Back to School Favorite - Thank you, Mr. Falker

"Honey is sweet, and so is knowledge, but knowledge is like the bee that made that sweet honey, you have to chase it through the pages of a book." ~ Patricia Polacco from "Thank you, Mr. Falker

"Thank you, Mr. Falker is the story of a young girl's struggle to read throughout her years in elementary school. Set in 1950's this is the true, heart touching story of a child's struggle with dyslexia. She really wants to read, and fully expects to, but year after year the letters will not come. Tricia endures the teasing of her classmates, until she begins to believe their taunts that she is indeed dumb. One day she gets a new teacher, who admires her artwork and believes in her. He discovers her secret, that she can not read. With his aid after school, the help of a reading teacher, and hard work, she finally experiences the magic of reading in 5th grade.

A touching and poignant story that many children will identify with, no matter what issue they may struggle with in school. As my son also learned to read in 4th grade, after years of ardent desire and struggles, I found this an exceptionally touching book. Highly recommended for elementary students (and their parents, teachers and classmates)." ~ Allison Martin

Thank You, Mr. Falker. Accelerated Reader: Quiz #027677; Book Level 4.1; Points= 0.5
Reading Counts: Reading Level 3.7; Points= 2.0
Lexile Level 650
Guided Reading Level M
DRA Level 24-26
Flesch/Kincaid Level 3

Biographical Sketch of Author - Patricia Polacco

Thank you, Mr. Falker text

Online Video

Book Activities and Discussion Questions

Making Predictions and Forming Connections

Envisioning Character Change

Making Thematic Connections

Extensions

Student Assessment/Reflections

Discussion and Activities

Comprehension Questions

Activities

Sequencing Game Board

Bullying

Dyslexia and Bullying

Lesson Plan

Mrs. Kennedy

Alejandro's Gift by Richard E. Albert

"Alejandro, a man in his 60s, lives in a small adobe house beside an isolated desert road. His only companion is a burro. To ease his loneliness, he tends to his garden. One day, a ground squirrel approaches the garden to drink from its furrows, followed by wood rats, pocket gophers, jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, pocket mice, roadrunners, gila woodpeckers, and thrashers. Time passes more quickly, and Alejandro enjoys his new companions. However, he soon realizes that they come to him for water, not for company, and sets out to dig a water hole for them. Albert's simple and poetic text evokes the silence and emptiness in Alejandro's life. He grows to understand his interdependence with the land and its creatures as he lives among them. Long's rich, detailed, and realistically rendered pictures provide the perfect visual setting to an already memorable tale. The colorfully illustrated glossary of flora and fauna is informative. An ideal book to develop in readers an appreciation for the beauty of the desert and its inhabitants."
Graciela Italiano, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
School Library Journal



Chihuahuan Desert: A small area of southeastern New Mexico and extreme western Texas, extending south into a vast area of Mexico.

Great Basin Desert: The northern three-quarters of Nevada, western and southern Utah, to the southern third of Idaho and the southeastern corner of Oregon. According to some, it also includes small portions of western Colorado and southwestern Wyoming. Bordered on the south by the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.

Mojave Desert: A portion of southern Nevada, extreme southwestern Utah and of eastern California, north of the Sonoran Desert.

Sonoran Desert: A relatively small region of extreme south-central California and most of the southern half of Arizona, east to almost the New Mexico line.


Sonoran Desert Video

Sonoran Desert Video

The Sonoran desert is one of the largest deserts in North America, and is home to more life forms than any other desert. Located primarily in Arizona, the desert is also home to two of the state's largest cities and the Tohono O'Odham Indian tribe.


Reading Rainbow - Season 13, Episode 113... by Deon_Flood

California Desert Animals

Social Studies Lesson Plan: Desert
Vocabulary Power Point
Cause and Effect Test Tutor
Readig Skills Rocket
Social Studies Skills Tutor - Cause and Efect
Learn and Practice Cause and Effect
Stealing Home
Cause and Effect Lesson
What Caused It?
Meet the Author
Building Background
Go for the Grammar Gold: Action Verbs and Be Verbs
Grammar Practice Park - Fantastic Flight
Proof Reading Practice
Backyard Animals
Comprehension Quiz
Red Binder Pages
Reading Rainbow Language Arts Teacher's Guide
Reading Rainbow Science Teacher's Guide
List of Children's Books Based on the Environment
Theme 4 Alejandro's Gift and The Living Desert
Comprehension Handout
Power Point for Open Court
Vocabulary Flash Cards
ELL Pages
Extra Support Pages
Practice Book Pages
Speling Pages
Comprehension Questions with Cause and Effect Activity
Writing Prompt
Lesson Plans

Mrs. Kennedy

Back-to-School Picture Books

Read alouds are a great way to introduce a topic, to create discussion, and to engage students while improving their listening skills. Here is a list of back-to-school books that have been successful in my classroom.

