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The fourth edition of this annotated bibliography collection offers students, teachers, and librarians a helpful guide to the best multicultural literature (published from 1999 to 2001) for elementary and middle school readers. The book continues a tradition of promoting unity through diversity by highlighting fiction and nonfiction published by and about people of color. Its annotations have been divided according to kind, such as bilingual and multilingual literature and informational and educational books, or according to issues that young readers have in common, such as families, friends, and community; war and resilience; concerns about visibility; and social responsibility. Annotations provide bibliographic information as well as content summaries, and readers can search for books by author, illustrator, subject, and title. (NKA)

In this unit of work, the children will continue to learn about the features of playscripts, through reading and analyzing a play and writing a play based on a narrative. In the course of learning how to interpret and write stage directions, the children will apply their knowledge of adverbs. In the discrete work on vocabulary and spelling, the children will look at the relationship between nouns and adjectives and the verbs which are made from them using a range of suffixes. In addition, there is spelling wok on two-syllable words with double consonants and regular verbs from the medium-frequency word list. The plan of the unit is based on a teaching sequence which starts by exploring the reading objectives and moves into writing. An additional teaching sequence for spelling plots a route from learning the conventions of spelling, through practicing specific spellings, and concludes with learning to proofread. The 17 resource sheets include a play, "Atishoo!" (in an enlarged form for shared work and also in a version suitable for the children to use independently) and a story, "Robin Hood and the birthday cake" (to be made into a playscript). There are resources to support the analysis of the play and also for demonstration-writing. Materials for a card sort have been created for one of the spelling investigations. (RS)

In this unit of work, Year 3 children will learn to use the contents and index pages and to extract information about "Teeth and eating" from different types of non-fiction texts, including ICT (Information and Communications Technology) texts. After analyzing a non-chronological report, they will write a report on the subject of "Teeth and eating" (paying particular attention to the use of commas in lists and the correct spelling of content words and those with prefixes and long vowels). This unit of work has been linked specifically to the QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) Science scheme of work, Unit 3A, "Teeth and eating." The plan of the unit is based on a teaching sequence which starts by exploring the reading objectives and moves into writing. An additional teaching sequence for spelling plots a route from learning and practicing the conventions of spelling through learning how to use strategies for spelling in the context of the topic words for "Teeth and eating" and concludes with learning to proofread. A total of 24 resource sheets include some materials on the subject of teeth and eating and reports for analysis and demonstration. (RS)

This booklet contains examples of units of work for teaching children in Year 6 as part of the National Literacy Strategy. The seven units are drawn from all three terms in Year 6. Some of the units were written for the Year 6 Exemplification booklets in 2001-2002 and are reproduced in this publication with supplementary resources and/or guidance. Other units are new. The units cover reading and writing objectives in three non-fiction text types, narrative, poetry and plays and related sentence and word level objectives. The suggested length of these units varies from one week to three. The five-week revision unit prepares children specifically for the Key Stage 2 test. It covers narrative, poetry, and non-narrative reading, and narrative and non-narrative writing. Each unit consists of a five-page content section--contents page, introduction, teaching objectives, and teaching plan--and resources section. For most of the units, the resources section contains all the resources the teacher needs to teach the unit. (RS)

These materials aim to help teachers make explicit links between teaching in the Literacy Hour and in the rest of the curriculum. The materials map teaching objectives from England's National Literacy Strategy's (NLS) Framework for Teaching to various text types and lists NLS resources which can be used to support teaching and learning. Text types outlined in the materials are: recount; non-chronological report; instructions; explanation; persuasion; discussion; and dictionaries and other alphabetically ordered texts. Non-fiction skills outlined in the materials are: locating information; note-making; organizational features; recording information; and critical literacy. (NKA)

