Types of Nouns - Interactive Notebook Freebie!

Hey, friends! It's Blair from One Lesson at a Time, here to bring you a freebie for your ELA interactive notebooks! 

I get a lot of questions from teachers about whether I am planning on making any ELA interactive notebooks to accompany my math INBs. While I am not quite ready to tackle any full sets, I have been dipping my toes into the waters with a few little flippy-flappies here and there. :) 

Here's a quick and easy little flap book that you can use to help students remember the different types of nouns. 

Cut out each flapbook around the perimeter. Glue down the bottom page (with the definitions) fully into your notebook. Then, glue the top page (types of nouns) on top along the center strip. Cut apart the flaps and voila! You're done.  

Here's are some pics of the finished flapbook...

To grab this freebie, just click {HERE} to download it from Google Drive!

And make sure to head over to my blog, One Lesson at a Time, to pick up this Author's Purpose freebie for interactive notebooks as well! Click the picture below to go grab it:

Thanks so much for stopping by today!! 

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Have Some Fun with Sundae Summaries! {FREEBIE!}

Hi there!  It's Deb from Crafting Connections with you again today!

A few years ago, during my first year working with fifth graders, I was informed that writing summaries was the next standard we would be focusing on.  Actually, the fifth grade teacher asked (in a dry, monotone voice), "What do you have for teaching summarizing that's fun and exciting?"  I stared back at her blankly.  We both felt the same... there was nothing fun and exciting about teaching students the art of summarizing.  "I'll think of something," I told her (in a dry, monotone voice of my own).

My research for something fun and engaging first took me online.  If you've done this same search, you know that my Google search yielded lots of "Somebody Wanted But So" examples.  I checked it out, but I have to say - I just couldn't latch onto this strategy.  I know that some teachers swear by this method, but I just couldn't quite grasp it.  While it works very well for certain fiction stories, I kept finding stories where I just couldn't make it work.  And if it didn't always work for me, how would I effectively teach it?

So, I came up with my own method to teach students to summarize fiction.  As you might imagine, fifth grade students were surprised one morning when I got out the play doh!  While they may have been skeptical, they were also intrigued.  I then proceeded to use the play doh to make a banana split sundae in front of them!  As I formed each component from the play doh, I compared it to the steps involved in writing an effective fiction summary.  I compared the banana halves to the characters and setting, the three scoops of ice cream to the beginning (problem), middle (events related to the problem), and end (resolution), and the cherry on top to the theme.  I also placed toppings onto each ice cream scoop, explaining that these were important details revealed at the beginning, middle, and end of the story...but cautioned students from overloading their summaries with too many unimportant details!  I said that just as too many toppings on a banana split sundae would get all mixed together and the individual flavors would be lost, a summary loaded with too many unimportant details would result in a confusing, overwhelming, and essentially ineffective summary.

Mrs. Thompson (my co-teacher) and I were thrilled with how well this method worked for our fifth graders!  In fact, when the concept of summarizing rolled around last year and again this year (usually October), we got out the play-doh again and repeated the analogy with the next batch of fifth graders!

Last year, I decided that I should take the time to create a PowerPoint and matching craftivity.  Well, it took me more than a year to actually follow through on this, but I finally did it!  (I'll admit, special requests from three different teachers on TpT for such a resource gave me the kick-in-the-pants to finally put a priority on this!  I figured that if three teachers were specifically asking me for it, there were likely many teachers looking for an effective strategy and opportunity to work on this skill with their students.)

I finished the Summarizing Fiction PowerPoint last week!    It includes 45 slides.

Ice cream sundae graphics by Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs.

Then I finished the Sundae Summary Craftivity.  This resource includes an original short story for students to summarize.

Ice cream sundae graphics by Aim Less Daze.

Finally, I followed that up by creating an interactive notebook entry to match the PowerPoint and craftivity, and I'm giving it away as a FREEBIE! 

Ice cream sundae graphics by Aim Less Daze.

