Informational Text:

Part One:

Montgomery, S., & Bishop, N. (2006). Quest for the tree kangaroo: An expedition to the cloud forest of New Guinea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Informational / 3rd+

Part Two:

Don’t judge this book by its cover, and don’t let the term informational text scare you away! The way the book tells a story rather than just giving facts had me intrigued. The fact that the pictures were so informative had me amazed! This book is a great read and wish other informational text could be as entertaining! I love how she builds the story up by starting with the location. It really gives the reader a sense of valid information. This book takes you on an adventure literally describing materials needed as well as maps and landmarks.

Part Three:

When discussing informational text, you as the reader, really need trust the source, it shouldn’t have you wondering its validity. This book never has you questioning. It has a very descriptive narrative that captures this animal in its habitat. Before this book I had never heard of a tree Kangaroo nor have I really explored the island of Papua New Guinea. I got a lot of out this book, more than just the title would imply.

Part Four:

Exploring the island of Papua New Guinea! As a class I would have us explore this island through a variety of approaches, like with technology, informational texts, and images. Towards the end of the lesson I would have students pick any region from New Guinea, explore it and research one animal they found unique.

Objective: Students will explore Papua New Guinea, and research one animal that inhabits it.

Questions:

Have you ever heard of a tree kangaroo?

Where do they like to live and why?

Why is it important to care for the environment and its habitats?

Activities:

https://www.kidsalive.org/where-we-work/papua-new-guinea/

http://www.bioexpedition.com/tree-kangaroo/

http://www.mapsofworld.com/papua-new-guinea/

YA Books

Part One:

Cormier, R., & Pantheon Books. (1974). The chocolate war: A novel. New York: Pantheon Books.

Young Adult / + 14yrs

Part Two:

I would not be lying when I say I did not care for this book. It was based around bullying to me and some of the mischief was just up front wrong! I wouldn’t be surprised with this book being a challenged book. The author overall did a great job with plot and setting. When I first started reading I was very interested but as the kids starting getting meaner I became uninterested. My predictions were wrong, because I thought this book would keep me entertained. Although I did like the message of disturbing the universe and not giving into the peer pressure, although I just couldn’t get over the poor tormenting.

Part Three:

Although the book itself wasn’t about chocolate per say, but rather about what the chocolate represented. I give the author credit for making a mind twisting book. The chocolate alone represent so much but not for them being chocolate. For some it stood against conformity, and standing up for oneself, but to others it showed defiance and lack of respect. Something else I liked, well hated but the fact that the author could make me hate this character is in itself showing his literary capabilities, was the character Archie. He was the mastermind behind all the mischief. He was the ring leader of the Vigils! He didn’t even bother with physically bullying kids he would just find ways to make their life a living hell.

Part Four:

I suppose this book would be fine for reading aloud within the class given the students are old enough. The fact that it touches on bullying and peer pressure make it a great book to bring about such issues. I could have students write five ways they have seen bullying and five ways they have seen peer pressure both from their personal experiences and from within this story, and then I want students to write what they should do given the circumstance.

Objective: students will create a list of  10 different cases of bullying(5)/peer pressure(5) they have personally seen and from within the book. Students will then provide an appropriate reaction to each ten circumstances.

Questions:

Have you ever been bullied? How did it make you feel?

What should you do when you see someone being bullied?

Do you have to do what your friends are doing? Or do you have a choice?

http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/bullies.html?WT.ac=t-ra

http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED454532

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/high-school-english-lessons/120618-the-chocolate-war-and-the-american-constitution-lesson-plan/

Graphic Novel

Part One:

Kibuishi, K. (2004) Amulet: The Stonekeeper . Graphix

Graphic novel : 2nd-5th grade

Part Two:

Surprisingly I really enjoyed this book but was disappointed when I reached the end only to be left in suspense. It was a series book which are very addicting reads which is all good. The opening of this book was a bit of a shock as well. With the father dying in the very beginning it already gave me emotions and attachment to the family. The book thus far (book one) is about this littler girl and saving her family. She gets this amulet necklace that has powers, as she reads a passage from a book. These animated characters like talkin robots and mystical creatures appear and help her along the way. Very suspenseful.

Past Three:

Well this book was a graphic novel and I didn’t realize how much the visual arts in this context really speak to you. Visual literacy can really be gained through reading graphic novels. The story was actually really entertaining and I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was easy to follow with and I didn’t feel lost.

Part Four:

I would have students create a graphic novel for the class. As a class we would figure out a story line and plot, and each student would create a page. Objective: After reading the Amulet students will collaborate to create a graphic novel.

http://www.scholastic.com/Graphix/createcomic.htm?theme=amulet

https://www.theartofed.com/2016/08/01/2-engaging-activities-develop-students-visual-literacy/

Challenged – The Witches by: Roald Dahl

Part One:

Dahl, R., & Blake, Q. (1985). The witches. New York, N.Y.: Puffin Books.

