5 Days to Worry About 100 Things

I worry about everything. I worry about grades. I worry about money and my job. I worry about my future. I worry about my family and friends. I worry about everything. In the book, 100th Day Worries, Sweet little Jessica is a worrier too, but she has much simpler things to worry about. Jessica is worried about what she is going to take for the 100th day of school! 

In this math related fiction book by Margery Cuyler, Jessica's teacher, Mr. Martin, informs the class on the 95th day of school that each student needs to bring 100 items of something to class to represent the 100th day of school. Jessica goes home in a tizzy. She has no idea what to take to class. She rummages through her house looking for 100 items of anything and everything, but comes to no avail. Jessica is so, so nervous that she will not have anything to take for class on the 100th day. Each of her classmates bring items in. Sharon brings 100 paperclips and the class counts out all the paperclips to make sure there are 100 of them. Bobby brings in five bags with 20 peanuts in each bag, which equals 100 the class decides. Jessica wonders, "Why didn't I think of peanuts?" She decides she has to find 100 items of something. She gets her brother, sister, and parents on board, but they do not seem to have much luck either. The whole family is counting out items. All the family can come up with is 10 of different items. Jessica's dad finds 10 ribbons, three red, two green, two yellow, two purple, and one striped. Her mom finds some screws, 4 big, 4 small, 1 giant, and 1 tiny. Tom, her brother, gives her 10 rocket-shaped erasers from his collection, 4 pink, 3 green, 2 white, and 1 yellow. Laura gives 10 beads from a broken necklace. Dad gives 10 buttons from his shirt drawer. Mom gives 10 pennies and 10 nickels from her purse. Laura gives 10 barrettes that she doesn't wear anymore. Tom gives 10 rocks from his iguana's aquarium. Then, Jessica begins to count. She only has 90 items. She gets to school and is sad because she still does not have enough. At lunch, she opens her lunch box and has a note from her mom, "Sweetie, We'll help you find more stuff this weekend. I'm sure Mr. Martin will understand if your collection is late. DON'T WORRY! Love, Mom XXXXXXXXXX" That sparked an idea with Jessica. 10 Hugs, that's just what she needed! 10 ribbons, 10 screws, 10 beads, 10 rocket-shaped erasers, 10 buttons, 10 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 barrettes, 10 rocks, and, finally, 10 hugs!! Jessica tells her teacher that she brought in 10 items of all different things. She's nervous for his response. He tells her, "Wow! I've seen a lot of great collections for the 100th day of school, but this one... This one is really special. You've brought in... 100 bits of love!" All in all, Jessica found the 100 items, had something to display, and had the neatest collection of all!

This book can be used to start out any math addition lesson. This story applied real life manipulatives to a simple addition problem. Some activities that can be completed with this book are having the students find 100 (or any number for that matter) items and have them count and display the items in class. Students can also follow along with the book by counting out the number of items Jessica receives in the book. Any type of addition problem can be applied to a scenario like the one in this book. Making addition fun for students will make it much easier to teach. If the students think they are bringing something in for show and tell or display, they will work their hardest to bring in the neatest and most unique items. Making it something exciting and rewarding for the students will help teach them the most information and the students will get the most out of the idea. As a class, you can celebrate all sorts of days, the 50th day, the 100th day, and the 125th day. Any day is a good day to learn and allow them to bring in items to add together. This idea can be taken a step further and can help the students work on their subtraction skills as well.

Yumion Goes All Over The Peach State... Or Onion State

A talking onion, that sounds strange. A talking onion who wears overalls that’s even stranger. A talking, overall wearing, traveling onion is the most creative way to help students travel across Georgia through a book. Yumion is a Vidalia onion from right here in Georgia and he is a part of a series of books where he travels across Georgia doing all sorts of neat things and visiting historical sites.

