Forms of Water

Forms of Water

By: Colton Glover

            Water Changes by Brenda Parkes is a great read for young students who are learning about the many forms of water. This is a very simple yet informative book. It provides detailed pictures for the students that may struggle with reading, which assists the students in comprehending the text. I think this is a good read for children because it helps teach them the difference between solid and liquid forms of water while connecting to the CCGPS S1E2 B:  “Identifying forms of precipitation such as rain, snow, sleet, and hailstones as either solid (ice) or liquid (water)”. These forms of water are mentioned throughout Water Changes.

We learn that water comes in many forms. Water can be found as rain, snow, fog, hail, or even freeze to make ice. Not only is this an educational lesson but it also allows emergent readers to get some great practice using their reading skills. This opens up the students' minds to thinking more outside of the box. Now they are able to recognize snow as a form of water and not just a frozen white blanket that covers the ground. It also teaches them that fog is not just a low cloud but also a form of water vapor that is held in the air. Throughout Water Changes we are able to plug science into situations that we may encounter in our everyday lives.

            This book provides a simple science lesson for students. It allows students to see water in different forms that they come across on a daily basis. From this book we can apply some simple in-class experiments so the students can see and relate to the different forms. This would allow them to apply what they just read and hopefully keep them interested in reading this type of nonfiction material. 

The Mission to Learn Addition

The Mission to Learn Addition

By: Colton Glover

           

Mission: Addition by: Loreen Leedy is a great book for young children to read, specifically for math. This book contains many engaging strategies that not only allow the children to read but also apply what they are reading. Addition can be a tricky task for students to learn especially when other math methods are brought into play, such as subtraction, division, and multiplication.  Luckily, in this particular book it focuses solely on addition, which allows children to devote all their attention to this method of mathematics. Throughout this book we learn that addition is a fact. You can change the order of the addends and it does not change the sum. I think that fact links well to the CCGPS MCCK.CC.4 B: which states, “understand that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted. The number of objects is the same regardless of the arrangement or the order in which they were counted.” Mission: Addition allows children to view math in a fun way, which can help keep the interested in this content.

Though it may seem ridiculous that a child could learn from a book with students that are talking animals, it shows us how a math topic can be fun and interesting. One stormy day Miss Prime, the teacher, has her students pretend they are detectives and has them find clues left behind by a mysterious person who ate all the cookies off her desk. Each student checks a different place in the classroom. Each student found something a little different at each location. For example, Talley checked the windows for evidence, Fay checked for hair, and Ginger checked for the footprints. When the students thought they knew who did it they reported back to Miss Prime with their evidence. As they are regrouped to discuss who they thought ate all of Miss Prime’s cookies, Miss Prime had each student add up all their evidence. Talley added up each window, Fay counted each piece of hair, and Ginger counted each fingerprint. In the end, with all the evidence added up, they found out Miss Prime was the culprit.

Even though this may seem far-fetched to some, it provides a great learning strategy for young children to practice addition. It is amazing what children are capable of when we allow them to use their imagination to apply the things they learn throughout life. If we don’t find ways to keep them engaged they will lose interest. It is harder to regain the same initiative, than it is to maintain what you already have. 

Different For A Reason

Different For A Reason

By: Colton Glover

           

"They never asked Rudolph to play." You guessed it—Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rudolph is a typical fantasy genre that contains specific elements such as living at the North Pole, talking reindeer, and Santa Clause. There was no better time of the year during my childhood than Christmas. It meant family, friends, food, and best of all, presents. We would all wait up on Christmas Eve to try to catch a glimpse of Santa or Rudolph leading the way through the night sky. Children really connect with this type of story because they truly believe in the magic and excitement. This would be a great read to children not only because it is a well-known Christmas tale, but because it teaches a valuable life lesson as well.

            Even though the story of Rudolph can seem very cliché, it actually conveys a great moral lesson. Rudolph displays a common conflict of person versus person, which is probably the most common type. The other Reindeer mocked him, "Ha-ha! Look at that Red Nose!" They wouldn't even try to include Rudolph in any of their games because he did not fit the stereotypic image of a normal reindeer. However, Rudolph's unique nose became very popular when Santa was having trouble seeing his list of children. Santa immediately noticed Rudolph's "bright, shiny nose" and insisted, "you will show us the way." Being able to help Santa made Rudolph feel accepted, which is what most children strive for with their peers.

We go throughout life trying to fit in even though we were created to stand out. Rudolph wanted to fit in with the other reindeer until he realized that he was unique for a specific purpose. This story is great for children because they are able to read about a time of year that they love while gaining a life lesson. It is important for children to understand that everyone is their own person for a reason. Children need to be taught to use their talents and differences to serve others and change the world.

Trickery at its Best

Trickery at its Best

Colton Glover

"Run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!"  The Gingerbread Man is a traditional fable that children of all ages enjoy. It has an exciting and surprising storyline that makes it extremely easy for children to follow. Its simple rhythm and repetition immediately catches the attention of children. The short dialogue and clear images lead the children to discover a shocking ending. Another great aspect of this book is that it moves quickly into the climax of the story and then to the ending. Books that are short and to the point are going to be more interesting to any student at any age.

            The gingerbread man hops out of the oven and immediately begins using the motif of trickery by challenging everyone he encounters to catch him if they can. He passes a gardener, mowers, a cow getting water from a well, and two picnicking bears. They all try to chase him, but no one can get close enough to catch him. The gingerbread man finally approaches a river and asks the fox to try to catch him, but the fox responds differently than all of the others. The fox then uses trickery to convince the gingerbread man to ride on his back across the river so the others won’t catch him. The fox claims that the water is getting deeper and deeper until the gingerbread man moves right on top of his nose. Without hesitation, the fox snaps his jaws eating the gingerbread man in one bite. The gingerbread man thought he was doing a good job at tricking the others, but he didn't realize that they fox was tricking him into becoming a snack.

Tickled One Time Too Many

Tickled One Time Too Many

Colton Glover

         Too much of a good thing can lead us to trouble. "Ticklish Tom" has an easy rhyme scheme that allows children to catch on and follow along with ease. It is almost lyrical in the sense that you can hear the melody as you read. This poem is a great example of children’s poetry, using a catchy storyline to convey an underlying life lesson that when we are overexposed to things that bring us joy they have the potential of distracting us from the more important things in life, leading us into a troubling or, in this case, dangerous situation where life has been taken for granted.

            Tom was tickled by everyone and everything he came across during his day. He was tickled so often that he "wiggled and giggled and fell on the floor" more than once. Tom was tickled by his mother, his friends, the grass, the rain, and even the clouds until he heard the "rumble, rumble, whistle, roar" of the train. This use of onomatopoeia seemed to distract Tom and afterwards he was not ticklish anymore, which implies that Tom died on the railroad tracks. He "laughed his way right out of town" because he was enjoying being tickled so much. However, he did not take the time to realize that there needs to be a balance between work and play. He was not taking life seriously enough so it ended before he knew it.

            The life lesson in this poem is morbid, but it is very true. There are appropriate times for playing around and being serious. This poem conveys that you shouldn't take life too seriously, but at the same time you should learn to balance work and play. Even though this poem is extremely shocking it shows us the reality of what can happen if we take life for granted in general.