"No toys in the fish tank"

Rules by Cynthia Lord, is about a girl named Catherine and her brother David who is autistic. Catherine knows from a sibling’s point of view how hard it can be to have a disability; she sees the stares and people pick on him. Although David doesn’t always pick up on it himself it hurts her. She is always giving David rules on how to behave such as not opening the bathroom door without knocking or not putting toys in the fish tank. One day when Catherine is at David’s therapy appointment she meets a boy named Jason who is in a wheel chair and cannot talk verbally but communicates using a book with words, that he points to. They slowly become friends when she starts to make new words for his communication book. Through her friendship with Jason she learns that just because people may judge you, doesn’t mean it is okay to be embarrassed of your friends.  Between her brother and Jason, Catherine grows and learns immensely.

 I love this book and think not only is it a great book to teach students about Autism but about acceptance for all people who may look different than what you look like. This book also teaches us that just because someone looks different does not mean they do not have feelings and they are not intelligent or fun to be around.

Web resources for teachers:

•  This discussion guide has more questions in addition to the questions I already asked.
• In this article there are many ways to incorporate Rules into your lesson. Not only is the book Rules on this site but there are other books as well.
• This is the main Autism website which you can use to teach yourself more about Autism so you can teach your students more about it.

Vocabulary:

Section 1- Autism, collection, consider, independent, dependent, occupational therapy, Section 2- vinyl, clinic, egrets, corridor, musty, receptionist, Down Syndrome, fidgets, Section 3- reflection, initiating, clients, professional, announcer, glances, fierce, Section 4- grimaces, adjusting, Section5- anthropological, exclamation, compact, irritates, kelp, Section 6- linoleum, grit, pickets, cringe, wearily, Section 7- wince, accommodate, tourists, pellets, anxious, Section 8- sarcastic, billowing, portrait, imitation, radiates, relieved, section 9- sponsoring, peril, jostle,  section 10- gingerly, scowls, Section 11- gesturing, overacting, Section 12- perspective, weightless, quarreling, Section 13-frilly, Section 14- hesitates, batik, distortion, Section 15- pilings, preen, Section 17- broaches, Section 19- unfocused, unsatisfactory, unbelievable, Section 21- twines, detour. 

Before reading: I would ask students to fold a paper vertically in half and make a list of what makes every person different from one another on one side of the paper and on the other what makes people the same. Then I would have the students share their lists with a small group of 3-5 during this time I would ask them to make 2 new lists as a group of what they agree on. Finally, I would have them share their lists. When they are done, I would discuss how there are actually more similarities than differences. The major difference is that we may look different, but we all have goals, feelings, likes and dislikes, are in school, are good at something, we all want to be liked, and so on.

During reading: Section by Section Questions:

Section 1- How is David different, why and what?

Section 2- How would you feel if you only had a few hours to spend with your mom that was solely devoted to you, when all the rest of her time she concentrated more on your brother or sister?

Section 3- David is upset when his father is late and Catherine reminds him that late does not mean not coming, even though you understand this, can you relate to being upset when someone is late? How/why/why not?

Section 4- stop at page 46-47, What words do you think Caterine should add to Jason’s book and what?

Section 5- What are some of David’s rules? How does David get around the rules?

Section 6- Why does Catherine seem embarrassed about her brother?

What happened when Catherine went to ask the neighbors over for dinner?

Section 8- What happens when Catherine’s neighbor Kristi come over for the first time?

Section 9- How does Catherine act different around Jason and Kristi?

Section 10- How was Catherine’s visit with Jason?

Section 11- What happened when Catherine, David and their mom got home from David’s Occupational therapy? How would you have felt?

Section 12- Write about what you think it would be like not to be able to speak, run or even walk?

Section 14—Why do you think Kristi invited Catherine to the dance?

Section 15- Why was Catherine so concerned with making sure Kristi did not see her when she was by the ocean with Jason?

Section 17- Why was Jason so upset about the together card for his communication book that Catherine made him. Why do you think she made it that way? Do you think she should have made it the way Jason wanted it?

Section 19- Why do you think Catherine decided to go to the dance?

After reading: I would have my students talk in groups about what they think it would be like to be the sibling of someone who is Autistic. Then I would have them write a list of their own rules that they think might be important for someone who is Autistic. The should have at least 5 unique rules.

