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  • ONE IS A FEAST FOR A MOUSE: A THANKSGIVING TALE is a story about the aftermath of a Thanksgiving dinner from the mouse’s point of view. The mouse comes out of his hiding place and surveys the left-overs from the family’s dinner. He chooses one green pea to be his feast and decides to give thanks for what he has to enjoy.
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    Putting Books to Work: Judy Cox's ONE IS A FEAST FOR A MOUSE: A THANKSGIVING TALE

    by Kathy Prater
     | Nov 22, 2011
    ONE IS A FEAST FOR A MOUSE: A THANKSGIVING TALE (Scholastic, 2008) Pre-K through Third Grade

    ONE IS A FEAST FOR A MOUSE: A THANKSGIVING TALE is a story about the aftermath of a Thanksgiving dinner from the mouse’s point of view. The mouse comes out of his hiding place and surveys the left-overs from the family’s dinner. He chooses one green pea to be his feast and decides to give thanks for what he has to enjoy. He then looks further across the table and spots cranberries that look like jewels.

    Of course he has to have one of those as well and balances it on top of the green pea. He then spots an olive and adds it to the pile and then a carrot stick. By the time he gets done crossing the table, he has a balanced mountain of food that is enough for several feasts. He turns to make his way back to his hiding place and meets face to face with the cat. Chaos ensues and the mouse gets safely to his hiding place.

    In choosing to be greedy, the mouse nearly lost everything he had collected and his life. He, however, was pleasantly surprised when peeking out of his hiding place at the end of the story and was able to give thanks for a feast after all.

    Cross-curricular Connections: Social Studies, Science, Reading, Art

    Ideas for Classroom Use:

    Balancing Objects (Pre-K through Third Grade)

    The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to use mathematical and physics skills to balance a number of objects. After reading the story, the teacher will go back through the book and lead a discussion based on the illustrations for the food the mouse has balanced. Lead a discussion about the reality of the mouse’s ability to balance these specific objects. Talk about gravity and center of balance to the level applicable to your student’s grade.

    Encourage the students to use objects to find a number of items that will balance on each other and a number of items that will not. Some suggestions for available items are plastic cups, bowls, silverware, balls, small cars, small blocks, etc. After the experimental phase of balancing, have students discuss their findings about what is balanceable and what is not. Record findings on chart paper or in journals.

    Feast of Imagination (PreK through Third Grade)

    The purpose of this activity is to engage students’ imaginations in designing a feast for themselves. Have students focus on what would be a “just enough” feast. Review the story after reading to discuss how much the mouse thought was enough for a feast and then how much he attempted to collect. Discuss the differences between “needs” and “wants.” As a closing activity, have students design a multi-part picture by folding a paper in half. On one side of the paper, draw a picture of a “feast” that would be enough to be thankful for and meet the needs of a student. On the opposing side, have the students draw a picture of a feast of everything they would “want” like the mouse chose. Have the student dictate or write their thoughts on the pictures as appropriate to the grade level.

    Feasts Around the World (Second through Third Grade)

    After reading the story, discuss the traditional feast the family ate and compare it to the meager feast of the mouse. Discuss the difference between traditional American feasts and feasts of other cultures. In small groups assign the students to research different feasts from around the world online or in library books. Some suggestions for searching are Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia Day, Sukkot, La Posados, Diwali, etc. After the children have researched the feast day, have them illustrate and write information explaining their holiday. Have students present their findings to each other or to family, friends, and guests as part of a school feast.

    Additional Resources and Activities:

    Christmas Around the World

    This website lists holiday celebrations by country and gives an explanation of each celebration. The site also includes links to activities, songs, and many other topics specific to Christmas around the world. The countries included here range from Japan to Croatia. The site has easy to understand explanations for how Christmas has been accepted or changed in different parts of the world.

    Celebrate Winter Holidays

    This is a Scholastic web resource for many holidays around the world. The focus of the page is on Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. The site provides activities, links to book lists, and explanations for each holiday. For each holiday, there is a teacher guide, links to online content, and student activities. This page would be a good starting place for learning about many different holidays.

    Celebrations Around the World: A Multicultural Handbook (Fulcrum Publishing, 1996)

    This book is a 236 page reference book for festivals and celebrations from countries around the world. The book begins with celebrations in January and looks at celebrations for each month in countries in all parts of the world. This book would be a great resource to help build multicultural understanding all year long and boost acceptance for student differences.

    Kathy Prater is a Reading Specialist and Pre-Kindergarten teacher in Starkville, Mississippi. She tutors students with dyslexia and teaches as an Adjunct Professor at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi. Her passions include reading, writing, and helping students at all levels to find motivation for lifelong reading and learning. She believes that every child can become a successful reader if given the right tools and encouragement. She has been teaching Christmas Around the World for multi-grade students for the past 18 years.

