Welcome to the Literacy Coaching Site
Patti Magoon, Literacy Coach
pattim@mpsvt.org 802-225-8625
Welcome!
I am excited to be a part of the mission we have embraced: working together to help your children and our students to be capable and motivated contributors to their local, national, and world communities. My piece of this work is helping students to continue to make progress with their literacy skills.
You will find resources below that help engage our students and your children in reading and writing. I update this list frequently, so check back often for some new ideas.
Here's to a positive and productive school year!
Patti Magoon
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."
- Frederick Douglass
Helpful Text Complexity Websites from January 16, 2012 Inservice
Common Core State Standards
Lexiles for Books
Lexile Analyzer for Texts that are not Books
What does a literacy coach do?
1) I support all content teachers as they use reading and writing skills to help students learn social studies, science, language arts, and math (the core content areas).
Some of the ways I can support teachers include providing resources, co-teaching and/or giving demonstration lessons, co-planning lessons, and working with individuals and teams to discuss possible solutions for specific questions.
2) I support students who are working on literacy skills.
3) I coordinate the administration of standardized and common reading and writing assessments, help teams analyze test results, and facilitate literacy teachers’ work with items such as Common Core state standards and common assessments.
Have you checked this out?
Have You Checked This Out?
www.icivics.org
Also, see the article on the staff room table.
Common Core writing: the site also contains materials for teaching argument writing.
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has launched iCivics.org, an interactive website dedicated to reversing the decline of civic awareness and civil discourse. Currently, nationwide barely a third of US citizens can name the three branches of government and less than 20% of 8th graders know why the Declaration of
Independence was written. This site includes interactive materials that teach students about laws, US government, individual rights, courts, politics, etc. Materials include 16 games (Branches of Power, Win the White House, Crisis of Nations, etc.), 11 webquests, 50+ lesson plans, 12 curriculum units (foundations of govt., US Constitution, budgeting, etc.) and service learning projects. i.Civics gamers can spend the points they win on their favorite project. Every 3 months, iCivics donates $1,000 to the winning project. An easy way to navigate this site is to use the tab at the top titled “Teachers, This Way.” There you will find clearly organized links to units, games, etc. Select VT on the Curriculum Finder and additional tabs will pop up that will allow you to search the site for activities that meet specific VT standards. Under curriculum units, go to Persuasive Writing for 8 lessons and accompanying graphic organizers on how to construct a solid argument. This site is rich and engaging.
http://www.vita-learn.org/?PN=Calendar
Vita-Learn, “Leading Vermont in Technology Education,” has created a website that can help us find professional development courses in Vermont. “To assist teachers in finding professional development, VL now combines all opportunities sponsored by all state education agencies, and places them in one Professional Development calendar.”
Agencies include Vita-Learn, VPA (VT Principal’s Assoc.), VSBA (VT School Boards Assoc.), VSLA (VT School Libraries Assoc.), VT DOE, ASCD, and the six regional VT Educational Service Agencies: LAPDA (Lamoille Areas Professional Development Academy), ARC, CVEDC (Champlain Valley Educator Development Center), NEKSDC (Northeast Kingdom School Development Center), SVCLC (Southeast VT Community Learning Collaborative), and SWC. You won’t find all the professional development opportunities available here as there are many other organizations offering classes and workshops. But this is a useful compendium of opportunities provided by the state and regional agencies. Check it out!
http://middleschoolpoetry180.wordpress.com/
April is National Poetry month. If you’ve tried Poetry 180 and found those poems are great for yourself or for high school students but over the heads of middle schoolers, you might want to check out Middle School Poetry 180. This website is chock full of “extraordinary poems for every young adult day.” You’ll find poems that are selected specifically for middle school students, and you have access not only to this year’s poems and blogs but also archives from years past. The site is easy to navigate and may be just right – if not for you as a teacher, then perhaps for those students of yours who love poetry.
