Hello,
A few weeks ago one of you emailed me and asked if I had any ideas for finding some Christian based DVDs on Volcanoes, Earth's features, rocks, and minerals. I finally had the time to sit and research this on the computer and found some information on this subject. Please note that I haven’t previewed these DVDs or purchased them myself. It may be that if you order them, you can get your money back if they aren’t what you need. I would certainly ask for this if I were you. Also, I hope that you do preview any movie that you show to kids. I learned this lesson myself.
I started my research by typing ‘Christian DVD earth science’ in the search engine. Here are some of the DVDs that I found that looked like they would be good for our SDA schools.
I found these and more at Christianbook.com.
1. The Awesome Forces of God’s Creation – 3 DVD set. Published by Moody.
2. Global Warming: A Scientific and Biblical Expose of Climate Change. Published by Answers in Genesis.
3. The Ice Age: Only the Bible Explains It. Published by Answers in Genesis.
I found another website called ‘Sing ‘N Learn (www.singnlearn.org) that had a DVD called Earth Science. One reviewer commented that there was no evolutionary material in the DVD. There is other teaching material there, also. The phone number of this site is 1-800-460-1973.
I also found quite a few DVDs at Christiandvd.com. From the Home page, look on the left sidebar and click ‘Teaching’, then click ‘Science’. You will be on a page that has a nice variety of Christian DVDs on science.
The last site I found was www.sixdaycreation.com/cms . There is a wealth of information on Christian based science and I found it to really interesting to look around on this site.
If anyone has found this information already and has a good source for purchasing them, please let me know and I will be happy to pass it along to the group.
I hope you have a great week.
Audrey
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Teacher's Choices 2011
Hello,
I’m sorry I missed last week’s post, but I was attending the International Reading Association convention. It was held in Orlando, Florida, so the weather was sunny, hot, and humid. It was wonderful although I am glad to be back in the Pacific Northwest again. While I was there, I got some great ideas for promoting reading, and also a long list of books that I suddenly decided I must have. I thought that I would share some of those titles with you this week.
One session I attended was the Teacher’s Choices 2011. These are books read by and chosen by teachers who deemed them exceptional for curriculum use. They were book talked by teachers who were on the committee. I have read some of these titles, but not all of them. I will give the same blurb found in my handout. You can find this and more information on other books at http://www.reading.org/resources/booklists/teacherschoices.aspx . On this page is information about all the Teacher’s Choice books since 1998.
Primary Readers – Grades K – 2 – Ages 5 – 8
Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds. Philomel.
Told from a young boy’s point of view, we hear the story of Rosa Parks and her determination to keep her seat on the bus on Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. The language is authentic. Oil painting illustrations magnify the story.
The Brothers Kennedy: John, Robert, Edward by Kathleen Krull. Simon & Schuster.
Three ordinary brothers led three extraordinary lives. The Kennedys were raised to believe that they could change things for the better and with their tireless efforts, they did.
The Falling Raindrop by Neil Johnson and Joel Chin. Tricycle.
This is a simple story explaining the science of the water cycle. One little raindrop is falling to earth and is excited to be alive. However, he then worries about crashing. This story demonstrates how one should live life to the fullest.
Lily’s Victory Garden by Helen L. Wilbur. Sleeping Bear.
This World War II story emphasizes how one girl takes action in her own community by growing a vegetable garden. She asks a neighbor for a plot of land to use. Friendship is bestowed on a woman who has lost her son in the war and working in the garden heals her sorrow. The seed packet artwork adds to the story and shows that one person, no matter how young, can truly make a difference.
My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete. Scholastic.
Told from a little girl’s point of view, we see what it is like for her twin brother to have autism: “Kids with autism are valuable human beings with real feelings even though they can’t always express them.” This heartwarming story can be shared with children of all ages.
Seed Soil Sun by Cris Peterson. Boyds Mills.
This book has vibrant photographs with lots of details for children to see. It opens with hands showing a wide variety of seeds. We then watch corn grow. This book complements science curricula and demonstrates where food actually comes from rather than just the grocery store.
