Archive for April, 2008

Measurement Podcast - Chimp Math

Published by Tricia on April 18, 2008 in podcast and math. 0 Comments

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In this podcast, Farah Salman introduces listeners to the book Chimp Math: Learning About Time from a Baby Chimpanzee by Anna Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel.

Introduction
Chimp Math is full of adorable photos of Jiggs a baby Chimpanzee who grows under human care first in a Kansas Zoo and then in the Denver Zoo, Colorado. The authors give details of the chimp’s growth through timelines, daily charts, graphs and calendars. The book can be integrated in Math (Time), Reading and Science lessons for 2nd through 5th grades.

Additional Books
A Second is a Hiccup by Hazel Hutchins

More Information
Learn more about the author.
Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees site has several good educational resources.
The San Diego Zoo has information on chimpanzees.

Measurement Podcast #2

Published by Tricia on April 18, 2008 in podcast and math. 0 Comments

A new measurement book podcast is up over at Open Wide, Look Inside.

Today’s podcast highlights Chimp Math: Learning About Time From a Baby Chimpanzee, by Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel.

Measurement Podcasts

Published by Tricia on April 17, 2008 in podcast and math. 0 Comments
The semester is winding down and my students are wrapping up several projects. They have submitted their last round of podcasts, this final set highlighting a range of books on measurement topics as varied as time, money and size. Over at Open Wide, Look Inside I will be posting one podcast every day for the next week. Please stop by, have a listen, and leave a comment for them. I know they will appreciate the feedback.
Today’s podcast highlights Mitsumasa Anno’s book, All in a Day.

Measurement Podcast - All in a Day

Published by Tricia on April 17, 2008 in podcast and math. 0 Comments

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In this podcast, Laura Bradlee introduces listeners to the book All in a Day by Mitsumasa Anno.

Introduction
Mitsumasa Anno and eight other amazing artists have created an exceptional picture book all about measuring time and the different time zones in All In A Day. The book is comprised of unique illustrations depicting the activities of children in various parts of the world in one 24-hour day and encourages readers to accept and embrace cultural differences. Most any age audience would enjoy this book; however, if it were being used to help students understand the more complex concepts about measuring time, I would use it in a 3rd to 5th grade classroom. There are many activities that could be done to enhance the educational value of this book. Since the book only gives the time in digital format (standard and military), one way to help students would be to have them use models or diagrams of real clocks to represent the time in each country as the book is being read. Students could also practice elapsed time by giving and/or depicting the time on a clock in one country if it is a certain time in another (use examples other than what the book gives). Students could also come up with other activities that children might be doing in the eight different countries based on whatever time it is when the book is being read. This book is a great way to integrate science into math and teach across the curriculum on a very interesting subject. Subsequently, depending on the depth desired, students could investigate different time zones, how the Earth’s orbit plays a factor in night & day and the seasons, and then give oral presentation of their findings to the class.

Additional Books by Mitsumasa Anno
Anno’s Counting Book
Anno’s Journey
Anno’s Magic Seeds
Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar

More Information
Learn more about the author in this interview.
This sample from the The Big Book of Picture-Book Authors & Illustrators features Mitsumasa Anno.

Nonfiction Monday - Animals, Animals

Published by Tricia on April 14, 2008 in nonfiction, book review, science and art. 1 Comment

There are many, many books written every day about animals. Here are two recent publications for young readers that take innovative approaches to looking at baby animals.

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Baby Animals: Little Ones at Play in 20 Works of Art by William Lach presents works of art in a variety of media in which baby animals take center stage. Each full page work of art is accompanied by a facing page with two words of text in large font that read baby __. Young readers will find baby dogs, baby deer, baby elephants, baby owls, and more. Below these two-word descriptors is a single sentence on each page that tells what the particular baby animal is called. The baby deer page reads “Baby deer are called fawns,” and the baby bats page reads “Baby bats are called pups.” Looking at the selected pieces of art provides wonderful opportunities to try and guess the media they were created in. Pieces include an embroidered carpet (the cover image), a dragon robe, a bark painting, ivory carving, Japanese scroll painting, lithographs, and more traditional works in oil and watercolor. With few exceptions, nearly all of these pieces come from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Close to You: How Animals Bond by Kimiko Kajikawa presents photographs that highlight animal parents and their young during the intimate moments of bonding. Each full page photograph is accompanied by a facing page containing a short sentence about the animal pair. The rhyming text briefly describes how the animals communicate and/or share affection. Here is an excerpt.

Kangaroos
nestle and go for a ride.
Elephants
walk closely side by side.
Giraffes
pucker up, sniff, and lick.
Dolphins
whistle, clack, and click.

The pictures and text on each double-page spread are matted and framed by layers of color, with pages beautifully framed in purples, yellows, blues and oranges. The text ends by highlighting the ways in which humans show affection and caring. At the end of the book is an informational section that presents a bit of background information on each animal. A chart is also included that presents data on each of the animals in the book, including number of babies typically born, weight at birth, weight at maturity, and age of independence. Also listed are some animal web sites of interest.

Both of these books provide interesting views of baby animals and will make outstanding additions to collections for young children.

Book: Baby Animals: Little Ones at Play in 20 Works of Art
Author: William Lach
Publisher: Abrams Young Readers
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 46 pages
Grades: preK-2
ISBN: 978-1588391827
Source of Book: Copy received from publisher.

Book: Close to You: How Animals Bond
Author: Kimiko Kajikawa
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: preK-2
ISBN: 978-0805081237
Source of Book: Copy received from publisher.

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. Head on over to Anastasia Suen’s blog and check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.

Nonfiction Monday - Eggs

Published by Tricia on April 7, 2008 in nonfiction, book review and science. 2 Comments

Recently I wrote a thematic book list on spring life that focused on eggs and life cycles. Marilyn Singer was kind enough to drop by and leave a comment. When I learned she had a new book out entitled Eggs, I ran right out and got one.

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Eggs, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Emma Stevenson, is a gorgeous look at these extraordinary vehicles of early life. The book begins:

IT’S A QUIET CRIB.
It’s a bobbing boat.
It’s a private pond.
It’s a room with no view.
It’s walls to break through.
It’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
It’s an egg.

It goes on to discuss how all animals need to make more of their own kinds, and that while some animals give birth to live young, many animals lay eggs instead. Eggs are described as special worlds that provide everything a developing embryo needs to grow, from food and drink to oxygen. But embryos need more than this to survive. They need a hospitable climate, meaning they must not freeze of overheat. Singer goes on to describe the texture, shape, size and color of eggs. Readers learn about how many eggs different species lay, how they’re protected by parents, nests, or both, and how they hatch. Emma Stevenson makes her debut as a picture book illustrator with this book and it is a beautiful first effort. The gouache paintings are finely detailed and offer a visual treat to accompany the text.

The book ends with a extensive series of notes, including information on protecting eggs, a glossary, source notes and wildlife organizations. A comprehensive index is also included.

I learned several new facts about eggs while reading this book. Did you know that …

  • Bird eggshells are always hard, but their texture varies? Some eggs feel soapy, while some are powdery.
  • A flying fish’s eggs have long threads to catch on to seaweed so they won’t float into dangerous waters?
  • A termite queen may lay as many as a billion eggs in her lifetime?

Overall, this is an informative and thoroughly engaging book. I highly recommend it.

Book: Eggs
Author: Marilyn Singer
Illustrator: Emma Stevenson
Publisher: Holiday House
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: 3-8
ISBN: 978-0-8234-1727-8
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased from a local independent bookstore.

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. Head on over to Anastasia Suen’s blog and check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.