Baby, It’s Cold Outside! Cue the Weather Books

It’s Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney Phil just predicted that we would have an early spring. Try telling that to the folks hunkered down after getting slammed yesterday and today by the Monster Blizzard of 2011.

 Chicago got more than 20 inches of snow and high winds, and schools were closed today – the first time in a decade. Texas declared an energy emergency and imposed rolling blackouts as officials fought to handle the extraordinary demand on the energy grid during the cold. Commuter rail service was suspended between New Jersey and New York because of heavy ice. Thousands of flights have been cancelled at airports around the country and shipping has come to a crawl or standstill in many parts of the United States.

 That’s a blizzard for ya.

 Current events are a marvelous teaching tool, and Bellwether Publishing’s “Blizzards” book by Kay Manolis is a timely read for kids observing the effects of the storm outside their windows. This Level 4 Blastoff! Readers book is aimed at 6- to 12-year-olds and contains big photos, interesting fact boxes and some weather diagrams.

 My sister has vivid memories of “The Super Storm of 1993” mentioned on Page 20 in “Blizzards.” She was nine months pregnant and had visions of an unplanned home birth. Fortunately, the baby held off a day or two and roads were somewhat passable by the time little Madison made her arrival.

 What weather-related stories do you have to tell? Share them with your children and students. Whether funny or suspense-filled, the anecdotes are sure to hold their attention. Sharing oral history can bolster literacy skills by building vocabulary, sharpening listening skills and lighting the imagination – especially if children get the chance to ask questions.

 These personal stories make a perfect spring board for other lessons. They add life to science topics which could be dry if not presented with care and imagination. Make your lessons interactive!

 Big Universe has an assortment of books that dovetails nicely with weather unit material.

 Big Universe’s Weather Books

• “Blizzards” (Reading Level P. Interest Age: 6-12)
• “Winter” (Reading Level I. Interest Age: 6-8)
• “Ice Storms” (Reading Level P. Interest Age: 6-12)
• “Weather Scientists” (Reading Level R. Interest Age: 9-12)
• “Weather” (Reading Level E. Interest Age: 3-8)
• “Investigating Storms” (Reading Level R. Interest Age: 9-12)
• “Hurricanes” (Reading Level P. Interest Age: 6-12)
• “Sunny or Cloudy” (Reading Level D. Interest Age: 1-7)
• “Tornadoes” (Reading Level Q. Interest Age: 3-12)
• “My Calendar: Seasons“  (Reading Level G. Interest Age: 6-8)
• “Droughts” (Reading Level P. Interest Age: 6-12)
• “Ready, Set…WAIT!” (Reading Level N. Interest Age: 6-12)
• “Rourke’s World of Science Encyclopedia, Volume 4: Earth Science” (Interest Age: Grades 3-8)
• “Our Powerful Planet: The Curious Kid’s Guide to Tornadoes, Earthquakes and Other Phenomena” (Interest Age: Grades 2 and up.)

Kid-Friendly Poems for Valentine’s Day

February and poetry go together like butter and bread. Valentine’s Day poems are especially appealing to elementary children if they are funny and read out loud. Other interactive poetry grabs attention and helps channel pent-up wiggles on these wintry days.

Poetry provides a valid link to literacy. According to Ontario’s Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat website:

1.  Poetry awakens our senses, helps us make connections to others, and leads us to think in synthesizing ways, as required by the use of metaphor.
2. Paying attention to the language and rhythms of poetry helps build oral language skills.
3. Children with well-developed oral language skills are more likely to have higher achievement in reading and writing.

 Some Valentine’s Day poems to get you started.

 I Love You More Than Applesauce

By Jack Prelutsky

I love you more than applesauce,
Than peaches and a plum,
Than chocolate hearts,
And cherry tarts,
And berry bubble-gum.

I love you more than lemonade,
And seven-layer cake,
Than lollipops,
And candy drops,
And thick vanilla shake.

I love you more than marzipan,
Than marmalade on toast;
For I love pies
Of any size,
But I love you the most.

Veggie Valentine

- Author Unknown

You may not “carrot” all for me

The way I care for you

You may “turnip” your nose

When I plead with you

But if your heart should “beet” with mine

Forever “lettuce” hope

There is no reason in the world

Why we two “cantaloupe.”

Making Valentines
- Author Unknown
In February, what shall I do?
I’ll make some valentines for you.
The first will have a cupid’s face;
The second will be trimmed with lace.
The third will have some roses pink;
The fourth will have a verse in ink.
The fifth will have a ribbon bow;
The sixth will glisten like the snow.
The seventh will have some lines I drew;
The eighth, some flowers – just a few.
The ninth will have three little birds;
The tenth will have three little words:
I LOVE YOU!

My Valentine Heart
- Author Unknown

 When I say I love you                       (Point to lips)
It comes from my heart                    (Hand on heart)
You hear it in your ear                      (Point to ear)
And it sounds very smart                 (Point to head)
I love it when you’re proud of me (Stand real tall)
You say it all day long                        (Stretch arms wide)
And when I hear you say it              (Point to ear)
My heart sings a merry song           (Hand on heart)

I Made My Dog a Valentine

By Jack Prelutsky

I made my dog a valentine,

she sniffed it very hard,

then chewed on it a little while

and left it in the yard.

I made one for my parakeets,

a pretty paper heart,

they pulled it with their claws and beaks

until it ripped apart.

I made one for my turtle,

all he did was get it wet,

I wonder if a valentine

is wasted on a pet.

If you are looking for additional Valentine’s Day literature ideas, check out this extensive bibliography aimed at the elementary-age child – courtesy of the LRC/Sivia Center in Gainesville, Fla. Other illustrated poems for kids can be found in the poetry section on the children’s picture books website Big Universe.