Teaching Theme of the Week

from EducationWorld.com

Polls reveal that Americans know surprisingly little about their country's history. You might wish to send your students home for the summer with some resources for home study around July 4th.

Let the Fireworks Begin!

First, get in the mood at Happy Birthday America (Independence Day on the Net). Here you'll find "The Story of America's Independence," the text of the Declaration of Independence, and even a recipe for "Mom's Apple Pie" set to patriotic music and surrounded by fireworks displays.

Then, ignite your students' interest with the following activities:

History -- make a timeline. Have students explore To Form a More Perfect Union to learn about the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence and the writing of the Constitution. Then ask them to create a timeline of the most important events.

Geography -- make a map. Invite students to go to ushistory.org and witness the founding of our nation via a virtual tour of Philadelphia.

Language -- create a class book. Provide each student with the name of one or more delegates to the Constitutional Convention and ask them to explore classroom, library, and online resources to find information about their assigned delegates. Then have students write brief biographies about the delegates and combine the biographies into a book. Repeat the above activity for the signers of the Declaration.

Reading for meaning -- write a constitution. Have students study the U.S. Constitution at The Constitution of the United States of America and discuss what they would include in a constitution of their own.

America's Documents

Declaring Independence
A timeline of events surrounding the Declaration of Independence. The site provides insight into the issues and agendas involved.

Teaching with Documents
Resources from the National Archives and Records Administration's Digital Classroom.

The United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
Displays scanned originals of freedom documents.

THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet
A service of the U.S. Congress through its Library. It includes government information and access to Historical Documents; search all historical documents including early Congressional documents (including the Declaration of Independence), the Federalist Papers, and the Constitution (including the Bill of Rights and other amendments).

Biographies

The Price They Paid
Explains in general terms what happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Surfing the Net With Kids
Links to sites about Thomas Jefferson.

Surfing the Net With Kids
Links to sites about Ben Franklin.

Surfing the Net With Kids
Links to sites about George Washington.

More Quizzes

The History Channel's Weekly Quiz.

Fourth of July Trivia Quiz
Presented by the Houston Chronicle.

Test Your Red, White, and Blue IQ!
A quiz about early American history and 1830s celebrations from Old Sturbridge Village.

Additional 4th of July Websites

The National Council on Fireworks Safety
Fireworks' facts and safety tips, including a reference page about state fireworks' laws.

The White House for Kids
Information about the U.S. government for younger students.

A Hypertext on American History
Complete historical information from the Revolution to Reconstruction.

Colonial Currency
This site offers information on state and federal Colonial currency.

The History Channel
A resource for U.S. and World History. The site includes the "This Day in History" page, at which students can look up historic events that occurred on any date.

© Copyright EducationWorld.com 2003, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

With lessons that target staples of the season -- snow, skiing, snowstorms, and other winter wonders -- the coldness to be found outdoors can be countered with the warmth of great learning experiences indoors!

1. Let It Snow!

Make the most of the season's first snowfall with a snowflake study! (Grades PreK-5)

2. The Last Resort

Rescue the Desert Mountain resort by designing a travel brochure that will bring in the tourists. (Grades 3-12)

3. Power Problem

Calculate losses that innocent victim "Eun Plugd" incurred from a power outage caused by a snowstorm. (Grades 3-8)

4. Winter Expressions

Write a winter "shape poem." Display the unique poems on a classroom bulletin board. (Grades PreK-8)

ADDITIONAL WINTER LESSONS

• A Blizzard of Winter Lessons We have shoveled up more than 50 cross-curricular activities! Included: Lessons about winter folklore, snowmen, the winter solstice, and more!
• Celebrate Winter! More than a dozen activities for celebrating the Winter Solstice!
• Stop by the Web on a Snowy Evening -- and Find Great Snow Activities! These "snow angels" are heaven-sent to save you a multitude of planning time. Lessons and activities for all grades!
• The Four Seasons An Internet scavenger hunt for kids. Student work sheet included.
• Winter Weather Watch An Internet scavenger hunt for kids. Student work sheet included.

© Copyright 2003 EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Write a winter "shape poem." Display the unique poems on a classroom bulletin board. (Grades PreK-8)

Subjects: Arts & Humanities, Science

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8

Objectives
Students

• write an original poem,
• draw the outline of an object that complements the poem, and
• copy the poem inside the outline in a pattern.

Keywords
winter, poetry, drawing

Materials Needed

• plain white paper
• writing paper
• pencils and pens

Procedure
Winter brings all kinds of beautiful images to mind. In this activity, students choose one symbol of the season as the focus for a winter poem.

Ask your students to name some objects and ideas they associate with the season of winter. These may be listed on a board or chart. Suggestions might include ice, icicles, snow, pine trees, cold, wind, snowmen, and winter sports, but there are many more. Share some winter poetry that you enjoy or a few of the examples given on the Read a Book -- Write a Poem project page by Marci McGowan. Talk about how the poems explore the topics and create images in the mind.

Students might pay special attention to the “shape poems” written by two of the classes, since they will be writing shape poems; but a shape poem could be combined with any other poetry format (for example, an acrostic, senses, or cinquain poem).

Give the students time to think about and select a topic for their own winter poems as you distribute writing paper. For inspiration, students may search through images contained in The Amazing Picture Machine (they might type in words such as winter or snow) or classroom resource materials. Tell them to consider an object that relates to this topic/poem as they work because it will be displayed in a shape.

Introduce students to shape poetry with another example of a shape poem, Pine Tree. Shape poems need not follow a specific format or appear in a specific length unless you so choose. After the students have finished their writing, they may begin to sketch the outline of a related object. (A poem about snow might be written in a snowflake shape, while one about wind could be formed into lines blown from a cloud.) When the students are ready, they may trace the shape onto plain paper and copy their poetry inside it. You may have students add color to their work for a more striking classroom display.

Assessment
Poems should meet classroom writing guidelines, be appropriate in nature, and appear in an original, logical shape that adds to the meaning.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Calculate losses that innocent victim "Eun Plugd" incurred from a power outage caused by a snowstorm. (Grades 3-8)

Subjects: Math

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8

Objectives
Students will:

• complete a simulated insurance form;
• research prices for grocery items;
• calculate the cost of grouped items and total damages; and,
• examine their home refrigerator to calculate the loss that would be incurred if a lengthy power outage occurred.

Keywords
math, computation, snow, grocery

Materials Needed

• pencils
• Power Problem Work Sheet
• Internet access (optional)
• flyers from grocery stores (optional)

Procedure
A recent power outage caused by a snowstorm has left Eun Plugd with a refrigerator full of useless groceries. In this activity, students help Eun fill out an insurance form and compute his losses so that he can receive compensation.

Start this activity with a discussion of severe weather, particularly snow, and how it can affect the operation of communities and private homes. In a severe snowstorm, homes and cars and their contents can be damaged. Worse yet, a loss of electrical power can leave citizens cold and in the dark! Share the following story of Eun Plugd and his experience with a power outage:

Eun Plugd lives in a town that was recently struck by a severe snowstorm. Although his home and vehicles were saved, Eun's home was without electrical power for several days. The family kept warm by burning logs in their fireplace. When the power was restored, Eun discovered that much of the perishable food in his refrigerator had spoiled. Thankfully, Eun's insurance company will cover the cost of the items if he will submit a claim.

Distribute copies of the Power Problem Work Sheet and read the letter and instructions. Explain that Eun has filled in the items that he lost, but the students need to help him find the prices of these items and compute the totals. Students may refer to the Global Grocery List Project price list for the U.S. or find local prices in supermarket ads that you provide.

When students have had time to complete the work sheet, discuss the importance of electrical power as related to this activity. A few questions your students may address include:

• In what ways does loss of electricity affect the operation of a home or other building?
• What damages might Eun Plugd also seek as the result of the power outage?
• How should power companies prioritize their repair work assignments when outages are widespread?
• Could your school function without electrical power?
• How important is reliable electrical power?

Extension Activity
Have students examine their own refrigerators and create an itemized list of food items that would be lost after a power outage of several days and estimate the cost of this loss. If you choose, have them price the items at a local grocery store to test the accuracy of their estimations.

Assessment
Answers for chart on the Power Problem Work Sheet using records from the Global Grocery List Project for Passaic, New Jersey on December 11, 2002. (See the GGLP's "View Prices" page.)

