Each year, my fourth graders participate in a “Wax Museum.” This is where each student chooses, researches and becomes an important figure in history. They write and memorize a one-minute speech and then dress as their figure. During the Wax Museum performance, each student stands by their biographical poster dressed as their figure and standing in a frozen pose. When a passer-by stops and pushes their button the student comes to life and recites their speech. It is an amazing evening where students’ really shine, but there is much work that goes into putting on such a performance.
At the core of this project is, as you may have guessed, the biography. Each student is required to find an age-appropriate book to read and learn about their character. Each year, students rush to the school and town library to find such a book. This year, I am happy that many of my students are able to not only use a physical biography, but also one of the great ebiographies found on Big Universe. Big U has a collection of graphic biographies on people including George Washington, Amelia Earhart and Jackie Robinson. I’ve enjoyed showing my students these books to use as a primary source or an additional viewpoint of their person’s life. Each biography is fun to read and contains a lot of information. They’ve been especially motivating for my struggling and reluctant readers.
There are more that graphic novels here at our fingertips. All my students have to do is search for their historical figure and see if there is a biography her on Big Universe. And there are many; full of interest and information.
Here are only some of them:
There are so many biographies here on people that have made significant contributions to our society that you are sure to find one that interests you. I know my students have really enjoyed seeing the ebiographies about their person and those of their friends. It is serving as a great preview of the Wax Museum as students are sharing and reading up on other historical figures as well as their own. Happy Reading!
~EMP
My fourth graders have started a new unit on land and water. One of our main themes is rivers and erosion. Like with all other topics in the various content areas we study, we teachers like to gather literature that will assist in our students’ learning of the topic. Generally, we raid the library for books, but earlier today, as I was looking in the Big Universe for resources, I came across some great ebooks that I can (and will) use with my students. This list may seem short, but each book is quite unique. Together, I feel they will give students a well-rounded look at rivers.
Rivers is a great book to start with. It is simple and straightforward giving vocabulary terms in sentences that illustrate their definition. I really like how each term is illustrated with graphics and a real photo.
River Song is a beautiful book that tells about the movement of a river from its source to its travel into the sea. It is a beautiful poem with illustrations. It uses many of the vocabulary terms we are learning such as source and meander. There is even the musical score that puts the poem to music at the end of the book.
River Beds: Sleeping in the World’s Rivers is another great resource. It is a picture book that tells the story of many of the animals that live in and near some of the great rivers of the world.
Wolf Pack of the Winisk River is a treasure of a book! This novel that tells the tale of a wolf pack’s journey along a river, is written in poem form. Fascinating and beautiful!
I have placed all these books on my shelf and am excited to share them with my students, allowing them to peruse through the variety of texts, gleaning all they can from each.
~EMP
A Big Universe children's picture book takes a look at the Siberian Husky, a breed commonly used in Alaska's Iditarod dog sled race.
After a balmy winter in South Carolina, we’ve had a cold snap. It’s going to get to a frigid 25 degrees tonight, so there has been a run on milk, bread and Pop Tarts at the grocery stores – and I’m only partly kidding.
Everywhere I look, people in an assortment of scarves and Scandinavian knitted caps are scurrying from parking lot to buildings. Long lines are forming at Starbucks and the local Liquid Highway coffee drive-through. I’ve lived here for 23 years – longer than any other place on earth – and I think it’s cold too, but it’s certainly not Pennsylvania Blizzard of 1977 cold, or Wisconsin Ice and Snow Festival cold. And, it’s certainly not dog sled cold.
I cannot imagine riding or running behind a dog sled for hours and hours for 8-15 days at a time. It takes a special kind of adventurer to do that! In fact, Alaska is probably teeming with those sorts as the Iditarod dog sled race is only a little over two weeks away. This year the ceremonial start in Anchorage is slated for March 3. The grueling 1150-mile course then tracks along the Bering Sea coast up to Nome. No wonder it’s called the “Last Great Race on Earth” – the stuff of legends and fodder for the imagination.
