What do you wonder about the weather? How does it make you feel? These questions engage the reader throughout this gorgeous book about the elements. Look at the Weather reads like a meditative narrative. Facts mix with wonder and sensations to explain the sun, rain, snow, ice and extreme weather. Striking illustrations alongside the text capture the colors in our world.
This is not your typical nonfiction text. The meditative feel of this book is unencumbered by bold words, captions and diagrams. Instead, textured images illustrate the nuances of weather. Readers can refer to a glossary at the end of the book to clarify meaning.
AASL Standards Framework for Learners: Explore/Share V.C.1 Learners engage with the learning community by expressing curiosity about a topic of personal interest or curricular relevance.
This lesson in contemplative art invites learners to consider how weather impacts their feelings.
If you like the lesson ideas on this blog, you might want to check out my books!
I am an Amazon affiliate which means I will receive a small percentage of your purchase.
A mooncake is a Chinese pastry that is popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The festival celebrates the harvest when the moon is full. The combination of the moon and the mooncake inspired Grace Lin to write A Big Mooncake for Little Star. This fantastic folktale explains why the shape of the moon changes. The setting takes place in outer space. A little girl and her mother bake in their celestial kitchen. The girl, Little Star, wears black pajamas with a star print. Her mama wears the same outfit. Together, they make a mooncake and place it in the night sky to cool. Little Star can’t resist sneaking nibbles from the delicious mooncake. Every night she eats a little more until only a sliver of the cake remains. Mama smiles when she sees what’s left of the pastry. The story ends as it begins, with the pair making a mooncake.
AASL Standards Framework for Learners: Explore/Think V.B.2 Learners develop and satisfy personal curiosity by reflecting and questioning assumptions and possible misconceptions.
This book lends itself to 4 different exploration scenarios. Learners may want to explore some of these questions:
Invite learners to explore a topic of interest. Prepare for independent learning sessions by passing out Know, Want to Know, How Will I Learn It, Learned (KWHL) worksheets from Education World. Instruct learners to fill out the first three columns of their worksheet. Collect worksheets and identify needed resources. Gather books and online resources for learners to explore. Enlist the help of volunteers to support young learners as they research their topic.
If you are looking for Moon resources, try these online resources:
If you like the lesson ideas on this blog, you might want to check out my books!
I am an Amazon affiliate which means I will receive a small percentage of your purchase.
Are you planning a STEAM challenge? Does it involve design and construction? If so, read Wild Buildings and Bridges: Architecture Inspired by Nature. In this book, author Etta Kaner explains how nature influences design. She draws the ideas from her experience as a classroom teacher to deliver this information. Kaner engages the audience with thought provoking questions and illustrated examples. Step-by-step directions invite learners to experiment with architecture. Readers will feel compelled to study nature after reading this intriguing book.
AASL Standards Framework for Learners: Explore/Create: V.B.2 Learners construct new knowledge by persisting through self-directed pursuits by tinkering and making.
Share your designs with #AASLstandards!
If you like the lesson ideas on this blog, you might want to check out my books!
I am an Amazon affiliate which means I will receive a small percentage of your purchase.
Do you have the book Snails Are Just My Speed! by Kevin McCloskey in your collection? If not, I highly recommend getting a few copies. Learners and educators are going to love this book. As the stamp on the left-hand corner of the cover implies, you’ll hear giggles while reading this Toon Book. The presentation of information is quite remarkable. My favorite page is an infographic of sorts that shows different animals moving as if they are in a race. A fly is in the lead, while a snail hitches a ride with a tortoise in last place. Each animal tells how much faster they are than the animal directly behind them. Math mixes with science to engage readers on this double-page spread. The illustration may inspire learners to design a pictograph with this format.
What page is your favorite? Please share in the comment box below.
AASL Standards Framework For Learners: Inquire/Think I.A.1 Learners display curiosity and initiative by formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular topic.
Check out Toon Books’s website for more teaching ideas and fun activities for learners (http://www.toon-books.com/).
Mentioned Resources
Photos for Class (https://www.photosforclass.com/)
SeeSaw (https://web.seesaw.me/)
Toon Books (http://www.toon-books.com/)
If you like the lesson ideas on this blog, you might want to check out my books!
I am an Amazon affiliate which means I will receive a small percentage of your purchase.
When you cut yourself, what’s the first thing you do? Reach for a Band-Aid, right? Before the 1920s, Band-Aids did not exist. Josephine Knight was accident prone and needed to save her cuts from infection. Her husband, Earle Dickson, wanted to help. He applied his background knowledge with cotton to solve the problem. The Boo-Boos That Changed the World delivers an interesting narrative about Band-Aids. Children will enjoy the comical way the author pretends to end the story when there is more to tell. The cartoonish illustrations add to the story of this great invention known worldwide.
AASL Standards Framework for Learners: Curate/Think IV.A.2 Learners act on an information need by identifying possible sources of information.
If you like the lesson ideas on this blog, you might want to check out my books!
I am an Amazon affiliate which means I will receive a small percentage of your purchase.
How do we keep our family history alive? In this insightful and poignant book, Junot Diaz examines just how we keep our stories alive. In an age when immigration is a debate in our nation and tops the headlines each day, we consider the story of Lola, who immigrated as a baby. She cannot remember “The Island” that she came from, since she left when she was a baby.
To bridge the past with the present, Lola’s family brings the “The Island” to her, by sharing all kinds of memories – from the wonderful to the heartbreaking. It is a story of sharing, imagination and the importance of our stories.
Throughout this story, Lola starts to understand the truth of her abuela’s words: “Just because you don’t remember a place doesn’t mean it’s not in you.”
Note: This book is also available in Spanish under the title “Lola”.
AASL Standards Framework for Learners: Explore/Think V.A.3 Engaging in inquiry-based processes for personal growth.
How much do we really know about our family history? How far back in history can we imagine? How is the story of your family history conveyed over time?
If you like the lesson ideas on this blog, you might want to check out my books!
I am an Amazon affiliate which means I will receive a small percentage of your purchase.