Book Club 6: Concept Books & Magazines

Concept Books

Genre Study

When looking for books that fell under the concept genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards, as well as the standards for the subject the book is being used for, somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  Furthermore, I felt it was important that the books I chose met the Iowa Common Core Standards for the subject they were being used for as well, such as social studies.  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could be used to look at problem solving.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading, as well as those who enjoy reading.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.  Along with that, it’s a good idea to provide books that allow student to gain an understanding of the concept the book is discussing from a different perspective than the textbook is providing them.

Barish, W. (n.d.). First Discovery Book: Butterflies.

2^nd grade

www.goodreads.com

            Major themes that were presented in this book were butterflies, caterpillars, and the life cycle from caterpillar to butterfly.  One quality of the book that is noteworthy is the transparent pages because it allows students to be more interactive within the book.  These pages allow students to see gradual changes over time.  Furthermore, the bright colors and minimal amount of text throughout the book make the book more enjoyable for students to read.  No connections to issues were available for students to make, other than for them to learn about a concept that is present in many places around the world.  Students will need little assistance while reading this book.

Hausherr, R. (1994). What food is this?. New York: Scholastic.

4^th Grade, Kindergarten-2^nd grade interest level

Lexile 790L

www.amazon.com

            The themes that are consistent within this book are nutrition, food, and health.  One thing that is great about this book is that there is very little text on each page.  Another thing I really liked about this book is that each concept or idea begins by asking a question to get students thinking.  To go along with these ideas, this book provides fun pictures for students to look at and a glossary in the back to make it easier for students to understand what the meaning of words are that they might not know.  The biggest connection to issues anywhere around the world within this book is health.  Since this book is set up to be an introductory book and provides great explanations over concepts, students would probably need little support while reading this book.

Magazine

fauquiercountylibrarynews.blogspot.com

Genre Study

When looking for books that fell under the magazine genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards, as well as the standards for the subject the book is being used for, somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  Furthermore, I felt it was important that the books I chose met the Iowa Common Core Standards for the subject they were being used for as well, such as social studies.  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could be used to look at problem solving.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading, as well as those who enjoy reading.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.  Along with that, it’s a good idea to provide books that allow student to gain an understanding of the concept the book is discussing from a different perspective than the textbook is providing them.

(2014, March) National Geographic Kids

3^rd/4^th grade

www.barnesandnoble.com

            This volume of National Geographic discusses animals, twin panda bears, and landscapes throughout the magazine.  The pictures within this magazine are extremely fun to look at because they are pictures of real animals and landscapes.  With real pictures throughout the magazine, students are more likely to remain engaged while reading the magazine.  Additionally, bright colors draw students’ attention to various parts on each page.  The information presented throughout the entire magazine is interesting and attention grabbing information that is sure to keep them interested.  Connections that students can make for issues around the world include the life of animals.  Little support will be needed for students while reading this magazine; however, students of lower reading levels may need help with some of the vocabulary terms.

Pumped!, 2, 24. Retrieved February 19, 2014, from http://www.heartandstroke.on.ca/site/c.pv

2^nd-4^th grade

From Pumped!

            The major themes in this magazine release of Pumped! were health and nutrition.  One thing that makes this magazine fun and attention grabbing is the bright colors used consistently throughout the magazine.  This magazine has good pictures that provide good visuals for students.  Additionally, this magazine reveals interesting facts for students about health and nutrition.  Students will be engaged throughout this magazine through the activities throughout the magazine.  Health and nutrition are both connections that students could make to issues everywhere because they continue to remain a growing problem around the globe.  Students who lack background knowledge of the concepts within the magazine may need some assistance when looking through this magazine; otherwise, students will need little assistance while looking through the magazine.

Book Club 5: Action and Adventure & How-To

Action & Adventure

 

www.jasonnazar.com

Genre Study

When looking for books that fell under the action and adventure genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  Furthermore, I felt it was important that the books I chose met the Iowa Common Core Standards for the subject they were being used for as well, such as social studies.  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could be used to look at problem solving.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading, as well as those who enjoy reading.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.

