Children’s Literature Notebook - keorth.wmwikis.nets+Literature+Notebook... · Tab Three – Biography/Autobiography ... Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine

Children’s Literature Notebook The College of William and Mary

Elementary Reading/Language Arts Curriculum &

Instruction (EDUC 410/412)

By Shannon Mitchell & Katherine Orth

Children’s Literature Notebook By Shannon Mitchell & Katherine Orth

Table of Contents Tab One – Fiction Picture Books The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel Phonemic Awareness/Phoneme Identity (Beginning Sounds) Snowman Bingo by Shannon Mitchell……………………………………………………...…1 How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Lang Phonics/Sight Words Crocodile Snap by Shannon Mitchell…………………………………………………..……..2 Shiver Me Letters by June Sobel Phonics/Recognizing Letter Hunt by Katherine Orth……………………………………………………………….…3 The Lorax by Dr. Seuss Comprehension/Synthesizing Reader’s Theatre by Katherine Orth…………………………………………………..………4 Tab Two – Fiction Chapter Books Ben and Me: An Astonishing Lie of Benjamin Franklin By His Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson Comprehension/Synthesizing Writing the “Lost Chapter” by Shannon Mitchell……………………………………………..5 Lucy on the Loose by Ilene Cooper Fluency/Wide Reading Student Book Club by Shannon Mitchell………………………………………………….….6 Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger Fluency/Pacing Sentence Expressions by Katherine Orth……………………………………………………….………………………………………7 Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech Vocabulary/Antonyms Antonyms by Katherine Orth………………………………………………..…………………8

Tab Three – Biography/Autobiography (chapter or picture books) Bill Peet: An Autobiography by Bill Peet Comprehension/Activating and Building Background Knowledge Student Trading Cards by Shannon Mitchell………………………………………..……….9 Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth by Jane Yolen Comprehension/Summarizing Bio-Poem by Shannon Mitchell………………………………………………………………10 Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey Writing/Word Choice Descriptive Words by Katherine Orth………………………………………………….…….11 The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank Writing/Voice; Secondary Trait: Organization Diary Writing by Katherine Orth……………………………………………………..……….12 Tab Four – Non-Fiction Picture Books A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston Vocabulary/Referencing Synonyms and antonyms Word Sorts by Shannon Mitchell………………………………13 Let’s Go! The Story of Getting from There to Here by Lizann Flatt Fluency/Expressing Sentence Sort by Shannon Mitchell…………………………………………………………14 What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page Comprehension/Predicting Animal Predictions by Katherine Orth……………………………………………………….15 Bubble Homes and Fish Farts by Fiona Bayrock Comprehension/Activating and Building Background Knowledge “What I know…What I wonder” by Katherine Orth…………………………………………16

Tab Five – Poetry, Anthology, Traditional tales, Other James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (Science Fiction) Vocabulary/Wide Reading Genre Story Writing by Shannon Mitchell……………………………………………..……16 George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora Fluency/Pacing Pacing with Maraca’s by Shannon Mitchell…………………………………………………17 Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott Vocabulary/Wide Reading Word Board by Katherine Orth……………………………………………………………….19 Ocean Soup: Tide Pool Poems by Stephen R. Swinburn Phonics/Analyzing Word Search by Katherine Orth……………………………………………………………...20

Introduction

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

— Frederick Douglass

The importance of teaching children strong reading and writing skills should never be underestimated. When children are exposed to quality literature and learn strong reading and writing skills, they will be prepared for life. This notebook, created by Shannon Mitchell and Katherine Orth, is a compilation of reading and writing activities to use with children’s literature. There are five different categories of children’s literature used to make this notebook: fiction picture books, fiction chapter books, biographies and autobiographies, nonfiction picture books, and poetry books and anthologies. When thinking of activities to complement these books, the five pillars of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), as well as the six traits of writing (ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions) were considered as jumping off points to make activities. Many teacher resources were consulted to find high quality activities that would be engaging to students, such as scholastic.com and Valerie Ellery’s Creating Strategic Readers. This book is to be used as a resource for teaching of all elementary grades when teaching reading or writing.

