May 2014 – Page 2 – Booktalking #kidlit

Forces and Motion at Work

What makes forces and motions on Earth? Help K-5 students answer this essential question (and meet the Common Core State Standards) with the Teaching STEM lesson plans for this mentor text: Forces and Motion at Work by Shirley Duke (GRL W / ATOS 5.2)

Forces and motion at work

Unit Summary: Students will examine the essential question, “What makes forces and motions on Earth?” by researching information from a variety of sources relating to the vocabulary of forces and motion. They will summarize their information and then reduce their facts into a short statement of less than one hundred and forty characters in a style suitable for Twitter. From an assigned list of words, each group of students will use print and online information to define their word, read about it to identify and comprehend the scientific principle, and collect facts relating to that principle. The groups will narrow the information by wording it in a phrase or sentence that fits Twitter’s parameters. They will share their information in the library in a way that is accessible for the available technology there or in a class PowerPoint presentation designed to look like a tweet on Twitter.

The Library Activity begins on page 76. The Collaborative Teacher Activity is on page 78.

Extension Activities (sample)

1. Make a class Wiki and put their information on it.

2. Do a podcast about the vocabulary by writing the script in their groups and recording the information. Compare this method of communicating to other means of communicating.

3. After reading the book, have the students write a short description of the main idea of the book. Use the phrase, “I am a technology specialist.. I know that _________.”

You can find more Teaching STEM lesson plans on the Teaching STEM blog

Tippy and the Night Parade

Tippy and the Night Parade
by Lilli Carre (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: When Tippy wakes up, there’s a peacock in her bedroom, a bird in her hair, and mice dancing on the headboard. Yet all Tippy remembers is falling asleep! Toon Books Level 1 Beginning reader comic

Snippet:

Let’s Dance, Grandma!

Let’s Dance, Grandma!
by Nigel McMullen (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: More than anything, Lucy loves to dance. But her mother warns her not to try to dance when her grandma comes to visit, because grandmas simply do not dance.

Snippet: But this time Lucy couldn’t help herself. The first thing she said when Mom had gone was, “Dance, Grandma, dance?”

Pinkalicious and the Perfect Present

Pinkalicious and the Perfect Present
by Victoria Kann (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Shh! When Pinkalicious finds the perfect thing at a yard sale, it’s not for her–it’s for her mom! (I Can Read Book 1)

Snippet:
“Wow, look at that!” I gasped.
I saw something that
was better than all the rest.
It was pinkaperfect!

Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes

Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes
by Roseanne Greenfield Thong (Author) and John Parra (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A book of shapes for Cinco de Mayo today…

Snippet:
Round are sombreros.
Round is the moon.
Round are the trumpets
that blare out a tune.

Nonfiction Monday

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

High-Tech Olympics

What are Olympic distances really like? Help K-5 students answer this essential question (and meet the Common Core State Standards) with the Teaching STEM lesson plans for this mentor text: High-Tech Olympics by Nick Hunter (ATOS 6.4 / 970L)

Unit Summary: Students will examine the essential question, “What are Olympic distances really like?” Students will be grouped into five teams and given an identifying number or name. They will use an Olympic record database to locate distances, lengths, or heights of sports in the track and field events and record them. Then they will measure the equivalent distance in the library, classroom, or hallways and mark the distance with a sticky note to show the measurement. They will compare their results and discuss them.

The Library Activity begins on page 84. The Collaborative Teacher Activity is on page 86.

Extension Activities (sample)

1. Have the students use their metric conversions and change them to standard units. Add another set of columns to the graphic organizer if you choose. Or have them use a metric calculator online (http://www.conversion-metric.org/).

2. Pre-write the distances or heights on the graphic organizer for the students to measure in the library and halls.

3. After reading the book, have the students write a short description of the main idea of the book. Use the phrase, “I am a technology specialist. I know that _________.”

You can find more Teaching STEM lesson plans on the Teaching STEM blog

Death Spiral

Death Spiral: A Faith Flores Science Mystery
by Janie Chodosh (Author)

Booktalk: When loner Faith Flores finds her mother dead of an apparent overdose, she refuses to believe that’s the case. Sure, her mom made some bad decisions, but leaving her daughter would never be one of them. Unfortunately, the cops are all too eager to close the case and move on, sending a distraught and unsatisfied Faith to live with her Aunt T in the suburbs of Philadelphia. But a note from Melinda, her mom’s junkie friend, prompts Faith to begin digging, igniting her passion in science and her need for answers…

Snippet: I’ve just reached his side when I hear the scuffling of feet behind me. I look over my shoulder and see a security guard with a face like a baked ham heading my direction. “Everything okay, sir?” he asks, settling his meaty frame protectively in front of Glass.

“Wait, please,” I beg before Glass can give the order to have me hauled off. “I need to talk with you about the clinical trial for RNA 120.”