Big Universe: Celebrate Christmas with children's books!
The Mazza Museum: International Art from Picture Books in Findlay, Ohio, received an early Christmas present. They just got 150 signed copies of “The Magical Christmas Horse,” a brand-new, beautifully illustrated picture book for children.
The holiday book is a collaboration between best-selling suspense author Mary Higgins Clark and noted artist Wendell Minor. The museum’s copies will be passed on as holiday gifts to patrons of “the world’s largest museum devoted to literacy and the art of children’s picture books.” The Mazza Museum – “where art from children’s picture books is taken seriously” – has more than 2,300 original illustrations. (The museum’s earliest piece dates from 1884.)
I love giving books as gifts too. They always have been my go-to present for birthdays, baby showers, teachers and holidays. The fact that “The Magical Christmas Horse” is wonderfully illustrated and celebrates the beauty of rural America, family time, traditions and redemption makes it a sure thing.
See the video clip below of a two-minute interview with Ms. Higgins Clark and Mr. Minor.
BigUniverse.com also is a champion of beautiful children’s picture books. This online treasure houses a growing library of digital fiction and non-fiction books in many languages, making it a valuable resource for classroom teachers, parents and homeschoolers. To date, Big Universe Learning has more than 3460 premium publisher books that have been read more than 2 million times. The number of member-created books grows daily.
The books showcase great narrative and stunning artwork, making them perfect for white board use or at computer stations in the classroom. There also are 1800-plus books that can be read on iPad, using the Safari web browser.
Here are 10 books from Big Universe with some of my favorite illustrations. The first two are Christmas books, so happy holidays!
NOTE:To learn more about “The Magical Christmas Horse,” its author and illustrator, or about Mazza Museum, read Douglas P. Clement’s very thorough article in Connecticut’s Litchfield County Times on Nov. 29. “The Magical Christmas Horse” is published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books and is available at your local book store or online. Click the following link to go to a page where you can listen to an excerpt read from the book.
BigUniverse.com picture book offers turkey trivia just in time for Thanksgiving.
I picked up two turkeys today. One was a frozen 23-pounder from Publix, and the other was roosted nicely on BigUniverse.com.
I’ll have to wait a couple of weeks for the first one, but I got to consume the other in one short sitting. The big guy will take hours to roast, but should suffice when it’s time to feed my 22 Thanksgiving dinner guests. The other one is a year-round treat – a particularly tasty morsel for the younger set just learning to read.
“Turkeys” is a Bellwetherbeauty, written and illustrated for K-2nd Graders (F&P GR: G ATOS: 1.5 AR Points: 0.5.) It’s a Level 1 Blastoff! Reader with particularly crisp and colorful photographs, a handful of good vocabulary stretchers and an online reading quiz (AR Quiz: 118106). I think I will share it with a niece and nephew, whom I get to meet for the first time this Thanksgiving! Family time and reading go together like mashed potatoes and gravy.
For the older kid in all of us, I put together a turkey trivia quiz, plus a list of turkey-themed activity links. If those don’t get your gobble on, there’s always turkey bowling….frozen of course.
Turkey Trivia Quiz
1.) What do you call a grownup male turkey?
A Tom Turkey
A Coattail Turkey
A Turkey Cob
Answer: No tricks here! A male turkey is called a “Tom Turkey.”
2.) What is a baby turkey called?
A pullet
A poult
A turklet
Answer: Juvenile male turkeys are sometimes called “jakes,” and juvenile females turkeys are sometimes referred to as “jennies,” but very young baby turkeys are called “poults,” so the answer is B.
3.) Male tom turkeys have these anatomical features:
Spurs, beard and horn
Beard, wattle and crest
Snood, caruncles, spurs
Answer: Male turkeys have lots of interesting features, especially their beautiful tail plumage. They also have spike-like spurs on their heels, a beard of skinny feathers dangling from their chests, a flap of skin called a “snood,” hanging over their beaks; “caruncles” – very bumpy wart-like skin – on their “bald” heads; and floppy skin under their necks, called “wattles” or “dewlaps.” So, the best answer is C.
4.) How many turkeys were raised in the United States in 2011?
32 million
248 million
152 million
Answer: Turkey production was up 2 percent this year compared to the 2010 season. In 2011, 248 million turkeys were raised, according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). So, the answer is B.
