Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: Measuring Penny

Posted on September 1, 2008 by openwidearchive

Have you ever wondered how many different ways you can measure a dog? Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy offers a great way to introduce students to measurement while discovering 14 different ways to measure a pet. At the beginning of Measuring Penny, Mr. Jayson gives his students a homework assignment: “Choose something to measure and measure it in as many ways as you can…Use your imagination.” Lisa chooses to measure her dog, Penny. She and Penny go to the park, where they find plenty of other dogs to measure as well. Although the only “real” measurement tool that Lisa has brought to the park is a ruler, she finds many other creative ways to measure the dogs. Lisa’s measurements of Penny and the other dogs include:

  • the length of their noses, measured in inches
  • the length of their tails, measured in dog biscuits
  • the length of their ears, measured with cotton swabs
  • the width of their paw prints, measured in centimeters
  • their height, measured in inches
  • how high they can jump, measured with Lisa’s body
  • their comparative weights, measured with seesaws – "The seesaw is down on Penny's end, so she is heavier than the pug. Now Penny's end is up because she is lighter than the cocker spaniel."

Back at home, Lisa weighs Penny on a scale and measures the volume of food that Penny eats. She also measures the time that she spends taking care of Penny and then calculates how much it costs for her family to care for Penny for a year. She even explains how to determine the temperature using "Penny the Thermometer".

This book has simple, straight-forward illustrations with cute dogs that are easy to follow and will hold students’ attention. Each page includes a picture of the dog part being measured, as well as a visual of the tool being used to measure it. For example, the page with the dog tails shows each tail with the corresponding number of dog biscuits laid out beside it. Each illustration also includes a page of Lisa’s notebook, on which she has recorded Penny’s measurements.

Curriculum Connections
This book would be an excellent resource for introducing both standard and nonstandard units of measurement. It is simple enough to be read to Kindergartners but could also be used as a fun and engaging way to begin a 2nd or 3rd grade lesson on the different ways to use measurements. In Virginia, this book relates to Kindergarten science SOL K.1f (nonstandard units are used to measure common objects), 1st grade science SOL 1.1e (students will investigate measurement of length, mass and volume using standard and nonstandard units), and 2nd grade science SOL 2.1e (length, volume, mass, and temperature measurements are made in standard English units).

Additional Resources

  • The UNC School of Education website contains a lesson plan with suggestions of several activities for students to do after reading Measuring Penny, including using dog biscuits to measure various classroom objects and measuring and recording the height of each student.
  • The ProTeacher Collection provides an explanation of two fun activities involving measurement: a “Measurement is Right” game and a scavenger hunt in which students must measure specified items and then find items of a particular length.
  • A Measuring Penny coloring page is available from Loreen Leedy’s website.

Book: Measuring Penny
Author: Loreen Leedy
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Date: 1997
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-3
ISBN: 0-8050-5360-3

Posted in book review, process skills, science | Comments Off on Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: Measuring Penny

Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: Hello Ocean

Posted on September 1, 2008 by openwidearchive

While growing up children are constantly curious and active in exploring their surroundings.  Pam Munoz Ryan and Mark Astrella’s book Hello Ocean illustrates a common summer trip to the beach through all five senses.

Hello Ocean is a descriptive book using great imagery to emphasize the differences between the five senses. Ryan’s book not only introduces students to the differences in the senses, but it also incorporates additional elements of figurative language such as alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia, metaphors, rhyme and rhythm.

I hear the ocean,
a lion’s roar,
crashing rumors
toward the shore,
water shushing and rushing in,
then whispering back to the sea again.

While Ryan uses challenging vocabulary for beginning readers, Astrella’s realistic pictures help to illustrate possible unfamiliar terms.  This will help students to better understand the uses of all five senses, especially if they have experienced a similar summer trip. And yet, even without past experiences to draw upon, the pictures accurately illustrate Ryan’s text and help with the understanding of the new concept.

Curriculum Connections
Hello Ocean could be used as an introduction to a kindergarten class, but is better suited for a first or second grade classroom. Used in a kindergarten classroom, students will be able to see the relationship between the text and the accompanying pictures.  With this connection, the students will begin to understand what each of the five senses can detect in all surroundings.

In an older elementary classroom, students will be able to gain more than just an introduction of the senses. Ryan’s language helps to introduce new elements of writing (metaphor, rhyme, alliteration) that can be extended as part of a language arts lesson. In Virginia, the corresponding Standards of Learning for Kindergarten are K.1c and K.2a, while in first grade the Standard of Learning is 1.1a.

