Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

By: James Marshall

Grade Level K-2

Michele Aloisio

                               

The book Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall is about a little girl who has gold locks of curls that is very curious and sneaky. Goldilocks goes in the woods and stumbled on a little house. A family of bears, Papa Bear, Mamma Bear and Baby Bear were trustworthy bears. Because the bears were gone, Goldilocks was impatient and went into the bears’ house without them there.

                The family of bears was having their breakfast, but the porridge they were eating was too hot. They decided to go on a bicycle ride while their porridge cooled. When Goldilocks got to the house she noticed no one was there, and the door was open. She let herself in and tried the big bowl, but it was way too hot. Next the medium-sized bowl, but it was too cold. The last bowl she tried was the little bowl, which was just right, not too cold or not too hot. After her meal, she wanted to look around; she went into the living room. Goldilocks climbed into the biggest chair which was too hard. Then she saw the medium-sized chair which was way too soft.  Goldilocks spotted Baby Bear’s rocking chair, which wasn’t too hard or too soft; it was just right.  After rocking, Goldilocks got a little sleepy, so she decided to go upstairs to fine the bedrooms. When she got upstairs, she found three beds. The biggest one was too high for her.  The next bed she tried was smaller, but that was much too low. The last bed was Baby Bear’s, and his was just right. She felt so cozy in his bed that she did not hear the family come home from the bicycle ride.  When the bears got into their home, they saw the damage Goldilocks did. They could tell that someone ate Papa and Mamma Bear’s porridge and Baby Bear’s porridge was all gone. When they walked into the living room, they noticed that someone was sitting in their chairs and Baby Bear’s chair was broken. So the Bear family tiptoed upstairs and noticed that someone had been lying in Papa and Mamma Bear’s beds. In Baby Bear’s bed, someone was still in it. Goldilocks woke up in a fright and jumped out of the window before the Bear family could even ask who she was and they never saw her again.  

                Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a folktale that was passed down in British literature and became popular in American literature.  This story has a very straight forward plot and setting. The setting is in the Bear family’s house and Goldilocks’ mischief leads her into the house where she destroys their house. Many folktales have the number three in them, as does this story: three bears with three different sized objects, and three different stages of Goldilocks going through the house.  I felt like this story is telling young children to not trust everyone even if they look like an innocent person like the young girl with golden hair, Goldilocks.

                                                    

                

 If I was teaching a lesson plan with Goldilocks and the Three Bears to kindergartners, I would have them compare what are big, medium and small sizes and what is hard and soft. We could also discuss the moral of the story, which is to wait to be invited to someone’s house and to be careful with things that are not ours. This lesson would be under language in the frameworks as vocabulary acquisition and use (Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use. 6.). I would have the students make a collage of different objects that were large, medium and small to have a visual and have a hands on activity. For the soft and hard objects I would have different objects that they can sit on like a hard chair and a bean bag for another-hands on activities. 

A is for America

A is for America

By: Tanya Lee Stone 

Grade Level: K-1
Genre: Informational/Non-Fiction

Have you ever wondered about the history of the United States? Are you curious about the people and documents that contributed to the country we live in today? Now is your chance to experience history is a fun and meaningful way in the book, A is for America by Tanya Lee Stone. This book is jam-packed with factual information all according to the letters of the alphabet!

The book contains a variety of historical information ranging from Martin Luther King Jr. To Mount Rushmore. In one simple sentence, per alphabetic letter, this book defines major parts of American history. There is information on people, such as Betsy Ross and Harriet Tubman, as well as information on symbols, such as Uncle Sam and the American flag. It even includes alphabet letters for the branches of government as well as definitions for the documents we live by each day. Each letter represents a new idea and includes a fun, rhyming definition that explains its importance.

