Nonfiction Monday: Wildfire

Wildfire by Taylor Morrison begins…

Every summer huge forest fires burn in the West. The images, recorded on the television news, are similiar: walls of flame twist in the sky, entire subdivisions are consumed.

Organization Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask students to write a procedural “how to” article for a fire drill at school and an emergency evacution plan for home. Use the Step-by-Step Chart graphic organizer to list the order of events before writing.

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up is at Simply Science.

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Poetry Friday: Wake Up Engines

Wake Up Engines by Denise Dowling Mortensen (Author) and Melissa Iwai (Illustrator) listens to the sounds that engines make in the morning…

Gutters glisten
shiny clean.
Whirring, purring
street machine.

Word Choice Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Write a class poem about the machines you hear at school.

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by Book Aunt.

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Jungle Party

In Jungle Party by Brian Wildsmith, Python is hungry because no one will come near him.

Deep in the jungle, Python was hungry. Although he hunted everyday for food, he could not find any because all of the animals hid themselves from him. After a whole week of hunger, Python thought of a cunning scheme.

Sentence Fluency Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Using this book as a model, ask each student to write a new animal party trick. (Use the students’ version as a reader’s theater script.)

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Mouse Shapes

In Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh (Author), three little mice try to outsmart the cat!

The mice were running from the cat.
“Hurry,” said Violet.

Organization Fluency Mini-lesson
Primary: Ask students to write their own version of this story. Use the Story Map 3 graphic organizer to organize the plot of the story.

For more books for young readers, subscribe to my 5 Great Books blog.

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Gizmo

In Gizmo by Barry Varela (Author) and Ed Briant (Illustrator), Professor Ludwig von Glink wakes up with an idea…

The good professor woke up one fine spring morning convinced that a particular arrangment of pulleys, pendelums, sprockets, and gears suspended by a network of wires would produce movement that never ended.

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask students to write their own “gizmo” story. Use the Idea Wheel graphic organizer to brainstorm a list of ideas.

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Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Nonfiction Monday: Cars on Mars

Mars: Roving the Red Planet by Alexandra Siy (Author) begins…

The summer of 2003 was the perfect time for traveling to Mars. Earth was closer to the Red Planet than it had been in sixty thousand years, and it wouldn’t be as close again until the year 2287.

Organization Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask students to write their own travel story. Use the Time Line graphic organizer to list the order of events on the trip.

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up is here at Picture Book of the Day!

1. Lori Calabrese (The New Children’s Encyclopedia)
2. Wrapped in Foil (The Wind at Work)
3. Sarah N. (Down, Down, Down)
4. The Book Nosher (What Can You Do With An Old Red Shoe)
5. Jen Robinson (You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!)
6. Shirley Duke (Ouch!)
7. INK: Interesting Nonfiction for Kids (essays by nonfiction children’s authors)
8. Kim @Wild About Nature (Sonoran Desert)
9. A Patchwork of Books (Where in the Wild?)
10. Wendie’s Wanderings (Panda Kindergarten)
11. Lynette Mattke (Big Guy Books: Giant Earthmovers)
12. Diane Chen at SLJ’s Practically Paradise
13. Jama Rattigan (Japan)

Literacy Links

Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Poetry Friday: How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?

How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? by Jane Yolen (Author) and Mark Teague (Illustrator) teaches manners with dinosaurs!

Does he race up the stairs right ahead of the bell?

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask each student to write a dinosaur school manners sentence. (Use the student’s versions as a reader’s theater script.)

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by The Boy Reader.

Literacy Links

Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Ginger Bear

Ginger Bear by Mini Grey begins…

Our story starts with a lump of pastry that Horace’s mum gave him, which Horace would usually roll about over the floor and furniture until it was deep gray and fluffy (and quite a lot smaller).

Ideas Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: After the dough was made into a cookie, it came to life in the middle of the night and the adventure began! Ask students to write about something in their house that comes to life. Use the Idea Wheel graphic organizer to brainstorm a list of ideas.

Literacy Links

Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Fire Engine Man

In Fire Engine Man by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha a small boy imagines his day as a fire engine man…

I will wear a special coat and boots and a hat to protect me.

Sentence Fluency Mini-lesson
Primary: Ask students to write their own “day on the job” story. After they finish, have them read it aloud to see how the sentences flow (and edit as needed.)

For more books for young readers, subscribe to my 5 Great Books blog.

Literacy Links

Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

The Twin Princes

The Twin Princes by Tedd Arnold begins…

“Riddle me this…” the old nursemaid said.
“A story!” cried Henny.
Penny came running. “Yes! Tell us!”

Conventions Mini-lesson
Primary/Intermediate: Ask students to write a new ending to this riddle-story. Remind students to add quotation marks to any dialogue.

Literacy Links

Copyright © 2009 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.