Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The dining experience!
This blog is based on a dining experience with those shown in the photos above! Our instructor was one of the guests, but the purse is the only photo I could access regarding her! Here's a sample of what the dialogue might be at this dining experience with Jesus, MLK, my dog, my cat, Michael and Dr. Harris!Me - Hello everyone, thanks for being here! Our special guests each represent those who have made a significant impact on my life. First of all, I wouldn't be here without Jesus.
Jesus - Actually, none of us would!
Dog - AMEN!
Cat - Meow!
Me - MLK has inspired me to have a dream to teach!
MLK - I wanted to do special things for people.
Dr. Harris - That's how I feel about what I do, too!
Michael - I like feelings too, what do ya know!!
Jesus - Each of us has a special calling.
MLK - Each of us is responsible for determining that calling.
Dog - Did somebody call me?
Cat - I'm hungry!
Michael - I say we dig in!!
Jesus - Let us pray first - MLK will you please say grace?
MLK - God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.
Jesus - Amen
MLK - Pass the chitlins please
Dr. Harris - I'm really glad to be dining with such thrilling people!
Dog - Me too!
Cat - Meeeow!
Michael - Do I see tacos over there?
Dr. Harris - I'd like a Coca Cola please!
Michael - Not too much, don't want to lose that girlish figure!
Dr. Harris - Oh, don't make me blush!!
Dog - All this yakking means more leftovers for me!
Cat - Outta my way dog, you ARE NOT THE CATS MEOW!
Me - I say we chat later and dig in everybody!!!!!!
Good thing the semester is almost over - this blog really was difficult!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Historical Fiction
Supersentence definition of Historical Fiction = A novel that re-creates a period or event in history and often uses historical figures as some of its characters. A great example used in class was the movie made about the Titanic. I will continue to use that as a reference of description whenever I have to explain what HF is in my classroom.
I would use HF in the classroom for getting children to notice that nothing brings history to life better than a good story. Suddenly it's more than just dates and wars-it's real people, just like us, struggling and triumphing.
I searched the web and found this info that I wanted to share:
For some exciting ideas on how to use Historical Fiction in your classroom, be sure to check out the Web sites below!
Historical Fiction in the Classroomhttp://www.msu.edu/~vandeki3/ A curriculum overview with a wealth of great links-why and how to use historical fiction, lesson plans, book lists, and more.
Eyewitnesshttp://www.ibiscom.com/Get the inside scoop on history-told by the people who were there. Diary accounts, personal records, and excerpts from longer works illuminate the ancient world, the Middle Ages, the Civil War, the twentieth century, and more. An award winner!
You Be the Historianhttp://americanhistory.si.edu/hohr/springer/index.htmStudents study objects from a 200-year-old home to figure out how people actually lived. This exciting online activity includes a teacher's guide.
Historical Fictionhttp://hillside.coled.umn.edu/1994-95/ww2/historical.htmlThis elementary school classroom studied historical fiction and then wrote their own stories! Site includes lesson plans and student-written examples of historical fiction.
Historical Fiction in the Classroomhttp://www.msu.edu/~vandeki3/ A curriculum overview with a wealth of great links-why and how to use historical fiction, lesson plans, book lists, and more.
Eyewitnesshttp://www.ibiscom.com/Get the inside scoop on history-told by the people who were there. Diary accounts, personal records, and excerpts from longer works illuminate the ancient world, the Middle Ages, the Civil War, the twentieth century, and more. An award winner!
You Be the Historianhttp://americanhistory.si.edu/hohr/springer/index.htmStudents study objects from a 200-year-old home to figure out how people actually lived. This exciting online activity includes a teacher's guide.
Historical Fictionhttp://hillside.coled.umn.edu/1994-95/ww2/historical.htmlThis elementary school classroom studied historical fiction and then wrote their own stories! Site includes lesson plans and student-written examples of historical fiction.
....now that the semester is practically over, I've figured out how to add pictures to my blog : D
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Contemporary Realistic Fiction
1) Create a supersentence definition of CRF. Contemporary Realistic Fiction books have plots, characters, and settings that might be found in real life and are dealing with life's ups and downs.
2) How might I use this in my classroom? Using this type of book would be a way to introduce to students topics such as enemies, disabilities, religion, behavior, abandonment, divorce, friendship or even death. Each topic can be difficult, but by having a book with a story line behind it, the introduction may be less painful. Below are some books, with author and title listed, along with their story lines.
Avi. Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel.A ninth-grader's suspension for humming "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom becomes a national news story.
Bauer, Joan. Squashed.As a sixteen-year-old pursues her two goals -- growing the biggest pumpkin in Iowa and losing twenty pounds herself -- she strengthens her relationship with her father and meets a young man with interests similar to her own.