Item Quantity Cost Total

Oranges -- 2 1/2 lbs. -- $2.10 per pound -- $5.25

Milk -- 1 gallon -- $2.51 per gallon -- $2.51

Hamburger -- 3 lbs. -- $1.27 -- per pound $3.81

Butter -- 2 lbs. -- $1.71 per pound -- $3.42

Eggs -- 18 -- $.46 each -- $8.28

Whole chicken -- 2 lbs. -- $4.92 per pound -- $9.84

Total: $33.11

Answers to additional questions on the sheet will vary.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Rescue the Desert Mountain resort by designing a travel brochure that will bring in the tourists. (Grades 3-12)

Subjects: Language Arts, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• research winter sports,
• write a slogan, and
• create a travel brochure.

Keywords
winter, writing, advertising, sports

Materials Needed

• paper
• pencils
• colored pencils, markers, or other art media
• Internet access (optional)

Procedure
This activity gives students a fun opportunity to exercise their writing and artistic skills. To begin, share the following story of Desert Mountain Resort:

Desert Mountain Resort, a ski lodge, has had a terrible run of bad luck. During its first season, little natural snow fell and the weather was too warm to generate man-made snow. Guests were so disappointed that they dubbed Desert Mountain "The Last Resort for Winter Fun"! Now this resort has just one more chance for survival -- a new travel brochure that will emphasize the many great winter sports that visitors can enjoy during the winter season.

Explain that your students have been hired as members of Desert Mountain's public relations team. Their job is to investigate winter sports and activities and design a travel brochure for the resort. The brochure should include the resort's name, an original slogan, facts about at least three winter activities enjoyed at the resort, images (drawings), a map, and any other information that visitors would find useful and enticing. The pamphlet should fit on one page and can be folded. (Students may work in pairs or small groups with permission.)

As the first step of their work, have students brainstorm about winter activities and sports. Students may use the Internet or library resources to locate information about these topics. The Google Directory for Winter Sports can give them a good start, but all surfing -- particularly with a general search engine or directory -- should be closely supervised. Students should gather three facts about three chosen winter activities and incorporate them into the finished brochure. Once students have identified the information needed through research, they may begin the writing process and development of the brochure.

Assessment
Collect travel brochures. A satisfactory submission will contain the resort's name, an original slogan, three facts about at least three winter activities enjoyed at the resort, images (drawings), a map, and any other pertinent information.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Make the most of the season's first snowfall with a snowflake study! (Grades PreK-5)

Subjects: Arts & Humanities, Science

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5

Objectives
Students will:

• create original snowflakes from paper,
• collect authentic snowflakes on paper, and
• examine and compare snowflakes.

Keywords
snow, winter, snowflake

Materials Needed

• a snowy day (optional)
• white paper
• scissors
• black construction paper
• magnifying glasses (optional)
• microscope and slides (optional)

Procedure
Take advantage of a "teachable moment" when the first snow falls in your town and show your students the amazing array of patterns snowflakes display. Introduce this activity by distributing white paper and scissors and asking students to create a snowflake. You may give simple instructions, but encourage the students to make their own unique designs. (If you need a few snowflake samples to refresh your memory, check out Snowflake Patterns for Kids.)

Once the snowflakes have been cut, have the students open them up and compare their shapes and sizes. How are the snowflakes similar and different? Discuss the students' findings. Like the students' snowflakes, real snowflakes are also unique. Share some snow facts:

• Snowflakes have different shapes, but most consider the six-pointed star a true "snowflake."
• Like people, although snowflakes may be similar, no two are exactly alike.
• Snowflakes are made of ice crystals.
• Billions of snowflakes may fall in a snowstorm.

(Note: You may read more about snow at A Dusting of Facts About Snow.)

Now put on coats and hats and go outdoors. Pass out pages of black paper for the students to use as "snowflake catchers" and magnifying glasses (if you choose). Have the students catch a few snowflakes in midair and compare them. Allow the students to compare their snowflakes with those of class members. As they investigate the snowflakes, ask them to count the sides of the flakes and identify any that appear to match. For a more in-depth study of snowflakes, your students may use microscopes and "save" snowflakes on slides with hair spray. Studying Snowflakes has the details.

Upon wrapping up the outdoor activities, discuss the students' observations. How many sides did today's snowflakes have? How many students found similar flakes? How were they different?

Extension Activity
Ben and Jerry's Web site offers snowflake patterns that feature ice cream cones in its Winter Holidays section. Have the students try to create a snowflake that has an obvious fun shape and theme.

Assessment
Assessment will be accomplished through observation of the student investigations and their participation in discussion.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

from EducationWorld.com

With the holiday season upon us, life can get busier and busier by the minute. For many it's a favorite time of year, but with shopping to do, parties to attend, travels to plan, and a mountain of work to finish before the holiday break, it can also be the busiest time of year.

Here's a quick lesson -- easy to prepare and fun to teach -- to help make life in the classroom just a bit easier.

Subjects Language Arts, Health, Physical Educaiton

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5

Objectives
Students will:

• spell and write words from a list of spelling, vocabulary, or high frequency words they should know;
• participate in a two-team spelling game; and,
• shoot a ball into a hoop as a reward for spelling a word correctly to earn extra points for their team.

Keywords
spelling, language arts, basketball, high frequency words, vocabulary, sight words, game

Materials Needed

• small plastic or portable basketball hoop
• plastic basketball
• 2 clipboards with pencils/markers and paper
• chalkboard or chart paper
• a list of words -- selected from students' spelling or vocabulary lists or from a list of high-
• requency words -- for students to spell

Before the Lesson

• Set up a small portable basketball hoop; obtain a lightweight plastic or foam rubber basketball.
• Establish on the floor a shooting line using tape or chalk; the line should be at a distance from the hoop that is appropriate for students.
• Divide the class into two teams.
• Make a scoreboard on the chalkboard or chart paper.

Procedure
Call up the first student from each team. Provide the two students with clipboards with paper and a pencil/marker. Say a word from the determined list and have the child use the clipboard to write it on the paper. When the students have written the words, they can share them with classmates by showing their written response.

• If the student spells the word correctly, he/she will make a tally mark representing a point on his/her team's side of the scoreboard.
• If the student spells the word incorrectly, he/she earns no point. Show that student the correctly spelled world before he/she sits down.

Students who spell a word correctly get an opportunity to score a bonus point for their team: They stand at the shooting line drawn or taped on the floor and shoot the basketball two times at the hoop. They score an additional point/tally mark for each basket they make.

Repeat this activity until all team members have had a chance to spell a word. Have one student from each team count and record the final number of tally marks so you can determine the winning team.

Adapt the Game
At the end of the game, you might give students who misspelled a word during the game one final opportunity to correctly spell the word they missed. If they spell the word correctly, they earn a point for their team. They do not, however, earn an opportunity to shoot the basketball for extra points.

Note
You might play this game the day before each week's spelling test. That will provide students with one final opportunity to see and hear the word spelled correctly.

Assessment
The game ends any time after each student has had one opportunity to spell a word. Have one student from each team count and record the final number of tally marks so you can determine the winning team.

© Copyright 2003 EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Guest readers rip off the holiday wrapping and read the book inside!

Subjects: Language Arts, Social Studies

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5

Objectives
Students will:

• listen as adult readers share their joy of reading,
• listen to a variety of literature, and
• keep a reading journal (optional).

Keywords
holiday, December, Christmas, read aloud, reading, children's books, surprise

Materials Needed

• see Preparing for the Lesson below

Preparing for the Lesson
You need to plan ahead for this activity. Wrap in colorful holiday wrapping paper a variety of books you know your students will love. For younger students wrap up picture books and read-alouds. For older students, wrap up biographies, chapter books, and other books.

You also need to line up guest readers. Guest readers might include the principal, the mayor of the town, a student's parent, the librarian from the town library, the doctor...

Note: Guest readers also might pre-select their personal favorite books to share with your students. (They might even purchase the book and leave it behind as an addition to the classroom library.) If the books have been pre-selected, you need to keep a record of the holiday paper you wrapped each book on; that way, the guest reader is sure to unwrap his/her book.

Procedure
Each day, or every other day, a guest reader appears in the classroom, takes a wrapped book, unwraps it, and reads aloud the book.

If the reader is reading to young children, he or she might read the entire book.

If the reader is reading to older students, he or she might read just one chapter of the book; reading that chapter might motivate students in the classroom to check out and read the entire book.

Extending the Lesson

• Reading log. Students might keep a log of classroom visitors and the books they read. If the readers select their personal favorite books, students might record each reader's reasons for choosing a particular book.
   
• Community service. To carry the "unwrapping reading" idea one step further, students could bring in from home a gently read book or two. The books could be wrapped and sent to a nearby children's home or hospital. (Some facility administrators might request unwrapped books, so be sure to check in advance.)