In this particular book, Yumion Goes to the City, Yumion travels through Georgia visiting all sorts of historical sites. That is what makes this book perfect for social studies! Yumion leaves his home to go and tell the state and the governor all about onions like him. After a long trip in trucks, on trains, and on buses, Yumion ends up at Stone Mountain. He talks to some children, telling them all about onions, then hops on a mode of transportation, the train, and he heads for the Atlanta Zoo. Here, he sees all sorts of wildlife, from lions, to pandas, to flamingos, he sees it all. Yumion meets some more friends who tell him to take a shortcut through a field to get back to downtown. Yumion ends up on a rhinos back and then in a tree, but finally a nice giraffe helps him get to downtown. Yumion has only a few more miles to go, so he jumps on a bike and takes the road to the capitol. Along this route, Yumion stops at the World of Coke and then finally he made it! He gets to the capitol and is able to meet with the governor and tell him all about himself and the Vidalia onion. When Yumion finally meets the governor, he tells him, "I know that you are well aware of the town I'm from and the people there. All of us from down Vidalia way are proud of our onions and we want to say... Georgia's state vegetable should be the Vidalia onion and I came to tell you since I am the Yumion!" Yumion takes a lot of pride in his state, just like we should too, and he wants the governor to know!

This book really focuses in on the main historical places in Georgia. Even though Yumion is not a real character, which makes the book fiction, the places and sites that he sees are real! This book explores Stone Mountain, the State Farmers Market, the Zoo of Atlanta, The World of Coca Cola, and the capitol building. All of these things in mind, this book makes the perfect story for a social studies lesson all about Georgia. This book could be used as a launch for a lesson on the important places in Georgia. Since Yumion is such a cute and interesting character, he is sure to engage the students and have them excited for his trip through Georgia. In combination with this book, you could include more detailed slides about each of this important places. Students could draw their own representations of the locations and have their own explanations. Then, you could even have groups of students create their own journey through Georgia by mapping out places that they find important and interesting, and then they could present their journeys to the class. This story can also be used to represent authors from Georgia. Rhonda Frost Kight is a Georgia author, who visits elementary schools throughout Georgia telling her story and Yumion’s. She would be a great person to do a mini author study on since she could then visit your school! Along with all these activities, we could also do lessons on the crops and growth in Georgia. Since onions are a big produce here, we could take field trips to Vidalia Onion farms, and make stuffed Vidalia Onions to learn about recipes and following a "how to" or step-by-step writing. Yumion is such a fun character for the students to follow and he is sure to have the students giggling and learning at the same time!

The Sun Makes the Earth Go Round!

When we first think of anything science related, we immediately think about experiments, explosions, and chemicals, right? Although this is true, there are tons and tons of science related books out there that relay information to students just as well as experiments do. The interesting part is finding books about science that are easy for students to relate to, easy to understand, and fun to read.

Sunshine Makes the Seasons by Franklyn Branley is the perfect example of one of these great science related books. This book is about of the nonfiction genre because it tells all sorts of reliable facts and accurate information to students about things going on in our sky. I was also able to look on the copyright page of the book to find out that it is a nonfiction book. This book encompasses all the important information students need to know about the sun, the seasons, and day and night cycle. This book is an easy read that proves to students that the sun does give us warmth and light, but it also makes the seasons change and allows for longer days and nights. Michael Rex, the book's illustrator, does a nice job of showing and explaining with pictures what the words in the book mean. Sunshine Makes the Seasons tells students that without the sun, the earth would get colder. We would freeze without the sun. It also tells students that the earth spins around and axis and that is why we have daytime and nighttime. It explains that, "During a year the length of our day changes. In winter the days are short. It may be dark by the time you get home from school. It is cold because we don't get many hours of sunshine. As we move into spring, days become a bit longer. By summer they are even shorter."  Towards the end of this story, the book gives some nice activities for students to try. This allows students to be able to read the book, comprehend the facts it tells them, and then put their knowledge to work by trying the activities out.

This book would be extremely easy to add to a science lesson! When teaching about the seasons or the earth, sun, and its rotations, this book would be a perfect opener or launch to a lesson. Sunshine Makes the Seasons could even be used for an entire lesson. Students could each have a copy of the book or students could listen to the teacher read the book aloud to them. While reading through the book, the teacher could stop to elaborate on main points and ideas. Finally, when the class gets closer to the end of the book, they can pair up and work through the activities and test the information in the book with the activities that it gives. Students could record their observations and end results of each activity and then they could share what they found out from completing the activities. Overall, this book would be a fabulous way to incorporate reading into a science lesson, especially since this book is so informative and easy to read.

