Open Wide, Look Inside

Learning About Plants

Posted on November 27, 2010 by openwidearchive

All the books listed below are great resources teachers and readers can use in and out of the classroom to learn about the different parts of a plant. In these books, not only can you find important information, but ideas for projects. These books will be great to use while teaching Virginia Science Standards of Learning 4.4 a, b, and c.

Plants (Make it Work Science) by Andrew Haslam, Claire Watts and Alexandra Parsons. Photographed by Jon Barnes

The book Plants takes an in depth look at how plants work. The great photographs illustrate the different activities and experiments that you can do at home or at school. Each activity has a list of supplies (most which are readily available), and clear, direct directions. From working with seeds to observing fruit decay, there are many unique and creative activities that will help students understand the different parts of the plant and how they work. The book defines what it means to be a scientist, what is botany, and how scientists collect data. It encourages children to conduct experiments using the scientific methods as well as record all their data. It also includes home made game instructions.

A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston Illustrated by Sylvia Long

A Seed Is Sleepy is a great book for young students who are learning about plants and how they grow. The author uses adjectives to help describe certain plant characteristics (A seed is secretive, A seed is thirsty… and hungry) Simple statements like these are easy for students to understand and even make connections to. The author also describes difficult terms with easy simple explanations. The illustrations are detailed and interesting and all the plants and seeds are labeled. Both the book and illustrations do a good job demonstrating the variety of seeds, their colors, their sizes, and even the plants they grow into.

The Science Book of How things Grow by Neil Ardley

Similar to Plants (Make It Work Science), this book offers students various activities and experiments to perform easily at home or school. It explains each step carefully with step by step photographs and uses readily available materials. Each experiment provides a bit of background knowledge, the experiment, as well as a short description relating the experiment and connecting it to the real world. For example, the activity “Root Power” experiments with the strength of roots by growing marigold seeds in an eggshell (as the plant grows, the roots break the egg shell). The author includes a photograph and description of a tree breaking through a cement sidewalk. This is the type of detail that helps build deeper understanding.

Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson and photographs by Shmuel Thaler
“The pumpkin seed makes the pumpkin plant, and the pumpkin plant makes pumpkins.” This story follows the life of a pumpkin, detailing each aspect of its life. In this book the pictures do most of the talking. Kids can see the seed in the flesh of the pumpkin, seeds being eaten as a snack, different types of seeds side by side, a seed being planted, the sprouts, and finally the seed in the soil with the roots spreading through the earth. Levenson narrates in easy to read sentences. As the garden of pumpkins grows, kids can see the large pumpkin leaves, the flowers, and even the insects the live along side the pumpkins. The pumpkin is finally ready to be made into a jack-o-lantern. Students can watch it slowly decay and return to the earth. Included in the back pages are instructions to grow your own pumpkin. I recommend this book to all young scientists especially for English Language Learners.

A Fruit Is A Suitcase For A Seed by Jean Richards, illustrated by Anca Harington

This book is a great introduction to seeds, plants, and fruits. Jean Richards compares fruits and seeds to suitcases, the seed being what is inside each fruit/suitcase. Readers can learn about what seeds are, how they travel, and different examples of fruits and seeds. The book includes colorful watercolor illustrations of seeds, fruits, and animals. This is a great book for beginning readers because it is simple and easy to comprehend.

Great links for kids

The Great Plant Escape Match the clue with the part of the plant

How Does Your Garden Grow? become a virtual gardener

Plant Word Search Find each word on the list

Plant Parts Match the plant parts with the correct definition

The Life Cycle of Plants Review games/activities

Links and resources for teachers

Parts of a Plant worksheet

Plants in Motion Time lapse movie and activities

From Seed to Plant Lesson plan

Plants and Seeds Lesson plan

Native Gardening Comprehensive guide to local plants

Posted in life science, teaching, thematic book list | Comments Off

Hibernation

Posted on November 27, 2010 by openwidearchive

Introduction

The common meaning of the word hibernate is the state that an animal sleeps for the entire winter, to protect themselves and help themselves survive when the temperatures are cold and food is hard to find. There are several forms of hibernation and examples of animals that hibernate are bears, frogs, and groundhogs. The concept on hibernation is covered in SOL 1.7, 2.5, 2.7, and 3.4.

Animals Hibernating: How Animals Survive Extreme Conditions, by Pamel Hickman

This fun and informational book defines the two groups of hibernators: true hibernators and deep sleeper. The true hibernators save energy during winter by greatly lowering their body temperature and breathing and heart rates (chipmunks) Some true hibernators include such as insects, toads, snakes, whose bodies partly freeze and then thaw again in the spring. The deep sleepers such skunks and raccoons, go into a deep sleep for several weeks or months during winter-their breathing and heard rate drops but their body temperature lowers only slightly. In addition, this book provides activities to find out how our heart rate compares to bats and why maple syrup is like a hibernating frog.

What Do Animals Do in the Winter? How Animals Survive the Cold, By Melvin and Gilda Berger

This child’s book describes how groundhogs hibernate in the winter by sleeping for six months in nests found inside tunnels. Also, this book describes how bats hibernate in caves by hanging upside down.

Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth, by Nicola Davies

This book on page 19 describes the hummingbird as a “truly tough” creature on Earth because it lets their body temperature drop 35 to 55 degree F below normal. The hummingbird does this every night to save on food. Also, bats are “truly tough” too, because live off their own body fat until spring – so bats hibernate and let their bodies get really cold. In addition on page 20, there is a description of the “frogsicles”- instead of hibernating the wood frogs freeze and become brittle as glass, but they are not dead.

Every Autumn Comes the Bear, by Jim Arnosky

This colorful children’s book describes how a bear comes every autumn and prepares to hibernate for the winter, the other animals know what to expect from the bear.

Bear on the Train, by Julie Lawson

This book tell the story of a bear up jumps on a train car, eats grain, and falls a sleep during the snow the wind, and the rain. A boy named Jeffrey sees the bear come into the small town and shouts at him to get off the train. Jeffrey sees the bear for several months during the winter and the bear remains asleep. It is not until the spring that the bear smells something different, open his eyes, and gets off the train.