Additional Resources

  • Author Pam Munoz Ryan’s website offers various links for further exploration into how we use our five senses and how animals differ using their senses. Ryan’s web page also links to other sites that provide activities of the five senses including the use of optical illusions, braille, and a sense testing game.
  • Teacher Planet provides an outline for a unit on the senses. The unit plans contains lessons plans for all of the senses in addition to extension activities and printables for further clarification of how we use each sense. 
  • Enchanted Learning provides teachers with printable worksheets that can help students with learning how to classify objects based on the sense that would be most likely used in observation. These printables challenge students by encouraging them to observe objects using different senses.

Book: Hello Ocean
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Illustrator: Mark Astrella
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
Publication Date: February 2001
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-2
ISBN: 0881069884

Posted in book review, process skills, science | Comments Off on Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: Hello Ocean

Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: My Five Senses

Posted on September 1, 2008 by openwidearchive

My Five Senses

My Five Senses is a wonderful book for children to learn and/or refine their process skills. Born in New Jersey, Aliki is a wonderful author who incorporates a creative approach to story telling along with excellent pictures in order to attract many different age groups.

It is very important that children learn different processing skills, whereas the idea of the five senses is a very important concept to learn at a young age. In this book, Aliki allows us to bring together the concept of "sight" using a visual picture of eyes. After illustrating and explaining each of the senses, the book reviews the fact that there are five senses and explains that at any given time you can use more than one sense. For example, Aliki states "Sometimes I use all my senses at once. Sometimes I use only one. I often play a game with myself. I guess how many senses I am using at that time. When I look at the moon and the stars, I use one sense. I am seeing."

Next, Aliki continues to use examples to show children how many senses they are using while doing certain activities that they can relate to. For example, the book reads "When I laugh and play with my puppy, I use four senses. I see, hear, smell, and touch."  By the end of the book the readers have reviewed the five senses once more and are reminded that throughout the day they use all five of their senses giving them confidence in their knowledge and a fun way to refresh it.

Curriculum Connections
This book could be used in grades K-2. It introduces students to the five senses and relates each sense to a body part.  Then the book goes on to relate each sense to an actual activity. In Virginia this relates to the K.2 SOL, which states that each child should learn the five senses and sensory description. For example, that sight comes from the eyes. You could use this book as an introduction to the lesson on senses and follow this reading with an activity allowing the students to get up and move, using each one of their five senses.

Additional Resources

  • Time For Kids offers wonderful tips and worksheets for teaching the five senses. This PDF will allow teachers to think about different ways to teach the five senses. This website also states interesting facts on each of the five senses that can be a fun way to learn and be excited about the five senses.
  • A to Z Teacher Stuff has tons of different lesson plans for teaching the five senses. These lesson plans include worksheets and activities to help teach and review the five senses with your class.
  • About.com offers lesson plans that direct a teacher's attention to children that are having trouble comprehending the lesson being taught. They provide many different ways of teaching the five senses and also offer worksheets and fun activities for the class to do along with integrated lessons for all types of learners.

Book:My Five Senses
Author/Illustrator: Aliki
Publisher: Harper Trophy
Publication Date: 1989
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-2
ISBN: 006445083X

Posted in book review, process skills, science | Comments Off on Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: My Five Senses

Nonfiction Monday – When I Grow Up

Posted on September 1, 2008 by Tricia

growup.jpg

In honor of Labor Day, I thought it appropriate to review When I Grow Up: A Young Person’s Guide to Interesting and Unusual Occupations by Jessica Loy.

When I was growing up, I never dreamed about “normal” occupations. Doctor, lawyer, teacher and the like were not on my list. I longed to work with Jacques Cousteau and study marine mammals, study the fossil record of human evolution with the Leakey’s, or work in animal breeding and conservation at a zoo. My dream jobs grew largely out of reading about the work of famous scientists. I wanted to have those same adventures and make the same kinds of discoveries.

Young people today can learn about a whole host of jobs on television and online. However, it’s the printed page that still holds me captive, and a means for learning I hope young people will continue to use. Jessica Loy’s new book When I Grow Up is a winning entry in this category. Loy has done a fine job of capturing men, women and families in her profiles, and has selected occupations that are sure to encourage readers to “think outside the box” when it comes to career options. The book begins this way.

