The Thanksgiving Story- Alice Dalgliesh (Multicultural/International Literature )

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         After reading this book to the class, I would have them image that they came over to America on the Mayflower and they were writing to friends and family back in England. In this note they would be expected to describe what life was like in American and how the journey was on the Mayflower. They would also explain if they missed England or if they were glad they made the move and why. Once everybody was done we would come together as a class and the students would share their notes.



Cockroach Cooties by Laurence Yep (Modern Fantasy & Science Fiction)

             

           Teddy and Bobby are brothers who go to school in Chinatown, New York. They don’t really get along that much but they deal with each other. The only person who causes more trouble for the brothers than themselves is a boy named Arie who is in Teddy’s class. Arie is a big bully who is always looking for someone to pick on. When Arie decides to pick on the bothers on the playground Teddy and Bobby feel as if they have little hope of surviving. Little did they know the tiny surprise cockroach on Bobby’s shirt would scare Arie away. Now knowing Arie weak spot Bobby tries to learn all he can about cockroaches in hopes of keeping Hercules (there cockroach) alive until their problem with Arie is gone. With Hercules life coming to many close calls, Bobby and Teddy must work fast and be creative as possible in hopes of keeping Hercules alive so they are out of Arie’s line of bullying.

            After reading this book to the class, I would have them create a Venn diagram and compare cockroaches with a bug of their choice. I would allow them to research any bug they wanted to so they could learn more on a bug that interested them. After they were done completing their diagram I would have them draw the bug they choose. Finally, I would have each student share with the rest of the class their Venn diagram and the picture they drew.  

No Talking by Andrew Clements (Realistic/Historical Fiction)-Chapter Book

          

           Dave Packer is a fifth grade boy who believes girls talk more than boys. Dave feels that if girls stopped talking for just five minutes their heads would pop off. Lynsey Burgess, a fifth grade girl will not stand for what Dave is claiming. In order to prove who is right Lynsey and Dave decided to hold a two day “no talking’ contest that involves all the fifth grade students at Laketon Elementary School. At school they are only allowed to talk to a teacher, administrator, custodian, or any other big name person but they can not speak unless spoken to first and only answer in three words; any words over that will count against their team. To make it harder when they go home they are still not allowed to talk but if they do they must be honest and tell the team caption Dave (for the boys) and Lynsey (for the girls). With only forty-eight hours of no talking, who will win the contest; the girls or the boys? 

            After reading this book to the class, I would have them imagine that they were a group of students that are in the middle of a no talking contest. I would each put them in small groups and give them a topic they will have to teach to the class that day. I will give them fifteen minutes to research and then they have 3-5 minutes to present (still no talking). After everybody has had a chance to present we would come together as a class and reflect on the activity. We would discuss if the students felt like the got more or less work done and if their findings were the same as Dave and Lynsey’s.

Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind by Judy Finchler and Kevin O’Malley (Realistic/Historical Fiction)

     

            Miss Malarkey is a teacher who thinks reading is the finest thing a person can do. Each year Miss Malarkey promises her students that she will find them each a book they will love by the end of the school year. But something is different and special about this school year; this year the school is joining the “Everybody Reads in America” program. By participating in this program the school is supposed to read 1,000 books by June 12^th.  The school Principal Wiggins tells the students if they can read that many books then he will dye his hair purple and sleep on the roof of the school. The only problem is a group of Miss Malarkey’s students don’t enjoy reading. By December Miss Malarkey has passed out many book lists in hopes of grabbing her students’ interest but she hasn’t won many people over. Throughout the spring semester Miss Malarkey continues to give the students a new book with a different genre; but still not much luck. By the time June comes all but one of her students has started to enjoy reading. On June 10^th, the school has an assembly because they are just one book away from their goal. With only two days remaining can Miss Malarkey find a book for her last student to read so the school reaches their goal? 

