No Talking

Who can be the quietest..boys or girls?

Dave is a member of the noisy, fifth grade classroom known as the Unshushables. While the rest of his classmates battle with the urge to talk continuously throughout the day Dave is intrigued by vowing one day a week to silence. His is inspired after reading about Gandhi and pledges that from now on he will dedicate a day each week to complete silence. If only Lynsey, the leader of the girls, would stay out of his way the argument in the lunchroom would have never started but in breaking his vow he must do something. This is where there bet is born. No talking will be advised for the next two days. The contest is to see who can talk less, boys or girls? Who will be the winner?

Websites

• "Author Andrew Clements is a genius. Like this one, his books are short, easy to read, and ear-to-ear-grinningly delightful. They have no villains, sex, violence, drugs, or off-color language or humor. And they are thought-provoking, funny, often moving, deeply wise, and diamond-sharp in their clarity and understanding of the world of middle-grade children." According to this testimony, checking out some of Andrew Clements other novels may be a worthwhile experience for your class. Start the search with his website.
• This guide also provides so ideas for great discussion questions and activities for you class to partake in after they have read No Talking.

Vocabulary

Students may find some of the following terms unfamiliar. Increase their understanding to foster comprehension by creating a No Talking word wall in your classroom.

• chaos
• discrimination
• hesitation
• immature
• inventive
• keen
• logical
• precise
• revolt
• solitary
• tolerance
• truce

Reading Activities

Before Reading

Create a crossword puzzle with new vocabulary words and their definitions. You may distribute photocopies to your class to be done in pairs. Once they have completed the activity, review the correct answers having them self-correct their mistakes in order for them to recognize the appropriate definitions later.

During Reading

During any sort of reading we constantly find ourselves creating vivid mental images through our own interpretations of what is happening within the story. Review with students the importance of such images. Then ask them to recreate the chapter that they are reading souly with illustrations, no words. This continues with the idea of no talking in addition to assessing their comprehension.

After Reading

The inspiration for no talking in this story comes from Mahatma Gandhi. Have students research Gandhi and other historical figures after having read this book. Once their research is complete have each student impersonate the figure that they have chosen, reflecting particularly upon something that they had done in their lifetime which students may find inspiring.

Kira Kira

"Kira-kira means "glittering" in Japanese. Lynne told me that when I was a baby, she used to tale me unto our empty road at night, where we would lie on our backs and look at the stars while she said over and over, "Katie, say 'kira-kira, kira-kira.'"

Katie will always see her older sister Lynn as her guardian and her best friend. However, this quickly changes when Katie's family's Oriental market goes out of business and they must move to Georgia to live with their Uncle. Katie is very apprehensive about her new home. She struggles to become acclimated in a school where she is the only Japanese-American student in her class. When she looks to her older sister for help and support she finds that Lynn is too busy with her new friend Amber and their newly found interest in boys. Instead of spending time with Katie like she used to Lynn often leaves her behind to entertain various adventures with children her own age. Eventually, Katie finds a friend in Silly Kilgore, a girl whose mother who works at the same plant as Katie's. But Katie doesn't forget Lynn. What will happen to their relationship?

Websites

• Yet again Carol Hurst is able to offer some ideas on what we as teachers may wish to enhance our students' learning as they read the novel Kira Kira. Refer to this website for ideas on what to focus on when reading and whole class activities.
• Students may also find it beneficial to learn about author Cynthia Kadohata. Is her story based upon some of her own personal experiences? 

Vocabulary

The vocabulary in this novel reflects the fact that the content is intended for students in upper elementary and beyond. Some of the terms a teacher may wish to review are:

•  anemia
• antebellum
• apprehensive
• authenticity
• boisterous
• capitalistic
• emerged
• eulogy
• exasperated
• femininity
• lopsided
• melodramatic
• obstinate
• restrained
• shunned
• traction
• unabashedly

Reading Activities

Before Reading

Introduce the novel by focusing on the aspect that Katie is apprehensive about moving to a new place. Students can write about what they might feel and if they have had any similar experiences themselves. What do you think might be the most diificult part of leaving a familiar place behind? You can post their responses on a classroom bulletin board in order for them to be shared with the classroom community.