Don't Tease Me!

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes, is about a girl who obviously has little but tells the other girls in school that she has 100 dresses and 60 pairs of shoes. On a daily basis Peggy and Maddie ask Wanda on the way to school about her dresses and everyday she tells them about a different dress. During the school year they have a drawing competition and Peggy was said to be one of the best at school and Maddie was confident that she would win. When they arrived at school they saw that there were drawings all around the room of dresses, they were Wanda’s 100 Dresses, all the ones she had described to Peggy and Maddie, but Wanda is not around to find out that she won. The students find out that she moved away because of people making fun of her.  After this Peggy and Maddie feel bad about all their teasing about the 100 dresses that they hoped Wanda would be at her house so they could say sorry, but she moved away before she had a chance. Then they try writing to Wanda to say sorry. Eventually Wanda responds to their letter and gives them two of the drawings and when they look closely they realize that it is them in the pictures.

Web resources:

• This website has links to other websites with lesson plans and activities using the book The Hundred Dresses.
• Lessons- This website has some of the same vocabulary as well as other vocabulary that I missed. There are also extension activities, and a lesson on teaching tolerance.
• This website has a lot of information on bullying as well as worksheets to help teachers teach students about bullying.  There is also information for parents, schools, support, and puzzles.
• On this site, there are activities and other worksheets and role play activities for the students to work on that have to do with bullying.

Vocabulary:

Chapter 1- parish, precarious, contrary, Chapter 2- intruders, disgracefully, strewn, circulated, scurry,  courteous, incredulously, stolidly, derisively, incredulous, fringe, Chapter 3- disguise, shuddered, accord, timid, cerise, admiration, Chapter 5- eagerly, lavish, exquisite, deliberately, indicated, coward, casualness, Chapter 6-end- dismal, foreigner, assailed, consoled, lush, merest, shabby, amends, frail, dilapidated,  and unintelligible.

Before Reading: I would talk to the students about what it means to pick on someone. I would invite them to raise their hands and then they could write words on the board that describe teasing. Then I would ask them what they should do if they see someone being teased? After we discussed teasing I would tell them that we are going to read a book about a girl named Wanda who is teased by the girls in her class on a daily basis, to the extent that she moves away. At this point we would read the first chapter together.

During Reading: Before getting to chapter 4, I would ask the students to predict why they think Wanda tells everyone that she owns 100 dresses and 60 pairs of shoes. At this time also have the predict what they think will happen throughout the rest of the book. I would have them write their predictions in their writing journals.

After Reading: I would have a class discussion on the book. I would ask the students what the students in Wanda’s class should have done when they saw Peggy and Maggie picking on Wanda. I would also ask them what they would do if they saw another person making fun of another person in the class. Then I would give the students this paper so they can remember what bullying is.

* I think this is a great way for students to initiate the school year, so they will know what is right and what is wrong when working with other students.

Look inside that trailer, it's the fattest boy alive!

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt is a book about a small town, Antler, where not much happens and everyone knows everything about everyone else. One day Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world, comes and visits Antler, and the towns people come to the trailer, pay two dollars, and go into his trailer to see him. Toby, 13, meets Zachary, who he does not care for at all. Toby thinks that all Zachary is good for is being mean and making up stories about the places he has been and Toby does not want any part of spending time with him. But his best friend Cal on the other hand seems to be fascinated with Zachary and wants to help him out with everything. Zachary is left in his trailer when his guardian goes off to find their next place. Meanwhile Cal starts hanging out with Zachary and finding ways to do things with him that he would not have otherwise been able to do. Cal and Toby figure out toward the end of the story that Zachary promised his mother, before she died, that he would get baptized, so Cal and Toby make it their mission to make sure before Zachary leaves, that he is baptized.

Web Resources for teachers:

Random House- This website has before reading activities, connections, about the author, about the book and other teaching ideas.
Lesson Ideas-This site has a lot of assignment ideas, such as writing a letter to Wayne, Cal’s brother, journal entries, Venn diagrams and much more.