5.) Which state produces the most turkeys?
Arkansas
New York
Minnesota
Answer: The top turkey producer in the United States is Minnesota – with 46.5 million gobblers raised this year, says the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The five other top turkey-farming states are North Carolina and Arkansas (both with 30 million), Missouri (18 million), Virginia (17.5 million) and Indiana (16 million).
6.) What month is the official Turkey Lovers’ Month?
November
April
June
Answer: Most people would assume that November is Turkey Lovers’ Month, but it’s June. Although 95 percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving, June is the official month to promote turkey consumption.
7.) How long does a wild hen turkey sit on a clutch of eggs before they hatch?
60 days
43 days
26 days
Answer: The average incubation period is between three and four weeks, or 26 days, but may range from 25-29 days, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game. This depends on the number of eggs in the clutch, how long it took the hen turkey to lay her eggs, and when she decides to abandon her nest after her first eggs hatch.
8.) Which of the following statements is false?
Wild turkeys are too heavy to fly.
Wild turkeys can fly as fast as cars on a highway.
Wild turkeys can fly by the time they are 10 days old.
Answer: Wild turkeys prefer to run when startled, but learn to fly into trees to roost when just over a week old. They are best at gliding downhill, but can fly up to a mile when necessary. So, Answer A is false. Even though some adults reach 25 pounds at their heaviest, they can fly 50-60 miles per hour over short distances. Domestic turkeys, however, no longer have the capacity to fly.
9.) The turkey’s natural eating habits make it a/an:
Vegetarian
Carnivore
Omnivore
Answer: The wild turkey loves to eat seeds, insects, acorns, salamanders and grasses, making it an “omnivore,” so Answer 3 is the best choice.
10.) How long does it take to thaw a 12-pound frozen turkey in the refrigerator?
Overnight
3 days
6 days
Answer: Your frozen turkey should go in the refrigerator on Monday, three days before it goes in the oven. The Butterball Company recommends that you “allow one day of thawing for each 4 pounds of turkey. (12 divided by 4 is 3.) A thawed turkey may remain in the refrigerator for four days before cooking.” (This means my 23-pound turkey needs to come out of the freezer and go into my refrigerator about six days before Thanksgiving.)
Reading Christmas books is as much a part of the season’s traditions as hanging ornaments, baking cookies and getting new pajamas on Christmas Eve. So, I am always looking for new ones to add to our family library. None can rival the original Christmas story, but they do add to the festivities and enhance family time.
Illustrator Tara Larsen Chang brings a traditional 12th-century French Christmas song to life in her inviting rendition of “The Friendly Beasts,” a children’s picture book featured on the Big Universe website. Although the text is old, the pictures are charming and bring the words to life. In this tender story, a donkey, cow, sheep and camel bring gifts to a special baby, expressing the art of giving in their own unique way.
Ms. Chang is a gifted artist, sharing a creative bent that has been with her since childhood. “From my earliest memories I’ve been captivated by the illustrations in fairy tales and children’s books,” she says on her website. “And (I) couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do when I was grown up than create my own.”
(You can see additional samples of her work on her website.)
Burl Ives sang the words in this book on his 1952 album “Christmas Day in the Morning.” Other singers have recorded the song, including Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, Sufjan Stevens and Garth Brooks.
This year my son graduated from 8th grade. He is headed to high school with a strong educational foundation and a genuine love of reading. I began to reminisce about his toddler years and the things that we would do together. It’s true that parents are the first teachers. Back then, I had no knowledge of child psychology, developmental theory, or popular teaching strategies. All I had was a deep love for my child and a strong belief that he could do anything. In hindsight, I did some things that set him up for academic success. You can do it too! Here are 5 ways to create a learning environment for your own toddler:
1. Become a narrator. When you are walking around the house, verbalize your actions. Ex. “Let’s get ready to go see Granny! The first thing we need to do is put on our shoes. Now where are those shoes?” This is a natural way to expose your child to wide variety of vocabulary words and sentence structure.
2. Invest in food coloring. During bath time, place a few drops of food coloring into the bath water. Act excited about the color by saying, “Wow, look at that beautiful GREEN water!” Your toddler will recognize all of the colors in no time. Plus its a fun bath time surprise that your toddler will grow to love.
