Social Studies and Science in Literature

Miss Rumphius has been thinking lots about how and when (and if) we teach science and social studies in elementary classrooms, which books might be best for instruction in these areas (math, too), and the power of letting kids play outside.

Here's some good news from my 5th grade classroom on all of those topics:

Before break, my students planted terrariums as a part of their environments unit in science. Every group got the same size container, the same amount of soil and the same kind and number of seeds. Each container got roughly the same amount of light. The variables in this experiment were how they planted the seeds and how much water they gave their seeds. We did observations sporadically and in no consistent format. I told them to date each entry, to write down how much they were watering, and to measure their new plants, but it became obvious that they didn't always take accurate notes. They also experimented with ways to keep their observations: on paper in their Environments Journal, with words in the Memos application on their handhelds, with pictures drawn in the Notepad application on their handhelds, with photos taken with the digital camera on their handhelds, or some combination of methods. When they tried to graph the amounts and dates they had watered the first terrariums, and the growth of their plants, it became clear to them that consistent, regular observations are important if you are going to do anything with your data!

After considering the biotic and abiotic factors in their terrariums, the students made plans for new, more successful terrariums to be planted after break. They also insisted on a regular schedule for observations, and we will create an observation form so that they are sure to gather all the information they will need when it comes time to share the results of their new experiment.

Sometimes, no matter how much instructional time it takes, it's important to deliberately plan for a failure so that students have the opportunity to do an experiment over again and improve their methods. (No, I didn't tell them that I planned for the first terrarium experiment to fail!! Sometimes it's also important to keep your teaching cards hidden!)

To give them a bigger example of the fact that science is not a tidy, works-the-way-you-planned kind of discipline, I read Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs! by Kathleen Kudlinkski. I also want them to know that science is not DONE. There will be lots left to explore and discover when they grow up and become scientists.

I also read them A Seed is Sleepy and An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston. I asked them where they thought these books should be shelved in a library: fiction? nonfiction? science? gardens? birds? My students were in agreement that the two are nonfiction because of the inclusion of facts in the captions, but neither is the kind of book you would use to do research. Both books sparked lots of great discussion. At one point I was reminded of Scrotumgate. A student said humans don't have eggs. I corrected him and said that human females do indeed have eggs, and the student interrupted me to say, "yes, in their stomachs." No, I told him, not in our stomachs (that's where we digest food), in our ovaries. At a swift pace to head off any goofy embarrassment, I reminded them that even flowering plants have ovules and ovaries -- we learned that when we dissected flowers in 4th grade. The large picture of a chicken embryo in an egg caused another student to worry that he was eating baby chickens when he ate eggs, so we talked about the difference between a fertilized and an unfertilized egg. And then, thank goodness, it was time for P.E.!

About 1/3 of my class is involved in a weekly science enrichment pull-out. The rest of the class is working on a project for our preschool and kindergarten classes. I named the project "I See Science." We are taking pictures of anywhere in our everyday environments where we see science. (After another week or two of gathering pictures, we will create a picture book or multimedia project to share with the little kids.) An electrical outlet (the study of electricity), the geranium (biology), computers (computer science). Last week we took our cameras outside. We saw bumblebees, mud wasp nests, hyacinths blooming, a preying mantis egg case, chickadees, and budding trees and bushes. On the playground equipment, we found simple machines: ramps and pendulums and screws. I think they're getting the idea that wherever you look, you see science!

Rather than trying to cram the rest of this year's social studies content into the three weeks after break (before testing), I am going to use historical fiction (Blood on the River: James Town 1607 is our current read aloud), short nonfiction, and some videos and dvds to provide an overview of the remaining topics to build background knowledge that will help me to TEACH the concepts required by the state (after testing) rather than just COVERING the material (before testing). I'm really excited to share a book I found last week at Cover to Cover: Everybody's Revolution: A New Look at the People Who Won America's Freedom by Thomas Fleming. This book is full of great pictures, the text is very accessible, and his premise is perfect for my multicultural, multilingual classroom: What does the American Revolution have to do with me? Fleming highlights the contributions to the American Revolution of immigrants, blacks, Native Americans, women and children.

So that's my (rather windy) answer to the study that says we're not teaching science and social studies and our kids rarely get a chance to think.

Cracking Open the Author's Craft by Lester Laminack

I just received a copy of Lester Laminack's newest book for teachers called CRACKING OPEN THE AUTHOR'S CRAFT: TEACHING THE ART OF WRITING. For those of you who know Lester Laminack, he is a children's author, an author of professional books, and an amazing speaker. Because of this combination, he has written this amazing professional book that allows us to get inside of the decisions he made when he wrote his picture book SATURDAYS AND TEACAKES. 

