El Deafo

El Deafo

Image taken from Scholastic.com

El Deafo

Bell, Cece. (2014). El Deafo. New York, NY: Amulet Books. 

Reading Level: GN420L

Why Should You Read This Book?

- The book covers topics of diversity, such as disability.
- The book teaches inclusion
- It presents a story in a contemporary format that students are not regularly exposed to (graphic novel).
- The picture will be beneficial to English Language Learners
- The story line is relatively simple and will be easy for struggling readers to follow.

This book would make for a captivating literature circle.

Online Resources:

Cece Bell
This is Cece Bell's website and it is very interactive. She has information about her book and herself on the website. There is also a spot for students to comment on her website. I would have the class comment something together.
https://cecebell.wordpress.com/

Understanding Deafness
This is a video that is very easy for children to understand. It has simple illustrations and a person signing in it to explain what deafness is at a simple level. It teaches students to be kind and helpful toward their peers. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_EmsguJMic

Blabberize
I made a blabberize to accompany this story. It is of my cat talking about her super power. Students can use this tool to think of a special super power they have, like Cece, that makes them unique. They can then use blabberize to share it with the class. 
http://blabberize.com/view?id=1420938

Bitstrip
Students can use this free tool to make their own ELA comic strips. For this text, I would have students create a bitstrip comic about what acceptance is. 
http://www.bitstrips.com/create/comic/

Key Words
Acceptance, Inclusion, Diversity, Relationships, and Individuality 

Vocabulary:
Audiologist: someone who studies hearing impairments
Hearing Aid:an electronic amplifier worn on the ear to improve hearing

Meningitis: an infection that causes high fever, headaches, and stiff muscles

Accosted: to boldly confront 

Feats: an extraordinary act of achievement
Foe: an enemy

Reading Strategy:
Before reading this story, have the students go on a word scavenger hunt. Pick out key vocabulary and give clues as to where the students can find the words.
During reading, have the students partake in split-page notetaking. This can involve one half of the notes focusing on the story and the other half focusing on what it means to be deaf or questions the students might have. 
After reading, use exit slips to have the students write down what scene from the text they would make into a billboard and what the billboard would advertise.

Writing Strategy:
Have the students create their own graphic novels using Bitstrip. Their novels can be about whatever they choose, so long as they establish a narrator, situation, and characters and organize a naturally unfolding event sequence (W.3.3).

Chains

Chains

(Image taken from Lexile.com)

Chains

 Anderson Halse, Laurie. (2008). Chains. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 

Reading Level: 780L

Why Should You Read This Book?

- It gives students historical background on the Revolutionary War through ELA.
- Historical terminology is used in a context that will help students understand the meaning.
- It gives insight into the horrors of slavery without being too graphic.
- The book comes with previously generated discussion questions that can aid the students and the teacher.
- There is a sequel to the novel to continue the students' interest in this topic.

This book would make a marvelous literature discussion.

Online Resources:
Social Studies for Kids
This website contains information about the Revolutionary War for students. What is great about this website is that it contains links embeded in it to provide students with more information about specific acts or battles. 
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/revolutionarywar1.htm

Mad Woman in the Forest
This is Laurie Hale Anderson's website. The link I embedded brings you to the teacher resource page. This page includes activities that link to the Common Core, her inspiration for the book, hands-on activities, and many other resources. 
http://teachers.madwomanintheforest.com/historical-chains/


Key Words
History, Diversity, Revolution, Freedom, Relationships

Vocabulary:
Chamber pot: a portable container people used as a toilet.
Kindled: to start a fire
Bodily Humors: were bodily liquids such as blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm, that people believed controlled the body
Hullabaloo: a loud disturbance
Insolence: rudeness
Contrived: faked or forced
Indentured: a contract requiring someone to work for an extended period of time

Reading Strategy:
Before reading, the instructor can find an interview with a person from the Revolutionary War to read to the class. This excerpt can be read to the class to get them thinking about the time period and lifestyle back then.
During reading, have students partake in reciprocal teaching. This can be done through having the group members summarize, generate questions about the text, clarify areas of concern and predict what will happen next in their groups.
After reading, have students hold a debate from the side of the loyalists and the side of the rebels on whether America should have freedom or not. This activity is a great way of integrating social studies into ELA.

Writing Strategy:
After the text has been read by the entire group, students will write about a historical event either before their lifetime or during their life time from the perspective of someone going through the event. This activity will allow for the integration of social studies into ELA. 

Out of My Mind

Out of My Mind

(Image taken from Lexile.com)

Out of My Mind

Draper, Sharon (2010). Out of My Mind. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Reading Level: 700L

Why Should You Read This Book?

- The book is from the perspective of a person with a disability, which is a perspective rarely visited in texts students read in school.
- The book teaches about inclusion and why it is important to have inclusion in school.
- The story is a great way to represent students with disabilities in the class reading.
- The book covers a quiz competition so the readers of this text will also gain various fact information from the story.
- The book uses exceptional vocabulary words.

This book would be a marvelous text for a literature circle.

