Sunday, February 24, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Chinese New Year's Craft
According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2013 is the year of the Snake. Chinese New Year is a spectacular holiday that is so important in Asia that it lasts two weeks, with endless festivity. Anyone who's had the privilege of walking through Chinatown during Chinese New Year knows how exciting the streets are during the parade. The banging of the firecrackers and crashing of gongs, and let's not forget the beautiful dragon dances. There is shortage of fun activities to do in school for Chinese New Year. It's a pity I don't have the time to do them all, but here's one that is cheap, fun, and easy to do. It's a simple Chinese dragon puppet.
You simply color, cut, and attach the head and tail to a strip of construction paper 2 inches wide. Then tape Popsicle sticks or coffee stirrers on the back.
You simply color, cut, and attach the head and tail to a strip of construction paper 2 inches wide. Then tape Popsicle sticks or coffee stirrers on the back.
Above are the supplies I used and below is my model.
And last but not least, an example of student work!
And wouldn't you know it? I found a perfect book that I don't have to go with this craft. Well, I've ordered it for next year.
Happy Chinese New Year!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The Stickman Odyssey Books Arrived
And they are every bit as juvenile and immature as I hoped they would be. Enjoy, kids!
Monday, February 4, 2013
Don't Dismiss a Classic
The common wisdom to draw in middle grade readers is to excite them, and focus on their interests. This means keeping up with trends and having one's finger on the pulse of pop culture. The common wisdom is true and important, but the trouble is, it's dismissive of many classic books. Reading an oldie but goodie can be a good idea. Many new teachers fear that focusing on older books is out of touch and even self-centered, but done right I feel the opposite is true.
Students have a right to keep up with the trends of their peers, but that can mean they wind up with a narrow focus.
A couple of months ago, at my other library, the fifth graders were getting restless. There were five minutes left of class, and the work was complete. It was that awful span of time which is too short to do something, but too long to do nothing. So out of sheer panic I pulled out Robert C. O'Brien's Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of NIMH. We had been working on fantasy and non-fiction anyway, but I assumed they wouldn't like the book. Agriculture and forest life aren't part of their world, they've outgrown anthropomorphic animals, and the writing was slightly old fashioned.
They were rapt. I couldn't believe how still and quiet they became. It was so successful that I continued reading it to them and another fifth grade class. Why did they like this dusty old book so much? It has a good, exciting plot, which transcends pratically everything else. So never assume that students don't want their horizons broadened, or that they can't appreciate something from the past.
Students have a right to keep up with the trends of their peers, but that can mean they wind up with a narrow focus.
A couple of months ago, at my other library, the fifth graders were getting restless. There were five minutes left of class, and the work was complete. It was that awful span of time which is too short to do something, but too long to do nothing. So out of sheer panic I pulled out Robert C. O'Brien's Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of NIMH. We had been working on fantasy and non-fiction anyway, but I assumed they wouldn't like the book. Agriculture and forest life aren't part of their world, they've outgrown anthropomorphic animals, and the writing was slightly old fashioned.
They were rapt. I couldn't believe how still and quiet they became. It was so successful that I continued reading it to them and another fifth grade class. Why did they like this dusty old book so much? It has a good, exciting plot, which transcends pratically everything else. So never assume that students don't want their horizons broadened, or that they can't appreciate something from the past.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Stickman Odyssey
I always set aside some money to buy things for my library, buying book care supplies, decorations, lesson materials, and of course, books. Well guess what's in the mail, everyone?
I ordered this graphic novel, as well as its sequel. It came highly recommended from School Library Journal. Here is their synopsis:
Add a little fun to your explorations with Christopher Ford’s entertaining graphic novel, Stickman Odyssey: An Epic Doodle (2011; Gr 5 Up). Banished from Sticatha by an evil throne-seizing witch, “far-wandering” Zozimos is determined to find his way home and claim his rightful place as king. However, along the way, the young hero is waylaid by mighty monsters (he cleverly defeats the gigantic Cyclops-like Boetheos by barfing in his eye), embroiled in breathtaking battles (bravely brandishing his stick sword), and met by challenges that test his courage and perseverance (along with his skill at talking to girls). Ford’s stick-figure characters possess boundless energy and plenty of expression, and the script percolates with snarky dialogue, hilarious expletives (“BY ZEUS’ BUTT!”), and loads of irreverent humor. The action certainly is epic, and numerous (and comically skewed) references to the original are integrated into the plot. For example, Athena intervenes in the affairs of mortals with a few deft strokes of a giant pen (e.g., doodling out a raft for her protégé), and during a perilous ocean journey, Zosimos’s cohorts plug their ears with wax—not to protect themselves from the sirens’ song but to drown out their leader’s complaining. Students will enjoy making comparisons to Odysseus’s adventures and teasing out corresponding themes, characters, and images. The antics continue in Book Two: The Wrath of Zozimos (2012, both Philomel)
My students love graphic novels, fantasy, Greek mythology, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid and these books are all four rolled into one. Graphic novels are a great draw for reluctant readers and I expect this pair will circulate well. I'll also have reason to teach them more content knowledge so they catch more of the puns. Can't wait for them to arrive!
