Author Archive for Ann R

Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: Our White House: Looking In Looking Out

Published by Ann R on November 17, 2009 in civics, history, social studies, poetry and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

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Our White House: Looking In Looking Out, is an anthology that is a beautiful compilation of 108 renowned authors and illustrators. It was created in association with the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance (NCBLA) and the Office of First Lady Laura Bush.  This book offers its readers stories, poetry and artwork that spans Amerian history from within the walls of The White House and its many residents, who, of course, were Persidents!  This is truly a very special book, with the literary and art works donated, and all royalties going to support the NCBLA as it promotes literacy, libraries and the arts.

Curriculum Connections:  Our White House: Looking In Looking Out is a wonderful book for teaching various civics and history lessons. Civics SOLs K.9, 2.11, 3.11. History SOLs K.1. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3.

Additional Resources:
This website allows children to read about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in a hands-on, child-friendly manner.  It offers basic information about both Presidents, and has additional resources that could be used on lesson about these specific Presidents.

This website provides instruction and information on how to write a letter to the President of the United States.  This would be a fun and interesting activity associated with this book and/or President’s Day activities.

This website offers several printable booklets for various ages from easy reader levels to a bit more advanced.  There are booklets for George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  They include basic information about each President and allow for coloring in the pictures on each page.

General Information:
Book: Our White House: Looking In Looking Out
Author: 108 Authors and Illustrators
Illustrator: Various
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages:  256
Grade Range: K - 6
ISBN:  978-0-7636-2067-7

Teaching Geography with Children’s Literature: From Here to There

Published by Ann R on October 31, 2009 in process skills, geography, book review, reading and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

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From Here to There , written by Margery Cuyler, is a simple, yet beautifully illustrated, book that shows where a little girl, Maria, lives with her family.  It illuminates the concept that we are all part of a world that is bigger than our own home, town, and state.

Curriculum Connections:  From Here to There is a good book for teaching the concept that we are all part of the solar system we live in, as seen in the beautiful pictures of the progression of where her home fits into this world.  It starts at her home, then moves to her town, her county, her state, then country, hemisphere, planet, solar system, galaxy, and beyond.  Geography SOL 1.4

Additional Resources:
This is another book that can be read and used to reinforce the concepts of how to follow a map.  It the story of a boy and his father going on a 100-mile road trip to visit his grandmother.

This website offers instructions on how to teach children about maps.  It starts with making a map of the classroom, then a map of the school, then the community, and so forth.  You can make this activity reach as far as you want it to, based on the level of your students…just like the book!

This website is an interactive website that could be done independently, or collectively as a class, projected onto the board or screen.  It is a simple map with questions that help teach basic map symbols, how to follow a map, and use of the compass rose.

General Information:
Book: From Here to There
Author: Margery Cuyler
Illustrator: Yu Cha Pak
Publisher: Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd.
Pages:  32
Grade Range: K-2
ISBN:  0-8050-3191

Teaching Economics with Children’s Literature: Start Saving, Henry!

Published by Ann R on October 28, 2009 in economics, reading and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

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Start Saving, Henry! is a fun book about a seven-year old mouse who learns the lesson about saving his allowance money to buy a toy he wants, and, he learns how hard it can be to not buy everything you want.

Curriculum Connections:  Start Saving, Henry! is a good book for teaching the concepts that people make choices because they cannot have everything they want, and that people save money for the future purchase of  goods and services. SOLs 1.8 and 1.9

Additional Resources:
This website has another book that can be read and used in a classroom activity to reinforce the concepts of making choices about purchases, and not being able to buy everything you want.

This website is very kid friendly.  It offers some online games and information about coins, including how they are made, and U.S. Mints.

This website has pictures of what money looks like in different countries around the world.  It would be a great way to tie the lesson to whatever other countries you may be studying.

General Information:
Book: Start Saving, Henry!
Author: Nancy Carlson
Illustrator: Nancy Carlson
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pages:  32
Grade Range: K-2
ISBN:  9780670011476

Teaching Earth Science with Children’s Literature: Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

Published by Ann R on September 22, 2009 in earth science and book review. 0 Comments

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Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf , written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert, is a simple story that describes the growth of a maple tree from seed to sapling.

This book is written as if a child were telling their friend about a special leaf he/she has been saving to show them.  The child tells the friend how it came to be - from a seed that sprouted, grew into a sapling, then was planted in their yard.  It takes the reader through the cycle of seasons, as well as the growth stages of a tree.  The illustrations are bright and colorful.

Curriculum Connections:  Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf is a good book for teaching the concept of seasonal changes as they relate to the life cycle of a tree.  SOL 1.7

Additional Resources

  • This Scholastic website offers several ideas for reinforcing the lesson on seasonal changes, fall leaves, and harvest time, utilizing the areas of poetry, language arts, and math.
  • In an effort to further understand the seasons, this website outlines a lesson plan on the four seasons, as well as an activity to create a “seasons book” that can be used as a tool to measure their knowledge and understanding of this concept.
  • This website offers a printable cut & paste activity for students to paste the appropriate activity under the proper season.

