Let Me Play

Blumenthal, K. (2005). Let me play: The story of Title IX: The law that changed the future of girls in America. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

This nonfiction book narrates the true stories of women who fought for women's rights in our country, and it tells stories of successful women and their astonishing accomplishments.   These women include Donna de Varona an Olympic swimmer who had a Sports Illustrated cover at the age of 14, Martha Wright Griffith who made sure women were included into the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Ruth Bader Ginsburg who became a Supreme Court Justice, Dorthy Richardson one of the best female soft ball players, and many more.The book focuses on the law Title IX  that was passed in 1972, which said  schools could not treat boys and girls differently. This law gave girls ,for the first time, the opportunity to play sports in school and  have the same educational opportunities as boys. The book and the stories are very inspiring and uplifting to woman. This book falls under the Social Science category of Informational Books, which is explained in our text as books that talk about the instituions and functioning of human society and relationships of individuals as members of society The Structure of the book is Cause and Effect, it tells the effects for women that occurred when Title IX passed. It also discusses the cause and effects of the Woman's Right Movement. Karen Blumenthal's style of this book included comics, ads, time lines, charts, chapters that all were named with sports themes, and quotes that told the story of woman's struggles and successes. What would you do if you were not treated equal? How would you feel if you could not play a sport just because you were a girl? What things still need to change in our country to have equality between men and woman? What would you do if Congress tried to change or abolish Title IX? These are all questions I would ask students if we were reading this book

Field Experience Questions

1.      How many hours did you complete? I completed  Five  hours of observation

 

 

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

 

I spent majority of my time at Fairdale High School observing Mrs. Kenzer a tenth grade English teacher and her colleagues. The students had done research, watched videos, and read articles prior to my observation regarding the dependency on technology and weather it was harmful or helpful. During my observation the students participated in a live scoring session. Mrs. Kenzer explained to each of her classes the expectations and the process of live scoring. They were to pick a side, have a catchy lead, have three points to defend their opinion, and include a paragraph for each point. Afterwards, they met with two other English teachers and their classes in the fine arts room. The classes were comprehensive, honors, and ESL. As the students worked the teachers provided them with support, and gave suggestions. When the students completed a section of their paper, they had to go to a teacher to get their paper scored. If they did it correct they received a star and could move on, if they did not do it correctly they received immediate feedback on how to improve their paper. The process was very successful and many of the students produced excellent work. Although I observed, some of the students asked me for help, and I provided suggestions if they asked. Another hour I interviewed my school librarian and we had a rich discussion about literature; and the other hour I observed a fourth grade teacher during her reading block.

3. How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher Standard? (be sure to name the standard)

I think from observing Mrs. Kenzer and her colleagues they helped me improve the Kentucky Teaching Standard number 5: Assesses and communicates learning results and Standard 8: The teacher collaborates with colleagues, parents and others.  During the live scoring process the students received immediate feedback that was specific and helped them improve their work, and produce something to be proud about. From observing the responses the teachers provided to the students I think this helped me obtain ideas on how to assess and communicate the learning results to my students. I learned more ways to tell things in a positive way so the students can receive it. I have also tried to come up with a simple way to incorporate this process with my Kindergarteners, of course on a much simpler scale; but I think it would be good to give them the opportunity to get it right while they are still producing their work. All of the teachers gave some great comments, and even if the student’s work did not meet the expectations the students did not get upset when they received their results.  Also from this experience I can tell that the teachers collaborated well together. The process went smoothly, which meant they spent a lot of time together collaborating. During the process they also talked to one another, gave suggestions to each other, and worked together to help all the students succeed. I think my colleagues do a good job of collaborating because we are a PLC school, but I think we can always improve. From watching the teachers in high school, we have talked about some ways we can team teach; or get together to benefit all of our students.

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

I think one thing that I learned from observing in a high school is that the needs of the students in a high school are not much different than the needs of my kindergarten students. Although there is a great gap in their ages, Mrs. Kenzer’s student reminded me of some of my students. The students needed support, they wanted to please their teacher, they liked hearing positive feedback, and they were excited to earn a star sticker. These are all things my students need and enjoy. There are always negative stories about what happens in high schools, so it was good to see students who wanted to succeed and were willing to work hard.

Reading Log

Reading Log for 30 books (to paste into your blog in at the end of the term)

• Instructions: List the titles and authors you read under each Genre, and use checklist below for Wiki posts. Then, highlight this material and paste it into a final blog post. I have already included (in the 30) the ones we read for discussion. Feel free to read more in each genre as you make time. Failure to read and list at least 30 books will results in grade being lowered one letter.