Intermediate Readers – Grades 3 – 5 – Ages 8 – 11
Bag in the Wind by Ted Kooser. Candlewick.
This book showcases environmental awareness through the travels of a plastic shopping bag. People in the United States use 100 billion plastic shopping bags per year. This book could be used for sequence lessons. After reading this story, you will definitely think differently about using plastic shopping bags.
The Buffalo Are Back by Jean Craighead George. Dutton.
Incorporating history and environmental awareness, we learn what happens when the prairie environment is decimated and nearly all buffalo are killed. A herd of 300 buffalo survive to begin the renewal of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, a protected patch of land, in Kansas. Thanks to this assertive effort, there are more than 200,000 buffalo in existence today. Brilliant watercolor illustrations illustrate this story.
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Philomel.
Told from the point of view of 10-year-old Caitlin, we learn firsthand what it is like to deal with Asperger’s syndrome. A shooting in middle school took the life of her beloved older brother. Now Caitlin searches for closure for herself and her dad. (Note: this book contains a shooting, and may not be what you want in your library. I put this in because ALL the teachers who read it kept talking about it and I figured you could read it for yourself and decide if it will be appropriate for your school library.)
These titles are all taken from the 2011 Teacher’s Choices brochure. I will finish this section next week. I hope you are having a good week.
Library Announcement: This is the time to begin collecting all the library books and have them returned to school. School will be out in only three weeks.
Audrey
I’m sorry I missed last week’s post, but I was attending the International Reading Association convention. It was held in Orlando, Florida, so the weather was sunny, hot, and humid. It was wonderful although I am glad to be back in the Pacific Northwest again. While I was there, I got some great ideas for promoting reading, and also a long list of books that I suddenly decided I must have. I thought that I would share some of those titles with you this week.
One session I attended was the Teacher’s Choices 2011. These are books read by and chosen by teachers who deemed them exceptional for curriculum use. They were book talked by teachers who were on the committee. I have read some of these titles, but not all of them. I will give the same blurb found in my handout. You can find this and more information on other books at http://www.reading.org/resources/booklists/teacherschoices.aspx . On this page is information about all the Teacher’s Choice books since 1998.
Primary Readers – Grades K – 2 – Ages 5 – 8
Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds. Philomel.
Told from a young boy’s point of view, we hear the story of Rosa Parks and her determination to keep her seat on the bus on Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. The language is authentic. Oil painting illustrations magnify the story.
The Brothers Kennedy: John, Robert, Edward by Kathleen Krull. Simon & Schuster.
Three ordinary brothers led three extraordinary lives. The Kennedys were raised to believe that they could change things for the better and with their tireless efforts, they did.
The Falling Raindrop by Neil Johnson and Joel Chin. Tricycle.
This is a simple story explaining the science of the water cycle. One little raindrop is falling to earth and is excited to be alive. However, he then worries about crashing. This story demonstrates how one should live life to the fullest.
Lily’s Victory Garden by Helen L. Wilbur. Sleeping Bear.
This World War II story emphasizes how one girl takes action in her own community by growing a vegetable garden. She asks a neighbor for a plot of land to use. Friendship is bestowed on a woman who has lost her son in the war and working in the garden heals her sorrow. The seed packet artwork adds to the story and shows that one person, no matter how young, can truly make a difference.
My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete. Scholastic.
Told from a little girl’s point of view, we see what it is like for her twin brother to have autism: “Kids with autism are valuable human beings with real feelings even though they can’t always express them.” This heartwarming story can be shared with children of all ages.
Seed Soil Sun by Cris Peterson. Boyds Mills.
This book has vibrant photographs with lots of details for children to see. It opens with hands showing a wide variety of seeds. We then watch corn grow. This book complements science curricula and demonstrates where food actually comes from rather than just the grocery store.
Intermediate Readers – Grades 3 – 5 – Ages 8 – 11
Bag in the Wind by Ted Kooser. Candlewick.
This book showcases environmental awareness through the travels of a plastic shopping bag. People in the United States use 100 billion plastic shopping bags per year. This book could be used for sequence lessons. After reading this story, you will definitely think differently about using plastic shopping bags.
