Archive for November, 2008

Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: Common Ground

Published by Anthony on November 19, 2008 in civics, nonfiction and book review. 0 Comments

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Molly Bang does an incredible job making the reader ecologically aware.  She breaks done the reasons for the earth’s depleting resources into elementary vocabulary.  Bang gives an example that makes it possible for a young reader to follow.  This book has the potential to change a generations to come.

Common Ground: The Water, Earth, and Air We Share is a story of the history of mankind not being able to share.  Bang begins the story with the story of a village whose occupants were not able to share equally and ended up abusing the resources- or grass in this case.  Bang goes on to discuss the ocean in reference to fishing and the forest in reference to lumber.  The book does a wonderful job telling stories and giving examples the reader can relate too.  “Today each lumber company wants to cut down as many trees as it can, to sell for wood, paper, and fuel (17).”  The book also discusses the short run and long run affects on the plant.  The boy walks the reader through the solar system and explains the different plants and stars that make up the system.  “The more trees the lumber company cuts down, the more money it makes, - in the short run (18).”  After the example, Bang emphasizes the problem and does makes that the reader realizes the potential for damage that is present.  “But after cutting down so many trees, there are fewer and fewer forests (19).”  Bang does a wonderful job teaching a lesson with this book while making it an entertaining read.

Curriculum Connections
The student will learn the about the importance of sharing and utilizing resources.  Common Ground: The Water, Earth, and Air We Share is a great way to introduce sharing if working with civics or recycling if working with science.  This book is a perfect tool for instruction when attempting to teach Civics K.8a.

Additional Activities

  • Try giving students the opportunity to contribute on the creation of classroom rules.
  • Try a game with the students.

Book: Common Ground: The Water, Earth, and Air We Share
Author/Illustrator: Molly Bang
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Publication Date: 1997
Pages: 32
Grades: K-5
ISBN: 0590100564

Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: Liberty!

Published by Kim on November 19, 2008 in civics, book review and social studies. 0 Comments

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We tend to remember exactly what we were doing when monumental events occur. Liberty! pinpoints the actions of a young boy on the day he witnessed and participated in the unveiling of one of our national symbols, the Statue of Liberty.

Allan Drummond’s book uses facts from the ceremony as a framework for a personal account of the event. Drummond begins the book with a note to readers that explains historical information of the day that the Statue of Liberty was unveiled in New York. Using these facts, Drummond creates a fictional story of a young boy whose was responsible for providing the signal for the revelation.

While highlighting the building of the Statue of Liberty, Drummond also emphasizes the relations between the United States and France and the presence of the woman’s suffrage movement.

We passed plenty of boats–all sizes–some flying the American flag and some flying the flag of France. And all around us people cheered and yelled, ‘Liberty!’ and ‘Freedom!’. A big steamship sailed into the harbor from the ocean loaded with immigrants just arriving from Europe, coming to America to find liberty and freedom for a better life. And near the island there was a ferryboat full of women shouting, ‘How long must we wait for liberty?’

Once the young boy accidentally uses the signal which unveils the statue, Drummond concludes by using this national symbol to instruct students of the universal rights of individuals to freedom and equality to believe and say what each individual wishes.

Curriculum Connections
Liberty! can be used for civics instruction by teaching topics of national symbols and by explaining the responsibilities of a good citizen. This book can introduce students to national symbols which represent the beliefs and practices of the United States. Also, Drummond’s focus in the end of the story helps to explain the responsibilities of a good citizen (In Virginia this corresponds with SOLs 1.10 and 2.10).

Additional Resources

  • This site provides many lessons on civics topics including the Statue of Liberty. The lesson includes background information and activities for students such as a crossword puzzle, quiz, grammar worksheet, bingo, and maps that all relate to the Statue of Liberty.

  • Mrs. Crites’ Fourth grade website includes links for activities about the Statue of Liberty in addition to ideas for teaching other American symbols and civics topics.

Book: Liberty!
Author:Allan Drummond
Publisher:Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: 2002
Pages:40 pages
Grades: 1-2
ISBN: 0374343853

Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: We the Kids

Published by Megan on November 19, 2008 in civics, book review and social studies. 0 Comments

The Constitution of the United States of America is one of the most important documents in our country’s history. It currently resides in a museum, people write books about it, and some of the most important people in our history helped write it and sign it. Why is it then that most kids do not understand a single word of the document? We the Kids by David Catrow has one line per page of the phrases of the Preamble to the Constitution and a full page at the beginning explaining each phrase. Catrow explains the fourth phrase of the preamble with short words in kid friendly terms: “Insure domestic tranquility: To make sure we can all have a nice life and get along with one another.”