            After reading this book to the class, I would have them work in small groups to create a list of books they enjoy reading as students. (This list would give the title, author and a short description of the book.) Once the students have had time to make their list we would come together as a class and compile/organize our list based on genre. After we have done this I would hang the lists throughout the room so the students can always use them as a reference if they want to read a good book. Therefore, my students will never have the problem like Miss Malarkeys’ students had. 

Stuart Goes to School by Sara Penny Packer (Realistic/Historical Fiction) -Chapter Book

         

    It’s Stuarts first day of third grade and he already knows its going to be a bad day. For one the outfit his mother has picked out for him is painfully ugly; green plaid pants and a shirt with little cowboys on it. Secondly, he was at a new school and doesn’t know many people. Stuart is a worry wart who stresses about everything.            

            Once he gets to school he shares with the rest of his class the magical cape he made with a 100 ties but no one appreciated it alike he thought.  On the second day of school Stuart believes that he must have something so shocking for “Our Big Interesting World” time to make up for his cape. So Stuart got up at the crack of dawn and started digging looking for gold, jewels, or something unheard of. Sadly by the time it was time for Stuart to go to school he had found nothing. After Stuart was at school for a little bit there was a knock on the door. One of the big kids brought an emergency announcement. “Holes! Hundreds and hundreds of holes! Detectives and scientist have been called in.” People in his class begin to guess what it could be; Stuart suggests that it could be just a simple little kid but his teacher thinks that’s ridiculous. On day three Stuart and the rest of his class are learning about the number twelve. Stuart draws a picture of his twelve classmates and learns that his no ordinary picture; because his pictures comes to life. So, even though Stuart knows the truth can he convince the rest of his class that he has magic powers and that he is not that crazy?  Read more to find out what happens.

            After reading this book to the class, I would have them complete a double-entry journal. A double-entry journal allows the students to find three sections of the reading and relate/connect it to something that has happened in the world, them selves and in another text they have read. After the students have found their connections I would have them share with the rest of the class so we can see how they related to the text in their own way.

Finding Nemo (Graphic Novel)

            Nemo is a Clownfish who lives with his father Marlin in the ocean. It’s Nemos first day of school and his dad is nervous about letting him go. Nemo’s dad tells his teacher that he is not a good swimmer so he needs take extra precautions with Nemo when they are swimming.  Nemo becomes embarrassed so he tries to prove a point to his dad and classmates by swimming all the way out to a boat. As Nemo is swimming a scuba diver catches him in a bag to take him home. Marlin begins to chase the boat in hopes of saving his son. As he is swimming he runs into a fish named Dory. Dory is a nice blue fish who wants to help but she has a bit of a memory problem; so she sometimes gets off task which causes problems along the way. At one point throughout the search Marlin and Dory come across a snorkeling mask with an address on it. Marlin is sold that the address is where Nemo is; so they must get their quickly to save Nemo. Meanwhile, Nemo is being held in a fish tank at a dentist office until the end of the week when Darla (the doctors niece) has her birthday. This is terrifying for Nemo because the other fish in the tank have told him what happens to all of Darla’s fish- they die.  Nemo gets scared because his father is not there to help him so he knows he must take actions in to his own hands if he wants to live. So, can the other fish in the tank help Nemo escape before Darla’s birthday? Does Nemo ever meet back up with his father? Read to find out.

            After reading this book to the class, I would have them imagine they were Marlin and they were looking for their son Nemo. In order to find their son they needed to make a very detailed billboard with a picture and five adjetives and five nouns. After we they were done each student would share with the class and we would see how they described Nemo.

All-Star Fever by Matt Christopher ( Realistic/Historical Fiction) -Chapter Book

       

         Bus Mercer plays for a baseball team called the Peach Street Mudders where he plays the shortstop. For a while he has been hoping, dreaming and wanting to be on the county All-Star team but he knows only the best baseball players are picked. During his first baseball game of the season a representative from the All-Star team comes to watch Bus play. Sadly the representative was not impressed with the double-play Bus caused for the other team. Bus was sad but he knew the only thing he could do was work harder if he wanted to become a better baseball player. Little did Bus know that night when he got home his parents had a belated birthday gift waiting for him in the garage; a brand new bike.