Title and Author of Book: The Jacket I Wear In The Snow by Shirley Neitzel Short Synopsis: “Rhyme follows rhyme as layer after layer of winter clothing ("bunchy and hot, wrinkled a lot, stiff in the knee, and too big for me!") is first put on and then taken off to the relief of the child bundled inside. Clever rebuses and jaunty illustrations make The Jacket I Wear in the Snow especially fun for prereaders and new readers.” Skill/Strategy: Phonemic Awareness/Phoneme Identity (Beginning Word Sounds) Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Emergent Readers Materials: Snowman Bingo cards, bingo markers or cotton balls, and text. Directions: Snowman Bingo Print all pages. Cut the snowman game board pages in half (2 game boards per page). Cut out the calling cards. For the sh/th/ch version and the beginning sounds version, a student chooses a card and if he has the beginning sound on his board he covers it with a marker (use cotton balls as snowballs for added fun). The first student to get 3 in a row calls "Bingo" and wins. For the CVC version, students take turns reading the words on the calling cards. They read the word to the group and all students who have the matching picture mark it on their cards. The first student to get 3 in a row calls "Bingo" and wins. (See attachment) Source: http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/Games/GamestoMake/games_to_make.htm Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Lang Short Synopsis: “When Jeremy Jacob sets off on a pirate adventure, he loves doing everything the pirates do . . . but then he finds out what they DON'T do.” Skill/Strategy: Phonics/Sight Words Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Emergent Readers Materials: Text, crocodile and fish cards (see attached) Directions: Crocodile Snap Print and cut apart two sets of crocodile cards (pages 1 and 2) and one set of fish cards (pages 3 and 4). To play deal 5 crocodile cards to each player. Have players place the cards face up in front of them. Place the fish cards face down in front of you. Turn one fish card over and call out the word. Players look at their cards, if they have a match they say "SNAP" and smack the card with their hand. The first to call "SNAP" gets to discard the card. Continue playing until one player has gotten rid of all of his/her crocodile cards. OPTIONAL MODIFICATIONS: If the groups is too rowdy, eliminate having them smack the cards. If a child is having trouble with the words, show them the card as you call it. If the "competition factor" is too much for your group, have all players who have a match discard rather than only the first person who called "SNAP". Source: http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/Games/GamestoMake/games_to_make.htm Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin By His Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson Short Synopsis: “Benjamin Franklin’s companion, Amos the mouse, recounts how he was responsible for Franklin’s inventions and discoveries.” Skill/Strategy: Comprehension/Synthesizing Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Fluent Materials: Text, paper, pencils Directions: Students will write a final chapter, “The Lost Chapter,” of Ben and Me. They will write about another invention of Ben Franklin that was not in the book and they will write it from the point of view of Amos the mouse. (See attachment) Source: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/printables/Ben/PLostchapters.html Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: Lucy on the Loose by Ilene Cooper Short Synopsis: “When his beagle Lucy runs off chasing a big orange cat, Bobby must overcome his shyness in order to find them again.” Skill/Strategy: Fluency/Wide Reading Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Early-Transitional Materials: Multiple copies of the same texts, comfortable section of classroom for book club meeting Directions: Display a variety of book sets (4 copies of each.) Have the students select a book that interests them and is at their independent reading level. Have them sign up for a book club based on the text. Have the groups meet and plan how much reading they will do independently before they get together to share and discuss the book. Each week, the clubs should meet to share their ideas, feelings, questions, concerns, and general comments about what they read. Meet with the clubs to find out how being in a book club helps with their reading. Source: (if applicable): Creating Strategic Reader’s by Valerie Ellery (pg. 126-127) Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: Bill Peet: An Autobiography by Bill Peet Short Synopsis: Bill Peet tells his life story, including his years with Disney, with illustrations on every page. Skill/Strategy: Comprehension/Activating and Building Background Knowledge Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Transitional Readers Materials: Text, cardstock, picture o each student, pencils, computer template for baseball card. Directions: Explain that a text-to-self connection is made when something in the story reminds you of something in your life. Model text-to-self connection’s for the students. They will create their own personal non-fiction/autobiography in the form of a student trading card. Each student will get 20 copies of their cards to trade with their classmates. (Pre-made worksheets with required information can be used for younger