Also serving as the illustrator, Catrow uses kids, as well as a dog, to illustrate the phrases. Catrow explains at the beginning of the book that the dog’s motions and gestures represent the phrases on each page. The pictures are beautifully hand drawn and exhibit exactly what kids would think of according to the definitions. It is a colorful book, with lots of diversity, fun images, and a cartoon feel that makes U.S. history seem more real and interesting than “an old, brown crackly-looking thing with curly handwriting that’s almost impossible to read,” according to Catrow.

Curriculum Connections
We the Kids is a great source for learning about the preamble to the United States Constitution. It is a great introduction to the Constitution in general or any other ancient document that students may learn about (Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, etc.). It is a great introduction to the learning of government and primary sources vs. secondary sources. In Virginia this book coincides with SOLs CE.1, CE.2, CE.3, USI.1, and CE.1.

Additional Resources

  • The American Revolution is a great site that includes activities and quizzes through every step of the Revolutionary War, including the meetings of the Continental Congress and the construction of the American flag.

  • We the Kids is a site that includes a video about the preamble to the Constitution, activities for pre- and post-viewing as well as questions and objectives in learning about the preamble.

  • Constitution Day has a list of books, movies, and interesting facts for all ages about the Constitution for September 17 (which is Constitution Day).

Book:We the Kids
Author/Illustrator: David Catrow
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-5
ISBN: 0803725531

Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: If I Were President

Published by Kelly on November 18, 2008 in civics, book review and social studies. 0 Comments

The book If I Were President, written by Catherine Stier and illustrated by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan, explains the daily activities and responsibilities of our country’s leader and is told from the point-of-view of six young children who are imagining that they have been elected President.

Each page starts off “If I were president…” and then provides readers with lots of information about the president, including where the president lives, who helps him (or possibly her) make decisions, how he travels, who protects him, and some of the powers and responsibilities given to the president. In addition to describing government-related activities, such as signing bills to make laws, being in charge of the armed forces, and meeting with leaders of other nations, the story also includes several fun, less-known tasks done by the president:

If I were president, in the spring I’d toss the first pitch of the baseball season, and in winter I’d light the nation’s holiday tree. If I were president, my words and picture would appear in newspapers and magazines all over the world. Even my dog would make the headlines!

Towards the end of the story, Stier explains that each president can only be elected twice, for a total of eight years and then mentions several ways that past presidents are honored and remembered. She provides a description of the Lincoln Memorial and Mount Rushmore, as well as a picture of our country’s money, showing Abraham Lincoln on the penny, Thomas Jefferson on the nickel, and George Washington on the dollar bill.

The final page shows a young boy who has fallen asleep in his room with an American flag above his bed and a sketch of the capitol building laying on his floor. He is dreaming that someday he just might be president of the United States. This ending, along with the following sentence from the introductory page, encourage readers to dream big, telling them that they too could become president:

Perhaps someday you may choose - and be chosen - to take on this very important job.

Curriculum Connections
If I Were President would be an excellent book to use as part of a civics lesson related to the role of the president or the US government in general. This book provides lots of information about our nation’s leader in a way that is easy for children to understand and relate to. It is simple enough to be read to Kindergartners but could also be used as a fun way to begin or end a 2nd or 3rd grade lesson about the president. After reading the story, students could write about they would do if they were President and create a class book about what each person would do as president.

In Virginia, this book relates to social studies SOLs K.9, 2.11, and 3.11 which state that students will know that the President is the leader of the United States, identify George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as Americans whose contributions improved the lives of other Americans, and recognize the importance of government in the United States. It would also be a great book to read while learning about Presidents’ Day (SOL K.1b and 1.3).

Additional Resources

  • This Scholastic “If I Were President” webpage includes 12 creative activities related to the role of the president and the accomplishments of past presidents. The activities are designed for a variety of grade levels and include creating paper bag flags, holding an inauguration day ceremony, decorating a bulletin board with a “White House Menagerie” of presidential pets, and making White House books showing all of the rooms in the president’s home.
  • Here is a link to an interactive, online “President for a Day” activity that allows students to find out what a day in the life of the president is like.
  • Take your students on a virtual tour of the White House guided by Spotty the dog.