Vocabulary: Chapter 1- reputation, pouty, Chapter 2- adoptee, suspiciously, sterile, irritated, Chapter 3- panhandle, vacant, majority, cotton gin, pruning, senile, Chapter 4- herbicide, frantically, insecticide, accelerates, resuscitation, oblivious, POW, Chapter 5- destiny, avert, emphysema, Chapter 6- Place-Saigon, Chapter 8- transistor radio, Chapter 9- initiation, inconvenience, daintily, pathological liar, Chapter 10- engrossed, possessed, Chapter 11- traipse, Chapter 15- ulcers, Chapter 16- deliberate, Chapter 18- petrified, Chapter 19- dinghy, cicadas, Chapter 20- recruiting, parsonage, and concordance.

·         This is the vocabulary I think they might have trouble and with the exception of POW, I would have my students just as they read look of the meanings of the words that they did not know since there are so few words.

Before Reading: I would ask the students what they already know about war and especially about Vietnam War? Then I would tell them a little about the war, especially about how there was little support and a lot of the soldiers came home with more than just physical injuries but Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  I would tell them that the book they are about to read is about two best friends Cal and Toby and Cal’s brother is in the Vietnam war. Then I would tell them the story is about one summer that year where something unusual happens. I would then ask them to share what things happen over the summer? Then I would ask what is something different that might happen, that the whole town might take part in?

During Reading: Chapter Questions:

Chapter 2- How do you feel Zachary Beaver feels about people paying two dollars to see him because he is said to be the fattest kid in the world?

Chapter 3- Knowing what Antler is depicted as in the book, how is/ is not like your home town?

Chapter 6- How do you think Wayne Feels about Cal not writing? How do you know?

*At this point I would have my students stop and write a letter to Wayne about their summer so far as if they were Cal.

Chapter 9- Why do you think they judge was talking to Toby the way he was?

Chapter 10- Why would Toby leave Scarlett when she was upset to bring Tara to see Zachary when Toby knows the last time Tara saw Zachary she was scared?

Chapter 11- Why do you think Toby’s mom chose to write a letter to him about his parent’s problems?

Chapter 13- Why does Cal want to do so much for Zachary? Why did he decide to bring him to the movies?

Chapter 14- Why does Toby decide he needs to get the pearls back?

Chapter 15- What happened to Wayne?

Chapter 18- If Scarlett did not want to see Juan, then why does she tell Toby he’s still the nicest guy in Antler?

Chapter 20- Why does Toby keep bothering Ferris with one idea? Do you think Toby will get what he wants?

After Reading: I would have my students write a letter to Cal and Toby from Zachary about one of his new adventures.

The Real Einstein

Albert Einstein is a nonfiction novel by Kathleen Krull which tells us about the life of Albert Einstein. Most of us know that he is famous for the formula

E= , but most of us only know this and not much more. I thought this book had a good mixture of his family life as well as his scientific and mathematical life.  This book was fun to read as you learned about a side of Albert Einstein. I never knew that he was married, had kids, or liked to question everyone, but his questioning is exactly what made him such a good scientist. I also learned that since he was Jewish it took a long time before he was even recognized for his work! I think this book would spark the interest of students who like math and science, but do not like to read as much.

Web Resources:

http://www.kathleenkrull.com/science.html - this is Kathleen Krull’s website, with an about the author and many more links. This link has 38 ideas of how to use a biography in your classroom! http://www.kathleenkrull.com/bio38.html

Vocabulary: ambitious, respectable, proverb, embroidered, literally, obsession, anti-Semitism, rote, “compulsory science”, infuriated, provoked, Chapter 2- distressed, foreseeing, prestigious, appeased, boisterous, Chapter 3- condescending, disenchanted, progressive, diligence, “studying with an holy zeal” solace, acquaintances, skepticism, bohemians, conduction, jaunted, Chapter 4- bravado, alienating, vehemently,  humane, tactless, obnoxious, dissertation, naive, drudgery, scrutinizing, cloister, synchronicity, illegitimate, Chapter 5- inconsequential, phenomenon, theoretical, illogical, molecules, Chapter 6-  intuitively, boasting, confounding, relativity, converted, reverberations, Chapter 7- criticisms, arbitrarily, accelerations, lecturer, stubbornly, contagious, reluctance, petition, apparatus, detrimental, reconcile, nurturing, rheumatism, Chapter 8- pompously, throes, reneged, counterintuitive, curvature, cataclysmic, eclipse, palpitated, priority, Chapter 9- pacifist, manifesto, mulling, turmoil, disorienting, obscured, Chapter 10- drivel, rampant, overt, assignation, virtuous, ailments, agitated, Chapter 11-  incompatible, fundamentally, empirically, dismayed, estranged, introspective, besieged, exquisitely, Nazi, annihilation, ammunition, frivolous, Chapter 12- stifle and cosmos.    