grades) Source: http://www.eledblog.com/content/autobiography-student-trading-cards-baseball-cards Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth by Jane Yolen Short Synopsis: “Everyone knows the legend of Johnny Appleseed, the man from Massachusetts who planted apple trees all the way to California. But the true story of Johnny Appleseed, or John Chapman, is even greater than the legend. In deft and lyrical prose, Jane Yolen tells the whole story of an individual who forever changed the landscape of America. Breathtaking paintings by award-winning artist Jim Burke illuminate the historical detail of this man's life while capturing all the magic and mystery of his legend”. Skill/Strategy: Comprehension/Summarizing Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Early/Transitional Materials: Text, Bio-poem direction copies, Bio-poem model, pencils, paper Directions: Create a Bio-poem about the person the students will be doing their biography on. Using a standard format, the students will fill in the required information on their biography character which will end in the form of a poem. (See attachment) Source: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/Ben/Lostchapters.html Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston Short Synopsis: “Award-winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston have teamed up again to create this gorgeous and informative introduction to seeds. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, the book introduces children to a fascinating array of seed and plant facts, making it a guide that is equally at home being read on a parent's lap as in a classroom reading circle.” Skill/Strategy: Vocabulary/Referencing Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Transitional Materials: Text, word sort copies Directions: Students will use word sorts to sort synonyms and antonyms of words. (See attachment) Source: http://wve4h.com/teacher%20resources%20for%20web%20docs/synonym%20antonym%20sort.pdf Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: Let’s Go! The Story of Getting from There to Here by Lizann Flatt Short Synopsis: “This fun book takes youngsters on an amazing journey across our continent and through time to discover all the methods humans have used to get from one place to another. From the first “travelers” who crossed the Bering Land Bridge on foot, through steamships, bicycles, cars, and planes, to contemporary space trips, the history of transportation is one of imagination and ingenuity. This lively journey is spiced up by a cute dog who engages readers with “search and find” questions throughout, while a final spread of amazing “Did You Know” facts presents additional information. Lizann Flatt’s lyrical text and Scot Ritchie’s stunning artwork bring this rich history to life for young readers.” Skill/Strategy: Fluency/Expressing Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Early Materials: Text, Sentence sort worksheet Directions: Sort the sentences into the proper sentence type (Declarative, Exclamatory, Interrogative, and Imperative). These cards can be made into a laminated form and used at a literacy center, in small group or the students can cut out and sort on their own. (See attachment) Source: http://wve4h.com/teacher%20resources%20for%20web%20docs/Sentence%20Sort.pdf Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl Short Synopsis: “A young boy escapes from two wicked aunts and embarks on a series of adventures with six giant insects he meets inside a giant peach.” Skill/Strategy: Vocabulary/Wide Reading Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Fluent Materials: Text in a variety of genres, chart, materials for creative writing, highlighters. Directions: While exposing students with different genres of reading materials, have the students maintain a genre chart (classroom model as well) that compares the genre, description and vocabulary words/phrases that correlate with each particular genre. What kinds of words did you notice that are common in the specific genre? Engage students in a discussion of the similarities and differences among the vocabulary words between genres. In what genre would you most likely find these words? Have the students write a story using at least 10 vocabulary words from the genre chart that would indicate their genre choice. Have the student’s pair up and read one another’s writings, highlighting the words that correlate with the genre. Source: Creating Strategic Reader’s by Valerie Ellery (pg. 164) Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra & Madeleine Comora Short Synopsis: “A rollicking rhyme portrays George Washington's lifelong struggle with bad teeth. A timeline taken from diary entries and other nonfiction sources follows. “ Skill/Strategy: Fluency/Pacing Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Early Readers Materials: Text, musical instruments, nursery rhymes Directions: Begin by using predictable nursery rhymes to model a tapping pattern, while displaying words. Have the students follow along with their maracas. Change the tempo to practice a variety of reading paces. Read the above text to the students. On the second read through, model the first page of the book using the maraca’s to demonstrate reading pace. Have the student’s join in for the remainder of the book. Source: (if applicable): Creating Strategic Reader’s by Valerie Ellery (pg. 122) Your Name: Shannon Mitchell

