Nonfiction Monday – And So They Build

Posted on August 4, 2008 by Tricia

build.jpg

I love books about animals homes. I’m always amazed at the vast array of shapes, sizes, and locations they come in. Perhaps more impressive though, is how some of these homes are built. That is the subject of this beautifully illustrated work by Bert Kitchen. And So They Build introduces readers to 12 animal builders, from birds (4 species) to spiders, frogs, fish and more.

Each double-page spread includes a full page illustration on the right, and two levels of text on the left. Rendered in watercolor and gouache, the images are highly detailed views of the animal(s) in action in their natural landscape. Only the illustration of cubiterme termite mounds lacks actual images of the builders. (Perhaps they are there but are too small to be seen). The text comes in two forms. First there is large print text that states in simple terms why the animals build and serves as an explanation for the illustration. Below, in smaller print, is a paragraph of information that explains in detail more about the builder and the structure. Here is an excerpt.

A tailorbird will be safer
if she hides her nest
and so she builds . . .

The tailorbird lives in southern China, India, and Southeast Asia, and the female usually nests in a garden or on cultivated land. She chooses one or two large, living leaves on a tree and draws their edges together, using her beak and feet. She makes small holes down the sides with sharp point of her beak. Then she twists spiders’ webs, bark, and plant fibers into threads and pushes them through the holes to hold the leaves together.

The explanation goes on to describe how the stitches are fastened. The illustration shows the bird at work, literally sewing the leaves together. How this feat is accomplished by beak alone is simply amazing. The bird builders were some of my favorites. I was particularly taken with the male satin bowerbird, the animal that appears on the book’s cover. The bowerbird builds a bower to attract a mate, decorating it with bits of brightly colored objects and shiny bits. You can watch a video, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, that explores a bower and even allows viewers a glimpse of the bird at work.

Anyone interested in animal homes will find much here to love. The illustrations alone are enough to recommend it, but the text provides enough information to arouse the curiosity of young naturalists and interest them in learning more. The only drawback is that there are no references in the text or resources for additional information. However, this is a minor weakness that should not discourage anyone from picking up this striking volume.

Book: And So They Build
Author/Illustrator: Bert Kitchen
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 1993
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: K-4
ISBN-13: 978-1564025029
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased at a zoo gift shop.

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.

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Nonfiction Monday – The Astronaut Handbook

Posted on July 14, 2008 by Tricia

astronaut.jpg

When I was a kid I had two recurrent dreams. One was to swim with Jacques Cousteau, and the other was to go to the moon. I didn’t have moon boots, but I spent many hours on my pogo stick pretending I was “walking” on the moon. For kids with big dreams like mine, Meghan McCarthy’s new book Astronaut Handbook is a great introduction to astronaut training.

Before I begin this review, I must share a little back story and make a personal confession. The first Meghan McCarthy book I ever bought was Aliens Are Coming!: The True Account Of The 1938 War Of The Worlds Radio Broadcast. Released in 2006, it quickly became part of my teaching collection. I now own every book she has published, in part because I’m so enamored with her style of illustration, and in part because of her skill as a storyteller. Her nonfiction works are particularly enjoyable because they present people and events in engaging ways. So, I’m putting all my McCarthy love out on the table and telling you upfront that I haven’t met a McCarthy book I didn’t like and that furthermore, I can always find creative ways to use these gems in the classroom.

Okay, on to the matter at hand. Astronaut Handbook opens the door to astronaut training and lets readers in on all the secrets. It begins this way.

Welcome to astronaut school! Soon you will be boarding a space shuttle and BLASTING into outer space. All different kinds of people have become astronauts. There have been teachers, painters, and even deep-sea divers. You can be an astronaut, too!