 

Genre / Titles you read (Hit enter after each one and a new number should pop up)

             I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 chapter book or photo essay book reflection required on blog)

1)      Let Me Play by Karen Blumenthal

2)      Breeder’s Cup Thoroughbred Racing’s Championship Day by Jay Privman

 

 

          II.      Poetry (1 chapter or picture book reflection required on blog)

1)      Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Black Box Poems by Frank X Walker

3)      Paint Me Like I am by Writerscorps

4)      A night without armor by Jewel

5)      Heart to Heart by Jan Greenberg

 

       III.      Modern Fantasy (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)          

1)      I, Jack  by Patricia Finney. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Wait till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

3)      The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

 

 

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

1)      The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson

3)      Pinky and Say by Patricia Pollaco

4)      Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln by Patricia Pollaco

 

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

1)      Hiroshima: A Novella by Laurence Yep (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Forged By Fire by Sharon M. Draper

3)      Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughter’s by John Steptoe

4)      Henry Box Brown: A True Story From the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine

5)      The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

6)      Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson

 

       VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)

1)      Baby by Patricia MacLachlan. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

3)      Thank you Mr. Falker by Patricia Pollaco

4)      Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Pollaco

 

    VII.      Picture Books (5 reflections required on blog during the first two weeks of class. There should be a total here of at least six.)

1)      The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      –A Sick Day for Amos Mcghee by Phillip Stead

3)      –A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats

4)      Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats

5)      –My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

6)      –When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang

7)      –Tuesday by David Wiesner

 

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement is four total posts, in four different categories)

 

__1__ Social Studies (Black Box Poems)

____ Science

____ Math

___1 Music (Forged by Fire)

___1_ Art (Forged by Fire)

____ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

____ Other

 

 

Book Trailer: A Sweet Smell of Roses

Johnson, A. (2005).A sweet smell of roses. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5o4nje84ioqs1jf/A%20Sweet%20Smell%20of%20Roses.wmv?n=151061528

Book Talk

  What was your life like at the age of 3? Probably filled with fun, toys, and laughter? Well that was not how Jeffery Lionel Magee’s life was. At the tender age of three Jeffery became an orphan in an instant. His parents left him with his babysitter, and never returned because they were killed in a trolley accident. After the tragedy Jeffery was forced to go live with his Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan, who hated one another but refused to get a divorce because they were strict Catholics. In their home Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan did not share anything. They had two of everything, and often wished they could split Jefferey in two. Talk about dysfunction! Jeffrey lived with Aunt and Uncle for eight years, but by this time he had had enough. At his school musical they sat on opposite ends of the auditorium, and after yelling at them to talk to one another Jeffrey ran, and ran and he did not look back. Infact, he ran 200 miles to a town called Two Mills which was connected to Bridgeport where he grew up, by the Schuylkill Bridge. On his first day of arrival Jeffery’s adventure began as he searched for a place he could call home. As he entered the town he met a black girl named Amanda Beale who was friendly and she allowed him to borrow one of her books. From their conversation he quickly learned that Two Mills was segregated. The blacks lived in the East End and the whites lived in the West End of town. He continued to run with his shoes flapping, because the soles were torn. During his running adventures he stood up to bullies, did heroic acts to save other children, he even defeated a star athlete who thought there was not one kid he could not strike out, and he helped build a bridge between the black and white children in the town . From all of his courage and adventures he obtained the name Maniac Magee, and he became a famous legend in Two Mills.  To find out where Manic Magee’s running adventure led him, and to find out if he ever found a place to call home…pick up this excellent book Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.

Paint Me Like I am

WritersCorps. (2003). Paint me like I am: Teen poems from Writerscorps. New York: HarperCollins.

This book is a collection of poems by teenagers from three urban centers in San Francisco, Washington, DC, and New York City (the Bronx). A program was started through WritersCorps to help at risk teenagers by teaching them how to express themselves through writing. The pages are filled with amazing work that could have been written by accomplished authors. This book gives a voice to troubled youth, and you are able to see their lives through their work. The book is separated into 6 categories and each section contains poems with subjects like the category. The six categories are 1. The Artist 2. Friendship 3. I too Am American 4. As we sit here 5. Furious 6. The tree that's in front of my house. The are many different literary techniques,  poetry styles, and forms found throughout this book. Repetition can be found in a poem entitled My poem, when the words my poems are repeated several times; or in the poem Hip Hop Shoes in which every line of the poem begins with Hip Hop Shoes. There are also many narrative poems in the book some examples are The Artist which tells the story of two African American graffiti artist, or No Gumbo for Me which tells the story of a little girl trying gumbo for the first time. The poem begins with these words "the first time I had gumbo I thought it would be nasty but my grandmother said, "it's good."  There were several uses of figurative language, in which things were compared to something else. Metaphors were used in many poems in the I am too American category. The poem with the same name as the category gives this example for a metaphor( I am the tools that bang to make all the buildings and factories that pollute the cities.) "I am a sleepy flower" is used in Good Night Petals  and "I am a transcendent light" is used in the poem I am. This collection was excellent and I would definitely recommend it to teenagers. This book can be used to show examples of peer work in writing. If students see that teenagers are capable of producing excellent work they will want to rise to the challenge. I would ask students; What does it mean to be an Artist? What does friendship mean to you? What is your American story about?  What does it mean to be an American? What do you do when you have a moment to sit? What do you do when you are furious?  What story would the tree in front of your house tell? After discussing these questions I would require the students to create at least one poem that could go in each of the six categories in the book.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters

Steptoe, J. (1987). Mufaro's beautiful daughters:An African tale. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.  Mufaro's Beautiful Daughter's received the Caldecott Honor Award in 1988. This is a traditional literature story, because it is a folktale. The category of folk tale this story falls under is a magic tale, because it contain elements of magic and enchantment. The stories setting is in Africa. It is a story of two sisters Manyara and Nyasha, who are the daughter of Mufaro and both are considered beautiful; and beauty is the only thing they have in common. Manyara is always rude and talks down to her sister, but she is convinced she will be queen one day. Nyasha on the other hand, is always kind and shares with others, she is very humble and would be satisfied being the servant to her sister if she becomes queen. The king sends out a message that he is looking for a wife, and Mufaro hopes he will choose one of his daughter's. To find out which one he chooses pick this great book up and read it. John Steptoe painted lovely illustrations to show warmth and depict the land of Africa. The big questions I would ask my students would be Is it better to be kind or mean?  Who has ever heard of a sibling rivalry? Do you have rivalry with your siblings? How does the rivalry make you feel? How can you resolve your problems with your sibling? What could be the consequences for being mean and rude to people?

Forged by Fire

Draper, S. M. (1997). Forged by fire. New York: Simon Pulse

Forged by Fire was the 1998 Coretta Scott King award winning book, and it is an ALA best book for young adults. The story opens with a fire in the apartment of Gerald, a three year old, who was left home alone by his mother who went out to get her drugs. At three Gerald was used to being alone, abused, and mistreated especially when his mom had male company. On this particular day Gerald found his mother's lighter and he began to make a torch for his G.I. Joe, before he knew it the curtains were on fire then the flames engulfed the entire apartment. His mother was sent to jail for child endangerment, and he was sent to live with his Aunt Queen. Although, Aunt Queen and Gerald faced difficulties like the lights being cut off or not having enough money, Gerald began to have a good life. Aunt Queen showed him love and made sacrifices for him, she was a great care giver despite being confound to a wheel chair. At the age of 9, Gerald's life changed forever when his mother Monique returned with a ready made family; a new little sister Angel and a step father Jordan Sparks. When tragedy occurs Gerald ends up back living with his mother. The new living situation comes with many conflicts. Jordan Sparks his step father is mean, always drunk, and abuses everyone in the family. Gerald becomes a protector for his little sister, and together they make it through the many struggles and hard times; always hoping to have a better life someday.

            This story is told in third-person-omniscient, The narrator uses the words he, she and it to tell us about the characters and insight about how the characters are feeling. On page 12 the narrator explains that "he was too scared to cry" to show how Gerald was feeling and what he was thinking. Sharon Draper also uses many literary devices to paint a portrait for the reader. On page 42 a hyperbole is used to explain Angel "She's  so little and skinny-- she looks like she'll break. The story also does a lot of flashbacks and foreshadowing. The flashbacks give background information or tells why things are the way they are. The foreshadowing give us a glimpse of what is to come. On page 33 Draper writes "He would need that moment of happiness to hold onto in the next few weeks, for a struggle was coming from which she could no longer shield him." This let us know that trouble was coming for Gerald. The underlying theme of this story was overcoming obstacles and struggles. There are many lessons young adults could learn from this story. Students could compare family dynamics by looking at Gerald's family and the family of his friend Rob , who came from a two parent middle class home. Students could also research domestic violence  and child abuse, and the effects it has on a family. Some big questions that could come from this story could be, What were the ways that Monique showed love to her children if any? How would you feel if you were Gerald or Angel? Why do you think Monique did not believe that Jordan was hurting her children? How would you feel if your mother believed her husband over you? Do you think the struggles and trials helped Gerald....if so predict his future and write about it.