Wild Life, by Cynthia DeFelice
This book would appeal to boys who enjoy the outdoors. Twelve-year old Erik comes home full of excitement over his new hunting license; now he can go on the planned hunting trip with his buddy. However, Erik finds out that his parents have been called up to serve in Iraq, so he will have to forego the hunting trip and move from New York to North Dakota to live with his grandparents. Erik finds his grandmother to be personable, but his grandfather is gruff, especially when Erik reaches out to open a closed door. Of course Erik explores the forbidden room the first chance he gets, and he discovers it is a shrine to his Uncle Dan who was killed in Vietnam. Erik’s time in North Dakota includes many adventures, including rescuing a dog with a face full of porcupine quills, running away, and escaping from a stranger who intends to turn Erik in so that he (the stranger) can get the $5000 reward that is being offered. Details of Erik’s survival in the wild are gritty, and the book leaves the reader with a logical and heart-warming ending.
Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners From 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert, by Marc Aronson
“On August 5, 2010, in a remote Chilean copper mine, 33 miners were trapped 2,300 feet underground by 708,000 tons of rock. The mine owners did not have up-to-date maps of the mine, and the initial rescue teams were drilling blindly. The miners were down to one bite of tuna every three days for each man by the time a five-inch wide hole burst through the ceiling of their shelter, 17 days after they had become trapped.” Author Aronson builds just enough background knowledge by briefly describing the land formations, and he uses pictures from space and diagrams to explain the Nazca Plate. Aronson also introduces us to mining terminology: portal, stope, etc. But knowing the reader does not want to be bogged down in technical information, Aronson focuses primarily on the story of the men: how they survived and how they were rescued. “Under the leadership of their shift captain, Luis Urzua, and the spirtual guidance of the eldest miner, Mario Gomez, the group came through this ordeal together.” Aronson concludes by connecting copper mining to our own consumption: the use of copper in homes, cars, and cell phones. Quotes from Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Feb., 2012, p.568
Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration, by Ann Bausum
This book sheds light on the downfalls of U.S. immigration policy over the last 130 years. The author, Ann Bausum, devotes each of her five chapters to a group of immigrants. She begins in the late 19th century with the Chinese immigrants who helped build railroads, and then covers Russian immigrants in the early 20th century, Jewish immigrants in the 1930’s, Japanese Americans during WWII, and Mexican immigrants. Her writing style “makes for easy reading” and includes photos and images. To help readers better understand and interact with the text, Bausum poses critical questions that connect readers with current events. “Is the work of migrant laborers taken for granted by society? Can the fear of Islamic extremists be compared to the fear of communism?” These questions are left unresolved, but the stories in this book will help readers construct their answers.
The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices From the Titanic, by Allan Wolf
Poet and historical fiction author Allan Wolf writes about the voyage of the Titanic in the voices of 22 characters, from John Jacob Astor IV to the ship rat and the iceberg itself. All the characters are factual, although Wolf has taken some poetic license with what may or may not have happened during the fated four-day voyage. Each character experiences the voyage differently, especially as social rank was delineated by socio-economic status and rules on the Titanic strictly enforced social order. Wolf’s process of writing enables him to create books that are dense with information yet easy to read. “I have a habit of writing about topics that I know nothing about…So I gather up all this information and arrange it to create a scaffold of facts, figures…Then I start removing huge chunks of information like removing blocks of wood from a Jenga tower. What remains is a scaffold with only the most integral historical facts.” This book has innovative literary techniques, such as the description of the iceberg (its verses melt down to fewer lines until it disappears completely.)
Books for Boys Part IV: Wildman
The male protagonists of these books exhibit independence and a primordial connection with nature. Book titles with an asterisk are housed here at MSMS. Thanks to Lauren and Kevin for their help.