On this double-page spread the reader finds a diverse group of astronauts sitting at their desks, decked out in flight gear, reading to begin their training. Next readers learn different types of astronauts and are hit with the cold, hard fact that becoming an astronaut is a lot of work. A really beautiful double-page spread of a trainee working in a science lab where a stack of books is piled high is accompanied by text that reminds readers to “study hard in school. Studying isn’t always easy, but stick with it!”

The text goes on to talk about fitness requirements, being a team player (the illustration of three astronauts working inside a confined space is amazing, and a bit unnerving for someone as claustrophobic as I am), survival training, and more. Readers learn about training for specific jobs, like engineers and pilots, as well as training for weightlessness on the Vomit Comet. After learning about space food, we get a look at a real space toilet and a space suit. Did you know that a space suit has 12 layers? or that on earth a space suit weighs 280 pounds?

Finally it’s time to blast off, and readers see the astronauts preparing to liftoff on the space shuttle. Turn the page and rotate the book to see that baby take off! We’re reminded again that it’s best to like small spaces, as we see the astronauts strapped in and working together. The book ends with a double-page spread of one lucky astronaut walking on the moon.

McCarthy has provided a page of fascinating facts and a bibliography of books, web sites (NASA), videos and places to visit. For even more information and fun, check out the astronaut videos on McCarthy’s web site. You can also learn how to make your own rocket! Finally, Random House has a downloadable teacher’s guide for the book.

Overall, this is a really informative and entertaining book for young students interested in space and space travel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to sharing it with teachers and their kids this fall.

Book: Astronaut Handbook
Author/Illustrator: Meghan McCarthy
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 40 pages
Grades: K-4
ISBN-13: 978-0375844591
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased at a local independent bookstore.

gotomoon.JPG manonmoon.jpg

If you are looking for companion texts for this book, I highly recommend using Faith McNulty’s If You Decide to Go to the Moon. It picks up where Astronaut Handbook leaves off and focuses on the special preparations necessary for a moon landing. Then, for something more poetic and historical, consider using Anastasia Suen’s book Man on the Moon, which tell the story of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

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.

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Must-Have Subscriptions for Teachers

Posted on July 11, 2008 by Tricia

For years teachers have been asking me where I get my ideas from and how I manage to always seem to “know” where so many great resources are. The truth is, I have a series of e-mail subscriptions that I can’t live without. I’m sharing them with you here. I hope you find them as great a store of information as I have.

Miss Maggie
This weekly e-mail update (during the academic year) provides teachers with lessons and activities, free weekly activity packets (downloadable in pdf format), and opportunities to win free books and materials.
http://www.missmaggie.org/eng/regform.html

LearningPage.com
Members (free registration) have access to over 1500 worksheets, activities and lesson plans for preschool through third grade. In addition to basic worksheets on the Alphabet, Numbers, Money, Time, Measurement, the Calendar, and the Senses, there are also themed worksheets as well as monthly pages. A monthly newsletter announces all the recent additions to the site.
http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/member_preview.html

Surfing the Net with Kids by Barbara Feldman
This weekly newsletter contains three site recommendations on a single topic. Topics include everything from How to Write Poetry, D-Day, Volcanoes, Endangered Species and more.
http://www.surfnetkids.com/emailedition.htm

PBS Teachers Newsletter
This weekly newsletter alerts you to PBS shows with of interest to you and provides links to online resources. Once you sign up you can create a profile at PBS Teachers and identify your local PBS station, your subject area, and/or the grade level you teach. Your newsletter content will then be arranged so that you see the most relevant information right away.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/newsletter/

EDINFO Mailing List
EDInfo provides 1-2 email messages a week describing new federal teaching and learning resources and ED funding opportunities.
http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edinfo/index.html

Works4Me Newsletter
This weekly newsletter from the NEA contains practical tips from teachers on everything from managing your classroom to teaching content to getting organized and many more areas.
http://www.nea.org/tips/index.html

Math Solutions Online Newsletter
This quarterly newsletter on math education contains lessons to use in your classroom, answers to questions from teachers and information on what's new at Math Solutions.
http://www.mathsolutions.com/index.cfm?page=form&crid=117