I'll also briefly mention that Amy from Eclectic Educating recently blogged about this important topic, as well.  I liked her checklist strategy, so you may want to hop over to check out her comments on summarizing fiction, too.

I have to admit, I'm looking forward to next October when I can show the PowerPoint to my fifth graders!  I think they will love the craftivity, too!  Perhaps YOU would like to try the Sundae Summary the next time you teach students to summarize fiction!

Before I sign off...unrelated to the topic of Summarizing Fiction, but perhaps of interest to YOU - hop on over to my blog today to find about a flash freebie craftivity!  It's available through midnight tonight (Friday, 2/14).

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New Year...New You {In Poetry}

As a writer, I have always enjoyed poetry.  There is just so much you can do with it!  As a reader, you can make inferences, determine a theme, ask questions, explore the mood, and the list goes on.  As a writer, you are able to use figurative language and add similes, metaphors, and personification to your work. So much can be studied and created with one simple poem.  Additionally, if you are nervous about exploring close reading, you can begin with a poem. Students who are usually intimidated by long pieces of text with size nine font are suddenly ready to try a close read when it is the form of a poem. I have always found a place for poetry in my ELA classroom because it is so versatile!

 

With the new year quickly approaching, students may want to create their own resolutions.  They may engage in goal setting activities to guide the remainder of their school year. A great way to encourage this type of thinking is to have each student create an "I Am" poem.  Students will truly enjoy sharing who they are and what they are about.  Spend some time discussing how the new year is a time for transformation.  Students could even write two poems:  one for who they were before the new year and one for who they are (or hope to be) after the new school year.

 

When I teach this, I begin by sharing a sample "I Am" poem such as the one below.  Although I have provided a picture of this, I did not include a copy because I think it is best when teachers share about their own lives as a model.  It is much more interesting for students to learn about you than it is for them to have a random model.  To make, use a piece of chart paper set up like this:

 

 

Be sure to model your thinking as you create your own poem so students can use the same thinking as they are writing.

 

You can copy the template from the link below to create a poster to write on if your school has a poster maker.  If not, chart paper will work!  Don't forget the technology available to you!  This could also be inserted into an interactive chart on the classroom whiteboard.

 

 

As another option, make the poem interactive!  Here are some directions for making this activity interactive.  Just click on the link to print your instructions. 

 

Below you can click to have a copy of the this version.  It would look great on patterned scrap paper or added into an interactive notebook!  These could also hang in the hallway or on a bulletin board for a cute New Year's display.  Hang them around the room and have the students do a gallery walk to learn about their peers.  If you have an idea of how to use this creatively, be sure to comment and let others know about it!

For an extra special display, have students create a collage of photos to accompany their poetry!

 

If you like these poetry activities, you can find more like them in one of my latest resources, "The Ultimate Poetry Pack."  There are over 100 pages of posters, journal activities, and poetry fun for your upper grades students!

 

 

I hope you have fun celebrating your students through poetry in the new year!  Remember to take pictures if you choose to try these activities!  We could display them on the ATUE Facebook page to share with other teachers.  (Hint:  Only photograph the poetry and not the students.  Do not include any student names in your pictures.)  Enjoy the holidays and have a Happy New Year!

 

Warmly,

 

 

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Increase Student Engagement

Recently, my administration set a goal for teachers to increase student engagement and to be more responsive in the classroom.  As the ELA Leader of our school, I held a small-group meeting to discuss what comes to mind when thinking of these two terms.  Every teacher in the group agreed that we could easily increase student engagement by using "every pupil response."  In addition, we would have quicker "responsiveness" to students if we used strategies to get students talking and participating more frequently.  By using every pupil response or EPR, teachers have a quick and easy method for collecting data and making changes to a lesson on the spot.

 

My Favorite Ways to Use EPR

 

1. White Boards- We store them in our table bins in a drawer along with a dry-erase marker in a clean sock.  I have students respond, hide, and then show their responses.  Meanwhile, I am collecting the data on a clipboard.