In Anchorage, mushers, support teams and their dogs currently are preparing to tackle the elements along the National Historic Trail, which was originally a mail and supplies route between the Alaskan gold fields and the coastal towns. The Iditarod Trail became legendary after a diphtheria epidemic struck Nome in 1925. A relay of heroic dogs and brave dog mushers fought the clock and blizzard conditions to carry life-saving serum to the stricken town. Lives were saved, and legends were born.
Now a modern version of the trek is a yearly high-stakes competition, serving to honor mushers of yore, symbolize Alaskan heritage and supplement the economy. The course direction changes annually and rules and regulations have morphed over time to make the race safer for hound and human. The sporting event is run primarily through the help of volunteers, so everyone gets involved, even school children. (There’s a Jr. Iditarod on Feb. 26th, which may be of particular interest to kids.) The race is such a big part of the culture that many teachers integrate the event topic into classroom lessons. This happens in Alaska and many other states, as well as overseas.
(Read how one teacher on a German military base used the Iditarod to inspire kindergarten students’ participation in the classroom.)
Big Universe Learning features a Bellwether online book titled “Siberian Huskies,” a non-fiction text about the striking dog breed known for its ability to work and live in the cold. This book features vivid pictures and text aimed at readers aged 3-8. When students have finished reading the book, they can take an online quiz to measure comprehension. (F&P GR: L ATOS: 2.5 AR Points: 0.5 AR Quiz: 135468. ISBN: 9781600145193)
BigUniverse.com also offers “The Littlest Sled Dog,” a picture book leveled for Grades 3-4 (interest age 6-12) by Orca Book Publishers. Written by Michael Kusugak and illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka, this fictional story tells the tale of Igvillu, a little dog from Canada with big dreams that change over time. (F&P GR: P Lexile: 660 ATOS: 3.5)
You also may like to read “My Alaskan Vacation,” a book written by one of our Big Universe members and illustrated with photographs uploaded to the website’s authoring tool. Cassidy, a student, wrote “Fun in Alaska,” a seven-pager about her vacation experience to Alaska.
***NOTE: To read more about the Iditarod, go to the official Iditarod race website. (There’s a countdown clock on the home page and many teacher resource links.) To see a reading list for dog lovers, click on Big Universe’s blog “Summer Reading Lists: Cats, Dogs and Horses.”
(Flickr photo credit: Frank Kovalcheck)
Someone recently asked me for ideas for a lesson on similes. I like to use picture books to introduce topics, and I think picture books work well with similes.
I came to Big Universe to see if there might be any possibilities. I did an advanced search for figurative language and got this result: Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch.
I read through the book and found that even though I liked the book, it was not exactly what I was looking for right now. Instead of just closing the book and moving to another resource site, I decided to look at other books by the publisher of this book (you can do that simply by clicking on the name of the publisher ).
As I looked through the long list of books, I started noticing several that I have written about before, read with my daughter, and told other teachers about. Here are a few of the ones that I noticed:
Here is a description shared on the Big Universe Learning site by Charlesbridge Publishing:
Charlesbridge publishes high-quality books for children, with a goal of creating lifelong readers and lifelong learners. Our books encourage reading and discovery in the classroom, library, and home. We believe that books for children should offer accurate information, promote a positive worldview, and embrace a child’s innate sense of wonder and fun. To this end, we continually strive to seek new voices, new visions, and new directions in children’s literature.
I think that is a great message from a publishing company. If you would like more information about Charlesbridge, check out their website:
http://www.charlesbridge.com/ and the many books they have here on Big Universe Learning!
Posted on February 1, 2012 by Suzan Woodard in Integration Ideas, Literacy, Personal Experiences, Reading Lists.