3. Choose a letter of the week. Buy letters and systematically introduce the alphabet to your child. I had foam letters for the bath and large wooden letters for the high chair tray. I began with the first letter of my son’s name and jumped around the alphabet from there. During bath time, stick a foam letter to the wall and every now and then point to it and say something like, “Look at the letter I!”, then trace it with your fingers (using the same motion you would if you were to write the letter). At dinner time, use the wooden letters. Place the same letter on the high chair tray or table. Again, mention the letter a few times during the meal. By the time my son was 3, he knew all of the letters in the alphabet.
4. Visit the library OFTEN. Make your local library the first place you look for free reading material and free entertainment. They offer special programming for toddlers and during the summer there are a ton of shows, craft opportunities, and presentations. My son still has fond memories of carting a milk crate to the library and coming home with 20-30 books for me to read to him during the week. Make sure to get board books so your child can explore them alone, and choose a few of your own favorites to share. The reading bug is easy to catch. Make sure your child catches it early.
5. Limit or Eliminate Television. Hold off from allowing your child to watch television for as long as possible. You want the strongest influence in their life to be you, not the cartoon character on TV. You want them to emulate the way you speak, not the way SpongeBob speaks. If you do allow your toddler to watch television, choose educational programming produced on the PBS channel, the Discovery Network, or even better, rent educational videos from your local library.
Keisa Williams (aka Ms. K) is a mother & 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”.
“This is June, the month of grass and leaves . . . and a new summer is offered me.”
– Henry David Thoreau
There’s something magical about summertime: new adventures, freedom and beauty that one can almost sip from a straw.
Summer clips the tethers that hold us tight the rest of the year. We stay outside longer, we stop for impromptu ice cream cones, and we get up early on Saturday morning and consider it fun because we are headed to the farmers’ market.
And then, there are the vacations! Off we go to the beach, the lake, the amusement park or to the mountains to camp.
Unfortunately there’s usually some significant travel time involved on vacations, and that can be tricky with little ones in tow. But, that’s part of life, so early on I decided to embrace the inevitable car rides, seeing them as opportunities – rather than something one step above rubbing sunscreen in my eyes.
So, I came up with a kid-friendly strategy that made trips both fun and educational. In my two previous blogs I detailed tips to make long trips easier, including a packing listand some car gamesuggestions to make the time go faster and to exercise brain cells.
Here are a few more car games to boost your children’s language skills and minimize irritability and whining.
Who Am I?
One child says, “Who am I?” The second child asks, “Are you a person, place or thing?” The first child answers, and then the question-answer volley proceeds until the mystery item or person is guessed. (Are you smaller than a car? Do you make noise? Can you be eaten? Are you scary? Are you soft? This models conversation patterns, teaches critical thinking skills and sharpens listening aptitude.
License Plate Game
If you have a long road trip planned, print copies listing the 50 states. As your child spies license plates from different states, have him check the state off his list. Or, give him some crayons and a black and white map of the United States and let him color in each state that he sees. Reading, geography and small motor skills wrapped into one.
Rhyme Time
Language is made of sounds, and making rhymes is an early literacy milestone. This game involves parent-child interaction, which builds communication bridges as well as a wide vocabulary base. Some of the rhymes will be silly or nonsensical, but that’s OK. Language has its serious side, but words can be a delight, too.
Give a noun in a phrase, pausing so your child can fill in the blank. Start by example:
The dog and a ___. (hog, log, frog)
A star with a ___.(car, jar, or a nonsense word like “dar”)
Jack Sprat and his ___. (cat, rat, mat, bat)
Fortunately, Unfortunately
Older kids will love this word play game. It encourages the imagination and a sense of humor. One person starts a scenario by say, “Fortunately…” The second person responds by saying, “Unfortunately…” You alternate between fortunate and unfortunate things. It’ll get the laughter going. For example:
“Fortunately, we are stopping for lunch soon.”
“Unfortunately, Mom left your sandwich at home.”
“Fortunately, I have a bag of peanuts in my pocket.”
“Unfortunately, the park we are going to is infested with aggressive squirrels.”
“Fortunately, I speak ‘squirrel’ fluently and will be able to talk my way out of trouble.”