Before Reading: I will ask my students to write in their writing journals about what they know about Albert Einstein. If they do not know much then they should write about what they want to learn about him.  Then I will have the class share what they know and correct any misconceptions.

During reading: I have chapter by chapter Questions I want my students to answer.

Chapter 1-

·         What was Einstein’s early life like?

·         Were there any misconceptions you had about Einstein or his family? Explain

Chapter 2-

If you were Einstein and your parents left you with relatives how woul have handled the situation? Would you do what Einstein did or would you deal with them leaving you differently?

What sis Einstein do when he failed the entrance exam to the polytechnic school?

Chapter 3-

What is something you thought was interesting that happened in this chapter? Minimum 5 sentences.

Chapter 4-

What job did Einstein end up with in this chapter? Why was it such a good fit?

What is Einstein’s idea of his wife? His family?

Chapter 5-

What are some of the scientific advances Einstein made which were discussed in this chapter? Explain as best as you can.

What seemed to happen to those who carried out Einstein’s predictions , if they were proved correct?

Chapter 6-

On page 63 what is meant by “frame of reference”? you may use your book.

Using the explanation of rate and time on page 64-65 how far has some one traveled  if they are running six mile per hour for two hours?

Why was 1905 called Einstein’s miracle year?

Chapter 7-

How was Einstein different than other professors?

What was Einstein discriminated for?

What did Einstein’s students think of him? How do you know?

Chapter 8-

What significant happened to Einstein’s family in this chapter?

Chapter 9-

What happened with the solar eclipse?

Chapter 10-

What did Einstein win the Nobel Prize for?

How did he feel about the publicity? What about his “new family”? How do you know?

Why did he become so famous?

What did the police warn Einstein about? Why?

Chapter 11-

What was it so important that Einstein leave Germany? Explain

How did he feel about peace? Why?

Chapter 12-

What did Einstein he urge Roosevelt to do? Why?

After Reading: I will have my students do a research paper on another famous person mentioned in Albert Einstein.  Mostly I want my students to tell me about what that person did other than their research or experiments and what they were most famous for. I would also like to know if what they were famous for is still true today. Some acceptable people would be: Currie, Newton, Sigmund Freud, Maxwell, Darwin etc.

Writing for Olive

Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes reminds adults about the struggles that students around Martha’s age encounter. Martha finds out that a girl who was in her grade, Olive, thought that she was one of the nicest girls in class. When Olive is killed in a car accident, her mother stops by Martha's house and gives her a note from Olive which talks about how she wants to see the ocean one day and she wants to become a writer. When Martha reads this she decides that she is going to become a writer for Olive. While she is on vacation at her grandmother's house she starts to write. Eventually she learns that she doesn't really need to become a writer but she does try to bring the ocean to Olive since that was one of the goals Olive had written in the note that Martha received.  

This book is definitely a coming of age from her struggles Martha has with her parents to her first experiences with boys as more than just friends. I think that any 6^th grader could easily relate to this story, whether they can relate to knowing someone around their age who died, having their first crush, or the sibling relationships.  

Web sources for teachers:

Activities and Review- Has activities, things to point out to the class, similar books, and a review.

Scholastic Discussion Guide

Author's page

Grade Level: 6-8

Lexile: 680L

Reading level 4.8

Vocabulary:

Despondent, elicit, pollarded, gamboled, trinkets, intersected, whorl, buoyant, conspicuous, condescending, dappled, cryptic, mulled, abandoned, diatribe, cherubs, composure, comprised emblazoned, sallow, sheen, melodic, insidious, materialized, labyrinthine, writhing, unmoored, galumphing, cryptic, filaments, paltry, roiled, reproving, splayed, blather, tethered, syndicated, scrutinized, encampment, materialized, solidarity, melodic, alleviate, furtively, and gargantuan

Before:

            I would tell the students that the book we are going to read is about a girl who had a life changing experience and the story is about her life changing event.  After telling them this, I think that a great pre-reading activity would be to have the students brainstorm big life changing events. Then have the students write in their journals about a life changing experience they had, or at least something significant that happened to them in their life.     