Janeczko, P. B. (2010). The dark game: True spy stories. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

High School reading level, 5th-8th interested level

Lexile 1200L

hudsonarealibrary.org

            Within this book, the major themes are various wars throughout U.S. history and personal experience through a spy’s outlook and experience of events.  The part I like most about this book is that students get an inside look about various wars that they wouldn't get by using a textbook.  Descriptions about so many aspects of war and personal experience through multiple time periods give the students a great outlook into things many of them will never experience in their life time.  I feel this will engage students easily.  Since this book discusses multiple wars throughout history, many different global connections can be made through this aspect, between the U.S. and other countries.  Due to the high reading level of this book, some students may have a difficult time with the vocabulary use throughout the book.

Sweeny, J., & Cable, A. (1998). Me and my place in space. New York: Crown.

3^rd grade, Kindergarten-3^rd grade interest

Lexile 570L

mcdonaldobservatory.org

            The big themes within this book are space and the important pieces within our universe: the solar Me and My Body this book has fun pictures.  Additionally, the author does an excellent job setting up this book, just like her others.  The illustrator does a great job showing details in her pictures, providing the student with a great visual experience while reading this book.  There are no connections for students to make with issues, but they do have the opportunity to learn about a concept that is a global concept.  Students will need little support when reading this book, when used at grade level, because it is a great book to use as an introduction to space. system, the sun, and the moon.  Just like

How To

Genre Study

When looking for books that fell under the how to genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  Furthermore, I felt it was important that the books I chose met the Iowa Common Core Standards for the subject they were being used for as well, such as social studies.  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could be used to look at problem solving.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading, as well as those who enjoy reading.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.  Along with that, it’s a good idea to provide books that allow student to gain an understanding of how to complete a process.

Forman, M. H. (1997). From wax to crayon: A photo essay. New York: Children’s Press.

3^rd grade, Kindergarten-3^rd grade interest

www.abebooks.com

            Major themes within this book include crayons and the crayon making process.  I really liked the pictures within this book because they provide students with the step-by-step process just as much as the text does; they provide excellent visuals of every step within the process for students.  Additionally, very little text is present on each page which is also a good thing for lower elementary.  There were not any connections for students to make to issues around the world.  The only support students might need while reading this book would probably include the names of specific techniques or machines used in the crayon making process.

Valenta, B. (1997). Pop-o-mania: How to create your own pop-ups. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Students of any age

www.alibris.com

            This book focuses on kids being able to create their own stories and pop-up books.  The piece of this book I like the most is that easily grabs students’ interests and attention because most students enjoy pop-up books, at least at a young age.  Additionally, it tries to get students involved in the process of developing their own books and pop-ups.  This book has little text on each page that doesn’t involve descriptions.  To assist the descriptions of each project, pictures and examples are provided for students to see a visual representation.  No connections with issues are present for students within this book.  Younger students may need assistance when it comes to understand how to put the bits and pieces of this project together.

Book Club 3: Journals & Memoirs

Journals

www.eastgate.com

When looking for books that fell under the journal genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  Furthermore, I felt it was important that the books I chose met the Iowa Common Core Standards for the subject they were being used for as well, such as social studies.  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could be used to look at problem solving.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading, as well as those who enjoy reading.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.  Along with that, it’s a good idea to provide books that allow student to gain an understanding of background information pertaining to the concept.

Clark, W., Lewis M., Roop P., Roop, C., & Tanner, T. (1993). Off the map: The journals of Lewis and Clark. New York: Walker and Company.

5^th grade independent, 3^rd-5^th grade interest

Lexile 1000L

www.barnesandnoble.com

            Major themes within this book include Lewis and Clark and the development of America.  One of the qualities of this book that I liked was that it appeared to be a fairly easy read.  The text in this book was larger than typical chapter books.  In addition, the pictures within this book assist students in their understanding of the content.  Furthermore, the maps provided in the front and the back of the book provide additional tools for students’ assistance in picturing their travels.  Although there aren’t specifically issues within the book, this book does give students an idea of the struggles these two encountered throughout their journey across uncharted territory.  For students who don’t have background knowledge of Lewis and Clark, they might need some support with background knowledge for these two while reading the book.  Otherwise students reading at a fifth grade level will be able to read with little support.