This non-fiction book is a great addition for any classroom. It’s easy to read and the design of the book is fantastic. The illustrations are composed of cartoon characters, the alphabet letters are bold, and the terms in the book are in big letters. My only complaint is the organization of the ideas. The book really jumps back and forth to various points in  history as well as jumps back and forth to various ideas. The book will begin by defining a person, then to a symbol, which can then lead to a definition of the Supreme Court. I know the book is in alphabetical order, but there are many ideas presented at once that could be confusing for beginning readers. In contrast, the design is very reader friendly and it will attract readers to this non-fiction book.

The style of the writing in the book is another reader friendly feature. The book is composed of fun rhymes which most children love. I originally thought the rhymes would take away from the content, but they add character to the book, and the overall language used is very appropriate. For example, we see the words, “formal” when talking about the oval room, and the word “regal” when discussing the Statue of Liberty. Some students may trip over words such as these, but challenging vocabulary can be necessary for the author to thoroughly explain these informational ideas.

One of the best parts of this book is the way the author explains the information. It’s very accurate and simplistic, as well as offers an insight to the reader as an American citizen. For example, Stone says “All men are created equal is an idea that we hold high.” The book reflects the values and beliefs of American culture. I like how Stone was able to incorporate accurate information and values in a rhyming form. It’s very creative and shows her love for history.

Overall, this book is great for the classroom. It’s fun to read and the illustrations really grab the reader’s attention. The author clearly put a lot of thought and energy into the style and content of the book, which all young readers can learn from. It’s full of factual information and not many informational books offer such a fun way to learn. The book may be broad, but it may be enough to spark a student’s interest in American history. 

ELA Standards:

 GRADES 1-2:

• 7.2 Recognize and produce rhyming words.

    *7.4  Demonstrate understanding of the various features of written English:

·  know the order of the letters in the alphabet; 

Dont Know Much About the Pilgrims

 

Don’t Know Much About the Pilgrims

By Kenneth C. Davis

Grade level: 3^rd-5^th

Genre: informational

 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a pilgrim? What did they eat? How did they live? Why did they leave Europe? Did they all survive? What is it like to sail on a ship? Well, you are in luck because all these questions and more are answered in Kenneth Davis’s book Don’t Know Much About Pilgrims.

This book uses a question and answer type format to provide information about the pilgrims. From myths and facts to what it would be like to be a pilgrim, this book offers accurate insights along clear definitions of some of the terms that were used during this time period. This book is appropriate for third-fifth grade and is appropriate for the subject matter because the illustrations are suitable for children, yet depict what objects looked like during this time period. Along with facts about the pilgrims, the other does neglect to include information about the Indians too. The Indians were a big part of the pilgrims experience in the New World and although we do not see the whole Indian perspective through this book, we are given information about how they interacted with the pilgrims.

            This book is organized very well. Each page has a green question at either the top or middle of the page so it is very clear what you are about to read about. Each question is answered in paragraph form and includes italicized words that are explained on the page by either a definition or diagram. Some of the titles in the book are red in color indicating that they are answering a myth about what others think about the pilgrims. This book reads in chronological order from explaining who the pilgrims actually were to their settlement in the new world. Each page is organized with just the right amount of picture and text. Each page also has additional little blurps about the pilgrims that are arranged in a non-overwhelming way.

            The author does a great job presenting fact and fiction in this book. In the red titled areas, he recognizes that there are some misconceptions when it comes to who the pilgrims were. He addresses that issue very well and tells the reader if that myth is true or false and then provides an explanation supported by fact. When the author is not sure about the actual actions of the pilgrims he uses words associated with assumptions such as “probably”. The author also, includes interaction into this book where the reader is allowed to try to guess what types of laws the pilgrims had or what they think the pilgrims did? This book also interacts in areas outside the book. On one page, the author provides a recipe of the type of bread the pilgrims ate, which gives the reader an opportunity to try out the bread; this allows students to make connections with the book instead of just reading it.