Children website on hibernation.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/hibernate.shtml This kids website give a definition of true hibernation and gives examples of animals that hibernate and a description of each.

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/winter/win.thml This kids website defines torpor shortened sleep time and provides five examples of animals that sleep and eat to survive in the winter.

http://www.apples4teachers.com/java/concentration/games/animals-that-hibernate This childrens website provides a memory games that after pairs of hibernating animals are matched, a picture of an animal that hibernates will appear.

http://www.bbc.co/uk/bristol/content/kids/nature/hibernation.shtml

This website provides a story about “sleeping through a dark cold winter” and talks about “true hibernation. The websites talks about animals about such as dormouse, hedgehogs, pet tortoise, frog and newts.

http://library.think.quest.org/TQO312800/team.htm

This website provides a detailed kids friendly description of hibernation, with links to the animals that hibernate. Also, this website provides additional links regarding the subject of hibernation.

Resources for teachers.

http://www.mrsjonesroom.com/themes/hibernation Excellent resource for teacher and includes links to website on activities regarding hibernation. Website shares easy songs, poems, and provides links to fun and educational websites for kids.

http://www.atozkidstuff.com/hibernation This website provides fun finger plays, songs, and activities to do with children, including an idea for a hibernation celebration. Also, a link to the Booklet – Hibernation theme folder for Grade 1.

http://eibelviazquez.fastpage.name/hibernationlessonplansworksheets This teacher resource provides a lot of information and in a link to books and activities on hibernation.

http://stepbystepcc.com/hibernation.html This website provides hibernation theme ideas including books, songs, finger play, art and crafts.

http://www.proteacher.com This website discusses “How do animals spend the winter?” Website goes detailed information regarding on hibernation and “How do animals know it is time to hibernate” and a corresponding project to with the class.

Posted in life science, resource links, teaching | Comments Off

Ulysses S. Grant

Posted on November 26, 2010 by openwidearchive

Ulysses S. Grant

The following resources are relevant when teaching about Ulysses S. Grant and his contributions to the United States of America (VA SOL United States History to 1865 USI.9 d). He was a war hero during the Civil War, leading the Union Army in victory over Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army. He would go onto become the 18th President of the United States, serving from 1869 until 1877.

Relevant Children’s Literature

Ulysses S. Grant: Union General and U.S. President
Written by Brenda Haugen

Ms. Haugen does an excellent job of detailing the life of Ulysses S. Grant in this biography. Aimed at young adults this book is suitable for strong elementary readers; the lack of illustrations and detailed writing style will deter young/inexperienced readers. Nonetheless, the work does a terrific job of giving the audience a strong foundation of knowledge about the life of Mr. Grant both in regards to his time in the military as well as his two terms as President. Perhaps the most valuable segment of the book is the detailed, easy-to-follow time line which can be used in any classroom teaching VA SOL USI.9 d.

Ulysses S. Grant: Eighteenth President 1869-1877 (Getting to Know the US Presidents)
Written and Illustrated by Mike Venezia

Venezia’s mixture of lively text and humorous illustrations makes his book a must-read for the young learner. Aimed at the upper elementary grade levels (ages 9-12) Venezia does not shy away from Grant’s alcoholism and corrupt Presidental cabinet; however, he treats both situations with respect and sensitivity. Parents and teachers should not be alarmed by this books subject manner, Venezia does an excellent job of keeping his work mature yet interesting. This book is the most effective work available for teaching children about Ulysses S. Grant — it details all the courageous actions he undertook to help his country while at the same time not turning a blind eye to the imperfections of the man.

Ulysses S. Grant (Let Freedom Ring Series)
Written by Susan Gregson

Susan Gregson has written an informative biography of General Grant, suitable for ages 9-12. To insure accuracy Ms. Gregson consulted one of today’s most prominent Grant scholars, John Y. Simon, during the writing and editing of the work. What this book does better than the other works available is provide many photographs of Grant. Evidence shows that when a child is shown a picture of someone they can relate to them better than if they merely read or see cartoons portraying that same person. The value of actual photographs is immense; they allow children to see the actual man and, consequently, make President Grant seem more like an actual person — it allows the children to relate to the man. Moreover, teachers can use the photographs provided in a primary source activity.

Ulysses S. Grant (Profiles of the Presidents)
Written by Jean Kinney Williams

Ms. Williams work is one of the more detailed biographies available for young readers. When compared with similar works, this one is more detailed and covers a greater variety of information. Nonetheless, the book is easy to follow in large part because of the inclusion of a glossary, index, fast facts about Grant, and a parallel time line of world events. Teachers should take advantage of the well-written glossary when teaching students vocabulary.

Ulysses S. Grant (Presidential Leaders Series)
Written by Kate Havelin

This work is interesting because it focuses more on Grant’s failures than his successes. The tone of the book, however, is not pessimistic but rather manages to be uplifting. Ms. Havelin details how Grant had to constantly overcome his failings before finding immense success on the battlefield and in politics. Unlike many books on Grant, this particular one does address his alcoholism. But like Mr. Venezia’s work above, Ms. Havelin addresses the issue with maturity and understanding. What is unique to Ms. Havelin’s work is that she does defend President Grant to a great extent, arguing the rumors about his rampant overuse of alcohol (particularly during his presidency) has been greatly exaggerated.

Relevant Websites for Students

USA 4 Kids

This website provides students with some fast facts about the president (ex., where was he born, where did he die, who did he marry, what political party was he a member of) while also including a brief, but comprehensive biography. This website is valuable because of its brevity, which will make it approachable to students. When given a book of over 100 pages many children panic; however, this website provides a lot of information in a short amount of reading. I would encourage teachers to have their students read this website for homework, perhaps assigning a fill-in-the-blank sheet to go alongside. Also, teachers could use the brief biography provided as a template for interactive note taking.

Grant the Artist

One of Grant’s lesser known attributes was his artistic talents — this website shows a few of Grant’s paintings. Teachers could also pull this website up during class and show the paintings on a projector. I would encourage students to view this website because it shows a different side of the man they will be studying. It is important to recognize that there is more to Grant than his time as General and then later as President. Some may argue this is irrelevant to the SOLs; however, students will benefit from knowing the President in a more complex manner. It will help them think deeper on Bloom’s taxonomy, one of the ultimate goals of education.