Tags: Crafts for Children, February in the Classroom, Freedom Day, Groundhog's Day, Leap Year, Mardi Gras, President's Day, Punxsytawney Phil, Slavery
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Punxsy Phil, the weather-savvy woodchuck.
For such a short month, February is living large this year. It kicked off with today’s observation of Freedom Day, which commemorates President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the 13th Amendment, outlawing slavery. A wreath was laid on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia to acknowledge this historical American watermark.
A troupe of top-hatted men will congregate tomorrow, Feb. 2nd, in Punxsytawney, Pa., to get the weather prediction from Punxsy Phil, the famous weather-savvy Groundhog Day woodchuck. The burg of Punxsytawney was not far from where I grew up, so my family always paid close attention to whether this chubby little rodent saw his shadow or not.
Then there’s Valentine’s Day on the 14th, Presidents’ Day on the 20th, Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras on Feb. 21st, and John Gandolfi’s Leap Day birthday on the 29th. It’s unlikely that most of you know Mr. Gandolfi . He was the ultra-gregarious kid who sat four seats in front of me in homeroom from seventh grade through twelfth. “…Gandolfi, Gaston, Glasser, Golinsky, Granata….” He was a Leap Year baby, so I think he celebrates his 13th birthday this year.
I see these holidays as gateway ops – perfect avenues to promote literacy and chase away the winter doldrums. I suppose it depends on whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist and whether you’re “a natural” when it comes to integrating seasonal activities into the classroom. Whether you use a Valentine’s Day word search sheet or read a biography about a U.S. president on BigUniverse.com, you will be adding “snap, crackle and pop” to your classroom and advance the cause of literacy.
Here’s a starter list to get you in the spirit.
Freedom Day
Groundhog Day
Valentine’s Day
President’s Day
Mardi Gras
Leap Day
NOTE: For more general reading, click on “Holidays” – a Teacher Created Materials book at Big Universe Learning. Or, read “An Ode to History and Phillis Wheatley” or “Books Introduce Black History Month Heroes,” blogs that showcase kid-friendly biographies about remarkable Americans.
Josh Schneider wins the coveted 2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award.
An announcement in Dallas this week made Josh Schneider a very happy man. The author and illustrator is the recipient of the 2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for his children’s book, “Tales for Very Picky Eaters.”
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is given to the author and illustrator of the book deemed as the “most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.” The Association Library Service to Children (ALSC) – a division of the American Library Association (ALA) – administers the award annually. This year the award was announced in Dallas during ALA’s mid-winter meeting, Jan. 20-24.
The award is given in memory of Theodor Geisel, the renowned children’s author known as “Dr. Seuss,” and to recognize contemporary winners for “their literary and artistic achievements that demonstrate creativity and imagination to engage children in reading.” The first Theodor Seuss Geisel Award was presented in 2006 to author Cynthia Rylant and illustrator Suçie Stevenson for their book “Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas.”
Schneider and other honorees will receive their awards in June in Anaheim, Ca., during the ALA’s annual conference.
“Tales for Very Picky Eaters” is a five-chapter book about a boy named James, who refuses to eat foods he considers disgusting, smelly, repulsive, lumpy or slimy. His clever dad plays a big role in the storyline, offering outrageous suggestions and rationale to get his son to be more daring with his dining. The text is paired with cartoon-like illustrations executed in watercolor, colored pencil, and pen and ink.
“The dialogue presents some preposterous situations but even the most challenging words are presented in context so beginning readers can easily discern their meaning,” said Carole Fiore, head of the Geisel Award Committee. “The touches of humor make this book an engaging page turner.”
Three additional Geisel Honor Books were named:
- “I Broke My Trunk,” the story of an elephant, written and illustrated by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children.
- “I Want My Hat Back,” a story about honesty and loss, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen and published by Candlewick Press.
- “See Me Run,” a dog-infused story, written and illustrated by Paul Meisel and published by Holiday House.