Novels
*Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel
* Airman, by Eoin Colfer
*Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen
*Brian’s Winter, by Gary Paulsen
*Brian’s Return, by Gary Paulsen
*Crash, by Jerry Spinelli
*The Last Safe Place on Earth, by Richard Peck
*Alabama Moon, by Watt Key
*The Lemonade War, by Jacqueline Davies
Informational Books
*Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, by Jon Krakauer
*Within Reach, by Mark Pfetzer
Ice Story: Shakleton’s Lost Expedition, by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip Hoose
2009 National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature and a 2010 Newbery Honor Book
Nine months before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in segregated Montgomery, Alabama, 15-year old Claudette Colvin engaged in the same act of civil disobedience. This is her story. This award-winning book “is a riveting account that alternates between Claudette’s experiences and the Civil Rights movement that was spurred on by heroic actions like Claudette’s.” After the boycott spurred by Rosa Parks’ decision and the following trial (in which Claudette testified), civil rights gains were celebrated. However, Claudette was excluded from them all. The book includes many primary sources and sidebars with information on related topics.
-quote: Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, vol. 55, #4, p. 351.
Books for Boys Part III: Patriarchs
The male protagonists of these books exhibit the best qualities of patriarchs: responsibility, self-sacrifice, and stability. Book titles with an asterisk are housed either here at MSMS or at MHS. Thanks to Lauren and Kevin for their help.
Novels
* Hoops, by Walter Dean Myers
* London Calling, by Edward Bloor
* The Maze, by Will Hobbs
* Shadow Boxer, by Chris Lynch
* Tyrell, by Coe Booth
California Blue, by David Klass
Canyon Winter, by Walter Morey
The Fool’s War, by Lee Kisling
Informational Books
* This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie, by Elizabeth Partridge
Eagle Blue: A Team, a Tribe, and a High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska, by Michael D’Orso
Elegy on the Death of Cesar Chavez, by Rudolpho Anaya
The Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen Scientist, by Richard Feynman
Encouraging Students to Find an Audience When They Write
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/writing-for-an-audience-strategy-elena-aguilar
This blog contains a powerful story about an ELL student and her father. The author of the blog, Elena Aguilar, talks about one way to help struggling student writers find motivation: writing letters to people who may never read them. “When I read them (the letters) that night at home, I cried. I was overwhelmed by what my students carried with them to school, what they had experienced in their short lives, and what they needed to say. This kind of writing -- personal, to an audience who might never receive their words -- became a favorite in my class and a staple in our program. ‘I feel like I'm getting to have a dad by writing these,’ Jenny told me. And as students shared their letters with each other they found commonalities across their languages and backgrounds that they hadn't known existed. Communities were forged through their stories.” This strategy would work well not only for ELL students but for all young authors.
Asia for Educators
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu
A first look at this website elicited a “Wow!” from me. The Weatherhead East Asian Institute of Columbia University created this website which provides extensive resources for teaching Eastern Asian history and culture. It includes videos, maps, time lines, primary source documents, art, and more. There are several modules including “China & Europe: What is ‘Modern?’” There is a grade-level list of literature that could be read across the curriculum, as well as a section on Central Themes and Key Points. The Online Museum Resources on Asian Art is organized by art subject area, time period, country/region, religion, and special topics. This is a very user-friendly and rich site.
Ninth Ward, by Jewel Parker Rhodes
Set in New Orleans, this first young adult novel from award-winning Jewell Parker Rhodes focuses on 12 year old Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya, the woman who takes care of her. Lanesha loves math and the engineering of bridges, and she has big dreams for her future. But with the coming of Hurricane Katrina and Mama Ya-Ya’s deteriorating health, Lanesha finds herself trusting her own wisdom to save herself and her neighbors. Parker Rhodes’ signature poetic rhythms and vivid imagery permeate this novel. “Ninth Ward celebrates female wisdom and the bonds of love that strengthen families and communities.”
Teaching and Learning:
Using iPads in the Classroom
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ipad-teaching-learning-apps-ben-johnson
This Edutopia blog by Ben Johnson discusses many possibilities for using iPads in the classroom. For example, the app Field Notes LT allows students to take notes of their observations, attaches the GPS location and photographs of the observations, and lets students share, collaborate, and publish in the field. Students can even dictate their notes using Dragon Dictation; they can then store iPad created documents in the “cloud” via Evernote. Also, Project Gutenberg allows students to download thousands of classic books that can be read on free apps. Many other possibilities are discussed in this blog. Check it out!