President Ulysses S. Grant Word Search Puzzle

This word search does a great job of incorporating important vocabulary. Teachers can make the activity even more worthwhile by having students explain why each word is in the word search (for example, when the student finds Methodist they would have to explain Grant’s religious beliefs). Students are bombarded with lots of reading, particularly in the social sciences, so this activity provides a fun alternative.

The Political Machine

The Political Machine 2008 is an award-winning videogame which allows the player to create a politician (or choose from a real one) and run for the office of President. There is a fee of $9.95 to download the game but for those parents who can afford the cost, the game is remarkable. Students will learn the tasks and responsibilities of the President, but chances are they will be having too much fun to notice. Additionally, the studio behind the game has included facts and lessons about every President, including Grant. Learning cannot stop at 3:00 when school ends — it must continue at home. The Political Machine will make children want to learn. I can speak personally on the matter because my 12-year old brother cannot stop raving about the game. It amazes me how much he picks up from the game (for example, when he learned that I was researching President Grant he asked me, “Did you know he was born in Ohio? Or that is what the game said…”). The game is rated E10+, meaning suitable for ages 10 and up.

Ulysses S. Grant Game

This quiz is too difficult for use within a classroom; however, for students truly interested in Grant this quiz offers a great place to learn interesting trivia. In a diverse classroom with a variety of different skill levels, this game could be offered to advanced students who have already grasped the basic material and want to learn more. Also, a teacher could challenge his students to go home and take the quiz once alone and see how they did and then to ask for help from their parents and see if they could do better.

Helpful Resources for Educators

Ulysses S. Grant Timeline (Simple)
Ulysses S. Grant Timeline (Advanced)

I have linked two separate timelines above. The first, labeled simple, can be modified and made into a great homework assignment: print out the timeline, white-out over a few of the important Grant entries, make copies, and then have the students fill in what is missing. To make the assignment easier, leave the dates and provide a word bank if necessary.

The second, by PBS, is much more thorough and could be assigned as a reading assignment.

Facts About Ulysses S. Grant
More Facts About Ulysses S. Grant

These websites contain a wealth of interesting trivia about Grant. As a teacher you could use a fact to begin or continue a lesson in a more captivating manner. Instead of saying, “Okay, now we are going to learn about Ulysses S. Grant,” you could say, “Did anyone here know that former President Ulysses S. Grant was actually born named Hiram Ulysses Grant but he did not like the initials H.U.G.?” Fun facts will help keep the students interested and engaged.

Background for Teachers

For teachers who do now know much about President Grant, the linked article is comprehensive, relatively brief, and will give the reader a good foundation of knowledge. It is important when teaching Grant to understand the controversy surrounding the man, particularly his alleged alcoholism and well-cited corruption, in case parents are worried how you will approach teaching these facets of his life and career.

Posted in book review, history, nonfiction, resource links | Comments Off

Counting on Number Sense

Posted on November 26, 2010 by openwidearchive

Number sense is an intuitive feel for numbers and their relationships. Since number sense is something that develops over time, it is imperative that teachers provide students with a variety of materials and resources. Literature is a great way to provide many different experiences with numbers.

Virginia Mathematics Standards of Learning: K.1- K.5, 1.1-1.6

Let’s Count Goats by Mem Fox Illustrated by Jan Thomas

Let’s Count Goats a charming, silly book about- you guessed it- counting goats. This is Mem Fox’s latest book, and if you have never read any of her books, you will instantly be drawn in by the the rhythm, rhyme and humor of this book. What is special about this book is that it has many layers. The most important is that you wont find any numerals! Mem designed this book to be interactive, allowing the readers to practice one to one correspondence by calling out each goat by number. The reader then has to count goats when directed by the story. Another interesting aspect is that that the number of goats isn’t sequential. While a page might have 6 goats, the next page might have one goat. For example:

“Here we see a show off goat playing on the bars. (1)
But can we count the ROWDY goats careering round in cars? (4)”

In every page of the story, you find goats doing silly things: goats playing trumpets, playing with their toys, eating, drinking, and even a goat going under while another is going over. Simple tasks or events that kids can relate to.

The illustrations compliment the story very well. The use of bold brilliant colors are very eye catching and attractive, while the silly expressions on each goat’s face just adds to the humor of the story.

Since Mem believes that children should be read to as babies and even before they are born, I recommend this book to any child, in or not yet in school. This book is not only useful as a number sense book but can also be used in language arts when exploring poetry, rhythm, and rhyme.

My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Bill Grossman creatively weaves a story about a little girl who eats and eats and eats! While performing in a magic show, this little sister eats all sorts of creatures and things! Grossman creatively reinforces number sense in his writing by using a cumulative poem structure.

My little sister ate 3 ants.
She even ate their underpants.
She ate 2 snakes. She ate 1 hare.
We thought she’d throw up then and there.
But she didn’t.

As children read, they recount all the things she ate. Though she seems to consume these creatures effortlessly, by the end of the book, she is faced with her most challenging plate yet: 10 peas!

Count Your Way Through Iran by Jim Haskins and Kathleen Benson Illustrated by Farida Zaman

Books like these are great for developing number sense but also to introduce students to different cultures. On the left pages you will find the numeral, the Arabic numeral, and the pronunciation. Under the number you find a short paragraph that correlates the number in some way to an aspect of Iranian culture, from the Two Towers of Silence, to the musical instrument tar, which has six strings! The beautiful watercolor illustrations are on the right. As teachers, it is important to pick books that are diverse and interesting. I recommend this book, and the companion books in the series.

This book is part of a series of “Count Your Way Through…” books which include China, India, Russia, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Korea, Israel, Ireland, Africa, Brazil, Afghanistan, just to name a few. They are all written by Jim Haskins (and co-author).

Mouse By Mouse: a Counting Adventure by Julia Noonan

“One mouse sits alone and blue. Her friend joins her, that makes two.” One by one these cute little mice get together to have a tea party, play, rescue little mouse 5 who is stuck in a soda bottle, go swimming, and finally after spending the day together, ten little mice all go to sleep. The illustrations are animated and fun; kids can count the mice who have their numbers labeled on the front of their colorful dresses or shirts, which keeps the readers engaged! This book helps develop one-to-one correspondence and stable order.

Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

“You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem.” This is the big problem for one little girl. She discovers that once she starts, she can’t stop! From calculating how much time she has to get ready for school, to figuring out how many slices of pizza she should eat at lunch, she can’t seem to look at anything with out it becoming a math problem. She believes her math teacher, Ms. Fibonacci has put a MATH CURSE on her! Fractions, addition, multiplication, distance, time, measurement, and so much more, this book explores different mathematical concepts in a fun, silly way. The book is also interactive. The authors pose different unsolved math problems that the reader can solve themselves. The illustrations are creative, and unique.

We All Went on Safari: a Counting Journey Through Tanzania by Laurie Krebs and Julia Cairns

This book follows a group of Maasai people as they travel through Tanzania, exploring and counting different animals that they find along the way. On each page, you can find beautiful watercolor illustrations, a numeral and the equivalent number of animals, along with the written Swahili number. In the back of the book you find information about the Maasai people and culture, a list of the different animals explored, and a list of number written in Swahili, the pronunciation, and the English translation. Additionally, you find color dots that you can practice counting on. Also included in the back is information about the country of Tanzania and a map with all the surrounding countries.

Games to help students with number sense

Big Count Bayou Count all the bayou critters and match with the right number

Rock Hopper Help Rock Hopper jump to the large rock using a number of jumps

Billy Bug Help billy eat his food by taking him to the right spot by using coordinates

The Number Game Read the number word and find the corresponding numeral

Fishy Count Count how many fish

Links for teachers

BBC Number Time Printable worksheets (addition/subtraction, number ladders, number sequence, writing numbers, number stories)

Climb The Ladder Number sense activity (includes instructions, and templates)

Second Grade Locker Room Number sense activity ideas (includes domino place value, paper plate relay and place value game)

The 100th day of School Unit Plan Ideas (include 2 lesson plans and related materials and resources)

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Economics Ideas: Human Resources

Posted on November 23, 2010 by openwidearchive

In elementary school, students are learn about human, natural, and capital resources as part of their economics unit. These resources are closely related to the student’s study of goods and services. Human resources are defined as people who work to provide services or to produce goods.

Books

Abuela’s Weave is a story that follows Esperanza and her Abuela as they work hard on their weaving to prepare goods to sell in the village. They live in a small, market town in Guatemala and must provide for their family with the money that they make. This story is a great way to illustrate the process of producing a good and how the end result plays out.

The book How Santa Got His Job follows Santa from the beginning of his career, to his final job as the Santa Claus we know today. It begins with him as a chimney sweeper, and details his journey from job to job, as he learns many different skills that eventually lead to him becoming Santa Claus. For example, he works at the post office to learn about delivering packages, he works at the zoo, where he falls in love with reindeer, and so on. This is a great book to illustrate how different types of human resources require very specific skills, many of which are learned skills.

Human resources typically are working to provide a service or create a product. In this book, students can explore how one good (in this case, a book) goes through many different stages of production and requires lots of human resources. The author, Aliki, has provided two different levels of text. The big text is very basic and follows the simple story line, while the smaller text is much more detailed and describes the finer points of book production. This would be a great way to use the book for various ages or to differentiate a classroom.

Eric Carle uses his whimsical collage-style illustration to tell the story of Walter the baker in this book. Walter is the main baker for the Duke and Duchess of his home town and his specialty is his sweet rolls. When he gets to asked to make a type of roll that the sun can shine through three times, he must rush to meet the challenge. The story follows his journey of producing the new type of roll, which in turn illustrates how a human resource (the baker) uses specific skills to produce a product.

All of Charlie’s friends and family tell him that he needs a new cloak. He is a poor shepherd so he cannot afford to buy himself a new one – he decides instead to make one! The story follows his production of a beautiful new red cloak, from shearing his sheep to weaving and dying the cloth to sewing the actual cloak. The idea that specific skills are required to make various products is reiterated for students in this book.

Websites

1. In this website, students can explore different jobs and what those jobs entail. It also helps students understand that different human resources play different roles in our community.

2. In this matching game, the students must match the human resource with their role in the community. It is an interesting way for students to explore the different skills required for jobs.\

3. This site is a huge database of jobs that are sorted by skill and interest. Students can go to the site, choose a subject area or area of interest, and then the site guides them through many different career options. This could be part of a fun webquest!

4. This is another matching game, but this time the students must explore which human resource pairs up with which capital resource.

5. Here is a webquest that allows students not only to explore human resources, but also the concepts of natural resources, capital resources, and goods and services. In the end, students create a simple product and must present and advertise it to the class.

Additional Resources

1. This is a great lesson plan based on the book The Tortilla Factory by Gary Paulsen. The lesson reviews capital, natural, and human resources and includes a fun craft.

2. Another great lesson plan, this activity takes students through the process of making crayons. Crayons are something that all kids love and can relate to, and it’s a process that they may not know about. The lesson focuses on how resources are used in the crayon production.

3. This upper elementary lesson plan helps students explore different jobs and what those jobs entail. As they read about different jobs around the community, they begin to understand how specific the skills are for each human resource in our community.

4. For lower elementary students, this lesson plan is a great way to familiarize them with the concepts of natural, capital, and human resources. The lesson plan focuses on a very well known story – The Three Little Pigs!

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Harriet Tubman

Posted on November 23, 2010 by openwidearchive

HARRIET TUBMAN

Introduction

Harriet Tubman was an incredible part of American History. She led a challenging life, but was still strong enough to rescue around 300 slaves from captivity. Her strength and courage remain an inspiration, even to this day. Students will learn about her childhood, and her work with the underground railroad and the Union Army. Students will connect her life and experiences to the events that were occurring in American history at that time.

Text Sources

Who was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough

This book is recommended for students ages nine through twelve, though it would be appropriate to read aloud to younger students as well. Who was Harriet Tubman is a wonderful story that gives students the history of this incredible woman. McDonough details Tubman’s life as a slave, then a worker of the Underground Railroad, and later as a nurse. The book gives a history of the time period in which Tubman lived, letting students understand the context of her story. McDonough has also written “Who was…” books about Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, Anne Frank, and many other historical figures. This book, and author, are highly recommended for classroom learning.

