Children of the Wild West by Russell Freedman

Freedman, R. (1983). Children of the Wild West. New York: Clarion Books.

 

                Children of the Wild West is a social science informational book that tells the story of settlers and their expansion westwards in the United States.  The settlers were looking to claim free land in a place where they would have room to grow and possibly strike it rich attempting to mine gold. Freeman discusses the problems that arose for the travelers along the journey and also how they settled down in the Wild West to make homes and a life for themselves.  The book discusses elements of the time period such as how photographs were taken, how homes were built, traveling in covered wagons, and the importance of school and chores for children.

                Through devoting an entire chapter in the book to American Indians, Freeman does a nice job in his work of avoiding stereotypes. One way in which he validated the American Indian culture was by including photographs of different tribes as well as the homes in which they lived instead of simply classifying an entire culture under one stereotype. Freeman also explained that the settlers were taking the land that the tribes had lived and hunted for years without taking their needs or desires into consideration. This type of writing provides the reader with a factual account of the historical time, instead of simply explaining the westward movement and benefits for the white settlers.

                Numerous structure elements can be seen throughout the story, with the most prevalent being description. In each chapter Freeman gives characteristics of the topic found in the title. For example the chapter titled “Frontier School” describes the appearance of the school as well as what the students were expected to learn. In the chapter titled “Games, Parties, and Celebrations”, Freeman describes the Fourth of July celebrations that were held.

                The theme of this informational book would be providing insight into the typical life of a child growing up during this time period and their families.  Some supporting details of this theme would include the following quotes located throughout the book:

·         “Since some children lived miles away from the nearest school, they might not attend classes at all until they were half grown”

·          “Little girls played house with deerskin dolls, putting them to bed in toy tipis or small willow lodges”

·          “Small children were expected to feed the chickens, gather the eggs, weed the vegetable garden, and pick wild nuts, berries, and fruits.”

This book is best suited for upper elementary or middle school students. It would be a wonderful trade book to utilize when discussing Westward Expansion and the Oregon Trail. It would also be well suited for a discussion on Native American and settler interactions. Students always like to see time periods explained from a child’s point of view because it is much more relatable for them than a textbook explanation.

 

Kentucky Core Content for Social Studies

·         SS-05-4.3.1 Students will explain patterns of human settlement in the early development of the United States and explain how these patterns were influenced by physical characteristics (e.g., climate, landforms, and bodies of water). DOK 2

·         SS-05-5.1.1 Students will use a variety of primary and secondary sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries, maps, and timelines) to describe significant events in the history of the U.S. and interpret different perspectives. DOK 3

·         SS-05-2.3.1 Students will describe various forms of interactions (compromise, cooperation, conflict) that occurred between diverse groups (e.g., Native Americans, European Explorers, English colonists, British Parliament) in the history of the United States. DOK 2

 

Big Questions to Ask

·         Put yourself in the shows of the children discussed in this book. Do you think you could survive the life style they lived? Why or Why not?

·         Were the interactions between settlers and Native Americans justified? Which side would you support?

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

Curtis, C. P. (2007). Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic.

“Looky there, look at that land! Look at those trees! Have you ever seen anything that precious? It’s the land of the free!”

Elijah Freeman, was the first child to be born free in the Buxton settlement in Canada West, but unfortunately for him that wasn’t the only memory people associated with his name. The folks couldn’t seem to forget when Frederick Douglass came to the settlement and the accident that happened. The grown folks didn’t talk about how good Elijah was at rock chunking and how quickly he could fill a stringer with a nice collection of perch and bass.

In the story, Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis, you get a glimpse into the Buxton Mission of Raleigh that was established in 1849, through the eyes of Elijah, a soon to be twelve year old fragile boy. You will get to read about historical elements so prevalent in the time this story was set including the Underground Railroad, stories of abolitionists and slavers, and the Liberty Bell purchased from Pittsburgh by slaves to ring in the freedom of the new slaves escaping to Buxton.

If you choose to read this amazing story you will find the answer to these question and so many other things to keep you interested and the pages turning: What was the accident with Mr. Douglass? What happened when the carnival came to Buxton? Why does Mr. Leroy slap Elijah to the ground? Why is everyone always thinking Elijah is fragile? Why does Elijah travel to America when there is such a risk of him being caught by paddy-rollers?

Just like the folks in Buxton ask the new-free slaves when they arrive, when you read this book all you will be left wondering is “What kept you?”