 

2. Thumbs Up, Thumbs Sideways, Thumbs Down- When I need to know quickly where students are with the lesson, I use this method of EPR.  If there are more thumbs down or sideways than up, I know it is time to change the direction of my lesson.

 

3. Pinch Cards- I keep pinch cards laminated and in desktop bins at my table groups.  When I need a response, students pick these up and pinch the correct answer.  These are great for multiple choice questions!  Instead of copying worksheets, ask the questions and have students use the pinch cards. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

 

4. Consensogram- Use colored dots on a consensogram to determine where students are with their understanding.  I do not use this simply at the beginning and end of a lesson but throughout the entire time we are learning!  It helps me to see which strategies are working and which need to be adjusted.

 

5. Connecting Cubes- Students have red, yellow, and green connecting cubes at their tables to use to demonstrate understanding.  A red cube on their desk means they need help.  A yellow one means they are confused.  A green cube means they are good to go!  This helps me assess who needs my help immediately and who is comfortable working independently.

 

There are so many more ways to use EPR, but these are just a few of my faves!  If you are like me, you don't have a ton of time on your hands to make things so I thought I would give you a few pinch cards to get you started!  I hope you enjoy!  How do you use EPR in your classroom?  I'd love to hear some tips!

 

Click on the pic below to get your pinch cards!

 

 

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Stop! Grammar Time!

Teaching grammar can be a tedious task! I know it. You know it. The students know it, too. If it is so difficult (and sometimes too abstract), why teach grammar? 

As educators, we want our students to be prepared to face the real world. We want them to be ready to land those high-paying jobs and lead our future. But above all else, we want them to know everything they need to know because it is our job. 

Here are some reasons students need to learn grammar:

1. If we want people to listen to us, we need to speak correct English. Have you ever been in a meeting or a professional development class and heard the speaker say something that didn't sound quite right? I am sure we all have at one time or another. I want my students to be able to speak in front of people and sound like they have the intelligence to speak about whatever is on their mind. 

2. Correct grammar lands jobs. Let's face it. No one is going to hire you if you do not present yourself in a positive manner. Speaking correctly is one of the best ways you can present yourself as a first impression. You want to leave your job interview knowing you were able to articulate your strengths to the employer. 

3. Your written word follows you. We may not always think about it, but each time we put our thoughts onto paper, they are there as long as the paper lasts. By learning grammar, we are able to write our thoughts and feelings correctly for others to see. 

There are many other reasons grammar is an important part of the curriculum. As educators, we have to find creative ways to teach grammar to our students so that it sticks with them. In order to be great at it, they must practice, practice, practice. 

Stay tuned to my next post to read about strategies to teach grammar. Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

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Professionally Develop Yourself

Professional development of teachers is a passion of mine.  I LOVE helping other teachers by sharing resources, meeting to discuss what worked/didn't work in a lesson, and finding new resources to watch and read.  Some say I am crazy for the number of teaching books I've read.  I say I want to know all there is to know so I have a tool belt of strategies to choose from.  How do you professionally develop yourself?  Do you prefer to do it through your school system or at  your school?  Do you meet with other teachers?  Have you blogged with other teachers?  Are you a reader?  Are video clips more your style?  I believe many of us professionally develop ourselves without even realizing we're doing it!  Today, I'd like to share some resources with you that have helped me to grow.  Maybe you'll enjoy one or all of them as much as I do!

 

 

I love The Teaching Channel because there are so many videos to watch!  I usually pause them as I take notes and try to implement new strategies weekly!

 

 

Another resource that I am reading and loving right now is:

 

 

This book gives tons of strategies for close reading.  I am actually using this as a "book club" read with some staff members over the next month or two.

  



 

I love anything by "The Reading and Writing Project."  This video was recently shown at a staff development and it really helped us to see what "close reading" truly looks like.

 

 

This book is a keeper!  I have read it and referred to it many times over the years.  It is an easy read with tons of management tips and strategies.  I attended the workshop a few years ago and learned so much about brain-based teaching!  If you don't own this one,  you'll want to grab your copy!