How do we decide what we want to be when we grow up? We might get ideas from our families and teachers or from people we admire.

Inside you will find fourteen careers that began as a dreams and have turned into lifelong pursuits. Many started as childhood interests. Maybe there is something you love to do that will someday become your career.

There are so many possibilities!

The fourteen careers profiled include:

  • Entomologist
  • Alpaca Farmers
  • Archaeologist
  • Master Cheese Maker
  • Research Biologist
  • Game Designer
  • Chocolatier
  • Percussionist
  • Lobsterman (actually a woman!)
  • Guitar Makers
  • Kite Designer
  • Pet Photographer
  • Set Designer
  • Robotics Engineer

Each occupation is described through the profile of a person who actually holds that job. The pages are filled with photographs of the person at work. There is a tremendous amount of information on each occupation’s double-page spread. The entry for Alpaca Farmers profiles a family in New York. There are photos of the family and the alpacas, alpacas being sheared, and a very interesting series of photos and captions about making yarn from alpaca fiber. After reading nearly every entry I found myself nodding my heading and thinking, “Now THAT would be a cool job!” I think young readers will feel the same way.

The book ends with contact information for each occupation profiled, complete with home/work addresses (should readers care to send mail the “old-fashioned” way) and web sites. The facing page provides a list of summer camps ideas that “offer an opportunity for kids to explore potential career paths.” Included is information for space camp, culinary camp, robot camp, computer camp and many more ideas.

Overall this is a well-researched, highly informative and engaging read. I highly recommend it.

Book: When I Grow Up: A Young Person’s Guide to Interesting and Unusual Occupations
Author: Jessica Loy
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 40 pages
Grades: 4-8
ISBN-13: 978-0805077179
Source of Book: Review copy received from publisher.

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

Posted in book review, Nonfiction Monday, social studies | Comments Off on Nonfiction Monday – When I Grow Up

Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

Posted on August 29, 2008 by openwidearchive

Join the polar bear while he learns all about animal sounds at the zoo. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? is the “auditory” version of Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle’s book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See? is a colorfully decorated book that takes children from animal to animal learning about different animal and people sounds. Eric Carle’s pictures seem flawless and give children a more fantasy feel when reading the book. The illustrator uses simple shapes and colors that children could easily begin to copy, trace, or color in to practice their own art skills.

In addition to the art, the repetitive nature of the book brings a read-aloud quality to the story and encourages students to participate in the reading experience, while simultaneously learning about the different noises of elephants, zebras, peacocks and many more. The book begins and ends with the similar tell-tale lines, “Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear? I hear a lion roaring in my ear.”

Curriculum Connections
This book could be useful for kindergarten and first grade. Students begin to work with their five senses in kindergarten and Polar Bear can help with auditory and visual awareness as well as practice with sensory description of the pictures and sounds. Into first grade, students can use this story to help with predictions based on patterns about which animal may come next and which sounds match the animals on the final pages. In Virginia this relates to science SOL K.1c (objects are described both pictorially and verbally) and K.2 a and K.2b (students will investigate the five senses and sensory descriptions).

Additional Resources

  • DLTK’s Book Break offers coloring pages of the animals in the book and suggestions to make puppets or felt board characters to act out while reading the story.
  • Illustrator Eric Carle’s website offers suggestions from teachers around the United States about how to use Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See?. Some activities include an endangered species book/lesson, class books about what they hear with portraits, and recordings to reinforce listening and auditory skills through sounds in the book and around the classroom.
  • Nichols Elementary School offers a lesson plan with multiple activities that relate to the story and include language arts, science and art. A few examples are matching animal sounds to pictures, identify different sounds using body parts (clapping, stomping, etc.), and mixing paints to color pictures of animals in the story.

Book: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
Author: Bill Martin Jr.
Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: 1997
Pages: 24 pages
Grades: K-1
ISBN: 0805053883

Posted in book review, process skills, science | Comments Off on Teaching Process Skills with Children’s Literature: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

How’s Your Content Knowledge?

