Would You Like To Learn About Bugs?

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by: Jennifer Dussling

Do you like bugs?  Are you scared of bugs? You don't have to be afraid. They are only a danger to other insects.   In Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!, we learn about several insects, and how they survive.  

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! provides interesting facts and information about different kinds of bugs. It contains colorful photographs from the point of view of an insect.  Each insect has an unique hiding and hunting style that is described in Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! This book examines how the praying mantis hunts flies, and how the monarch butterfly is not bothered by other bugs and birds.  Some insects have glands that stink, and others can squirt acid, inject poison, and find safety in numbers.   Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! describes the uniqueness of insects. 

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! aligns well with life science standards in Kindergarten, 1st grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade.  Specific science standards can be found at the bottom of this page. 

"Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! is a wonderful trade book to read to students in a variety of grade levels while studying life science standards.  A great activity would be to read this book and a fiction counterpart, and instruct students to list similarities and differences of both books.  This activity could easily be integrated in English Language Arts and Science." Heather

"The pictures throughout the book are excellent with great details.  I really like how the book has, 'A Note to Parents' at the beginning of the book. Overall, this would be a great resource book to introduce a lesson on insects." Cassandra

Life Science Standards

SKL2: Students will compare the similarities and differences in groups of organisms. 

a. Explain the similarities and differences in animals (color, size, appearance, etc.). 

S1L1b: Students will investigate the characteristics and basic needs of plants and animals. 

b. Identify the basic needs of an animal.

S4L2: Students will identify factors that affect the survival or extinction of organisms such as adaptation, variation of behaviors 

 (hibernation) and external features (camouflage and protection). 

a. Identify external features of organisms that allow them to survive or reproduce better than other organisms that do not have these 

features. (e.g. camouflage, use of hibernation, protection, etc.) 

 S5L1: Students will classify organisms into groups and relate how they determined the groups with how and why scientists use 

classification. 

 a. Demonstrate how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and invertebrate) and how vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, 

amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal).

Will You Choose To Accept This Mission?

Mission Addition By: Loreen Leedy

Mission Addition is a math content book that introduces addition facts to young students. Mission Addition makes addition fun in a literature format for young students.The setting of the book takes places in the classroom where Miss Prime is a creative math teacher.  She has her class playing detective by encouraging them to make their own addition problems throughout their day.  This is a great way to keep the students involved and engaged in learning. Students will be able to understand that math is all around them, and everywhere as illustrated in this book. Mission Addition describes different strategies used to solve addition problems. Adding big numbers, adding money, and recall of addition facts are explained in detail throughout the book. The book also introduces and defines math vocabulary words: addends, sum, plus and equal signs.

        

 Mission Addition is full of pictures and fun dialog between the characters that explain addition in a way that is easy to understand. It is an interactive book that shows students how addition can be used in "real world" situations, and how to set up an addition problem. Teachers can use this book to add fun and a literacy component to their addition lessons. Parents will also enjoy reading this book to their children to reinforce addition.  This will be a great book to introduce to kindergarten students!

Mission Addition can be integrated in a classroom during story time to reinforce previous addition lessons.  A great way to extend an addition lesson is to recreate what Miss Prime did with her students. Kindergartners would enjoy moving around, and adding objects within their classroom.  Teachers can also encourage students to use their addition skills at home.  Even though Mission Addition is a fantasy fiction book, it aligns well with the CCGPS.  MCCK.OA.1 Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.   

This is your mission, if you choose to accept it!  But remember, addition is not impossible!

A historical fiction book for all ages.

This week's book spotlight is on:

Sarah, Plain and Tall by: Patricia Maclachlan

Summary:

Sarah, Plain and Tall is a story about a family that lives on the prairie during the nineteenth century.  People traveled by train or by horse.  Communication was delivered by telegraph or by written letters.  During this time, it was not uncommon for men to put ads into newspapers to find a wife.  The father in this story did just that!   His wife died the day after she gave birth to a son named Caleb.  Caleb also has a big sister who named Anna.  Anna helped take care of her brother as an infant along with a housekeeper.  So, Jacob, Anna and Caleb are longing for a wife and mother to complete their family. 

One day, Jacob, the father, received a letter from Sarah Elizabeth Wheaton.  She informed the family that she was interested in Jacob's ad.  Sarah lived by the sea in Maine. Jacob, Anna, and Caleb wrote a letter to Sarah.  Caleb wanted to know if Sarah sings, and all about her cat Seal.  Anna wanted to know if she could braid hair and bake.  Sarah answered their letters, and decided to travel from Maine to the prairie to meet the family.  She told Jacob that she will be wearing a yellow bonnet, and she is plain and tall.  Her description of herself is the inspiration for the book's title.

Jacob, the father, picked up Sarah at the train station.  The children were so excited to meet her.  They waited all afternoon on their front porch to see the first sign of a wagon coming toward their home. 

 The children instantly fell in love with Sarah.  She taught Anna and Caleb about the sea and sea animals.  The children taught Sarah all about farm life on the prairie.  Caleb and Anna loved Sarah so much that they were afraid she would leave one day.  Sarah also loved this family, and decided to marry Jacob.  The next book in this series, Skylark, describes the wedding of Sarah and Jacob.