Assessment
When all guest readers have come and gone, ask each student to write a paragraph about the 1) the book a guest reader read that the child most wants to read or 2) their favorite guest-read book.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

"Deck-orate the halls" of the school with literature trees.

Subjects: Language Arts, Visual Arts, Social Studies

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• develop a plan for decorating a tree in a theme related to a book they have read.

Keywords
book, book tree, literature, literature tree, theme, holiday, Book Week, Library Week

Materials Needed
Materials will vary, depending on the book and activity that you build your "literature tree" around.

Procedure
This is a simple lesson. Students decorate "literature trees." They select a favorite piece of literature and decorate a tree to represent themes, objects, and characters from the book. Let students brainstorm ideas; they're sure to come up with some great, creative ideas. How about a . . .

• Strega Nona (Tomie DePaola) tree? All the decorations might be made from cooked pasta formed into shapes, dried, and then painted.
   
• Shel Silverstein tree? Students type favorite short Silverstein rhymes on shapes related to the rhymes; they cut out the rhymes and hang them on the tree.
   
• Rainbow Fish tree? Students decorate their trees with watercolor fish or fish made from coffee filters.
   
• Dr. Seuss tree? All the decorations represent favorite Seuss characters.
   
• Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder) tree? After reading one of the books, view the Little House on the Prairie: Christmas at Plum Creek video. Decorate with things that represent prairie life or that prairie folks might have put on their holiday trees.

For additional ideas, refer to a series called Summer Book-Tivities that was run on Education World a handful of summers ago. Each weekly article highlighted several books and extension activities for each book. For example, in Summer Book-Tivities #2, one of the spotlighted books was Arlene Alda's 1-2-3. Alda captured with her camera images of the numbers 1 to 10 found in nature. Students might decorate a tree with their own photographs of the numbers in nature.

Ideas for Adapting the Lesson

• This lesson can serve as a whole-school activity; every class in the school can decorate a tree based on a different book. The books can be classics, popular favorites, or holiday related. If you're looking for some holiday related book ideas, see The Twelve Books of Christmas.
   
• Or you might arrange students within a class into small groups. Each group of students can decorate a tree to represent a different book.
   
• Instead of focusing on a single book, students might decorate an "author tree," collecting things that relate to any of a particular author's books.
   
• Instead of using live trees, students might use branches cut from a dead tree. Spray paint the branches in different colors and hang decorations from the branches. On the night of the holiday concert, gather all trees in a central location or invite parents to tour the school's "literature tree forest."
   
• A "literature tree" is not just an idea for holidays. The activity makes a great Book Week or Library Week activity, a nice activity for use around Earth Day, or an activity to coincide with a "tree" unit. This makes an excellent end-of-the-year activity too. In fact, this activity is a great idea any time of year.

Assessment
Students might vote for the most creative tree, most beautiful tree, most-closely-tied-to-the-theme tree, most-fun tree...

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Create a display of the world's religious and ethnic celebrations.

Subjects: Language Arts, Visual Arts, Educational Technology, Social Studies

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• learn about cultures and celebrations around the world,
• develop research skills, and
• present their research in one of four formats.

Keywords
culture, celebrations, festivals, holidays, Christmas, December, religion, calendar, timeline, world, map, ABC book, research, brainstorm, think-pair-share, literature, geography

Materials Needed

• library and/or Internet access
• miscellaneous classroom supplies

Procedure
In this lesson, students use Internet and/or library resources to research ethnic and religious occasions/events celebrated by people around the world.

Begin the lesson by inviting students to brainstorm a list of celebrations they are familiar with. The celebrations might be ones students have experienced firsthand or celebrations students only have heard or read about. Write the celebrations on a chart as students call them out.

Instead of brainstorming with the entire class, you might use the think-pair-share method for this activity. Give students a few minutes to start their own lists; then arrange students in pairs and give each pair a few minutes to share their lists and add to them; next, combine pairs of students to create groups of four for more sharing and thinking. Eventually, bring all students together to create a class list of cultural celebrations.

Supplement the student-generated list of celebrations as needed with additional celebrations. Ethnic and Religious Cultural Holidays, Celebrations, and Festivals is an excellent source. (Scroll down the page for December 2003 celebrations.) Also, see "Suggested Celebrations" at the bottom of this lesson.

When the brainstorming session is over, assign each student one of the celebrations to research; you might assign the less well known celebrations to students who have the best researching skills. (Alternative: Write the names of the events on slips of paper and have each student draw the name of a celebration.)

As students research their celebrations, they should record the following information:

• the name of the celebration,
• the date of the celebration,
• the cultures/countries that celebrate, and
• a brief explanation or history of the celebration.

Have students create an "information card" that includes their research findings and a picture/illustration they have created and/or downloaded from a Web site.

Displaying Students' Work
You might display the students' work in one of the following ways:

• World map. Post a world map on a bulletin board. Display students' celebration information cards around the map. Extend a strand of yarn from each card to the country(s) which that celebration is primarily associated with.
   
• Timeline. Create a timeline so students can track celebrations throughout the school year. (They also might add to the timeline throughout the year as they learn about additional celebrations.) Hang a clothesline across the room, mark intervals for each month, and use clothespins to hang students' information cards at the appropriate places on the timeline.
   
• ABC book. Combine students' information cards into an ABC Book of Celebrations Around the World. Older students might create a list of celebration-related words and terms from their cards; some celebrations might include several unique words. Their ABC book can introduce those terms.
   
• Web site. Create a Web page of students' work. You might even create a clickable world map or a clickable calendar that visitors can use to learn more about the world's special celebrations.

As the date for each celebration arrives, expose students to more information about it or read a children's book related to the culture/country of the celebration. Spend some time talking about the geography (location, physical aspects, and so on) of countries as you discuss their celebrations.

Activity Resources
Following are some additional resources students can use as they research their celebrations on the Internet.

• Ethnic and Religious Cultural Holidays, Celebrations, and Festivals
• Holidays and Celebrations Around the World
• Kidlink's Multicultural Calendar
• Earth Calendar
• Shap Calendar of Religious Festivals

Suggested Celebrations
Following are some celebrations students might research:

• All Saints' Day (Christian, Roman Catholic)
• Ash Wednesday (Protestant, Roman Catholic)
• Bon Festival (Japan)
• Boxing Day (Canada, United Kingdom)
• Candlemas (Christian)
• Chinese Lunar New Year (China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam)
• Christmas (Christian, Roman Catholic, International)
• Cinco de Mayo (Mexico)
• Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)
• Dia de los Muertos (Mexico, Latin America)
• Diwali (Buddhist, Hindu)
• Eid al-Adha (Islamic, Muslim)
• Eid-Al-Fitr (Islamic, Muslim)
• Emancipation Day (African-American, United States)
• Epiphany (Christian)
• Good Friday (Protestant, Roman Catholic)
• Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday (Sikh)
• Hanukkah (Jewish)
• Holy Thursday (Christian)
• Juneteenth
• Kwanzaa (African-American)
• Lantern Festival (Taiwan)
• Las Posadas (Mexico)
• Lohri (Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh)
• Mardi Gras (United States)
• Palm Sunday (Protestant, Roman Catholic)
• Passover (Jewish)
• Pioneer Day (Mormon)
• Purim (Jewish)
• Ramadan (Islamic, Muslim)
• Shavuot (Jewish)
• Simchat Torah (Jewish)
• St. Nicholas Day (International)
• St. Patrick's Day (Ireland, United States)
• Sukkot (Jewish)
• Tet Nguyen Dan (Vietnam)
• The Annunciation (Christian)
• Three Kings' Day (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic)
• Tu b'Shvat or Tu B'Shevat (Jewish, Israel)
• Yom Kippur (Jewish)

Assessment
Did students include all the assigned information on their cards? Did they incorporate any images into their information cards?

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Build students' vocabulary skills with this "Re-Name That Tune" activity.

(Note: This activity uses Christmas song titles, but the activity easily can be adapted for use any time of year with the titles of other popular songs. A list of such song titles is included in the activity below.)

Subjects: Language Arts, Visual Arts, Educational Technology, Social Studies

Grade Levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• build vocabulary skills by rewriting the names of some popular songs, and
• create a fun bulletin board display.

