Big Universe Overview Webinar
Join us for a Webinar on May 16

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/284876649

Please join us for a webinar on preventing summer reading slide with Big Universe. We will go over summer reading lists, assigning books, and other benefits of the Read section. Also, using features in the Write and Share sections to enhance literacy skills will be discussed. Learn more about how Big Universe can be used to encourage summer reading in this free, 30 minute demo.

Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Time: 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

Bullying seems to be a hot topic in schools today, both online and offline.

I found a book on Big Universe Learning that could be a good way to approach the topic with students in elementary school: Not So Tall for Six.

I think younger students would be able to relate to the obstacles Kylie Bell faces in the stories while older students would be able to relate to the funny animal metaphors included in the story. Those metaphors are only made better by the playful illustrations that accompany them on the pages.

Here are things I found about this book from other sites:

From Jen Robinson’s Book Page:  Not So Tall for Six was written by 2006 Cybils nonfiction picture book winning author Dianna Hutts Aston, and illustrated by Frank W. Dormer. I was interested in this book, about a very small six-year-old girl, because I’m “not so tall” myself. I must admit that it took me a second read-through to appreciate this quirky picture book, but on that second reading, I was won over.

From Bullying Canada.ca: Size isn’t everything but size really can make a difference when it comes to bullying. Kylie Bell isn’t exactly tall. Even though she’s probably the smallest person in grade one, she doesn’t let her size get to her. She may be small is stature but she’s big in heart. The classroom bully, Rusty Jacks gives her a hard time about it though. Coming from a small family, Kylie Bell simply remembers the family motto: “Brave and smart and big at heart”. Rusty Jacks has no friends and when it comes time to read in circles, he has no one to sit with. What should Kylie Bell do? 

After volunteering to have Rusty Jacks sit in her group, everyone is shocked at little Kylie Bells actions. What shocks them even more is what Rusty Jacks does after class. 

I encourage you to read this book and see what ideas come to mind for ways you can use it with children.

(My daughter turns six at the end of the end of the week, so the title of this book is what first caught my attention!)

Big Universe Overview Webinar
Join us for a Webinar on May 9

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/953886801

Please join us for a general overview of Big Universe. We will go over the basic features in our Read, Write, Share, and Manage sections. Also, benefits and common classroom uses will be discussed. Learn more about Big Universe in this free, 45 minute demo.

Date: Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Time: 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

It’s great to find good literature about math.   Big Universe has two ebooks about the important ancient mathematician, Pythagoras.   Even though I’m not responsible for teaching these exact concepts to my fourth graders, I did show them these books and encouraged a few interested students to read them for understanding.  Here are links to the books:

   Pythagoras and the Ratios     What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?

In addition, here are some other resources to support the information they are reading.

Pythagoras Info for Kids

Funny animated video that illustrates the Pythagorian theorum

Biographical information about Pythagoras

Presenting students with online information is quickly becoming a great way to spur on a small independent study.  With these few helpful links of information including these great ebooks from Big Universe, I have some students who are now creating their own models of Pythagoras’s work and showing other students in the class.  What a great way to get students motivated and interested in math – through the integration of literacy and technology!

~EMP

Did you know that one of the themes for the month of May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month?

I found this information on Thinkfinity:

Join the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and discover the benefits of exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Learn more as you explore these lessons, interactives, and resources from Thinkfinity and its Content Partners.

Exercise and Nutrition Resources
This collection of resources from ScienceNetLinks offers lessons, tools, and podcasts on these topics for all ages.
Science | Health | All Grades

Reading into Action
Discover how to turn an engaging story into a physical activity with ideas from this ArtsEdge tipsheet.
Reading | Physical Education | All Grades

What Is a Slam Dunk?
Trace the meaning of the phrase from its beginnings in basketball to its current use in other fields. Then test your athletic powers with physical activity followed by creative work on your sports vocabulary.
Science | Vocabulary | Grades PK-6

Health Photo Gallery
Consider the geographic implications of health and nutrition through these photographs that reflect how health and exercise are influenced by where people live, work, and play.
Primary Sources | Culture | Grades 3-12

Write “Moving” Sports Poetry
What verbs describe the movements of your favorite sports hero? Watch short videos of sports athletes in action and share what you observe in the form of sports poetry.
Writing | Grades 3-5

Got Broccoli?
Explore the connection between what you eat and the body’s ability to grow and repair itself.
Science | Nutrition | Grades 3-5

MyPlate Food Guide
Investigate the USDA’s MyPlate Food Guide to learn what foods provide the nutrients your body needs to be active and to maintain a healthy weight.
Science | Health | Grades 6-8

The Victor’s Virtue: A Cultural History of Sports
Learn how sports, philosophy, and culture intersect through the Greek word arete. Examine Greek primary source texts to discover how this concept applies to current high school sports culture.
History | Literature | Grades 9-12

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When looking through those resources, did you notice the ways that literacy was connected to sports and nutrition in each of them?

Think about the opportunities for reading, writing, research, creating, thinking, and reflecting explored in those resources ….

Now think about the ways you can use Big Universe Learning to explore some of those same areas as well as to complete some of the steps in the projects that go along with those resources …

Students could using the Big Universe Learning Writing Tool to create books based on the information they find and/or think is interesting …

Students could look at the large book collection on Big Universe Learning to find books related to physical fitness, nutrition, and sports …

Think of the possibilities ….

Go explore and do ….