Solhiem, J., & James, S. (2010). Born yesterday: The diary of a young journalist. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

2^nd grade independent

jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com

            The major themes within this book are journal entries and life experiences of babies.  One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the pictures.  They were bright colored and provided some humor

without even reading the text.  Just as the pictures add humor, the text within the books provides humor to the book as well.  Because humor is used in this book, students have a strong chance of remaining interested in the book.  Additionally, this book is a great resource for helping students get an idea of what a journal is and how it’s formatted.  This book does not have any connections to any types of issues.  Support students might need would be vocabulary for students of a lower reading level than second grade.

Memoir

veliaf.wordpress.com

When looking for books that fell under the memoir genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  Furthermore, I felt it was important that the books I chose met the Iowa Common Core Standards for the subject they were being used for as well, such as social studies.  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could be used to look at problem solving.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading, as well as those who enjoy reading.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.  Along with that, it’s a good idea to provide books that allow student to gain an understanding of background information pertaining to the concept.

Hillman, L. (2005). I will plant you a lilac tree: A memoir of a Schindler’s list survivor. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

High School Independent reading

www.skokienet.org

            Major themes within this book include the Holocaust, concentration camps, and WWII.  Although this book is at an independent level for high school students, I feel that this book would still be able to be used as a read aloud for fifth grade and middle school students because it provides some good information and an inside look of a person who went through the Holocaust.  The pages within this book are small and contain large text.  From a read aloud stand point for elementary, the text is easy to understand if students have the proper prior knowledge to understand the concepts.  Furthermore, this book makes connections between global issues: the Holocaust and WWII.  If this book is used as a read aloud for elementary, students will most likely need support while reading this book due to the vocabulary used throughout the book.

Marx, T., & Karp, C. (2000). One boy from Kosovo. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

4^th-5^th grade

www.amazon.com

            One Boy from Kosovo features the main themes of refuges, violence in foreign countries, and the country of Kosovo.  This book features real pictures that also have captions that provide additional understandings of the concepts depicted through the pictures.  Furthermore, this book has large texts that

provide pronunciations within the text for words students may not understand or know.  Additionally, this book provides background knowledge about the country of Kosovo before it went into discussing the boy’s life.  Global issues that students can create a connection with include violence in the Middle East.  Since this book provides background knowledge about Kosovo, students might only need support when it comes to the discussion on violence in the Middle East.

Book Club 2: Biography/Autobiography & Social Studies

Biography/Autobiography

storytimeforme.com

Genre Study

When looking for books that fell under the biography/autobiography genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  Additionally, texts should meet the Common Core standards for whatever discipline the text is being used for, such as Social Studies.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students, or possibly be used for students’ personal reading.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.  Lastly, I chose books that would provide students with alternative views of how we see things from our past about specific people and how they impacted our world today; these would be different views that students would gather from our textbooks.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could be used to look at problem solving.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading, as well as all students in my classroom.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.  Furthermore, I feel incorporating these books are great tools to help our students find someone who truly impacted our nation’s history.

Bridges, R. (1999). Through my eyes. New York: Scholastic Press.

5^th grade independent, 3^rd-5^th interest level

Lexile 860L

yeloulove.org

            Just like the Rosa book, the major themes within this book are the Civil Rights Movement, discrimination, integration, segregation, and racism.  Due to the concepts covered within this book, this is part of the reason the grade level is where it is.  I loved this book because of some of the qualities of it:

excellent, realistic pictures and the very descriptive details about the events that occurred in our nation’s past.  Additionally, this book provides some different perspectives than students would get if teachers were to use just the textbook.  Just as we have learned in social studies, the major themes of this book connect to local, national, and global issues that we continue to see in places all over the world today.  If students have little prior knowledge of the main themes within this book, they may need some assistance in order to understand the information being presented within this book.

