Reading Log

• READING LOG

Genre / Titles you read

              I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 reflection required on blog)          

1. How Many Baby Pandas? By Sandra Markle

            II.      Poetry (1 reflection required on blog)

1)      Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? By Mel Glenn. (required for discussion)

2)      Honey I love By Eloise Greenfield (Blog)

3)      Where the Sidewalk Ends by ShelSilverstein

          III.      Modern Fantasy (1 reflection required on blog)               

1)      A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. (required for discussion)

2)      Among the Hidden by Margaret Haddix

          IV.      Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)              

1)      Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. (required for discussion)

2)      Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds (Blog)

            V.      Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)  

1.  Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto (Blog)

2.  Night John by Gary Paulsen

3. John Henry by Julius Lester

4. Esperanza Rising by  Pam Munoz Ryan

5. Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges

          VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 reflection required on blog)

1)      Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis. (required for discussion)

2)      The Skin I’m In Sharon Flake

3)      Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary    

        VII.      Picture Books (6 reflections required on blog)

1)      Seven  Blind Mice by Ed Young. (required for discussion)

2)      A splendid Friend, Indeed. By Suzanne Bloom

3)      Hi Fly Guy By Tedd Arnold

4)      The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen adapted and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

5)      Song and Dance Man by Karen Akerman

6)      The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt

7)      The Black Out by John Rocco

8)      Ben’s Trumpet  by Rachel Isadora

9)      Five Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed by Eileen Christelow

10)   Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox

11)   In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming

12)   The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

13)   Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

14)   Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig

Wiki Checklist

__1_ Social Studies

____ Science

____ Math

__1__ Music

__1__ Art

__1__ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

____ Other

Field Experience

Field Experience Reflection:

How many hours did I complete? 

6 Hours.

In a short paragraph or bulleted list how did you spend your time? 

•  1hr direct instruction in my classroom using the step into reading series: Pompeii Buried Alive as the hook to the lesson. I read and showed students pictures. We discussed the book as I read. We also discussed how the pictures added to the overall retelling of the story. The students completed an exit slip after the discussion.
• 2 hrs over three days I worked with a struggling reader by having him read an informative piece about the earthquakes in Haiti out loud. I wrote down the words that he struggled with. Then I had him re-read and take his time by sounding out and using context clues to figure out the words that he struggled with. We defined the words that he was unfamiliar with. At the end of the session on the second day he was able to self-correct all of the words he had struggled with prior. 
• 1 hr. I completed inventory with my School Library Media Specialist. I scanned books on each shelf in each genre. 
• 1 hr. I prepared questions and interviewed my school library media specialist. Questions included topics about the technology available for students and teachers.She also discussed all of the work entailed with being a SLMS. She explained how much work is was for her last summer because she categorized the library into sections by genre. She explained how this changed the number of books that were rotated this school year compared to previous years. The students liked the change and were more willing to find books because they know what genre they like. She also discussed how available she is to teachers to bring students to the library to discuss plagiarism and other important topics like citing work and creating bibliographies. 
• 1 hr I spent an hour at story time at the Lexington public library with my 5 year old son. The story time was titled Read, Play, Rhyme. The students were given a reading log if they did not have one. They also were encouraged to read because the public library gives great prizes once the list is completed. Then she sang songs with the kid. I could tell students had been there before because they all new the songs and words to the activities that she performed. When it was time to read the book, Sleepy Oh so sleepy, by Denise Fleming the kids were very excited. The enthusiasm overwhelmed me and made me want to get my students this excited about reading. The instructor also worked with the students on the letter S. I was surprised by the number of young kids who could name words that began with the S sound. She also worked with the students on the crescent shape. I was really impressed by the story time and will be taking my son for the rest of the summer series.

 

 

How did this experience strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher Standard. 

 

STANDARD 8: COLLABORATES WITH COLLEAGUES/PARENTS/OTHERS

After talking with the librarian at my school and the librarian at the public library I now realize what a resource the librarian can be. The librarian at the public library offered to show me different databases and programs offered by the library to help implement reading in my classroom. I will also use my librarian for help with getting the students to use the technology that is offered to us at Crawford like (worldbookonline) and other social studies tools. I also will utilize my librarian for help with lessons on plagiarism and properly citing work. She also said she could help with setting up blogs and other ways for the students to communicate with each other and myself.

Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience. 

One thing I learned because of this field experience is that I have not been using the resources that are provided. I have used the excuse of not having enough time, to keep me from going to the public library. Now that I have taken this course and will be implementing more literature into my daily instruction I will need to talk to my librarians to get suggestions on age appropriate books and great topics to get my students excited about reading.

 

How Many Baby Pandas?

Markle, S. (2009). How many baby pandas?. New York: Walker & Co.

Sandra Markel’s, “How many baby panda’s?” was a 2010 NCTE’s Orbis picture Award Honor Book. The purpose of this photo essay book is to inform the reader about the baby panda’s life at each stage. The photography in this book is realistic, vivid, and really gives the viewer an inside look at what life is really like for baby pandas. I especially enjoyed seeing the hairless baby panda that the author describes as being the size of a hot dog. This book is also interesting because it shows the life of a panda being raised by its mother and pandas being raised in a breeding center. Seeing the mother carry the newborn in her mouth, or licking the cubs head to clean it would really make kids understand the similarities and differences between human life and panda life. It was very evident that the mamma panda was a nurturer and really tended to the cubs. The photo essay book also showed baby pandas holding bottles at the breeding center. I enjoyed the comparison and the facts that were included such as, cubs need their mother’s milk for 18 months. “How many baby panda’s?” is also used to help children count. On each page the top subtitle ask how many pandas are on the page. Each time you turn the page the number increases. This is a neat way to allow children to learn about pandas while working on their counting. The book takes an interesting spin on the last pages, as the author asks, “how many pandas?”, and there is only one panda. The author responds, “Not enough.”  This is when the author begins to discuss the problems that the pandas face such as the rainforest being destroyed in China. Although Markle describes the problem of endangerment, she also tells the solution which is that the Chinese government stopped allowing people to live in the rainforest or cut down trees. Another solution to the problem is the help of panda breeding centers to help raise the giant panda cubs in order to release them into the forest when they are young pandas.

                The books dust jacket has a photo of baby pandas crowding on a tree limb. This is a very appealing cover for children who are interested in books on animals. The front flap on the dust jacket gives information about the pandas and the author. This is a great feature because the reader is able to learn the specifics of where the pandas were located, which is at Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center. There are also details about the author Sandra Markle whom is an award-winning science writer. This allowed me to know that the writer is a credible source.  The writing was very clear and understandable and no personification was used. The author presents the work from simple to complex. At first she discusses the babies eating and playing, and then she discusses more serious issues such as breeding and the serious problem of the giant panda becoming endangered. At the end of the essay book the author provides a bulleted list with panda paws as the bullets. The list is titled Giant Pandas Are Cool! The last pages have a glossary and index and information about the Wonlong Giant Panda Breeding Center.

                This book would be great for an elementary classroom. Students could use this as a source to write an informative paper on giant panda bears. Teachers could use this as a hook to a lesson about endangered species and the depletion of the rainforests. This could also be used in a geography classroom because of the map provided at the end that shows where giant panda’s live. This is a great book to use because it is not a difficult read and provides specifics about the panda’s life and how they eat, sleep, and play. I could see this being the book that students fight for in a classroom library.

Big Idea Questions: How are panda’s and human’s alike and different?

If you could speak on behalf of the baby pandas what would you tell the people who participate in deforestation?