Books for Boys Part II
The male protagonists of these books exhibit the best qualities of kings: trustworthiness, wisdom,
engendering excellence in others, generosity. Thanks to Lauren & Kevin for their assistance.
Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer
House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
The Lightning Thief series, by Rick Riordan
Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins
The Greatest: Muhammad Ali, by Walter Dean Myers
Lincoln: A Photobiography, by Russell Freedman
The Sea King: Sir Francis Drake and His Times, by Albert Marrin
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America, by Sharon Robinson
Hildene Lincoln Essay Competition “For the past five years, Hildene has sponsored the Lincoln Essay Competition focused on President Lincoln. It is open to all eighth graders in the state of Vermont, whether they enter as part of a class assignment or on their own. We hope this year’s essay question will spark some great discussions and inspire written responses. Essays will be judged on the student’s understanding of the subject as well as her or his ability to convey that understanding through good writing.” Winners receive cash prizes (first place: $1,000) and are invited to an awards luncheon along with their parents and teachers as Hildene’s guests. One of our MSMS students won second prize several years ago.
This year’s essay topic: Lincoln felt passionately that slavery was evil. When the repeal of the Missouri Compromise threatened to allow slavery to spread into the territories, he believed he had an obligation to fight it and re-entered the political arena.
Engage in some research to identify the personal qualities Lincoln developed during his lifetime that led him to act and made him so effective.
You don’t need to be a Lincoln to make a difference. You need to care, and you need to act. About what wrong in need of righting, or what opportunity to make a difference, do you feel passionately enough to try to do something to make your community, your state, your country or even the world a better place? As you answer this question, compare and/or contrast the values that motivate you to those that motivated Lincoln.
Submission deadline: Sunday, Feb. 12. 2012. To read more and/or to download the packet, go to www.hildene.org. Click on “Schools and Camps” and look for the Hildene Essay Competition.
Books for Boys
The following list contains books that are highly engaging for boys, contain positive male archetypes, and are housed in our library. The male protagonists of these books exhibit the best qualities of warriors: moral courage, honor, and self-control. Thanks to Lauren & Kevin for their help.
Code Talker, by Joseph Bruchac
The Contender, by Robert Lipsyte
Ghost Soldier, by Elaine Alphin
Ironman, by Chris Crutcher
Reef of Death, by Paul Zindell
Scorpions, by Walter Dean Myers
*Sunrise Over Fallujah, by Walter Dean Myers
Wrestling Sturbridge, by Rich Wallace
*Behind Enemy Lines: A Young Pilot’s Story, by H.R. DeMallie
* = Appeals especially to reluctant readers
www.newpages.com/npguides/young_authors_guide.htm
“Where young writers can find literary magazines to read, places to publish their writing, and legitimate contests. A select list of children's, teen, and young adult publications in print and online thathave open submissions with guidelines, an editorial selection process, and a regular print cycle. Some publish only young writers, somepublish all ages for young readers.”
This is a great resource that has links to many places for students to submit both writing and art for publication. If you have young authors who are looking for a place to blog together or publish, check out this site.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/steve-jobs-classroom-innovation-elana-leoni
“Ten Ways to Remember Steve Jobs” by Elana Leoni
In this blog for Edutopia, Elana Leoni gives us a succinct and practical list of ten actions we can take that will help students use Steve Jobs’ innovative technology to master the skills we are asking them to learn. For example, there is a link to how one school uses the iPod to help ELL learners master literacy skills. In addition, there are ideas such as using portable digital devices to assess diverse learner’s reading progress and apps that can help develop students’ higher order thinking skills. Each suggestion includes links that will lead you to further information.
