Texas Librarian

Schema: Squirrels live in trees, cute, furry, eat nuts

“A Busy, Busy, Busy Start”

Drawing Conclusions: What text evidence supports the conclusion that squirrel is not a good listener?   He makes many apples fall when mouse told him she only needed one.

Cause and Effect: Because Squirrel rolled 10 ears of corn down the hill without planning, the effect is that the corn rolled on top of Mouse and bumped her head.

Characterization: Use the Character Traits Chart with word bank to list Squirrel’s traits.

“The Perfect Game”

Sequencing: Sequence the games that Squirrel played with Turtle: Leap Frog, Finding Clover, Counting thing, Hide and Seek

“One Wet Rabbit”

Cause and Effect Because Rabbit jumped up and down on the log, the effect is that Rabbit fell in and got wet.  Look for more cause and effect relationships and use the Cause and Effect Chart.

Schema: sea, setting

Questions to activate background knowledge:

Can you think of another time in history where a group of people have been treated unfairly because of the color of their skin?

Can you imagine being taken away from your family because of your ethnicity?

Why is the title so far from the sea when it looks like the sea behind them?

Why does the woman have spring flowers in the winter time?

Have you ever heard of World War II?

Who was locked up and killed during that war?

What is a spy?

Point of View: Who is telling the story?

Text-to-Self Connections: going somewhere that makes you feel nervous, making emotional connections

Inference: I am inferring that it is winter because they are putting on their jackets.  The wind is cold from the Sierra.

Setting: 1942, popular song: Don’t Fence Me In

Drawing Conclusions: Look at the location of Manzanar and draw a conclusion about why the author made the title “So Far from the Sea”

Mental Images: the field bigger than a football field, seeing it empty like erasing a blackboard, imagining he could climb on the mountain’s back and it would become a big eagle to fly him away, boat( a real American scout sail)  moving on as a way to say his grandfather had moved on, and so were they

Cause and Effect: Because Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States, the effect is “the U.S. was suddenly at war”

Metaphor: What could the author mean when he says the grandfather began dying the moment he was put on the bus and taken to Manzanar?  The author is comparing dying to being taken so far from the sea and losing his boat and freedom.

Metaphor: What is “moving on” a metaphor for as the family leaves the cemetery? a boat moving on, the family moving on to Boston, the family moving on and letting the hurt of the grandfather’s mistreatment go

Organizational Strategies: What did you notice about the way the illustrator organized the illustrations with the color pages and the sepia no color ones?  What is he trying to show? Can you think of any other text-to-text connections that show a shift in time?

Compare and Contrast: The way the camp looks before and after the war.

Text-to-Text Connection: Tree of Cranes by Alan Say is set in Japan and a mother is telling her son what Christmas was like in America when she was a child.

Synthesis: Can you think of other groups of people who are thought of as suspicious because of their heritage in our present day time or in the past?–Jewish people during WWII, slavery in the U.S., today’s airport security with certain names, appearances, the Muslim religion, the controversy in NYC about the Mosque being built near the 9/11 site?

Synthesis: Can you think of a time when you had to “move on” and let something go that has hurt you?

I ran across a great article about helping students feel safe when discussing or answering questions.  The tips would also be good ones to use with our small book club discussions as well as with any class discussion.   Here is a link to the article: No Big Deal: Providing a Classroom Environment Where it is safe to Participate

I am currently reading a book about poverty and brain development in children: Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids’ Brains and What Schools Can Do About It,  by Eric Jensen, ASCD, 2009.  His research confirms that one of the things we can do is provide more time for our kids to think and answer without feeling stress.  Here is a quote from the book that I thought went well with this article about giving kids time to respond:

“Developing children need reliable caregivers who offer high predictability, or their brains will typically develop adverse adaptive responses.  Chronic socioeconomic deprivation can create environments that undermine the development of self and the capacity for self-determination and self-efficacy.  Compared with their more affluent peers, low-SES children form more stress-ridden attachments with parents, teachers, and adult caregivers….  They are more likely than well-off children to … receive less positive reinforcement from teachers….” p.8-9, Jenson, 2009.  By providing more time for students to respond and offering positive reinforcement, we can change the adverse response that their brain may typically react with to a response that is positive and pleasant and will help them to develop cognitively.

Schema: flippers on the cover connect with swimming, title mentions sea

Author’s purpose: to share real information about sea scientist, Jacques Cousteau.

Metaphor: Cousteau’s quote on the first page makes a mental image of the sea a casting spell over him and holding him with “its net of wonder.”   The sea is like a net in that it can capture you.