Since SATURDAYS AND TEACAKES is such a great book, it makes sense to teach students about the craft of writing using words from the author. CRACKING OPEN THE AUTHOR'S CRAFT digs into Laminack's decisions and gives lessons to go along with several "visual and audible" crafts. Following each lesson, we also get other books that we can use for follow-up lessons on the same topic. Did I tell you the best part? It comes with a DVD of Lester reading aloud SATURDAYS AND TEACAKES and teaching the lessons himself. He tells us at the beginning of the book that the book/DVD set can be used flexibly. As teachers, we can watch the DVD to hear the language Lester would use when sharing the craft. Or, we could just pop in the DVD and have Lester teach the lessons to our students. It is a really unique book and Lester Laminack is one of the few people who has the expertise to do something like this. He is an expert in the field of literacy and he is also a great children's author. The combination allowed him to create this professional resource on writing. The book is not due in stores for a little while, but it is definitely worth keeping on your shopping list:-)

A GREAT PARENT RESOURCE

I just remembered one of my favorite resources: READING AND WRITING: WHERE IT ALL BEGINS. This is a publication put together by a local professional organization (The Literacy Connection). It is a great resource of parents and teachers and anyone who works with young children. I include it in all of my baby gifts. Lots of schools around here buy it for all of the Kindergarten and preschool students. It is a great parent resource for schools and libraries. Did I tell you the best part--it is only $1.50 per booklet.

The book is packed with information about ways to support your child as they become readers and writers-natural, authentic things to do when reading and talking about books. It has just been updated and there is also a Spanish version.

I know this must sound like a big advertisement--it is just such a great resource and when I saw it sitting on the counter at Cover to Cover, I realized that I needed to spread the word!

The Story Behind the Poetry Friday Quiz

I was taking an English course as an independent study in my sophomore or junior year of college. I don't remember why and I don't remember the prof's name. I do remember what it felt like to be substantially behind my peers in the honors program who had earned their honored positions by graduating at the top of competitive urban private and public high schools. I was salutatorian without trying very hard (and without learning very much) in a small rural high school.

By the time I took that independent study, I was well aware of my deficiencies. The professor rubbed salt in those wounds by having me read a paper that Dave Von Goldenboy had written so that I could see an example of GOOD writing.

And then he recited NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY and he asked me if the poem is pessimistic or optimistic. I figured the right answer was probably "pessimistic." Sinking to grief? Dawn going down to day? The gold not staying? But since there was no way I could ever live up to the Dave Von Goldenboy standard, I took the plunge: I said the poem was optimistic, and then I made up my reasons why right there on the spot.

Thanks to all of you who left comments which vindicate my stance. However, I'm realizing as I write this that that moment in my life as a learner was monumental not because of my stubborn, youthful perversity, but because it marks the moment when I started thinking for myself and not just giving the answers I thought the teacher wanted.

Teachers According to Clementine

I just finished THE TALENTED CLEMENTINE by Sara Pennypacker. I must say, I just can't get enough of Clementine. What a great character! As expected I totally love this second Clementine book. I was so excited when I saw it at the bookstore yesterday. The bad news is, I now have to wait for the next Clementine book. Really, this character is, for sure, one of my favorites of all time. She is full of life and the writing continues to be brilliant.

And, I think we need to add Clementine's teacher to our list of Cool Teachers in Children's Literature. What a great teacher! I can't seem to find a name but he definitely belongs on our list.

Now, Clementine seems to have teachers all figured out. Here are some things she says about us in this latest book. It is a little frightening, but she is usually pretty accurate. See what you think.

"I have noticed that teacher get exciting confused with boring a lot."

"But he ignored me, which is called Getting on with the Day when a teacher does it, and Being Inconsiderate when a kid does it."

"My teacher looked at me as if he suddenly had no idea how I'd gotten into his classroom."

"In school, my teacher started in with the 'Talent-Palooza' business so fast I thought it was the last part of the Pledge of Allegiance."

"...so I went up to his desk. I made quick secret-eyes all around behind there to look for the pizza and doughnuts everyone knows teachers eat when kids aren't looking..."

"There should be a rule about that. No laughing for teachers."

"My teacher made a face at Margaret's teacher. It meant they didn't believe that for a minute, but they had to say it anyway."

"If a teacher can have a substitute teacher, how come a kid can't have a substitute kid?"

"When I got back, Margaret's teacher gave me a look that said she was going to remember all this nonsense when I got into her grade."