Realistic Fiction/ Grades: 2-5 (elementary)

Part Two:

I must say I was shocked that the little boy was turned into a mouse by the witches. Although the book was told from the little boys perspective, it was his conversations with his grandma that taught us mostly about the witches before he was turned into a mouse of course. That is when the dialogues shifts as to let us in on what witches talk, sound, and even really look like without their disguises! The book was lots of fun and very entertaining.

Part Three:

The Witches was a book written from the perspective of a little boy who discovers witches are real! I love the way this book was written, it was very descriptive, I could literally imagine everything as if I was there. It was an easy read too, I know kids still enjoy this book to this day, even though it was written 33 years ago! This is a great book to read aloud to a class too, as the characters call for distinguishable voices :)I could see me incorporating this book into a read aloud with my class, and even have students help with characters! Recreating scenes from this book would be lots of fun too.

Part Four:

After reading aloud The Witches, my lesson would be for students to create summaries of what they read that day in a journal including one or more direct quotes. Then we would read aloud and see if we all agree with each others summary. After the book is complete we will pick three scenes split the class up into three groups and each group perform a skit summarizing that scene. I could then assess my students on their comprhension with the reading and their performance.

Activities:

here is a website all about Roald Dahl, students could do research on the author or find other books he has written. There are as well lesson plans, games and activities. There is as well a movie made from the book! Students can watch the movie and find similarities and differences between both plots. The last references goes into the stereotypes of books.

1)http://www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/stories/1980s/the-witches

2)http://www.vudu.com/movies/#!overview/9240/The-Witches

3)http://www.roalddahl.com/create-and-learn/teach/teach-the-stories/the-witches-lessons

4)https://www.roalddahlfans.com/students-teachers/teacher-ideas/classroom-activities/

Batchelder – The Friends by: Kazumi Yumoto

Part one:

Yumoto, K., & Hirano, C. (1998). The friends. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub. Group.

Young Adult Realistic Fiction/ 5th, 10+yrs old

Part Two:

This book was about death. Three teenage boys become friends with an older man, who they eventually find dead one day. All of them have different obstacles in their life and I feel this book brings up lots of issues and has several ways for children to connect to the story. First of all death is a hard subject to combat and talk about, but the book wasn’t primarily about death, before the old man dies he teaches the boys to find beauty in life. Another subject loosely approached is single parents and alcoholic parents. As I said all these boys are combating different issues in life so this book delicately touches all of them.

Part Three:

Personally I found the book to be enjoyable. It was much different than others I had previously read in this course. I could even relate to the book because the book starts off with these three boys whose whole world revolved around school! More School! And sports. After meeting the old man he introduces them to reality, there is life outside of school and things to find joy and beauty in.When someone in the family dies the boys suddenly become interested in this concept of death and soon after become friends with a dying old man. I think what I like about this book most was the touch with reality, life isn’t perfect, everyone has problems, people change and you just have to find joy in the small things and enjoy the company of those around you.

Part Four:

Objective: After reading the story The Friends, students will pick one character and provide three examples of how that character has changed through the book.

1)How old were the three boys when the book first started?

2) At the end of the book, which character didn’t continue school?

3) Why did the boys spy on the old man?

Resources:

https://www.enotes.com/topics/friends-kazumi-yumoto

https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/how-to-be-a-parent/communication/talk-to-kids-death/

http://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/parenthood/parenting-style/helping-kids-cope-with-change

When my name was Keoko

Part One

Park, L. S. (2004). When my name was Keoko. New York: Dell Yearling.

Historical Fiction : Elementary-Middle School

Part Two

I was surprised in how much I liked this book. I really didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I listened to an audio version, and each chapter switched off from brother to sister. I do wonder had I not of listened to the book like that would I of been able to follow as easily? If I were to read this with my class I would probably want to make sure we are keeping the characters in check, because I could see the switching off getting confusing after a while. Besides that the book was amazing. Even though the books characters were fictional, it doesn’t mean the history was. This was a great book to introduce the impact of war, the people, the crops, the education system, it really brought you into the culture of Koreans that were under Japanese rule. You could feel the fear when soldiers would do checks and then the joy when Tae-yuol was back home.

Part Three

As I had mentioned the point of view would switch from chapter to chapter, from sister to brother, mostly the sister though. The story takes place in Korea in the 1940’s during a time when they were under the Japanese rule. The Koreans lose their culture and are forced to learn Japanese traditions. This impacted what they learned, how they learned, they even had to change their Korean names to Japanese names. I would say the theme of the book was to never forget your culture.