Posted on August 27, 2008 by Tricia
My students arrive in 75 minutes. On the first day of class we begin by with a scavenger hunt as both a means of introduction and a way for me to see how much they “know” about the curriculum they will one day teach. Here are the rules and the questions.
  1. Begin by reading the questions and writing in any answers you already know.
  2. Walk around the room and find someone to confirm your answers and/or provide answers you do not know. Have that person initial next to the question.
  3. Remember that one person may not supply more than two answers on your paper.
  4. Sit down as soon as your hunt is completed.
FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN . . .
  • Define and give you an example of opportunity cost.
  • Name the "Father of the Constitution."
  • Name the most highly valued barter item in Colonial Virginia.
  • Tell you who Christopher Newport was.
  • Name two important figures in the Harlem Renaissance.
  • Name the five regions of Virginia.
  • Tell you the difference between latitude and longitude.
  • Name two things George Washington Carver was famous for.
  • Tell you about Werewocomoco.
  • Name the five oceans of the world.
  • Draw and name the parts of a light wave.
  • Name the components of soil.
  • Describe the difference between the waxing and waning phases of the moon.
  • Tell you the required components and products of photosynthesis.
  • Name the eight planets in order from the sun.
  • Tell you what a dichotomous key is.
  • Explain why it is hotter in the summer than in the winter.
  • Name four nonrenewable energy resources.
  • Tell you the difference between weathering and erosion.
  • Name the five kingdoms of classification.
  • Name the six types of simple machines.
How did you do? My students will be moaning and groaning, cheering every so often, and then wondering how they’ll ever learn/remember it all. We’ll spend the semester thinking about these topics and more, while we explore the best ways to teach them. You can be that books (and I don’t mean textbooks) will play some small role here. 🙂
Posted in science, social studies, teaching | Comments Off on How’s Your Content Knowledge?

Nonfiction Monday – A Food Chain Trio

Posted on August 25, 2008 by Tricia

While I’ve been preparing my syllabi for fall, my son and I have been reading sets of books on some of the topics that are covered. Our recent reading has taken us into the realm of food chains and food webs. Here is a trio of books that examines different aspects of the energy transfer in nature.

Trout Are Made of Trees, written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Kate Endle – What happens when leaves fall from a tree and land in a stream? “They ride in a rush above rocks and over rapids. They snag and settle soggily down.” From here they become food for bacteria and a home for algae. They are further broken down by little critters, like crane flies, caddisflies, shrimp and stoneflies. These critters are eaten by predators. Guess where those leaves are now? When the predators are eaten by trout, the trout are made of trees. This is a beautifully illustrated book (mixed media collage) that not only introduces a simple food chain, but also the life cycle of trout.

Vulture View, written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Steve Jenkins – Scavengers and decomposers play a very important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. In helping to break down dead organisms, they are responsible for returning basic nutrients to the soil so that they may reenter the chain. In this book, we get a glimpse of the scavenging role that vultures play, along with some poetry and interesting facts about these oft maligned birds. For more information on this book, please read my review.

Wolf Island, written and illustrated by Celia Godkin – What happens when a top predator in well-balanced ecosystem disappears? This story highlights the changes that occur on an island after a family of wolves accidentally leave the island for the mainland. Without predators, there is nothing to keep the deer population in check. When it swells, the deer eat so much grass that rabbits and mice have fewer young. This results in less food for foxes and owls. This is a terrific resource for demonstrating how the balance of an ecosystem can easily be upset. It also does a fine job of explaining why the top predators in a food chain are so important.

There are other books about food chains and food webs, but these are my favorites and the least didactic of the bunch. All make great lesson starters for teaching elementary students about this topic.

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

Posted in life science, Nonfiction Monday | Comments Off on Nonfiction Monday – A Food Chain Trio

Nonfiction Monday – 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World

Posted on August 25, 2008 by Tricia

10things.jpg

I was browsing the stacks at a local bookstore yesterday when this book jumped out at me. I was struck in part by the light bulb cutout on the cover and in part by the recycling symbol and statement indicating that the book was made from 100% recycled material. After being drawn in by the cover, I was hooked once I leafed through the pages. My son’s school has adopted a “green theme” for the year, so this book will be the first one I donate to the library, as it’s a real gem.