During Reading

One of the vocabulary words listed above is eulogy. As students read about Lynn's death they might think who would they want to read their eulogy. Why would this person be suitable? What would you hope they would speak about?

After Reading

Katie's family is Japanese-American. Learning about their culture can help students be more open to diversity. Assist your students in conducting some research on other cultures that are now present in the United States. Why is it important that we be accepting of these people? How does our nation benefit from all of the diversity?

A Year Down Yonder

"Mary Alice is less than thrilled with the arrangement. Grandma's hickville farming community couldn't be more different from Chicago if it tried.."

When her father loses his job, life in Chicago isn't at all what it used to be for young Mary-Alice. The Great Depression has brought a negativity to the city unlike anything she has ever seen. Her parents decide it is best for her to move down South with Grandma Dowdel until they can return things back to normal. Hesitant to Grandma's ways Mary-Alice wants nothing to do with the idea but leaves Chicago to satisfy the wants of her parents. However, after a while she learns that living with Grandma sure has its benefits.

Websites

• When looking for ways to enhance the learning associated with reading A Year Down Yonder, teachers may consult this website. It offers ideas on how to incorporate this subject into other content areas and gives ideas for activities you might do in your own classroom. You may also wish to share some of the commentary from the author with your class
• An author study gives in depth information about the author's life. Students can learn about the ways in which he is just like anyone else and perhaps the motivation behind the majority of his stories.

Vocabulary

As I read I found a whole bunch of higher level vocabulary. Here is a list of terms that you may wish to review with your students before or as they are reading the story.

• antimacassar
• aristocracy
• bias
• confederate
• dervish
• forage
• forlorn
• invocation
• jonquil
• privy
• rapscallion
• repertoire
• variegated

Reading Activities

Before Reading

Give students a copy of the book. Have them look at the cover, the summary given of the book and perhaps the chapters. How much can they uncover about the book in doing this? What do they feel this book might be about?

During Reading

While reading A Year Down Yonder show your students some of Dorothea Lange's photographs from the Great Depression. Have them write a short essay on how it might have felt to live during that time. How do the pictures help them to sculpt this understanding?

After Reading

Once you have completed the story, pose this question to your class. Grandma Dowdel never seems to shows affection. How do you know that she loves her grandchildren? Have them write in depth answers comparing Grandma Dowdel to someone that they might know. They can also illustrate their answers with a depiction of how they envision Grandma.

Our Only May Amelia

"She's a pack of trouble but she's the only May we've got."

May Amelia is a stubborn country girl surrounded each day by her seven brothers. No matter how hard her elders try to make her realize the importance of becoming a Proper Young Lady she is not in the least bit interested. But when Mama gets pregnant and is awaiting a new baby, May can only hope for another girl. Until then she will have to continue exhibiting her tom-boy personality even though it causes all sorts of trouble.

Websites

• This interview can help you to share a little bit about the author with your students. It includes some of the motivations for her work as well as some of the other novels and short stories she has written.
• Our Only May Amelia is a Newbery honor book. You may show your students the Newbery Honor website to explain to them what such an award is about and to show them books that received the same award.

Vocabulary

There are many new words throughout this story for students to grapple with. I discovered this list as I read, deciding that they might be difficult terms for elementary students.

• gill netting
• Chinook
• mutton
• banish
• frail
• sauna
• veranda
• conspire
• gallivanting
• shanghaied

Reading Activities

Before Reading

Give students the vocabulary list above. For a homework assignment have them go home and define each of the terms using a dictionary and what they feel the words mean based on prior knowledge. The following day have students read their definitions aloud to the rest of the class and create a classroom definition based upon similarities.

During Reading

Throughout different passages in the book the author uses capital letters to highlight salient text. Ask students why they feel the author may have capitalized these passages. What is there importance to the plot scheme and the events that are occurring in that particular part of the story? Does this only happen when someone of authority is speaking to May? As they come up with the answers to these questions have them share their reasoning with the class.