Book: If I Were President
Author: Catherine Stier
Illustrator: DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Publication Date: 1999
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-3
ISBN: 0-8075-3541-9

Teaching History with Children’s Literature: How We Learned the Earth is Round

Published by Cara on November 13, 2008 in history, book review and social studies. 0 Comments

 

Have you ever wondered how it was discovered that the world is round? How We Learned The World Is Round, written by Patricia Lauber and illustrated by Megan Lloyd, explains the different stages of thought that existed about the size and shape of the earth throughout the ages. It begins with the idea that people thought the earth was flat. Lauber explains the reasons many people thought the world was flat, as many children may have some of the same thoughts. The book goes on to discuss the findings of the ancient Greeks and their ways of justifying that the world is actually round. With the study of the skies, the moon and the sun, they were able to determine the earth’s shape. Lauber even offers a simple hands-on experiment for students to be able to test the discovery for themselves.

Lauber describes another discovery that the Greeks make that helps later generations of European explorers learn for themselves that the earth is not flat. This discovery happens to be the size of the earth. Lauber gives illustrated examples of early maps for students to visualize the earth as the explorers did. Introduced next are the reasons for the discovery of the Americas.

Christopher Columbus wanted to sail west to the Indies. He read what the Greek geographers had said… On his first trip, Columbus found land just where he expected to. He thought it was the Indies, but it was not.

This book would be a great way to begin a discussion about the findings of Columbus and other explorers. It illustrates monumental discoveries of their time with the lack of technology we have today. It also gives easy ways for children to understand the reasons that the world is round through experiments and illustrations.

Curriculum Connections
This book could be used to explain the contributions of ancient Greece and how they have influenced the present world.(3.1) It could also be used to identify the reasons for exploring the Americas, the information gained, and the results of the travels.(3.3)

Additional Resources

Book: How We Learned The Earth Is Round
Author:  Patricia Lauber
Illustrator: Megan Lloyd
Publisher:Harper-Collins
Publication Date: 1992
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: 2-4
ISBN: 0-06-445109-7

Teaching History with Children’s Literature: Johnny Appleseed: The Story of a Legend

Published by Emily on November 13, 2008 in history, biography, book review and social studies. 0 Comments

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Johnny Appleseed: The Story Of A Legend is a  wonderful biography written and illustrated by Will Moses. His writing on the early explorer John Chapman will really open the eyes and imagination of children reading this book.

Johnny Appleseed was born in 1774 to Elizabeth and Nathaniel Chapman.  Johnny Appleseed went from town to town in his travels planting thousands of  apple seeds from Pennsylvania to Indiana. Along the way he comes across many different adventures and always seemed to take the path of a good caring and loving man. A section of the book that really touched me stated:

One man told of the time he met Johnny Appleseed on the trail and Johnny was shin deep on cold mud, wearing no shoes. The man kindly gave Johnny an old pair of boots from his own pack. But the next day, back in town, the traveling man saw Johnny again and he was once again barefoot. “What in the world did you do with the boots I have you yesterday?” he inquired of Johnny. “Well, sir, I came upon a poor soul who needed them worse than I,” was his only response.

I found this story to have a wonderful plot, but also to have such great values that we can all think about using more often in our everyday lives. This is definitely a story that your early elementary school students would learn a lot about. The main thing as a teacher you must remember is that everything in this book isn’t historically correct. Making sure that you have other resources is key in using this book in the classroom. Overall this story is a wonderful children’s book with beautiful pictures and meaningful text which portrays the inspiring life of Johnny Appleseed.

Curriculum Connections

This book does a great job of allowing students to recognize history and describing different events and people in the time period. Johnny Appleseed does a fantastic job of allowing students to follow a influential life of a man that traveled from Pennsylvania to Indiana treating people with respect and planting apple seeds along his way. This could work from VA SOL’s K.1, 2.3, and could be worked into many different VA SOL’s.

Additional Resources

  • Apples Apples and More Apples  is a wonderful resource for different lesson plans and apple activities to do with your class.
  • Johnny Appleseed’s Birthday  is all about the book Johnny Appleseed and contains activities dealing with Johnny Appleseed’s life. This lesson plan does a wonderful job of adapting to all the grade levels in elementary school. 
  • Color Johnny Appleseed has different pictures that you could print off and allow your students to color. This can allow time for the students to silently or in groups color and think/talk about everything they have learned about Johnny Appleseed.