Harriet Tubman by Kem Knapp Sawyer

This book gives students a first look at reading historical biographies. This book, also recommended for students ages nine through twelve, is very factual, though it includes interesting illustrations, photographs, and notes. It includes a history of her life in slavery, but also of her incredible contributions to society after the war ended. This book is strongly recommended for students doing an assignment for their class.

Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman by Dorothy Sterling

Freedom train will be loved by students of all ages, whether as a read-aloud or a solo read. Written as historical fiction story, students will become engrossed in the fascinating life led by Harriet Tubman. The story details her life as a life and discussed the conditions that she lives in her entire childhood and early adult years. While it does not focus a lot on the history of the country during this time period, it gives students a very real idea of what it would have been like to be working in the Underground Railroad. This real life story includes enough suspense to capture even reluctant readers.

A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman by David A. Adler

This picture book is better suited for students of lower reading levels. Its beautiful illustrations in addition to short sentences detailing the important aspects of Tubman’s life give students are brief overview of the subject. Though it won’t give readers an incredibly detailed account of her life, it is perfect for students who are just beginning on the subject of slavery, and the civil war. Without overwhelming beginning readers with too many words and facts, it outlines this important historical figure’s life. Adler’s book is a great jumping off point for students.

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman by Alan Schroeder (Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney)

One of my favorite books as a child, Minty is a beautiful historical fiction book about the early life of Harriet Tubman. Coupled with gorgeous watercolor paintings by Pinkney, the story gives real feeling to young Harriet’s difficult life. Young readers will be entranced by her story, as she moves from working in the house to out in the fields, and they will be fascinated by Harriet’s father’s guidance on living in the wilderness. As Harriet plans her eventual escape from slavery, students will find themselves learning about the life the slaves led nearly 200 years ago.

Web Sources

America’s Story from America’s Library

A kid friendly website with information and graphics about many historical figures, including Harriet Tubman. Students can read the intro with basic facts, or they can explore deeper, depending on how far the teacher wants them to research. This site is easy to use and to navigate. Its bright colors and pictures will keep students entertained and focused as they research. None of the stories are particularly long, and they use appropriate vocabulary for elementary students. This website is funded by the Library of Congress.

Harriet Tubman Biography

This site is recommended to fourth through sixth grade students. A sidebar offers links to a biography, time-line, photos, and other resources concerning Harriet Tubman and the history of America during her life. This site gives a very factual and detailed account of her life. One fascinating aspect is the list of some of the people who Harriet helped escape from slavery. The site gives names of the rescued slaves as well as the dates of their escapes. Students have the option of looking at a brief outline, focusing on her family life, or learning about “Tubman’s civil war.” This is perfect for a research project; it is easy to read and to navigate.

The Underground Railroad

This interactive site gives students a chance to really be connected with the plight of escaping slaves. Set up similar to a “choose your own adventure book” students are able to choose where they want to go as the escape with Harriet Tubman. Small paragraphs, accompanied by photographs and illustrations, describe each scenario to the students. At one point, they must choose to approach a house, or to hide in the woods. Later, they must choose to cross an icy river or stay back and risked being exposed to slave hunters. As they “travel,” the site describes the cities and historical figures that they meet.

Harriet Tubman Biography: TFK Challenge

This site gives a short quiz about Harriet Tubman. In eight questions, the quiz covers the basics of Harriet’s life. This quiz could be used either before teaching the unit to see where students are, or after the unit as a quiz or a study device. Students have the opportunity to retake the quiz of they don’t get all the answers; they are shown which questions were answered incorrectly, but not given the correct answer so they can go back and try again.

Pathways to Freedom

This is another interactive site perfect for students learning about Harriet Tubman and the underground railroad. This site takes students through the life of Harriet Tubman before she escapes from slavery. By scrolling over certain objects in the pictures, students learn more about her family life, and gather clues that will help when they try to escape.

Teacher Resources

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman

This website can be used after students read the story Minty. This site has about 6 activities recommended to use during and after the story is read. It suggests activities such as songs, map games, and interviews. Students will love these follow up activities because the story is so fascinating.

Lesson Plan: Harriet Tubman

This link will bring you to a full lesson plan created by Bruce Helgeson for fourth and fifth grade students. It details a mini unit for teachers, including a background, objectives, references, and assessments. Teachers might not need to use all of the activities, or they may enjoy exploring all the different ideas for their students.

Harriet Tubman: printout/quiz

This link brings teachers to a print out and questions for students. The printout gives students a short history of Harriet Tubman, explaining why she is an important historical figure. It is followed by comprehension questions, which teachers could give as a quiz or included with the printout. This is a perfect activity for students to practice their reading and comprehension skills. It could be used as a partner project as well.

On the Road to Freedom: Lesson Plan

This lesson plan gives suggestions of many books to read to the class for this unit. It also suggests many discussion questions and further exploration activities for students. After reading these books (or any other preferred books) students will use critical thinking to to explore ideas such as; what was the most important event in Harriet’s life? How did she feel when she heard that slavery was abolished?

Posted in African American, biography, resource links, social studies, teaching | Comments Off

Susan B. Anthony

Posted on November 23, 2010 by openwidearchive

Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was a civil rights leader that played an important role in the 19th century women’s suffrage movement. Although she died fourteen years prior to its passing, her work was pivotal to the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. The resources posted below are intended to be used in an elementary level classroom to teach students the significance of Susan B. Anthony’s life and work.
(VA Social Studies SOL 2.11)

Text Annotations-

If You Lived When Women Won Their Rights
by Anne Kamma
A story that allows readers to find out what life was like for girls during the suffrage movement. Along with Susan B. Anthony, you meet other figures of the movement such as: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, and Alice Paul.

Susan B. Anthony: Fighter for Women’s Rights
by Deborah Hopkinson
A quick and easy to read book about the like of Susan B. Anthony. It follows her from her Quaker upbringing to her teaching career and beyond.

Susan B. Anthony: Champion of Women’s Rights
by Helen Albe Monsell
This is a great book for higher level readers. It follows Anthony throughout her life and the difficulties she had in.