“Unfortunately, the park is a wildlife refuge and kids aren’t allowed to speak out loud there.”
“Fortunately…”
And so on.
Would You Rather?
This game is as simple as they come. Start by example, then let the kids have a turn.
“Would you rather go to the pool or go to the zoo?
“Would you rather eat lima beans or eat spinach?”
“Would you rather pet a bear or pet a lion?
“Would you rather have 12 toes or 12 fingers?”
These are just a few of the many games that can be played in the car. I shared “Horse on Wheels” in my first blog in this series and three other car games in my second posting: “The Great Race from A to Z,” “Sack on My Back” and “Name Game.” They foster communication, build literacy skills and boost family bonding. Check them out.
I’d love to hear about some of the word games your family plays in the car to pass the time. Feel free to post a comment.
Have a great summer.
***NOTE: If you are taking a laptop with you on your road trip and have a 3G Internet card or have Internet hookup at your vacation lodging, Big Universe provides a portable library for children at your fingertips. With thousands of beautiful picture books available 24/7, there is no reason for your kids to experience “summer setback” in reading. Maintain or even improve their literacy skills with a wide assortment of fiction and non-fiction stories.
In my last blog, I talked about summer vacation, traveling in a car and how important it is to prepare carefully when carrying young passengers. If you are going to confine small people in small spaces for hours on end, it’s best to have a plan. “Prepare or perish” were my exact words.
Car games are a good way to pass the time on a long trip, along with a pile of books, a new toy and some snacks. Car games are literacy builders, too – whether players look for letters on billboards, build an expanding story based on the ABCs and memory skills, or sing silly songs with changing sounds.
I shared a new but simple game called “Horse on Wheels” in my previous blog. Here are three more games to foster communication, build literacy skills and boost family bonding while putting some mileage on your car.
The Great Race from A to Z
Have your children look for each letter in the alphabet, using billboards and signs on businesses. See how many times they can get through the alphabet before getting to Aunt Carolyn’s house. Or, use a stopwatch to time the race from A to Z. It can be a group effort or kids can compete, depending on the squabble factor. Add a notebook and pencil to the equation if your children need practice with penmanship.
Sack on My Back
This is a memory game and tongue twister all packed into one! Each player takes a turn reciting the game prompt: “In a sack on my back, I think I’ll pack…” He or she adds a noun each time, starting with A, then B, and so on. Each player will need to listen closely, so he doesn’t leave anything off the list. “In a sack on my back, I think I’ll pack an apple, a basketball, a camera and my dachshund.”
Name Game
This rhyming car game takes some practice, but the kids love it. I never quite mastered it, but children have a special knack to pick up on the playful sound switcheroos, especially when names are involved. You can play it with other words, too. Learn one line; then add another. Here are several examples:
Darby, Darby, Bo-barby
Banana, Fanna, Fo-farby
Fee, Fie, Mo-marby
Daaar-by!
—-
Tom, Tom, Bo-bom
Banana, Fanna, Fo-fom
Fee, Fie, Mo-mom
Tooo-ooom!
—-
Maddie, Maddie, Bo-baddie
Banana, Fanna, Fo-faddie
Fee, Fie, Mo-maddie
Maaad-die!
—-
Dave, Dave, Bo-bave
Banana, Fanna, Fo-fave
Fee, Fie, Mo-mave
Daaa-ve!
(Clue: Note the rhyming pattern. Pick a name. Say it twice, then drop the first letter of the name and substitute the silly consonants and sounds.)
*** NOTE: See more car games in my next post, and read the first in this three-part series:
*** NOTE: If you are taking a laptop with you on your trip and have a 3G Internet card or have Internet hookup at your vacation lodging, Big Universe provides a portable library for children at your fingertips. With thousands of beautiful picture books available 24/7, there is no reason for your kids to experience “summer setback” in reading. Maintain or even improve their literacy skills with a wide assortment of fiction and non-fiction stories.
Oprah Winfrey said, “My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
I’ve always been an optimist, so I appreciate her sentiment. I try to look at the bright side of things and make the best of less than ideal situations – even imprisonment in a smallish vehicle with three other people.