Part Four

When reading this book with my class I would like them to keep a reading journal and write down something new they learned from every chapter. Before the book I think it is important to discuss WWII and ask the students what their previous knowledge is. Also another approach would be to ask them about culture and what does it mean to them, how would they react to their culture being taken away? While reading the book I think it would be good to reflect back on the previous questions, and see if the students are making connections. At the end of the book I would like students to name who they identified the most with, if any and why. I could connect this book to almost any disicpline from social studies to art. I think my objective would be for students to develop universal values and behaviors necessary for promoting a culture of peace.

1. How do roles for boys and girls differ in this time and place?
2. How do Sun-hee and her family secretly preserve their culture? Why is this so important to them?
3. Why do you think the author chose to use young adults to narrate instead of adults?

https://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780440419440.pdf

http://www.echo-korea.org/jml/news/27-book-review-with-questions-when-my-name-was-keoko

http://www.bmionline.com/files/samples/S3796-sample.pdf

Caldecott : The Little House

Part One

Burton, V. L. (1942). The little house. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Classic; K-2

Part Two

I personally have never read this book before, that I can recall. However, I can totally relate to it. I didn’t know where the book was going to go in the beginning, I assumed it would just be about a kid growing old in the house, but that was not the case entirely. The book had several messages, some were ancient like to be careful what you wish for, and others are more current like how fast we change. I agree that we are losing our connection with nature when we live in a world today full of technology and touch screens. We are surrounded by city lights that obscure our view of the glorious night sky. We level forest and natural vegetation to build parking structures and gas stations. When reading this book to children I could get them engaged by bringing their personal life into the story, like with some of their experiences with nature and the city. I could have them start to notice open fields or construction zones. Perhaps even recall when a store was being built.

Part Three

This picture book was actually a very touching book. The pictures told the story, I literally could have just looked at the pictures and understood what was going on. The illustrations were lines with some color and cross stitching. The text simply told the story but the pictures gave the details. It started off with the once upon a time opening sentence and had a happy ending as well. Definitely a classic!!

 Part Four:

This is a great book for a read aloud as you can really get everyone to work on their visual literacy. I would read the book aloud without showing them any pictures and ask them what they envisioned and what they remembered about the plot. Then I would read the book again this time focusing on all the imagery and then ask what they remembered and if their envisions/predictions about the images were correct.

Objective: Students will be read the story and make predictions on the imagery.

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/urban-sprawl/

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/lesson-plans-grades-1-2/19582-the-little-house-lesson-plan-for-kindergarten-to-3rd-grade/

http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-learning-toolkit/visual-literacy-through-childrens-picture-books

Touchstone

Part One:

Young, E. Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood story from China. New York: Philomel Books, 1989.

-Fables, Folklore, & Myths K-2

Yolen, J., Owl moon, Schoenherr, J., New York : Philomel Books, 1987.

-Fables, Folklore, & Myths K-2,

The true story of the 3 little pigs, Smith, L. New York, N.Y., U.S.A. : Viking Kestrel, 1989.

-Fables, Folklore, & Myths K-2

Part Two:

With the book Lon Po Po, I was expecting a similar story to little red riding hood. It was similar but yet so different. The culture really shines through not only in the words but through the colorful pictures. I could easier ask my students questions while reading the book even if the questions are about the pictures. With the book Owl moon, there was a different tone then I expected. The book was a mellow read, it was very calming and I didn’t expect that. I had expected the book to be about owl eyes or a pet owl. With the book the true story of the 3 little pigs, I was amused. The book was actually funny and catchy and it totally came from the wolves perspective rather than the three little pigs. I liked the story because the pigs get eaten, I know that sounds horrible but it’s true.

Part Three:

For the book Lon Po Po, overall I thought it was a great book. The style used for the images were watercolor and lines. It was an open page spread and was constructed in a way that the text is compatible with the images, they go together. For the book Owl moon, I believe it was watercolor as well with line. The images in this book were actually really cool because it takes place at night time so there is only the moon light lighting up the night. The snow is bright white almost blue. It really makes you feel like you are in the middle of the story trying to be quit with the child as they go owl calling. It was written in the child’s point of view, shes describes everything she sees, feels and thinks. As for the book the about the true story of the 3 little pigs, the pictures were bright and playful. The book is written from the wolves point of view so it lets you into his head.

Part Four:

Objective: After reading any of the three pictures books mentioned above, students will be able to create an alternate ending with pictures to one of the stories within 10 minutes.

Activity:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/lon-po-po-chinese-fairy-tale-lesson-plan

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/true-story-3-little-pigs-extension-activities

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/owl-moon-extension-activities