Sarah, Plain and Tall is classified as historical fiction.  The characters live during the 1800's.  The luxuries of the modern age were not available then.  For example, women could die from childbirth,whereas, now that would be far from likely.  

The characters in this story are appealing, because they touch the heart of readers by their pure desire for a mother, a wife, or a family. Anna, Caleb, and Jacob were very excited at the end of the book to find out that Sarah intended on marrying Jacob.  There is a happy ending, and anticipation to find out what is next for this family.  

The plot develops throughout the book.  Sarah enters the story as a stranger.  The book ends with her about to become a wife and step-mother. The conflict of the story is found in whether or not Sarah can adjust for the prairie life style.  Anna and Caleb's conflict is found in their worry of Sarah leaving the prairie to go back home to  her family in Maine.  The resolution is found when Sarah decided to stay and marry Jacob.

Sarah, Plain and Tall is told from Anna's point of view.  It is in a first person narrative.  Anna explains how she felt when her mother died, the day after Caleb was born.  It took Anna some to time to except Caleb while she was grieving her mother.  Anna also explains how she felt when Sarah came into her life, and when she decided to marry her father.  Anna also explains what each character says and does throughout the story.

"Sarah, Plain and Tall is a wonderful story full of excitement, adventure, love, and healing.  I would definitely include this book in my classroom.  This book would appeal to students between 3rd-5th grade.  Sarah, Plain and Tall could be integrated easily while teaching westward expansion, and life on the prairie."  Heather

"My opinion of this book is that it is an excellent book to read to young children, because it tells how hard life would be living out west long ago. The clothing reminded me so much of the movie “The Little House on the Prairie.” I also feel that Anna, Caleb, Papa, and Sarah all had to work hard to make their lives together successful and meaningful. They made up their own games, told their own stories, sing songs, and share in the work of the farm. The theme of sharing makes the book a positive reading experience for young children. This book is simple, yet full of meaning. I admire young Anna and Caleb for adjusting to the prairie life, and how they responded to the loss of a love one at a very young age." Cassandra

Learn more about Patricia Maclachlan here:

Whose is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?  

                                    Beware of the Storybook Wolves By: Lauren Child

Summary: A young boy named Herb enjoys the bedtime stories his mother reads him each night.  One night she forgot to close the story book.  To Herb's surprise, two wolves jumped out of the book.  Big Storybook Wolf and Smaller Wolf thought Herb could be their next meal.  Herb had to think quickly.  Herb tricked the wolves into believing that little boys are dessert, not the appetizer or the main meal.  They believed Herb, and began to look for an appetizer.  Herb remembered seeing green jell-o in another fairy tale story.  It was on the table while Princess Beautiful slept.  Herb quickly grabbed the jell-o off the table.  He did not notice the wicked fairy that was hiding behind the table.  The wicked fairy did not like children.  She remembered what Hansel and Gretel did to her friend and her house.  The wicked fairy was annoyed with the wolves, and told them that little boys are appetizers, not jell-o.  Afterwards, the wicked fairy returned to her storybook.  The wolves turned their attention back to Herb.  Herb was desperate, so he shook the Fairy Godmother out of her story for help.  The Fairy Godmother was annoyed to have left her story.  She was trying to help Cinderella.  Then, she realized the wolves were approaching Herb.  She waved her magic wand at the Smaller Wolf, and Smaller Wolf found himself dressed in Cinderella's gown.  Smaller Wolf liked how he looked in the mirror.   He jumped into the fairy tale book, and went to the ball with the Prince.  Big Storybook Wolf opened his mouth to swallow poor Herb.  Before he could do that, the Fairy Godmother turned Big Storybook Wolf into a caterpillar.  She also returned him to the wolf storybook.  The Fairy Godmother decided she needed a vacation, so she disappeared in search of one.  Herb then piled the heaviest object he could find on the storybooks.  It was his bed.  Herb felt safe, and went to sleep.   

Beware of Storybook Wolves is a very imaginative fairy tale.  It contains many traditional literature elements.  The setting of Beware of Storybook Wolves is vague and found in a bedroom.  Beware of Storybook Wolves has characters that are good and evil.   Herb and the Fairy Godmother are good.  They are paired against the book's antagonists, Big Storybook Wolf and Little Wolf.  This is a wonderful use of characterization.  Magic was found throughout the book.  The Fairy Godmother waved her magic wand, and turned the Big Storybook Wolf into a caterpillar.  This book also displayed several variants.  Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs,  Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella were all combined into this lively story.  Each individual story had different endings.  Poor Cinderella did not attend the ball, and Riding Hood encountered a tiny caterpillar on her way to Grandma's house. The plot was also cyclical. The story began and ended with the story of Little Red Riding Hood.  

"Any child would get a kick out of reading this book. Children can relate to it, and make connections. This is a wonderful story of a child’s fear of storybook characters, and his efforts to find new characters to help him. I really liked the creative use of fairy tales, and the story as a whole. This is a fun and imaginative storybook to read!"Cassandra

"Beware of Storybook Wolves is an engaging and fun adventure that children will enjoy!  I think this story will be great for a Kindergarten through Second grade class.  The older classes could even use this book as a compare and contrast writing assignment." Heather