After Reading

Have the students write a letter to the author of the story. Through this activity they can raise any questions they have about the author's life, the story or even commend the author for creating an enjoyable novel. You may then send these letters to Jennifer Holm through the email provided on her website and await an answer with the rest of the class.

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy is full of laugh-out-loud humor and wonderful characters, hitting the high notes of jazz and sounding the deeper tones of the Great Depression."

Living his childhood in the orphanage Bud is not so eager to move away from what he sees as home and live with the Amos family. As he moves in he finds that his gut feeling was right. Days in the Amos household are filled with nothing more than tormenting from his twelve-year old foster brother, Todd. When Bud begins getting punished for things he did not do he finds that it is only in his best interest to run away. He wishes to go in search of his father. Little does he know there is a whole big world outside the Amos family's home. Is he ready for the challenge?

Websites

• This website offers a list of a variety of books that all carry the similar topic of the Great Depression. If students enjoy reading about this historical event in Bud, Not Buddy you may suggest some of the other texts listed here.
• Perhaps you may also wish to show your students the author's web page. This provides them an opportunity to learn more about the author and other books they may have written.

Vocabulary

For this story we may focus on learning vocabulary through asking key questions.

• What is a Hooverville?
• Why are some of the people in the story skinny and raggedy?
• What may it be like to live in poverty?

This encourages students to use context clues and look for meaning.

Reading Activities

Before Reading

On the cover of the book we find a pair of Jazz musicians. Have students in your class research the importance of jazz during the Great Depression era. Who were some of the famous musicians? What did jazz do to help the people? This encourages them to use resources such as the Internet, encyclopedias and other nonfiction texts. 

During Reading

While reading have students think about Bud as a character. He is most likely similar to them in age. Can they imagine struggling through some of the obstacles that he faces? How might they feel if their lifestyle was more like his? After having brainstormed, students may write a letter to Bud stressing their answers to these questions and perhaps commending him on overcoming particular moments of strife.

After Reading

Have the students in your class do a choral reading of the novel A Year Down Yonder written by Richard Peck, reading a chapter or so each day until the book is finished. How is this story similar to Bud, Not Buddy? What do each convey about the difficulties of the Great Depression.

Trouble Don't Last

"Truth is, trouble follows me like a shadow." 

For eleven year old Samuel, the main character in this story, avoiding trouble is just about impossible. Born a slave he has known nothing more than what he can see from the plantation home and what he is told by his "adoptive parents" Lilly and Harrison. He is a normal eleven year old boy, being both curious and clumsy, and that causes him to do things his Master isn't exactly fond of. When Harrison kidnaps him from the cold kitchen floor to accompany him on his journey to freedom, Samuel is extremely skeptical. It isn't until he sees all that is outside of the plantation and realizes what life without slavery just might be like that he finds no guilt in running.

Websites

• One website that might be a particularly helpful resource addresses the book, the author, some discussion questions you may use and projects to connect this reading to other content areas.
• During Samuel's time many slaves journeyed on the Underground Railroad. This website would be useful in the classroom to demonstrate for students what such a journey may be like.

Vocabulary

In looking at the vocabulary contained within this text, we may focus on how the author uses a sort of slave dialect as Samuel narrates the story. Does this use of language make the experience more real for the audience? Additionally there are some terms that may need to be discussed. Students will most likely be unfamiliar with terms such as plantation, patroller, and abolitionist.

Reading Activities

Before Reading

As a whole group have students look at the cover of the book making predictions of what the story may be about. What can they tell about who the characters may be, how the plot may progress, what the setting is and what genre in literature this may pertain to? What other books have they read that they think may be similar? As you read refer back to these predictions and see how accurately the class was able to make sense of the book by just looking at the cover.

During Reading

As we read the beginning of the story we find that Samuel is in a predicament where he has broken one the Master's dinner plates and has received a hefty punishment for his clumsiness. Have each student in the class reflect upon a time that they had been punished. What had they done wrong and in what way were they punished. Comparing this with what Samuel had done and received as punishment does it seem unfair? What does this say about the treatment of African Americans before the abolition of slavery?