These exemplar units of work for National Strategy Key Stage 3 English show how medium and short-term planning can be based on the Key Stage 3 Framework objectives and support the implementation of Curriculum 2000. The Key Stage 3 English strand introduces pupils to more specialist study of language and literature and supports the study of subjects across the curriculum. Each unit has a cover sheet which provides: an outline of what is covered in the unit; the envisaged timescale; differentiated expectations for higher-achieving, typical, and lower-achieving pupils; the stages of progression within the unit; the anticipated prior learning; and the range of starter activities. After an introduction, the document offers Key Stage 3 lesson starters, sentence level starter activities, text level starter activities, and word level starter activities. The units included are deliberately different in their content and focus: "Write Now" centers upon writing (Year 7); "Books in their Times" has a literary focus (Year 7); "Great Lives" is built around biography and autobiography (Year 7); "What's in the News?" focuses on news reporting on TV and in newspapers (Year 7); "A Sense of Place" features stories from different cultures (Year 8); "Four Kids, Three Cats, Two Cows, One Witch (Maybe)" has a contemporary literary focus (Year 7 and Year 8); "Travelling and Telling" has a non-fiction focus (Year 9); "Research in Ireland" (Year 7) has a literary focus; and "The Faces of War" (Year 9) focuses on World War I poetry. (PM)

"A Light in the Storm" is one of a series of books about America and American history published by Scholastic. The book has been adapted for the stage by the Kennedy Center. The story, which takes place during the Civil War, inspired this 5-lesson curriculum unit that complements the play and allows students to study different aspects of lighthouses in depth: the actual Fenwick Island Lighthouse (or, A Suitable Job for a Woman), Civil War Music, Structures on a Light Station, and Historical Timelines. The unit is intended for elementary students in grades 3 and above and is interdisciplinary in approach. Each lesson offers an overview; suggests length and grade level; lists subjects and subtopics; cites dimensions of learning and intelligence being addressed; notes equipment and materials needed; lists teacher resources; and addresses National Standards for Arts Education and other standards. Each lesson also identifies instructional objectives and strategies; provides a detailed, step-by-step instructional plan; suggests assessment and extension activities; and lists teacher references. Among the materials attached are several handouts with relevant background information. (NKA)

Three significant changes have impacted the teaching of social studies to young adolescents in the past decade: (1) development of the curriculum standards for social studies by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS); (2) growth in the number of middle schools, which are premised on the integration of content; and (3) expansive use of children's literature in social studies. This book is in response to those innovations which are explained in two parts: (1) provides a rationale for using trade books in social studies and details strategies for nurturing students' reading comprehension; and (2) provides annotations for more than 250 trade books, along with ideas for classroom use, and recommends 150+ additional titles. An index by title and an index by subject are also included. (BT)

Based on Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" and other conservation-related books, this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that many conservationists have written books that have had a profound influence on the way people think about and treat the planet; such books can be powerful instruments for change; and reading such books and encouraging others to read them are important parts of being an environmentally responsible individual. The main activity of the lesson involves reading conservation-related books and writing a brief essay explaining the effects of their books might have had on science or society and their own personal reactions to what they read. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, adaptations, discussion questions, evaluation methods, extension activities, annotations of suggested readings and web links, vocabulary, and related academic standards and benchmarks addressed in the lesson plan. The lesson plan also contains a description of a video clip related to the lesson, comprehension questions related to the video clip, and answers to those comprehension questions. (RS)

Based on short stories and novels, this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that in the 19th century, the American frontier brought both solutions and problems; and fiction writers as well as documentarians have portrayed the American frontier. The main activity of the lesson involves students writing essays addressing whether characters in the novels and short stories do or do not correspond with information students found from nonfiction sources. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, adaptations, discussion questions, evaluation methods, extension activities, annotations of suggested readings and web links, vocabulary, and related academic standards and benchmarks addressed in the lesson plan. The lesson plan also contains a description of a video clip related to the lesson, comprehension questions related to the video clip, and answers to those comprehension questions. (RS)

