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Book Theme: Change is in the Air

Sunday, October 4, 2015

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October Theme of the Month: Change is in the Air


Indian Summer has ended, the nights are starting to cool off, and soon the leaves will be changing. Fall is my absolute favorite season of the year, I love everything about it! I thought we could celebrate that in the classroom with the theme: change is in the air.

The perfect book for our October theme is the Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg. The stranger is a mysterious book with a very ambiguous ending, lending itself open to different interpretations and amazing discussions!

Here’s a mini “movie” based on the book:

Activities and Resources for The Stranger:
Houghton MifflinActivities
Lesson Plan

Other books with the theme “change is in the air”:

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Book Theme: Perspective

Sunday, September 6, 2015

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September Theme of the Month: Perspective 


It is so important for our students to consider multiple perspectives, whether it is in reading or in their everyday lives. Oftentimes, children (especially younger children) do not realize that people have a perspective different from their own. Exposing them to this through books is important in helping them realize it applies to their everyday life as well.

Hey Little Ant, which is based on a song written by Phillip Hoose and his daughter Hannah, is a fabulous way to introduce perspective to students. This book is written in the perspective of the ant negotiating with the “kid” who is about to flatten him. The book is left open-ended, which allows for some wonderful discussion about what the “kid” should do, persuasion, and how each character feels.

Here’s a read aloud for Hey Little Ant:

Activities and Resources for Hey Little Ant:
A Teacher's Guide
Official Website
Webquest

Other books with the theme “perspective”:



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Book Theme: Back to School

Sunday, August 2, 2015

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August Theme of the Month: Back to School


With school starting up again soon (how fast did the summer fly by?) I thought it would be a great time to focus on back to school books. Students and teachers are always nervous starting a new school year, but we need to embrace the new beginning and start fresh!

One of my favorite back to school books to read is Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes. This little mouse reminds me SO much of myself as a child (and sometimes as an adult). I worry about EVERYTHING. It’s a great read aloud to remind students that everyone has worries, especially on the first day of school.

Wemberly Worried Book Trailer:

Activities and Resources for Wemberly Worried:
Kevin Henkes’Activity Guide
Live Oak MediaActivity Guide
CPALMS Lesson Plan

Other books for the first day of school:

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Favorite Back to School Book

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

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My favorite book to read to students on the first day of school is A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon. I love it so much that I featured it as my book of the month in May, and felt like I needed to revisit it for my favorite back to school book!

A Bad Case of Stripes is about a girl, Camilla Cream, who loves lima beans. She is afraid to admit it because no one else in her class likes them and she wants so badly to fit in. She is sent home from school when she begins to suffer some strange transformations, like turning red, white, and blue, and breaking out in stars during the Pledge of Allegiance. Being true to herself is the only cure.

I've used this book successfully with students in grades 2-5. The first day of school is a perfect time to read A Bad Case of Stripes because students are often feeling nervous about fitting in with their new classmates. This book shows students that being true to themselves is important.

If you plan on using this book, use my free bulletin board activity to accompany the read aloud! It includes 4 sets of mini posters (2 boy versions and 2 girl versions). After listening to the read aloud, students create their own "Bad Case of..." mini poster by decorating it with their favorite foods, activities, sports, books, etc. Students can share their mini-posters as a way to introduce themselves to the class. Collect each student's poster to make a quick and easy bulletin board for the beginning of the year!

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Book Theme: Patriotism

Saturday, July 4, 2015

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July Theme of the Month: Patriotism

America: A Patriotic Primer by Lynn Cheney is a fabulous, quick read aloud for all elementary aged students. The younger students seem to enjoy the alphabet structure of the book, while older elementary students are engaged with the concepts about the history of America.


Activities and Resources for America: A Patriotic Primer
Teacher Vision Educator’s Guide

Patriotic Activities and Crafts:
Easy Patriotic Crafts for Kids
Paper Plate Statue of Liberty Hat
Kids Paper Lanterns

Other books with the theme patriotism:
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Book Theme: Perseverance

Monday, June 1, 2015

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June Theme of the Month: Perseverance



I think we all need a little perseverance when it comes to the end of the school year, especially with 17 school days ahead of us (it was a particularly brutal winter in New England and we’re paying for it now). This is one of my favorite themes and it is SO important to instill this in our students.

Perseverance through a difficult assignment, persevering through an emotionally tough time in life, these are all things are students are going to encounter as they grow. They need to realize that it is possible to never give up when faced with these difficulties, because they are inevitable and how we respond can shape our lives.

An amazing book with the theme is The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires. I love this book! It is so relatable!

Here’s a book trailer for The Most Magnificent Thing: 


Activities and Resources for The Most Magnificent Thing:
Kids Can Teaching Guide
Scholastic Lesson Ideas
 Leap Learning Activities

Other books with the theme "perseverance":


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Book Theme: Be Yourself

Thursday, May 7, 2015

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May Theme of the Month: Be Yourself!


Last year, while teaching fifth grade, I found it important to revisit this theme throughout the year. At this age, students begin to worry what everyone thinks of them and about fitting in. I wanted them to think about how important it is to stay true to themselves. My favorite book with this theme is A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon (the author of the very popular David books).

A Bad Case of Stripes is about a girl, Camilla Cream, who loves lima beans. She is afraid to admit it because no one else in her class likes them and she wants so badly to fit in. It is a really funny story with great illustrations. I've read this every year and the kids always love it.

Even if you don’t have the book, your class can listen to a great reading of it on Storyline Online!


Activities and Resources for A Bad Case of Stripes:
Storyline Online Activities
Scholastic Activities
Read Aloud Activities
Read, Write, Think lesson plan

Other books with the theme “be yourself”:




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Theme: One Person Can Make a Difference

Sunday, April 5, 2015

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I've been having a hard time blogging since being out of the classroom, so I asked a few TPT friends for advice about how to get my blog up and running again. They had so many wonderful ideas! Since reading is my passion, I've decided to start a series dedicated to a theme of the month. 

 Here it goes...
My first theme of the month! April: One person can make a difference

I recently attended a PD and was introduced to the book, Olivia’s Birds: Saving the Gulf. I was in complete awe that it was written by an eleven year old girl. If you've never read or heard of this book, click the cover to visit her website. 

Olivia heard about the Gulf oil spill and wanted to help. As most of us do when something of that nature happens. The difference is, when most people say “I’m just one person, how can I possibly make a difference?” Olivia took action and proved us all wrong. One person can make a difference, no matter how small (Thanks, Horton). It’s very true.


As teachers, sometimes I think we forget that. I know I do. With all of the pressure and stress, there are days when I wonder if I've made even the smallest difference in any child’s life. This book reminded me that each and every one of us has.
Our students also need to hear that one person, themselves included, can indeed make a difference. What a better time of year than Earth Day! Olivia’s birds has a fantastic Earth Day tie in.
Activities and Resources for Olivia’s Birds:
Other books with the theme One person can make a difference:

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