Reading Log and Wiki Checklist

Genre / Titles you read

             I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 chapter book or photo essay book reflection required on blog)

1)      From Chick to Egg by Camilla de La Bedoyere

          II.      Poetry (1 chapter or picture book reflection required on blog)

1)      Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer

3)      Follow, Follow by Marilyn Singer

       III.      Modern Fantasy (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)          

1)      I, Jack  by Patricia Finney. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

       IV.      Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)     

1)      The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Pink and Say by Patricia Polocco

3)      Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting

4)      White Socks Only by Evelyn Coleman

          V.      Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)         

1)      Hiroshima: A Novella by Laurence Yep (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

3)      Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

4)      Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

5)      Lon Po Po by Ed Young

6)      Enemy Pie by Derek Munson

       VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)

1)      Baby by Patricia MacLachlan. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Because of Winn- Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

 
    VII.      Picture Books (5 reflections required on blog during the first two weeks of class. There should be a total here of at least six.)

1)      The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin

3)      The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

4)      Duck for President by Doreen Cronin

5)      The Very Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

6)      The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

7)      Wimberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

8)      Lilly’s Big Day by Kevin Henkes

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement is two total posts, in two different categories)

 

____ Social Studies

____ Science

1       Math

____ Music

____ Art

1       Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

____ Other

 

Field Experience Reflection

I spent 5 wonderful hours in Mrs. Sara Beth Wright's classroom.  While in her room, I saw many different reading strategies taught through many genres of literature.  I (3rd grade teacher) chose to spend my time in a fourth grade class so that I would know what my current students would be expected to know next year.  While in her class, I saw book studies, literature circles and guided reading.  I was amazing at how well the students did and am excited to try these strategies in my classroom.

Teacher Standard: STANDARD 7: REFLECTS ON AND EVALUATES TEACHING AND LEARNING and STANDARD 8: COLLABORATES WITH COLLEAGUES/PARENTS/OTHERS

This experience gave me the opportunity to reflect and evaluate my own practices.  It also gave me the opportunity to experience practices that I hope to try in my classroom.  I also got to collaborate with a colleague on the 'best practices' of teaching!

 

Egg to Chicken

Bedoyere, C. (2012). Egg to chicken. London, England: W.B. Saunders Company

Genre: Informational, Photo Essay

Age Level: 4-9

          This picture book told the story of a chicken from egg to adult.  It started by telling about the egg and continued to tell about the different stages of a life cycle for a chick.  The text used digital photography to show real life pictures of the lifecycle (see pictures below). This text is a biological science book because it gives factual information on the lifecycle of a chick

I cannot wait to use this text for our upcoming unit on lifecycles.  My children will be excited about all the real-life pictures.  They will also enjoy the vibrant colors and text features used in the text.

Ideas for teaching/comprehension strategies that can be used with this text:   I plan on using this test as an introduction into our unit on lifecycles.   This text is great for introducing text features (see pictures) as the text was full of headings, bold type, italics, index and a glossary.  I would also love to challenge children to create their own book about a lifecycle of a plant or animal. 
 

Questions to pose:

Which part of the book is your favorite?  Explain.

Did you like this book?  Why or why not?

White Socks Only

Coleman, E. (1996). White socks only. Albert Whitman & Co.

Genre: Historical fiction/Picture Book

Age Level: 5-9

Book Talk

 

Audience: Third grade students

Have you ever been in trouble for something you didn’t even know you did?  How did you feel?  This story is about a young girl and her journey into town one day to see if the old saying ‘so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk’ was true.  As she ventures into town to see if you really can fry an egg on the sidewalk, she gets very thirsty.  She finds a fountain that has a sign posted that says ‘whites only.’  She laughs and takes off her patent leather shoes and hops up to get a drink.  The white man behind her gets very angry and racism steps in to take over the story.  Read this story to see what happens next!!

The grandmother starts of the story by giving a flashback from her childhood.  She tells her granddaughter of a time she went to town alone.  She gives vivid details so the reader can feel the emotions as if you were there.  I really think you would enjoy this book!!

 

Reflection

The story was written to preserve the diction of the times of segregation and discrimination.  The white gentleman who is very upset that the little girl used the whites’ only fountain tells her that he is going to ‘whup’ her.  Some other sayings that represent this dialect are ‘other white folk’ and ‘you a’int big enough.’  The style of writing that Coleman used makes this story even more realistic. 

The story is in the historical fiction genre because the text takes place during the times of segregation and the Civil Rights Movement.  It includes facts from the past that allow students to have a first-hand look into the trials and tribulations of this era.  This story gives the reader a look into what is what like being an African American during a time when racism was a way of life.  Students can relate to this issue as it was such a big part of our history.  I love this text and think it does a great job showing the history and past of our nation in a soft, relateable way.    

The illustrations are amazing.  Geter creates illustrations that are representative of this time period by making them realistic.  The mood on the character’s faces when the white man is upset shows how scary these moments were for African Americans.  The color Geter chose for the illustrations also helps portray the mood of each illustration. 

Ideas for teaching/comprehension strategies that can be used with this text:   I would love to use this text for talking about how authors use flashbacks (described in the paragraphs above).  I also think this text would be great as an introduction to the times the led up to the Civil Rights Movement.    The text also uses figurative language and this would be great for exploring literal and non-literal language (see picture below).  In one scene the little girl is very thirsty and says her mouth is ‘dry as dirt.’

Questions to pose:

How do you think the little girl felt in this text?  What are some examples you can use from the text?

How would you have felt if you were that little girl?

         Additional Resources:

Book read online at www.storylineonline.net

Activity guide: http://www.storylineonline.net/whitesocks/storyline_whitesocks.pdf

 

Because of Winn-Dixie

DiCamillo, K. (2000). Because of Winn Dixie. Cambridge, Ma: Candlewich Press.

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Chapter Book

Age Level: 8-12

Book Talk

Audience: Third grade students

Have you ever moved to a new town?  Have you ever wanted a pet?  Well if so, you’ve got to read this great book.  It’s about a girl named India Opal Buloni (funny name, right?).  Opal is spending her first summer in a new town and is lonely and hasn’t yet made new friends.  One day, when visiting a local Winn Dixie, she stumbles upon a lone dog.  When a store associate is upset about the dog, India claims it.  Although she isn’t sure how her father (the preacher) will fill about the dog, she takes him home and luckily is able to keep it.  The book tells the story of a friendship that leads to much more.  I think that you would really, really love this book!  You could easily connect with the friendship that Opal and Winn Dixie have. 

 Reflection

This story is realistic fiction because it is a very realistic, believable text.  This means that all of the events in this text could happen.  The events in this story and the characters are easily relateable and life-like.  This text has emotional realism, meaning that the emotions and feelings in this text seem real.  This story captures the struggles of an alternative family, as Opal’s mother is not present in this text.  The text portrays a growing relationship between a father, his daughter and a family pet. 

Ideas for teaching/comprehension strategies that can be used with this text:   This text would be great for types of characters, especially protagonist.  Opal is such a well-developed character that would be great for understanding protagonist.  This text would also be great for summarizing.  Students could use the SWBST (somebody, wanted, but, so, then) strategies to synthesize through the important points in the text (see chart). 

Questions to pose:

How does Opal change throughout the text? 
What impact does Winn-Dixie have on Opal? The Preacher?

Additional Resources:

Resource guide: http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763607762.btg.1.pdf