This reading program manual delineates the "Books and Pets" program, a project of Arizona Reads, which is a collaboration between the Arizona Humanities Council and the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records. A CD-ROM version of the program accompanies the manual. The manual is divided into the following parts: Introduction; Getting Started (Planning with Goals and Objectives; Program Planning and Scheduling; Let's Get Everyone Involved; Awards and Incentives; Program Survey; Publicity and Promotion; Letter from K-READ and Graphics; Decorations; Registration; Reading Logs); General Resources (Resource Companies; Government Resources; General Programming Titles; Theme-Based Fiction Titles; Theme-Based Non-Fiction Titles; Helpful Web Sites); Arizona Humane Society (Introductory Letter; Humane Literature Checklist; Games, Puzzles, and Activities; Bibliography of Children's Books); Activities (Age-Adaptable Programs and Activities; Songs and Plays; Pet Riddles; Games and Puzzles; Answers); Crafts (General Crafts; Sewing Crafts; Origami Crafts; Masks and Drawings; Recipes); and Special Groups (Young Adult General Programming; Young Adult Theme-Based Programming; Special Needs General Programming; Talking Book Bibliography; Good Books about Special Needs). Appendixes contain information about availability of program funds, incentive coupons for program participants, information on contributing to the 2003 Summer Reading Program, and detailed information on performers related to this year's theme. (NKA)

Designed to grow into a 2-inch three-ring binder, this handbook is part of a series for teachers of grades 6-8 language arts. The handbook aims to clarify some points, to provide a framework for new teachers and to give veteran teachers some new ideas. Volume I contains activities to use in the classroom, and Volume II is "all about books." The activities are divided into sections for grade 6 (n=17), grade 7 (n=12), and grade 8 (n=9), and each activity contains a brief section on teacher preparation, an activity starter, a "making the connection" section, and objectives addressed. Volume II provides background information about several young people's book awards, including Newbery Award Books, Caldecott Award Books, Coretta Scott King Award, Printz Award, Mildred L. Batchelder Award, National Book Award, Edgar Allen Poe Award, and Best Books List. It also provides extensive lists of fiction books, nonfiction and information books, and picture books published since 1990. (NKA)

These foundation units are aimed at pupils working within Level 2 entry to Year 7. They are designed to remind pupils what they know and take them forward. The units also will teach phonics knowledge from consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words to long vowel phonemes. The writing units focus on developing the following skills: understanding what a sentence is; extending sentences patterns using connectives; using adjectives and adverbs; planning endings of narratives which link to the openings; expanding points in narrative sentences to provide details; and understanding the various non-fiction text types. The reading unit focuses on non-fiction to support work done in the mainstream classroom while the handwriting unit ensures that pupils develop a more confident cursive script. Includes an explanation of running reading records and miscue analysis. (PM)

Adapted for whole class use, this unit focuses on developing some of the reading skills pupils need if they are to progress from Level 3 to Level 4 of England's National Curriculum. It is meant to supplement, but not to replace, the English curriculum for Year 7 pupils. The unit builds on the successful approaches of the National Literacy Strategy in primary schools, and therefore features a core teaching sequence which promotes active learning. The unit consists of 18 session plans, plus support materials in the form of teacher and pupil sheets. Each 20-minute session is fast-paced and interactive. The focus of the unit is firmly non-fiction, to complement the unit "Reading between the Lines," which is fiction-based. The unit seeks to extend pupils' repertoire of reading strategies by helping them to read the context as well as the text: activities are based on materials which are typical of those they meet across the curriculum. (RS)

Developed for use in small groups, this unit focuses on developing some of the reading skills pupils need if they are to progress from Level 3 to Level 4 of England's National Curriculum. It is meant to supplement, but not to replace, the English curriculum for Year 7 pupils. The unit builds on the successful approaches of the National Literacy Strategy in primary schools, and therefore features a core teaching sequence which promotes active learning. The unit consists of 18 session plans, plus support materials in the form of teacher and pupil sheets. Each 20-minute session is fast-paced and interactive. The focus of the unit is firmly non-fiction, to complement the unit "Reading between the Lines," which is fiction-based. The unit seeks to extend pupils' repertoire of reading strategies by helping them to read the context as well as the text: activities are based on materials which are typical of those they meet across the curriculum. Appended are weekly overview sheets and tracking sheets. (RS)