AIMS (Activities Integrating Math and Science) News
In this monthly newsletter subscribers receive two free activities, a puzzle, a special offer, and information on what’s new at AIMS.
http://www.aimsedu.org/aimsnews/index.html

Dover Publications Teacher Sampler
This weekly email is filled with projects and activities, including puzzles and brain-teasers, science projects, stories and poems, nature illustrations, and more. Sample pages are available online.
http://www.doverpublications.com/ts002/

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Nonfiction Monday – United Tweets of America

Posted on July 7, 2008 by Tricia

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In most states, 4th grade is the year kids learn state history. In addition to learning about important people and places, they learn about things like the state flag, flower, bird, and more. I’m always looking for interesting ways to share this info, and I’m happy to report that I’ve found a gem of a book that only introduces state birds, but many other fun facts about the 50 states. Hudson Talbot’s book entitled United Tweets of America presents, as the cover mentions, “50 states birds, their stories, their glories.”

The book opens with a double-page spread map of the United States. Surrounding the map are images of each state bird in a small picture frame. A bald eagle holding a microphone speaks to readers saying:

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the United Tweets of America Pageant. As your national Big Bird, I have the honor to introduce the fine feathered Americans who represent this great land. So here they are …

A turn of the page begins the parade of states, led by the bird of Alabama. Many of the birds in the line are talking to the crowd, themselves or other birds. Alabama’s bird says “Howdy, y’all!” while waving to the crowd. Arizona’s bird says “We’re birds. Why are we walking?” Connecticut’s bird turns to the rooster behind him and says “This is a no-crow zone.” While this parade begins, the narrator (bald eagle) announces them by saying:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE PARADE OF STATES! From Alabama to Wyoming, each one is a winner . . . And now we’ll tell you a little something about each bird and the state they call home.

What follows are fifty-one (D.C. is included) fun- and fact-filled pages of information. Each page has an outline of the state with a star locating the capital, the name of the state along with its nickname and capital, a picture of the bird accompanied by information about it, as well as other facts about the state. Here are a few things I learned while reading this entertaining and fancifully illustrated book.

  • Hawaii – The state bird is the Nene. It is the rarest state bird, having been hunted to near extinction. Currently about 800 nenes exist in the wild.
  • Iowa – The state bird is the American Goldfinch. There are approximately five hogs for every human in Iowa.
  • Maine – The state bird is the black-capped chickadee. Main supplies 90% of all lobsters consumed in the U.S. It also supplies 99% of the blueberries and 90% of the toothpicks.
  • Seven states have adopted the Northern Cardinal as their state bird.

I won’t tell you how it ends, or who wins the pageant. Let’s just say it’s a slam-bang finish.

I can’t really do justice to this book in a written review, as half the beauty lies in the clever illustrations. Readers will want to spend time looking closely to see what the birds are doing and saying. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to sharing it with teachers and their kids this fall.

Book: United Tweets of America
Author/Illustrator: Hudson Talbot
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 64 pages
Grades: 1-5
ISBN: 978-0399245206
Source of Book: Personal copy purchased at a local independent bookstore.

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

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Graphs Galore

Posted on June 30, 2008 by Tricia

I’m in the midst of teaching a class called Improving Elementary Math. I have a great group of teachers with whom I am exploring ways to expand their repertoire of tools for teaching a variety of concepts in math. For part of the day today we focused on graphs and data analysis. I am a HUGE fan of daily graphing in the elementary classroom, so I spent some time looking for ideas to share. I came across some really terrific resources, so I’m sharing them here.