During:   

            Since there are so many vocabulary words, it would be hard to pre-teach them all. I think that a great way to make sure the students know the vocabulary before they get to the section is to find the words before they read the section and have them keep these words near them while they read. Then they should write what they think the meaning of the word is from its context, affixes, or roots. Then after they read the word they should look up the word in the dictionary and write it down next to what they thought it meant. Finally they should use it in a sentence.

After:

            To conclude the book, I would have the students write a couple of paragraphs on how they can relate to Martha. This is a great way for students to make text-to-self connections, especially if any students are having trouble doing so. This would also be a great time to give students a 45 minute time limit, so they know what 45 minutes feels like when they have to do the writing section of the CMT.

Distruction of a City in America

An American Plague: The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 by Tim Murphy, reminds me of the book Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. This book was about yellow fever, as it states in the title but like the Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, there is a doctor who is one of the main characters. Both books tell how when the plague and the fever started that there were sick rats and other animals on the streets before the people became infected. Through all the similarities the biggest difference aside from actual disease and the year is that this book was written for children. 

 I liked that this book was written so children can understand what happened in Philadelphia when the yellow fever hit.  I also enjoyed learning about something I actually had never learned much about in school. As I read the book I thought of many learning activities that you could use to teach this book. Overall I think that this book would be a good resource when teaching students about other diseases that happened in the world before we had modern medicine. I even think this would be good to show students how recently when H1N1 broke out and we thought it was going to really effect the world that it causes minimal damage as compared to the yellow fever.

Web Resources for Teachers:

• The Author's Page, basically just has a summary of the book and has other elements such as an “about the author” and a blog.
• This is a PDF which has some vocabulary, which you could teach. It also has a few activities such as a word search and a worksheet for students to identify primary and seconday sources.
• I think this article would be a good one to have the students read after reading the book, so they could reinforce what they read in the book.

Vocabulary: Chapter 1- Benjamin Rush, Philadelphia, refurbished, George Washington, General Cornwallis, surrender, capitulation, revolution, Proclamation of Neutrality, “Diplomatic cold shoulder”, speculated. Chapter 2- laudanum, preeminent, malignity, Greek Humeral Theory, Chapter 3- pestilence, amiable, prestigious, William Currie, quarantine, acquaintances, fetid, exodus, camphor, melancholy, Vinegar of the four thieves, Chapter 4-5- apothecaries, legislature, paupers, almshouse,  putrefaction, insufficient, resignation, neutrality policy, consternation, Free African Society, erect, exorbitant, mobilized, shunned, peculiarly, battalion, Chapter 6-  pestilence, scrupulousness, malicious, conspiring, valiantly, Chapter 7- ingenuity, daunting, condemned, quinine, Chapter 8- Conviction, alleviation, rioting, Chapter 9- militia, parliament, quorum, abated, apace, emaciated, Chapter 10-end- inadvertently, squalid, privy pit, tepid, squabbles, sedulously, and pious.

Before:  I would make sure that the students know the main people in the book, such as President Washington and other common social studies words like legislature and parliament, so there will be less to teach when it comes to the words, but considering I would use this book in 5th or 6th grade in using the Connecticut Social Studies standards, they should know these terms if they were taught State history in 4th grade and U.S. History in 5th grade. 

During: I will give a list of words for each chapter or chapters as listed above and go over what is the importance of the word or the meaning as in the book. I would have the students write the words down and keep it with them as they read.

After/writing: I thought of many writing ideas for this book.

• First I thought that I could have students write a series of journal entries about what they think life would be like during the yellow fever, but they would have to write in the point of view of one of the other characters from the book, such as Washington. 
• Another writing activity would be to have the students write about what they think life would be like if the yellow fever struck in their town today. I would have the students make connections as to what would be different. I would give the example that in the book that all of the mail took two weeks to get to its destination, when it used to only take 5-7 days because they had to sterilize the mail. Then I would say, since most mail is sent through the internet, maybe we would have sterilization wipes next to every computer to be wiped down after use. I would then tell the students to write about other differences they could think of.