for educators and librarians.
If you are a teacher, the sky is the limit. Using trade books in the classroom is a refreshing change for both you and your students. You can easily align your choices to state educational standards, all while choosing books that are fun and interesting to reinforce or introduce new topics or events. With just a little bit of planning, you can create learning opportunities and activities that your students will remember for years!
Amy M. O’Quinn is a pastor’s wife and former schoolteacher-turned-homeschool mom of six. You can visit Amy at amyoquinn.com or www.homeschoolblogger.com/picketfencemom.
Teaching Point of View: The Big Bad Wolf versus The Three Little Pigs
March 26, 2010 by Adrian
Filed under teaching tips
Good readers get the big picture. They comprehend the meaning of the text and better understand what the author is trying to convey. In addition, learning to identify a character’s point of view in a simple picture book or story is a great way to introduce children to an important aspect of being a good reader.
It will also prepare them for heavier literature when they get older when identifying a character’s point of view is vital to understanding the plot and the underlying meaning or theme of the story. It is a skill to develop through the years, and having a basic working knowledge of this device will also help students learn about the first person, second person, third person, omniscient, and limited omniscient points of view as they mature as readers and writers.
Point of View (POV):
POV is simply the standpoint or position from which the reader gets to observe, consider, or ‘hear’ the story. For this particular article, I would like to concentrate on a first person narrative POV from a well-known children’s story.
A Simple Way To Teach POV:
Almost everyone knows the story of The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. The pigs are the victims and the wolf is the villain. We ‘hear’ the story from the viewpoint of the three little pigs, and we feel sorry for them—right down to the hairs on their chinny-chin-chins! The wolf is a mean, evil character, and we are happy to see justice served in the end. Obviously, he deserves what he gets!
So gather your students around and read the traditional story of The Three Little Pigs. Or have them act out the story with parts—using appropriate voices and simple costumes if possible. My children always use a high, squeaky voice for the pigs and a low, growly voice for the wolf. Discuss the elements of the story and the perspectives of the characters. Who is ‘good’ and who is ‘bad’? Who is right and who is wrong? How did the pigs feel and react when the wolf came to each of their doors?
A Twist:
But what if there is a chance that the traditional tale we all know and love might not be the ‘real’ story! What if the wolf has a different version of the story to tell? What about his POV?
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs:
Here is where the fun begins! Purchase or check out Jon Scieszka’s hilarious book, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs from your local library and read it to the students. As Alexander T. Wolf, the narrator, tells his audience on the very first page:
“Everybody knows the story of the Three Little Pigs. Or at least they think they do. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story.”
Of course, in this version, we hear from Alexander T. Wolf. He claims that he had a cold and all that he wanted to do was borrow a cup of sugar from one of his neighbors when all the trouble began. According to him, he was framed!
Now discuss the differences in the two stories and the POVs. Compare and contrast. Make a comparison chart if possible.
The Verdict:
So who is telling the truth, the pigs or the wolf? Who is more believable? Why? Should Alexander T. Wolf have been put in jail?
No matter whose side the students choose, they should all be able to determine the differences in the POV of the characters in the two tales and how it changes the whole story, depending on WHO is doing the telling or whose side is championed!
If you like using the idea of the Big Bad Wolf versus The Three Little Pigs to teach POV, you might also find the book, The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, by Eugene Trivizas to be another great resource to use with this lesson. As the title implies, the roles of the characters, as well as the POVs, have been switched. Another fun read!
Other Ideas:
Have students re-tell classic stories—but have them change the POV for some interesting twists.
Cinderella versus her stepsisters.
Little Red Riding Hood versus the wolf.
Goldilocks versus the three bears.
Resources:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/fractured_fairy_true.htm
Scholastic’s site for fractured fairy tales and fables
http://www.shol.com/agita/wolfside.htm
Defendant Testifies: The Wolf’s side of the story
http://www.nancypolette.com/LitGuidesText/truestorypigs.htm
Literature guide to The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Nancy Polette
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/fairytales
More fractured fairy tales
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/708.html
Lesson plans/ideas
Read Across America and Dr. Seuss
February 28, 2010 by Adrian
Filed under teaching tips
by Amy M. O’Quinn
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
~Dr. Seuss
Mark your calendar for March 2nd! Why, you may ask? Well, at our home we will celebrate my daughter’s tenth birthday on that day. But other children across America will also be celebrating the birthday of beloved author, Dr. Seuss, as well as participating in ‘Read Across America’, sponsored by the National Education Association.