After Reading

When Samuel and Harrison left the plantation that decided to leave Lilly behind. They also watched as the river man pushed Hetty Scott and all her ruffly clothes back into the river. Why does it seem as they are travelling that they leave all women behind? Have students give reasoning behind what they feel is the mentality of the men as they run. Put in the same circumstances would they have chosen to do the same?

Reaching Out

Abandoning family to attain a college education..this biography gives you insight as to why such a choice is worthwhile.

Leading a life of poverty amongst his family dedicated to migrant, Jimenez can only hope for a better future. When he is given the opportunity to attend college at Santa Clara University, Frank is quickly hesitant but after a lot of consideration accepts. Fearing he will be much unlike the rest of his classmates, he endures the drive to the university in the company of his entire family. Moving into his dormitory and meeting his roomate is one of the many obstacles he is able to overcome. Though each day comes with a new struggle he is persistent with his work and is kindly rewarded in the end.

Websites

• Continuing with the biography of his life, this website informs the eager readers about who Francisco Jimenez is today and the reasons he crafted each of the novels about his life.
• A teacher may use this website if they wish to teach about migrant workers and their presence during Jimenez's young life.

Vocabulary

Much of this biography speaks about the lifestyle of being a migrant worker and what it entails. Vocabulary such as emigration, migrant worker, poverty, border patrol, and other similar terms will help students to further understand the content.

Reading Activities

Before Reading

There are two biographical novels about Francisco Jimenez that come before Reaching Out. In the classroom it may be helpful to find these books and provide the students with a summary of the events which occurred in our characters life before this point. Explicitly teaching this and providing the class with this reference material may assist in furthering comprehension as you begin reading.

During Reading

In the beginning of the biography we experience the hardship of Francisco as he leaves his family to pursue a college education. He is sure that he will miss his family and as he settles into his dormitory he finds himself slightly homesick. Question the students about times in their life where they have found themselves to be homesick. What happened and what they do to cope with the situation? Have them make a pamphlet with a description of what it might feel like to be homesick. Inside they may offer suggestions on how to relieve such feelings and have a reflection on a personal experience and how these suggestions were successful for them.

After Reading

Having the students conduct interviews may be a successful activity to pursue when reading Reaching Out. They can approach people that they are familiar with, family or close friends, and ask them about the difficulties that they faced when attending college. What were the goals that they set for themselves? What sorts of careers were they pursuing? In addition to collecting to this information, you may ask them to write an essay which compares the situation of their interviewee to that of Francisco Jimenez.

HOLOCAUST: The Events and Their Impact on Real People

I have always been interested in the Holocaust but this book opened my eyes to things not even I knew.

There is an incredible amount of content in this book for you to share with students. It addresses what life was like for those who were discriminated long before Hitler took power and began the genocide. It also helps you to discover what life might have been like for the members of Hilter's army, a group of people that we often do not focus on. Throughout the book their are letters written in regards to the Holocaust by survivors and those involved as they reflect on their experiences and the ways in which the remarkable event impacted their lives. This nonfiction book does a great job to cover a wide range of material in way that makes it very comprehensive for all audiences.

Websites

• This resource is dedicates itself to providing all the resources necessary for teaching about the Holocaust.
• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum also does well to explain Holocaust. There is article upon article of information here that your students can use a resources to assist in their understanding.

 Vocabulary

There is a multitude of content specific vocabulary that you can teach with the use of this book in the classroom.

• Assimilation
• Aryan
• Chancellor
• Dehumanization
• Euthanasia
• Genocide
• Ghetto
• Holocaust
• Judaism
• Nationalism
• Prejudice
• Scapegoat

All these terms are relevant and may taught explicitly to those students who are struggling to form an understanding.

Reading Activities

Before Reading

Be sure that your students are aware of the terminology that is associated with the content. In doing so you may create a KWL chart where students write about what they already know in regards to the Holocaust, what they want to know, and once you have finished reading, what they have learned from the provided literature.