Bauer, Marion Dane On My Honor.When his best friend drowns while they are both swimming in a treacherous river that they had promised never to go near, Joel is devastated and terrified at having to tell both sets of parents the terrible consequences of their disobedience.
Bawden, Nina. Granny the Pag.Originally abandoned by her actor parents, who later attempt to gain custody, Cat wages a spirited campaign to decide her own fate and remain with her grandmother.
Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.Faced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion, Margaret talks over her problems with her own private God.
Byars, Betsy. The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown.A boy is puzzled by the comic and confusing questions of youth and by disturbing insights into adult conflicts.
Byars, Betsy. The Not-Just-Anybody Family.With a young brother in the hospital, a grandfather in jail, and their mother traveling with a rodeo, Maggie and Vern try to settle family problems.
Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw.In his letters to his favorite author, Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.
Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons.After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963.The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
Danziger, Paula and Ann Martin. P.S. Longer Letter Later.Best friends Elizabeth and Tara*Starr continue their friendship through letter-writing after Tara*Starr's family moves to another state.
Fine, Anne. The Tulip Touch.Natalie, who lives in the large hotel managed by her father, has a dangerous friendship with Tulip, the wildly uncontrollable girl on a neighboring farm.
Fleischman, Paul. Seedfolks.One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners themselves are transformed.
Freeman, Suzanne. The Cuckoo's Child.Mia refuses to believe that her parents are not coming back after they're reported lost at sea.
Konigsburg, E.L. The View From Saturday.Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade class in the Academic Bowl competition.
MacLachlan, Patricia. Baby.Taking care of an abandoned baby helps a family come to terms with the death of their own infant son.
Myers, Walter Dean. Scorpions.After reluctantly taking on the leadership of a Harlem gang, Jamal finds that his enemies treat him with respect when he acquires a gun -- until a tragedy occurs.
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Shiloh.When he finds a beagle in the hills near his home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to mistreat his dogs.
Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia.The life of a boy in rural Virginia expands when he befriends a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.
Paterson, Katherine. The Great Gilly Hopkins.An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.
Paulsen, Gary. The Crossing.Manny, a street kid fighting for survival in a Mexican border town, develops a strange friendship with an emotionally disturbed American soldier who decides to help him get across the border.
Rylant, Cynthia. Missing May.After the death of her beloved aunt who has raised her, Summer and her uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living.
Smith, Doris Buchanan. A Taste of Blackberries.No one, least of all his best friend, dreamed that Jamie's exuberance and a harmless prank could end in his sudden death. But when it does, his friend must find the strength to bear his grief and his feeling that he might have saved his friend.
Soto, Gary. Taking Sides.Lincoln Mendoza, an aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with his divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a suburban neighborhood.
Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee.After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
Spinelli, Jerry. Wringer.As Palmer comes of age, he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his town's annual Pigeon Day or find the courage to oppose it.
Voigt, Cynthia. Bad Girls.After meeting on the first day in Mrs. Chemsky's fifth-grade class, Margalo and Mikey help each other in and out of trouble, as they try to maintain a friendship while each asserts her independence.
2) How might I use this in my classroom? Using this type of book would be a way to introduce to students topics such as enemies, disabilities, religion, behavior, abandonment, divorce, friendship or even death. Each topic can be difficult, but by having a book with a story line behind it, the introduction may be less painful. Below are some books, with author and title listed, along with their story lines.
Avi. Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel.A ninth-grader's suspension for humming "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom becomes a national news story.
Bauer, Joan. Squashed.As a sixteen-year-old pursues her two goals -- growing the biggest pumpkin in Iowa and losing twenty pounds herself -- she strengthens her relationship with her father and meets a young man with interests similar to her own.
Bauer, Marion Dane On My Honor.When his best friend drowns while they are both swimming in a treacherous river that they had promised never to go near, Joel is devastated and terrified at having to tell both sets of parents the terrible consequences of their disobedience.
Bawden, Nina. Granny the Pag.Originally abandoned by her actor parents, who later attempt to gain custody, Cat wages a spirited campaign to decide her own fate and remain with her grandmother.
Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.Faced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion, Margaret talks over her problems with her own private God.
Byars, Betsy. The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown.A boy is puzzled by the comic and confusing questions of youth and by disturbing insights into adult conflicts.
Byars, Betsy. The Not-Just-Anybody Family.With a young brother in the hospital, a grandfather in jail, and their mother traveling with a rodeo, Maggie and Vern try to settle family problems.
Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw.In his letters to his favorite author, Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.
Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons.After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963.The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
Danziger, Paula and Ann Martin. P.S. Longer Letter Later.Best friends Elizabeth and Tara*Starr continue their friendship through letter-writing after Tara*Starr's family moves to another state.
Fine, Anne. The Tulip Touch.Natalie, who lives in the large hotel managed by her father, has a dangerous friendship with Tulip, the wildly uncontrollable girl on a neighboring farm.
Fleischman, Paul. Seedfolks.One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners themselves are transformed.
Freeman, Suzanne. The Cuckoo's Child.Mia refuses to believe that her parents are not coming back after they're reported lost at sea.
Konigsburg, E.L. The View From Saturday.Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade class in the Academic Bowl competition.
MacLachlan, Patricia. Baby.Taking care of an abandoned baby helps a family come to terms with the death of their own infant son.
Myers, Walter Dean. Scorpions.After reluctantly taking on the leadership of a Harlem gang, Jamal finds that his enemies treat him with respect when he acquires a gun -- until a tragedy occurs.
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Shiloh.When he finds a beagle in the hills near his home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to mistreat his dogs.
Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia.The life of a boy in rural Virginia expands when he befriends a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.
Paterson, Katherine. The Great Gilly Hopkins.An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.
Paulsen, Gary. The Crossing.Manny, a street kid fighting for survival in a Mexican border town, develops a strange friendship with an emotionally disturbed American soldier who decides to help him get across the border.
Rylant, Cynthia. Missing May.After the death of her beloved aunt who has raised her, Summer and her uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living.
Smith, Doris Buchanan. A Taste of Blackberries.No one, least of all his best friend, dreamed that Jamie's exuberance and a harmless prank could end in his sudden death. But when it does, his friend must find the strength to bear his grief and his feeling that he might have saved his friend.
Soto, Gary. Taking Sides.Lincoln Mendoza, an aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with his divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a suburban neighborhood.
Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee.After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
Spinelli, Jerry. Wringer.As Palmer comes of age, he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his town's annual Pigeon Day or find the courage to oppose it.
Voigt, Cynthia. Bad Girls.After meeting on the first day in Mrs. Chemsky's fifth-grade class, Margalo and Mikey help each other in and out of trouble, as they try to maintain a friendship while each asserts her independence.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Poetry
Because poetry is Dr. Harris' favorite genre, I've decided to share some of my personal writings from many years ago. I hope it is inspiring and uplifting to everyone and to no one offensive......
Dear Lord,
I'm writing you in my spare time,
letting you know what's on my mind.
Not very often do I take the chance
to let my emotions slip into a trance.
I'm usually so tied up in my own things,
trying to make knots with broken strings;
always relying on my own thoughts
and so many times, getting caught.
When You created our lives
You did it with such perfect strides.
You gave us each day
to spend our own way.
You gave us our family and friends
with which much of our time we spend.
Most important, You gave Yourself
and showed us we could do nothing by ourself.
You showed us a life.
You showed us a light.
By giving us these things,
You enhanced our dreams.
We now have a sight of things to come,
like a life everlasting in your heavenly kingdom.
By leading a life of proper growth
we give to You our promised oath.
To simply come to You and pray
that by Your side we would stay.
Life
Our life is like
one big highway.
Yet instead of cars,
there are people.
So many going
the same way.
Eventually having to make
their separate decisions
to lead to their own
special destiny.
Why
Why in the world
do I get this way?
All tired and mad
with nothing to say.
I can't help myself
when this mood comes on.
I just sit around
until it's gone.
I hope someday
I'll be willing to say
if it weren't for God
I'd still be that way.
The Bible
The Bible is a book
with words so true.
It speaks to hearts
both old and new.
It teaches us
day by day
to be ready for Him
When He comes our way.
Telling us
day by day
how to live
a better way.
God's Love
With love from above
I have left you this book.
To be with you always.
Upon which always to look.
Understand
The words of today
are, 'always to pray'
to our Father above
who has left us His love.
My Psalm
Oh Lord, God of Love
Thou are the most high
from heaven above
Thou are the one; your Son who died
to forgive our sins
and have eternal life.
Oh Lord, God of Love
You are our refuge and strength
You are the one I love
and You are the one
of whom I think.
I guess I got carried away and added more than I meant to. But this is a collection that I put together as a teenager and it means so much to me that I didn't mean to overuse this as an opportunity to share it.....................but I couldn't help myself!
Dear Lord,
I'm writing you in my spare time,
letting you know what's on my mind.
Not very often do I take the chance
to let my emotions slip into a trance.
I'm usually so tied up in my own things,
trying to make knots with broken strings;
always relying on my own thoughts
and so many times, getting caught.
