One Giant Leap

Robert Burleigh
Philomel, 2009
Grade Level: 3
Lexile: 470L
Fountas & Pinnell: J
Suggested Reading: Read Aloud

"The important achievement of Apollo was demonstrating that humanity is not forever chained to this planet and our visions go rather further than that and our opportunities are unlimited". -Neil Armstrong

                                        Inspiring, Historic, Unbelievable, Uplifting, Scientific

The words are instantly recognizable: ?That?s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.? Spoken by Neil Armstrong moments after he became the first human being to set foot on the moon, they have come to represent all that is possible when man?s determination to achieve the seemingly impossible results in success.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of this extraordinary moment in human history, Robert Burleigh and Mike Wimmer have created a breathtakingly beautiful tribute that transports readers to the stars, where they will experience the moon landing just as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did.

Teaching Strategies:

Key Vocabulary:
orbit
descend
spindly
gouged
forbidding
altitude
sextant

Before Reading Strategy: play this audio clip of Neil Armstrong's quote "thats's one small step for man- one giant leap for mankind". Ask the students if they are familiar with this quote. Have a class discussion on what they know, and what they wish to know about the first men on the moon.

During Reading Strategy: Have the students write any questions or unfamiliar vocabulary during the book. If their question is answered throughout the story, have the students write this answer down  beside the original question.

After Reading Strategy: Have the students write an exit slip about the first lunar  landing. This may be a fact they learned, something they found interesting or surprising or a comment about the text.

Writing Activity: Have the students write in a journal as if they were one of the astronauts on board. Have the students include facts about this trip, and also how they hypothesize they would feel if they were on this journey.

Watch footage from the first men on the moon!

interview with Neil Armstrong

Mirror Mirror

Marilyn Singer

Dutton Children's Books, 2010

Grade Level: 3

Fountas & Pinnell: U

Suggested Delivery: read aloud

An ALA Notable, winner of the Cybil Award in Poetry and the Land of Enchantment Picture Book Award, and nominee for the Texas Bluebonnet Award. Horn Book Fanfare list, New York Public Library's 2010 Best 100 Children's Books, 2010 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books, Betsy Bird's 100 Magnificent Children's Books of 2010, Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010, Booklist's Editors' Choice list and Washington Post's Top 15 Children's Books of 2010.

                                 Fantastic, Enchanting, Reversible, Fun, Intriguing 

What’s brewing when two favorites—poetry and fairy tales—are turned (literally) on their heads? It’s a revolutionary recipe: an infectious new genre of poetry and a lovably modern take on classic stories.

First, read the poems forward (how old-fashioned!), then reverse the lines and read again to give familiar tales, from Sleeping Beauty to that Charming Prince, a delicious new spin. Witty, irreverent, and warm, this gorgeously illustrated and utterly unique offering holds a mirror up to language and fairy tales, and renews the fun and magic of both.

Teaching Strategies:

Key vocabulary:
Reverse
Waltz
Hacking
Fragrant
Startled
Muzzle
Nightingale

Before Reading Activity: play this youtube video of an example of reverse poetry. Ask the students to pay careful attention to the lyrics. When the two poems are finished being read, ask the students how the meaning of the poem changed? 

During Reading Activity: Have the students perform an echo reading activity. The teacher will read segments of this poetry and the students will repeat this. This will be especially helpful with the different meaning of the revered poems. 

After Reading Activity: This literature is perfectly fit to use with a poems for two voices activity. Have the students work in pairs and each one reads a poem, then discusses the meaning of their poem. 

Writing Activity: Have the students create their own reverso poem! They will be able to write their poetry on any subject and it should be at least four lines long. 

Examples of student's reverso poetry!

Marilyn Singers webpage!

Manfish: A Story of Jaques Cousteau

Jennifer Berne
Chronicle Books LLC, 2008
Grade Level: 3
Lexile: AD800L
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

              "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever" -Jaques Cousteau

                                       
                                         Magical, Wondrous, Inventive, Curious, Inquisitive

Before Jacques Cousteau became an internationally known oceanographer and champion of the seas, he was a curious little boy. In this lovely biography, poetic text and gorgeous paintings combine to create a portrait of Jacques Cousteau that is as magical as it is inspiring.

Teaching Strategies:

Key Vocabulary:
Chemicals
Villainous
Invention
Aqualung

Before Reading Activity: play this video of a trailer for Jaques movie "The Silent World".  Have the students discuss who they anticipate Jaques Cousteau is and what discoveries he has made. 

During Reading Activity: Have the students complete a directed note taking activity while reading. Give them a worksheet that is divided in half. On one side the students should write key words and questions they wish to have answered. On the other side students should write key points, definitions of the key words, and the answers to questions they asked. 

After Reading Activity: Have the students write an exit slip. The students should write one concept that they learned, found interesting or that surprised them. 

Writing Activity: Jaques is extremely inquisitive as a boy. How do you think his curious nature lead him to becoming an oceanographer? 

Watch a video of Jaques biography!

The Authors Website!

The One And Only Ivan

 Katherine Applegate
HarperCollins, 2012
Grade Level: 3
Lexile: 570L
Fountas & Pinnell: L
Suggested Delivery: independent reading

                             "It is never too late to be what you might have been" -George Eliot

                                         Melancholy, Lonely, Patient, Creative, Hopeful

                                                 Newbery Award Winner

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

Teaching Strategy:

Key Vocabulary:

Chest Beat

Domain

Grunting

Silverback

Vining

Before Reading Strategy: create a short survey for the students to take before reading. This survey should have a statement where students should check off if they agree or disagree with this statement. The statements should include;

"Animals should not be taken out of the wild"

"Animals belong in captivity"

"Animals enjoy being separated from their families"

"Animals do not enjoy being alone for extended periods of time"

During Reading Strategy: Have the students participate in a fishbowl discussion. The small groups will pick a question out of the "fishbowl", discuss it within their small groups and then share their thoughts with the class. 

