Dawn Little's Blog, page 8
June 24, 2013
Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim
Recommended Grades: 3-5
A picture book biography of Booker T. Washington as a young man working to build his future with fifty cents in his pocket and a dream.
Lesson Idea:
Mentor Text Biography/Perseverance: Read aloud Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington and discuss the characteristics of Booker T. Washington. What characteristics did it take for him to make his dream come true? Ask students to locate examples of the characteristics in the book. Create a class anchor chart that demonstrates characteristics of Booker T. Washington and examples from the book.
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: biographies, Fifty Cents and a Dream, Perseverance Tagged: biographies, Booker T. Washington, Fifty Cents and a Dream, perseverance
June 17, 2013
Satchel Paige by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Recommended Grades: 4-8
Another great picture book biography, this one details key moments in the life of Satchel Paige.
Lesson Idea:
Biography Mentor Text/Civil Rights: Read aloud Satchel Paige. Discuss the implications civil rights had on baseball. Was Satchel Paige able to overcome the restrictions placed on him as a black man? Pair this with We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: biographies, civil rights, mentor texts, Satchel Paige Tagged: biography, civil rights, mentor texts, Satchel Paige
June 10, 2013
Light in the Darkness: A Story about How Slaves Learned in Secret by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Recommended Grades: 3-5
Based on historical fact, Rosa and her mother, both slaves, sneak away at night to go to “pit school.” This is where slaves learn to read and write. An interesting piece of American history told in a beautifully illustrated story.
Lesson Idea:
Content Connections/Inquiry Study: Read aloud Light in the Darkness: A Story about How Slaves Learned in Secret. Use this book if working on an inquiry unit on slavery or the Civil War. Students could use this as a resource to understand how schooling was not a norm for slaves. Ask how slaves went about learning how to read when they weren’t allowed. Pair this book with Words Set Me Free.
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: civil rights, Content Connections, Inquiry, Light in the Darkness Tagged: civil rights, content connections, inquiry, Light in the Darkness, slavery
June 3, 2013
Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne
Recommended Grades: 3-5
Jacques was born and raised in France. As a young boy, he fell in love with the sea. He longed to become a manfish. This is a beautiful biography of Jacques Cousteau
Lesson Idea:
Inquiry Ideas Mentor Text: Read aloud Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau to help students develop ideas for inquiry studies. In the book, Jacques wonders about the ocean as a child and begins to develop his own resources as a result of his inquiries. After reading aloud, discuss what Jacques wondered about and what he did to develop answers to his wonders. Provide time for students to develop a list of wonders in their Wonder Notebooks.
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: Inquiry, Manfish A Story of Jacques Cousteau, mentor texts Tagged: inquiry, Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau, mentor texts
May 28, 2013
Fly Guy Presents: Sharks by Tedd Arnold
Recommended Grades: 2-4
Fly Guy is heading over to the aquarium with Buzz. While there they learn all about sharks and share their knowledge with the reader.
Lesson Idea:
Writers Workshop Mentor Text: This could be a really fun mentor text for students! Read aloud Fly Guy Presents: Sharks and discuss how the author combined elements of fiction writing with nonfiction writing. Use this book as a model for students to borrow author’s craft to write about a topic of study. Or use it as a mentor text for scrapbook writing of informational material.
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: Fly Guy Presents Sharks, mentor texts, writers workshop Tagged: Fly Guy Presents Sharks, mentor texts, writers workshop
May 13, 2013
Memoirs of a Hamster by Devin Scillian
Recommended Grades: 3-5
Seymour is a hamster who believes he has all he ever needs until Pearl the Cat comes along.
Lesson Idea:
Mentor Text, Voice: Read aloud Memoirs of a Hamster. Ask students what they notice about the author’s craft? Do they feel as if the hamster is really talking to them? The author really seems to understand the hamster’s voice. The reader gets the feeling that the hamster might actually speak that way. It’s a fun read and a great mentor text to help you model voice. Pair it with Memoirs of a Goldfish for extra fun!
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: Memoirs of a Hamster, mentor texts, six traits of writing, voice Tagged: Memoirs of a Hamster, mentor texts, six traits of writing, voice
May 6, 2013
That is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
Recommended Grades: 3-5
One day a very hungry fox meets a very plump goose. A dinner invitation is offered. Will dinner go as planned? Or do the plans involve a secret ingredient?
Lesson Idea:
Mentor Text, Organization: Read aloud That Is Not a Good Idea! and discuss the craft of the text. How did Willems craft the story? What do readers notice? Point out the surprise ending and use this book as a mentor text for organization when teaching the Six Traits of Writing.
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: organization, six traits of writing, surprise endings, That is Not a Good Idea Tagged: Mo Willems, organization, six traits of writing, surprise endings, That is Not a Good Idea
April 22, 2013
In the Land of Milk and Honey by Joyce Carol Thomas
Publisher: Harper Collins
Date: September 18, 2012
Recommended Grades: 3-5
This is the true story of author Joyce Carol Thomas’s trip from Oklahoma to California in 1948, as a young girl. Her journey is filled with excitement, hope, and promise.
Lesson Idea:
Mentor Text, Word Choice/Sensory Details: Read aloud In the Land of Milk and Honey and discuss the language choices the author makes. Beyond the bay, mountains topped with ice cream snow. . ., the author uses lyrical language, similes and metaphors, and sensory details to describe a trip from flat lands, through desert and onward to the ocean. Chart the language choices the author makes as part of a word choice anchor chart for students to borrow from when they are writing in writer’s workshop.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review by the publisher.
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: In the Land of Milk and Honey, six traits of writing, teaching with picture books, word choice, writers workshop Tagged: In the Land of Milk and Honey, six traits of writing, word choice, writers workshop
April 15, 2013
I’ve Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Walter Dean Myers
Recommended Grades: 3-5
Set against key moments of the civil rights movement, Walter Dean Myers eloquently shares the story of the powerful spiritual leader and his belief that nonviolence could be used to overcome racial discrimination.
Lesson Idea:
Mentor Text, Biography, Civil Rights, and Writer’s Workshop: Read aloud I’ve Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and discuss how the author used key moments in the civil rights movement to write the biography. Consider pairing this book with Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, in which the author used key quotes from Dr. King as a backdrop to write his biography. Compare the author’s craft in both books and have students choose one type of craft to write a biography.
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: biographies, civil rights, I've Seen the Promised Land, teaching with picture books, writers workshop Tagged: biographies, civil rights, I've Seen the Promised Land, writers workshop
April 8, 2013
Mighty Jackie: The Strikeout Queen by Marissa Moss
Recommended Grades: 3-5
On April 2, 1931, the Chattanooga Lookouts were about to play the New York Yankees, a legendary team with famous players. The Lookouts were a nothing team, except for the pitcher, Jackie Mitchell. This is her story.
Lesson Idea:
Mentor Text, Biography: Read aloud Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen and discuss what made her so special. Use this as a mentor text to discuss the baseball era and why women weren’t typically encouraged to play. Did Jackie earn respect on the baseball field? How are sports different today? This book could lead to great discussions on gender equality.
©2013 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
Filed under: biographies, Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen, teaching with picture books Tagged: biographies, gender equality, Mighty Jackie: The Strikeout Queen