]]> http://blog.biguniverse.com/2012/05/05/4249/feed/ 0 http://blog.biguniverse.com/2012/04/30/childrens-book-week-get-a-bookmark/ http://blog.biguniverse.com/2012/04/30/childrens-book-week-get-a-bookmark/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 00:02:03 +0000 Suzan Woodard http://blog.biguniverse.com/?p=4237

Children’s Book Week, a national celebration of books and reading, is a week away. Set for May 7-13, this observation is purported to be the “longest running literacy initiative in the country.” Established in 1919, the event spawns reading fêtes, author guest appearances, storytelling, and a host of other literacy functions for children and youth across the country.

If you are planning to have a reading party in your classroom or library, the Children’s Book Council has a free downloadable bookmark created by Lane Smith, an award-winning illustrator. It would make a good token gift for beginning readers.

Lane teamed with author Jon Scieszka to create “The Stinky Cheese Man,” “The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs” and “Math Curse.” He also illustrated Roald Dahl’s “James and the Giant Peach” and “Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!” by Dr. Seuss and Jack Prelutsky.

Just go to the “It’s a Bookmark!” link, right click the image, and save the template to your computer. Print the bookmark (and bonus activity) on cardstock or heavy paper. Cut it out, and laminate for durability.

Big Universe Learning has 4080 engaging books online for your students to enjoy during Children’s Book Week. There are 304,000 members from 168 countries in the Big Universe Learning community, and visitors to the educational website have logged 3,825,896 reads to date!

“A great nation is a reading nation.” – CBW

Big Universe Overview Webinar
Join us for a Webinar on May 2

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/687132417

Please join us for a general overview of Big Universe. We will go over the basic features in our Read, Write, Share, and Manage sections. Also, benefits and common classroom uses will be discussed. Learn more about Big Universe in this free, 45 minute demo.

Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Time: 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

How many questions do you ask each day?

How many questions form in your mind each day?

What does it mean to have questions?

Is it Ok to have questions that don’t have answers?

I think asking questions is a good thing (even the WHY? questions from children that we all love so much).

When you read a book with your students, who is asking the most questions?

Think about who is asking questions and who is answering questions …

Having question about what you are reading (or what is being read to you) mean you are thinking! We want students to think …. thinking leads to learning!

If you are asking questions, that means you want to know more …. which means you are engaged in learning, even if it is not always the traditional definition of or setting for learning to take place.

Conversations can be initiated by questions …

Conversations can fueled by questions …

Conversations can promote, encourage, and cause even more questions ….

It is fine to have questions and to discuss questions and to think of even more questions ….

I enjoy hearing the questions of others and reflecting on their questions and how the connect with my own questions …

I am sure that in the midst of all those questions, we can find some new ideas, resources, and opportunities for learning …

Do you think asking questions is a sign of curiosity and a desire to learn?

I can answer that one for me … Yes!

image source

This is one of the ultimate goals of reading instruction: get your students to think about their reading.  We teach them skills strategies for comprehension and then give them time to practice under our guidance as well as on their own.  Readers learn best when they are reading and one way I’ve found that my students start to understand what their brains are doing while they read is to keep a journal.

Many teachers do this.  You may ask your students to write down what they are thinking as they read.  Sometimes this is done in a journal, a separate piece of paper or on sticky  notes.  One method I’ve learned is for readers to write double entries in a journal.  For this, students create a two column chart in their journal, titling the left side “Text” and the right side “Reflection.”  When they come to something in the text that resonates with them, they can take a moment to write down what they read and then what they were thinking.  they may also decide to read the passage first and then go back to write in their journals.

We use our reading group times to have a grand conversation about what students have written in their journals.  We also take time to look at our reflections and identify them according to reading strategies.  Students often make connections in their reflections, but also will ask questions, make predictions, and infer about what they have read.  Taking the time to notice these things (and mark them in their journals) can be a helpful way to allow students to understand how they think while they read.

Did you know Earth Day is coming soon?

What do you think Earth Day means?

Why do you think we celebrate it?

According to the EPA Kids Page:

Earth Day is a Birthday!! Just like a birthday is a special day to celebrate a person, Earth Day is a special day that celebrates the Earth. Earth Day was born on April 22, 1970, in San Francisco, California. Every year, America and over 100 different countries join together in the celebration of Earth Day on April 22^nd. Earth Day is the largest, most celebrated environmental event worldwide. On Earth Day, we remember to appreciate nature and learn ways to protect our environment. Find ways that you can help keep the planet clean and help protect our environment!

On the EPA Kids Page linked above, you can find some great activities and a list of books, but you can find book related to Earth and things on Earth here on Big Universe Learning too!

Let’s start off exploring a book by Derek Zobel called Earth!

What better place would there be for us to start?

What do you think you can learn from this book?

What genre do you think it is?

What are some characteristics of that genre?

After we finish this book, let’s move on to Spaceship Earth …

Just from knowing the title of the book, do you predict this book will be about?

Does looking at the cover illustration help you make a better prediction?

Here is a quick summary of this book so you can check your predictions:

Earth is made up of atmosphere that protects us from the sun and contains our air supply. The next part is the hydrosphere, which is all the water on the planet. The third is the geosphere, the rocks. All three parts are closely connected. If we do not take care of one part of Earth, such as the ocean, we hurt the entire planet. Scientists all over the world are working to find ways to reduce pollution and make our Earth healthier.

Did you know that you can find lots of books about the plants, animals, and people that live on Earth on Big Universe Learning?

There sure is a lot to choose from to read in order to celebrate Earth Day!

You could even write your own book about Earth for Earth Day here using the publishing tools!

Globe Image By NASA Goddard Photo and VideoNASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Book Covers from Big Universe Learning