 

All of these resources are my faves but I'm sure you have some, too.  Be sure to comment and share what you are currently reading/watching or a resource that you just can't live without.  Don't forget to professionally develop yourself every chance you get!  It benefits you, the students, their parents, and your school as a whole!  Have fun!

 

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Conquering the Paper/Notebook Monster

Hello Again,

It's Kristy from 2 Peas and a Dog, writing to you from balmy Ontario, Canada. The weather is not normally this nice during the fall season. Well I have survived a month of school and am excited to share a new to me strategy for taming the paper monster in my classroom.

I have serious interactive notebook envy. I am slowly trying to update my teaching style to incorporate more purposeful and interactive use of notebooks.

I cannot believe it has taken me seven years to finally discover how to effectively and neatly store worksheets and photocopied papers in notebooks. The best part of this new discovery is that it came from an eighth grade student in my homeroom class. I had previously asked students to fold the paper in half and glue half of it a whole page in their notebook. Eek! I always felt guilty because the glue made their notebooks messy and it used up a whole page.

This year I suggested students keep a binder for math and use loose lined paper instead of a notebook. The majority of my class has switched to this system and are enjoying feeling more like high school students.

I have a few students who love their notebooks and won't make the switch. This past unit I handed out a few practice sheets or lessons on photocopied paper. These notebook students had the papers in a few different states:

• in their lockers
• shoved into their notebook in no order
• hole punched and put into a binder with no connection to the lesson or unit
• stapled neatly into the notebook

The last student had stapled the sheet into their notebook only at the top of the page with two staples at either corner. This meant that the paper could easily be lifted up and the work could be completed underneath - loosing no paper space.

The student completed their work in their notebook and when they were finished they stapled the paper into their notebooks only at the top. This meant that the student did not have to keep flipping the paper back and forth during practice time AND their notebook stayed neat. I am so excited for this idea. When I checked everyone's binders and notebooks before our first unit test, I used this notebook and staple strategy as model for the rest of the class. 

What tips do you have for making students keep neat notebooks? How do you tame the paper monster? Please leave your ideas in the comments below. I can't wait to read them.

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An Upper Elementary Take on Author's Purpose

At a staff meeting about five years back, our principal had us look at the previous year's test results, identify one or two areas of weakness, and then write a plan of action for improving that weak strand.  Well, my colleagues and I recognized that Author's Purpose was a weak area for our third and fourth graders that year.  We wrote what we thought was a fabulous plan to help our students to better understand the concept of Author's Purpose... and thus be better equipped to score higher in that area on the annual standardized tests.  Our plan even included placement of a huge "pie" in the central part of the hallway where each class wrote the titles of books they had read that fit into each category!

As teachers, our confidence soared as State Assessment time approached!  (You know what's coming...)  Well, assessment time arrived, and as an ESL teacher, I was providing the accommodations of reading the test questions aloud to limited-English proficient students.  I got a sinking feeling in my stomach as I read various questions related to Author's Purpose.  I realized that the test authors did not limit the answer choices to persuade, inform, and entertain.  Rather, I saw answer choices that included words like explain, describe, and occasionally even illustrate. 

Furthermore, I realized that sometimes, the test authors required students to differentiate the main idea.  For example, answer choices might include:
          A.  To inform the reader about the formations found in caves
          B.  To describe the formations in a cave
          C.  To entertain readers with a story about a cave
          D.  To inform the reader about how caves are formed

It was then that I set out to do more than just teach the basic PIE method for Author's Purpose!  I found the PIE'ED method online, and from there created several materials to support that method.

What is the PIE'ED method of Author's Purpose?

P-persuade (to convince the reader of something)

I-inform (to provide the reader with information)

E- entertain (to provide a story readers will enjoy - it can be sad, scary, or happy, and often includes dialogue)

E-explain (to give the reader directions)

D-describe (to appeal to most or all of the reader's five senses)

Clipart by Krista Wallden.