Keywords
holiday, December, Christmas, music, songs, popular, culture, dictionary, thesaurus, vocabulary

Materials Needed

• white drawing paper (8-1/2 inches x 11 inches)
• art supplies (optional)
• Internet access (optional)
• dictionary and/or thesaurus

Procedure
Begin by introducing a handful of Christmas song titles in their reworded form. Write the following phrases on the chalkboard or on a chart:

• Decorate the Entryways
• The Red-Suited Man is Due in This Burg
• Tranquility Upon the Terrestrial Sphere
• 288 Yuletide Hours
• Far Back in a Hay Bin

Give students a moment to absorb the words; see if they can figure out what this activity is all about. It might become clear to some of them that these phrases are rewordings of some popular songs sung around holiday time. The phrases above are rewordings of the following songs, respectively:

• Deck the Halls
• Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
• Peace on Earth
• The Twelve Days of Christmas
• Away in a Manger

Have students brainstorm a list of additional holiday songs. Then have them choose any five songs to rewrite in the form demonstrated above.

You might introduce additional rewritten titles from the same source from which the above examples originated.

• Christmas Song Quiz II and Quiz II Answers
• Christmas Song Quiz III and Quiz III Answers

You also might instruct students about how they to use a dictionary or a thesaurus to complete this activity -- if that skill is age-appropriate and/or a part of your language arts/study skills curriculum.

Use the students' new song titles to create a "Name That (Holiday) Tune" bulletin board. First, have them create a "tent card" by folding in half a sheet of 8-1/2 x 11 inches drawing paper. (Or fold in half a large index card.) Arrange the cards on a bulletin board so the rewritten version of the song title appears on top; students lift the flap of the folded-over paper to reveal the actual song title.

Adapting the Activity for Younger Students
The same Web page that provides the resource for the above activity also offers a fun holiday-song-title activity for younger students. In that activity, students "read" picture images that provide clues to popular song titles. See the resource, Christmas Song Picture Game, on the SantaLady.com Web page. You might use a projector connected to a computer to display the page for students; or print the resource and copy it onto an overhead transparency, then share it by placing the transparency on an overhead projector. Invite students to guess the holiday song titles illustrated in several of the pictures. (Answers are revealed on the Answers to the Christmas Song Picture Quiz page.) Sharing just a few songs will give students the idea for this activity. Have students brainstorm holiday song titles. Then assign each student a song title to illustrate in a manner similar to the illustration on the Christmas Song Picture Game page. Have them create tent cards by folding 8-1/2 x 11-inch white drawing paper in half; illustrating the song title on the front and writing the title of the illustrated song inside. Display the cards on a "Name That Holiday Tune" bulletin board as in the above activity for older students.

More Popular Children's Song Titles
As noted, this activity can be used any time of year. Instead of rewriting or illustrating holiday song titles, students can illustrate some of the titles of popular songs. Some sample titles might include: A Hunting We Will Go; America the Beautiful; The Ants Go Marching; Baa, Baa, Black Sheep; The Bear Went Over the Mountain; A Bicycle Built For Two; Big Rock Candy Mountain; Bingo; Camptown Races; The Candy Man; Clementine; Doggie in the Window (How Much Is That)?; Down By the Riverside; East Side, West Side; Eensy Weensy Spider; The Farmer in the Dell; Father's Whiskers; Follow the Leader; Froggie Went A-Courtin'... An excellent source of additional song titles is KIDiddles: Mojo's Musical Mouseum.

Assessment
Assess students' ability to rewrite assigned song titles without reusing any of the words in the actual title. (For younger students: Assess students' ability to illustrate the assigned song titles.)

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students create a timeline to illustrate when popular toys were first introduced. (Grades 3-12)

Subjects: Language Arts, Visual Arts, Educational Technology, Math, Social Studies

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• develop research skills as they search the Internet for popular toys,
• learn when those toys were first introduced, and
• use measurement skills to create an accurate timeline.

Keywords
timeline, toys, Christmas, December, consumer, money, shopping, games, calendar, bulletin board

Materials Needed

• Internet access (classroom or computer lab setting)
• 4-1/4 x 5-1/2-inch heavy-stock paper (e.g., oak tag) -- 2 sheets per student
• other technology resources (optional)
• fishing tackle or yarn; or clothesline and clothespins (optional)

Procedure
Begin the lesson by brainstorming with students the hottest-selling toys and games of the current season. Make a list of those toys on a chalkboard or chart. Talk about whether the toys are new to the market or if have been around for years. When completed, put aside that chart for future reference.

Most of the toys discussed are likely to be the hot, new toys of this holiday season. You might wonder aloud how many of those toys will be remembered 10, or even 5, years from now. Remind students of a few toys that are extremely popular that have been around for decades -- toys like the Barbie doll, the Slinky, and the board game Monopoly. Ask students, "What other popular toys and games do you think have been around for 5 or 10 years or more?" Write on a chart the names of those toys and games as students call them out.

Instead of doing the above activity as a whole-class exercise, you might arrange students in small groups and have them work together to come up with lists of toys and games that have been around for as long as they can remember. Then have each group merge with another group to share and combine their lists, and build on them. Finally, have the groups share their lists to create a class list of popular toys and games.

Next, take students to the computer lab. Provide them with their master list of toys and games and the Hot List of "History of Toys" Web Sites found at the end of this lesson. Let students use the Web pages on that Hot List or surf freely to research when each of the toys on the list was first introduced. They will learn that some toys, like the yo-yo, are centuries old, while others, such as the Barbie doll, have been around for decades. (See Sample Findings below.)

You might assign each student one or two toys on the list to research. When they've tracked down information about those toys, they can use the balance of their time to research other toys on the brainstormed list or to uncover information about other popular toys that might not be on their list.

As students gather information, they should record on their copy of the list the date when each toy was first introduced. They also might take additional notes about where each toy was introduced, who created it, and other pertinent or interesting facts.

Next, cut 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper of heavy stock (oak tag stock or heavier) in half. Provide each student with two sheets of the 4-1/4 x 5-1/2-inch stock. On each sheet, have students record the following information about the toys they are responsible for researching:

• the year in which the toy or game was introduced -- in large, bold numbers;
• an illustration of the toy or game (hand-drawn, cut from a catalog, or photographed using a digital camera);
• the name of the toy or game; and,
• a paragraph of interesting researched information about the toy or game.

Students also might use available technology -- including word processing and Photoshop or illustration programs -- to create their toy history cards.
When students have completed their informational cards, create a class timeline to show the history of some of the world's most popular toys. Since the bulk of toys were probably introduced since 1950, the timeline might cover that period only; separate card displays might serve as a reference for toys introduced before 1900, between 1901 and 1950, and in the last few years.

The timeline display can be created on a bulletin board; or you might string fishing tackle or yarn across the room, mark decades at measured intervals, and attach student-created toy history cards in the appropriate places on the timeline. (Clothesline and clothespins can serve as optional materials for creating this timeline.)

Sample Findings
Following are some of the toys/games and dates students might locate in their research. (Note: Dates may vary, depending on sources.)

Yo-yo - 1000 B.C.
Jigsaw Puzzle - 1767
Balloon - 1856
Lionel Train - 1901
Crayola Crayons - 1903
Lincoln Logs -1916
Pogo Stick - 1919
Frisbee - 1948
Silly Putty - 1949
Legos - 1949
Mr. Potato Head - 1952
Easy-Bake Oven - 1953
Play-Doh - 1956
Ant Farm - 1956
Hula Hoop - 1958
Barbie Doll - 1959
Etch-a-Sketch - 1960
Hot Wheels - 1966
Hacky Sack - 1972
Pictionary - 1986

Hot List of "History of Toys" Web Sites

HistoryChannel.com's History of Toys and Games
Toy Inventions
The History of Toys and Games
Yahooligans: Toys

Assessment
After the timeline is created, create a simple matching activity for assessment purposes. List toys/games in one column and matching, but randomly arranged, dates in the other column; have students use the timeline to complete the matching activity.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Combine writing a book report with writing a friendly letter.

Subjects: Language Arts

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5

Objectives
Students will:

• learn to write (or practice writing) a friendly letter;
• follow instructions and use a rubric as a guide; and,
  express thoughtful ideas in writing.

Keywords
book report, rubric, Book Week, letter, letter writing, friendly letter, library, author, literature

Materials Needed

• Friendly-Letter Book Report work sheet, one per student
• pens or pencils

Procedure
This lesson combines writing a simple 3-paragraph book report/summary with teaching (or reinforcing) the skills for writing a friendly letter.

Provide students with a copy of the Friendly-Letter Book Report work sheet. Students use the work sheet to write a "friendly-letter book report" to a teacher, parent, or someone else in their lives.

The Friendly-Letter Book Report work sheet is an editable template. That means you can provide the template to each student to use with a word processing program. Students click any line and type over it. If you wish to use the template as a simple printable worksheet, click here for a blank version of the template.