…That’s 70 cubic feet of space, divided by four – not counting the luggage, the snacks and the pillows. But, I suppose if Oprah and her best friend, Gayle King, can go cross country for 11 days in a little Chevy Impala, I can survive for five in an SUV.
Road trips. They can be viewed as either adventures or a stress-packed short cut to Purgatory – especially if children are involved. If vacations involve a lot of driving, parents MUST be prepared. Prepare or perish, I say!
A captive audience
Some of my girls’ fondest memories are of the vacations we took when they were little. It wasn’t necessarily the destination that thrilled them either. I worked hard to make the drive time fun…and educational…to make the most of a potentially difficult situation. I figured I had a captive audience and took advantage of the opportunity.
If you set your children up for a successful road trip, 99 percent of the time, that’s what you’ll get. Plan well, prepare your children, have a positive attitude…and pray like crazy. That was my formula. I desired happy children…but, I also wanted to avoid a nasty case of vehicular momicide.
We listened to books on tape, and we played word games. (See car game at end of this article…and more in the next blog!) We sang and we TALKED about what we saw out the windows.
Building Blocks for Literacy
A language-rich environment like this helps children develop their vocabulary and their ability to communicate. They learn how to express their observations and opinions, to ask questions, and to listen – all building blocks for literacy. And, if parents engage fully, they can get to know the hearts of their children.
One for You, and One for Me
Of course, what’s a car trip without snacks? I packed healthful treats in Ziplocs, but crossing state borders was something to really celebrate! One Gummi Worm for North Carolina. Two for Virginia. Three for West Virginia, and, well, when you hit Pennsylvania, you hit the Mother Lode!
What’s in the Bag?
There were always a few brown bags marked “Top Secret,” too. When we reached certain landmarks and IF the children behaved properly, they each got a bag with her name on it. Sometimes it contained a coloring book or puzzle booklet. Other times it had a 50-cent bracelet, a miniature dolly, a little book or a couple of plastic animals. (Note: Don’t forget something for the return voyage!)
NEVER, No Never Ever…
And, of course, we NEVER embarked on a long excursion without a fresh supply of books from the library. We wedged a laundry basket between the girls’ booster seats, which gave them easy access to a heap of books. We left a list of the library books taped to the refrigerator at home with their due dates to make their return easier and to minimize late fees. Our library was good about printing a list for us.
Now with mobile 3G Internet cards becoming more common, network access on the road is possible. That means websites like BigUniverse.com and all its beautiful children’s picture books can go on vacation with you. Can’t get much better than that!
To help get all you road warriors ready for this summer’s trips, I have compiled a checklist to make your preparations kid-friendly.
How to Survive a Road Trip with Kids
Pack comfort items. Pillows, teddy and a favorite blanket.
Buy or borrow books on tape/CD. Great for when it gets dark.
Bring drinks in spill-proof containers. Pack individual snacks. Dry nibbles are best. There will be crumbs, so choose things that can be vacuumed up.
Don’t forget hand wipes to clean sticky faces and grimy hands.
Buy or borrow a fresh collection of age-appropriate books to fight boredom and make the trip go faster. Have older siblings read to their younger brothers and sisters. You’ll get twice the mileage from each book.
Pick out a few movies for the laptop or DVD player, but use sparingly. I suggest saving them for the return trip or for when it gets dark. Don’t forget headsets – unless you want to be humming kiddie songs for the next week.
Tuck Dramamine, ear patches or pressure-point bracelets in the glove compartment.
Pack a jump rope, Skip-It or football in the trunk to facilitate some quick exercise at rest stops. Antsy kids don’t make good passengers. Stop often.
Give each child their own flashlight. Just take my word on it. It’s a godsend, while en route and once you get to your destination. (Don’t forget a plug-in nightlight, too.)
Place a few surprises in opaque gift bags: mini books, Matchbox cars, stickers, word search puzzles, sugarless gum, Polly Pocket dolls, tiny spiral notebooks and washable markers, mazes, string and string games booklet, etc.
Prepare a list of car games and pack any necessary props. Many of them are good literacy builders, since they involve word and symbol recognition, playful rhymes, spelling, counting and writing.
Add your own ideas to this list.