Ballenas in Spanish & Whales in English

Nonfiction. Not fiction. The opposite of Fiction. Those are my first thoughts when trying to decide if a book is nonfiction or not. My mind automatically goes to the real, the informative, and the informational types of text. Nonfiction texts are ones that students can refer to in hopes of answering any questions they may have about a topic. Nonfiction texts are the factual, the actual, and include things that are real. 

When considering what book to use for this blog, I ended up on a bumpy path. At times, it can be hard to determine whether a book is nonfiction or whether it is more of a science related book. A couple of sure fire ways to determine if a book is nonfiction or not are to check for a table of contents, check for an index or glossary, and browse through the pages and look for facts. Also, most times, the copyright page will include what type of book you have. Other elements of nonfiction literature include the format (size and shape), visual information, book covers, and accuracy. Recently, nonfiction books have included increasing amounts of visual images, illustrations, and pictures to help increase learning throughout the text. This is extremely important because it allows students to see what the facts and information is actually talking about. The format, size, and shape make a huge difference in a nonfiction text. For example, I chose the book, Ballenas Whales, for this blog, and when looking at the format of this book, it is long and chunky, similar to the shape of a whale. This element, format, allows the book to reflect the type of information it is providing. After taking all these elements into considering, I had no trouble finding the perfect nonfiction text, Ballenas Whales by Carol K. Lindeen.

This book has a double dose of informational or nonfiction information pouring out of it. This book is versatile in the sense that it appears to Hispanic readers and American readers, while benefiting both. This book is packed full of useful information relating to whales, and its text is written in English and then on the same page is translated into Spanish. This type of book allows English readers to learn bits of Spanish and see the correlation between English words and Spanish words, since they are right there on the same page. This type of book also helps young Hispanic students improve their English by seeing the English words on the page with their more native language. 

This nonfiction text, Ballenas Whales, can be considered an Enumerative structured piece of text. This means that the text has a main idea (whales) and then breaks off into numerous subtopics. The subtopics throughout this book are Whales, Swimming, and Under the Sea. Then the book offers a glossary, internet sites, and an index. This book talked about the broad topic of whales for a page or so, then moved into the different components of whales and what makes them so intriguing and interesting to learn about. 

Ballenas Whales included loads of facts about whales that I was reminded of when reading through the children's book. Some of this information was that whales are mammals, whales breathe air, and they have blowholes on the top of their head. Also, they have extremely smooth skin and blubber under their skin to keep them warm. Another interesting fact is that small whales are about as long as jump ropes and bigger whales can be the size of a large airplane. Whales move their tails up and down to help them swim through the water. There are many, many, many more facts in this book to go along with the ones listed. 

This book incorporated so many interesting facts about whales while appealing to English readers and Hispanic readers all on the exact same pages. This book was informational, engaging, visually pleasing and easily maneuverable. I would absolutely recommend this book to my students and have this book in my own classroom library!

Watch out for that Sneaky Wolf!

Imagine going to your grandma's house and getting stopped by a wolf! He's a tricky and scary animal, who gets you all confused on your path, what would you do? This is the exact dilemma Little Red Riding Hood or Elisabeth had on her trip to grandma's house. This is an old fairy tale that has been told for generations. Traditional literature is the written form of stories that are part of an oral tradition of a culture. Traditional Literature is a form of text that is passed down over generations, sometimes retold in a different context, but still holding the same values and important messages. Traditional literature authors and retelling authors use traditional stories, like Little Red Riding Hood, to covey a story with values and morals that can be passed down and serve various functions. Traditional literature is so extremely important for students to know about and read because the characters, language patterns, and themes are used, talked about, and referred to in everyday life. Trina Schart Hyman retold the story of Little Red Riding Hood, which is originally by Brothers Grimm. Hyman did a great job of sticking to the story line, changing some of the vocabulary to make it easier to read and relate to. The retelling allows the story to be fresh and updated without changing the meaning and feeling of the story itself. Hyman's illustrations add texture and depth to the pages we read throughout the text. Each page is designed with a patchwork outline that fits perfectly with the story line of going to grandmas like Little Red Riding Hood, Elisabeth, is.

