The Baby-Sitters Club, Kristy's Great Idea - By: Ann M. Martin - Graphic Novel

Babysitters Club Glogster

I would use the Babysitters Club book with literature groups in my elementary classroom. This book is great for young girls who can relate to the lives of the characters. After reading the book, I could get my students to create their own babysitting add like this one, using Glogster.

Yours For Justice, Ida B. Wells - By: Philip Dray - Nonfiction Biography

Ida B. Wells was born as a slave in Mississippi during the Civil War in 1862. Just like her dad, she grew up to be courageous and fight for her rights. Ida’s parents died when she was only sixteen years old. At this time, she was forced to grow up and support her family. She became a teacher who taught her students about equal rights and the negative effects of Jim Crow Laws. Soon Ida became an editor of a newspaper in Memphis. Throughout the rest of her life she wrote in several different newspapers and made speeches to inform American citizens about discriminating laws. Ida had many challenges throughout her life but persevered to encourage many people.

In my class, I would have the students research more information about the Jim Crow Laws, which mandated segregation in the United States for several years. I would have the students relate to the time period that these laws were enforced. They would individually create a letter protesting these laws. There letters would need to include details about what these laws are and why these show be changed. The students would get into small groups and share their letters. Together, they would create a presentation fighting the Jim Crow Laws and present to the class. For their presentation the students can use many different resources including but not limited to; posters, Powerpoints, Globsters, Woordles, and Flip videos.

Tornadoes - By: Gail Gibbons - Non-Fiction

            Tornadoes come from cumulous nimbus clouds. These clouds are made up of warm air that rises and falls.  This constant up draft and down draft comes together and starts to spin. The more it spins, the faster it moves sucking up more and more air. If this touches the ground, a tornado is born.  Tornado strength is calculated on the Fujita Tornado Scale ranging from F0- F5 depending on wind speed.  A tornado moving 65 miles per hour is considered an F0, which has little damage. A tornado can move over 200 miles per hour, classified as a F5, and can destroy everything in its path.

                This book would be great to use during a science lesson on weather. After reading this book with the class, I would have the students make a brochure about tornado safety. Some safety tips are listed in the back of this book and more could be found through research.  This brochure should instruct someone on exactly what to do if a tornado was coming their way. It will also inform them on the Fujita Tornado Scale and the national weather service.  

Martin Luther King Jr. A Picture Story - By: Margaret Jones - Biography Non- Fiction

Martin Luther King Jr. lived a short life fighting for equal rights as a leader of the African American civil rights movement. This book is a biography of King’s life from childhood until his death in 1968. Throughout King’s life, he was a great man who never gave up on his dreams.  In 1964 he won the Nobel Prize for his great works. From this book, kids will learn how king taught people to love, to be honest, and to work hard. Martin Luther King Jr. has encouraged many people to chase their dreams and to never give up.

After reading this book with my students, I would have them research Martin Luther King Jr. life in depth. They would then create a Glogster (http://www.glogster.com/) on King’s life. In this Glogster, they would be required to create a timeline outlining the major events in his life. They would also have to summarize one of King’s speeches, including where and when it took place. When completed, the students will share their Glogster with the class.

Rules - By:Cynthia Lord - Realistic Fiction

When you have a brother with autism, it’s hard to feel like a normal kid. This is what Catherine, a twelve year old girl from Maine, believes about her life.  She thinks that her life and the life of her family is centered around her younger brother’s disability. Catherine spends hours every week creating rules for David to follow and reminding him of these rules. If he follows her rules, it will save her a little embarrassment. But the summer Catherine meets two new friends, Jason and Kristi, everything changes. This summer Catherine questions what “normal” really means.

                After reading this book with my class, I would have my students write a journal entry or a paper on the following question. Have you ever felt like your life is not normal? If possible, I want the students to relate the Catherine with their own personal experiences. If not, I want the students to put themselves in Catherine’s shoes. How would you feel if your life was like Catherine’s life?  After students write, the class would collaborate on what Catherine learned in this book. What changed her mind about her life and her brother David?

Pink and Say - By: Patricia Polacco - Historical Fiction

During the Civil War, Pinkus Aylee came around at the perfect time to save Sheldon Curtis. Sheldon, a white soldier, had been shot in the leg at war. Pinkus, an African American soldier found him in the ditch.  Pinkus carried Sheldon to his house where he and his mother took care of Sheldon for days. During this time, Sheldon learned much about Pinkus’s family history as slaves. He learned how Pinkus is mistreated even by other union soldiers because of his skin color. Sheldon and Pinkus become great friends and Sheldon was encouraged by Pinkus’ bravery and persistence.

                I would introduce this book to my class during the Civil War unit in social studies. After reading the book together, I would have the students meet with a partner and list all situations when Pinkus was treated unfairly just because of his skin color. Students would share their list with the class and I would write these on the board for the class to see. The class would have a discussion on how it was wrong for Pinkus to be treated this way. Next, I would get the students to sit in small groups and discuss times that they have been treated poorly. Then the groups would come up with one solution that the class could implement to make everyone feel equal. These ideas would be written on poster paper and hung around the room.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes - by: Eleanor Coerr and Ed Young - International Literature

This is a short summary of Sadako created at Animoto.com. This would be a great way for students to share the books that they read with the class!

Sadako Animoto Video

No Talking - By: Andrew Clements - Realistic Fiction

At Laketon Elementary School, the fifth grade girls and boys love to talk and have been called, “the unhushables.”  One day after Dave Packer reads about Mahatma Gandhi, a man who would go a whole day without talking to bring order to his mind, Dave starts his own challenge. He wants to go one day without talking, even at school.  Soon Dave shares his idea with fifth grader, Lynsey Burgess, who he thinks cannot go 5 minutes without talking. She believes it’s the boys who cannot talk. Dave and Lynsey make a bet between all fifth grade boys and girls. They will all go two days without talking! They can only respond to teachers with 3 word sentences and they cannot talk any at home. They will count points for every extra word said by any fifth grader. The challenge is on to see who can keep quiet!  

After reading this book with my students, I would challenge them to try one of Mr. Burton’s experiments from the novel. I would have the classroom create their own story together using only three word sentences. The children would get into a large circle and take turns (one by one) adding on to the story, each student saying only 3 words. After this, we would have a classroom discussion about the difficulties, benefits, and challenges of this activity.