I invite you to check out my Author's Purpose PIE'ED 
FREEBIE available at TpT!  (The last page of the free download contains a listing of all the PIE'ED resources I have available at my store, including my top seller  PIE'ED craftivity, shown to the right.)

Finally, I also invite you to head over to my blog.  Actually, I am finishing up a raffle with a fellow blogger today, but tomorrow (Friday), I will start another raffle giveaway of my Author's Purpose PIE'ED BUNDLE - craftivity, task cards, worksheets, games, PowerPoint and more!  (Stop by both days and enter both giveaways!)

                                                                                                                        

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Until next time,

 

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Meet Deb - a new ATUE collaborator!

Meet my motivation: husband Troy, daughters Brooke and Kayla

Hi there!
I’m excited to connect with you all as a new collaborating blogger at All Things Upper Elementary! I’ll share just a little about myself: I am an ESL teacher in a school district in northeast Nebraska, and I am just settling into my 16th year of teaching.  For the most part, I co-teach with several third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers. I love this, as it allows me to provide support for a lot of students and collaborate with some amazing teachers at multiple grade levels as well!

If you’ve visited my blog or been by my store, you’ll know that I LOVE to create “craftivity” resources … and the only thing better than creating them is seeing first-hand how students are engaged by them, enjoy them, and learn from them. Day after day, I see my upper elementary students benefitting from doing craftivities in these important ways:


A s'more from my inference craftivity.

RETENTION – Students retain the key concept being focused on better than most other methods I
have used in the past. I think adding a concrete object to an abstract concept aids my students in remembering the meaning of academic vocabulary words like “inference”, “context clues”, and “figurative language”. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this general conversation:



A synonym roll from my synonym craftivity.

Student 1: What is a synonym again?

Student 2: Remember those synonym rolls we made?

Student 1: Oh yeah! The words mean the same!



FOLLOWING WRITTEN DIRECTIONS – Students need to concentrate not only on the concept
they are learning, but also need to focus on following the steps to successfully complete the craftivity. All of my craftivities include direction pages that I project on the wall. Students need to carefully read the directions in order to complete the assignment. (Further, if they get distracted and miss a step, I encourage them to problem-solve on their own for a way to make it work!)


CREATIVITY – Students are given an opportunity to make choices and express themselves. From the color of construction paper they select, to the shades they choose to color an object, to the angles at which they choose to glue their objects or embellish their finished products, no two pieces are ever exactly alike. I love to see the pride in their faces when they bring me their “finished masterpiece”.

Students LOVE to invent new flavors when they are decorating their main idea cones!

Students enjoy creating facial expressions to go with various character traits!

TASK COMPLETION WITHIN TIME CONSTRAINTS – Students enjoy a sense of personal satisfaction when they finish their craftivity. Although most craftivities can be completed fairly quickly, it’s still a project with steps that need to be done logically and systematically. I give my students a certain amount of time to complete the activity in class. If students spend too much time coloring, they know that their materials will be placed in an envelope and sent home to complete on their own time. (At the same time, I do certainly allow for individual differences! I never sit at my desk while students work on their craftivities. I walk around the room conversing with students and cutting pieces for those who are working hard, yet still lag behind.) We educators all realize that every moment is precious, and wasting time is not an option!

WOW!  That was a lot of words!  (Do you feel like you've just walked out of an inservice?!)  Now that you've hung on this long, let me "reward" you with an example of one of my newest craftivity resources!  I created this one over the summer, and I actually had a ton of fun working on it!  I got quite a kick out of recognizing that I use idioms and hyperboles A LOT - especially with my family.  (Can anyone relate?  How many did I just use in the last few sentences?!)  On a more educational note, though, idioms and hyperboles often pose a challenge to many ESL students.  I also had their needs in mind as I created this craftivity.  Even though it's a sorting activity to differentiate between idioms and hyperboles, they are exposed to 16 sentences that have them, and I intend to stop by the desks of my ESL students as they work on this to explain any they do not understand (which could very well be all of them!)