What is Read Across America?
In 1997, a small task force at NEA came up with the big idea to set aside one day to really celebrate reading and motivate children across the country to pick up a book and read. They wanted the whole event to be exciting and inspiring—and to promote a love of reading. The task force also decided that March 2nd, the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss) would be the perfect date. Thus, ‘Read Across America’ was born, and the first annual celebration was held on March 2, 1998.
According the NEA website, “Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.”
How does it work?
Although the NEA created and sponsors ‘Read Across America,’ teachers, parents, librarians, bookstore personnel, and other community volunteers at the local level organize and implement all kinds of exciting events to celebrate reading and get children involved in special literacy activities. There are many great ideas on the NEA/RAA website, as well as state educational association websites. The possibilities are endless.
Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)
What child doesn’t love a Dr. Seuss book? The rhythm and rhyme are delightful, and everyone has a favorite. My children enjoyed all the Dr. Seuss books, but they especially liked Green Eggs and Ham, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? and The Cat in the Hat. In fact, they can all recite most of Green Eggs and Ham from memory. Would you? Could you?
When we first began homeschooling, I quickly discovered that Dr. Seuss books were perfect for oral reading practice to enhance fluency. The children loved the nonsensical language, yet they were able to experience reading success because of the simple words, repetition and familiarity of ‘old friends’ they’d known for years. Beginning readers need to feel successful; it motivates them to keep learning. Plus, the stories written by Dr. Seuss are just plain fun, and everyone needs a good giggle or chuckle from time to time.
How Can You Be Involved in Read Across America?
There are events and activities scheduled all over the country—in large cities and small communities. Chances are, the local school system, your child’s teacher, or your neighborhood librarians have already planned some special things for March 2nd. Visit the NEA website or your state educational association to find some fabulous fun near you. Perhaps you may even decide to volunteer or help organize some events.
If you have preschool children or are a homeschooling parent, you can also plan some activities to do with your child at home. Although we advocate reading ALL year long, it is still fun to have a special day to do something just a little bit different.
A Few Simple Ideas:
-Read Green Eggs and Ham—then MAKE green eggs and ham. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring to your egg mixture before cooking to create an unforgettable entree!
-Read Horton Hears A Who—then make elephant masks out of paper plates and construction paper.
-Read The Cat in the Hat—then make a ‘Cat in the Hat’ Hat! You can find some great (and easy) directions and photos for this project at http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/ys/crafts/cathat.htm.
Resources:
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/dr-seuss-birthday/printables/
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/read-across-america-teachers/
There are also many Dr. Seuss books and videos available on Ebay, Amazon, Half.com, etc.
Whether you are a teacher, volunteer, librarian or parent or grandparent, reading to children and helping to foster a love of reading and books is an important job. So mark March 2nd on your calendar as a special ‘fun’ day to celebrate reading AND Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Ready. Set. Read!
Amy M. O’Quinn is a pastor’s wife and former schoolteacher-turned-homeschool mom of six. She is also a freelance writer who enjoys jotting down ideas around the fringes of family life. She specializes in non-fiction, and her work has been published or acquired by various magazines including Jack and Jill, US Kids, Guideposts for Kids, Learning Through History Magazine, Highlights, GEORGIA Magazine, Homeschooling Today, International Gymnast, etc. She is also a product/curriculum/book reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and a regular columnist for TEACH Magazine. The O’Quinns live on the family farm in rural south Georgia. You can visit Amy at amyoquinn.com or http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/picketfencemom.
Autobiographical Character Sketches
February 25, 2010 by Adrian
Filed under teaching tips
by Sharon Blumberg
Here’s a prewriting activity I’ve used in my language arts classroom when students get tired of traditional book reports. I have students write a book about themselves. First, they answer the following questions to create an autobiographical character sketch. Later, each student can use his character sketch to create his “book” – which is the story of his life.
Questions to Create Autobiographical Character Sketches
If someone were to read a book about you, what would be the title? ________________________
List three interesting facts about yourself. ____________________________________________
What is your most important accomplishment at this point in your life? ____________________
Create a timeline of the most important events in your life.