When You created our lives
You did it with such perfect strides.
You gave us each day
to spend our own way.
You gave us our family and friends
with which much of our time we spend.
Most important, You gave Yourself
and showed us we could do nothing by ourself.
You showed us a life.
You showed us a light.
By giving us these things,
You enhanced our dreams.
We now have a sight of things to come,
like a life everlasting in your heavenly kingdom.
By leading a life of proper growth
we give to You our promised oath.
To simply come to You and pray
that by Your side we would stay.
Life
Our life is like
one big highway.
Yet instead of cars,
there are people.
So many going
the same way.
Eventually having to make
their separate decisions
to lead to their own
special destiny.
Why
Why in the world
do I get this way?
All tired and mad
with nothing to say.
I can't help myself
when this mood comes on.
I just sit around
until it's gone.
I hope someday
I'll be willing to say
if it weren't for God
I'd still be that way.
The Bible
The Bible is a book
with words so true.
It speaks to hearts
both old and new.
It teaches us
day by day
to be ready for Him
When He comes our way.
Telling us
day by day
how to live
a better way.
God's Love
With love from above
I have left you this book.
To be with you always.
Upon which always to look.
Understand
The words of today
are, 'always to pray'
to our Father above
who has left us His love.
My Psalm
Oh Lord, God of Love
Thou are the most high
from heaven above
Thou are the one; your Son who died
to forgive our sins
and have eternal life.
Oh Lord, God of Love
You are our refuge and strength
You are the one I love
and You are the one
of whom I think.
I guess I got carried away and added more than I meant to. But this is a collection that I put together as a teenager and it means so much to me that I didn't mean to overuse this as an opportunity to share it.....................but I couldn't help myself!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Modern Fantasy
1) What is modern fantasy? Modern fantasy includes literature books that take readers into settings where the impossible becomes possible. Books like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Borrowers, The Chronicles of Narnia, or The Tale of Peter Rabbit may be examples.
2) Design a classroom activity (name, directions) I would title this activity Chivalry Characteristics. After reading several different stories about chivalry (like Don Quixote, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings) in modern fantasy, I would have students work in small groups of 3-4 to list character traits that seem to be part of the code of chivalry. The group which generates the longest legitimate list gets a reward of some type (homework passes). The teacher records on the chalkboard all traits from all groups at random. These traits are then grouped into categories such as physical characteristics, attitudes toward other people, attitudes toward battle, etc. Finally students discuss within their original groups which characteristics remain important today and which are no longer important. Then I would ask them to try to explain why certain traits have become less important while others have remained.
2) Design a classroom activity (name, directions) I would title this activity Chivalry Characteristics. After reading several different stories about chivalry (like Don Quixote, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings) in modern fantasy, I would have students work in small groups of 3-4 to list character traits that seem to be part of the code of chivalry. The group which generates the longest legitimate list gets a reward of some type (homework passes). The teacher records on the chalkboard all traits from all groups at random. These traits are then grouped into categories such as physical characteristics, attitudes toward other people, attitudes toward battle, etc. Finally students discuss within their original groups which characteristics remain important today and which are no longer important. Then I would ask them to try to explain why certain traits have become less important while others have remained.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Traditional Literature
1)Give a supersentence definition of Traditional Literature. My definition of TL would be a type of story, like folktales, fables, legends or myths, that is passed down family lines in the form of a tradition.
2) How can you use TL in classrooms? Give details. Any time folktales, fables, legends or myths are introduced to students, they will be exposed to TL. For younger ages, a book like the Gingerbread Boy or The Three Billy Goats Gruff or Cinderella. Then there are also books like The Serpent and the Sea, The Hare and the Tortoise, Aladdin, or Robin Hood.
3) Will I use TL in my classroom? Why or why not? I don't think any teacher should not use TL in the classroom. By exposing students to different forms of literature, it gives them a selection of types of reading to possibly become interested in for years to come. How will children learn about things like the supernatural, morals or satire, human emotions, or bravery if they are not given a chance to be exposed to them?
2) How can you use TL in classrooms? Give details. Any time folktales, fables, legends or myths are introduced to students, they will be exposed to TL. For younger ages, a book like the Gingerbread Boy or The Three Billy Goats Gruff or Cinderella. Then there are also books like The Serpent and the Sea, The Hare and the Tortoise, Aladdin, or Robin Hood.
3) Will I use TL in my classroom? Why or why not? I don't think any teacher should not use TL in the classroom. By exposing students to different forms of literature, it gives them a selection of types of reading to possibly become interested in for years to come. How will children learn about things like the supernatural, morals or satire, human emotions, or bravery if they are not given a chance to be exposed to them?
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