A Car Game for You
“Horse on Wheels” is a good car game for beginning readers. It involves observation, counting, spelling, writing and stickers. It can be competitive in nature or not. It’s a little like bingo and a little like the driveway basketball game “Horse” – only there is no hoop or basketball…or driveway for that matter! You do spell “h-o-r-s-e” though!
It’s easy to play and only requires three simple components.
One sheet of stiff card stock, matte finish (no shine)
One child-safe washable marker or a pencil
One sheet of yard sale dot stickers (office supply aisle)
How to assemble: Take card stock and write the word “horse” in big bold letters across the top. Draw vertical lines from top to bottom between the letters. Draw horizontal lines to create squares big enough to fit a dot sticker in the middle. Add a few more horizontal lines to create rows of empty boxes big enough for a child to write the corresponding letter. (See graphic above.)
How to play: The child looks out the window until he or she spots a horse. For every horse, the child gets to add a sticker dot to the chart, placing it first under the letter “H,” then in the “O” column, and so on. After the sticker is in place, the child should write the letter below the sticker. The first child to write “horse” three times wins.
Note: We were driving through Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana, so it was easy to count horses. Not so easy if you are sticking to urban byways. If this is the case, mark the top of your sheet with a different word or phrase: dog, police car, taxi, bridge and so on.
*** NOTE: See more car games in my next two posts – all part of a three-piece series:
*** NOTE: If you are taking a laptop with you on your trip and have a 3G Internet card or have Internet hookup at your vacation lodging, Big Universe provides a portable library for children at your fingertips. With thousands of beautiful picture books available 24/7, there is no reason for your kids to experience “summer setback” in reading. Maintain or even improve their literacy skills with a wide assortment of fiction and non-fiction stories.
Babies, chocolate and puppies are hard to resist. So are puffins – that rotund black and white seabird with expressive eyes and mango-colored feet and bill. In fact, my girls’ favorite poem while growing up featured a muffin-shaped puffin.
“There Once Was a Puffin” by Florence Page Jaques is best recited with a lilting voice, a staccato cadence and lots of enthusiasm. We even incorporated some exaggerated breathing.
But, no matter how you choose to interpret it, “There Once Was a Puffin” is a great poem to memorize and recite in unison. We still quote snippets of it when having tea, eating pancakes or even when we’re feeling blue.
There Once Was a Puffin
Oh, there once was a Puffin
Just the shape of a muffin,
And he lived on an island
In the bright blue sea!
He ate little fishes,
That were most delicious,
And he had them for supper
And he had them for tea.
But this poor little Puffin,
He couldn’t play nothin’,
For he hadn’t anybody
To play with at all.
So he sat on his island,
And he cried for awhile, and
He felt very lonely,
And he felt very small.
Then along came the fishes,
And they said, “If you wishes,
You can have us for playmates,
Instead of for tea!”
So they now play together,
In all sorts of weather,
And the Puffin eats pancakes,
Like you and like me.
If you want to learn more about this colorful “clown of the sea,” read “Puffins” by author Colleen Sexton on the Big Universe picture book website. Published by Bellwether Media, “Puffins” is among the Level 2 Blastoff! Readers series book selections for beginners. Level 2 offers early readers simple sentences, but with more text and less repetition of high-frequency words than the series’ Level 1 books.
Puffinpalooza.com also provides vivid pictures of this cartoonish creature, as well as lots of facts and teacher resources, including lesson ideas, coloring sheets, vocabulary lists and a crossword puzzle. You will find two additional puffin poems on the website’s poem page.
Families reading together during the Big Universe Read-In
This year’s 1st annual Big Universe Read-In was a tremendous success! Entire families visited the library media center and read books together on the Big Universe website.
This was a daunting task. This year was the first year implementing 1:1 laptop use in the library. Our students have been steadily building their confidence with using technology since we began this Fall. Up until this point, I had only used our mobile laptop lab with students during the school day. Big Universe is such a great resource that I just had to share it with our families. I share this information in hopes that YOU will create a Big Universe Read-In during your next family night or community celebration.
Begin with a whole class lesson. Model how to navigate to the Big Universe website and log in. I embedded the URL for the Big Universe Sign In page in our library website to make it easy for parents to click and immediately log in.