            The design of this book really adds to the overall experience when reading about each of the facts. Each question and answer has a kid-friendly, vibrant illustration that provides the reader with an illustration of what that fact is. For example, for the question “What kind of chores did pilgrim children do?” the author lists the types of chores they do and right by the words are pictures of children making their bed, sweeping, cooking, gardening and washing clothes. The pictures are placed in a way that doesn’t overtake the textual features of the book, but instead works together with the text. The pictures are small enough where the author could put them right in the middle of a page if he so chose to do so, or he could put them under or around the text.  On one of the pages, it gives a word used by the pilgrims and its definition, but the meaning of those words are really enhanced because there is also a picture of what it might look like to us right next to each of the words.

            The style of writing is both interesting and engaging because it uses words appropriate to the time period, but informs you about what those words mean. The writing is very appropriate because in between the facts, the author provides examples in how that question could relate to our lives.

            I would use this book in my classroom as a way for students to research on their own facts about the pilgrims. They could either read this book by themselves or buddy read with a friend in order to learn more about who the pilgrims were. I could use this book as a basis for students to write their own book about the pilgrims. By gathering facts, they could write and illustrate their own children’s book about the pilgrims.

 

The MA Frameworks that couldbe applied to this book are:

 

Social Studies 3.3: Identify who the Pilgrims were and explain why they left Europe to seek religious freedom; describe their journey and early years in the Plymouth colony.

            b. challenges settling in America

            c. events leading to the first Thanksgiving

Reading Literature 3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers.

Reading Foundations 3.1: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

c.       Decode multi-syllable words.

The Very Quiet Cricket

The Very Quiet Cricket

By Eric Carle

Grade Level: K-2

Genre: Informative

            Have you ever wondered what kind of insects a cricket runs into during the day? Well you’re in luck! In The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle, we get to learn all of the insects a cricket can see during a day.

            The main character is a little cricket that is born from an egg on a warm day. The big cricket welcomes him by rubbing his wings together to create a chirping sound. Unfortunately, the little cricket rubs his wings together but there is no sound. Through out the day the little cricket goes on to explore and runs into a variety of insects including a locus, praying mantis, worm, spittlebug, cicada, bumblebee, dragonfly, mosquitoes, and a luna moth.  Each time he runs into a new insect he tries to greet them by rubbing his legs together but no sound comes out. Finally, the little cricket meets another cricket late at night and rubs his legs together to make a sound and greet her.

            This book is a non-fiction informative text. It is a great book for younger readers to become interested in the many different kinds of insects. Carle depicts accurate illustrations so the reader can learn the different insects along with their picture. Some pages describe the ways the insects make noise while other pages show the insect in its natural environment. The reader can tell that the author is passionate about the concept by the way he intricately illustrates each insect. The information is organized so that each page presents a new insect along with information on it so the reader does not get overwhelmed with too much information and new terms. The ideas are presented clearly and in a logical sequence. Carle’s passion and knowledge appear through the story line. The story makes the reader want to keep reading to see what new insects will be introduced next. We know from Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar that he is not an “expert” at insects, but he is very passionate and has done his research for this book. The caterpillar book was not created to inform children about insects, its purpose was just to entertain. The accuracy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar is current and complete because of the factual knowledge of the different insects and the theory of when a cricket starts to first chirp. The scope is appropriate for the intended grade level meaning that there is just the right amount of information balanced with a story line. The Very Quiet Cricket is meant to share Carle’s passion and information about insects with his young readers.

            I would definitely use this book in my classroom. It is a great read aloud book to start a lesson on insects. A student could choose any insect in the book and do a project about the habitat, life cycle etc. Obviously this book is mainly for teaching science, but it could be used in many other ways. Students could choose an insect and write a fictional story about what they do during their day. I think this is a great book to really engage students in the different types of insects and not just the usual ones like ladybugs and worms. The vivid illustrations motivate the students to become truly interested in what they are learning about.