Note: Because this template is editable, it might take a little longer to download than a normal Web page would take.

Introduce the basic format of the 3-paragraph friendly letter. (Here is one friendly letter format you might use.) Describe the kinds of information students might include in each section of their 3-paragraph friendly-letter book report:

• First paragraph: Introduction -- Tell about the book you read, who wrote it, and why you chose to read that book.
• Second paragraph: Body -- Describe what you liked most about the book and/or the author's style.
• Third paragraph: Conclusion -- Tell whether you would recommend the book, and why or why not.

Remind students that when writing a letter handwriting counts!

Extend the Lesson
If students are all writing about the same book, they might write letters to the author that you would then mail to the author. You also can adapt the book report idea described above by having students use the following format:

• First paragraph: Introduction -- Tell about the book you read and make an opening comment.
• Second paragraph: Body -- Describe your favorite part of the book and/or what you liked most about the author's style or writing.
• Third paragraph: Conclusion -- Make a closing comment, or end with a question you would like the author to answer.

Assessment
Did students follow the friendly letter format? Before the lesson, introduce to students a rubric by which their letters will be measured. You might use Friendly Letter Rubric 1 or Friendly Letter Rubric 2; or you might adapt those rubrics to create one of your own.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

A "carousel brainstorm" is a fun way to review a book the whole class has read.

Subjects: Language Arts

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• focus on many different elements of a book;
• use higher-order thinking skills to look deeper into elements of a book; and,
• play an active role in, and work cooperatively with, a group.

Keywords
carousel, strategy, brainstorm, graphic organizer, book report, book, setting, characters, plot, sequence, author, cooperative

Materials Needed

• chart paper
• markers

Procedure
If you've never used the "carousel brainstorm" strategy before, it's a simple one to implement. The activity is most effective after the entire class has read a story or book -- either on their own or in class. For this activity, arrange students into groups. Three or four students make an ideal group.

In strategic locations around the classroom, hang large sheets of chart paper, one sheet per group. On each sheet, write one of the ten Chart Topics listed at the bottom of this lesson section. Provide a marker or crayon for each group of students. Have each group appoint one student (perhaps one with good handwriting) to be the group's recorder.

Explain to students that they are going to make their way around the "carousel;" they will work at each chart during the lesson. (Alternatively, students can write on charts at their desks and pass the chart paper from one group to another.) Introduce each chart and describe what students should discuss when they get to that chart. As each group (or chart) moves, group members have 60 seconds to silently review what previous students have written on the chart. They then will have 2 minutes to discuss and add new thoughts to the chart.

Clearly, the task will be more difficult for the fourth, fifth, or sixth group to add to a chart. To add ideas of consequence to the chart, students will need to look deeper into the work and explore themes on a more scholarly level.

The last group to work at each chart presents the information on that chart to the entire class. After introducing the ideas, they open a class discussion by asking, Does anyone have something new to add, or additional thoughts about ideas already presented? At that point, some lively discussions might ensue!

Chart Topics
Provide each group with a large sheet of chart paper on which is written one of the ten topics listed below. If not enough students are in the class to make ten groups, choose the topics you would most like students to explore. Depending on your curriculum, you might want to substitute other topics for some of the topics provided. If you work with younger students, you might replace some of the topics at the end of the list with additional characters from the book, or break down the Setting category into individual settings in the book.

• The Author -- words or phrases describing the author's life, other books, important elements of the author's style, etc.
• Character 1 -- words or phrases describing the character's physical appearance; character traits including personality, strengths, weaknesses (character flaws), etc.
• Character 2 -- same as Character 1
• Character 3 -- same as Character 1
• Setting -- words or phrases describing the setting(s) in the story/book
• Key Events -- words or phrases describing key events in the story/book
• Vocabulary -- words you encountered that were especially important in the book, that were new to you, or words that stand out for some other reason
• Excellent Descriptions -- excellent examples of the author's description of a setting, character, event… (list page numbers)
• Key Dialogue -- passages of dialogue that are especially important to the story or exceptionally well written (list page numbers)
• Best Parts -- your description of the best parts of the book and your reasons for selecting those parts

More About "Carousel Brainstorms"
To learn more about "carousel brainstorms" read the article, Strategies for Reading Comprehension: Carousel Brainstorm on the ReadingQuest.org Web site or do a Google search for "Carousel Brainstorm".

Assessment
Students write a paragraph summarizing the findings related to one of the topics. Older students might summarize three topics or all the topics.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Break a book report down into sections in this "chain book report" activity.

Subjects: Language Arts, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• examine a book's components, including key events, characters, and vocabulary; and,
• share the "chain book reports" with their peers.

Keywords
book report, sequence, sequencing, reading, library, Book Week, setting, characters, plot, sequence, author

Materials Needed

• Prepare for each student 10 strips of pastel-colored paper or 10 strips of white copy or drawing paper. Each strip should measure 1-inch wide x 8-1/2 inches long
• glue, paste, or staples

Procedure
The activity described below is effective at many grade levels; see the instructions in the Adapt the Activity section below for ideas for using the activity with younger or older students.

Prepare paper strips as indicated in the Materials Needed section. Provide each student with 10 strips. Have students write the numbers 1 through 10 on the slips, one number per slip. Then introduce to students the "chain book report" format.

On strip 1, each student writes the name of a book he or she has just finished reading and the name of the book's author. The students also should draw on their first strip a simple illustration of the book's main theme or of an important event in the book.

On strip 2, students write the names of three main characters in the book. The characters usually will be people, but in some books an animal or inanimate object might be considered important enough to be a "character." Next to each character's name, students write a simple statement defining the character's role in the book (e.g., boy, mother, mayor…) and list two traits defining the personality of each character.

On strip 3, students list the main setting of the book, writing at least three adjectives or adjective phrases describing that setting.

On strips 4, 5, and 6, students briefly describe three important events in the story. Each strip should include a 2 to 3 sentence description of the event. (Note: When students combine their strips to make a chain, the three events described should be placed on the chain in the sequence in which they happened in the book.)

On strip 7, students tell about the climax or most important event in the book. If it is the climax of a story, they should be careful not to give away the ending. If reporting about a biography, a student might describe what he or she thinks is the high point, or turning point, in the life of the bio's subject.

On strip 8, students write a brief paragraph (2-3 sentences) about the illustrations in the book. What form do the illustrations take (e.g., pen and ink drawings, pastel drawings, photographs…)? Are the illustrations effective and helpful in telling the story?

On strip 9, students create a simple glossary to accompany the book. They write three new vocabulary words from the book or three vocabulary words they think readers should know before reading the book. Each vocabulary word should be accompanied by a brief definition.

On strip 10, students write their recommendation about the book. Would they recommend the book to a friend? Why or why not?

When students complete the instructions above, they use staples or glue to connect the strips into a "chain book report." Display the "chain gang's" book reports on a bulletin board, or string a clothesline or yarn and hang them from it.

Adapt the Activity for Younger/Older Students

For younger students, simplify the instructions. For example, have them write a 1-sentence description of each important event in the story. Instead of writing a definition for each vocabulary word, they can write a sentence from the book that includes each word. They might write about more events or characters instead of completing some of the other steps.

For older students, this is an excellent activity to use when reviewing a chapter book or reading a history or science textbook. Assign each student a separate chapter or section in the book and follow the instructions above. Each student then takes a turn instructing his or her classmates about the important information in the assigned chapter or section and sharing the chain he or she has created. Connect all the students' chains to make a whole-class chain for the chapter book or subject text.

Integrate Technology

Students can use a word processing program to type the information about what they read. Print the student-written text, cut it into strips, and assemble the strips into a chain.

Assessment
Students share the information on their chains with their classmates. Grade them using a content and presentation rubric.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Chose five book report ideas in a row -- BINGO!

Subjects: Language Arts

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• choose -- from a variety of book reporting ideas -- those that most appeal to their own skills and interests.

Keywords
book report, BINGO, reading, library, Book Week

Materials Needed

• Book Report BINGO sheet, one per student

Procedure
Provide each student with a copy of the Book Report BINGO sheet. Review the activities on the sheet. Tell students to carefully review their sheet and choose five of the activities on it; they must choose five activities in a row -- vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

The Book Report BINGO sheet is an editable template. That means you can click any piece of text on the page to highlight it and type over it. You can delete any activity on the BINGO card and replace it with one of your favorite activities.

Note: Because this template is editable, it might take a little longer to download than a normal Web page would take.

Students might complete one activity for each of five books they read, all five activities for one book, or any combination of five activities and books.