            The next day when Bus rode his bike to practice he felt like the king of the world. After practice Bus and his friend T.V. rode their bikes together to the batting cage to improve their batting skills. As the boys are practicing at the batting cage a storm approaches them without their knowledge. In hopes of making it home before the storm the boys take a short cut that involves them riding on a main road; something Bus’s parents told him that was not allowed.  When Bus got home he is greeted by his parents at the front door who were worried sick about him. His parents decided to overlook his disobedience this one time but it makes Bus feel even guiltier. For Bus’s next two baseball games the All-Star scouts were there watching him play.  Bus knows he must play his best games but his guilt from a few days ago begins to make him play bad. During the first baseball game Bus makes many mistakes causing the team the game. Bus knows he only has one more chance to make the All-Star team. In hopes of becoming guilt free he tells his mom what he did, but is that enough to make him play his best game yet so he can make the All-Star team?

         After reading this book to my class, I would have them change one of the choices Bus made at the beginning of the story and write about how it might change the ending of the story. I would leave the ideas endless for the students because I would want them to learn how one small action can change the outcome completely. After the students were done writing their story, I would have them come together as a class and explain how and why their action would change the story.

Cosmo and the Robot by Brian Pinkney (Modern Fantasy & Science Fiction)

            Cosmo best friend is a kind and caring robot named Rex. Sadly one day Rex hit his head and began to act like a monster, so he had to be taken away. Cosmos parents saw that Cosmo was no longer happy like he use to be when he had Rex in his life so they gave him a Super Solar System Utility Belt. With the tools that came with this utility belt he could put anything together and take anything apart. There were no limitations, anything was possible! 

            Soon after Cosmo got his belt he and his sister Jewel set off to find the best rocks. As they were looking Cosmo becomes fascinated with an old terrain rover. His sister did not feel like waiting around as Cosmo took apart this old terrain rover so she went off to go find the best rocks but promised to come back soon. Before Cosmo knew it, it was getting dark and his sister was not back yet. Getting worried Cosmo began to look for his sister. As he was searching he heard his sister yelling for help. He quickly realized that Rex was chasing Jewel and she needed help. With the daylight quickly diminishing, can Cosmo save his sister from the monster Rex with his new tools? 

            After reading this book to the class, I would have them imagine that they are a news reporter, reporting on the courageous and heroic actions Cosmo made when saving his sister. I would then encourage the students to use their imagination and creativity when making their news report. Once the students were able to prepare and practice their report a few times they would be expected to record their breaking news on a flip camera. When everybody is done recording I would compile all the videos and we would watch them.

How the Camel Got His Hump by Rudyard Kipling and Lisbeth Zwerger (Traditional/Folk Lit)

           

            Long ago, there was a Camel who didn’t want to help man kind work.  In hopes of getting out of work he lived in the middle of the Howling Desert where he ate sticks and brush. Whenever the camel was asked by the other animals to help them work the camel would always respond by saying “humph’. Over the next three days the camel refused to work when he was asked by the horse, dog, and ox; because the camel didn’t help the three animals had to work double time to make up for the camels’ slack.  In hopes of making the camel work the three animals told Djinn (who was in charge of all deserts) about the lazy camel who was living in his desert.  After hearing the animal’s point of view the Djinn decided that he must fix this problem by talking to the camel. The camel didn’t want to hear what the Djinn had to say so the Djinn preformed magic on the camel’s back; in hopes of teaching the camel a lesson. The Djinn explained to the camel that because he refused to work for three days he was given a humph that would store his food up to three days. Now it is impossible for the camel to have an excuse to work because he had his hump.

            After reading this book to the class, I would have them create a story of why an animal (of their choice) looks or acts the way they do. Once everybody has written their story, I would have them draw a picture that describes their explanation. After each student has had time to complete this assignment we would then come together as a class and share our short stories and pictures.