Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Selections

On April 29, 2010, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring May 2010 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The proclamation begins:

“For centuries, America’s story has been tied to the Pacific. Generations of brave men and women have crossed this vast ocean, seeking better lives and opportunities, and weaving their rich heritage into our cultural tapestry. During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate the immeasurable contributions these diverse peoples have made to our Nation.”

Looking for a readaloud? Grace Lin’s Ugly Vegetables is always a favorite! Lin wrote this story based upon her experiences gardening with her mother as a child. She and her mother grew “ugly” Chinese vegetables while the other people in her neighborhood grew beautiful flowers.  This book will spark discussions of culture, community, & diverstiy. It also includes a pronunciation guide for the Chinese Vegetables in the story as well as a recipe at the end of the book.

Teaching Resources

• Author, Grace Lin’s Website Activities, coloring page, lesson plan, reader’s theater script, soup recipe, & a Chinese vocabulary lesson.

• Behind the story History of how the story was created and a picture of the author with her mom.

• McGraw-Hill Activities Students will practice oral language, spelling & vocabulary, and research & inquiry skills while playing interactive games.

• Grants for School and Youth Gardens Check out this list of grants on the National Gardening Association website.

More titles on Big Universe:

Keisa Williams (aka Ms. K) is a K-5 School Librarian at Monarch Academy, a public charter school in Oakland, CA. She is certified in secondary and elementary education (MLIS and MEd) and loves collaborating with teachers and integrating technology into her library lessons. She considers herself a “Technology Diva” and “Gadget Junkie”.

Celebrate National Train Day, May 8, 2010!

Who can resist the magic of a train? Saturday, May 8, 2010, is the third annual National Train Day. This is a day to celebrate America’s love of trains. There will be free nationwide events happening all over the country. If you are not able to attend, host your own National Train Day event using these helpful resources.

Check out Bellwether Publishing’s Bullet Train on Big Universe. This book is great for reinforcing text features: table of contents, headings, bold words, visual aids, glossary, & index.

Lesson Resources

On the Valdez Middle School Language Arts website , there are several resources to promote Informational Text reading comprehension skills. Use the “Unlocking the Mysteries of Informational Materials” PowerPoint to introduce or review text features. Then use the “Text Features PowerPoint (pdf)” to model the use of text features and move into a “Text Features Scavenger Hunt” included in this document.

Keisa Williams (aka Ms. K) is a K-5 School Librarian at Monarch Academy, a public charter school in Oakland, CA. She is certified in secondary and elementary education (MLIS and MEd) and loves collaborating with teachers and integrating technology into her library lessons. She considers herself a “Technology Diva” and “Gadget Junkie”.