Mrs. Meacham’s Resources

Graph of the Day (with printables)
 http://www.kinderpond.com/graphingideas.html

Daily Sign-In Questions
 http://www.proteacher.net/discussions/showthread.php?t=14153

Mathwire Resources

Graphing in Your Classroom
http://www.teachingheart.net/graphing1.html

Kidscount1234 Resources

Classroom Graphing Ideas
http://www.abc123kindergarten.com/graphmka2001.html

Mrs McGowan’s Graphs
http://www.mrsmcgowan.com/math/graphs.htm

CanTeach Math: List of Daily Math Graph Questions
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/numbers13.html

In addition to these resources, I recommend these two books about graphing.

tigermath.gif graph.jpg

Tiger Math: Learning to Graph from a Baby Tiger by Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel – This book uses a variety of picture, circle (pie), bar, and line graphs to demonstrate how an orphaned Siberian tiger cub grows as he is raised by hand. The story of T.J.’s growth told through text, photos and graphs, with graphs appearing on the left page with explanations.

The Great Graph Contest by Loreen Leedy – What happens when a snail, toad and lizard get together? Why the snail sets up a contest between his friends to see who can make the best graph! Points will be awarded by snail for correct math, creativity, and neatness. Who do you think will win? There is much going on here that kids will love. A great deal of information is shared in word balloons. At the end of the book, the data collection and construction of each graph are carefully explained.

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Elementary Social Studies on the Web – Guided Tour

Posted on May 21, 2008 by Tricia

Are you looking for great resources to help you plan and deliver social studies instruction at the elementary level? Boy, do I have the sites for you! Sit back, relax, and take this guided tour of some great places to start planning for next year. Turn up the volume on your computer so you don’t miss the audio portion many of these sites contain. Are you ready? LET’S GO!

Let’s start with primary sources. These wonderful documents of our past make the study of history come alive for many students. The following sites will help you guide students in the use and interpretation of primary source documents.

Library of Congress: What are Primary Sources?
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/start/prim_sources.html
History Matters: Making Sense of Documents
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/browse/makesense/
Integrating OurDocuments.gov Into the Classroom
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/content.php?flash=true&page=integration

Now that you have some ideas for successfully integrating primary sources into instruction, here are a wealth of sites that make primary sources available to your students with just the click of a mouse!

Library of Congress: American Memory Project
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/
The National Archives: Charters of Freedom
http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/charters.html
Declaring Independence: Drafting the Documents
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/
Primary Documents in American History
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/PrimDocsHome.html

Once your students become comfortable with primary sources, you may want to turn them into historical detectives. Here are some terrific resources for doing just that.

History Detectives: How-To Guides
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/diy/index.html
History Trail: How to Do History
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/lj/how_to_do_historylj/preview.shtml

Let’s move on to geography. The National Geography standards define a geographically informed person as one who knows and understands (1) the world in spatial terms; (2) places and regions; (3) physical systems; (4) human systems; (5) environment and society; and (6) the uses of geography. Whew! That’s a tall order! The best place to start is the National Geographic site for geography standards in the classroom. You will find a wealth of lesson plans, interactive activities, and maps. For more on maps, the U.S. Geological Survey has some terrific resources online.

National Geographic Xpeditions
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/
USGS Learning Web: Lesson Plans (Scroll down to geography and maps.)
http://education.usgs.gov/common/primary.htm

Do you want to know more about specific places in your home state or in the big, wide world? Here are some sites to start with.

IPL Kidspace: Stately Knowledge
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/stateknow/skhome.html
FactMonster World Geography
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0770414.html
Time for Kids: Around the World
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/hh/goplaces
United Nations Country at a Glance
http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/index.asp

If its maps you are looking for, look no further than these online collections.

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/
Library of Congress Map Collections: 1500-2004
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html
Census Bureau Map Products
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/maps/CP_MapProducts.htm
Houghton Mifflin Outline Maps
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/

Let’s move on to economics. Lots of teachers are a bit uncomfortable with this topic. Here are a few sites that offer some background information that can be used by kids and teachers alike.

