Writing Prompt: Invisible Threads

Writing Prompt: Outward Appearances

Writing Prompt: Courage

Writing Prompt: Best Pizza

Writing Prompt: Ant Invention

Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week!

Image by CLU_ISS

Since 1984, the National Parent Teacher Association has designated the beginning of May to celebrate those that make a difference in the lives of children and young adults every day–Teachers! Big Universe would like to recognize all the teachers and educators out there for making a difference in the lives of children and young adults, as well as show our appreciate for all that they do.

I think any adult can look back on their childhood years and remember their favorite teachers; the ones who went one of their way to help them understand and do their best work. Teachers make an incredible impact on young lives and it’s only right that we take this week to celebrate them.

Writing Prompt: Asleep for Twenty Years

A Message About Moms …

Here are some Big Universe Learning titles that might be of interest especially around the time of Mother’s Day:

• A Mother’s Journey Acclaimed nonfiction author Sandra Markle presents the daring story of a mother emperor penguin’s struggle to reach the sea, find food, avoid predators, and make her way back to her mate and their newborn chick before they starve. Alan Marks’ luminous illustrations highlight the harsh conditions and stunning landscapes of Antarctica.
• A Zany Zoo Day  Mom is in for a surprise when a trip to the zoo brings out the animal in everyone!
• Grandma’s Feather Bed Upbeat, funny and irresistibly singable, this song was made famous by John Denver and now made doubly delightful by Christopher Canyon’s illustrations. Especially if you listen along with Denver, kids will say, play it again! It is all about the cousins, the chicken pie, four hound dogs and a piggy, but as the song says, the best darn thing about Grandmas house was her great big feather bed.
• Emma’s Question  A question scritches and scratches at the back of Emma’s throat.Emma is a curious kid. She loves to ask questions,and she loves the silly answers that her grandmother always gives. But now Emma has a very important question, one that she is bursting to ask, one that scritches and scratches at the back of her throat. Her grandmother is sick and has to stay in the hospital. Emma wonders if Grandma will still be able to read to her kindergarten; if she will still make up funny stories over bagels on Wednesdays; if she will still be able to watch her after school.
• We Like the Beach A girl and her mom go for a walk on the beach. They see some of their favorite things.
• Animal Mothers and Babies This book helps children learn to read with descriptions of animal mothers and their babies.

These are just a few of the publisher books about mothers. There are also many Member Books that have been created for and about mothers.

Just as all mothers are unique, each of these titles represents an individual and interesting book to read …

Maybe you will choose to read a book or a poem about mothers …

Maybe you will choose to write and create a book or a poem about mothers …

Find a way to celebrate and share!

Comparing and Contrasting with a Venn Diagram

Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What do the subjects Math and English have in common? Not much? How about Venn Diagrams? John Venn, an English mathematician and logician, invented the Venn diagram in 1880, and although used often in illustrating mathematical concepts, the Venn diagram can be used in literacy lessons to help kids brainstorm and organize ideas.

First, let’s clear up the misconception that the terms compare and contrast are analogous (one and the same) words. Compare, in its strictest sense, means to focus on similarities. (Think of competitive parents who use their children to top the other’s child in a given category.) Compare is often mistakenly related to contrast. Contrast, clearly, means to focus on what makes it different. (So your child competed, my child won.)

Venn Diagrams can be used in the classroom as a visual organizational tool to illustrate the similarities and differences between two objects, characters, or groups in literature – or even topics raised during classroom discussions. Basically two intersecting circles, the left circle can be used to list traits of A, and the right circle can list traits of B. The circle sections that overlap, or are shared, become what they share in common. A handy way of reinforcing this for young children is coloring one complete circle in yellow pencil or crayon and coloring the other in red. Then the orange (more or less) center stands out.

After a Venn diagram is completed, a student has a ready-to-use outline for a compare and contrast discussion, using the diagram as a study tool or, for older students, begin writing a comparison (how they are alike) and contrast (how they are different) essay.

There are some great Venn Diagrams that ready-to-use, just print, copy and hand out to your students from educationaloasis.com, enchantedlearning.com and eduplace.com. Or you can create your own labeled diagram here or in Microsoft Word. And check out some sample lessons using Venn diagrams.

Writing Prompt: A Tough Conversation with a Young Pine Tree