Here's how this craftivity is designed:  Students first read 16 sentences that are written in glasses. They are tasked with determining whether each sentence contains an idiom or a hyperbole. (They color the liquid in the glass yellow if it's an idiom (for idiom-ade), and brown if it's a hyperbole (for hyperbol-tea). Once they have completed that, they go about creating their idiom-ade and hyperbol-tea stand!


Do you use interactive notebooks in your class?  One of the fourth grade classrooms I am co-teaching in is using interactive language/reading notebooks for the first time this year.  I intend to incorporate all of the craftivities we do in that class into them.  In the case of this idiom/hyperbole craftivity, I will instruct students to select one idiom-sentence glass and one hyperbole sentence glass to glue into their notebooks.  Next to each glass, I will instruct them to write the meaning of each concept (in their own words, of course).  Then they will have this visual reminder and written description of each concept at their fingertips to refer back to for the remainder of the school year!

The finished products of all my craftivity resources can be used to make a unique bulletin board or fun school hallway display!

I mentioned "rewarding you" a couple of paragraphs back... I'd love for you to try this Idiom and Hyperbole craftivity in YOUR classroom this year, so I'm offering is as a flash freebie exclusively on ATUE!  It would cost you $2.50 at my TpT store, but through August 31, it's available HERE to download for free!  (Want to share this resource with your team or other colleagues?  Please do, but please honor copyright laws and rather than simply passing along the file, please direct them to the blog to pick up the freebie for themselves.  While they are here, they can sign up to follow ATUE to find out about future freebies!)

Before I leave you to make the most of the rest of your day, I'll share with you my LINKS:

You can find all of my craftivity resources (plus more) at my TpT store!

 
Please hop over to my blog - Crafting Connections -  and sign up to follow it!  (There, I will regularly blog about my efforts to help upper elementary learners "craft" meaningful connections!)

{GIVEAWAY ALERT}:  Stop over to my blog before Wednesday, 8/28 and enter a giveaway I've got going on!

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Hooking Your Kids with Book Trailers...Plus, a Surprise Tomorrow!

Books, books, books....I LOVE books! Every summer I get giddy thinking about which books I am going to use in my classroom for the following year. I sit for hours and thumb through catalogues or click through websites looking for books that go perfectly with the science or social studies concepts I have to teach or are perfect examples of the ELA standards that I need to teach my students. Sometimes to the point to where I have to take a thumb break.

I know that anytime I choose a book to read either aloud to my students or with them in a small group, I have a distinct purpose in mind. It could be that the text has clear examples of cause and effect, the author made the story come alive with figurative language, or it is a perfect narrative that would help my students understand a particular period in history. There are times that I choose a book just because I enjoy it and I want my students to see how you can read a book for pure enjoyment. But whatever the purpose, I always want my students to be as excited about reading it as I am. I mean, why would you ever want to read a book that you aren't interested in? Well, besides for a school assignment..... ;)

Which reminds of movies that I had to watch in school that I thought were B.O.R.I.N.G. before I started watching it. It took a little while for me to finally become engaged in the movie, and, by then, it was usually almost half over. You know the movies I am talking about...the ones that are based off books. You read the book and then watch the movie. I will be honest. Most of the time I thought the book was just OK (I wasn't too pumped about having to read it in the first place), and I was not looking forward to the movie, either. It isn't that the movie was awful. I did end up enjoying the majority of them. But something was missing for me before the movie even began that made me WANT to watch it....

I guess I am the kind of person who likes to know ahead of time what the book that I am going to be reading is about, as well as what the movie will be about. Yeah, you can read the book jacket or the movie synopsis. But reading those words, in my head, in my voice (or in how I think the character's voice would sound....which, by the way, the voices on the movie never matched the ones I imagined in my head), just never really seemed to get me very excited about reading it. Even if my teacher said it was the best thing since sliced bread, I just wasn't buying it. I don't think I was an overly pessimistic person, or a student who disliked books assigned in class. It's just that there were so many "other" books and movies I wanted to watch. You know the kind that isn't assigned in school.