Assessment
Provide students with a rubric to ensure that they do quality work.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Turn Children's Book Week into a school wide celebration.

Subjects: Language Arts, Social Studies, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• learn about the importance of reading, and
• read to earn valuable "pages" for their class.

Keywords
Children's Book Week, Book Week, reading, author, celebration, literature, book report, book, library

Materials Needed

• a large assortment of books

Procedure
Try some of the dozen activities listed below to turn Children's Book Week into a week-long celebration in your classroom or school.

A Day of Reading. Set aside an entire school day for reading-related activities. Invite students to bring to school pillows, stuffed animals, and their favorite books. Set aside time for students to do silent reading; reading with buddies; reading to younger students; and listening to younger students read. Break up the reading with your favorite book-related activities and with some of these additional ideas:

Temperature's Rising. Invite each student to create a paper thermometer. Instead of degrees, the thermometer should measure the number of books (or pages) students read during Children's Book Week. Set a goal at the start of the week and see if students meet that goal. If your Book Week is a school wide celebration, a thermometer can be posted outside the door of each classroom to record the class's combined reading achievement; the classes can compete for special rewards. Individual students might also earn a coupon for each book they read, and enter their coupons into a drawing for special prizes.

Read-a-Thon. Have each student solicit from family and neighbors pledges of money for each book he or she reads during Children's Book Week. At the end of the week, children collect on those pledges. Use the money to buy new books for the school library. Alternatively, each student might "pay" 5 cents or a quarter for each book he or she reads during Children's Book Week (or during the whole month of November). The money can purchase books for the school library.

I Vote for Books. Take time to vote. Hold a school wide "Vote for Your Favorite Book" election. (You might hold a primary election to choose the books to be entered in the general election.) Have students present campaign speeches and create posters for their book "candidates." If you have access to closed-circuit TV, " broadcast" political advertisements each day. See additional activities in an Education World article, Reading Activities for Read In! Day.

Harry Potter Haiku. Have students write haiku about one of everyone's favorite book characters -- Harry, of course -- and submit their completed work to the Harry Potter Haiku Web page. (Click here for more information.)

Book Bowl. Hold a school wide Book Bowl http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr211.shtml.

Musical Books. Play this game just like musical chairs (except -- because there's a chair for everyone -- no one gets eliminated.) Place a book on each chair. When the music stops, give students 5 minutes to read or look through the book they are holding. Repeat the activity several times to quickly expose students to a wide variety of books. Most students will find at least one book they'll later want to read in its entirety.

I-Love-to-Read Posters. Ask students to bring a favorite book from home. Use a digital camera to take a close-up picture of the student reading that book. Print the pictures in 5- x 7-inch or 8 x 10-inch format. Post the pictures on a background that has a headline such as I Love to Read or WANTED: Caught Reading Great Books. Post the miniposters on a bulletin board or throughout the school.

Book Swap. Have students bring in a gently used paperback book from home, and set aside a time for students to exchange their books with one another. (You might make this a monthly event.) To make things even more interesting, students can create mini advertisements to entice their classmates to choose the book they contributed to the swap. Alternatively, let students bring in up to 10 books. Allow the students who bring in the most books to pick from the collection first. Donate all unclaimed books to a local orphanage or children's hospital.

Read Aloud Coupons. Encourage students to create Read Aloud coupons for holiday gift-giving. They can present coupons "good for one story to be read by [child's name]" to parents, grandparents, and other significant people in their lives.

Literature Day (and Night). Hold a special Literature Day event at school. Do it again at night for parents!

Word Search Puzzles. Teach students to use the Word Builder tool found on the Reading Planet Web site. Students can use the tool to create word search puzzles related to one of the books they read during Children's Book Week.

Assessment
At the end of the Book Week celebration, students choose their two favorite activities and rate their overall impression of the week on a scale of 1 to 5.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

from Education World

The calendar might identify November 17-23 as Children's Book Week, but for most teachers -- always on the lookout for new ideas to promote literacy -- every week is Book Week. For those teachers and their students, Education World offers the following additions to its extensive library of lessons emphasizing reading skills and enjoyment across the grades.

The Web is full of great resources for making reading fun. If you aren't sure where to start, one terrific resource is the Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature. Whether you're teaching about a culture, a country, or an historic period, or simply are looking for great books for students of a certain age, you can search this database of children's books by one of those categories. You also can search the database by key word; try typing in the curriculum themes you currently are teaching. See what reading tie-ins you can make!

Five Lessons for Book Week

1. Book Week Celebration
   Turn Children's Book Week into a school wide celebration. (Grades PreK-12)
    
2. Book Report BINGO
   Chose five book report ideas in a row -- BINGO! (Grades 3-12)
    
3. Chain Together a Book Report
   Break a book report down into sections in this "chain book report" activity. (Grades PreK-12)
    
4. "Carousel Brainstorm" Book Report
   A "carousel brainstorm" is a fun way to review a book the whole class has read. (Grades 3-12)
    
5. "Write-a-Letter-to-the-Teacher" Book Report
   Combine writing a book report with writing a friendly letter. (Grades PreK-5)

Before you do any further searching for reading resources, however, be sure to check out Ed World's archives of reading treasures:

• Children's Book Week
  Find lesson plans, great projects, and additional Book Week resources.
• Special Reading Fun Archive
  Dozens of Education World articles offer unique lessons and ideas for teachers of reading at all levels.

New! Book Report Templates
As you begin your Book Week activities -- or your any-week book activities -- be sure to check out our new book report and book review templates. These printable, editable templates -- which can be customized as necessary to meet your needs -- can be printed and completed by hand or students can complete them on a computer using any word processing program.

Additional Resources

If you're looking for more great reading resources, check out the following sites:

• K-12 Literature and Lesson Activities
• Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
• The Children's Literature Web Guide
• TeachingBooks
• Resources for School Librarians
• SCORE CyberGuides

© Copyright 2003 EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Map game challenges students to develop geography skills.

Subjects: Social Studies

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• work cooperatively;
• ask questions to help their team narrow down the location of a "mystery location"; and,
• play fairly and thoughtfully.

Keywords
geography, world, game

Materials Needed

• a map (or globe) for each team

Procedure
Make a game out of geography with this activity. Arrange students into groups of four. Provide each group with a globe or a detailed map. (That map might be a map of your town or state, the country, or the world -- depending on the focus of the curriculum at your grade level.) Have students in each group select a location on the map.

• If you are studying your city or town, they might select a specific location within the city or town.
• If you are studying your state, students might select a town within the state.
  Older students might select a country on a world map.

After students have selected a location, start with the first team. That team fields yes or no questions from the other teams, one question at a time. (Team 2 asks a question first, then Team 3, 4…) The questions might start out general and get more specific. You or a specified game leader monitors the questions asked to make sure they are fair questions. For example, if students are working with world maps, questions might include:

• Is the place on the continent of Africa?
• Is the place north of the equator?
• Is the place east of Mali?
• Is part of the country located between 10 and 20 degrees South latitude?

If students are working with a local map, questions might include:

• Is the place on the east side of town?
• Is the place north of Liberty Street?
• Can you see Blue Lake from this place?
• Does the place begin with the letter B?

As questions are asked, team members refer to their maps and agree on a response. If they give a "Yes" answer, the team that asked the question can choose to make a guess as to the name of the specific place. If the team guesses correctly, they earn five points. If the guess is incorrect, the next team asks a question that will help identify the place.

After Team 1's place is guessed, it is Team 2's turn to answer questions about the place it selected; Team 3 begins the questioning.

More Game Suggestions

• When it is a team's turn to ask a question, 1) students on each team might work together to create questions and give responses, or 2) one student at a time might ask a question. If the latter is the case, students on each team need to establish a sequence of players within their team, so each player asks one question before any player asks a second question.
• Each team should have some kind of barrier/wall/carrel so they can get close to their map or globe without opposing team members being able to see which area of the map/globe they are looking at; that is especially important as questions get more specific.

Assessment
The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Introduce to students the products your local area contributes to the U.S./world economy.

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: preK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• learn about the origins of some major U.S. brands,
• learn about local products that stimulate the economy,
• create a map showing where those products originate, and
• contribute to a Library of Congress Web site of local products (optional).

Keywords
economy, economics, products, brands, companies, consumer, advertising, map, geography

Materials Needed

• access to the Internet (to share the Branding of America Web page)
• maps, as needed

Procedure
This activity uses and builds upon a resource from the Library of Congress (LOC). That special activity resource, The Branding of America, provides a U.S. map of 20 products with U.S. origins (for example, Campbell's Soups, Kellogg's cereals, and Steinway pianos), and invites students to contribute products from their own home towns to a Hometown Products map.

