Spring 09 LLED, Altoona discussion
Alyssa
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Flashback to Pennsylvania History: "Penn's Woods History award"
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I nominate George Washington and the General's Dog because it offers students a true story about the First President they may not have heard before. George found a dog on the battlefield, the dog belong to the English general William Howe, and how George Returned him. The book deals with Pennsylvania History because the a portion of the story is the about the Battle at Valley Forge. I plan on keeping this book in my classroom to use as a read aloud or even a readers theater.

"The Battle of Gettysburg: Turning point of the Civil War" by Gina DeAngelis as the best book about Pennsylvania history. This book is non-fiction and tells the story of the battle of Gettysburg. It is really well written and set into different chapters to make it easy for younger children to read. I think this book would be excellent for third through sixth grade. There are many pictures and maps to help the children visualize how the civil war was faught. It also gives side stories and background knowledge on events leading up to the battle.






I nominate "Pennsylvania Hello U.S.A" written by Gwenyth Swain. The book was published in 2002 by Lerner Publications Company in Minneapolis, MN. This book would be a fascinating learning tool in the elementary classroom. This is a non-fictional text that is written beautifully. You would be able to use this book in 3-6 grade. It is written for the fluent reading audience, but could be used for transitional readers as well. There are many fascinating paintings and picture throughout the book that correlate with the reading. There is paintings actually painted by Quaker artists that resemble various turning points in Pennsylvania history. The book does not just limit itself to the founding of Pennsylvania, but also covers other important aspects in American history. Swain does an excellent job of incorporating these turning points such as: the underground railroad, the liberty bell, immigration, the state's constitution, and even the people and its economy. Swain also introduces the state's wildlife, state song, and the states recipe! Using these different genres in the literary classroom would be able to reach multiple intelligences! Towards the end of the book there is a section called "outstanding Pennsylvanians" that introduces various people from Pennsylvania that left an impact on American society. This book would be a phenomenal resource in the literary classroom.





I feel “The Declaration of Independence” is an excellent book for this award, especially considering The Declaration of Independence was written in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
At the end of the book is The Declaration of Independence fully typed out, a time line, and a glossary. The glossary especially is useful to students because The Declaration of Independence has a lot of words in it, which the students may not know the meaning of.


This book should win the award not only because Jared attends school at our campus but because it is a great read! Jared has covered so many interesting facts about Pennsylvania, some you may not have even heard before. The drawings in this book are phenomenal with each page telling a unique detail about our wonderful state.
Please consider this book for the award. It is a great asset to any classroom. Jared designed this book for younger students but it would also work for middle and high school readers. This book is an excellent choice as a informational research book.
Any reader will come to learn about the numerous people, places and events that have made Pennsylvania what it is today. Once you look at this book, you will agree that it should be picked for the Penns Woods History Award.

For our LLED class for Elementary Education we had to pick books and nominate them. I chose, “Historic Pennsylvania” written and illustrated by Jared Frederick for the Penns Woods Award. Jared Frederick is a Penn State local who writes and illustrates his own history books. I chose this book primarily for its content. It really gets in depth with Pennsylvania History. The book discusses anything from Native Americans in Pennsylvania to Philadelphia Sports. The book displays relevance to anyone interested in learning about the history of where we live today, Pennsylvania. The author does a great job using literary elements in this book. He uses black and white detailed sketches to portray Pennsylvania History. This book is very knowledgeable and full of fun and interesting facts. It is actually an emotional book. For instance, when the book talks about all of the battles it provides you with a sense of sympathy for that place in time. Than when the author begins to talk about baseball it is very uplifting. The book provides the sense of appreciation throughout the entire book. When reading one can come to realize how appreciative we should be to have a great state like Pennsylvania. A quote from Lehr has said, "more than ever before, it is important for today's students to grow up with a sense of who they are as members of the global community."
Great Job Jared we look forward to new books from you.
Sincerly,
Alyssa Thon
Books mentioned in this topic
George Washington and the General's Dog (other topics)The Declaration Of Independence (other topics)
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad (other topics)
Bewildered for Three Days: As to Why Daniel Boone Never Wore His Coonskin Cap (other topics)
Inventing America: The Life of Benjamin Franklin (other topics)
More...
This award is about recognizing heroes of the past. It's about recalling events that changed the history of Pennsylvania. Think of heroic leaders such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Recall significant moments such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It all started here in Pennsylvania. A quote from Lehr has said, "more than ever before, it is important for today's students to grow up with a sense of who they are as members of the global community."
Books that can be nominated:
This gives you free reign to nominate any book for this award. You may use children's books or any picture book. You may use ANY genre or format. I want you to think of any book that has changed your perspective of history, as long as it includes segments of Pennsylvania. (I understand a lot of history occured within the thirteen colonies, but remember specifics about Pennsylvania.)
Nominations must be posted by on or before March 5th.