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Creech, S. (2001). Love that dog. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

 

Click this link to listen to a recording of the booktalk!

 

Have you ever been frustrated when a teacher asks you to explain the meaning of a poem or even worse to write a poem? If so you will be able to relate to Sharon Creech’s, Love That Dog, in which you will get a glimpse into the journal of the main character, Jack. The free verse style of this book makes it an engaging and quick read. Once you open the cover and read Jack’s words, “I don’t want to because boys don’t write poetry. Girls do,” you will not be able to stop reading and experiencing poetry from Jack’s point of view.

Will Jack ever enjoy reading poems? Will Jack ever write his own poem for Miss Strechberry to display on her bulletin board?  You will have to read Love That Dog to find these answers and maybe even read something along the way to spark your own interest in poetry.



A Child's Calendar by John Updike

 

Updike, J. (1999). A child’s calendar. New York: Holiday House.

                A Child’s Calendar, is considered a specialized poetry book because the poems included are all written by one author and are focused around the theme of a child’s life in the different weather and changes that occur in the twelve months. Elements such as weather, clothing, plant and animal life, and activities are discussed.

 In each of the twelve poems included the second and fourth line in each stanza has end rhyme. The rhyme in each poem can also be classified as exact rhyme because the ending sounds match. An example of the exact end rhyme included throughout the book can be found in the first two stanzas of the poem October.

The month is amber,

Gold, and brown.

Blue Ghosts of smoke

Float Through the town,

 

Great V’s of geese

Honk overhead,

And maples turn

A fiery red.

                The author, John Updike, also uses the poetic element of personification in a few of the monthly poems to give elements of nature human qualities. This first stanza of the poem November, gives human emotions to the maple trees.

The stripped and shapely

Maple grieves

The loss of her

Departed leaves.

                This book is best suited for young children and would be a terrific way to introduce a new month during calendar math meetings in Kindergarten up through third grade. Each poem discusses the weather that is typical for that month, and could be used to jump start a discussion on what kind of temperatures and precipitation students will be likely to observe and/or record during the coming days.

 

Next Generation Science Standards:

3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

K-ESS2-1. Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.

 

Big Questions to Ask:

·         How does the climate in the book compare and contrast with the climate in the area in which you live?

 

Hilter's Daughter by Jackie French

French, J. (1999). Hitler’s daughter .New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

                This story begins with four children on a rainy day at their school bus stop playing what they call the Story Game. Anna choses the topic for the story this time and despite Mark’s opposition, she begins to tell the story of Hitler’s daughter. Heidi, an imaginary young girl that Anna has created, was never recognized as Hitler’s daughter because of a birth mark on her face and her limp caused by one of her legs being shorter than the other. As the book points out, this would simply have worked against Adolf Hitler’s goal of creating a perfect Aryan race. Although, Mark was against the idea of Anna creating a story that made up stuff about a real person, he quickly became consumed with the story and needed to hear more each day.

                This story is most suitable for upper elementary students due to the World War II content and also the advanced plot structure used that would likely confuse young readers. Hitler’s Daughter is structured with the use of a parallel plot in which two plots are unfolding simultaneously to the reader. There is the story being told of Mark, Anna, Little Tracey, and Ben as evidenced in this quote, “Little Tracey scrambled onto the bus first, like she always did, and bounced into the front seat behind Mrs. Latter. Mark ambled behind Anna, with Ben following on his heels.” There is also the story Anna is telling about Heidi, unfolding at the same time, “Several times Heidi noticed Frau Leib slip a little flour or twist of sugar into the pocket of her coat that was hung by the back door when she came to work.”

                Both of the stories that unfold in Hitler’s Daughter are told from a third person limited omniscient point of view. The narrator is able to provide an insight into the feelings and thoughts of only one character, Mark. With statements such as these, “Mark had thought they looked like lions waiting to swallow you and then burp you out at your bus stop,” the reader is able to see into Mark’s mind. Anna as a narrator for her fictional story provides an insight into Heidi’s feelings and thoughts. We gain access into Heidi’s mind and realize just how lonely she is when Anna says things like, “She hoped she might catch a glimpse of the children Frau Leib spoke of.”

                This book could be utilized in a 5^th grade classroom as an introduction or included in a collection of genres available for students on the topics of the Holocaust, World War II, and/or Adolf Hitler. Students are not typically motivated to read text books and therefore children’s literature, even fiction texts such as Hitler’s Daughter, can get them interested in a topic.