Susan B. Anthony: A Photo-Illustrated Biography
by Lucile Davis
This is a book that shows the life of Anthony in photographs. It is a great resource for early readers that is simple and to the point.

Susan B. Anthony
by Martha E. H. Rustad
This is a great book that provides a time line of the important events in Anthony’s life. It also provides a summary of what was covered on the last page.

Web Annotations-

Not For Ourselves Alone- The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
This is a site that can used to explore what it was like to be a kid back in the early 19th century.

Girls Explore Susan B. Anthony
A short, easy to understand biography on Anthony.

Susan B. Anthony- Garden of Praise
Provides a slide-show on Anthony’s life.

Kids.Net.Au- Susan B. Anthony
This site provides a short bio on Anthony’s life along with interactive links.

Women’s Fight for the Vote: The Nineteenth Amendment
This site provides an overview on the creation and passing of the 19th Amendment.

Teacher’s Resources-

Susan B. Anthony Coloring Pages
This site provides many different printable pages to use as handouts in the study of Susan B. Anthony.

Susan B. Anthony Resources
This site provides different links to information about Anthony and a few lessons plan from multiple grade levels to use in the classroom.

Susan B. Anthony Day
This is a lesson plan that is intended to be used on Susan B. Anthony’s birthday, February 15th, which is now a commemorative day to remember the great leader and work she did for the women’s right movement.

Susan B. Anthony House
This is a link to Anthony’s home located in Rochester, New York. It is now a historic landmark and tourist destination that provides information on Anthony’s life.

Posted in biography, book review, history | Comments Off

Eleanor Roosevelt

Posted on November 23, 2010 by openwidearchive

This blog post includes resources regarding the 1st Grade Social Studies SOL on American leaders and their contributions to the United States, specifically, the life of Eleanor Roosevelt (VA SOL 1.2).This post includes five different books that are great for the first grade level. These books provide the teachers and students with great information about this amazing first lady. The blog also includes five kid-friendly websites and five extra teacher-specific resources. I hope these books and websites are helpful in teaching a lesson(s) about the great Eleanor Roosevelt!BOOKS Eleanor (Picture Puffins)Written and Illustrated by Barbara Cooney

This book, written by the award-winningauthor Barbara Cooney, is a storybook biography about Eleanor Roosevelt’s childhood and all of the hardships she had to deal with, such as being orphaned at the age of nine and being made fun of for being unattractive. This book also briefly illustrates some of her achievements that she made later in life. This is a great book to use when introducing this great American leader.A Picture Book of Eleanor RooseveltWritten by David A. Adler & Illustrated by Robert Cassilla

This biography provides great insight into Eleanor Roosevelt’s life. Key parts of her life are highlighted and written in a way that is easy to understand and great for early elementary schoolers. The pictures are beautiful watercolors and make the book very enjoyable to read aloud to students.

Stateswoman to the World: A Story About Eleanor Roosevelt

Written by Maryann N. Weidt & Illustrated by Lydia M. Anderson

This book is fictional in the beginning, but ends up being a biography summing up her strict childhood and life as the first lady. It includes quotes from primary sources, such as letters. The black and white drawings are a great addition to this informative book about the great Eleanor Roosevelt.

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Photo- Illustrated Biography

By Lucille Davis

This biography explains the amazing life storyof Eleanor and her huge influence on human rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt

By Sally Lee

This biography illustrates Mrs. Roosevelt’s childhood, education, and life as the first lady and all that she accomplished. Kids will really enjoy this book because of the great photographs.

WEBSITES

Kids Konnect: Eleanor Roosevelt

http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/21-people/141-roosevelt-eleanor.html

This website is very kid-friendly and includes many important dates and facts starting from her childhood through until after President Roosevelt died.

Dear Mrs. Roosevelt

http://newdeal.feri.org/eleanor/index.htm

This website includes examples of letters written by thousands of young people during the Great Depression. Many sent Mrs. Roosevelt requests, asking for clothing, food, and other forms of assistance. This website is very informative and helps the students to understand what it was like during the Great Depression, while Mrs. Roosevelt was the First Lady.

US History Webquest: Eleanor Roosevelt

http://teacher.scholastic.com/webquest/ushist/useroos.htm

This Webquest is fun and helps the students master the material. It was created for grades 4 and up and is very informative and forces the students to work together and come up with their own opinions and impressions from a radio program and photographs.

Eleanor Roosevelt Online Quiz

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz2713331f10860.html

This quiz includes questions regarding facts about Eleanor Roosevelt. Students may work alone or in groups to complete this short 10 question quiz. This can be used as a form of summative or formative assessment.

A Student’s Summary of Eleanor Roosevelt’s Life

http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/pges/instruction/kid-pages/women/eleanorroosevelt.html

This great and short summary will definitely help the students to easily understand the great Eleanor Roosevelt and her life. It includes important facts and dates that would be very helpful for students learning about this First Lady.

ADDITIONAL TEACHER RESOURCESLesson Plans- Eleanor Roosevelt http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/teachinger/lesson-plans/eleanor-everywhere1.cfmThis website offers a handful of very helpful lessons, this one in particular is great for younger primary school students. This lesson compares the popular picture book series, Olivia, to Eleanor Roosevelt. It is a very fun and interesting way to teach the material that the students will love.Lesson Plan: A Leader Who Helps People http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/teach-er-vk/lesson-plans/eleanor-everywhere2.htmThis website provides a series of great lesson plans regarding the great Eleanor Roosevelt. This lesson, in particular, includes a few of the books that are listed above. This is the perfect lesson to use when introducing this material to the students.Who is Eleanor Roosevelt?http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/who-is-er/index.htmThis website helps the teachers to get a better grasp on this American leader. There are many sections to this site such as: biographical essays, Q&A’s, quotations, and a glossary.Lesson Planet- Eleanor Roosevelt Lesson Planshttp://www.lessonplanet.com/search?grade=1st&keywords=+eleanor+roosevelt&media=lessonLesson Planet is a great resource that provides ten lesson plans regarding Eleanor Roosevelt. This site is very helpful for teachers who need to find some fun and interactive activities dealing with this well-known American leader.Youtube Video- Eleanor Roosevelt Storyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcELCm265AYThis five minute video clip sums up Eleanor Roosevelt’s life and is very helpful for both teachers and students when learning and/or getting ready to teach a lesson on Mrs. Roosevelt.