You Don’t Have a Clue: Latino Mystery Stories for Teens, Sarah Cortez, editor
Sarah Cortez is not only an award winning poet and editor, but she also works every day as a police officer. Cortez has compiled this collection of eighteen stories of mystery, horror, and intrigue written by a who’s who of Latino/Latina authors, including Ray Villareal, Rene Saldana Jr., Gwendolyn Zepeda, Mario Acevedo, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, and Sergio Troncoso. Each story is very different from all the others, not only in style but also in setting and plot. However, elements of well-written young adult literature are found in all the stories, such as common problems teens encounter, romance, relationships with family members, and most importantly, figuring out who you are. Add in the elements of danger and betrayal, and you have captivating reading.
“The Power of Picturebooks: Resources That Support Language and Learning in Middle Grade Classrooms”
Last week we looked at the picture book 14 Cows for America as well as 14cowsforamerica.com. This week you’ll find several copies of the above article in the staff room. This quick article discusses the use of picture books “as models for student writing, as materials to support instruction in content area classes, or as conversation starters that lead to discoveries of themes and concepts.” There is a concise table listing 20 noteworthy picturebooks, including a brief summary of the book and suggestions for how it is best used. For example, Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems uses a variety of poetic forms and contains scientific facts, giving the reader an integrated experience with science and poetry. Many books are historical in nature, and the table shows which books best address literary elements and themes, such as the concept of power. The use of picture books supports Common Core standards (e.g. comparison/contrast of forms, media integration) I would be happy to work with you re: picture books. If you would like support, we can co-teach, I can do a demonstration lesson, or I’m happy to be a guest reader.
14 Cows for America, by Carmen Agra Deedy
2010 Notable Social Studies Trade Book
This picture book can help students understand the tragedy of 9/11 without leaving them in a state of fear. It tells the story of a gift by the Maasai people to the US after hearing about 9/11 from Kimeli Naiyomah, a young Maasai studying in America. After a Maasai elder hears the news, he asks, “What can we do for these poor people?” Kimeli offers to donate his only cow to the US; others donate as well. Eventually 14 cows are presented to the American ambassador. This book offers not only an introduction to the events of 9/11 and the culture of the Maasai, but also helps students think about core values and social studies standards such as global connections and civic ideals and practices. Read alouds are not just for those younger students, especially when the reading is followed by rich discussion. This book might fit well into this year’s 7/8 curriculum which includes Africa. Additional resources: 14cowsforamerica.com.
http://commoncore.org/free/
This awesome resource is the first and free edition of the Common Core Curriculum Maps for English Language Arts. Each grade has six units that include standards, objectives, suggested works, sample activities and assessments, and additional resources. It’s worth perusing units in grades other than the ones you teach. For example, in the 6th grade unit on folklore, there are rich resources for Greek mythology. Suggested works include both literary and informational text, as well as audio books, the arts, and media resources (radio, video, etc.). The 8th grade “The Road Not Taken” unit is not about poetry; rather, it is a unit that is “about strong characters who venturedagainst conventional society in search of the greater good.” Definitely worth checking out.
Curriculum Sharing Sites
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/curriculum-sharing-sites-vanessa-vega
If you are looking for high quality curriculum sharing sites, go to this Edutopia blog by Vanessa Vega. Vanessa has curated eight sites in which teachers and others share materials and ideas. For example, “Curriki.org is an online community for educators and students to create, share, rate, recommend, and publish free and open learning resources. Many activities are aligned to the Common Core Standards. Khan Academyprovides thousands of videos with engaging, high-quality instruction in math, finance, and history (recommended by the American Association of School Librarians).” There are sites covering all the core content areas.
Purple Heart, by Patricia McCormick
Patricia McCormick, National Book Award Finalist and former journalist, has crafted a novel about a soldier’s life in Iraq, and in the process “…has captured the chaos and confusion of combat.” The main character Matt struggles to remember what happened just before his injury, but only after his recuperation and rejoining his unit does he fully remember. McCormick researched this story by visiting with families of soldiers who served in Iraq as well as with current and former soldiers who fought in the Middle East. This research makes the novel feel real and keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. The violence of war is “more implied than graphically described, and issues of language or sex are not present in Purple Heart, making this an acceptable read for middle school students.” However, the mature nature of the subject may call for discussion with family members.
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, February 2011.