With more than 4,000 children’s librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty in its network, ALSC is dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children to create a better future for the next generation. Big Universe Learning also is a champion of children’s education and literacy. At last count, the online learning community had:
- 272,389 members from 166 countries
- 3,506 publishing company books, read 2,384,653 times
- 673,494 books stored on members’ personal bookshelves
- 172,575 bookshelves followed by members
- 42,500 books created by members
***NOTE: Humor is a great way to engage readers, both young and old. Check out “Humor: Be Still My ‘Beeting’ Heart,” a blog I wrote about another children’s book that deals with eating issues. It’s on Big Universe, and it’s one of my favs!
This week, my students began learning about the past and present with regards to analyzing how technologies related to communication, transportation, occupations and daily life have changed. The evolution and progress made over time in these areas fascinated my students during our discussions.
I created graphic organizers to help them display their understanding of how communication, transportation, occupations and daily life has changed from past to present. The graphic organizers were set up similar to a time line in that the students could display progress in a sequential order.
Big Universe Learning has a great series of resources for helping students understand how occupations have changed from the past to the present. The series is published by Teacher Created Materials, and the books outlines different occupations and compare how they have changed between “then and now.” Since there are many books in this series, I chose a few and assigned them to groups of students. The groups were required to read the book, determine the main ideas and supporting details, and then share their findings with the rest of the class. This way, the students were experiencing opportunities to learn in a cooperative group setting, as well as, present their findings to their peers.
In addition to these books found on Big Universe, I also used the book titled Pony Express to illustrate how
communication has changed, specifically using chapter four as my focus. This helped the students begin to realize that the technologies that they have grown used to having did not always exist and that trying to communicate with others long ago was much more difficult.
At the end of the unit, I read the book 2030: A Day in the Life of Tomorrow’s Kids by Amy Zuckerman, James Daly and John Manders. This book helped my students begin to wonder what life might be like in the future, and what technologies haven’t even been invented yet that could help them communicate, travel, create new jobs or make daily life easier. After I read this book, the students were asked to pick a category (communication, transportation, occupation or daily life) and invent something that would impact this category that doesn’t already exist. The students had to then answer reflection questions related to the progression of their chosen category over time. The kids really enjoyed this project and were eager to work on their inventions! It was a great way to culminate this unit, and come full circle in their learning about the past, present and future!
Posted on January 12, 2012 by Suzan Woodard in Classroom Ideas, Integration Ideas, Personal Experiences, Reading Lists, Writing.
Tags: Current Events, Environment, Matilda Snake, Reptiles, Snake Books for Kids, Writing Online
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Wildlife Conservation Society photo of the colorful Matilda viper.
Mention the “S” word and you’ll usually get polar reactions. Some people express revulsion, while others indicate fascination for all things viper. But, it’s safe to bet that everyone has a snake story to tell.
My oldest daughter stepped on a copperhead in her bare feet while playing in our yard. My geologist father stared a few rattlesnakes down in his day while doing field study, and I found a sizeable black snake nesting under the pine shavings in a horse stall a few years back. There was a snake in our church gym’s rafters at a girls’ youth group sleepover, and my mom found “Mr. Thin Lips” lounging on the grill on her porch. Similar anecdotes by students could be the launching pad for writing stories on Big Universe – ones full of sequence words, action verbs and descriptive adjectives!
We all escaped unscathed, except for a few heart palpitations. Our inquisitive chocolate Labrador Retriever was the only family member to ever be bitten. She had a run-in with a copperhead. Her nose swelled, but the vet said she would recover quickly. And, she did.
I’m not particularly fond of being startled by snakes. I’d much rather observe them from behind a nice thick pane of glass or read about them. Big Universe Learning has numerous children’s books about snakes and reptiles that make this possible. These online books are pretty interesting and are the perfect supplement to science units about reptiles or the environment. (See list below.)
