Cover of the January/February 2022 journal "Social Studies and the Young Learner" published by the NCSS. This week I had the gift of time with K-5 educators across my district participating in the final of four "curriculum council" meetings we've shared this year. Teachers were first provided time to prepare by first reading a January/February… Continue reading Sparking Teacher Learning through Picture Books, Professional Journals, and Conversation
Tag: Social Issues and Social Comprehension
Books that are perfect to engage students in conversations about social issues.
The Whatifs
Building a classroom community and establishing relationships with students is the primary goal of all teachers. Helping students establish relationships with each other that evolve and grow is also a goal for teachers. I tell my students on the first day of school that we will learn to be a family together, that it will… Continue reading The Whatifs
Watercress
The ALA Youth Media Awards are a week away so I could write this post about why I think Watercress by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin will be an award winner. Instead, I am going to write about how Watercress can be used in the classroom to support social emotional learning. We have… Continue reading Watercress
Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem by Amanda Gorman
The world is changing, and people are growing by learning more and taking action."-- Fourth Grader Imagine my surprise on Inauguration Day when my partner texted me to share that he had gone ahead and preordered Amanda Gorman's children's book for my classroom! He just knew that my students and I needed it in our… Continue reading Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem by Amanda Gorman
Kindness Grows
Thank you @BTeckentrup and @tigertalesbooks for this wonderful reminder that Kindness Matters. A must read for everyone!
The Cot in the Living Room
I could not love this book more. Absolutely perfect mentor text for character change. As the story begins, our main character is very jealous of the children who get to spend the night on the cot in her living room. The illustrations by Gaby D'Alessandro assist the readers as we imagine what our main character… Continue reading The Cot in the Living Room
The Alphabet’s Alphabet
Have you ever thought of the alphabet as one big happy family of relatives? That’s how they are presented in The Alphabet’s Alphabet, written by Chris Harris and illustrated by Dan Santat. Harris begins by explaining that the alphabet is just like a family and that they are all alike in many ways. He then… Continue reading The Alphabet’s Alphabet
A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty
A Small Kindness It’s easy to be kind when it’s a small problem, it’s hard to be kind when it’s a big problem. - Aiden, First Grader I had popped into this first grade classroom to relieve a busy teacher as they were wrapping up a discussion on kindness. Aiden floored me with this comment and… Continue reading A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty
Way Past Worried
You know that feeling. The one that keeps you up at night, the one that has you CONVINCED something awful has happened, the one that occupies every waking moment; it goes BEYOND worried. It is a situation that you are so concerned about that you just can’t get it out of your mind and you… Continue reading Way Past Worried
All the Way to the Top
By Annette Bay Pimentel Illustrated by Nabi H. Ali All the Way to the Top tells the story of Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins and how she came to participate in the Capital Crawl when she was just 8 years old! The Capital Crawl was a protest considered to be instrumental in getting the Americans with Disabilities Act… Continue reading All the Way to the Top
At the Mountain’s Base
For some time now, I have been collecting books written by own voice authors, particularly those books written by Indigenous people. My collection is growing and these books play a vital role in all aspects of my curriculum and in the classroom community. The students are beginning to recognize works by specific authors by examining… Continue reading At the Mountain’s Base
Vote For Our Future
I discovered the book Vote for Our Future by Margaret McNamara and Micah Player a few months ago. I was searching for a children’s book that I could read to my second and fourth-grade students that would be informative, yet steer us away from any contentious conversations. Given the age of my students and the… Continue reading Vote For Our Future
Going Up by Sherry Lee
Going Up by Sherry Lee reviewed by Susan Kennedy As we are going back to school in whatever form that is taking, hopefully we are returning to writing. I love writing with students and hearing them storytell their narrative plans. Returning to school this fall, I hope we'll start with some narratives: small moments, memoirs,… Continue reading Going Up by Sherry Lee
Starting Anew
As an educator, I have always felt that August offers the kind of renewal and restart that so many others seek to find in January. This August feels especially ripe with opportunities to tip everything on it’s head and to address what’s broken, to actively change what has been exacerbating inequities in our education system… Continue reading Starting Anew
The Journey by Francesca Sanna
Francesca Sanna’s The Journey is a beautiful, powerful book that delivers a timely message to readers. It describes the journey of a brave family who must flee from their home to escape a war. Francesca Sanna created this picture book after interviewing refugees in Italy. Educators can use this book to teach a variety of… Continue reading The Journey by Francesca Sanna
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is a must read for 2020. It is a story of friendship, relationships and life lessons for people of all ages. These unlikely characters discuss life, forgiveness, and the journey we all take on this earth. The characters have hopes and dreams, fears… Continue reading The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
I love when my colleagues recommend books to me and this one did not disappoint! "Book Uncle and Me" has a very relatable main character in Yasmin, an avid reader who has a goal of reading one new book every day. She gets her books from Book Uncle, a retired teacher who has a lending… Continue reading Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
You Hold Me Up
At the beginning of the school year, every teacher focuses on establishing a classroom community and developing relationships among the members of the classroom. Cultivating and maintaining a positive classroom community takes dedication, time and care. You Hold Me Up , by Monique Gray Smith and illustrated by Danielle Daniel is a book that will… Continue reading You Hold Me Up
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Every once in a while a book lands in your hands at the exact right moment and you thank the book universe for its delivery. Other Words for Home, Jasmine Warga's first novel for middle grade readers, does just that. Written in verse, this story is a tale of a young girl, Jude, leaving her… Continue reading Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss
Teacher Thoughts… It is impossible not to love Kate DiCamillo and adorable dog characters! Rosie is lonely, but she is also hesitant to try anything new. Her owner, George, takes her to the dog park, and after a couple of false starts, she makes friends with two other dogs. This delightful book is perfect to… Continue reading Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss
Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick
Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights happens to share its book birthday with the anniversary of Malala’s life changing event-- October 9th. In fact, Malala immediately hooks her audience by flashing back to that particular day, which haunts her memory. “When I close my eyes, I can see my bedroom. The bed… Continue reading Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick
The King of Kindergarten
The King of Kindergarten “It’s time to start kindergarten, and you know what, kid? You got this! It’s your time to shine and be the King of Kindergarten!” The King of Kindergarten joyfully written by Derrick Barnes and artfully illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton should be every kindergarten teacher's read during the sparkling-with-opportunity first few minutes… Continue reading The King of Kindergarten