In the traditional literature story, Little Red Riding Hood, the story line may be different than what most children have to do to get to grandma's house, but all the same, students can relate to going to grandma's house. Throughout the story, the setting changes. At first, Elisabeth is at home, then she is in the woods headed to grandmas, then she's in the wolfs belly (oh my!), then finally shes at grandmas house. Little Red Riding Hood encounters obstacles throughout her trip through the woods, including a wolf and getting sidetracked by pretty flowers. The wolf is a tricky one by getting her focused on something other than the taste her mother had given her. In this story, the wolf has the stereotype of the "bad guy," which is part of the characterization of the story. Elisabeth had good intentions by picking flowers to take to her grandma, but it gave the wolf just enough time to sneak to grandmas and eat her up! Elisabeth is the "good guy" in this story, which is her characterization. Towards the end of the book, after grandma and Little Red Riding Hood were in the wolf's belly, a hunter comes and saves the day! He sees that things are a little off at grandma's house, so he marches right in and sees the wolf he has been hunting for ages. He cuts the wolf open, saves grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, and takes the wolf's pelt. It is various obvious that this story is based in the older days, but it still proves the point to not listen to tricky people and to always stick to the task at hand and to stay focused.

When reading and using this book in the classroom, it allows the perfect opportunity to compare and contrast the original version of a text and the retold version. In this case, the books are extremely similar and convey the same message. It also allows reference and teaching about fairy tales and various types of traditional literature. Also, it is obvious that this story is based in the older days, but it still proves the point to not listen to tricky people and to always stick to the task at hand and to stay focused. The book allows students to understand the theme, story line, and it is an easy, intriguing read for elementary age students.

This story intrigues me still to this day! Each time I read this folktale, which is also a prose narrative, I get anxious and nervous about what the wolf is going to do to the little girl and grandma. Each time I read it, I want to yell at the little girl just to listen to her mother, stay on the path, do the task at hand, and get to grandma's safely! The illustrations throughout this story fit perfectly with the text and allow a unique visual, which is different than a lot of children's literature. This story encompasses various aspects of traditional literature including entertainment, exploring human consciousness, and teaching values and the foundations of cultural values to young students.

Where the Sidewalk Ends and Poetry Begins

According to Living Literature: Using Children's Literature to Support Reading and Language Arts, Poetry tugs at us with an insistent voice that rings through our heads. Poetry is an easy, short story that sticks with us, replays in our mind and can cheer us up on a gloomy day. Poets go beyond the surface of words and dive into the meaning and context of words. Sometimes in poetry what we read isn't what is really meant at all. There is sometimes a much deeper meaning behind what we read. It's up to us to find that meaning though. Shel Silverstein does a fabulous job of engaging readers and enticing us to read more and reread his poems. His poems reach young children, older children, and children who have grown into adults. Shel Silverstein makes poetry fun, memorable, and interesting for all ages. No matter how his poems are read, you can find a deeper meaning and more complex story within the poem.

In the anthology, Where the Sidewalk Ends, the poem, What a Day, really grabs my attention. This poem fits into the genre of poetry. It has one stanza and has a rhyme pattern. It may not be the longest poem, but it has meaning and can make the reader think. This poem is easy for children to read and it allows them to see the surface meaning of the poem. However, after thinking through the poem aloud with a class, there is a more profound meaning behind the poem. In the poem, it says, "My baby brother ran AWAY, and now my tuba will not PLAY, I'm eight years old and turning GREY, Oh what a DAY." This is very obvious that it rhymes and has a pattern, so this will be easy for young students to see and understand the components that make this a poem.

When reading this poem in the book, the picture that goes along with it, really adds meaning and makes the student or reader think a bit more. Though the poem may be an easy read, the illustration adds much more depth to the meaning of the poem. The boy thinks his brother ran away, and while reading one may think he really did. However, after seeing the picture we know that the little brother is hiding in the top of the tuba and this is why the tuba will not play. So, really, the boy has no reason to be grey, his brother never ran away, he was right there with him the whole time.

The meaning behind the poem really makes me love it that much more! It may be a simple read, but after thinking deeper and looking at the illustration, it's easy to see that even though things may look terrible, it may not actually be that! The boy thought his tuba was damaged and that his brother ran away, but he just needed to look at the bigger picture, to find out that his bad day wasn't so bad at all!