Social Studies for Kids: Economics
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/economicsbasic.htm
Econopolis
http://library.thinkquest.org/3901/

Once you are familiar with economics concepts, you’ll need some ideas for the classroom. There are many wonderful resources online for teaching elementary economics concepts. Begin with the National Center for Economic Education, a site that has more than 400 lesson plan ideas for you to browse!

NCEE Online Lessons
http://www.ncee.net/resources/lessons.php
EconEdWeb
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/lessonsK-5.cfm
MoneyInstructor.com: Elementary Economics Lessons (Many lessons and materials are free, but you must register to access them.)
http://www.moneyinstructor.com/elementary.asp
KidsEconPosters – Literature Connections
http://www.kidseconposters.com/keb/Literature%20Connection.htm
Economics and Geography Lessons for 32 Children’s Books
http://web.archive.org/web/20071203015008/http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/Econ_Geog.html

Since you’ve just visited two sites that focus on children’s literature, let’s take some time now to look for a few good books to use in your social studies lessons. Here are some great sites to help you find titles that work for different concepts in social studies. Start your search with one of these searchable databases of children’s books. Enter a keyword and see what comes up. (Be careful entering keywords in the first database, as you are limited to 10 characters!)

Children’s Picture Book Database
http://www.lib.muohio.edu/pictbks/
Database of Award Winning Children’s Literature
http://www.dawcl.com/search.asp

In addition to these sites, you can also find annotations for social studies books online. The National Council for the Social Studies, in conjunction with the Children’s Book Council, publishes a list of notable trade books each year. Also, PBS Teacher Source updates its list of social studies books monthly. Check out the new recommendations and search the archive.

Notable Trade Books for Young People
http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable/
PBS TeacherSource Recommended Books for Social Studies
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/bookslinks/bookspages/socialstudies.html

Let’s go back to content and think a bit about civics. This is the area of the social studies curriculum where we teach about citizenship, democracy, and how our government works. Start with Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government, a truly comprehensive site that is written at a variety of grade levels, making it appealing to kids of all ages.

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
Congress for Kids
http://congressforkids.net/
Kids in the House
http://clerkkids.house.gov/
infoUSA
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/
Children’s Books and Web Sites About the U.S. Government
http://www.corzine.senate.gov/reference/bibliography/kids/kids.htm

The last big content area, and the one that first comes to mind when folks hear the words “social studies,” is history. I would need several more pages just to list all the great sites that are out there for the study of history. Since I can’t possibly do this area justice, let’s start by focusing on some comprehensive sites and those that offer quick “today in history” facts.

Kidipede: History for Kids
http://www.historyforkids.org/
Browse the World at Mr.Dowling.com
http://www.mrdowling.com/index.html
BBC History for Kids
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/
BBC Ancient History
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/
America’s Story
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi
Freedom: A History of US
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/index.html
The History Channel: This Day in History
http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=leadstory
Infoplease: This Day in History
http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Now that you have reviewed varied topics within the social studies, it’s probably time to find a lesson plan. Here are some sites that offer a wide range of lessons and activity ideas.

Educator’s Desk Reference: Social Studies Lesson Plans
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Social_Studies
Academy Curriculum Exchange: K-5 Social Studies
http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/elem.html
UEN Resources: K-2 Core Lesson Plans (Scroll to content to find social studies lessons.)
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/LPview.cgi?core=1209
UEN Resources: 3-6 Social Studies Lessons
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/LPview.cgi?core=4

So, your lessons are planned and you have all your resources ready. How are you going to assess student learning? Here are some sites with ideas for evaluating student work, developing rubrics, and more.

Social Studies: Classroom Based Assessment
http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/socialstudies/default.aspx
Authentic Assessment of Social Studies
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MI_Auth_12350_7.AssmtMan.pdf
Alternative Assessments in Geography
http://www.coe.ilstu.edu/iga/interact/index.htm

Are you interested in making a home-school connection? Here are some resources to involve parents.