Book: Johnny Appleseed: The Story Of A Legend
Author/ Illustrator: Will Moses
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Date: 2001
Pages: 48 pages
Grades:  2-4
ISBN: 0399231536 

Teaching History With Children’s Literature: …If You Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln

Published by Hilary on November 13, 2008 in history, biography, book review and social studies. 0 Comments

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow up with one of America’s greatest leaders?  The book, If You Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln by Ann McGovern explores questions like these and so many others in this creative book about Abraham Lincoln’s life. The thought provoking questions that begin each section of the book, involve students in the text and are a great way to facilitate class discussion. McGovern does an exceptional job in providing factual information in a simple yet conscious manner, describing what Abraham Lincoln’s life was like. The book is divided into 30 questions that all describe the environment, jobs, buildings and schooling were like in that time period. The book chronologically examines the frontier of Kentucky and Indiana where Lincoln was a young boy then onto New Salem and Springfield, Illinois where he spent almost twenty five years until he finally moved to Washington D.C. to serve as President of the United States. As Lincoln grows up, the reader can see the advancements in transportation, communication, machinery and standards of living:

When Lincoln was a boy, he had never heard of rubber balls and balloons. Now we could buy these toys for his sons. More and more farmers were buying new machines to make their work easier. One man running a machine could do as much work as ten men (Page 72).

This shows the changes that were happening while the future President Lincoln was growing up. Other questions like would you work hard on the frontier? or what kind of school would you go to? will give the insight about conditions of the 1800s all the way to the mid-1860s when Lincoln was elected President. The mention of specific dates are another strong point of the book that can help students conceptualize on a time-line what was happening. Overall, the books provides an interesting way to introduce the life of an important American leader and what qualities contributed to him being such a prominent figure in our history.

Curriculum Connections
If I Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln would be a great book to introduce your class to the story of an American leader. One could use this book to begin discussion of his contributions to our nation when he served as President of the United States. In Virginia, this would directly relate to the History Standards of Learning 1.2 where the student is responsible for describing American leaders such as Abraham Lincoln and George Washington’s contributions to our country and how their story of how they came into a position of influence. This book also would lend itself to constructing a sequenced, picture timeline of Abraham Lincoln’s life (History 1.1 SOL).

Additional Activities 

Book: If You Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln
Author: Ann McGovern
Illustrator: George Ulrich
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: 1976
Pages: 80 pages
Grades: 1-3
ISBN: 590451545



							
 

		
 

	
		
		

			

				
Teaching History with Children’s Literature: Look What Came From Egypt


				

					
						Published by Megan  on November 13, 2008					

					
						in history, nonfiction, book review and social studies.					

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Miles Harvey’s Look What Came From Egypt explains in detail with photographs and captions the numerous art, food, and styles we use in today’s society that originated in Egypt. The book is broken up into separate sections including inventions, fashion, food, toys and games, animals and musical instruments. Each section contains explanations for why the Egyptians started using a particular item and normally an ancient picture of the item or idea is shown. The book is written very simply for kids of all ages and connects students across time and space to show they are not unlike kids from other countries. Harvey explains how some food has been passed down from generations and across the seas, “People have been eating pancakes for about 4,600 years. The first cooks to make this delicious meal lived in ancient Egypt.” Each description is straightforward, yet engaging and interesting.


The book uses photographs of paintings, objects, and food to depict all the toys, games, instrument, food and other things that the Egyptians originally invented or developed. Captions accompany the pictures to make recognition easier as well. The photographs are easy to see and make the book seem more appealing and vivid. Harvey makes sure the reader feels transported to ancient Egypt while reading about these styles and inventions.


Curriculum Connections

Look What Came From Egypt explains all the different styles and inventions that survived through ancient Egypt and are now used around the world in present day. This book can be used to learn about Egypt, that some things change over time, and how countries influence each other. In Virginia, this corresponds to SOLs K.2, 2.1, and 2.4.