Mrs. Kennedy

First Day Jitters

The first day of school is often a scary time for students. Students feel nervous because things are new and unfamiliar...new classmates, a new classroom, a new teacher, or even a new school. Try easing students' jitters by beginning the day with a read aloud. First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg is one of my favorite back-to-school books. This book concludes with a surprising twist. Before I turn the final page, I ask my students to predict the ending.



Discussion & Activity Guide

Activities

First Day Jitter Fritters

Draw and Write: Have students draw a picture of what gave them the jitters before coming to school today. Then have them write about their jitters.



Craft: Have the students use the template to create a paper lunchbox book report. Students can draw a picture on one side of what gave them the jitters and write about it on the other side. Complete the drawing and writing before folding the template.

Lunchbox Template

Template Cutting Tutorial

Mrs. Kennedy

Top 12 Web 2.0 Tools

MY TOP 12 FAVORITE WEB 2.0 TOOLS:

12. Tiny URL - Create a smaller URL that is easy to remember

11. Symbaloo - Bookmarking Site

10. Magic Studio - Drop 'n' Drags, Image Explorers, Presentations, Quizzes, Timelines

9. Snack Tools - High-quality Flash Banner Maker, Custom Web Audio Players, Custom Video and Playlists, Professional Quality Photo Slideshows, Online Polls & Surveys, Stylish Page Flipbooks

8. Photo Peach - Photo Slideshows

7. Schoology - Class Management System and Social Network to create and share academic content

6. Spiderscribe - Create Graph Organizers

5. Tiki-Toki - Create Stunning Animated Timelines

4. Glogster - Create Online, Interactive Posters

3. Prezi - Zooming Presentation Editor

2. Skype - Connect with classrooms around the world

1. Wetoku - Video Conferencing System

Mrs. Kennedy

“No Classroom Left Behind: Are You a Classroom of Yesterday?”

“No Classroom Left Behind: Are You a Classroom of Yesterday?”

I believe that technology should be integrated into every classroom.

By technology, I am not referring to websites, videos, and power point (although these are beneficial to students.) I mean actual hands-on, project-based learning such as Web 2.0 Tools. These tools enable teachers and students to create, collaborate, and communicate online.

Web 2.0 Tools such as blogs, glogs, and wikis are simple and quick to learn resulting in immediate enhancement of student learning. Blogs are online journals that promote discussion among students and teachers; glogs are online, interactive poster-making tools (imagine no more crinkled posters cluttering your classroom); and wikis are websites that can be edited by students promoting successful, collaborative group projects.

Journals, posters, and project group discussions are no longer adequate preparation for the students' future employment. Students need high level computer operating skills. Students need creative opportunities using various technology tools to prepare them for jobs that have yet to be created. The integration of technology into the classroom is essential for the future success of our students because it develops and refines crucial skills while promoting creativity using real world technological tools.

The technology of my day was a slide projector, super 8 movies, and an overhead projector. This technology was adequate in preparing me for my future employment; however, is it grossly inadequate for today's high tech jobs. Have the classrooms changed all that much? I think not. The slide projector has become a power point presentation; the super 8 movie has become a video or website; and the overhead projector has become a glorified underused active board.

Are students being engaged in learning? Are they learning skills that will prepare them for their future? Many classrooms today have progressed little beyond the classroom of yesterday. While this type of classroom instruction may have worked for you and me, it will do little to advance our students’ future success.

Mrs. Kennedy

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant sound. There should be at least two repetitions in a row. An example is - She sells seashells by the seashore. The first letter, s, is a consonant. It is repeated many times. These books are a great way to introduce the concept of alliteration to your students.

Three grey geese in a green field grazing,
Grey were the geese and green was the grazing.

-Three Grey Geese, Mother Goose

Mrs. Kennedy

Symbolism

Symbolism is the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships. Picture books are the perfect way to introduce this theme to students. Use the books listed below to introduce symbolism to your students.

The "A" that Hester Prynne was forced to wear represented not only that she was an adulteress, but also the first letter of the name of her illegitimate child's father, the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. "The Scarlet Letter" - Nathaniel Hawthorne

Mrs. Kennedy

Onomatopoeia

When teaching figurative language consider using picture books to help your students better understand the concepts. The books listed below will help to teach onomatopoeia.

“A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch and blue spurt of a lighted match.” - Meeting at Night by Robert Browning

Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it represents.

Mrs. Kennedy