Cause and Effect: Because doctors told Jacques Cousteau to swim to build up his strength, the effect was that he started swimming and found that he loved the ocean.

Text-to-Self Connections:

Have you ever taken something apart to see how it works?  I had lots of response about this from my second graders such as helping parents repair things such as cars and motorcycles or taking electronic toys apart.

Car Accidents-many kids have been in one

Things that Change your life forever: Jacques had the goggles that changed his life.  Students shared things such as art, being baptized, having surgery, losing a loved one, having a new sibling, going to a certain school, pets dying, learning to play soccer, reading a book from a dog’s point of view, and technology.

Sometimes something changes our lives forever and we don’t realize it until later, but Jacques says he knew that very day when he used the goggles for the first time.

Characterization:  Use the Describing Wheel to list the traits of  Jacques Cousteau: inventor, scientist, explorer, humanitarian, writer, and film maker.

Drawing Conclusions: Jacques Cousteau was curious.  What text evidence supports this conclusion?  tinkering with gadgets, trying ways to make a snorkel tube, inventing the aqua lung, taking the camera apart, testing his hypothesis about living under the sea, inventing the saucer and sea flea

See the Jacques-Yves Cousteau website.

Schema: Pirates or sailors on ships, missing a hand or a foot, we can infer that they take risks if they are missing a limb, they wear funny hats, have parrots for pets, brave, hunt buried treasure, modern pirates steal and harm

Text to self connections: Pirates of the Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow, Peter Pan’s Captain Hook

Compare and Contrast the pirates in the book with the pirates in the movies using a T-chart.  Read the “Here’s How it Was” information at the end of the book.

The pirates in the book lead many boring days at sea, eat hard bread, receiving no pay: “Another Day at Sea”

Eating hard bread and soup that make them feel sick: “Table Talk”

Being whipped for fighting: “Cat-O’-Nine-Tails” vs. in the movies the fighting is viewed as fun

Point of View: “Through the Glass” from the POV of an official government ship captain

“Coming for Your Gold” from the POV of the Pirate

“Fog Attack” from the pirates POV

“What’ll the King Say, Cap’n? from the pirates POV

“Trouble” from one of the pirates POV about getting his share of the loot, the “plunder”

“Marooned” from the POV of a pirate that has been left on a deserted island

“On the Run” from the pirates POV

Characterization: “Blackbeard” characterized the pirate, Blackbeard.

Author’s purpose: to make a mental images and feel emotions of what it was like for real pirates

Characterization: Use the Cluster Word Web to list the traits of the pirates in the poems as you read.

Reader’s Theater of “The Pirate’s Code” could be performed after reading the book.

Cause and Effect: “Ship Rules” talks about the effect of breaking the rules.  Because you have joined the Pirates, the effect is that you will regret it.

Because you steal, the effect is being beaten with a whip.

Because you commit mutiny, the effect is being shot and thrown to sharks alive.

Because you lose an arm in battle, the effect is you will be paid well.

Drawing Conclusions: What evidence or clues can you find in the poems that supports the conclusion that people who chose to become pirates made a bad choice in careers? they were beaten, not fed well, lost body parts in fights, died young

“Captured” and “Farewell” support the conclusion as the pirates are realizing their lives are over.

Schema:  clouds, things that we see in the sky, different types of precipitation

Text-to-Text Connections: Both books are about weather and the sky.

The rhymes in Sky will make a connections from nursery rhymes.

Text-to-Self Connections: Some kids will have seen a double rainbow, snow, fireworks, and tornadoes.

Sequencing: Notice in Sky that there is a sequence that leads to the storm, then following the storm the birds come back out again.  Use a Sequencing Chart as you read that begins with the empty sky and continues on the storm and then the birds and butterflies.  Sequence the changes in the sky in Twister and see if there are similarities in how each storm begins.

Compare and Contrast: What is real and what is imaginary on the pages that show things in the sky.  The first double page shows things like kites, airplanes, and balloons, and in contrast, the second set shows dragons, flying saucers, and UFO’s.  There may have to be a third category for Santa Claus and angels since some of us will have knowledge that they do exist.

In Twister, compare and contrast the yard scene before and after the twister hits.

Cause and Effect: Because humans burn chemicals that create carbon residue in the air, the effect is that the air has smog and smoke in it.

POV: In Twister, we hear the story from the POV of  Lucille, the girl.

Inference: Why do you infer that that Lucille starts asking Natt about his scars while they are waiting out the storm in the cellar?

Drawing Conclusions: What text evidence can you find that supports the conclusion that the kids and their mother were very compassionate toward Mr. Lyle?