You (the student) have been selected to be the school librarian's helper today. You are going to help her shelve books about moose. But you will have to read the books before you shelve them to decide if they are fictional storybooks about moose or nonfictional books about moose. You will decide if the books are real (nonfiction) or make believe (fiction) by asking questions such as: where do moose live and what do they eat? This lesson plan outlines the process with a brainstorming activity, moose stories, discovering what moose look like, and where they live. It also gives the student learning advice; discusses evaluation; provides extension activities; and offers a reflection activity. The teacher notes section provides grade level/unit; states goals/purpose (standards in history/social science and language arts); and notes materials needed. It lists teacher Internet resources and other print resources. It also discusses interdisciplinary connections and adaptation for special needs students. (BT)

Exploring ways of helping teachers to extend their pupils' literacy, this paper's intent is to devise and try in classrooms a range of strategies whereby teachers might develop the abilities of their children to use literacy more effectively as a means of learning. It gives an outline of the model used, the Extending Interaction with Texts, or "EXIT" model, and briefly outlines the thinking and research underlying the model. The paper concludes that despite the difficulties in devising models of this nature, teachers have reacted positively to the attempt to provide a framework for their classroom work. Contains 30 references. (SC)

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to interpret and evaluate complex works of music, dance, theater, visual arts, literature or media arts. It begins with reference to the particular content standard addressed in the package, the educational level of the package (high school), and a summary statement of the content standard. It then describes the tasks associated with the student performances: (1) in response to literature, write a journal entry, a poem, and perform two different oral interpretations of the same work; (2) write a literary analysis paper; (3) analyze narrative structure by drawing plot diagrams and storyboards for two different works; (4) develop a portfolio for each of two literary works that includes short essays about the reader's response, narrative structure, elements of fiction, the author's life, and critics' views; (5) write two analytical papers, one identifying the parallels between a literary work and another art form, and the other, the parallels between the literary work and nonfiction; and (6) create an anthology of fiction and nonfiction to explore questions of what story is and what the value of story is. It then offers specific statements from the standard regarding what students should know and should do, the products, task description, special notes, and feedback checklists for each task enumerated in the package. (RS)

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to comprehending, interpreting, and evaluating information from a variety of nonfiction formats in reading, viewing, and listening. It begins with reference to the particular content standard addressed in the package, the educational level of the package (middle), and a summary statement of the content standard. It then describes the tasks associated with the student performances: (1) develop and maintain a nonfiction journal; (2) map main ideas and supporting details as well as identify fact and opinions in nonfiction selections; (3) interpret graphics in nonfiction selections; (4) compare and contrast information in different nonfiction selections and identify differences in points of view of the authors; and (5) use structural organizers within the selections to aid comprehension. It then offers specific statements from the standard regarding what students should know and should do, the products, task description, special notes, and feedback checklists for each task enumerated in the package. (RS)

On the Internet, one can not only buy books but also obtain information about publishers and vendors, book reviews, authors, and other book-related information. Even electronic texts are available for downloading or browsing online. The paper discusses World Wide Web sites for many book-related information needs, whether a person is searching for nonfiction and reference, various fiction genres, a bookseller specializing in rare books, or the newest book about the Internet itself. The paper describes InfoTrac and FirstSearch, and many of the other services available on the Internet for researching, browsing, purchasing, and downloading books. It also discusses the fact that the diverse book-related activity on the Internet contradicts the oft-heard notion that printed books might be on the verge of extinction. Also included is a topically subdivided list of 36 Web addresses: General Sites (6); Academic Book Sites (9); Book Reviews (7); Rare and OP (out-of-print) Books (3); Book Stores (2); Texts Online (5); Online Magazines and Books (3); and Book Arts (1). (Author/SWC)

Intended to make the job of finding the right book for the right child easy, this book lists the "Children's Choices" selections (recent books recommended and voted on by children themselves) for 1992, 1993, and 1994. Each of the over 300 entries (about 100 for each calendar year) is annotated and includes publication information. Entries are grouped according to the following reading levels: all ages, beginning independent reading, younger readers (approximately 5 to 8 years old), middle grades (ages 8 to 10), and older readers (ages 10 to 13). Indexes of authors, illustrators, and titles are attached. (NKA)