During Reading

Teachers may wish to make use of the DVD that is provided with this text. It can make the experience seem even more realistic for students when they are presented with the faces and conversations of the people the Holocaust had impacted. It is important the DVD is used as a conversational piece and that students are given the opportunity to speak on their reactions to what they have viewed, especially because of the emotionally heavy nature of the topic.

After Reading

Reflecting on what they have learned from this book students may be asked to write an essay which emphasizes their personal reaction to the information and demonstrates what they may have felt having been presented with a similar situation. Not only does this provide the teacher with an understanding of what their students are comprehending but also creates a situation where they can make sure their students are emotionally stable after a heavy topic.

The Arrival

In Shaun Tan's amazing graphic novel there is no need for words, the pictures can truly tell the story.

Imagining a remarkable story told entirely in pictures was a difficult concept for me to grasp. After having looked at The Arrival my mindset was changed. The intricate pictures and the fictional characters that Tan manages to create are very successful at telling the progression of events with no words to assist them. Just like any other novel, the main character is presented with the struggle of leaving his family and becoming acclimated with a new environment. In his travels he has to overcome the obstacles of a new culture, new languages and a new lifestyle. As you move from illustration to illustration you begin to craft predictions of what might happen next. But for me, the most exciting part of this novel was that in reading it, each audience has the power to craft their own story and indulge their imagination.

Websites

• After having read this description of the novel teachers would have a better understanding of just what the author intended. Because graphic novels are still a somewhat abstract concept this can help to scaffold students in looking for the meaning behind all these pictures.
• When contemplating teaching graphic novels, you may wish to read this brief article. It explains the the progression of the genre and encourages teachers with the importance of broadening their literature in the classroom.

Vocabulary

There is no vocabulary that we may consider difficult or teachable in this story because there isn't really any text. However, words such as foreign, immigration/emigration, acclimate, currency, poverty, and customs may all be taught to students as a result of the content that the images projects.

Reading Activities

Before Reading
You may wish to teach this story in connection to a history lesson about immigration/emigration. Before reading introduce students the vocabulary terms that are listed above, creating definitions for them collectively as a class. This will assist students in attaining their own personalized understanding of the topic that awaits them. If you use the dictionary to scaffold your definitions you may also encourage their use of such a resource in their day to day reading.

During Reading
As students read provide them with a photocopy of one of your favorite illustrations from the novel. As they look at the photocopy individually have them write a short response on what they believe the author is trying to tell them as the audience and why. When they finish this activity bring them together as a whole group and discuss what each student wrote about. This can demonstrate for them how each person may collect different meaning form the images as they craft the projected idea behind the story. Just remember that as you are doing these activities you must encourage that there is no wrong answer.

After Reading
When students have finished reading The Arrival bring them to the library and show them the section that is dedicated to graphic novels. Ask each student, or pairs of students, to pick a new graphic novel to read. once that task is completed have them craft a movie trailer for their book if it were to be turned into a movie. Explain to them that because their are already very concrete illustrations many graphic novels are brought to the movie screen to assist their audiences in forming more clear understandings of their intentions. Have each student or group of students present their ideas to the class.

Runny Babbit

A Billy Sook?

Shel Silverstein has always been known to me as poet who creates memorable works through the use of fun language and absurd topics. His collection of poetry Runny Babbit is a must have for the classroom. It indulges students in a creative way to craft poems. The reversal of letters also allows for a series tongue-twisted tales that will bring smiles to the faces of the audience.

Websites

• This lesson plan offered by Scholastic may be particularly helpful to the teacher who is interested in this book and many other works by Silverstein.
• Shel's website is really interactive and can be great to show your students in the classroom. It grants them the opportunity to find other books written by the same author, learn about his life, and even play fun games!

Vocabulary

We find that the for the most part the vocabulary included in Silverstein's poems is fairly simple. As a teacher you may instead speak briefly about poetry and the different genres of poetry. Perhaps addressing terms that are related and helping students to understanding that the type of writing within Runny Babbit is non-traditional.