The Buffalo Are Back by Jean Craighead George. Dutton.
Incorporating history and environmental awareness, we learn what happens when the prairie environment is decimated and nearly all buffalo are killed. A herd of 300 buffalo survive to begin the renewal of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, a protected patch of land, in Kansas. Thanks to this assertive effort, there are more than 200,000 buffalo in existence today. Brilliant watercolor illustrations illustrate this story.
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Philomel.
Told from the point of view of 10-year-old Caitlin, we learn firsthand what it is like to deal with Asperger’s syndrome. A shooting in middle school took the life of her beloved older brother. Now Caitlin searches for closure for herself and her dad. (Note: this book contains a shooting, and may not be what you want in your library. I put this in because ALL the teachers who read it kept talking about it and I figured you could read it for yourself and decide if it will be appropriate for your school library.)
These titles are all taken from the 2011 Teacher’s Choices brochure. I will finish this section next week. I hope you are having a good week.
Library Announcement: This is the time to begin collecting all the library books and have them returned to school. School will be out in only three weeks.
Audrey
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Series Books continued
Hello,
I’m sorry I missed last week’s post. I was home ill. However, this week I want to continue the series post I started two weeks ago.
Vet Volunteers is a series by Laurie Halse Anderson and published by Scholastic. At this point, there are about ten in the series, but it appears that more are being written. Animal lovers will enjoy reading about the different animals that are helped by the vets and young people.
American Girl has a number of series put out. Most people are aware of the different dolls and the books that go with the dolls. Meet Samantha, Meet Kirsten, Meet, Molly, Meet Josefina, Meet Felicity, and so on. Others are being written about girls in modern times, as well. You can promote these books by having a display of the dolls and the books that go with each doll. I would venture a guess that you have students with a doll who would be happy to let you use the doll for display. I am fortunate to have a display cabinet that locks and have done this in our school.
Other series books by American Girl are Girls of Many Lands and History Mysteries. These are not as well known as the one listed above and that could be because no dolls are associated with the books.
Matt Christopher writes books about sports. They are appropriate for students in grades 4 – 6 although older students may enjoy them also. The books don’t take a character and continue through the series, but each book can stand alone.
Guide magazine has published a number of books compiling popular stories from Guide. Guide’s Greatest Stories and other titles can be found at the Adventist Book Center. Watch for the camp meeting sales coming soon. That is a great time to get these.
The Dear America series by Scholastic is written in diary format and there are many of these available. These books take a particular event in history and write a fictional diary of a young person who would have lived at that time. At the end of each book there are a few pages of historical facts, photos, and other primary sources about the historical event. There are some differences in the series. Dear America is a diary about a girl, My Name is America is a journal written by a boy, and My America is written for younger readers. Scholastic also has The Royal Diaries written by a royal queen or princess, and there is even a Dear Canada set.
A series similar to Dear America is the Sisters in Time published by Barbour Publishing. These are stories about historical events, but not written in diary format. Barbour Publishing is a Christian publisher and these books have a Christian focus to the story.
Nancy Levene has written a series about a girl named Alex. These books are published by Chariot Victor Publishing which is a Christian publisher. Each book has a theme and the titles are ones that may make you hungry. French Fry Forgiveness, Hot Chocolate Friendship, Mint Cookie Miracles, Peanut Butter and Jelly Secrets, and so on. This series is intended for students in third or fourth grade. The books are chapter books and contain about 115 pages each.
Hank the Cowdog is a series that appeals to kids of all ages. John Erickson lives in the panhandle of Texas. Many years ago the Fort Worth Star Telegram published Hank the Cowdog as a serial story in the paper. I bought a classroom set of the story chapter by chapter and we read it in class. My third graders enjoyed the story, but some of the words were a little difficult for many of them so we read it aloud. All of the books have been made into audio books for family enjoyment.
Herbie Jones was written by Suzy Kline for her third graders. They loved Herbie and his antics so much she wrote a few more. One of my favorite stories is when Herbie gave a can of salmon to a girl for her birthday. If you read only one or two chapters to your students, they will be hooked and want to read more for themselves.