Intended to encourage teachers and students to take a fresh look at children's literature, this practical collection of ideas offers plot summaries and suggests teaching strategies for 57 notable children's books. Books in the collection were chosen "outstanding trade books" by a National Council of Teachers of English committee on trade books. Selections in the collection include poetry, historical fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, folktales, picture books, biographies, and nonfiction. Included in the collection are works by Mary Hoffman, Ken Kesey, Arnold Lobel, Karen Lynn Williams, James Howe, and Avi. Each of the 57 response guides is composed of four sections: suggested grade levels, a plot summary, teaching suggestions, and a list of related books. Teaching strategies presented in the collection offer a wide range of possibilities, from dramatization to storymapping to journal writing--the focus is on stimulating critical thinking that leads readers to new insights. (NKA)

This manual for the 1993 New York State summer reading program, "Book Banquet," ties books and reading together with the theme of eating. The manual offers program ideas, activities, and materials. The following chapters are included: (1) "Appetizers" (planning, publicity, and promotion); (2) "Setting the Table" (decorations and display); (3) "Main Course--Reading"; (4) "a la carte" (programs and activities); (5) "Delectable Desserts" (crafts, games, puzzles, mazes, and shopping); and (6) "Basic Pantry" (books, media, and other resources). The annotated bibliography of the "Basic Pantry" section includes 130 works of fiction for children, 106 works of nonfiction, 17 poetry books, 29 books for young adults, and 25 books as adult resources. Additional resources and recordings are listed. (SLD)

Intended primarily for classroom teachers, this book discusses the genre of nonfiction, the link between nonfiction and elementary curriculum, and specific ways to integrate nonfiction into the elementary classroom. The book's 16 essays and their authors are as follows: (1) "Fact or Fiction?" (Russell Freedman); (2) "The Evolution of a Science Writer" (Patricia Lauber); (3) "The Rise and Fall and Rise of Juvenile Nonfiction, 1961-1988" (James Cross Giblin); (4) "The Nonfiction Scene: What's Happening?" (Barbara Elleman); (5) "Trends and Evaluative Criteria of Informational Books for Children" (Frances Smardo Dowd); (6) "The Voice of Learning: Teacher, Child, and Text" (Bette Bosma); (7) "On the Road to Literacy: Pathways through Science Trade Books" (Marjorie Slavick Frank); (8)"Windows through Time: Literature of the Social Studies" (Diane Goetz Person and Bernice E. Cullinan); (9) "Reading Aloud and Responding to Nonfiction: Let's Talk about It" (Sylvia M. Vardell and Kathleen A. Copeland); (10) "Reading and Writing Connection: Supporting Content-Area Literacy through Nonfiction Trade Books" (Rosemary A. Salesi); (11) "Invite Children to Respond Using the Fine Arts" (Patricia Grasty Gaines); (12) "Nonfiction Books in the Primary Classroom: Soaring with the Swans" (Peter Roop); (13) "Get Real, Teacher! What Happens When At-Risk Middle-School Readers Become Involved with Nonfiction" (Nancy DeVries Guth); (14) "Using a Nonfiction Author Study in the Classroom" (Judith W. Keck); (15) "Using Informational Books to Develop Reference Skills" (M. Jean Greenlaw); and (16) "Putting It All Together: Theme Teaching with Nonfiction Books" (Evelyn B. Freeman). Appendixes list reference works cited, children's books cited, nonfiction book awards, and sources for nonfiction book titles. (SR)

Intended as a guide for local-level policy makers, curriculum planners, teachers, and librarians, this addendum to "Recommended Readings in Literature, Kindergarten through Grade Eight" includes over 260 titles designed to supplement and extend the original list. Organized by overlapping grade levels, the addendum offers many titles that can be enjoyed by children, adolescents, parents, and teachers alike. Literary contributions of specific ethnic or cultural groups included in the addendum are identified by special symbols. (RS)