Online Resources:
Infographic
I created an infographic to accompany the reading of this text. The infographic contains a short summary of the book by covering main events from the text. Students can use this when refreshing themselves on the story.
https://magic.piktochart.com/output/12133053-untitled-infographic

SharonDraper.com
The author has her own website where she discusses Out of My Mind. On the website, there is a section where Sharon answers questions about Out of My Mind and Melody.
http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=35

Cerebral Palsy
This website contains information about what cerebral palsy is at a level students will understand. This website is beneficial because it gives information about what the condition is and the different forms it comes in. I would recommend this website if a student wanted to learn more about the condition.
http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/cerebral-palsy.html

Key Words
Diversity, Disability, Individuality, Relationships, Community

Vocabulary:
Amble: to stroll at an easy pace.
Bellow: to utter in a loud deep voice
Cerebral Palsy: a paralysis caused by prenatal brain trauma or a brain injury
Convulsion: moving the body due to sudden muscle contractions
Diagnosis: determining a condition through examination
Flail: to thresh about
Indignation: displeasure toward something considered unjust

Reading Strategy:
Before reading, I would invite my brother to speak to the class. He was born with cerebral palsy and can speak first hand on experiences that people with cerebral palsy have. I could even see if he would read a portion of the text to the students.
During reading, have the students who are reading this text in their literature circle hold a fishbowl discussion. This will make sure the students are all comprehending what they are reading and will give them a chance to talk to their group members about the text.
After reading, have students partake in Reader's Theater.  They can create their own script or the instructor can create or find one online. This will help the students understand the main character's feelings and will benefit the students in their future writing activity.

Writing Strategy:
After students have finished reading the story, they can write their own story from a perspective they are unfamiliar with, such as an animal or the president of the United States. This activity will help students understand what goes into writing from different perspectives and will also touch upon point of view aspects from the standards. 

Seedfolks

Seedfolks 

Image taken from Lexile.com

Seedfolks 

Fleischman, Paul. (1997). Seedfolks. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. 

Reading Level: 710L

Why Should You Read This Book?

- Each chapter is from a different character's perspective which can help the students understand different character traits.
- The book has a strong theme of relationships and change.
- The book discusses immigration, which can provide a nice bridge to talk about historical topics.
- Cause and effect is a prevalent theme in this text.
- Some of the chapters briefly touch upon world history, such as World War II, which can be a gateway for discussion.

This book would work very well with literature circles.

Online Resources:
Voki
Students would use Voki to record the perspective of the character they chose (see more information in Writing Strategy). They can customize the Voki so that it looks like the character illustrated, or how the character looks in the student's imagination. 
http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=12593710&height=267&width=200


Infographic
Students can use Pictochart to create an infographic, showing cause and effect relationships. They can use cause and effect relationships in the text between characters, the environment, and the town.
http://piktochart.com/

Key Words
Diversity, Relationships, Change, Understanding, Community

Vocabulary:
Vacant: empty

Spouts: to discharge with force.

Troughs: a container that is long, narrow, and open used to hold food or water for animals. 

Altering: to make different in a particular way.
Locket: A necklace that opens and has a little place to hold a personal item, like a picture.
Immigrants: A person who moves to a new country

Reading Strategy:
Before reading this story, have students complete a KWL chart as a class about what they know about immigration and want to know about immigration. Save the L part for after the story is finished.
During reading, model comprehension, while addressing important concepts in the text and talking aloud about how you understand what it happening. 
After reading, have the students fill in the L part of the KWL chart, using evidence from the text to support what they learned. Have the students hold a collaborative conversation in their book groups, about the themes of relationships and change from the book. Have them come prepared with questions and points for discussion.

Writing Strategy:
After reading the story as a class, have the students write from the perspective of one of the characters in the book. Have them study a specific character and write about what that character's earlier life could have been like and what brought them to where they are in the story. This writing will be used with Voki.

Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds

Image taken from Lexile.com

Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds

Moss, M., & Hendrix, J. (2011). Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Reading Level: AD820L 

Why Should You Read This Book?

- It covers American history in a fast paced, entertaining way.

- The story focuses on a real person that once existed, which can help aid kids in learning about different biographies.

- The book addresses the poignant topic of gender verses sex. Although this concept may be too advanced to discuss in detail with elementary schoolers, seeing diversity represented in text will be beneficial for them.

- The book briefly touched upon race through showing how hard the work was for African Americans in the war and how they were treated. 

- This book works well in integrating social studies into ELA.

This book would make for a splendid read aloud.

Key Words
History, War, Women's Rights, Biographies, Individuality

Vocabulary:

Peachy: excellent, wonderful

Canteen: a small container that can hold liquid

Revolt: an uprising against an authority

Cherish: to value and care about something

Ramparts: mounds in the earth that serve the purpose of a barricade. 

Sentry: someone standing guard

Online Resources:

BrainPop

This website contains an interesting animated video for the students that they will most definitely enjoy. There is also a quiz available about the Civil War.

https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/civilwarcauses/

Mr. Nussbaum!