Early Childhood: Where Learning Begins – Geography
 http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Geography/index.html
Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen
 http://www.ed.gov/print/parents/academic/help/citizen/index.html
Helping Your Child Learn Geography
 http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Geography/index.html
Helping Your Child Learn History
 http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/History/index.html
How to Help Children Become Geographically Literate
 http://ccge.org/programs/geoliteracy/docs/children_geographically_literate.pdf
Parents Helping Children Learn Social Studies
 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Parents_Helping_Students_12344_7.pdf

By now you should realize that there are so many resources on the web for social studies, that I can’t possibly include them all here. I hope this tour helped you find some resources you can use and excited you about the possibilities of using online resources for both planning and delivering instruction.

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Elementary Math on the Web – Guided Tour

Posted on May 19, 2008 by Tricia

Are you looking for great resources to help you plan and deliver math instruction at the elementary level? Boy, do I have the sites for you! Sit back, relax, and take this guided tour of some great places to start planning for next year. Turn up the volume on your computer so you don’t miss the audio portion many of these sites contain. Are you ready? LET’S GO!

Why don’t we start with terms. Vocabulary can be a big problem for both students and teachers. Let’s look at a great site for math vocab. This site is has resources for grades K-6. Select your grade level and check out a few terms. Don’t forget to click the speaker when you see it!

Harcourt Multimedia Math Glossary
http://www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/math2/index_temp.html

While we’re looking at resources from textbook publishers, let’s visit the Houghton Mifflin site. Select your grade level and check out all the resources available to you. You will find background information, reproducible vocabulary cards, teaching tools, leveled practice materials, resources for math investigations and math at home, connections to Weekly Reader magazine, and more! DON’T MISS the Teaching Models. The overview section provides background on the topic, while the actual model is available for your kids.

Houghton Mifflin Math
http://www.eduplace.com/math/mw/

Here’s one more site from a textbook company. Take a look at the Math Advantage site by Harcourt. Click on your grade level and then click on the Parent and Teacher View link. This will take you to a page of online learning activities (dare I say games?) with annotations describing each one.

Harcourt School Publishers – The Learning Site
http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/l_math.html

Let’s move on to manipulatives. You’ve used them in the classroom, now try them online. Here are a few sites with interfaces that allow kids to work with familiar materials like base-10 blocks, pattern blocks, tangrams, and more. These are sites that require some experimentation and patience. You need to learn HOW to use them before you plan lessons for students. Some have instructions and help menus for teachers, while others do not. Take a look at these and see what think.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html
NCTM Illuminations Tool (searchable index)
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx
Educational JAVA Programs in Math
http://www.arcytech.org/java/
Harcourt Brace E-Lab Sample Activities (activities begin at grade 3)
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/elab2004/index_2004.html

For those of you teaching early grades, math centers can be an efficient way to allow students to explore mathematical concepts. Here are some terrific sites with a wealth of ideas and reproducibles for math instruction that is more self-directed.

CanTeach Math: A List of Ideas for Math Centres
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/mathcentres.html
Math Tub Fun
http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/MathTubs.html
Math Tubs (Hubbard’s Cupboard)
http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/math_tubs.html
Math Tubs (Ms. Powell)
http://www.mspowell.com/otherwebpages/centerpics6.htm
Mrs. Meacham’s Math Tubs
http://www.jmeacham.com/math/math.tubs.htm

Graphing every day is a great way to get kids thinking mathematically. Here are some great resources for expanding your use of graphs in the classroom.

Graphs Galore
http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/160

Are you looking for a good book to use during your math lesson? Here are some great sites to help you find titles that work for different topics in math. Start your search with one of these searchable databases of children’s books. Enter a keyword and see what comes up. (Be careful entering keywords in the first database, as you are limited to 10 characters!)

Children’s Picture Book Database
http://www.lib.muohio.edu/pictbks/
Database of Award Winning Children’s Literature
http://www.dawcl.com/search.asp
Connections: Connecting Books to the Virginia SOLs
http://itweb.fcps.edu/connections/index.cfm

You can also find a wealth of ideas for integrating children’s literature into math at these sites.