The movie I wanted to watch had an awesome preview on TV for it. It had all the best clips from the actual movie without giving any big events away, and it had cool music that would give me goosebumps...perfect music accompaniment to the point to when I hear that music, I immediately think of the movie in which it was played. I could not wait for that movie to come out, but it would be several weeks. Boo! But I would be the first in line! (Wondering what movie I am talking about???? Well, this instance I am talking about Dirty Dancing.....oh yeah, I know most of you couldn't wait to watch it either. And most of you probably watched it over and over again when it finally came out on VHS to the point that you knew exactly how far to fast forward or rewind it to see the scene where Johnny says, "Nobody puts Baby in the corner"....or maybe you did what I did to all my cassette tapes and use a Sharpie to draw a little black mark at the point where the tape should be for your favorite song/scene to begin so you wouldn't have to rewind, play, stop, fast forward, play, stop, rewind because you have gone to far, etc.)

Think of how our students today feel with all that technology they have! Think of how visually stimulating their environments are compared to ours...and I am sure most of us and them are similar to me when it comes to reading books or watching movies... How can we pique our students' interest in the long chapter book we have chosen for them when they could watch the newest release or play the newest video game/app? We have to compete with ALL of this! No wonder sometimes when we pull out a novel that we just absolutely love, are excited beyond belief to finally get to read THIS book with our students....we are SO sure they will thank us for introducing them to this book! Only to have them look at us with glazed eyes thinking,

"Say what? You want us to read THAT book? THAT book that is just as thick as those dictionaries over there on the shelf? THAT book that has no (or hardly any that aren't black and white) pictures? THAT book that looks like the cover is about to fall off? THAT book that was written HOW long ago???????" Among other things floating around in that mind of theirs.....

Have No Fear!
Children are no different from us when it comes to deciding which movies to see. They watch TV, see a movie trailer (or see a movie trailer while waiting to watch another movie), and then instantly decide whether or not they would like to see it. How do they make this decision? On how well the movie trailer is created. Does music help make it exciting? Do the characters appear interesting? Is the story line about a topic they want to commit a couple of hours to???? Children usually pick out books mainly based on the cover (unless a friend told them about a great book they should read). Most often children get more excited to see a movie than read a book. A movie trailer stimulates so many senses. A book cover is one-dimensional compared to that movie trailer.

What if you brought that movie trailer to that book you are so passionate about? Wham! You get a book trailer! Students are able to watch the many facets of a book just like they can with a movie. Sounds to me like a more technologically advanced Reading Rainbow :)

You may already know about book trailers, but I am going to share the different ways I have used book trailers with my students in hopes of sparking a new idea or to encourage you to give them a try.

HOOK
Sometimes I show my students a book trailer before we read that book for the exact same reason a producer creates a movie trailer and a fisherman uses bait: to get 'em hooked to reel 'em in! It's amazing what a little music can do! And there are actually a lot of book trailers already made so you don't have to create them yourself! I will include a list of websites at the end of this post. I have had so many students begging to start reading a book because the trailer was WAY cool!

ASSESSMENT
A book trailer doesn't have to be reserved for a pre-reading activity. Sometimes I don't show my students a book preview before we read the book. Instead I have my students create a book trailer either by themselves or in a small group to show their understanding of the book's events and characters (among other things). If you choose to have your students do this, they will need to have had experience making book trailers and also be proficient in using a search engine on the Internet. Students will also need to have access to technology and proficient in using the program chosen to create the book trailer. I had my students use Photo Story because it was free and pretty easy to use (in my opinion), but there are other many programs out there you could have them use.  Book Trailers for Readers and Story Quest Children's Books have informative pages on  how to create a book trailer AND they include sources for photos you can use.

If you are like me, you want an exemplar to show students before giving them an authentic performance task so they can have a visual of what is expected.
Problem: If all they have seen are book trailers created by authors or publishing companies, they may feel like theirs will not be up to par.
Solution: Book Trailers for Kids has several book trailers made BY kids! Exemplar problem solved! Whew!