The Massachusetts Frameworks that could be applied to this story:

Science:

1. Recognize that animals (including humans) and plants are living things that grow, reproduce, and need food, air, and water

2. Differentiate between living and nonliving things. Group both living and nonliving things according to the characteristics that they share.

8. Identify the ways in which an organism’s habitat provides for its basic needs (plants require air, water, nutrients, and light; animals require food, water, air, and shelter).

ELA:

K.7. With prompting and support, make predictions about what happens next in a picture book after examining and discussing the illustrations.

1.5 Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.

K.3 With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

2.10 By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range

1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

Exploring The Night Sky

Exploring The Night Sky: The Equinox Astronomy Guide For Beginners

Author: Terence Dickinson

Principal Illustrations: John Bianchi

Genre: Informational

Grades: 4-6

Have you ever wondered what you would find in outer space if you could travel through it? Have you ever wondered how big space is? In this book Exploring The Night Sky you will discover the answers to these questions and many other questions you may have.

This book contains many different short narratives that cover a variety of different topics that are related to space. Such topics include what can be found 1.3 light seconds from earth or 300,000,000 light years from earth, the planets in our solar system, black holes, how stars end their lives, how to recognize planets, constellations, and stars. It also gives information about telescopes. There are many more narratives that are included in this book; these are just a few examples. Each page contains a picture or photo to illustrate what the author is talking about in the narrative. The pictures that are used throughout the book are a mix of real photos and illustrations, but the pictures that have been illustrated look very real and make the book more interesting to read. Also there are foot notes that are included that give facts that are related to the pictures that are shown, and help explain the illustrations better.

This type of a book is an example of an informational book. Informational books are non-fiction and present facts that are found in the real world rather than made up stories. When informational books are mentioned they are often thought of as boring, but the illustrations in this book were well thought out and are what will attract readers. Students can look at the illustrations until they find one that interests them, and read the narrative that belongs with it. The pages in this book can be read in any order the reader chooses since the narrative do not form one complete story. Also, if a reader is not interested in reading the whole narrative, they can choose to read the footnotes and still learn new information about our universe. Footnotes may also help readers determine if that particular narrative is worth reading.

I will definitely use this book in my classroom library as a resource if students need to look up information about the elements of the universe. This book is also introducing the ideas of chapters. This book is broken down into three sections. Each section is color coded rather than numbered. There is a content page that is located in the front of the book, as well as a glossary that is located in the back of the book. If students ever need to be taught how to use the table of contents, or a glossary, this book would be a good one to use.

Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!

Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!

Retold By: Margaret Read MacDonald

Ilustrasted by: Alik Arzoumanian

Genre: Palestinian Folktale

Grades Prek-2

Have you ever taken something that is not yours? Did you suffer any consequences for taking that item? While reading Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! You will learn what happens when you take something that is not yours!

The story Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! is about a little pot who ventures off into the village. He comes across a man who works at a market. The man likes the pot and decides to bring him home and keep honey in it. The pot doesn’t stay with the man; he leaves with his pot full of honey and brings it back to his mom. The second day, the pot once again heads into the village where he meets the King. The King takes him home to the Queen. The Queen places her jewels inside of the pot. Once again the pot leaves and brings all the jewels home to his mom. He is soon caught for stealing all of these items and is punished by the King. Instead of placing something nice into the pot, he fills it up with muck and sends him on his way. The pot agrees that he will never take anything again that isn’t his.

This story would be appropriate for the classroom because it teaches students that they shouldn’t take something that isn’t there’s. This story could then be used to write a story of a time when the students might have gotten in trouble for something that they did. Then they could write about the repercussions of their actions. It also brings multicultural into the classroom. The story is a Palestinian Folktale, the pictures show what life might be like in Palestine.

 

 ELA Framework

16.1 Identify familiar forms of traditional literature (Mother Goose rhymes, fairy tales, lullabies) read aloud.

 19.2 Dictate sentences for a story and collaborate to put the sentences in chronological sequence.

 23.1 Arrange events in order when writing or dictating.