    WANT TO WRITE FOR ENGAGE? Send your name, the grade level(s) you teach, the title of book that you put to work, and a line or two about how you use it in your classroom to engage-membership@/.

    © 2011 Kathy Prater. Please do not reproduce in any form, electronic or otherwise.
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    All Children Reading Competition

     | Nov 22, 2011

    The United States Government, represented by the Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade (EGAT), Office of Education (ED), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), World Vision, Inc. (WVUS), and World Vision Australia (WVA) (collectively herein “World Vision”), is seeking innovative applications from eligible institutions as defined in the Request for Applications (RFA) to support the program entitled “All Children Reading Competition” (RFA No. SOL-OAA-12-000010). All awards under this RFA will be issued as grants not to exceed US $300,000.

    All questions from interested applicants must be submitted to allchildrenreading@usaid.gov no later than 2:00 p.m. EST on December 9, 2011. Applications are due no later than 2:00 p.m. EST on January 31, 2012.

    Through a multiyear initiative called All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR), the Founding Partners will collaborate to achieve the goal of global action to improve child literacy. While recognizing that there are many factors required to improve student learning outcomes in primary grade reading, the Founding Partners have established the All Children Reading Competition to focus on two needs that are both important and largely unmet in low- and lower-middle-income countries: teaching and learning materials and education data: Innovations in Teaching and Learning Materials to Improve Student Reading and Innovations in Education Data to Improve Student Reading.

    Visit the Grants.gov website for more information about All Children Reading. You can also go to www.grants.gov and search by the grant title or number.

     


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    Kids In Need Foundation and LOFT Launch Best In Class Teacher Grants

     | Nov 21, 2011

    The Kids In Need Foundation, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to providing free school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and under-funded teachers, announces its third year partnering with LOFT, to support the Kids In Need Teacher Grants program. LOFT, known for feminine, versatile, stylish and affordable fashion, will provide the grant from the company’s LOFT Loves Teachers program for approximately 100 teachers, so they may purchase supplies needed to conduct innovative projects in their classrooms.

    Funding from $100 to $500 is available for original classroom projects. Grant requests may be submitted online at www.kinf.org through December 9, 2011.

    “The Teacher Grants program recognizes the creativity of teachers, as well as alleviating the need for teachers to reach into their own pockets to pay for materials to do special projects,” said Dave Smith, executive director of the Kids In Need Foundation. “We are proud to partner with LOFT Loves Teachers on this Best In Class Grants program, which allows teachers to create innovative experiences in their own classrooms.”

    LOFT Loves Teachers is dedicated to honoring the daily commitment teachers make in and out of the classroom and the intricate role they play in children’s lives. To further teachers’ efforts, LOFT has pledged $50,000 to the Kids In Need Foundation in support of the LOFT Best In Class Grants.

    “Our brand is committed to supporting educators in their efforts to enrich the lives of our nation's children. LOFT is proud to continue our dynamic partnership with the Kids in Need Foundation through the LOFT Best In Class Grants, dedicated to providing teachers with necessary classroom tools.” said Deborah Cavanagh, SVP, LOFT Brand Marketing.

    Kids In Need is encouraging teachers to register for LOFT’s teacher appreciation program at LOFTLovesTeachers.com and learn about all the perks LOFT offers educators, including an everyday 15% discount on full price merchandise, exclusive sweepstakes, style guides just for teachers, and more. For official rules and to enter, visit LOFT on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LOFT.

    “The purpose of the Kids In Need Foundation is to get free school supplies into the hands of kids who need them,” said Dave Smith. “The materials necessary to do these exceptional projects would not be available to students if it were not for the Kids In Need Teacher Grants program and the companies that sponsor it, so we are greatly appreciative of  LOFT’s participation.”

    For more information, visit www.kinf.org.

     


    Articles about Teaching Literacy on Reading Today Online
     
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    Digital Development

     | Nov 18, 2011

    by J. Gregory McVerry

    Dust covered digital video cameras, forgotten and abandoned. Ipod carts, untouched, and wrapped in plastic. Two thousand dollar bulletin boards, once thought to be Interactive Whiteboards-but now covered with handouts, hang in classroom across the globe. Unfortunately these three scenarios unfold too often in today’s classrooms.

    As the majority of educators clamor for computers, clickers, and cameras some schools never unlock the potential of transformative technology. Such calamities and wasted resources arise because districts invest more time and treasure in purchasing rather than professional development.

