Let's Have a Summary Ball!

 

With summer just around the corner, what a perfect time to read a story about the sun, sand, and beach! Kay S. Heath is a retired teacher and local author that has written several delightful children’s books. Her book, Three Little Frogs Go to the Beach,  is a charming story of Momma frog and her three baby frogs. Momma wants to take the young frogs on an adventure for the day to explore the beach. At the beach, the frogs see many things they have never seen before, including humans. They observe the people playing on the beach and in the ocean, and building sand castles and frog huts. Momma frog explains all the things that the people are doing like wearing sunglasses and hats, putting on sunscreen, and sitting under large umbrellas to protect them from the sun. When the day was done, the young frogs were excited about what they had learned on their journey, but mostly, they were very pleased to simply be frogs.

This is a wonderful story to correlate with teaching students how to summarize. An activity that can be done with this book, and any other book read to children, is called a Summary Ball. The teacher would first take a beach ball and write the words Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why on each of the panels of the beach ball. After reading a story, the students will toss the ball around; each student that catches the ball must read the question word that is closest to their right thumb. If the question is:

Who? - the students must describe the characters that were in the story.

What? - students must summarize what all major events happened in the story.

When? - the students must tell the class when this story took place.

Where? - students must describe where the story took place (setting).

How? - students must summarize how the characters reacted in the story or how the characters came to a conclusion at the end of the story.

Why? - the students must tell why the characters acted as they did or did what they did within the story.
 

 

As the students are describing and summarizing what all happens in the book, the teacher writes down the answers to all of the Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why questions on the board for all of the students to view. Afterwards, students will do the same thing at their desk while making a chart with all the questions on it and filling it in independently. This is a great activity to use for summarizing because it gives every student a chance to tell what they learned. It is also a great tool because there are more students than questions, so students get to add more than one detail per question.
After this activity has been practiced in the classroom a few times, the students will hopefully remember the Summary Ball activity and the questions on the ball to help them with future summarizing.

What Did Your Mind's Eye See?

 

 

Have you ever wanted something and wished you could just draw it so you would have it right in front of you? We all wish we could do that at times, but Harold in Harold and the Purple Crayon gets overwhelmed with all of the endless things he created with his purple crayon! One day, Harold intended to go on a walk, but this wasn't any ordinary walk. First, Harold needed a moon so he could see. After drawing his moon, he needed a path so he would know where he was going for his walk. This walk led him to drawing apple trees, buildings, cities, police officers, mountains, and much more! Harold's purple crayon leads him to draw so many outlandish things that he forgot where his bedroom window was. In the end, Harold draws his own window, crawls in, draws a bed and some covers, and falls fast asleep with the crayon lying on the floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is much visualizing and imagination when reading Harold and the Purple Crayon  by Crockett Johnson. This book would be an excellent story to use to teach students how to visualize what is going on in the text.

 

 

 

 

 

This visualizing, activity worksheet would be fun to do while reading Harold and the Purple Crayon. It was found on teacherspayteachers.com, and it can be used with any story to teach visualizing. The teacher can have the students write on the worksheet during or after the story that is read aloud or independently. For example, during a read aloud story, the teacher would simply pause at various points in the story and ask the students to write in the specified section. If the activity was done after reading the story, students could recall what their thoughts were, or what their mind's eye saw, when the teacher was reading.

 

We like this activity because, even though so many things are going on throughout the story, students can still visualize numerous things that happen, and write or illustrate them in the blocks on this worksheet. The students are guided to recreate the images in their minds at the beginning, middle, and end of the story, and they also describe how the images helped them better understand the text.



Having Reflections & Making Connections

Trying something new can be a little scary, but it just might surprise you! The Berenstain Bears Go To Camp by Stan and Jan Berenstain is another entertaining, delightful book by these two renowned authors. Like their other Berenstain Bear books, this one is about the Bear family activities and experiences. School had just ended for the summer, and Bear Brother and Bear Sister had nothing to do. After Mama Bear read about a summer camp and shared the information with the cubs, they were unenthusiastic about signing up. Brother Bear was not sure what it was like to go to camp, and Sister Bear did not like the thought of an overnight sleep out. After pondering awhile about camp, and still having nothing much to do, the two cubs decided to give camp a try. They experienced many of the classic camping adventures such as canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts, and so many other activities that they forgot all about their initial fears and participating in the sleep out. The cubs had such an amazing time at camp, and they even won some medals on the last day of Field Day games.

This is a wonderful book that students can relate to their own personal experiences. The cubs are bored at home with nothing to do over the summer, they have fears of participating in some activities and about sleeping overnight, and they have new and exciting experiences. There are connections to be made on almost every page!

A wonderful activity to have students participate in would be this Making Connections worksheet I downloaded for free at teacherspayteachers.com. Students will write a sentence directly from the book in the first section, and then write how it relates to them , what it reminds them of, or someone they heard about having a similar experience. Then, the student would circle what type of connection it was.