Giovanni, N., & Collier, B. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt.

5^th Grade independent, 3-5 interest level

Lexile 900L

us.macmillan.com

            Rosa has major themes covering the concepts of the Civil Rights Movement, racism, and racial discrimination.  This book has some very detailed pictures that allow students to get a strong idea of the

information the author is describing in the text.  Text for this book is brief but it provides excellent information about the themes within this book.  These detailed pictures and brief text are great for maintaining student interest over the information within the book.  Just as we have learned in social studies, the major themes of this book connect to local, national, and global issues that we continue to see in places all over the world today.  Depending on the grade level this book is used for, students will need little support from their teacher.

Social Studies

orem.alpineschools.org

Genre Study

When looking for books that fell under the social studies genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Social Studies Standards are met, as well as the Literacy Standards somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students, or possibly be used for students’ personal reading.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.  Lastly, I chose books that would provide students with alternative views of how we see things from our past; these would be different views that students would gather from our textbooks.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could be used to look at problem solving.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading, as well as all students in my classroom.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.

Melmed, L. K., & Lessac, F. (2003). Capital!: Washington D.C. from A to Z. New York: HarperCollins.

5^th grade independent, 3^rd-5^th grade interest level

Lexile 960L

www.aph.org

            Major themes within this book include the nation’s capital, national monuments, and major events in

the U.S. history.  This book provides some great facts about the United States for students learning about the capital.  Pictures and text are aimed at grade level appropriate students; this means that students are likely to remain interested in the book.  Although this book does not related to national issues, however, it provides students with an abundance of information pertaining to the nation’s capital and its history.  For students younger than fifth grade, students may need some support while reading the text within this book in order to comprehend what they read.  Students who are reading at the fifth grade reading level will need little assistance when reading this book.

Robertson, J. J. (2011). My community. Vero Beach, FL.: Rourke Pub.

Kindergarten/1^st grade

            This book presents the major themes of community, jobs, and culture.  Just like many of the other books we brought to our book club, this book has great pictures, excellent descriptions, and excellent resources for kindergarten social studies.  If I ever teach at the kindergarten grade level, I would certainly want to incorporate this book into my social studies classroom.  My Community doesn’t present connections to issues, but this book does show aspects of students’ lives by discussing people within their community.  Students at the kindergarten grade level will need assistance reading the book; students reading at the first grade reading level should be able to read it by the end of the school year.

Book Club 1: Math & Science

Math

www.123rf.com

Genre Study

When looking for books that fell under the math genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Math Standards somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  Furthermore, I felt it was important that the books I chose met the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards as well.  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.  Lastly, for math books I searched for books that would depict alternative methods for students to complete problems and questions.  I felt this was important because there are certain math operations that can be look at in different ways; this allows students to find a method that is the best fit for themselves.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could be used to look at problem solving.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Third, I chose books that would help students look at problems in multiple ways.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.

Leedy, L. (1995). 2x2 = boo! A set of spokky multiplication stories. New York: Holiday House.

3^rd grade

www.amazon.com

            Just as the name hints, the major theme within this book is multiplication.  This book has some pretty cool ways of describing the process of multiplication for the number 0-5.  To assist the descriptions of each process, the book provides some great pictures that go along with the descriptions provided in text; I found this very important for a math text.  When looking through this book there were no issues discussed within the text for it to connect to global issues; it does connect globally through the idea that multiplication is a global math concept.  After looking through this book, I felt like this book should be used more for a reference book or a teacher read aloud because I think some students would have a very difficult time determining the order to read the conversation bubbles in the book without any support.

Merriam, E. & Karlin, B. (1992). Twelve ways to get to eleven. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

First grade independent, Kindergarten read aloud

Lexile 60L

thekennedykorralblog.blogspot.com

            There are two major themes present within this text: adding and number sense.  This book is a great book to use as a resource to show students the multiple ways to reach the number eleven.  Text features within this book, such as large print, are suited for young students.  Bright pictures that correspond with the text are great ways to keep student interest, as well as provide multiple sensory learning.  Just like the other math book, there were no issues discussed within the text for it to connect to global issues; it does connect globally through the idea that multiplication is a global math concept.  I feel that students will need little support from the teacher because the book provides excellent explanations of the concept of addition.