    When educators view technology as new tools instead of texts that require new proficiencies to participate in online spaces, they often exacerbate the problem by not engaging in effective professional development. This paradigm must shift. In fact the digital development of educators must focus on the long-term transformation of teaching.

    Massachusetts New Literacies Institute
    The 2011 Massachusetts New Literacies Institute is a collaborative project with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative (LPVEC), and the West Springfield Public Schools. The institute is lead by teacher leaders who attended last year’s New Literacies Institute and built on the foundation laid by leaders in the field of New Literacies.  The success of the program lead to the state of Massachusetts being recognized by the Partnership of for 21st Century Skills as a 21st Century Awardee.

    Blended Learning and ePortfolios Initiative
    The efforts of the Connecticut Technical High School System represent another model for ongoing digital development. The project is designed to support the development of New Literacies among students , enabling them to be successful either in career or college by using blended learning environments and ePortofolios to focus on “learning to be” a career pathway instead of “learning about” a career pathway. Through the use of Moodle for and Mahara as a social network for portfolio development 10,400 students who represent extreme social and economic disparities in our state and country will be connected in new and collaborative ways.

    Boston Commons: Common Core, Common Writing, Common Technology
    The Boston Commons project focuses on improving content area writing while aligning the curriculum with the technology components of writing outlined in the New Massachusetts Framework for Literacy and Language Arts. During a year long blended learning institute teachers receive training in research based writing methods, pilot the use of iPAD carts for writing, and engage in inquiry projects. Teachers attend full day institutes in the summer, engage in dialogue on a Moodle course, and will create anchor sets of annotated student writing to train other faculty.

    Keys to Success

    These professional development programs share three keys of success:

    1. Focus on Pedagogy
    Online tools shift faster than students grow up. No professional development model can be successful by simply focusing on the skills required to use a specific tool. Instead a pedagogical must be identified and then a variety of tools that enhance this pedagogical goal can be thoughtfully embedded.

    2. Embed Studio Time
    Curriculum writing takes time, and as literacy educators we know the practices employed by good writers. Still many professional development models do not offer workshop time for teachers to collaborate and create. Each of the three highlighted projects focused on developing teacher created products.

    3. Utilize Human Capital
    The greatest resource schools have are teachers. These three professional development efforts focused on building capacity to encourage growth long after the professional development providers have left. In each project a system was in place for one cohort to train the next.

    J. Gregory McVerry is an Assistant Professor at Southern Connecticut State University.

    This article is part of a series from the Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).


     
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    Animals! Book Review Series - Number 2

     | Nov 16, 2011

    The parade of animals continues with this second installment of animal book reviews from members of the Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) of the International Reading Association (IRA). Visit their website to join CL/R SIG or to read more about them. 

    Grades K-3

    Rohmann, Eric. (2011). Bone Dog. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

    Bone Dog book coverWhen his dog Ella dies, Gus lacks interest in regular activities. Although he doesn’t even feel excited about trick-or-treating, het puts on his skeleton costume and heads out. His outfit leads to a perilous situation when he runs into real celebrating skeletons. Luckily “skeleton-dog” Ella comes to his rescue and, with some dog-and-bone humor, helps to save the day. Rohmann’s signature black outlines and cartoonish figures suggest the fun of his Caldecott-winning My Friend Rabbit. However, here he places his main character in a more sinister state; skeletons crawl from their graves and threaten to eat Gus. The skeletons’ rounded features and silly word-play soften the scare, and a perfectly paced, wordless resolution will leave readers giggling. In addition to a hint of spine-tingling thrill, Bone Dog presents a relatable depiction of grief that can lead to meaningful discussions on loss and depression. This slightly edgy Halloween tale is a read-aloud for all seasons. - Lauren Aimonette Liang, University of Utah

    Taylor, Sean. (2011). Huck runs amuck. Illus. by Peter Reynolds. New York: Dial.

    Huck Runs Amuck book coverMountain goat Huck simply cannot live without plenty of yummy flowers to eat. When there are no more flowers in the mountains, he begins a pilgrimage to the city for more. After a series of near accidents, mishaps, and an encounter or two, Huck faces a dilemma. He happens upon a wedding during which the delectable flower-laden hat of Mrs. Spooner, the mother of the bride, is blown to the top of a church spire. When Huck races to retrieve the hat and devour the flowers, onlookers see his brave ascension and dub him a hero. Huck is truly on the horns of a dilemma, caught between doing the heroic, right thing and filling his belly with petals. Nobly resisting temptation, Huck climbs down, and returns the hat, with nary a nibble. There is a reward for Huck and a surprise for all the wedding guests. The illustrations, created from watercolor, ink, and tea, depict perfectly Huck’s passion for petals. - Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University 

    Srinivasan, Divya. (2011). Little Owl’s night. New York: Viking. 