Sara Pennypacker is the author of Clementine and other books about Clementine. Clementine is described as being a combination of Ramona Quimby and Junie B. Jones and the scrapes she gets into delight the hearts of most third graders.
Older series that remain enjoyable and timeless are the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald, and Henry Reed by Keith Robertson. The Little House books are always in print, The Great Brain is still in print, but Henry Reed is out of print. I enjoyed the Henry Reed books so much I located used copies to put in the library. Read one and see if you agree.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Next week I will be in Orlando at the International Reading Convention looking for brand new titles to share with you.
Audrey
I’m sorry I missed last week’s post. I was home ill. However, this week I want to continue the series post I started two weeks ago.
Vet Volunteers is a series by Laurie Halse Anderson and published by Scholastic. At this point, there are about ten in the series, but it appears that more are being written. Animal lovers will enjoy reading about the different animals that are helped by the vets and young people.
American Girl has a number of series put out. Most people are aware of the different dolls and the books that go with the dolls. Meet Samantha, Meet Kirsten, Meet, Molly, Meet Josefina, Meet Felicity, and so on. Others are being written about girls in modern times, as well. You can promote these books by having a display of the dolls and the books that go with each doll. I would venture a guess that you have students with a doll who would be happy to let you use the doll for display. I am fortunate to have a display cabinet that locks and have done this in our school.
Other series books by American Girl are Girls of Many Lands and History Mysteries. These are not as well known as the one listed above and that could be because no dolls are associated with the books.
Matt Christopher writes books about sports. They are appropriate for students in grades 4 – 6 although older students may enjoy them also. The books don’t take a character and continue through the series, but each book can stand alone.
Guide magazine has published a number of books compiling popular stories from Guide. Guide’s Greatest Stories and other titles can be found at the Adventist Book Center. Watch for the camp meeting sales coming soon. That is a great time to get these.
The Dear America series by Scholastic is written in diary format and there are many of these available. These books take a particular event in history and write a fictional diary of a young person who would have lived at that time. At the end of each book there are a few pages of historical facts, photos, and other primary sources about the historical event. There are some differences in the series. Dear America is a diary about a girl, My Name is America is a journal written by a boy, and My America is written for younger readers. Scholastic also has The Royal Diaries written by a royal queen or princess, and there is even a Dear Canada set.
A series similar to Dear America is the Sisters in Time published by Barbour Publishing. These are stories about historical events, but not written in diary format. Barbour Publishing is a Christian publisher and these books have a Christian focus to the story.
Nancy Levene has written a series about a girl named Alex. These books are published by Chariot Victor Publishing which is a Christian publisher. Each book has a theme and the titles are ones that may make you hungry. French Fry Forgiveness, Hot Chocolate Friendship, Mint Cookie Miracles, Peanut Butter and Jelly Secrets, and so on. This series is intended for students in third or fourth grade. The books are chapter books and contain about 115 pages each.
Hank the Cowdog is a series that appeals to kids of all ages. John Erickson lives in the panhandle of Texas. Many years ago the Fort Worth Star Telegram published Hank the Cowdog as a serial story in the paper. I bought a classroom set of the story chapter by chapter and we read it in class. My third graders enjoyed the story, but some of the words were a little difficult for many of them so we read it aloud. All of the books have been made into audio books for family enjoyment.
Herbie Jones was written by Suzy Kline for her third graders. They loved Herbie and his antics so much she wrote a few more. One of my favorite stories is when Herbie gave a can of salmon to a girl for her birthday. If you read only one or two chapters to your students, they will be hooked and want to read more for themselves.
Sara Pennypacker is the author of Clementine and other books about Clementine. Clementine is described as being a combination of Ramona Quimby and Junie B. Jones and the scrapes she gets into delight the hearts of most third graders.
Older series that remain enjoyable and timeless are the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald, and Henry Reed by Keith Robertson. The Little House books are always in print, The Great Brain is still in print, but Henry Reed is out of print. I enjoyed the Henry Reed books so much I located used copies to put in the library. Read one and see if you agree.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Next week I will be in Orlando at the International Reading Convention looking for brand new titles to share with you.
Audrey
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