Extend the Activity

• Participate in the project by providing a write-up about a product from your town, city, region, or state.
• Develop your own Branding Our Town or Branding Our State activity. Post a map of your town, region, or state and investigate products that originated there. Have students write about the product, then post their work around a map of the area. Extend yarn from the write-ups to the location on the map where each product originated. [Note: This activity might be a nice prelude to contributing to the Library of Congress's Branding of America map.]
• Talk about how the companies on your map affect your community, region, or state. What benefits does each company bring to the area? What would the area be like if that company was not around?
• Collect advertising samples (ads, catalogs, brochures...) from those companies to learn how they present themselves to consumers.

Assessment
Produce a matching activity for students. In one column write ten towns/cities (from the LOC's Branding of America map or from your own local map); in the second column write in random order a product associated with each of those locations. Have students use the classroom map or the Branding of America map as a resource for completing the activity. Students should correctly match at least 8 of the 10 locations and products.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Help students discover how New World explorers influenced the Old World's diet (and vice versa).

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts, Educational Technology, Science

Grade Levels: PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• learn about changes that occurred in the New World and Old World as a result of early exploration;
• use library and Internet sources to research food origins, (older students only); and,
• create a bulletin-board map illustrating the many foods that were shared as a result of exploration.

Keywords
Columbus, explorers, origin, food, timeline, plants, map, New World, Old World, colonies, colonial, crops, media literacy, products, consumer

Materials Needed

• library and/or Internet access (older students only)
• outline map of the world (You might print the map on a transparency; then use an overhead projector to project and trace a large outline map of the world onto white paper on a bulletin board.)
• magazines (optional)

Procedure
The early explorers to the Americas were exposed to many things they had never seen before. Besides strange people and animals, they were exposed to many foods that were unknown in the Old World. In this lesson, you might post an outline map of the continents on a bulletin board. Have students use library and/or Internet resources (provided below) to research some of the edible items the first explorers saw for the first time in the New World. On the bulletin board, draw an arrow from the New World (the Americas) to the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and post around it drawings or images (from magazines or clip art) of products discovered in the New World and taken back to the Old World.

Soon, the explorers would introduce plants/foods from the Old World to the Americas. You might draw a second arrow on the board -- from the Old World to the New World -- and post appropriate drawings or images around it.

Adapt the Lesson for Younger Students
Younger students will not have the ability to research foods that originated in the New and Old World. You might adapt the lesson by sharing some of the food items in the Food Lists section below. Have students collect or draw pictures of those items for the bulletin board display.

Resources
In addition to library resources, students might use the following Internet sites as they research the geographic origins of some foods:

• Seeds of Change Garden: Where Food Crops Originated
• Curry, Spice, and All Things Nice: Food Origins
• TIME Notebook: Colonizing America
• The Indians of the New World
• The Food Timeline
• Native Foods of the Americas
• A Harvest Gathered: Food in the New World
• History of Food
• We Are What We Eat Timeline

Food Lists
Our research uncovered the Old and New World foods below. Students might find many of those and add them to the bulletin board display. Notice that some items appear on both lists -- beans, for example. There are many varieties of beans, some with New World origins and others with their origins in the Old World. In our research, we found sources that indicate onions originated in the New and sources that indicate onions originated in the Old World. Students might create a special question mark symbol to post next to any item for which contradictory sources can be found

Note: The Food Timeline is a resource that documents many Old World products. This resource sets up a number of contradictions. For example:

• Many sources note that tomatoes originated in the New World; The Food Timeline indicates that tomatoes were introduced to the New World in 1781.
• The Food Timeline indicates that strawberries and raspberries were available in the 1st century in Europe; other sources identify them as New World commodities.

Foods That Originated in the New World: artichokes, avocados, beans (kidney and lima), black walnuts, blueberries, cacao (cocoa/chocolate), cashews, cassava, chestnuts, corn (maize), crab apples, cranberries, gourds, grapes, hickory nuts, onions, papayas, peanuts, pecans, peppers (bell peppers, chili peppers), pineapples, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries, squash, strawberries, sunflowers, sweet potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes, turkey, vanilla, wild cherries, wild rice.

Foods That Originated in the Old World: apples, bananas, beans (some varieties), beets, broccoli, carrots, cattle (beef), cauliflower, celery, cheese, cherries, chickens, chickpeas, cinnamon, coffee, cows, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger, honey (honey bees), lemons, lettuce, limes, mangos, oats, okra, olives, onions, oranges, pasta, peaches, pears, peas, pigs, radishes, rice, sheep, spinach, tea, watermelon, wheat, yams.

Extension Activities

• Home-school connection. Have students and their parents search their food cupboards at home; ask each student to bring in two food items whose origin can be traced to a specific place (foreign if possible, domestic if not). Labels from those products will be sufficient, especially if the products are in breakable containers. Place those labels/items around a world map; use yarn to connect each label to the location of its origin on the map.
• Media literacy. Because students will research many sources, have them list the sources for the information they find about each food item. Have them place an asterisk or checkmark next to the food item each time they find that item in a different source. If students find a food in multiple sources, they might consider it "verified"; those foods they find in only one source might require additional research to verify.

Assessment
Invite students to agree or disagree with the following statement: "The early explorers were surprised by many of the foods they saw in the New World."

Have students write a paragraph in support of their opinion.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students create colorful maps to illustrate "top ten" statistics about our world.

Subjects: Social Studies, Math, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• be exposed to statistical information;
• read graphs and charts;
• learn about the "top ten" countries relative to a variety of statistics; and
• locate and color the "top ten" countries on a world outline map.

Keywords
geography, statistics, almanac, Internet, world map, percent, exports, imports, crime, economy, transportation, media, health, tobacco

Materials Needed

• Map Headline List (provided) cut into slips, one slip for each student; or give each team of students two slips
• world outline map showing country boundaries (provided)
• crayons or markers
• Internet access (or printed pages from the NationMaster.com Web site)

Procedure
In this lesson, students use an online resource, NationMaster.com, to create a map showing the "Top Ten Countries" for a wide variety of statistical information -- for example, the Top Ten Countries by Population, the Top Ten Countries for Life Expectancy, the Top Ten Countries for Crime… Each student colors World Outline Map #1 (PDF, 176K) to show the "top ten countries" for the category s/he is assigned. Students then label their maps with the headline Top Ten Countries for ____. (A link to the Map Headline List is provided below.) Display students' maps on a bulletin board or around a world map with yarn leading from each map to the number one (#1) country on that map.

Click below for additional world outline maps; one of these might be most appropriate for your students to use.

• World Outline Map #2
• World Outline Map #3
• World Outline Map #4
• World Outline Map #5 (PDF, 85K)
• World Outline Map #6 (PDF, 462K)
• World Outline Map #7

Map Headline List
The Map Headline List offers suggestions for 50 statistics pages on NationMaster.com that students might create maps to illustrate.

Assessment
Students write a brief paragraph explaining what information is illustrated by the maps they created.

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Locating famous landmarks around the world develops students' research skills.

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8

Objectives
Students will:

• develop research skills,
• develop map/geography skills, and
• learn about important places in the world and world history (cultural literacy).

Keywords
landmarks, natural, geography, map, cultural literacy, research

Materials Needed

• grade-level appropriate Where in the World? work sheet (provided)
• library and/or Internet access

Procedure
Build cultural literacy with one of the work sheets listed below. Provide students with library or Internet access -- and the appropriate work sheet -- and let them go! They might work on their own or in teams to discover the natural or manmade landmarks described by each statement on that Where in the World? work sheet. Each sheet offers clues for ten special landmarks or locations around the world. The sheets are divided by grade level, based on interest and grade appropriateness of the landmarks.

• Where in the World? (Volume 1) (PDF, 103K) Grades 3-4
• Where in the World? (Volume 2) (PDF, 104K) Grades 4-6
• Where in the World? (Volume 3) (PDF, 106K) Grades 5-8

Extension activities
Have students find and mark on an outline map the location of each landmark on their Where in the World? work sheets.

After students complete the activity, challenge them to create their own Where in the World? questions. Compile the ten best questions into a new work sheet to help students exercise their research skills.

The original work sheet, or the second sheet, might make a good homework assignment; have students and parents complete it together -- and learn together.

Assessment
Students should research and correctly identify at least eight of the 10 landmarks on their Where in the World? work sheets.

ANSWER KEYS

Where in the World? Volume 1.