Functional literacy is important in both English/language arts and geography. Using the "found poetry" strategy, students will summarize a piece of text, identify main ideas and find geographic connections. While using young adult literature is a great way to incorporate geography into English/language arts classroom, understanding of geography and geographic themes may be better demonstrated by analyzing and interpreting nonfiction. By using nonfiction readings to supplement the textbook in the secondary geography classroom, the teachers not only encourage the growth of geographic skills but many English/language arts skills as well. Exposure to quality, creative, nonfiction writing expands students' understandings of cultures and in turn, helps dispel myths and stereotypes. Newspapers, magazines, and radio/Internet news sources make for great reading and are wonderful ways to incorporate current events into the classroom. This article presents a lesson which is a geography adaptation of "Found and Headline Poetry." Using quality, short, non-fiction readings, students expand their knowledge and understanding of geographic concepts to create unique poems using quotes from the article. Greater interaction with an article may help struggling readers to establish language fluency and increase understanding of key geographic vocabulary. This lesson is designed for the grades 6-12 geography/social studies and English/language arts classroom.

"Time, Place, and Play," is a short phrase, but is summarizes three very big concepts--history, geography, and culture--that are part of the elementary social studies curriculum. This article relates the story of how twenty-five elementary and middle school teachers, meeting over several weeks in a university class, designed a unit of study on the topic of Time, Place, and Play. This unit can be adapted for grades four through eight, and can be taught over a two-week period (ten one-hour classes.) The teachers identified four purposes for this study unit: (1) Explore the vocabulary, definitions, and characteristics associated with each of the three concepts of time (history), place (geography), and play (social interaction) as the guiding objectives of the unit of study; (2) Investigate, using quality nonfiction books and websites for children, the relationships between time, place, and play as observed in today's world; and (3) Create various forms of self-expression or outcomes to demonstrate this new learning, and share this with peers and family members. The five-part lesson plan is described in detail. (Contains 2 figures and 6 endnotes.)

In this article, the author provides a rationale for the use of children's literature to study Mexico and to learn a framework by which to consider people around the world and the universals of culture, including principles for using books in the unit. An appendix contains a description of children's fiction and biography, nonfiction, reference materials, and poetry; criteria for book selection; and suggested activities for a unit about Mexico.

Offers a presentation of creative nonfiction addressing the author's personal family experiences. Addresses ethical issues involved in creative nonfiction. Describes how she decided to narrate her history and contemplates in depth the artistic choices she made. (SG)

Suggests that there is a real chance right now for letting the possibilities of creative nonfiction infuse, improve, and invigorate the teaching of composition. Concludes that when allowed to explore literary nonfiction, writing students will develop a substantial set of strengths from which to undertake other disciplinary writing challenges as they explore past and present with an eye to the future. (SG)

Discusses the topic of creative nonfiction and how it is addressed throughout this special issue. Suggests that how creative nonfiction is placed does have implications for literature and writing, both creative and non. (SG)

Discusses the complexity of naming nonfiction as a class of written works. Struggles with many different possible definitions of nonfiction and considers the problems with many of the definitions. Suggests the use of the term "creative nonfiction" as an umbrella to cover the widest range of nonfiction literary production. Argues that categorizing and compartmentalizing limits vision. (SG)

Considers student response to nonfiction Vietnam War literature and discusses why students should study Vietnam War nonfiction. Presents strategies for teaching nonfiction Vietnam War literature. Presents follow-up research and writing activities that are designed to enable students to connect reading, writing, and thinking. Concludes that the nonfiction literature of the Vietnam War is accessible and engaging to students, and deals with issues that speak to students in powerful ways. (SG)

Describes how through a multifaceted heritage project, the author's eighth-grade students discover the magic of traveling with authors into the nooks and crannies of their seminal experiences, write their own budding memoirs, consider their values and beliefs, and compare family members' stories and values to their own. Outlines several elements in the heritage books. (SG)

Asserts that informational reading material is scarce in primary classrooms and that many primary grade teachers do not know enough strategies for helping children understand this type of reading material. Describes an effort to engage a group of first-grade children in reading and writing experiences involving informational texts and related strategies and activities. (SD)