After Reading Strategy: Have the students create a timeline of Ivans' life starting from his life in Africa and ending with his transfer to the zoo. The students should have at least five events on their timeline. 

Writing Activity: In the beginning of this novel Ivan often says he cannot remember his life before the living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. As the story progresses we see glimpses of Ivan's past. Do you think that Ivan truly doesn't remember or do you think he chooses not to remember? Use evidence from the text to provide support. 

Meet the real Ivan!

The One and Only Ivan Book Trailer!

Inside Out and Back Again

Thanhha Lai
HarperCollins Publishers, 2011
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Lexile: 800L
Fountas & Pinnell: Q
Suggested Delivery: independent reading
Newbery Honor Book, 2011 National Book Award Winner, Boston Globe Horn Book Award Honor Book, 2012 Notable Books for a Global Society Award Winner

Summary: For all the ten years of her life, Ha has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by, and the beauty of her very own papaya tree. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Ha and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope.

This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

Teaching strategies:

Key Vocabulary:
Lotus
Glutinous
Altar
Chant
Communist
Diacritical
Illogical
Solitude
Superstitious


Before Teaching Activity: Ask the students what they know about the Vietnam War. What have they heard from their parents or grandparent? do they have any thoughts or opinions they wish to share? What questions do you have about the Vietnam War? After discussing, show the students pictures from that era and give them background knowledge of this time.

During Teaching Activity: have the students compare and contrast Hà’s  home in Vietnam and her new home in Alabama using a Venn Diagram. 

After Teaching Activity: Have the students list some of the challenges that Hà and her family experience, not only in America but in Vietnam as well. Have the students how she overcomes these challenges and how these strategies change throughout the book. Have the students discuss their answers in a think-pair-share activity. 

Writing Activity:  Explain how Hà adapts to her surroundings over the course of the book. At what point do things begin to get better for her? Describe the specific episodes that lead to positive changes in her life.

Since this is a novel written in verse, have the students visit this website in order to experience writing poetry of their own!

have students explore the immigration experience in order to see what Hà and her family went through!

Shanghai Messenger

Andrea Cheng
Lee and Low Books Inc. 2005
Grade Level: 4th grade
Lexile: Not Available
Suggested Delivery: Independent
Winner of the 2005 Junior Library Guild Selection, Original Art Show Society of Illustrators, CALA Book Award Chinese American Librarians Association

                                               tradition, travels, heritage, family, culture

Eleven year old Xiao Mei is about to take the trip of a lifetime. She is on her way to Shanghai to visit her family. While Xiao Mei is excited, the anticipation of whether she will be accepted by her family is making her quite apprehensive about her trip. Will they embrace her even though she is only half Chinese? Or will these cultural differences keep her from enjoying this journey.

Teaching Strategies:

Key Vocabulary:
Wonton
Moped
Accordian
Bok Choy
Shang Hai
Nai Nai

Before Teaching Strategy:

During Teaching Strategy: Have the students complete a venn diagram while reading the book. On one side list how Xiao Mei's American culture is different, on the other side list how her Chinese families culture differs, in the middle document how they are similar.

After Teaching Strategy: Using the Venn Diagram completed during the reading, compare and contrast Xiao Mei's American culture to the culture of her family in China. What are some major differences between the two? what does she notice are similar? Have the students pair up and discuss.

Writing Activity: Xiao Mei is apprehensive to go to China because she feels as if she won't fit in, but goes because her Nai Nai wants her to be her messenger. Write a letter to Nai Nai about your trip. Make sure to include details from the text, especially about the turning point when Xiao Mei starts to feel at home in Shanghai.

book talk with illustrator Ed Young

Home page for author Andrea Cheng

Dead End In Norvelt

Jack Gantos
D&M Publishers Inc. 2011
Grade Level: 6
Lexile: 920L
Fountas & Pinnell: U
Suggested delivery: guided reading
Winner of the 2012 Newbery Honor Medal and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

                                               Wild, Incredible, Heartening, Uplifting, Grief
Teaching Strategies:

Key Vocabulary:

Obituary
Typist
Sinister
Delusional
Willful
Carnage
Euthanized
Simian
Noxious

Before Teaching Strategy: ask students what types of information are usually found in obituaries. Read aloud the obituary of a house that Miss Volker writes for the newspaper (pg. 194-197). Have the students write an obituary for an old toy that includes personal information as well as humor.

During Teaching Strategy: have the students for literature circles in which they discuss their thoughts on this novel. This ensures that the students are actively engaging with this text.

After Reading Strategy: Think- Pair- Share. Have the students write down their thoughts on Jack. Bunny and Miss Volker often tell him that he needs to be a man. What do you think this means? In your opinion does Jack change and become more like "a man"? In what ways does he change? Have the students pair up and discuss their answers, and later share their thoughts with the class.

Writing Activity: Divide the class into four groups. Have the students pick their favorite chapter from the story and write a script from it. This script can be later performed.



extra activities!

This is a link to the National Museum of the US Air Force. Here you can view a plane just like the one Mr. Gantos bought!