This activity would be a great way to allow students to show what they got from the text. It would also give the teacher an idea of what each student perceived from the text. This is a valuable tool in the classroom because the teacher gains insight on how his or her students acknowledge what happens when they read a story and how well they can make a connection to what is happening when they read.

The Man Who Discovered America

"In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue."

Without him, what would we do?

In the fun and interesting nonfiction book, A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus, David A. Adler portrays a wonderful, yet simplified biography of Columbus's life. It begins with his young childhood, dreaming of going out to sea. One page reads "Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy. Genoa is at the shore of the Ligurian Sea, part of the Mediterranean. When Christopher and others looked out over the water, they saw no end to it." The picture shows him sitting in a window sill looking out into the ocean. This describes his love for the ocean and how badly he wanted to be out there. This story tells of him becoming a sailor when he was twenty-five, and it states facts about his marriages and children that were a part of his life. This book describes him asking many kings for help in need of three ships to sail west. Sadly, the kings refused to help him.  Years later, the king and queen of Spain finally agreed to help him, and they gave him the three famous ships we know that led up to his discovery of the New World, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Christopher Columbus was claimed a hero back then, and he is still a hero now. We have celebrated his name for years, and we would not be living in what we call "America" if he had not discovered it back in 1492.

This book correlates with the Kindergarten GPS standard

SSKH1b. The student will identify the purpose of national holidays and describe the people or events celebrated. b. Columbus Day (Christopher Columbus).

When introducing Columbus day, this book would be an excellent source for teaching about Christopher Columbus and why we celebrate a holiday named just after him. Children in Kindergarten would be very interested in this book because of the fun illustrations and straight to the point information. Above is an illustration of the three ships Columbus took on his journey, including the Santa Maria that Columbus traveled on. This book would also be a very important asset to a classroom because students will continue to learn about Christopher Columbus, the New World, and the three ships that he took to discover the New World, as they continue on through school.

A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus is an excellent tool to use for any early childhood classroom. Nonfiction is especially important to integrate into student's readings, and this one would be a great one for them to start off with and enjoy. It states all of the important facts that children should know about the history of Columbus and why we celebrate him. It would be a great addition to your classroom library!

How a Seed Becomes a Tree!

Did you know that trees can grow almost anywhere? The fun and fact-filled science book, Tell Me, Tree; All About Trees for Kids by Gail Gibbons, gives a detailed look at the life cycle and characteristics of many types of trees. It is a perfect guide for children that want to learn many facts about tree growth, leaves, and various types of trees. It closely examines how a tree begins as a seed, how a root can produce fruit, and how leaves are not just for show; they help the trees to grow. Each page begins with, “Tell Me, Tree…,” and follows the life of a tree with specific examples of types of seeds, bark, leaves, and fruits. The first page explains what nutrients trees need to grow, and how they grow in all types of different climates and environments.  The next page reads,

 “Tell me, Tree… All trees, even the biggest, begin their lives as seeds. These seeds come in different shapes and sizes.”

                 

This wonderful illustration shows fourteen different species of seeds, and an adjoining illustration labeled with the root, stem, and leaf of a tree. This page is a great instructional tool to introduce plant life cycles that relates to the second grade GPS standard, S2L1. Students will investigate the life cycles of different living organisms; c. Investigate the life cycle of a plant by growing a plant from a seed and by recording changes over a period of time.

Below is a nice illustration that shows the growth of the tree, the roots that “anchor” it, and how the “stem becomes hard enough to be called wood.”   The next several pages continue with a marvelous view of the interior layers of a tree, and an underground look at how the roots soak up water and minerals from soil.  It even gives a simple explanation on photosynthesis, and how trees are so helpful to humans. It describes how the leaves mix water with carbon dioxide to feed the tree, and the leaves then release oxygen into the air that we use to live and breathe.

The next page describes the continuous life cycle of a tree. “Trees use food from their leaves to grow new wood, branches, twigs, buds, leaves, seeds, nuts, and fruit. The fruit of trees is often sweet from the sugar the leaves make. Trees need their food to stay alive and renew their growth.”

 This is a perfect, basic explanation of the progression that second graders will understand. The next several pages have great descriptions and illustrations for identifying different trees and their leaves. It concludes with the many ways trees are used; from providing wood for building houses and furniture, to providing homes for many birds and animals.

Tell Me, Tree, is a wonderful book to introduce the life cycle of a tree to students because of the excellent, simple descriptions and the detailed illustrations. Since the second grade standard referred to previously requires the students to record changes of a growing plant over a period of time, students could use this book as a reference book or dictionary to assist them with assignments or projects. The author completes this resourceful book by providing a great activity with instructions for students to create their very own tree identification book. Overall, this book goes above and beyond the expectations of an elementary level science content book.  We feel it would be a great asset to any classroom.