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World: Fun and Easy Eco-Tips, written and illustrated by Melanie Walsh is not only about being eco-friendly, it serves as an excellent model. There is not one bit of wasted paper or space in this book. There is no front matter to the book, and the copyright information is included on the back cover. As soon as the book is opened the reader is launched into the text. Remember that light bulb cutout that grabbed my attention? When the cover is opened the reader finds a page in black except for where it is bathed in light from the bulb and four insects are basking in its glow. The text reads “I remember . . . ” When the page is turned readers find a double-page spread bathed in black with only white text and eyeballs staring out at them. The text on the left page reads “to turn off the light when I leave the room.” On the right page the bulb is outlined in a bit of concrete text that reads “Turning off lights and using more efficient lightbulbs saves valuable energy.” There is quite a bit of this concrete text throughout the book. It comes running out of the faucet and can be found around the edges of trash cans and trees. It’s not poetry, but it is a wonderful bit of design. (To get a feel for what these pages look like, view an inside spread at the Candlewick site.)

The tips in the book include:

  • turning off lights
  • turning off the faucet while brushing teeth
  • throwing away trash
  • feeding birds in winter
  • using both sides of a piece of paper
  • unplugging the television when not in use
  • making toys from objects that are often thrown out
  • walking to school
  • planting seeds
  • sorting materials for recycling

The acrylic illustrations are refreshing and often appear on pages where edges have been cut or shaped for an interesting effect. The final set of pages includes the text “I help . . . ” on the left hand side, accompanied by illustrations of sets of objects such as bottles, cans and food scraps. The right hand page pictures a variety of receptacles with cutout openings. The beauty of this double-page spread becomes apparent when you turn the page, for what appears are labeled receptacles with the appropriate items insides. Readers will find cans, glass, compost, plastic and paper bins filled to the brim along with the text that completes the sentence begun earlier “sort the recycling.”

The final endpaper is a black page covered with stars and a semicircular fold that reads “All because . . . ” When readers fold the flap down they find the earth and the words “I love my world.”

This is a fabulous resource for early elementary classrooms studying recycling and caring for our world. I recommend it with enthusiasm!

Book: 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World: Fun and Easy Eco-Tips
Author: Melanie Walsh
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 40 pages
Grades: K-3
ISBN-13: 978-0763641443
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased at a local bookstore.

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

Posted in book review, environment, Nonfiction Monday, science | Comments Off on Nonfiction Monday – 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World

Nonfiction Monday – It’s Back to School We Go!

Posted on August 18, 2008 by Tricia

school.jpg

Back to school is right around the corner for many kids. As summer’s end approaches, minds are on new teachers (who will it be?), new clothes (what will I wear?), school supplies and much more. First day jitters may already be appearing. In my house we have long been anticipating the start of school. Don’t get me wrong–summer has been fun, but my boy is ready to go back. To get ready for school we’ve been reading a bit about what school is like for kids in other countries. It’s Back to School We Go!: First Day Stories From Around the World, written by Ellen Jackson and illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis, provides a wonderful introduction to schooling around the world.

The book opens with a world map that highlights the countries that are featured. On each double-page spread that follows, a child is introduced through a first-person narrative of their school day on the left page, while interesting facts about children in that country are presented. Readers meet:

  • Achieng – An 8-year old girl from Kenya
  • Anton – A 7-year old boy from Kazakhstan
  • Kendi – A 6-year old Inuit boy from Nunavut, Canada
  • Jessica – A 9-year old girl from Australia
  • Misaki – A 6-year old girl from Japan
  • Jinsong – An 8-year old boy from China
  • Thomas – A 7-year old boy from Peru
  • Gunther – A 6-year old boy from Germany
  • Rajani – An 8-year old girl from India
  • Nadia – A 7-year old girl from Russia
  • Casey – A 9-year old boy from California (Why CA and not United States?)

The author’s note at the beginning of the book provides some information about the children highlighted. It begins:

Each of the eleven children portrayed in this book is a composite of several real individuals. Obviously, every country provides a variety of educational opportunities and no one child can represent them all. Some children live in villages; others in cities. Some schools have computers and science labs; others don’t even have desks or books.

Here are just a few of the interesting facts readers will learn from this book:

  • In Kenya, children go to school six days a week, from January to November.
  • In China, students who exhibit good behavior earn red neckerchiefs.
  • The first day of school is a time of celebration in Kazakhstan. Students there bring flowers for their teachers. (Much better than apples, I think!)
  • In the United States, 9 out of 10 children go to public school.

There is an extensive bibliography at the end of the book, as well as a list of web resources. I particularly liked the link to Children’s Games from Around the World. The author has also provided some ideas for teachers at her web site.