Additional Resources


    

  • Ancient Egypt is a series of responses by various teachers about the different lessons they taught on the subject; includes activities such as stuffing mummies, mummifying apples, and making mini books on Egypt.
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  • Country of the Week-Egypt includes a 10 day lesson on Egypt including map, anthem and national symbol activities. Includes information of how to make lapbooks and different ways to experience the ancient Egyptian culture.
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  • Ancient Egypt for Children includes cross cultural activities in order to integrate Egypt into all lessons. Includes information from preschool to grade 6 and includes math, social studies and science activities.
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Book: Look What Came From Egypt

Author/Illustrator: Miles Harvey

Publisher: Franklin Watts 

Publication Date: 1999

Pages: 32 pages 

Grades: k-6

ISBN: 053115937X


							
 

		
 

	
		
		

			

				
Teaching History with Children’s Literature: Abraham Lincoln


				

					
						Published by Lexi  on November 13, 2008					

					
						in history, biography, book review and social studies.					

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What American doesn’t know about our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln?  He is an important part of our history, with his own memorial and the penny dedicated to him! In Abraham Lincoln, Amy L. Cohn and Suzy Schmidt go through Abe’s whole life, starting  all the way back from when he was “born on a cornhusk mattress one cold Kentucky morning” to where we recognize him now, “there, in the building made for him.”


The rest of the story tells of his life growing up in the country, being a lover of reading, a hard worker, and making his way all the way to the White House.  It is a great story that lets students know about such a great man’s whole life, not just his main accomplishments that they are required to know.  By learning about other characteristics of Lincoln’s life, students can realize that he was just a normal guy like everyone else that worked hard to have such a great, positive impact on our nation.


To add to the story, David A. Johnson does a great job on all the illustrations, which occur on each page, opposite of the text, giving the students a visual to go along with the information that they are learning about Abraham Lincoln’s life.  Having drawings of Lincoln as a child and a growing boy, rather than the typical picture of him at a much older age, is another way to help children put into perspective the normal human being Lincoln was, rather than just the old glorified president that we have praised and solely recognized him for.


Curriculum Connections

Abraham Lincoln  is a great story to use in the classroom to present Abraham Lincoln to students, an important figure that all students must learn about at some point in school. For Virgina teachers, learning about Abraham Lincoln, along with other great leaders like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington Carver, is part of SOL K.1a and 1.2.  This is a good story to use to cover part of that necessary learning point for students.


Additional Resources



Book: Abraham Lincoln

Author: Amy L. Cohn & Suzy Schmidt

Illustrator: David A. Johnson

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: 2002

Pages: 40 pages

Grades: K-5

ISBN: 0590935666


							
 

		
 

	
		
		

			

				
Teaching History with Children’s Literature: George Washington Carver


				

					
						Published by Mary Beth  on November 13, 2008					

					
						in history, biography, African American, book review and social studies.					

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Did you know that George Washington Carver developed hundreds of uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans?   In George Washington Carver, a biography by Tonya Bolden, students can read the inspirational and impressive life of George Washington Carver, the brilliant “Wizard of Tuskegee.”




Whether teaching subjects such as botany and chemistry or techniques such as deep plowing and crop rotation, Carver sought to instill in his students the belief that it was best to treasure nature and not just take from it.


‘The farmer whose soil produces less every year, is unkind to it in some way,’ he stated in The Negro Farmer, a Tuskegee-based journal.  Those who were unkind to the soil- ’soil robbers,’ he called them - were ultimately harming themselves.




The book emphasizes Carver’s love for nature and preservation of the planet.  He believed that any substance a person might need could be produced from plants.


Curriculum Connections

This biography can be used to teach scientific method, agriculture, history, and art to elementary school students.  In conjunction with a botany lesson, students can explore how farmers keep soil healthy, through methods like crop rotation.


In Virginia, George Washington Carver can be used to teach Social Studies SOL 1.2, which asks students to describe the stories of American leaders such as George Washington Carver and their contributions to our country.


Additional Resources


    

  • George Washington Carver was an agricultural genius, a scientist, and a writer, but did you know that he was also an artist?  Explore this extensive art curriculum that teaches about George Washington Carver’s methods.
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  • The US Department of Agriculture provides printable puzzles, riddles, math practice, and coloring pages from an activity book about George Washington Carver.
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  • This lesson plan incorporates biology in the exploration of George Washington Carver’s processes, products, and accomplishments.
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Book: George Washington Carver

Author/Illustrator: Tonya Bolden

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 2008

Pages: 41 pages

Grades: 1-5

ISBN: 9-780810-993662