102 Cool Teachers

The Master List has been updated to reflect several new nominations.

Fun Finds

At Chicken Spaghetti I learned that Deborah Wiles has a new book coming out in August! YAY!

At Mo Willems Doodles I found out about the Pigeon's new website. Love the voices and sound effects!

At Lois Lowry's Lowry Updates I read the beginning of the new Gooney Bird Greene book that will be out this month!

I clicked over to the SLJ website from Amy Bowllan's Blog to find out if I'm a "real" teacher (couldn't find the list; didn't need to, really) and found that a more accountable Encyclo-Wiki is starting up -- Citizendium.

And finally, via The Bonny Glen, and just in the nick of time for Poetry Month, I found out what poetry form I am:

I am the sonnet, never quickly thrilled; Not prone to overstated gushing praise Nor yet to seething rants and anger, filled With overstretched opinions to rephrase; But on the other hand, not fond of fools, And thus, not fond of people, on the whole; And holding to the sound and useful rules, Not those that seek unjustified control. I'm balanced, measured, sensible (at least, I think I am, and usually I'm right); And when more ostentatious types have ceased, I'm still around, and doing, still, alright. In short, I'm calm and rational and stable - Or, well, I am, as much as I am able. What Poetry Form Are You?

Silly Words Day!

Nancy at Journey Woman has proclaimed March 31 SILLY WORDS DAY!

My students and I are always on the lookout for words that are fun to say and/or spell. Here are a few we treasure (in order from shortest to longest):

Zit (won't be long before they abhor that word!)
Dilfy (a made-up mom word for messy)
Atlatl (a prehistoric spear thrower)
Boonka (a word remembered from pre-speech, meaning blanket)
Kwakiutl (a NW tribe of Native Americans)
Mississippi (fun to say and more fun to spell FAST)
Tegucigalpa (the capital of Honduras)
Onomatopoeia (fun to say and spell)
Gift Certificate (because the nominator only recently mastered the pronunciation of certificate...cerFITicate? cerFICKatut? Plus, they're fun to get!)
Pachycephalosaurus (there's nothing better than dinosaur names!)
Antidisestablishmentarianism (is that really a word?)
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (we KNOW that's not a word, but it's delicious!)

DRAWING COMICS IS EASY by Alexa Kitchen

We get Time For Kids in our classroom each week. It is a great magazine and we learn lots! In a recent issue, we learned about a book by a 7 year old, Alexa Kitchen. The book is called DRAWING COMICS IS EASY (EXCEPT WHEN IT'S HARD). I ordered a copy and can't wait to share it with my students.

There is a lot to like about this book.

First of all, with the popularity of graphic novels, this book will help aspiring graphic novel authors learn to draw great characters, think about color, and more. The first chapter is called "Very Simple" and starts out with, "You may think drawing is hard. Drawing is a big challenge. But it is not. After this chapter, you'll be surprised how easy it is." Other chapters include "Figure Drawing", "Landscape", and "Mistakes".

I also love that it was clearly written by a 7 year old (now nine). I love when I can show my students kids as authors. And kids doing things that they love. The text is not perfect. It has errors in conventions--errors that a seven year old would make. It has not been redone, edited to adult standards, or typed up. It is in Alexa's original handwriting and drawing. Clearly Alexa Kitchen loves drawing comics and from her website, I noticed that she has other books available. She seems like quite an amazing 9 year old.

This book has received a great deal of publicity and has received good press from publications such as Publishers Weekly.

I love books by kids and this one seems especially timely with the popularity of graphic novels. Wish I had found it sooner--I could have used it with my students when we created our own comic strips in the fall.

Poetry Friday: Pop Quiz

(apologies to Robert Frost)

Nothing Gold Can Stay

1. Nature's first green is what color?
A. Blue
B. Violet
C. Gold
D. Green

2. This hue is her hardest to what?
A. Fold
B. Hold
C. Cold
D. Mold

3. Her early leaf's a what?
A. Shower
B. Bower
C. Glower
D. Flower

4. For how long?
A. An hour
B. A minute
C. A day
D. A season

5. Because of the evidence in the poem that "leaf subsides to leaf./ So Eden sank to grief,/ so dawn goes down to day./ Nothing gold can stay." would you say that this poem is
A. Optimistic
B. Pessimistic



(Answers: c, b, d, a...and the jury's out on number 5. I'll poll the audience on that one. Let me know in the comments whether you see this poem as an optimistic one or a pessimistic one. There's a story behind this question that I'll share later this weekend.)