1. Buckingham Palace
2. Coliseum
3. Eiffel Tower
4. Empire State Building
5. Mount Everest
6. Grand Canyon
7. Gateway Arch
8. Statue of Liberty
9. Niagara Falls
10. Mount Rushmore
    BONUS: "Big Ben."

Where in the World? Volume 2.

1. Angel Falls
2. Alcatraz
3. Great Wall of China
4. Sahara Desert
5. Stonehenge
6. Venice
7. Leaning Tower of Pisa
8. the Parthenon
9. Mount Fuji
10. Golden Gate Bridge
    BONUS: Ayer Rock

Where in the World? Volume 3.

1. Chichen Itza
2. Mount Vesuvius
3. Great Pyramid of Giza
4. Rock of Gibralta
5. Taj Mahal
6. Victoria Falls
7. Palace of Versailles
8. Red Square
9. Diamond Head
10. Tower of London
    BONUS: fjords

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

5 Lessons for Teaching About Popcorn

by Gary Hopkins, Education World®

Add a little pop to your week -- popcorn, that is. These lesson plans will engage students as they create popcorn timelines, maps, and graphs; do popcorn science and math; explore popcorn history and nutrition; and, munch leftover popcorn snacks too!

• How does popcorn pop?
• Which states grow the most corn?
• Is popcorn more nutritious than potato chips and other snacks?
• Was there popcorn in Plimoth when the Indians and Pilgrims shared their first thanksgiving meal?

Those are just a few of the questions this week's lesson plans will answer.

And here's one more question: Can popcorn be used to teach place value, estimation, volume, percent, and fractions?
You bet -- just check out this week's Popcorn Math lesson plan.

1. Popcorn Geography
   Use corn kernels to create a "Top Corn-Producing States" map. (Grades 3-12)
    
2. Popcorn History
   Research/create a timeline of the history of popcorn. (Grades 3-12)
    
3. Popcorn Math
   Use popcorn to teach a number of K-8 math concepts. (Grades K-8)
    
4. Popcorn Nutrition
   Read a snack nutrition chart and answer questions. (Grades 3-8)
    
5. Popcorn Science
   Five simple experiments demonstrate what makes popcorn pop. (Grades K-12)
    

More Popcorn Lessons

Lessons Popping Up Everywhere! Measure popcorn kernels before popping; measure them after popping. What is the difference in volume? Set up 5-10 coffee cans. Assign a different point value to each can. Students toss popcorn into the cans and add up their scores. Challenge students to figure out the smartest purchase: an 8-ounce bag of popcorn at $1.99, a 16-ounce bag at $2.99, or a 2-pound bag at $4.99. Pop three different brands (X, Y, and Z) of popcorn. Have students "taste test" each brand and vote for their favorite. Create graphs of the results. Then reveal the brand of the winning popcorn. Add popcorn-related words to your class word wall. Write each word on popcorn-shaped paper. Read aloud Stella and Roy. Stella and Roy race for the popcorn stand in this takeoff on the story of the tortoise and the hare. Cover a 6-square-foot area of the floor with kraft paper. Place a popcorn popper in the center and let the popcorn pop -- uncovered! Measure how far away from the popper the popcorn lands.

© Copyright EducationWorld.com 2003, used by permission

from, Education World®

Use corn kernels to create a "Top Corn-Producing States" map.

Subjects: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• read and round off numbers,
• identify on a U.S. outline map ( PDF, 65K) the location of corn-growing states, and
• create a visual (map or graph) illustration of the top corn-producing states.

Keywords
resources, natural resources, corn, popcorn, grains, production, economy, economics, fall, autumn, farm, farmer, rounding, place value

Materials Needed

• bag of corn kernels
• glue
• U.S. outline map ( PDF, 65K)
• Student work sheet: U.S. Corn Production by State #1 (for younger students -- grades 2-4) ( PDF, 14.5K) or U.S. Corn Production by State #2 (for older students -- grades 5-up) ( PDF, 13K), one copy per student

Procedure
Corn is produced in most states in the United States. A total of 21 states produce at least 50 million (50,000,000) bushels of corn each year. In this activity, students use corn production data and corn kernels to produce a "U.S. Corn Production" map or graph.

Begin by sharing with students some samples of product/natural resources maps. Discuss how the maps show the products that are important to a particular area. Go to the U.S. States Thematic Maps page on maps.com. Click the name of your state, then click the Land Use map. Talk about the symbols shown on the map and the importance of those symbols/products to your state.

View the map by

• using a computer with a projector attached;
• printing the map, then copying it onto transparency film and using an overhead projector to display it; or
• printing a copy of the map for each student or pair of students.

After talking about your state's map and its symbols, you might check out maps for neighboring states or for states in other parts of the country.

Next, provide an U.S. outline map ( PDF, 65K) for students to use to complete this activity. In addition, provide one of the following two work sheets (depending on the grade level of your students):

• U.S. Corn Production by State #1 ( PDF, 14.5K) (for younger students -- grades 2-4).
  Students will not comprehend the large numbers that appear on the chart, but you can help them understand by using 17 kernels of corn to represent 1.7 billion (1,700,000,000) ears of corn, then 16 kernels would represent 1,600,000,000 billion ears, 9 kernels would represent 900,000,000, and so on. Complete the chart with students. Then let students glue the appropriate number of kernels to each of the top ten corn-growing states.
• U.S. Corn Production by State #2 ( PDF, 13K) (for older students -- grades 5-up).
  You might work with students to round off the large numbers on the chart and to determine the number of kernels of corn that represents each state's corn production. Then let students glue the appropriate number of kernels to each of the top corn-growing states on the outline map.

Extension Activities

• You might do this activity as a class. Instead of using individual U.S. maps, print the U.S. outline map on a transparency. Place the transparency on an overhead projector and have a few students trace the map onto a bulletin board covered with white paper. Instead of using popcorn kernels on the copy of an outline map, use pieces of popped popcorn on the bulletin board map. (You might even spray paint some popcorn in advance so the map will be colorful.) You could map corn production statistics for every state instead of only the ones listed on the work sheets. You can find U.S. corn production data here ( PDF, 285K).
• Students might create a bar graph illustrating the top corn-growing states. The graph will provide a visual reference point to help students see which states grow the most corn. They might create their graphs using popped popcorn on colored paper.

Additional Resource
Print the activity ( PDF, 1MB)from National Geographic. This activity might be used as a discussion starter before or after the lesson.

More Map Resources

• U.S. Crop Production Maps. These maps show production of a variety of grains.
• Oil and Natural Gas Production in the United States. Discuss with students how this map illustrates the areas where oil and gas is produced.
• Census 2000 Population Profile Maps. These U.S. Census maps do not show products; they show population. Students might find these maps to be of interest. Share with students the map of your state.

Assessment
Check students' maps for accuracy. Post the maps on a bulletin board.

Have students write a paragraph describing the meaning of the maps they created.

ANSWERS to U.S. Corn Production By State #1: Iowa - 17 kernels; Illinois - 16 kernels; Nebraska - 11 kernels; Indiana - 9 kernels; Minnesota - 8 kernels; Ohio - 4 kernels; Kansas - 4 kernels; South Dakota - 4 kernels; Missouri - 3 kernels; and Wisconsin - 3 kernels. ANSWERS to U.S. Corn Production By State #2: Colorado - 100,000,000 (1 kernel); Illinois - 1,600,000,000 (16 kernels); Indiana - 900,000,000 (9 kernels); Iowa 1,700,000,000 (17 kernels); Kansas - 400,000,000 (4 kernels); Kentucky - 200,000,000 (2 kernels); Maryland - 100,000,000 (1 kernel); Michigan - 200,000,000 (2 kernels); Minnesota - 800,000,000 (8 kernels); Mississippi - 100,000,000 (1 kernel); Missouri - 300,000,000 (3 kernels); Nebraska - 1,100,000,000 (11 kernels); New York - 100,000,000 (1 kernel); North Carolina - 100,000,000 (1 kernel); North Dakota - 100,000,000 (1 kernel); Ohio - 400,00,000 (4 kernels); Pennsylvania - 100,000,000 (1 kernel); South Dakota - 400,000,000 (4 kernels); Tennessee - 100,000,000 (1 kernel); Texas - 200,000,000 (2 kernels); Wisconsin - 300,000,000 (3 kernels).

Copyright © 2003, EducationWorld.com, used by permission

from, Education World®

Research/create a timeline of the history of popcorn.

Subjects: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

• improve their research skills, and
• create a timeline.

Keywords
timeline, media literacy, corn, popcorn, Native American, Indian, Thanksgiving, research

Materials Needed

• library and/or Internet resources about the history of corn/pop