Choose your focus for the lesson. Don’t overwhelm your audience by introducing too many features of Big Universe too soon. I chose to focus on the READ tab. Parents want to support students with reading but always have questions about which books to choose when they visit the library or a bookstore. Our students know their reading level. Big Universe makes it easy for families to locate a variety of books at just the right reading level. I modeled how to search by reading level, select a book, turn pages, and close a book selection.
Model several ways to search for a book on the Big Universe website: entering keywords in the search box and advanced search methods (category, interest age, reading level, academic subject, language, fiction, and non-fiction).
Review laptop policies and procedures. Don’t assume parents know what to do in a computer lab. Review established rules and routines. Provide hand wipes or hand sanitizer for all family members before they move to the laptops.
Let the reading begin!
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”.
It’s fitting that I begin blogging for Big Universe this month, as it is School Library Month and National Library Week (April 11-17, 2010) is just a few days away. The theme this year is “Communities Thrive @ your library”. What better way to bring your community together than through hosting a Big Universe Read-In? Read-Ins are all about bringing people together to share books. This year I introduced our K-5 elementary student to reading books online on Big Universe and talked to them about becoming authors on the website in the future. Four times a year we host something called, Saturday School, where entire families come to our school to participate in educational activities. This year our theme is Earth Day. In addition to learning about conservation and actively beautifying the school and the surrounding community, families will visit our school library and learn from their children how to log into and read books on the Big Universe website.
It’s simple to embed Big Universe links on your own website. Big Universe provides an embed code for every book on their website. Your audience will view the book covers on your website, click the desired book, and begin reading! I used the embed code on my own library wiki to highlight Earth Day themed books. Now my families need only to surf to our homepage to view the Earth Day related selections! I also included some Spanish language selections as 97% of our students are English Language Learners who primarily speak Spanish at home. I am am excited about the possibilities! Maybe during our next Saturday School, families will create books together.
by Steve Van Zandt (author), Katherine Zecca (illustrator)
Rivers make beautiful music – from the trickle of snowmelt to the burble of a full-flowing stream. Here the famed children’s musical ensemble, the Banana Slug String Band, celebrates rivers as a fascinating, ever-changing source of life and joy. The CD includes their vibrant rendition of “River Song.”
by Laya Steinberg (author), Cris Arbo (illustrator)
With eyes wide open to the mysteries of nature, a child on a hike discovers that “a leaf is a boat for a beetle” and that “a nest is a cradle for eggs.” Tired from her long walk, she sleeps – and in her dream she flies like a bird and marvels at the beauty around her. This planet that is home to so many creatures is magical when seen through the eyes of wonder.
by Barbara Gregorich
Do you know that… Linen comes from a plant? Catfish have two sets of whiskers? The world’s largest dog is the St. Bernard?
12 Exciting Titles Discover true science facts and interesting details like these in this collection of engaging, nonfiction stories. Readers will enjoy learning something new! Each 8-page story features clever illustrations that captivate even the most reluctant readers.
by David Pierce Hughes
Listen now and you will hear The Humpback Whale,the Polar Bear,the Albatross and the Leather Back Turtle among many other sea creatures tell us in verse of their plight,and the whispering Wave warns us of their eventual extinction if we don’t care for The One Sea.
by David Pierce Hughes (author), Richard Perrot (illustrator)
This stunning full colour Manga style book is told from an ecological perspective by artist and poet David Pierce Hughes. This is the moving story of how the One Tree is befriended by a boy, of its destruction and its eventual renewal.
by Loran Wlodarski (author), Lew Clayton (illustrator)
Felina the Florida panther loved growing up in her forest home, until the forest starts to shrink! Trees begin to disappear, and Felina doesn’t understand the new busy highway in the neighborhood. Other animals are in danger, too. Will Felina find a way to survive as humans threaten to ruin her home? Environmental science writer Loran Wlodarski gives children a look into deforestation and endangered animals in Felina’s New Home: A Florida Panther Story, complemented by the detailed, emotive illustrations of Lew Clayton. Learn whether the animals in Felina’s forest adapt to the new human presence and what children can do to keep wild animals safe, happy, and healthy.
by Dana Lyons (author), David Danioth (illustrator)
An 800-year-old Douglas fir ponders the many things it has seen in the natural world as it hears bulldozers coming, and then people arrive to save it from destruction.
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”.