    Little Owl's Night book coverIt’s night time, and while much of the rest of the world heads for their beds, Little Owl is wide awake. The curious owl watches his nocturnal friends become active and takes note of everything that’s happening around him, even the flights of moths and the movement of fog into a field. As dawn approaches, the tired owl begs his mother for a bedtime story. She obliges and describes how night ends and day begins, but Little Owl never hears the end of the story because he’s fast asleep. Young readers will request this title again and again when it's time for their bedtime reading, and their caregivers won't mind repeated readings because the text has a dreamlike quality about it. Drenched in rich colors, the illustrations also are appealing with wonderfully drawn pines, green grass, and animals with huge eyes. Even the end papers feature interesting details such as a raccoon reaching into a squirrel's treasure trove of nuts to steal an acorn or two. This is a great picture book debut from a new author/illustrator. - Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University

    Ehlert, Lois. (2011). RRRALPH. New York: Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster.

    Rrralph book coverWho wouldn’t want to spend time with a talkative and uniquely talented dog named Ralph? The narrator is convinced that Ralph can speak since in addition to his own name, he is able to vocalize sounds such as “roof,” “bark,” “rough,” “wolf,” and “yep” as he and the narrator stroll outside through the woods. Of course, Ralph’s responses are puns rather than examples of his sophisticated vocabulary. The use of different font colors helps readers distinguish between observations and spoken words. The illustrations are filled with found and hand-painted objects such as zippers, wood, buttons, twine, metal, bark, screws, textile fragments, and papers. A close look will reveal that the beak of the woodpecker on the title page has been fashioned from a screw. - Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University

    Gravett, Emily. (2011). Blue chameleon. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Blue Chameleon book coverEven a chameleon can feel a little bit blue when he’s all alone and seems to have no friends. Without a friend or a welcoming place or anything to do, he sits alone and waits for a connection. His posture makes it clear that feeling blue is an evocative way to express someone’s feeling of profound depression. The blue chameleon quickly springs into action, though, once he sees potential friends in other objects and creatures. But he doesn't remain himself. Instead, as is characteristic of chameleons, he tries to mimic others in shape and colors. Thus, he molds himself into the yellow curve of a banana and the swirly shape of a snail in his attempt to be like them. At one point, he even remains quiet and unmoving like the rock he is trying to befriend, giving up after nothing happens. In desperation, he blends in with the book’s white pages, and readers can rub their fingers along the surface to feel his chameleon shape. Nothing works, and he remains lonely until he comes upon another chameleon, also searching for a kindred soul. The chameleon and his potential buddies roll, rest, bounce, swim, hop, and even hide in the book’s imaginative illustrations. - Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University

    Vamos, Samantha R. (2011). The cazuela that the farm maiden stirred. Illus. by Rafael Lopez. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

    The Cazuela book coverIt all starts when a farm maiden decides to prepare rice pudding. The first step requires her to stir the pot, which she does. But she can’t complete the dish without some help, and eventually, the farm animals join her, churning the butter, producing the fresh milk, purchasing the sugar, and adding all the ingredients for a yummy dessert. But everyone gets so caught up in having a good time together that they almost forget to keep an eye on the rice pudding. The warm acrylic illustrations painted on grained wood complement this engaging and delightful bilingual cumulative story. Back matter includes a recipe for arroz con leche and a glossary of Spanish words. - Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University

    Numeroff, Laura. (2011). What puppies do best. Illus. by Lynn Munsinger. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 

    What Puppies Do Best book coverGet ready for plenty of “Awww’s” when you read this book filled with puppies, puppies, and more puppies. Almost irresistible, puppies spill across the pages, dashing from their beds to awaken their human companions, jumping on humans’ beds, clamoring for walks, chasing balls, making new friends, and even learning how to retrieve and how to sit. They even offer slobbery kisses for anyone within reach, and anyone who sees them has no choice but to greet them with affection. In the end, readers are reminded what those of us who share our lives with dogs know: Puppies are exceptionally good at loving others and sharing their affection unrestrainedly. The watercolor, pen and ink, and pencil illustrations pay tribute to the spirited nature of puppies, always loveable even after they have just destroyed a couch cushion or a favorite shoe. Those loving, trusting eyes and the irrepressible nature of puppies make it hard to stay annoyed for long. - Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University

     


     
    Animals! Book Review Series - Number 1

    CL/R SIG's Previous Book Review Series

    Choices Reading Lists 

     

    IRA Special Interest Groups 

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