Science

 

www.barnstable.k12.ma.us

Genre Study

When looking for books that fell under the Science genre, it was very important that these books met the Iowa Common Core Science Standards somewhere along the lines of the grade level the book is being used for.  This is important because information within the book will help cover some of the standards that we as teachers are required to meet with our instruction; it is important we take advantage of tools and resources that help us meet these standards!  Furthermore, I felt it was important that the books I chose met the Iowa Common Core Literacy Standards as well.  This is because books I chose would be used for either a read aloud or shared reading with my students.  Also, I plan to have the books placed somewhere within my classroom in a place where students will be able to look through the book on their own.  Any time a book is used, it is important to find books that help students work on the skills that they are required to develop based on the Iowa Common Core Standards.  Some other qualities I looked for within the books I chose to look for were pictures and graphics that appealed to the students, as well as quality information that enhanced student learning and were presented in a way they could easily understand.

While choosing books, I really wanted to focus on books that would have multiple uses within my classroom because I felt it would enhance the information I was presenting to my students.  Also, I felt it would serve as additional resources students could use to increase the knowledge of the concept being discussed.  With these ideas in mind, I looked for books I felt would be good for read alouds, shared reading, or individual reading for my students.  Second, I looked for books that would challenge my students’ independent level of reading, for my students who read at grade level.  However, there were some books I chose that would challenge my students who were at the lower levels of reading because it is always important to provide resources for students of every reading level within my classroom.  Third, I chose books that would provide students with background knowledge of a concept that they would need prior to diving too far into a unit.  Lastly, and one of the most important things, I chose books that I thought would grab the attention of my students who don’t enjoy reading.  These students continuously struggle to find books they like the read, so it is very important that we find books that allow them to develop an interest in a concept so they can continue to practice and develop important reading strategies.

Nye, B., & Saunders, I. G. (1999). Big blue ocean. Hong Kong: Hyperion Books for Children.

4^th Grade Independent, 2^nd and 3^rd grade read aloud

Lexile 870L

www.billnye.com

            This book would make a great read aloud for students at the 2^nd and 3^rd grade level as well because it would grab the attention of students’ interests in these grade levels.  As one can gather from the name, the major themes of this book are centered on the ocean.  The Big Blue Ocean talks about the animals and plants that are found living in the ocean and provides great descriptions of these animals.  Furthermore, it talks about the make-up of the ocean and how currents and tides are formed.  Some great qualities of this book includes the descriptions about each theme, definitions provided about these themes, sections that provide interesting information for students, and experiments and activities throughout the book that further engage students into the book!  Another great thing about this book is that students can develop connections with other areas of the work because the Check It Out! section provides students with information about things going on around the world pertaining to the ocean.  One important thing to remember is that students may need assistance while reading this book when it specific concepts are broken down into further detail if they have not received any prior knowledge about these concepts.  Furthermore, students may need assistance when it comes time to completing the activities and experiments.

Sweeny, J. (2000). Me and my amazing body. New York: Dragonfly Books

2^nd Grade Independent, Kindergarten and 1^st grade read aloud

Lexile 710L

www.amazon.com

            Major themes of this book include a look at the body, organs within, and how these organs work inside of our body.  The pictures inside this book are very helpful because they give students a basic internal look of the organs being discussed in the book.  This view allows students to see where the organ is located and develop a general idea of what the organ looks like.  Instead of talking about these terms in a complex manner, students at the lower elementary level can easily understand the content because the content is student friendly.  There really aren’t any connections to issues around the world, but it does discuss a concept that almost every person and the world has exactly the same.  Because this book is written for a younger audience, students should be able to read and listen to this text with little support from the teacher; however, some students may need assistance when it comes to the brief prior knowledge of some parts of the body.