Rock Around The Clock!

This catchy, rhyming book Boom Chicka Rock by John Archambault is about twelve mice sneaking out in the middle of the night, trying to reach a piece of delicious chocolate birthday cake that they have spotted. The only problem they approach is the cat, Max, is sleeping in front of the cake! They have to dance around the kitchen, quiet as a mouse (get it?!), in order to get to the dessert and not wake up Max. As the mice hop out of the kitchen clock, they each represent a number on the clock (One through Twelve). They do a number of dances, from the Tango, to the Bunny Hop, as they reach closer to the birthday cake. As the clock strikes twelve, Max wakes up. The mice are frightened and must all get back to their home—the kitchen clock. In the lines and picture below it shows that each mouse gets back home and is safe and sound.  

“Every hour is home. Every number’s

tucked in.

The last stroke of twelve, now

tomorrow can begin!”

Boom Chicka Rock can be used in the first grade classroom, with a connection to the CCGPS, MCC.1.MD.3, Tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analong and digital clocks. This book allows children to practice telling time by the pictures and information in the book. There are many illustrations in the books with different times shown on the clocks. Also, one page reads

"Big hand, little hand, straight up--

TWELVE O'clock.

It's midnight, tip-toe, rickety-rock.

Counting our way 'round the kitchen clock."

This picture illustrates the mice in their spots on the clock. It shows Number Twelve holding the knife and spoon straight up, presenting what the hands will show for twelve o'clock. This will give students an idea of what twelve o'clock looks like on an analog clock.

 

This charming book can be used to teach students how to tell time in a fun and interactive way. When you read the book aloud, pause on each page to change your analog clock to the time that relates to the page in the book. To have the activity be more interactive for the students, each student could make their own clock out of a paper plate, numbers, and arrows for the hands. As you read the book aloud, pause on each page that has a mouse telling a different time. Students will then move the hands on their own paper clock to the time that correlates with the page in the book. For example, when you read, “No time to wait! Said number EIGHT,” have the students move the long hand to the number twelve, and the short hand to the number eight, to show the time of eight o’clock on each of their clocks. This is a great way for students to have hands-on practice with telling time and changing the hands for different times on the clock that coorelates to the standard, MCC.1.MD.3.

 

 

All the students will be dancing along with the words of the book as they

"Boom Chicka Rock around the clock!"

 

 

 

Snakes & Pigs & Chickens, Oh My!



     In the zany and hilarious story of The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash, a little girl depicts her class field trip to an animal farm. The setting of this realistic fiction story begins at the girl’s home where she tells the daily events of the activities at the farm to her mother. The illustrations detail the setting at the farm where the chaos begins. The plot is original and believable, but the girl may have a very creative imagination, as shown in the extravagant illustrations. The story is written in the first person point of view and is expressed through dialogue with her mother. She begins by explaining that the pandemonium was set in motion by Jimmy’s pet boa constrictor that came on the field trip to meet all of the farm animals. As any mother would be, she is surprised and curious at the incredible story she is hearing. She continues by explaining a series of catastrophic events that occur when the children throw eggs in the hen house, the pigs overtake the bus and eat the student’s lunches, and the boa constrictor gets loose and scares the farmer’s wife, Mrs. Stanley. The climax is revealed when the boa constrictor consumes the farmer’s wife’s laundry, the student’s leave the farm suddenly, and Jimmy leaves the snake behind. The children, the farmer, and the farmer’s wife are all realistic characters that are consistent with the emotions and actions of real people their age. The children react silly and mischievous on the field trip causing the incidents, and the farmer’s wife reacts as any other woman would when confronted with an enormous snake! Even though it all seems like a disastrous day, everything turns out just fine because Jimmy kept the pig that was left on the bus as his new pet, and the farmer was thrilled to add the boa constrictor to his farm family! The theme of appreciation in this story is ideal for children in elementary and primary grades. It enlightens readers that people can have fun with all different types of animals, and we should respect and appreciate all living creatures of this world.

The Catastrophe in the Hen House!

Poor Mrs. Stanley!

 

This was a funny, charming story that I will definitely share. The silly antics of the children and the delightful illustrations make this a very enjoyable read. The events in the story could possibly happen on a field trip to an animal farm, but I sure hope it does not happen to me! Reading this book would be a great way to introduce young children to animal science, and follow it up by researching different names and species of animals. ~Elma

I thought this story was such a cute and entertaining piece! I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations, plot, characters, and theme. I feel like I would use this in the classroom for introducing fiction and perhaps an animal lesson (as Elma added!). The story unfolding into such a catastrophy is what keeps the reader wanting more, and I would love to add this wild and crazy book to my classroom library! --Lindsay