Reading Activities

Before Reading

Before looking at Runny Babbit have students look at an excerpt from the text. An example that is often chosen by teachers is:

Way down in the green woods
Where the animals all play,
They do things and they say things
In a different sort of way—
Instead of sayin’ “purple hat.”
They all say “hurple pat.”
Instead of sayin’ “feed the cat.”
They just say “ceed the fat.”
So if you say, “Let’s bead a rook.
That’s billy as can se,
You’re talkin’ Runny Babbit talk,
Just like mim and he.(p.4 & 5).

After everyone has read through the example on their own ask your students what they find odd about this text? Discuss how Silverstein has reversed the first letter in some words to make the language unfamiliar. Together you may also wish to translate the excerpt and create your own formula for the way in which the poet comes up with such silly words.

During Reading

Assign each of your students a particular poem within the collection. Have them look at the poem as it is written by Shel Silverstein but also provide them with a copy of the poem as it may be written in "real language". Also provide them with a timer. As they read each poem have them time themselves. Which poem did they read faster? Was that poem easier to comprehend? Why is this? After the activity is completed have students shared their conclusions.

After Reading

Have the students create their own Runny Babbit poem. In doing so they will be practicing their understanding of this mixed up language and will also be creating their own poems. They can also create their own character and relate the story to something they want to do or something they have already experienced in their lives.

Because Of Winn Dixie

"Winn-Dixie is a winner!"

With the absence of her mother in her life Opal finds herself particularly lost when she and her father move to Naomi, Florida. Although Opal should be thankful her father has a job preaching for the Open Arms Baptist Church she cannot help but miss her friends back home. But her life changes when she walks into the Winn-Dixie grocery store one day only to find her new best friend.

Websites

• If your students are particularly interested in this novel you can help them to find other stories written by Kate Dicamillo by going to her personal webpage.
• This unit plan from Scholastic can help a beginning teacher to enhance learning throughout the time it takes for their class to read this novel. There are different activities included that will assist in appealing to all different modes of learning.

Vocbulary

When reading this story it is important that students have a knowledge of certain vocabulary so that they are not prevented from gathering a concrete understanding of the text. Here is a list of words that a teacher may wish to review.

• Abide
• Complicated
• Enlisted
• Furious
• Idle
• Ignorant
• Lozenge
• Melancholy
• Muttering
• Pathological
• Terrorized
• Typhoid fever

Reading Activities

Before Reading

Before reading this novel you may decide to have a whole group think aloud. Begin by reading the summary on the cover of the book and then have the students make predictions about the story and its characters according to their prior knowledge and similar texts that they have read previously.

During Reading

Each time that students read a section of their book have them complete a book log. You can create a generalized worksheet that gives them room to new characters they were introduced to, a summary of what happened in the section of text that they read and something that they found they struggled with while reading.

After Reading

As a sort of reward for your students, you may decide to watch the film Because of Winn-Dixie. You can encorporate an assignment into this by having them notice the differences between the two. Which one is better and why? Why do your students think changes were made?

Elsewhere



     "In many ways, she felt that she had been waiting for all the good things to happen: living alone, going to college, driving a car. Now Liz finally sees the truth."

I found this Nutmeg Award winning book particularly interesting because it did a great job to discuss a difficult subject for elementary age students.  In her story, author, Gabrielle Zevin, has crafted this alternate world where the main character Liz learns to cope with death at an early age. Through her visits to the Observation Decks, Liz is able to reflect on particularly salient moments that she will miss. She finds it really difficult to watch those moments pass unable to partake and form unforgettable memories. But as she spends more time with her grandmother Betty and discovers a passion for animals as she fulfills her avocation at the Division of Domestic Animals she learns that life in Elsewhere isn't so bad. 

A Little About Me....

As a student in my second semester of the Elementary Education program at Eastern Connecticut State University I have created this blog to assist myself, as well as others, to survey the many different genres of literature that are available for elementary age students today. As a project, this blog has opened my eyes to genres, authors, and titles outside of the ones that I was familiar with as a student.