  • General Information:
    Book    : Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
    Author: Lois Ehlert
    Illustrator: Lois Ehlert
    Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company
    Pages:  40
    Grade Range: K-1
    ISBN: 0-15-266197-2

Teaching Life Science with Children’s Literature: Salmon Creek

Published by Ann R on September 12, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

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Salmon Creek, written by Annette LeBox and illustrated by Karen Reczuch, is an engaging story about the life cycle of a salmon.

Salmon Creek is the story of Sumi, a coho salmon.  Sumi’s journey of life starts in the creek bed where she is hatched.  It takes her through streams, rivers, the ocean, and her return to the creek bed where the journey began.  Sumi’s journey ends as she spawns eggs of her own.  The illustrations in this book are colorful, and help to draw the reader into the story.

Curriculum Connections:  Salmon Creek is an excellent book for highlighting the series of orderly changes in the life of a coho salmon.  It also references habitat, spawning, and their homeward migration.  SOL 2.4

Additional Resources

  • This National Geographic site has a great deal of information and resources, including a lesson plan, handouts, and a slide show. 
  • A short video clip shows the life-cycle of a salmon. run time: 3.25 minutes
  • This website lists additional books that may complement this unit.  The bottom of the page offers links that provide a vocabulary word bank and an interactive fish facts page that is geared towards independent use by your students.

Book:  Salmon Creek
Author:  Annette LeBox
Illustrator:  Karen Reczuch
Publisher:  Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre
Publication Date:  2005
Pages:  32
Grade Range:  k-3
ISBN:  9780888996442 and 0-88899-458-3

Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: What Makes a Magnet?

Published by Ann R on September 6, 2009 in physical science, resource links, book review, science and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

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What makes a Magnet?, written by Franklyn M. Branley and illustrated by True Kelley, is an engaging and colorful book that clearly explains what a magnet is and how it works.  It also offers examples of simple, yet fun, classroom activities to experience using magnets and making magnets.

This is a clever book that is upbeat and quick, yet informative.  It begins with an exercise that shows you what happens when you put a magnet near various items.  It then shows how the student can make a simple magnet.  It also explains that the earth is a magnet, and then shows how to make a compass, and how that works with the earth’s magnet.

Curriculum Connections:  What makes a Magnet? is a good source for teaching the characteristics of a magnet, how and why magnets work, and how a compass relates to magnetism.  The activities in the book could easily and inexpensively be done in the classroom for an effective hands-on experience to reinforce the concepts relating to magnets.  SOL 2.2

Additional Resources:

  • “Discovery Education” offers two hands-on activities: making a compass and making a magnet.  Depending on the maturity level of the students, it may be better to to do them as a group activity.
  • “How Stuff Works” offers a really cool experiment.  Iron-fortified cereal can be crushed up to see if it is attracted to a magnet.  This is simple and inexpensive, but also reinforces that anything with iron is attracted to a magnet.

Book: What makes a Magnet?
Author:  Franklyn M. Branley
Illustrator:  True Kelley
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Publication Date:  1996
Pages:  32
Grade Range:  K-3
ISBN:  0-06-026441-1

Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: Rare Treasure

Published by Ann R on August 31, 2009 in process skills, biography and book review. 0 Comments

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Rare Treasure Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries written and illustrated by Don Brown is a brief biography of her life and a small window into the field of paleontology.

The story begins by letting the reader know that Mary was born in 1799 to a very poor family living in an English port town.  Her father taught her and her brother how to look for fossils at the nearby beach.  A fascination that started as a hobby became her life’s work at the age of 20.  Although she was able to sell the treasures she found, she remained quite poor.  “In 1823, Mary discovered her first complete fossil of a plesiosaur…a nine-foot-long creature.”  She went on to make many more important discoveries before she died in 1847, at the age of 48.

Curriculum Connections:  Rare Treasure Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries could be used as an introduction into the science of paleontology.  Students could learn about the simple tools used in her research (SOL 1.1b) and how and why their findings are arranged and classified (SOL 1.1c), utilizing measurement to the nearest centimeter (SOL 3.1e).  Building on that, students could learn how two or more attributes are used to classify their findings (SOL 2.1c), then, how the data from those findings are gathered, charted and graphed (SOL 3.1g). 

Additional Resources:

  • “Smithsonian Education” offers a lesson plan, activity, and worksheet to help students understand how an archaeologist does his/her job, as well as how to make and record observations in this field of study.  This directly relates common practices between archaeologists and paleontologists.  
  • “Discovery Education” offers a lesson plan, activities, and worksheets to help students understand the concept of scientific theory through the examination of information and artifacts related to dinosaurs, and how evidence helps to support a scientific theory.  
  • This interactive website allows students to independently utilize the computer to reinforce their understanding of paleontology through a simulated dig site, general information, and videos of students working an actual dig site.  

Book: Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries
Author/Illustrator:  Don Brown
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date:  2003
Pages:  32 pages
Grade Range:  K - 3
ISBN: 9780618310814