I ordered this graphic novel, as well as its sequel. It came highly recommended from School Library Journal. Here is their synopsis:
Add a little fun to your explorations with Christopher Ford’s entertaining graphic novel, Stickman Odyssey: An Epic Doodle (2011; Gr 5 Up). Banished from Sticatha by an evil throne-seizing witch, “far-wandering” Zozimos is determined to find his way home and claim his rightful place as king. However, along the way, the young hero is waylaid by mighty monsters (he cleverly defeats the gigantic Cyclops-like Boetheos by barfing in his eye), embroiled in breathtaking battles (bravely brandishing his stick sword), and met by challenges that test his courage and perseverance (along with his skill at talking to girls). Ford’s stick-figure characters possess boundless energy and plenty of expression, and the script percolates with snarky dialogue, hilarious expletives (“BY ZEUS’ BUTT!”), and loads of irreverent humor. The action certainly is epic, and numerous (and comically skewed) references to the original are integrated into the plot. For example, Athena intervenes in the affairs of mortals with a few deft strokes of a giant pen (e.g., doodling out a raft for her protégé), and during a perilous ocean journey, Zosimos’s cohorts plug their ears with wax—not to protect themselves from the sirens’ song but to drown out their leader’s complaining. Students will enjoy making comparisons to Odysseus’s adventures and teasing out corresponding themes, characters, and images. The antics continue in Book Two: The Wrath of Zozimos (2012, both Philomel)
My students love graphic novels, fantasy, Greek mythology, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid and these books are all four rolled into one. Graphic novels are a great draw for reluctant readers and I expect this pair will circulate well. I'll also have reason to teach them more content knowledge so they catch more of the puns. Can't wait for them to arrive!
Friday, February 1, 2013
Avoiding Reading Insecurity
One of my students today, eager to feel some concrete progress in her education, kept bringing me incredibly hard books to check out. I had her try the five finger rule to show her that her choices were far above her grade level. She was indignant and upset. Any alternative I showed her she said was far too easy. After about ten minutes of negotiation, I found one that was slightly too hard for her, but not impossible for her to read. The real issue is, two of her friends are advanced readers and she felt insecure that she wasn't on their level, even though she was close. She felt frustrated and insecure.
This is a common problem in my library, and indeed, all the classrooms and home as well. When an adult says "It's not a race" children simply don't believe it. When they notice they are behind, they are embarassed. They then start to check out books above their level, and without progress, eventually start refusing to read at all. We only enjoy activities where we feel some success and progress, so frustrated readers often turn their backs on books.
There are a couple strategies I use to prevent reading insecurity. I take a look at nonfiction books if they have particular interests, like animals. With their exciting pictures and valuable information, nonfiction books are great for reluctant readers. If a student is passionate about cheetahs, he won't worry about the book's grade level being low. Graphic novels have quite a lot of text in them, and students of all levels enjoy them, so lower readers don't feel inadequate checking them out.
The trick is to be kind and discreet, and letting students know that they aren't alone in their struggle to read. They needn't be ashamed- just keep working to get better every day. And most students truly want to do that.
This is a common problem in my library, and indeed, all the classrooms and home as well. When an adult says "It's not a race" children simply don't believe it. When they notice they are behind, they are embarassed. They then start to check out books above their level, and without progress, eventually start refusing to read at all. We only enjoy activities where we feel some success and progress, so frustrated readers often turn their backs on books.
There are a couple strategies I use to prevent reading insecurity. I take a look at nonfiction books if they have particular interests, like animals. With their exciting pictures and valuable information, nonfiction books are great for reluctant readers. If a student is passionate about cheetahs, he won't worry about the book's grade level being low. Graphic novels have quite a lot of text in them, and students of all levels enjoy them, so lower readers don't feel inadequate checking them out.
The trick is to be kind and discreet, and letting students know that they aren't alone in their struggle to read. They needn't be ashamed- just keep working to get better every day. And most students truly want to do that.
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