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Thomas Jefferson

Posted on November 23, 2010 by openwidearchive

Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. The Virginian was an integral part of the American Revolution (SOL VS.5b, USI.6c) and the establishment of the new American nation (SOL VS.6b). Jefferson was an advocate for liberty and his contributions can not only be seen in the aforementioned Declaration of Independence but also in the Virginia’s Statue for Religious Freedom. The resources listed below are helpful in the study of Thomas Jefferson and his contributions to our history.

Book Resources for Teachers and Students:

Thomas Jefferson by Jacqueline Ching is great biography on the third President’s life. This book is filled with archival photographs and great facts about Thomas Jefferson to help introduce students to his life and important accomplishments. The book covers everything from Jefferson’s childhood to his involvement in the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence. The pictures alone make this book a must read for students and adults studying Thomas Jefferson.

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson resigned as the governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary War? Thomas Jefferson by Carol H. Behrman and Martha Cosgrove contains great facts, like the one above, about the author of the Declaration of Independence. This 112 page hardcover is a comprehensive look into Jefferson’s life, having each chapter represent a theme and time within his lifetime. Many pages contain “It’s a Fact” boxes that contain uncommonly known facts at Thomas Jefferson. This book is great supplement in the study of one of our nation’s founding fathers.

Thomas Jefferson by Cheryl Harness, published by the National Geographic Society, highlights the many sides of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson’s life and accomplishments are highlighted in this 48 page book. Quotations are embedded in the text along side mixed-media illustrations to help promote a full understanding of our third President. A few highlights are Jefferson’s part in the Revolutionary War and his controversial use of slaves. This book is a good introduction to the author of the Declaration of Independence.

John Adams had to push Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence. The Virginian refused at first, but then went on to author one of the most important documents in our nation’s history. Who was Thomas Jefferson? by Dennis Fradin and illustrated by John O’Brien and Nancy Harrison investigates the life of Thomas Jefferson while providing interesting facts like the one above. The author does a great job covering Jefferson’s life, both personal and public. The book also provides a side-by-side time-line of Thomas Jefferson’s life and world history events of the time. Who was Thomas Jefferson is a great resource of information on the famous Virginian.

Thomas Jefferson: A Life of Patriotism by Ann-Marie Kishel is a great introduction for students on the life of Thomas Jefferson. Each page as an appropriate amount of text was well as good pictures to help in the understanding of Jefferson and his accomplishments. The author touches on the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, and Jefferson’s Presidency and includes a important index of main concepts.This book would be great for independent reading and exploration of Thomas Jefferson.

Website Resources for Students:

Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence

This website is a great resource for students studying Thomas Jefferson and the American Revolution. The website is broken up into sections relating to the Declaration of Independence and the Revolution. Sections are devoted to such aspects as the Graff House where Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson’s Constitution for the State of Virginia. Pictures and fast facts are provided in each section. The text may be slightly advanced but with teacher guidance this website can be a great resource of students .

A Day in the Life of Thomas Jefferson

This site provides a great look into a typical day for Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. Pictures of Monticello as well as pictures of some of Jefferson’s personal items such as his “traveling calculator” accompany information about Jefferson’s daily life. This website is great for independent discoveries as well as guided instruction.

Thomas Jefferson

This website offers fun facts about our third President in a colorful, easy to read format. Facts include what pets Jefferson had as well as a list of all the offices Jefferson held. This site would be great for a fact hunt for students.

Liberty Archive: Thomas Jefferson

The Liberty Archive: Thomas Jefferson is a kid-friendly site that provides quick, interesting facts about Thomas Jefferson. The site is colorful and has a fun feel to it. There are also links to John Adams and the Declaration of Independence. The site provides information on how Jefferson and Adams disagreed as to who would write the Declaration and why it was decided on Jefferson as the author.

Thomas Jefferson: Student Encyclopedia

This site is a great information on Thomas Jefferson, his life, and his accomplishments (both public and private). The sight delivers small paragraphs of information at a time by letting the student push the next button when ready for the next paragraph of information. The information is segmented into themes of Jefferson’s life.

Additional Teacher Resources:

Thomas Jefferson

This educational website provides information on Thomas Jefferson as well as a list of resources. These resources include a Thomas Jefferson word scramble, a Jefferson worksheet, and Jefferson crossword puzzle. The last resource is a printable Thomas Jefferson multiple choice test.

Image Gallery: Thomas Jefferson

This Monticello in the Classroom website offers a range of images pertaining to Thomas Jefferson, his works, and Monticello. Each image, once clicked on, has a description and facts underneath. An example of an image in this gallery is the original copy of the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson

This website, from the Us History site, includes great information on Thomas Jefferson as well as offers lesson plans and primary resources. Each link to either the lesson plans or the primary resources have annotations that provide an overview of each link.

President Thomas Jefferson

President Thomas Jefferson is explored through activities, lesson plans, and games in the great website for instructors. The site includes Jefferson coloring pages, a Jefferson time-line, as well as a Thomas Jefferson interactive word-find. This is site is a great place for teachers to get some ideas when teaching about our third President.

PBS-Thomas Jefferson

This is a great educational website when studying Thomas Jefferson. The information may be a little advanced for elementary students, but for teachers this is an invaluable site. The site includes a link to teaching tips on Jefferson as well as student study sheets.

Posted in book review, social studies, Virginia history | Comments Off

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted on November 23, 2010 by openwidearchive

The following resources are appropriate to help teach third graders about the contributions Martin Luther King, Jr. made to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States (Virginia Social Studies SOL 3.11 b). Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Martin became a minister after graduating from Morehouse College. His charismatic speeches from the pulpit garnered much attention, and he was asked to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott. From then on, King was an influential leader in the Civil Rights Movement until his assassination in 1968. The non-violent ideals that Martin espoused, and the dream of equality that he propagated live on through his legacy.

