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This book was brought to my attention several years ago- it was a KC3 Award Nominee (an award sponsored by The Greater Kansas City Association of School Librarians). There is a list of about 10 books each year and students in third grade read or listen to the books and then are able to vote for their favorite. As a teacher- I love discovering new authors and titles.  The King's Taster by Kenneth Oppel illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher I loved this book right from the get go- it has a DOG on the cover- need I say more? (CRAZY dog lady here!) This is a great book to teach point of view, as well as many other comprehension skills. Max, the dog, is telling the story. He has a very special job- he tastes all of the the food that the king eats to make sure it is not poisoned.  Even though he is the king's taster, he is actually the cook's dog. They have a sweet  relationship- pet owners will be sure to relate! One day the kingdom gets a ...

What do you do to promote conservation and the care of our environment? A great start is to educate our students about the simple things they can start doing today to make conservation a way of life! I want to share some ideas for teaching these concepts in your classroom- not just on Earth Day, but every day! First- here are some great books you can use for read aloud in your classroom... Arthur Turns Green by Marc Brown That lovable aardvark is at it again in this cute book! Arthur and his pals receive a school assignment to find ways to make our planet better. The book is filled with ways to take care of the planet. Miss Fox's Class Goes Green by Eileen Spinelli In this book Miss Fox encourages her class to find ways to go green. There are lots of tips for kids- things they can start doing today to make a difference. We are Extremely Very Good Recyclers by Lauren Child This book really focuses on recycling and what can be done with recycled materials.  The...

Dismissal. My absolute least favorite time of the day. 10 minutes or so of what has the potential to become total chaos. Anyone else out there feel that way? For years- even after tirelessly practicing our end of the day procedures- those last 10-15 minutes of the day always came with the possibility of spiraling out of control. We could have a great day... and then after going through the process of getting ready to go home I would feel beat down and in total survival mode by the time the bell rang and I got them out the door.  Until... One year I started doing a really simple thing that made my dismissal life SO MUCH EASIER! We started getting packed up about an hour before it was time to go home. That particular school year we had our afternoon recess about 75 minutes before dismissal. So about 5 minutes before it was time to go out we would start our packing up. Kids would get their mailbox papers, coats and backpacks. They would hang their backpacks an...

When I was at the library the other day I happened on two "new to me" books. First I picked up A Castle on Viola Street by Dyanne DiSalvo. I was familiar with Dyanne DiSalvo's work- as her story City Green was one that I really enjoyed in our reading anthology.  I stood in the shelves and opened A Castle on Viola Street - I was hooked after reading a letter located at the beginning of the book. This is a book with an important purpose. I tucked the book into my library bag. As I continued to hunt for the books on my list, I stumbled across the book The Old House by  Pamela Duncan Edwards. I love books that students can make all sorts of connections to and with- and this one paired really well with the DiSalvo book, so into my bag it went, as well. So back to A Castle on Viola Street ... This is a story about a hard working family who live in a small apartment. They dream that one day they might have a place of their own. They discover that an organization is ...

A few weeks ago I published a post with books to use if you are teaching a unit on food chains.  I love finding great books to go along with different units of study- it is one of my favorite teachery things to do!  So after coming up with the list of food chain books- it really made me start thinking about the huge AMOUNT of TIME it takes teachers to plan out their units- from books to videos to websites to anchor charts to student resources... and on and on.  And an idea was hatched... I want to create a place where teachers can look to find a list of resources that they can use when teaching various units- I love the research and planning phase and I want to help busy, tired teachers by giving them a list of planning ideas that might save a smidge of their valuable time. So... here goes! You will have to let me know what you think- and give me ideas of anything you think I might want to add! FOOD CHAINS- take 2! BOOKS: Food Webs: Who Eats What? by Clair...

Do you teach food chains? I have compiled a list of books you might want to check out! This first one would be GREAT to kick off your unit- it is a fiction book that is filled with humor... Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds This book tells the story of three lonely carnivores who are trying to fit in- and while it is a funny book with AMAZING illustrations- the book has an underlying message of the importance of being true to yourself. (The author of this book also wrote Chicks and Salsa - which is a favorite of mine!) Be sure to really look over the illustrations and all that they include!  Food Webs: Who Eats What? by Claire Llewellyn This book provides a great overview of the food chain. The illustrations are bright and vivid. The book is filled with nonfiction text features that you can point out to reinforce those reading concepts! I highly recommend this book as part of your food chains study.  What Do You Know About Food Chains and Food Webs by Suzanne Slade This book is...

The public library is one of the spots I frequent. I always like to browse through the children's area after I have finished getting the specific books I made the trip for. Yesterday when I was browsing I came upon a real GEM, especially for anyone that loves pets... Yoda The Story of a Cat and His Kittens by Beth Stern Let me begin by telling you that I am a HUGE pet lover and am an advocate for rescuing animals. We have 4 fur babies that we rescued from an area shelter. They bring us so much joy- just like this book!  This book is based on the author's real life story of adopting Yoda- she shares her story on the last page of the book- be sure not to miss reading it! Of course, I don't want to spoil the story for you- but it is funny, heart warming, the main character is an animal (a cat), the illustrations are beautiful- quite the recipe for a great book! There are some great lessons that can be taught when using this book as a read aloud- the importance of f...