This website contains just about all the information you could think of covering in a Civil War unit. There are pages dedicated to: causes and effects, significant battles and people, Abraham Lincoln, African Americans in the war, and women in the war. 

http://mrnussbaum.com/civil-war-for-kids/

Reading Strategy:

Before reading, ask the students what they know about wars, particularly the Civil War. Explain to the students that the war was caused because some people believed in ending slavery and they were willing to fight for it.

During reading, ask the students questions such as: "Was it important for Sarah to stay disguised?" and "Do people still need to wear disguises to accomplish something?"

After reading, ask the students what they learned from the text and ask them if they would be willing to fight for something they believed in.

Writing Strategy:

This book would give the students the opportunity to write a persuasive piece about what they would be willing to fight for. Explain to the students that they are going to be writing to an authority figure (parent, principal, president) to encourage them to fight with them for a cause they believe in. Go around the class and garner ideas before the students begin writing. Once the students finish their writing, have them share it then have them deliver or mail their pieces to the person they were trying to persuade.

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

(Image taken from Lexile.com)

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

 DiCamillo, K., & Campbell, K. G. (2013). Flora & Ulysses: The illuminated adventures. Candlewick Press. 

Reading Level: 520L

Why Should You Read This Book?

- The book utilizes a marvelous vocabulary selection.
- Graphics are inserted periodically which entice the readers.
- The graphics also convey part of the story. Thus introduction can be used in preparing the class for a graphic novel.
- The novel is humorous which will lead to a delightful read by most who read it.
- The book won the 2014 Newbery Award. This award can be explained to students, along with other awards, to guide them in their selection process of quality reads.

This book would make for a marvelous reading group read or read aloud.

Online Resources:
Kate DiCamillo's website hosts a video interview that could interest the class. This video would probably be most interesting to an upper elementary class. The website also contains a backstory on the novel.
http://www.katedicamillo.com/books/flora.html

This video is an interview with DiCamillo about her writing process. The video also gives a tour of her writing space and can be a interesting glimpse for the students into the life of a writer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k8jP4Ivf18

Key Words
Comical, Animation, Action, Adventure, Relationships

Vocabulary:
Surreptitious: done in a secretive manner
Cynic: a person who sees humankind as selfish and does not believe in selfless acts
Malfeasance: something that is harmful and can ruin public trust
Audacious: bold and daring
Mundane: boring or monotonous
Positing: to place or set

Reading Strategy:
Before Reading: ask the students about the purpose of illustrations. Have them ponder why there are fewer illustrations as they advance in school. Also, mention how this book contains advanced vocabulary and encourage the students to use context to figure out the meaning of words.

During Reading: point out some of the author's word choice and have the students come up with meanings for the words based off the context. 

After Reading: Present the students with a list of vocabulary words from the text and have them record the words and meaning in their vocabulary journals.

Writing Strategy:
Have the students search for  new vocabulary words they want to introduce to the class. Have them utilize these words in a writing piece (can be geared toward any topic), in which context can aid in understanding the meaning of the new words. After the writing pieces are finished, have the students share what they wrote aloud and have the class guess the meaning of the new words. 

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night

(Image taken from Lexile.com)

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night

Sidman, J. & Allen, R. (2010). Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Reading Level: 1020L

Why Should You Read This Book?

- Eloquent language is used to introduce readers to the use of rich language in poetry.
- The poems are captivating for all ages.
- A scientific explanation accompanies each poem, providing the reader with a greater understanding of what takes place at night.
- There are beautiful illustrations with adept color choice.
- It is a text easy to integrate into a science unit. 

Online Resources:
Poetry for Kids contains an abundance of information and resources for the students when they begin writing their own poems. It also includes a list of poetic terms and a rhyming dictionary.
http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/poetry-writing-lessons/

National Geographic has an informational section on multiple nocturnal animals, such as owls. The website also has specif species information and photography.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/great-horned-owl/#GreatHornedOwl1.jpg

Keywords
Poetry, Animals, Creative Writing, Nature, Newbery Award Winner

Vocabulary:
Nocturnal: active at night
Stanza: a group of four lines in poetry
Fungi: spore-making organisms that feed on decaying organism matter
Migrate: in birds, to move from one region to another in order to raise young more successfully
Photosynthesis: how plants make energy from sunlight
Camouflage: coloring or body parts that help animals blend in
Predator: an animal that hunts other animals for food

Reading Strategy:
Before Reading: There is some advanced vocabulary present in the text, such as words like "vagabond" and "omnivorous". Although these words are not essential to understanding the text, they give the poems greater depth and will allow the reader to appreciate the language more. A quick vocabulary lesson on words like these and the vocabulary words listed above would be beneficial before reading.

During Reading: Ask the students questions about the poems while you are reading it. Point out examples of figurative language. By doing this, students will have a greater understanding of the poem. 

After Reading: Have the students discuss in groups what the poems meant and what makes the poem a poem.

Writing Strategy:
Combining this text with an animal science unit would be a stellar idea. Have the students mimic the book in how it has a poem about a subject on the right and subject content on the left. Students can transfer knowledge gained in their science unit and put it to use in their poetry.