Why did I pick this topic for my blog? Well, it’s not because I really enjoy scaly things, but I do love zoology, scientific discovery and current events. An Associated Press (AP) article today heralded a new green-horned snake named after a little British girl called “Matilda.” The rare lemon-colored snake was found in Tanzania and was introduced to the world in the December issue of the scientific journal Zootaxa.
“Only three new vipers have been discovered across Africa the last three decades, making the find rare and important,” according to the AP article.
“My daughter, who was 5 at the time, became fascinated by it and used to love spending time watching it and helping us look after it,” said Tim Davenport, the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Tanzania, who – along with two teammates – discovered the highly endangered snake two years ago. The find was kept under wraps until a conservation plan could be initiated.
Big Universe’s Snake Books for Children
We always want math to be practical and relevant for our students. We want them to see the value in learning the concepts. Math is everywhere, but sometimes our students don’t notice it.
Just the other day, I came across a series of books that shows how math relates to the everyday things we do. It is called “Math in Our World” from Weekly Reader. There are at least 8 books in the series and each one tells a story about kids using math. In Making a Model with Solid Figures, kids recreate a playground with 3D shapes they find in their own homes. In Graphing Favorite Things, kids use data collection strategies to plan a neighborhood party. Using Math at the Class Party is a different scenario where math equations are shown and explained in story form at an end of year party.
These books are simple and straight forward. They explain basic concepts in math very well and are a great model for writing similar math stories.
I showed the last book mentioned to a small group just yesterday and then challenged them to create their own math book on Big Universe to explain or pose a question about math in the classroom. This type of assignment requires some high order thinking and collaboration for sure! Once they all read the book and added it to their shelf, this group of students needed to think of a story that would lend itself naturally to math, write a storyline and think of equations they could showcase.
This week, I will get more details from them to see in what direction they are heading and offer guidance. I hope to give you an update on their progress with their book next week.
~EMP
In the past couple of weeks, I have continuously used several books from the same publication company throughout my daily lessons. After realizing the common connection between all the books, I decided to feature Remedia Publications on this week’s blog post to hopefully inspire others to take a look at the variety this publisher offers. More information about the types of books Remedia Publications offers can be found on Big Universe Learning.
“Remedia Publications specializes in reproducible books that focus on basic skills and repetition. We are a family-owned business that takes great pride in meeting the needs of our customers. The company has been in business for over 30 years serving the needs of special education, regular education, E.S.L (English as a second language), adult education, and inclusion students.”- www.biguniverse.com
“Surpr!sing Facts”
Do you know a kid who LOVES to read about facts? Are you currently thinking of that kid in your class who can rattle off some of the most amazing facts about random topics? Well, I have a few of those kids in my class and recently I found a series of books on Big Universe Learning that would suit them well!”
The series, Surpr!sing Facts contains several books that have scientific facts about a topic that are written for elementary age students. The illustrations are visually appealing, and the book reads more like a story than a list of facts. The information is clearly explained, and topic specific vocabulary is addressed at the beginning of the text. Additionally, each book comes with discussion questions at the end to help support and monitor comprehension.
“Fibs, Fables and Lies”
A few weeks ago, my blog topic was about the current lessons I was planning for my unit on Fables. While my students were experiencing fables that week, many came across the series called “Fibs, Fables and Lies” and really enjoyed reading the stories. Again, the illustrations in this series are what caught most of my students’ attention, and immediately hooked them into reading the stories. The vocabulary is at an appropriate level for even reluctant readers, and makes understanding the parts of a fable simple and interesting. This was one series in particular that a group of boys in my class really came to enjoy and share with others!
Many of the books I viewed by this publisher could be used for students who struggle with reading since the text is not too difficult, but the illustrations and content are highly engaging. After showing my students how to search by publisher on Big Universe, many of them now use this feature to find other interesting books that were published by the same company.
Thanks Big Universe for choosing highly engaging and thoughtful publishers like, Remedia Publications when selecting books for my students to read on your site!