Connecting Math and Children’s Literature
http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/20
Thematic Book Lists for Math
http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/math-book-lists

Do you want a ready-made lesson plan to go with your book selection? Visit this site to find just that! You can select books by grade level or mathematical strand.

S.M.A.R.T. Books
http://www.k-state.edu/smartbooks/index.html

Scholastic has some terrific sites for both kids and teachers. Let’s start with the sites for students. Explore some of these great resources for your class!

Max’s Math Adventures (K-2)
http://teacher.scholastic.com/max/
Math Maven’s Mysteries (3-5)
http://teacher.scholastic.com/maven/

Now that you’ve seen some stuff for the kids, take a look at what Scholastic has for teachers!

Teacher Tools (FREE flash card factory, rubric maker, calendar, home page builder, and more!)
http://teacher.scholastic.com/tools/
Lesson Plan Database (searchable)
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplans.jsp

Here are some additional sites that offer searchable databases or extensive lists of math lesson plans.

PBS TeacherSource: Math
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/math/
NCTM Illuminations Lesson Plans
http://illuminations.nctm.org/Lessons.aspx
UEN Resources: K-2 Core Lesson Plans (Scroll to find math lessons.)
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/LPview.cgi?core=1209
UEN Resources: 3-6 Math Lesson Plans
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/LPview.cgi?core=2

So, your lessons are planned and you have all your resources ready. How are you going to assess student learning? Here are some sites with ideas for evaluating student work, developing rubrics, and more.

Math Performance Assessment Tasks
http://www.esd112.org/smerc/mpat_detail.cfm
 Balance Assessment in Mathematics
http://balancedassessment.concord.org/
K-5 Mathematics Assessment
http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/resources/math/assessment.html

For those of you looking for resources to differentiate instruction, or for those of you working with students exhibiting forms of dyscalculia, here are some sites you may find helpful.

Meeting the Needs of Gifted Students: Differentiating Mathematics and Science Instruction
http://www.nwrel.org/msec/images/resources/justgood/12.99.pdf
Mathematics and Science Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities
http://www.nwrel.org/msec/images/resources/justgood/09.99.pdf
Teaching Mathematics and Science to English Language Learners
 http://www.nwrel.org/msec/images/resources/justgood/11.99.pdf
Math Graphic Organizers for Students with Disabilities
http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/mathgraphicorganizers.asp
MathVIDS
http://fcit.usf.edu/mathvids/
Dyscalculia.com
http://www.dyscalculia.org/
LD Online: Math
http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/math
TeachingLD: Teaching How-to’s: Math
http://www.dldcec.org/teaching_how-tos/math/default.htm
The Resource Room – Math
http://www.resourceroom.net/math/index.asp

Are you interested in making a home-school connection? Here are some resources to involve parents.

Early Childhood: Where Learning Begins – Mathematics
 http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EarlyMath/title.html
Engaging Families in Mathematics and Science Education
 http://www.nwrel.org/msec/images/resources/justgood/06.98.pdf
Helping Your Child Learn Math
 http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/index.html
Math @ Home
 http://educ.queensu.ca/~fmc/
Math Activities to Do With Your Children
 http://www.learner.org/catalog/resources/activities/content/mact01.html
Top Ten Ways to Help Your Kids Do Well in Math
http://school.familyeducation.com/math/parenting/38812.html?yf_kids

By now you should realize that there are so many resources on the web for math, that I can’t possibly include them all here. I hope this tour helped you find some resources you can use and excited you about the possibilities of using online resources for both planning and delivering instruction.

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Nonfiction Monday – The Planet Hunter

Posted on April 28, 2008 by Tricia

planet.jpg

The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto, written by Elizabeth Rusch and illustrated by Guy Francis, is a nonfiction picture book that introduces readers to Mike Brown, the astronomer whose discoveries led to the reclassification of Pluto.