Common Core State Standards Connections:

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Kentucky Social Studies Core Content Connections:

·         SS-05-2.3.2 Students will give examples of conflicts between individuals or groups and describe appropriate conflict resolution strategies (e.g., compromise, cooperation, communication).

Big Questions to Ask Students:

·         Put yourself in Heidi’s shoes, would you have told anyone that you were Hitler’s daughter? Why or why not?

·         Try to answer some of the questions Mark struggles with:

o   If a child has is raised by evil parents, will they turn out evil as well?

o   Do you think that evil people such as Hitler really believe that the things they do are right or justified?

James and the Giant Peach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dahl, R. (1961). James and the giant peach. New York: Puffin.   

You have traveled in a car, a bus, maybe even a plane, but have you ever traveled on a gigantic peach? That is exactly what the main character and his enormous insect companions do in the fantasy tale of James and the Giant Peach written by Roald Dahl. “Up and up they went, high above the highest clouds, the peach swaying gently from side to side as it floated along.”

After James ‘parents are eaten by a rhinoceros on a trip to London, James is forced to live with his two dreadful aunts. You will feel James pain and heartache because of the terrible way he is treated and wonder how he will ever escape this life. Then one day while working in the garden, James meets a small old man with a white paper bag. The objects inside that bag help to change James’ life forever.

Where did they travel? How did the insects and peach grow to be so extraordinarily large? What was in that white bag? Those are the kinds of questions you must read to find out. I guarantee this will be one of those books that will take you on an adventure and that you will not want to put down.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Scieszka, J. (1989). The true story of the 3 little pigs. New York, NY: Viking Penguin.           

 

 

            In this entertaining children’s story, Alexander T. Wolf, better known in the literature world as the “Big Bad Wolf”, shares his side of the popular Three Little Pigs tale many of us have read and love. The story begins with A. Wolf running out of sugar while making his Granny a birthday cake. He walks the reader through what happens as he visits each of the three little pig’s homes asking to borrow the cup of sugar he so desperately needs. He also wants the reader to believe that he was not huffing and puffing as we are commonly told, but in fact had to sneeze due to a terrible cold. A. Wolf does not deny eating the little pigs but defends his decision and questions what the reader would do in his shoes. The decision is yours, who do you believe?

          As you can see in the images below, simplicity in the illustrations is present throughout the work. The illustrator, Lane Smith chose to utilize dull and neutral colors. I believe this allows the reader to focus on the story and creates a calming mood. To complement the argument being made, throughout the illustrations A. Wolf is portrayed as a favorable character with a suit, bow tie, and spectacles across his nose.



 

            The visual element of line also seems to be relevant in Smith’s illustrations.  As the straw lays blown all over the ground around the first little pig or the sneeze coming from the wolf’s mouth as he is trying to break down the third little pig’s door. Lines are being used to portray two very different emotions in these examples.

 

 

 

This is a book I would definitely recommend reading for not only the enjoyment but also because of all the opportunities it provides for reading instruction. One activity teachers could use this book for is to discuss point of view and how it can change a story. Another activity would be to compare and contrast using Venn diagrams the many versions of the tale of The Three Little Pigs. The most engaging activity I was able to think of for using this book in the classroom is to have older students use it as a springboard for a debate. The debate would be made up of two sides, one in defense of A. Wolf and the other for the pigs.

Common Core State Standards connections for 2^nd grade would include:

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.6 Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

·         CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.9 Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.

Big Questions to ask students:

·         When was a time you were asked to share your point of view on something you experienced? Were you able to convenience the person listening that your side was the truth? If so how? If not how did you feel?

·         Do you believe A. Wolf or The Three Little Pigs? Why?



Introduction

My name is Krystal Gray and I teach at Nicholas County Elementary School in Carlisle, KY where I was born and raised. I am a big blue UK fan all the way and can’t wait for basketball season to start! I have been married for a little over a year now and I am still trying to get used to being Mrs. Gray. J Our only child is a miniature Schnauzer named Transy.

I attended Transylvania University in Lexington, KY where I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education. I taught Kindergarten for four years and enjoyed every minute! There is just something about that age level and their enthusiasm about school and learning. I am currently teaching third grade and have discovered that I really enjoy it as well and truly enjoy being blessed with some of my former Kindergarten students.

I love to read to my students and encourage each of them to have a love of reading. I have found that even in 3^rd grade, students still love to gather at the carpet and listen to a story. I enjoy children’s and young adult literature more than any adult novel I have ever tried reading. I am looking forward to all the books and resources this class will expose me to.