Now let's move onto the next question: What will you assess by having students create a book trailer? The great news is that it's totally up to you. Are there specific skills you are working on (i.e. theme or a character's internal struggles)? Be sure to include specific requirements in your rubric (which is HOW you will assess your students' book trailers) that students must include in their trailer. Please remember, though, you will have to create book trailers WITH your students first so they are familiar with the process BEFORE you assess them using a book trailer.

Teaching Tool
I had the pleasure of observing a teacher who used book trailers to help teach mood to her students. She had 2 different book trailers about the same book. The ONLY difference between the two book trailers were the music both trailers used. After students watched the first book trailer, they wrote on a chart what they thought the mood of the book would be. Then students watched the second book trailer and did the same activity afterwards. Guess what? The two charts had very different moods listed. One chart had very happy and cheerful moods listed, while the other chart had sad and dreary. Why did this happen? It was all about the music that was chosen. The teacher was then able to further discuss with her students different ways an author can bring a certain mood into the story and how mood affects the story line and characters. Book trailers can help make some of the more difficult ELA standards concrete for students to grasp easier.


Sounds good, but how do book trailers fit with the Common Core, you ask? Well, remember how the Common Core integrates reading, viewing, listening, speaking, and writing, AND wants students to apply learned skills/content in a real world setting using technology when appropriate? Book Trailers for Reading has a visual on how book trailers can help you meet this lofty goal.

Want to check some out? Here is a direct link to a book trailer created for Robert Peck's classic A Day No Pigs Would Die.

Now as promised, here are a few Helpful Websites you can use to learn more about book trailers.
Book Trailers for Readers
Book Trailers for All
Slime Kids
Scholastic
Book Trailers- Movies for Literacy!
SchoolTube (once at this site you can search by book title)
Youtube (once at this site you can search by book title)


So, what do ya think? Going to give them a try? Do you already use book trailers? If so, what do you think about them? We want to hear from you!


As always, thanks for reading and until next time!

Oh, I can't believe I ALMOST forgot! (Just kidding, I didn't really almost forget.) There could be a special little something that could be taking place tomorrow at a blog call All Things Upper Elementary that could help make your life a smidge easier for going back to school.....that's all I'm giving away right now ;)

Heather 

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Who Says Teachers Have the Summer Off? Book Clubs in Session and a Summer Reading Linky!

Summer is here for most of us! I have already seen a ton of blog posts and facebook comments about summer reading taking place. The best part about summer is this is the time when we finally have time to enjoy some books: professional reading or personal reading.

Many of us here at ATUE are participating in some awesome book clubs this summer. Not only are the books chosen rich with knowledge and very relevant to today's teaching, but they are perfect for upper grade teachers. We even have something for (hopefully) everyone with a literacy book and a math book.

First up, 4mulafun, MissMathDork, Fourth Grade Studio and Teaching to Inspire in 5th will be hosting a math book. This book written by NCTM President, Linda Gojak's is called What's Your Math Problem?  

Here are the scheduled dates for this book club:

Next, we have some Common Core literacy action going on with Teaching with the Common Core Standards (Grades 3-5). (When you get to Amazon the picture shows that it is the K-2 book, but it really is the 3-5 book).

Here are the dates for this book club:

And here is the reading schedule. Each chapter will be hosted by one of the following amazing bloggers:

Chapter 1 Host

Chapter 2 Host

Chapter 3 Host

Chapter 4 Host

Chapter 5 Host

Chapter 6 Host

Chapter 7 Host


Chapter 8 Host

Chapter 9 Host


Chapter 10 Host
We hope that you will join us as we explore these books! Even if you don't buy the book, check out the posts for some fabulous information and get in on the discussions.
 

Have any professional summer reading plans? If you do, we invite you to link up with us! You can be either hosting a book club, participating in a book club, or reading on your own. Link up your blog post below and grab the graphic above to put on your post! It would be wonderful and in true collaborative spirit if you commented on some of the other blogs linked up. We can't wait to read about what YOU are reading about!

 

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