We first meet Mike as a young boy. He is wearing a homemade space helmet on his head, dancing in mud puddles he created to mimic the way craters are made on the moon. (You can view an excerpt of this page.) We learn that he grew up in Hunstville, Alabama, home of the Marshall Space Flight Center, and that his fascination with astronomy carried him through childhood and into his adult career. He approached the study of the heavens systematically, as described in this excerpt.

Mike remembered how as a kid, he was always losing his sneakers. The only way he could be sure to find them was to start at one end of the house and search room by room.

“That’s the way to find a planet,” he said.

Using an old telescope, Mike began searching the sky, section by section.

Mike and a fellow astronomer made a bet, in which Mike suggested that someone would find a new planet within four years. He set about the task of searching in an effort to make sure that someone was him. The book goes on to describe how Mike searched for objects in the sky. Finally, five days after losing the bet, he found an object he hadn’t seen before. He pointed as many telescopes as he could at the object he named Eris. Ultimately, photos from the Hubble Telescope confirmed he had found something that was bigger than Pluto!

This discovery led astronomers to rethink the definition of a planet. At an international meeting of astronomers, a planet was defined as “a body that circles the sun. It is large enough to be round. And it orbits alone, far from anything else its size.” This redefinition meant that Mike’s discovery was not a planet, and now, neither was Pluto.

This is a terrifically interesting biography that provides scientific information in an accessible way for young readers. In addition to the story of Mike Brown, throughout the book there are interesting facts and informational tidbits “bubbled” into the corners of the pages. The book also contains a pull-out poster of the solar system (newly reconfigured), with information about dwarf planets, the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. Overall, I found this to be an informative and thoroughly engaging book. I highly recommend it.

Book: The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto
Author: Elizabeth Rusch
Illustrator: Guy Francis
Publisher: Rising Moon
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 32 pages
Grades: 4-8
ISBN: 978-0873589260
Source of Book: Review copy received from TEOTF.

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.

For those of you interested in learning more about the ideas presented in this book, check out these resources.

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Measurement Podcast – Counting on Frank

Posted on April 25, 2008 by Tricia

frank.jpg

In this podcast, Kelsey Rdzanek introduces listeners to the book Counting on Frank, written and illustrated by Rod Clement.

Introduction
I selected Counting on Frank because it was very creative and included amazing facts that I thought kids would be interested in. For example, how many blue whales would fit into a house and how long a line a pen could draw until it ran out of ink. This book can be used for teaching about measurement and ratios, as well as topics like addition or subtraction.

Related Books
Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

More Information
Look at this sample performance assessment where students read Counting on Frank and then wrote a letter to the author commenting on at least one example of the mathematical claims made.
Try this NCTM lesson on volume that is based on the book.
Here is a series of lessons on estimation that are based on the book.
Here is a short video introduction to Counting on Frank. It also includes a handout on estimation.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Measurement Podcast – How Big is a Foot?

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Tricia

foot.JPG

In this podcast, Megan Ney introduces listeners to the book How Big is a Foot?, written and illustrated by Rolf Myller.

Introduction
How big is a foot? This is a good question, and an important one. When a King wants to have a bed built for his Queen, he proceeds to walk around her and gives the measurements in feet. However, when the apprentice uses foot measurements to build the bed, things don’t turn out as everyone would have hoped. Thrown into jail for making a bed that is too small, the apprentice must solve the puzzling question of why his bed didn’t measure up.

Related Books
Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy
Twelve Snails to One Lizard: A Tale of Mischief and Measurement by Susan Hightower

More Information
Try this lesson using the book that includes a reader’s theater script.
NCTM also has a measurement lesson based on the book.
Follow this outline for a computer (Excel) graphing lesson based on the book.
Here’s a great chapter of information on nonstandard measurement.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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