Alliteration: the sound the porch swing makes and the sound of the thunder crashing.

Schema: civil wars, traveling alone, the title which is a phrase from the U. S. National Anthem

Before beginning, read the guide produced by the publisher which provides a background for understanding:

Author’s purpose: The author takes us into the world of a refugee and helps refugee’s to see that they are not alone.

POV: The story is told from Kek’s point of view.

Voice: We hear Kek’s voice throughout the story as we experience his situations from his POV.

Text-to-Text Connections: 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy

Drawing Conclusions: We quickly draw the conclusion that Kek is new to the United States.  What text evidence leads you to this conclusion?

Mental Images: The reader is forced to make a mental image of Kek’s description in order to follow his thoughts.

He describes common things in unique ways without using the common name for it such as the flying boat for the airplane.

Characterization: Use the Describing Wheel to list Kek’s traits: Eleven years old, maybe an orphan, afraid, sad, brave

Symbolism: How is the title a symbol for the way Kek thinks of America?

Note about an African custom from Alan Cohen’s “Eyes on Africa” page on Facebook

“To heal a sorrowing heart, give something that is dear to your own.”   from the Note from Kimeli Naiyomah at the end of the book.

Schema: cows, feeling sorrow for someone’s pain

Text-to-self connection: remembering or hearing about September 11, 2001;  being kind to others; feeling the emotion of something being “sweet and sad” because it can not be lasting for long

Background information: The Maasai people believe that ownership of cattle represents well-being and wealth.  To own a large heard is something to strive towards.

Author’s purpose: to share the Maasai values and compassion toward America and to encourage others to be practice ‘Ubuntu.”

Cause and Effect: Because the U.S. was attacked on 9-11-01, the effect is that Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah wanted to do something to help with the sorrow and ended up making the cow donation as a symbol of  Ubuntu.

POV:  The people of Maasai;  Think of the African people listening to the story of how the city was attacked.  They are trying to make mental images of buildings that touch the sky and fires melting iron.

Voice: We hear the voice of Kimeli in the story.

Symbolism: cows symbolizes life

Synthesis: The Maasai leaders synthesize that to make the U. S. feel better, they must be humane and give something from their hearts to the U. S.  The U. S. diplomat synthesizes the great sacrifice of the Maasai to give this many cows and it moves him to tears.

Schema:  favorite colors, pastas, princesses

Text-to-Text Connections:  books with a mischievous fairy or sprite.

The term “hudgin” is not very common so “hobgoblin or sprite” might be a better term to use in explaining what it is.

Text-to-text connection: “glass slipper” for Cinderella, locked in tower-other princess stories such as Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel.  The manner or tone of the princess to Anabel connects with the wicked step-sisters in Cinderella.

Cause and Effect: Because “something” is waking Anabel, the effect is that she is tired, frustrated, and having trouble completing her assignment.

Text-to-self connections: people or things bothering you so much you cannot complete your assignments

Point of View: Anabel’s voice and POV is what we hear.

Drawing Conclusions: What text evidence leads to Mag’s conclusion that there is a Hinky-Pink?

There are many unfamiliar terms used as expressions and several of them refer to different types of pasta.  I found a link that provides a picture of many types.

Some  students may have a text-to-self connection with their favorite pasta or pasta dishes such as Ratatouille,  a vegetable stew with eggplant, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and other seasonal vegetables.

Italian terms:

Noioso: boring and tiresome

Portaspilli means pincushion.

Bellissima means beautiful.

Tarantella:  a dance with a  6/8 beat

References to fabrics and stitches may connect with  some students.

French knot: looping the thread around the needle several times before inserting it back into the same place the thread is coming from on the fabric.  It makes a little knot on top of the fabric.

Goblin Stitch: a special decorative stitch pattern

The setting is Firenze the Italian word for the city of Florence:

The illustrator, Brian Floca, has offered some coloring pages to go with the book. 

Schema: double meaning for the word “chicken” being a real chicken or being afraid

Text-to-Self Connections: things you are afraid of, being called a chicken

Cause and Effect: Because the chickens were frightened by the wolf, the effect is that they knocked themselves  out of the hen house.

Because they were locked out of the hen house, the effect is that they run into the woods to hide.

Because of their clumsiness and inability to stay calm, the effect is that they end up in one bad situation after another.

Because they act so panicked, the effect is that they scare the wolf.

Drawing Conclusions: What evidence from the story supports the idea that the wolf drew the conclusion that the chickens were scary?

Point of View: Through most of the story we see the chickens’ point of view, but at the end, we see the wolf’s POV.