Title and Author of Book: Shiver Me Letters by June Sobel Short Synopsis: In this book, a group of pirates (made of different animals) looks all over for the letters of the alphabet, hidden throughout the book, and they won’t stop until they find them all! Skill/Strategy: Phonics: Recognizing Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Emergent Readers Materials: Letters to be hidden around the room, letters to be given to the students before reading, Shiver Me Timbers Directions: Read the story “Shiver Me Letters” to the class. Beforehand, assign each letter to a student by giving them an uppercase and lowercase version of a different alphabet sticker (depending on class, the teacher may need to take a letter or students may need to double up). Instruct students to jump up when their letter is found in the book and repeat their letter. After reading the book, the students should go on their own “letter hunt” in the classroom, just like the pirates in the story. Large sticky letters should be placed around the room ahead of time for students to find, and students should help their friends find the letters, not finishing until all students have found all the letters. Source: (if applicable): http://www.junesobel.com/justforteachers/ Your Name: Katherine Orth

Letters to be given to students before reading (from http://shop.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_25721_-1_10001_10002)

Letters to be hidden around the room (from http://www.homeschool-nasco.com/prod/images/products/B2/AC077433l.jpg):

Title and Author of Book: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss Short Synopsis: This book tells the story of a man, the Once-ler, and how he takes advantage of a beautiful town, using all the natural resources to make an item of clothing (thneed), until the town is barren. At the end of the story, the Once-ler gives the reader the last tree seed, asking them what they will do with it. Skill/Strategy: Comprehension: Synthesizing Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Independent Reader Materials: The Lorax (enough copies for teachers and one for each group), props for the student plays, paper and pencils for students Directions: This story has a definite point of view, and can be enhanced through the usage of Reader’s Theater, or “Creating a Play,” as Valerie Ellery calls it in her book. In this exercise, the teacher reads the book to the students, and afterwards, tells them that they will be acting it out. (Suggested teacher talk is “think about how you would bring the text to life.”) Give students time to discuss, plan, and practice their interpretations of the text in small groups. Students can use whatever props they need to re-create The Lorax. Have students discuss how their understanding of The Lorax has changed after the students perform their interpretations for the class, if it has changed at all. (Suggested teacher talk could be, “I did not understand it when the author said ____, but now I understand that _______.”) Source: (if applicable): Creating Strategic Readers by Valerie Ellery, pg. 213 Your Name: Katherine Orth

Title and Author of Book: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger Short Synopsis: Amber Brown is a spunky third grader who loves school (they take lots of imaginary trips around the world!), her mom, and her best friend Justin. However, Justin finds out his family must move to Alabama, which threatens to ruin their friendship as they slowly pull apart from one another. Additionally, Amber’s father has left to live in Paris. With the help of her mother, Amber realizes that she’ll make it through third grade just fine. Skill/Strategy: Fluency: Phrasing Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Independent Reader Materials: Amber Brown is not a Crayon, sentences to put on the document camera, document camera Directions: Before reading the excerpt, stress to students the importance of using expression when reading to help meaning. To this end, select several sentences from chapter one of Amber Brown to model how to read using punctuation (attached). First show a sentence on chart paper or a document camera without punctuation to demonstrate not pausing (ie copy sentences from the book, removing commas and other punctuation). Ask a volunteer to read aloud these sentences without pausing. Have partners try to determine and mark where punctuation should go to encourage pausing. Have pairs share with the class where they think the punctuation should go based on their interpretation of the correct meaning of the text. Have students return to the text and compare their versions with where the punctuation marks actually are. Have them practice reading the text accordingly. Suggested teacher talk might be, “How does the punctuation help you when reading?” Source: (if applicable): Adapted from Creating Strategic Readers by Valerie Ellery, pg 101 Your Name: Katherine Orth

Sentences to be used from the book: I, Amber Brown, am one very excited third grader. Right now, he’s sitting at the desk next to me, pretending to be an alarm clock. Brown eyes, freckled nose…my brown, slightly messy hair is held back with two bagel-shaped barrettes. I quickly pull things out of my desk- the book I’m going to use for my report, half a roll of strawberry licorice, my sticker book, two headbands, seven rubber bands, eleven paper clips, two workbooks, and finally, my passport and tickets, which I have put in a specially decorated case.