Relevant Children’s Literature

Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Written by Bonnie Bader
Illustrated by Nancy Harrison

This beginner chapter book is punctuated by beautiful black and white pictures on each page. Spanning Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life from birth to death, the book is divided into chapters based on aspects of his life. These chapters can individually be read and understood if there is not enough time during class to read the entire book. Perfect for a strong third grade reader who wants to delve more deeply into King’s life, the last chapter of the book even talks about King’s legacy after his death, and the lives of his wife and children. Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? is very well organized, and the time line in the back of the book will further help students to arrange the details of King’s life in their minds.

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Written by Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by Bryan Collier

“He said “together” when others said “separate”. He said “peace” when others said “war”(p. 9).”

Martin’s Big Words is not about the long vocabulary words that Martin Luther King, Jr. used in his speeches. Rather, the book emphasizes the words that encompass the big concepts that King stressed through his leadership and oration. These concepts include, “together”, “love”, “freedom”, and “peace”. The actual print in the book is typed with different fonts and sizes, highlighting some of the important concepts. More impactful than the changing fonts, the beautiful illustrations set the tone of the book. Created by using a mix of collage techniques with original drawings, the illustrations catch the feeling of the era.

If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks
Written and Illustrated by Faith Ringgold

Martin Luther King, Jr. became a Civil Rights leader when he was asked to direct the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. However, the Boycotts would never have occurred if it had not been for the courageous stand of Rosa Parks, who refused to get to the back of the bus. Marcie is a little girl waiting for her school bus, when a talking bus pulls up to the stop instead. Boarding the talking Cleveland Avenue Bus, Marcie embarks on an adventure to learn about the life of Rosa Parks, and the 381 day boycott that initiated Martin Luther King, Jr. into the Civil Rights Movement. With beautiful pastel pictures, If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks, whimsically describes Parks and the important stand she took.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Written by Mary Winget
Illustrated by Tim Parlin

Using a mixture of primary source pictures and drawings, Martin Luther King, Jr. is a very accessible biography for elementary students. The primary photographs accurately show what the world looked like to King. Students are shown pictures of him attending a birthday party as a child and giving speeches as an adult. Such pictures help to bring King alive to students who never saw him during their lifetime. The drawings help take complicated concepts and simplify them by enacting the concepts through the artwork. The drawings and pictures enhance this biography that extends from Kings life to his life’s work. Special people and events in his life are highlighted and explained in separate sections, such as a page on Ghandi and Rosa Parks.

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Written by Christine King Farris
Illustrated by Chris Soentpiet

Unlike many books on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., My Brother Martin focuses not on his life as a Civil Rights leader, but on his childhood years. Written by his eldest sister, the book shows a mischievous but thoughtful young boy growing up the son and grandson of ministers in a world rampant in prejudice. Children can easily relate to the child that they read about, but the book also paints a picture of the injustices of segregation from a child’s point of view. Particularly moving, and often cited as the catalyst that made King so passionate about desegregation, is the vignette when the two white boys that the King brothers play with tell them that they can not play with them anymore because they are black. All children understand the sting of rejection, making this story extremely powerful.

Relevant Websites for Students

“I Have a Dream” Speech

This YouYube video begins with pictures from the March on Washington on August 28, 1963, overlaid by the spiritual song, “We Shall Overcome.” In only seventeen minutes, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers the most important speech of his life, and inspires millions to share his dream of equality for all. Students should hear the cadence of his voice, and will feel like they are on the front seat of history as they see and hear this famous leader talk.

Rags to Riches

When you play Rags to Riches, for every answer you get correct about the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., you will advance to the next level of the game. Just like the television game show, I Want to be a Millionaire!, this game has helpful hints that you can use if you choose, and each level you play is for a certain amount of money. The amount increases incremently until you reach 1 million dollars. If a student does get a question incorrect, the correct answer is shown, and this way students will be playing a game, and learning new facts about King. A wonderful review of King’s life, the fun game allows you to start over as many times as you need until you become a millionaire!

The Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. is an online comic book starting at King’s birth and continuing until his assassination in 1968. The colorful and provocative comic book is especially interesting because students have the opportunity to begin imagining what King was thinking throughout his life. While it is impossible to know King’s actual thoughts, the thought bubbles that float above his head throughout the comic let students imagine what he could have been thinking. In truth, this is the same as imagining his motivations, and helps to create empathy for his cause by having students put themselves in his place for awhile.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Quiz

This quiz, created by the Seattle Times, gives students the opportunity to test their knowledge of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Unlike most online quizzes that just tell you the answers after you submit your guess, this quiz goes one step further. After you submit your answer, a dialogue box comes up with the correct answer, and a short explanation of the answer. This deepens understanding and and allows students to understand why or why not their submission was correct.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Time Line

Created by students, this time line is a slide show, in chronological order, of the important events in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Each slide has the year across the top, a short description of the event at the bottom, and a picture created by students describing the caption. All of the slides are signed by the pair of students who created them. Students will love seeing a product created and published completely by other students!

Helpful Resources for Educators

Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Before teaching a subject, it is important to delve into the material and become as informed as possible with the content. This biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. is from the Official Site of the Nobel Prize. As a Nobel Prize recipient, King has a biography on their site that details the work that led to his awarding and acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Printable

Perfect for morning work, or as review at the end of the unit, this printable has a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. at the top for students to color in, and lined space at the bottom for a written response. The writing could be in response to any number of questions, including a synthesis of all they have learned about King, what they feel his most important contribution was, or what characteristics he had that made him such a charismatic and effective leader.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Online

A one stop website with quotes, speeches, videos, and pictures of Martin Luther King, Jr. that can be used to supplement any lesson plan, this website is very user friendly and accessible. One of the most interesting features of the site is that relatable current news items are added to the site regularly. For instance, President Barack Obama spoke at the Ebenezer Baptist Church a day before the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, and his speech was uploaded to the site.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Lesson Plans

This page provides links and materials with lesson plans and ideas for teaching about Martin Luther King, Jr. for kindergarten through fifth grade. This is a great resource to look for lessons, and to find creative ideas to teach about King. The top five lessons are listed with a brief description of the lesson and the suggested grade levels to use the lesson with. When you click on the lesson, a new page appears with the lesson objective, vocabulary, content, and assessment. In addition, lessons of interest from other websites are listed at the end of the page, again with the suggested grade level.

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