Overall, this is a terrific book for thinking about back-to-school and for studying different cultures through a common, shared experience. I recommend pairing it with Edith Baer’s book This is the Way We Go to School, which looks at how children in different countries make their way to school. For even more ideas, check out the thematic book list on school around the globe.

Book: It’s Back to School We Go!: First Day Stories From Around the World
Author: Ellen Jackson
Illustrator: Jan Davey Ellis
Publisher: Millbrook Press
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-5
ISBN-13: 978-0761319481
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased online.

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

Posted in book review, Nonfiction Monday, social studies | Comments Off on Nonfiction Monday – It’s Back to School We Go!

Nonfiction Monday – Go, Go America

Posted on August 11, 2008 by Tricia

america.jpg

Alright readers, time for a quiz. Read each of the following statements and name the STATE that correctly completes the sentence.

It illegal for boys to hurl snowballs at trees in the state of __.

The annual Bald is Beautiful Convention held is held in the state of __.

The highest literacy rate in the nation can be found in the state of __.

The lowest and highest points in the continental U.S. (lower 48) are in the state of __.

It is illegal to wear your boots to bed in the state of __.

Stumped? You won’t be after reading Dan Yaccarino’s book, Go, Go America. This fun-filled tour through the 50 states and District of Columbia is filled with all sorts of strange and wacky facts.

The book begins with an introduction to the Farley family, your guides on this oddball tour. There is (1) Mom, “all ready to read maps, ask directions, and settle any backseat arguments;” (2) Dad, who “can’t wait to hit the road! Unfortunately, he’s not the greatest driver in the world and has a lousy sense of direction;” (3) Freddie, who “knows lots of interesting facts about the United States and is eager to share his knowledge, even if no one wants to hear it;” (4) his sister, Fran, who “would prefer to be biking, hiking, or skiing cross-country rather than riding in a car. And she’s still mad at Mom for telling her she can’t ride on the roof;” and finally (5) Fido, the family pooch who “thinks they are going to the park.”

After the introductions, the “table of contents” introduces readers to the map of the states, covered with a dotted line that highlights the Farley’s journey from Maine to Hawaii. What follows is a page (or two) devoted to each state. Each state page identifies the state, along with its nickname. An outline map of the state with the capital placed and identified is also included. The rest of the page is a visual delight, with each family member engaged in an activity that depicts the state in some way. For example, on the state of Maine page, Father is fishing, Mom and the kids are eating blueberry pie, and Fido is sitting quietly wearing a pair of ear muffs. The text on the page describes these images and presents other interesting and sometimes outrageous facts. The states are presented in the order that the faimly visits them on their trip. The states of Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, Texas, California, Alaska, and Hawaii all get a two page treatment.

There is quite a bit of witty repartee in these pages and much to enjoy both visually and textually. The family and the graphics have a very retro 1950’s feel about them. Dad wears a plaid suit that makes me laugh every time I look at it. Mom wears cat-shaped glasses and cropped pants. Dad seems to be the butt of a good many jokes, as he seems to mishear or misinterpret information. For example, on the Vermont page he is trying to scoop a glass of bubbly out of the water, while Mom says, “Lake Champlain, not Champagne, dear.” On the New York page Dad is wearing an umpire’s vest as Mom says, “The Empire State, dear. Not umpire.”

The family’s journey ends in Hawaii with the Freddie asking “So, Dad, how are we going to get home?” The last nine pages of the book presents the states in alphabetical order. Each state is presented as a column of information, beginning with its abbreviation, name, capital, date of statehood, order of statehood, square miles, bird, flower, tree, motto, and nickname. The page where the state is highlighted in the book is also listed. The final page lists a number of books where readers can find more information, as well as web sites of interest.

Overall, I found this is a thoroughly humorous and enjoyable read. You can bet I’ll be adding this title to my 50 states thematic book list. I highly recommend this one for a fun-filled romp through the states.

Book: Go, Go America
Author/Illustrator: Dan Yaccarino
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 80 pages
Grades: 2-6
ISBN-13: 978-0439703383
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased at local independent bookstore.

Scholastic has a lesson plan for use with this book. It’s listed for grades K-2, but I can’t see using this book much before second grade (and that might be a stretch). I think this book will largely appeal to upper elementary students.

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

P.S. – Are you looking for answers to the quiz? Here they are! – Illinois, North Carolina, Utah, California and Oklahoma.

Posted in book review, Nonfiction Monday, social studies | Comments Off on Nonfiction Monday – Go, Go America