Title and Author of Book: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech Short Synopsis: Sal Hiddle (a farm girl) and her grandparents are traveling from Ohio to Idaho in order to see her mother’s final resting place. On the trip, Sal tells her parents about Phoebe Winterbottom, whose mother has also decided to leave home. Interspersed throughout Phoebe’s story, Sal talks about the memories she has of her own mother. Skill/Strategy: Vocabulary: Antonyms Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Independent Readers Materials: Walk Two Moons, chart paper, Directions: Before reading a preselected passage of this book, discuss antonyms with students: words that are opposite in meaning to other words. Read the passage of the story with students. Point out certain vocabulary words, writing them on chart paper and defining them if students do not know the definition. Together with students, come up with the antonyms for these vocabulary words. Read the passage again, replacing the vocabulary words with their antonyms. Have students discuss with their partners how the meaning of the text changed. Staying with their partners, have students play the attached matching game, matching together the vocabulary words and their antonyms. Source: (if applicable): Self Your Name: Katherine Orth

Vocabulary Word Antonym

anonymous named

caboodle nothing

ornery good-natured

lunatic sane

peculiar usual

gullible wary

diabolic moral

Title and Author of Book: Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey Short Synopsis: Cheaper by the Dozen tells the story of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, two efficiency experts who raise twelve children according to their principles. This story, written from the perspective of two of the children, tells about the unique challenges and privileges that came from living in such a big family, such as spending summers on Nantucket or learning to more efficiently take a bath. Skill/Strategy: Writing: Word Choice Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Transitional Readers Materials: Cheaper by the Dozen, paper and pencils for students Directions: This book, especially the first chapter that I will be using, has a way of taking what could be a potentially mundane topic (talking about everyday life) and making it more exciting through the use of explicit details. For this lesson, the teacher would first stress the importance of using descriptive details when writing so that readers can visualize the story in their heads. The teacher would then read the first chapter of Cheaper by the Dozen (which describes the father of the story, Frank Gilbreth- the full text of chapter one can be read here: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Cheaper-by-the-Dozen/Frank-BGilbreth/e/9780060594336/?itm=1&USRI=cheaper+by+the+dozen#EXC), having students give a “thumbs up” every time they hear a description that helps them form a picture in their heads. After reading, the students will talk about the words that helped form the strong description in their heads. Following a model by the teacher, the students will write a paragraph about someone important in their life, using at least 5 strong descriptions. These paragraphs will then be shared. Source: (if applicable): Self Your Name: Katherine Orth

Title and Author of Book: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank Short Synopsis: The Diary of a Young Girl tells the story of a Jewish girl in Amsterdam who must flee her home and go into hiding in the “secret annex” of an old office building. For two years, Anne and her family lived in the annex until they were betrayed by the Gestapo and sent to concentration camps. The diary tells the story of a girl, who above all, told a story of human courage. Skill/Strategy: Writing: Voice; Secondary Trait: Organization Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Independent Readers Materials: (to include copies, samples, photos) Directions: What has made Anne Frank’s story so interesting and pervasive is the fact that it is the story of a girl, who even though experiences treacherous experiences, writes like a 13 year old girl about things a 13 year old girl would be concerned with. Therefore, it’s an excellent source of how to write a diary and include one’s feelings and thoughts. The teacher would read the first entry in the diary (the full diary can be read here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/4089853/The-Diary-of-a-Young-GirlAnne-Frank), emphasizing points where Frank described her feelings. Then, for a week, students would keep their own journal, after a model by the teacher which showed students how to set up a journal and sample topics. Each day, students would write not only what happened to them, but write at least on feeling or point of view, like Frank did in all her entries. Source: (if applicable): Self Your Name: Katherine Orth

