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Category: nonfiction lesson

Our ‘Expert’ Alphabet Books

Posted in nonfiction lesson, and picture book lesson

In the fall, fifth graders had fun sharing their ‘expert knowledge’ on different topics by creating an alphabet book. Since I started taking guitar lessons on Zoom last July, I created a sample ‘book’ to use as a model and then also shared the book, Attack! Boss! Cheat Code! A Gamer’s Alphabet by Chris Barton. They had fun and we all learned so much!

Based on the book:

attack boss cheat code
click to go to Chris Barton’s site

 

Samples

Student Book Excerpts
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Whose Feet?

Posted in apps, bilingual, and nonfiction lesson

Before STAAR week, Pre-K had fun guessing Whose Feet? in the Jackson Library. After reading My Eyes are Big and Red, the kids guessed what animal on which the story was based. Then they had to guess what animals were on the poster just based on the feet. At the tables, they played the Whose Feet? game on the app, colored the feet of Jan Brett animals, and  listened to the fun Maple Leaf songs.

whose feet

Whose Feet?
color the feet

Fiction or Nonfiction?

Posted in nonfiction lesson

Last week in the Jackson Library, second graders learned about the differences between fiction books and nonfiction books. We used Shannon Miller‘s Cantada series Fiction or Nonfiction ? book and listened to the song. Then the kids practiced categorizing different magnetic mini book covers using the dry erase easel. At the tables, the kids cut and categorized different book titles. Learning about different types of books is fun!

 

fiction or nonfiction

 

 

fiction or nonfiction book

Shannon Miller

Kahoot Assessment

Kahoot

 

 

Fun with Chris P. Bacon

Posted in nonfiction lesson, and picture book lesson

Last week in the Jackson Library, first grade had fun reading a nonfiction book about the cutest pig ever, Chris P. Bacon! The true story of Chris P. Bacon explains how this pig born without back legs was rescued by a kind veterinarian. We read the book Dr. Len wrote himself and learned how he designed a wheelchair for the pig using K’Nex toys. Chris P. Bacon inspired us by showing us that it is good to be ‘unique’!

CPB

video

Safeshare video CPB
Safeshare video

CPB website

Time To Play video

PBS

Technology Station

iPad app Block the Pig

comment on CPB post

What Will Hatch?

Posted in nonfiction lesson, and picture book lesson

Last week in the Jackson Library, kindergarteners listened to Jennifer Ward’s What Will Hatch? They were surprised to see a crocodile and a platypus in this nonfiction book! They drew lines to match the animal to its egg at the tables and decorated an egg at the computer station.

 

 

Susie's site
Susie’s site

What will Hatch – connect type of egg to type of animal

What Animals Lay Eggs? video

what will hatch

What will hatch match

make an egg

What Will Grow?

Posted in apps, nonfiction lesson, and picture book lesson

Last week in the Jackson Library, first graders enjoyed Jennifer Ward’s (@jenwardbooks) new book, What Will Grow?   The kids love the song-like, rhyming text and are amazed when the pages fold out to reveal the beautiful illustrations of Susie Ghahremani (@boygirlparty) depicting a towering sunflower or a deep-reaching carrot root. Click below for the independent assignment I gave them to work on at the tables. If students forget which seed produces which fruit/plant/tree, I added the rhyming words so they can match rhyming pairs like in the book. Kids explored the Gro Garden app, which teaches about sustainable farming in a holistic way.

WhatWill Grow

WWG stu sheet
Student Sheet
Gro Garden app
Gro Garden app

Jennifer Ward’s Site

Susie Ghahremani’s Site

School Library Journal Review

Jen Ward author tweet

Fourth Grade Reads a Recipe

Posted in nonfiction lesson, and TTESS 1819

Last week in the Jackson Library, fourth graders used critical reading skills when analyzing a recipe for a Snowball Salad.  They worked in pairs to answer TEKS-based questions like inference when asked, “Why do you think an adult is needed for Step 1?” 

4th recipe

Snowball Salad
Hawaiian Snowball Salad  stu questions
Hawaiian Snowball Salad KEY

Words Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Posted in apps, holiday, nonfiction lesson, picture book lesson, and technology

Last week in the Jackson Library, third graders listened to Martin’s Big Words by Rappaport and then wrote their own words to guide their decisions. We discussed the power Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s words had to activate peaceful change in America. Then they used the PathOn app to create a shape or freestyle design for their words with their photo. They wrote a rough draft of their sentence/phrase first and I approved them before they were given an iPad. I love how they utilized the filters and fonts! 

Instructions

PATH ON APP

martin's big words book
Click for Kirkus Review

Student Samples
SAMPLE
SAMPLE STU
spiral sample
More Student Samples
stu creating
Martin’s Big Words

Nonfiction Text Features with Third Grade

Posted in apps, nonfiction lesson, and reading skills

Third graders had fun creating talking nonfiction text features using the Chatterkid Pix app in the library before winter break. They were to explain the purpose of the text feature and to give concrete examples in a first person voice. They had so much fun! When they finished, they played Sara Malchow’s BeeBot Robot Nonfiction Text Features Game. (see link to her TPT store below)

Chatterkid Pix app
nonfiction text features lesson
Instructions
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Sarah Malchow's TPT store
Beebot Game from Sara Malchow’s TPT Store

BeeBot Game

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