Ways To Use Books In The Classroom

Here are some books that I have read. You will see a brief synopsis about each one and an activity that you could do in your classroom. Hope you enjoy!

Lord Of The Nutcracker Men by Iain Lawrence.

This book is about a young boy named Johnny. His father is fighting in WWI, and he sends letters to his son. The letters describe the harsh truth about the war. Johnny reenacts his father’s letters while playing with his toy soldiers. He begins to believe that he can control the war through his toy soldiers. I would use this book in social studies class to help teach WWI. I would split the students up into groups of four and have the groups separate in the room. Each group would be assigned one chapter to read. Once every group finishes, the class will then share what they read. This is called a book in an hour. This book would work well for this strategy. I would then go on to teach the history behind WWI.

Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen

This is a tale about a young girl whose family has just moved from Russia to America. The children in her new school make fun of her because of her accent and clothes. While learning about Pilgrims, she is asked to bring a Pilgrim doll into class. Her mother helps her create one, but the young girl realizes that the girl looks like her. She fears that she will never fit in. I would have my students read this book in Language Arts once they have learned about Pilgrims. It isn’t really a story that teaches about Pilgrims; it is about treating others with respect. I would have my students read this book together in groups aloud. I would then have every student write a paper about how they would feel if the were Molly. I would also encourage them to write about a time when they felt the same way Molly does. The papers will be written in a journal form and will be turned in.

Martin Luther King by Rosemary L. Bray

This is a biography about Martin Luther King. It follows from his birth to his death citing his important contributions along the way. I would use this book in my social studies class as we are learning about the Civil Rights Movement. I would read the book to the class and then have a class discussion about Martin Luther King Jr. We would then read about other inspirational people during the movement, and the students could pick one individual to research about and write a paper.

Squashed In The Middle by Elizabeth Winthrop

This is a tale about a middle child who is wondering where she fits in her family. Her parents do not pay attention to her, even when she asks to go to the neighbors. I would read this book to the class and then have them write a first-person story/paper about their position in their family. They could write about the advantages and disadvantages about being the oldest, middle, youngest, or only child.

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle

This book is about a high school girl who is somewhat of an awkward teen. Her father has been captured and has been missing for a year. Meg meets a woman who takes her to another dimension where she hopes to find her father. On the way she meets several different characters and eventually realizes the powers she holds within herself. I want to teach my students the joy of reading and discussing the same book with others. At the beginning of a unit, I will have my students tell me what their favorite genre of books is. I will then divide the students into groups of four or five and assign them a book to read. For students that are interested in fantasy, I will assign this book. I think that it is very interesting and is something that students should easily be able to form opinions about. When I hold group discussions the students will be asked to complete graphic organizers about the book, write journal entries, and have prepared questions about the book to ask the other group members. A journal entry for this book that I will ask my students to write is, “How would you fell if you were the main character?” Through group discussions, the students will be able to connect with the book better.

Golden And Grey by Louise Arnold

This story is about a young boy named Tom and a ghost named Grey. Tom is in an automobile accident and he discovers that he has the ability to see ghosts. After becoming frightened of his newfound powers, Tom’s parents send him to a child psychologist. After many strange moments together Tom and Grey realize what friendship really means. Around Halloween time I want to do a unit on fantasy and science fiction. I wouldn’t necessary celebrate Halloween, because not everyone does. Throughout the month, the students will read various scary, fantasy, and science fiction books. This book will be one of the choices. I will have the students read it and then write a paper on it. I would want the students to include a short summary, their opinion of the book, and a new adventure that Tom and Grey could have together.

To see a complete Annotated Bibliography of 30 children's books click here.

Lets Learn About An Author!

Students... How would you like to learn about a really awesome author/illustrator by doing some fun activities?

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite authors. His name is Todd Parr and he writes and illustrates really fun books. He has a very unique style to him and his books are always filled with good messages. If you would like to learn more about him here are some fun ways to do

Idea #1: You could research Todd Parr and then make a bookmark that has some fun facts about him and draw a picture on it using his unique art style. When you finish the bookmark, you can make copies of it and give them to a local library. Here are some websites to help: http://www.toddparr.com/ and http://www.toddparr.com/

Idea #2: Go to the local library and check out one of Todd Parr's books. After reading it, do a search online to try and find out why the author chose to write it. Sometimes authors write books for really interesting reasons. Then, with some friends or family members try to act out the book. This is usually a lot of fun and entertaining. You could put on a play for you family or neighborhood.

Idea #3: When you are at the library try to check out Underwear Do's and Don'ts. This is one of my favorite books by Todd Parr; I'm sure that you will enjoy it as well. Once you read the book, try to write two more pages by yourself. You can get everyone in your family to write two new ones as well. You should also draw pictures to go along with the words. Once you are done, you can make your own book by putting everyone's together.

Idea #4: You could write a letter to Todd Parr and tell him about your favorite book. You could also ask him questions. Writing to an author is always fun.

The next time that you are at the library or bookstore make sure to check out Todd Parr's books. I'm sure that you won't be disappointed!

Teachers: To see a complete unit plan on Todd Parr click here.