Title and Author of Book: What Do You Do with a Tail like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page Short Synopsis: In this book great for young students, kids can explore the many amazing things that animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and, yes, tails. Skill/Strategy: Comprehension: Predicting Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Emergent Readers Materials: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? Directions: In this book, as seen on the cover, different parts of many animals are shown. On the next page, the whole animal is shown, and the function of the animal part is given. For example, on the first page, the tails of many different animals are given. As I read the story to the class, I would have them predict what animals are shown based just on the body part, and before reading the function of the body part, have students guess. I would gradually release students, first modeling my predictions, then having students turn and talk to their partner about their reflections (recording them on a graphic organizer, attached), then having the students go back to their seats and make their own predictions. Source: (if applicable): Self Your Name: Katherine Orth

Note: In the classroom, I would make these graphic organizers on chart paper instead.

My prediction What the animal actually was

My prediction What the body part does

Title and Author of Book: Bubble Homes and Fish Farts by Fiona Bayrock Short Synopsis: This book talks about the many ways that water-loving animals use bubbles in their daily lives; from protection, to finding food, to keep warm. Skill/Strategy: Comprehension: Activating and Building Background Knowledge Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Transitional Readers Materials: Bubble Homes and Fish Farts, chart paper, marker, hula hoops Directions: Through class discussions, activate students’ prior knowledge and experiences that are pertinent to the text about to be read. Suggested teacher talk could be, “What comes to your mind as you view this text? Think about what you know.” Begin to build with students background knowledge by telling students the topic of the book (how water animals use bubbles). Have students reflect on what they are wondering about the book, now that they know the topic. Place two colored hula hoops on the floor to represent “what I know” and “what I wonder.” Have students model their thinking as they step in each hoop. Create a graphic organizer on chart paper from these wonderings- two columns with “what I know” and “what I wonder.” Read the book to see if these wonderings are answered. Source: (if applicable): Adapted from Creating Strategic Readers by Valerie Ellery, pg 174-175 Your Name: Katherine Orth

Note: In the classroom, I would make this graphic organizer on chart paper instead.

What I Know:

What I wonder:

Title and Author of Book: Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott Short Synopsis: In this traditional Ashanti tale, Anansi sets out on a long, difficult journey. Threatened by Fish and Falcon, he is saved from terrible fates by his sons. But which of his sons should Anansi reward? Calling upon Nyame, the God of All Things, Anansi solves his predicament in a touching and highly resourceful fashion. Skill/Strategy: Vocabulary: Wide Reading Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Emergent Readers Materials: (to include copies, samples, photos) Directions: Read aloud Anansi the Spider to the class. Have students listen during the read-aloud and try to absorb the vocabulary (this book references many animals students might not know, as well as verbs and names) from Anansi. Suggested teacher talk might be “Tell me about some interesting words you heard while listening to the read-aloud.” Instruct students to discuss with a partner interesting words they heard during the read-aloud. Suggested teacher talk could be, “Why are these words interesting to you?” Have each pair of students write on their favorite word on an index card, and put these cards on a “Word Board.” Set Anansi in an area of the classroom where students can reread it on their own. Repeat this procedure with more books so that there is a comprehensive word board of interesting that students can refer to in their own writing. Source: (if applicable): Adapted from Creating Strategic Readers by Valerie Ellery pg. 162-163 Your Name: Katherine Orth

Title and Author of Book: Ocean Soup: Tide Pool Poems by Stephen R. Swinburne Short Synopsis: Ocean Soup tells the story of many different animals who live in tide pools and their varying experiences, unique as each animal themself. Skill/Strategy: Phonics: Analyzing Stage of Reading/Writing Development: Transitional Readers Materials: Roll-Read-Record Reproducible, Ocean Soup (enough copies for the whole class), large and small dice Directions: As an engagement, students can work with partners to roll, read, and record their vocabulary or spelling worlds in the worksheet and explain why they placed their words under specific columns. After reading one of the poems included in the book, have students roll a number cube and then search for a word within the text that has the same number of phonemes, syllables, and so forth as the number on the cube. Students can take home a small number cube to analyze their weekly words or search for words in newspapers to record. Source: (if applicable): Adapted from Creating Strategic Readers by Valerie Ellery pg. 70-71 Your Name: Katherine Orth