Books That Build Stamina
Long-time classroom teachers have remarked about the decline in students’ abilities to sustain tasks over time. Research shows that the fast paced movement the internet affords readers is one cause. However, this is not a lost cause. Sometimes for older readers, stamina simply starts out as sticking with a book. One type of book that can build stamina is the full-length novel written in poetry. The Dancing Pancake, by Eileen Spinelli (a 6th grader’s experience with divorcing parents); Home of the Brave, by K.A. Applegate (about a Sudanese refugee); and Diamond Willow, by Helen Frost (set in remote Alaska) are books in this genre worth reading. You might also check out Emily’s Fortune, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (set in the Wild West) and novels by Kate Klise (told completely in the form of journals, tickets, newspaper articles, and other artifacts).
Source: Choice Literacy: “The Big Fresh Newsletter,” 5/14/11.
https://sites.google.com/site/commoncoreinvermont/
This is a new wiki that the Vermont DOE has set up to help us all navigate the new Common Core standards. Click on “Tools and Resources” for a list of all the resources the DOE has created so far. Both language arts and math resources are available. You can sort information several ways, including by grade level and content area. There is also information regarding the consortium that is working on the assessment piece of Common Core. If you are curious about what is coming down the pike and what the DOE has done so far, this site will be helpful. It will be updated frequently.
www.showbeyond.com/show/home
This site applies to all content areas.
“Like Figment, Showbeyond is a story-sharing community. What makes Showbeyond different is that it’s oriented around multimedia slideshow narratives.” (-Teacher PD Sourcebook, Spring, 2011) There is much more on this site than stories, however. This site would be a great platform for students to share their work. The first post I viewed was about the water cycle. The second post I viewed was a poem written and read in Spanish. Both posts were about 30 seconds long. Categories range from the news, politics, science, sports, fashion and style, art, music, and more. After each post is played, you have the option to click on several items: Explore, Know More About this Author, Read More Stories From this Author, Start Another Exploration, etc. Students can also podcast (tips are given as to how to do so). The site gives you two sound tracks, one for narration and one for background sound. The tracks can also be used to create sound effects. Students can also slidecast, which is combining a slideshow and a podcast. Users can create a profile (may need some guidance here), comment on each others’ work, and “fan” their favorite authors. One of the site’s slogans is “Image + Audio + Text = 3D. Registration is free.
Engaging Nonfiction:
Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science, by Susan Hughes.
Kids Can Press, 2010
“This is a book for the student CSI fan, revealing the real world of forensic science and other intriguing technologies.” – Reading Today, April/May 2011
This book explores the attempts to solve the mysteries of the disappearances of such people as the Egyptian Pharaoh Hatsheput, the Russian Princess Anastasia, and Mount Everest climber George Leigh Mallory. The use of CAT scans of ancient mummies and radar images of lost cities are some strategies that have helped teams of scientists and explorers propose theories regarding what happened to these missing persons. This engaging book can potentially draw CSI fans into nonfiction reading.
To Be a Boy, To Be a Reader, 2nd edition
by William G. Brozo
This book opens by addressing the disinterest many boys are showing when asked to read. It goes on to discuss ways to motivate male readers (or non-readers) in order to help them be successful in school and become readers for life. I have not yet finished this book, but what I’ve read so far is very eye-opening. If you plan to buy, make sure to get the 2nd edition. “To Be a Boy, To Be a Reader centers on engaging boys with books that contain positive male archetypes such as the Pilgrim, Patriarch, King, Healer, Prophet, and Lover. In these pages you get: * Full descriptions with literature examples of all 10archetypes
* Classroom vignettes that show how teachers have successfully integrated these books into their teaching
* A brand-new chapter that focuses on usingalternative texts such as graphic novels and comic books
* Fresh ideas for involving parents andcommunity leaders in boys literacy growth
* An expansive, fully updated young adult literature list,organized by the 10 archetypes.” -Amazon Review
Banish Boring Words, by Leilen Shelton
published by Scholastic, Inc.