______________________________
Please write a paragraph explaining how the world would be different without your life accomplishments, at this point in time? ______________________________________________
What kinds of hobbies and interests make you unique? __________________________________
What are the strength and weaknesses that make you unique? ____________________________
In what kind of setting would a story of your life take place? _____________________________
Who would be the major characters in your life story? __________________________________
What would be the plot and major conflict in your life story? _____________________________
What would be the climax and resolution of your own life story? __________________________
What point of view would your life story be told from? _________________________________
Recommended Books & Activities for Black History Month
February 3, 2010 by Adrian
Filed under teaching tips
by Kathy Stemke
Black History Month is a time to create greater awareness of a strong and powerful culture with a rich history. The following books and activity ideas will keep children engaged as they learn about inspiring black Americans and their culture.
Bestselling and award-winning author, HYPERLINK Nancy I. Sanders has published over 75 books including A Kid’s Guide to African American History and D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet.
Her new book is America’s Black Founders, for ages 9 and up. Through the petitions they wrote, the sermons they preached, the literature they published, the churches they built, and the organizations they formed, African Americans influenced the birth of a new nation in powerful and far-reaching ways. Click here for several activity ideas from Nancy’s websiteClick here for several activity ideas for Black History month from Nancy’s website.
Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa is an excellent example of a quality book that conveys black history in kid-appealing way. Ella’s story is told through the perspective of a cat, “Skat Cat Monroe,” who pulls in readers in with rhythm and rhyme.
LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITIES
Use words from this story to practice finding the number of syllables in words. How many syllables are in Skat? Fitzgerald? determination?
Have students look up words from the story in the dictionary and share reports either written or verbal. Let students determine alphabetical order of the words.
MATH ACTIVITIES
We learn in A Note From the Author that Ella was born in 1917. The story tells us that in 1935 the Harlem Opera House signed Ella as a featured singer. How old was Ella?
We learn in the story that Ella and Dizzy Gillespie headlined a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall in 1947. If she was born in 1917, how old was Ella in 1947?
We learn in A Note From the Author that Ella died in 1996. If she was born in 1917, how old was Ella when she died?
MUSIC & MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
“A-Tisket, A-Tasket” was a hit song sung by Ella Fitzgerald that began as a “jump rope jive.” Jumping rope is an excellent work out and helps children develop timing and balance. Have your students jump rope along to Ella’s music and encourage them to create their own jump rope songs.
Dizzy by Jonah Winter features the famous Dizzy Gilliespie.
VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES
There are many instruments featured in the illustrations of Dizzy. Passing the book around, make a list of the instruments your group can identify. There’s a trumpet, sax, French horn, bass, piano and drums. Now brainstorm to create a list of instruments not featured in this book.
MATH ACTIVITIES
Review the music math words for solo, duet, trio, quartet and quintet. Call students up with instruments in singles and small groups and let the group name the band with these math music words.
ART & MUSIC ACTIVITIES
Painting to the Beat: Provide paper, watercolor paints and space for each child to paint. Play one of Dizzy Gilliespie’s many CDs that are available at your local library. Encourage children to paint to the beat. Ask them to consider what “color” a song feels like. Be sure to have them write the title of the song, along with their name and date on their musical masterpiece.
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
A Jazz Parade: Provide children with handmade instruments or objects with which they can create a beat. Turn on the music and have a parade. In my experience, first through third graders still enjoy this experience as much as preschoolers.
Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron
Recommended Ages: 4-8
The gospel rhythm of this lovely children’s book is matched only by the bold, color-saturated illustrations of little nappy-haired Brenda.
Cassie’s Colorful Day by Faith Ringgold
Recommended Ages: 0-4
Join Cassie on a colorful day with her dad. Young children will follow Cassie as she dresses up in her yellow-and-red polka dot dress, purple shoes, and green pocketbook, then heads to the ice cream parlor for her favorite treat–a pink strawberry sundae!
Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Recommended Ages: 5-8
This is the inspiring story of a young girl’s search for beauty in her violence-torn neighborhood. The illustrations and story are both beautiful and realistic.
Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Paul Curtis
Recommended Ages: 10 and up
The Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan are taking a trip like no other. They’re heading south to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the worst moments in American history.
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David A. Adler
This picture book is a great lesson in history for our children about civil rights.
WRITING ACTIVITY
After learning about Mr. King’s famous speech, have the children write their own speech by filling in the blanks below.
“I Have a Dream Too!”
I have a dream that one day this nation will ____________________________________
I have a dream that one day _________________________________________________
I have a dream that one day _________________________________________________
I have a dream that ________________________________________________________
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day _________________________________________________
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day _________________________________________________
This is my hope and faith. With this faith we will be able to _______________________
__________________________________________________________________
This will be the day when __________________________________________________
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
*****************
Visit Kathy Stemke’s blog at educationtipster.blogspot.com