“This must-have collection of 40+ word lists is packed with synonym choices for the most commonly overused words, such as good and said, as well as dozens of options for strong verbs, smooth transitions, and sensory and emotion words. A quick-reference guide for teachersand students to use during writing lessons and for independent work. For use with Grades 4 - 8.”
The Exquisite Corpse
www.read.gov
“An Exquisite Corpse is an old game in which people write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold it over to conceal part of it and pass it on to the next player to do the same. The game ends when someone finishes the story, which is then read aloud. Our ‘Exquisite Corpse Adventure’ works this way: Jon Scieszka has written the first episode, which is ‘piecedtogether out of so many parts that it is not possible to describe them all here, so go ahead and just start reading!’ He has passed it on to a cast of celebrated writers andillustrators…” (including Katherine Paterson and Natalie Babbitt). The story has been completed, and all 27 episodes are online where they can be viewed in print or listened to as narration. The book version will be published next fall. Click on “Play the Game” to enter an interactive space where students click on clues to review what they just read and see new clues for the next chapter. Students click again on “What do you think?” to write their predictions for the upcoming chapter.
Quoted text from “The Exquisite Corpse” at www.read.gov
www.youngwritersproject.org/
The Young Writers Project is an independent nonprofit organization that engages students to write, helps them improve their writing skills, and finds audiences for their work. Many of our students have had pieces published in the Times Argus and on the YWP website. We also had one student whose poem was selected to be dramatized during the Winter Tales collaboration with the Vermont Stage Company. This year’s website contains even more resources. Click on the “Learn” tab to find a Writer’s Library with tips, examples, etc. from professional writers. You’ll find the weekly prompts under the “Prompts” tab. There are also college mentors who provide feedback to students whether they are chosen for publication or not. There’s a lot more…check it out!
www.bookdrum.com
“Book Drum is a resource to get media-oriented screenagers interested in classic literature. This interactive website presents a wealth of material related to more than 100 classic and popular books.” Scroll down to “Books in School,” click on a title, and use the tabs on the right to explore the offerings. For example, Bookmarks provide pictures, You Tube clips, etc. to inform students about terms for which they are unfamiliar. Other tabs include: Summary, Setting, Glossary, Author, and Review. The site also runs a tournament in which participants can win cash for writing reviews. “Book Drum is similar to a wiki. Teachers can arrange for students to create a profile there of any book they’re reading in class.”
(Quotes from Educational Leadership, Feb., 2011, p. 9.)
http://figment.com/
This is a brand new website for teenagers with “literary leanings.” It was begun by Jacob Lewis, a former managing editor of The New Yorker. This site provides teenagers with a free place in which to read and write fiction, both on their computers and their cell phones. Participants are invited to collaborate with other writers through the give and take of feedback. Several publishers have signed on with the site and plan to present teens’ writing through their own publishing houses. www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/books/06figment.html
Looking for resources to teach Islam when discussing current events?
Check out the following website:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/886805-312/islam_in_the_classroom_teachers.html.csp
This article published by the School Library Journal has links to texts geared to various grade levels. There are also links to strategies teachers have used to deal with the complex discussion that can occur when students learn about this topic.
In the box on the right is a link to Recommended Books on Islam for K-12. The first category is picture books. Before you breeze by that list (thinking that they would not apply to middle schoolers), consider that research shows using picture books in the middle school can do the following: build background knowledge, engage readers, challenge students (especially when dealing with unfamiliar cultures), help you teach students various strategies, and are just plain fun. All kids like to be read aloud to. Try it and watch what happens!
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http://readergirlz.blogspot.com
This blog is a "cutting edge literacy and social media project for teens, awarded the National Book Award for Innovations in Reading." It's a nonprofit volunteer organization whose mission is to promote teen literacy and corresponding social service. Teen blog in response to reading suggested fiction and nonfiction books. This month's topic is resilience.
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"...context rich vocabulary instruction is an intervention that boosts middle school students' reading comprehension." - Lawrence, White, and Snow
To support students' knowledge of word structure and word learning strategies, try these websites:
www.visuwords.comsearch
www.wordsift.com
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