CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.5
With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
Social Studies Standard
Geography 1.6
Describe ways people celebrate their diverse cultural heritages in the community
The Name Jar
by Yangsook Choi
Yangsook, C. (2008).The Name Jar. Paw Prints
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This book is about a Korean student who recently moved from Korea to live in America. Her name is difficult to pronounce for her classmates. This brings up an idea to her classmates which she agrees, they make a name jar where all her classmates add names. Every day they pick a name for her from the name jar, that is the way her classmates communicate with her, the name picking is an idea for her to find out which name she wants to go by. The jar disappears one day and her new friends encourage her to use her real name. The Korean girl agrees which she helps every one pronounce it –“Yoo-Hey” This is a great book and great opportunity to introduce to students and help them understand how important it is to correctly pronounce the name of classmates, no matter how difficult the name seems to appear. It is not okay to be assuming they know how to pronounce the name or mispronounce the name. Also, it is a good opportunity to introduce to students and encourage them to help other how to pronounce their name if people are not pronouncing it correctly. it is also a good opportunity to learn about different cultures and ask peers the story of their name. To support the Social Study Standard I would do an activity where students can gather information with realatives about their name and connections and celebrations in their community. If there isn't any, the classroom could start a celebration of name kind of type. In this activity students will be given the opportunity to bring an item or picture that they can relate their mane with and a short story about it. The activity will be in one of our whole class activities.
My Language, Your Language
by Paula Becker
Becker, P. (2016). My Language, Your Language. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
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This book is about a girl who speaks English as her primary language. The girl has a classmate who speaks Spanish and teaches her some words in Spanish. This starts the interest in other languages for the English-speaking girl who often practices the Spanish words she learns at school with her mother. This book introduces more than one language and is a good opportunity to start the interest to learn new languages. I would use this book with my students to encourage teaching/learning a new language with their peers. Also, it is a great opportunity to invite Spanish speaking parents come to the classroom to read books to our students, and to teach us some words in Spanish. And not only to Spanish speaking people, but also to include other people that speak a different language other than English in our classroom. Good opportunity to make bilingual posters and sings in our classroom where EL students attend. Another activity I would do with my students is a poster with all the student's names that we will be keeping in our community wall the entire school year. In this poster I would provide markers, glitter and stickers for students to write their name down and decorate it as they wish, the sticker will represent something that reminds them about their name. The purpose of the activity is for students to remember their peer's names and to remember what their name means to them and the language they speak.
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This book is about a girl who speaks English as her primary language. The girl has a classmate who speaks Spanish and teaches her some words in Spanish. This starts the interest in other languages for the English-speaking girl who often practices the Spanish words she learns at school with her mother. This book introduces more than one language and is a good opportunity to start the interest to learn new languages. I would use this book with my students to encourage teaching/learning a new language with their peers. Also, it is a great opportunity to invite Spanish speaking parents come to the classroom to read books to our students, and to teach us some words in Spanish. And not only to Spanish speaking people, but also to include other people that speak a different language other than English in our classroom. Good opportunity to make bilingual posters and sings in our classroom where EL students attend. Another activity I would do with my students is a poster with all the student's names that we will be keeping in our community wall the entire school year. In this poster I would provide markers, glitter and stickers for students to write their name down and decorate it as they wish, the sticker will represent something that reminds them about their name. The purpose of the activity is for students to remember their peer's names and to remember what their name means to them and the language they speak.
When I Grow Up
by AI Yankovic
Yankovic, A. (2011). When I Grow Up. Harper Collins.
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This book invites young students to explore and answer the questions they often get asked, or have heard about when it becomes to jobs, or professions they would like to do when they grow up. This book is a rhyming book from beginning to end. It's a great opportunity to introduce rhyming to students as they explore professions they would like to have when they grow up. The story is about one student who wants to share with his class what he wants to be when he grows up. The student have a variety of different ideas of what he wants to be when he grows up. He shares with his classmates every one of his ideas as he recites them all with excitement, he uses gook imagination and keeps on going with with tales. This book introduces the imagination of a boy and might start the sharing of ideas using student’s imaginations. I would use this book to start a conversations with my students if they have an idea of what they would like to be when they grow up. It's a great book that introduces excitement and it will motivate students to use their imagination and remain motivated as they share their story, or thoughts with peers. Students can share and compare their ideas in a peer-to-peer activity, small groups and/or whole group class. I would use this book to introduce students about different professions and that females and males can join same profession. I would start an activity where students would have the opportunity to explore through books, media, magazines and even by interviewing family members about the professions that are more competitive, more common or less common, as well as to interview their family members about professions they wanted to do when they were little, and if they persuited what they wanted to, and if not, the reasons why not; changing their mind, not having the opportunities to continue their educations, etc.
Pete the Cat
by Erick Litwin
Litwin, E. (2010). Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes. Harper Collins.annotation
This book is about a cat who goes walking down the street wearing his brand-new white shoes. And as he goes walking, he steps on different things that make his brand-new white shoes change into different colors. The cat seems not to be bother with the color of his shoes that he ends up on having as he steps on different things each time, instead he continues walking and signing a song including the color of his shoes in his song. This book introduces colors, positive mood, fruits and more. Young children seem to enjoy reading Pete's stories, and I will take advantage of this book to introduce to my students about the changes in our lives, and that it's important to remain positive no matter how our daily life experiences change our day as we face them each time. This book is a great book to ask students if they have a specific pair of shoes to go to different places. Sometimes because of different cultures people wear different shoes to different places. It's important to know and respect that not everybody will wear the same type of shoes to places like other people do. This activity will provide knowledge about other cultures to students as well as provide the opportunity to share about celebrations they do in their community and the type of shoes they are expected to wear.
The Curious Garden
by Peter Brown
Brown, P. (2009). The Curious Garden. Little Brown and Company.
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This book is about a boy who lived in a city where everyone liked to stay inside their houses. The city had no garden or very little garden that wasn't even noticeable, because the city was so big that there was no space to have a garden.The boy didn’t like to stay inside, instead he wonder around the city until one day he discovered the little garden that was growing somewhere where nobody even had an idea. The boy little by little moved the garden to the city where all of a sadden pieces of green were appearing until the city turned into a beautiful green city. Many people get involved working to help the garden keep growing and growing. The little boy finds out the way to expand the garden and continually taking care of it with his family and friend until it becomes center of attention. This is a good opportunity to ask student if they have a garden in their house. If the student lives in apartment, the student's answer more likely will be "no" and this will be a great opportunity to start brain storming with all the students as they pair with a peer to come up with ideas of how to start a garden in their house/apartment. It will be a good opportunity to talk about the importance of green in our earth, and how the green has been replaced by buildings when cities grow. It is important that students know how to keep the green in their community. Get them to think/share how they celebrate in their community. If they ever go to farmers markets, or if they grow a garden of their own.
Be Kind
by Pat Zietlow Miller
Miller, P. Z. (2018). Be Kind. Macmillan.
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This book is about kindness. The messages are introduced in a sweet and thoughtful way and it provides examples of episodes that happened to a girl in class, when she was at shcool. As well, the book introduces ways to be kind to others. When something happens to a girl in a classroom, all the students in the class laugh at her, all except one other girl who remembers her mother teaching her about kindness. The book has good and simple examples of what kindness is, and it also states that being kind is not easy, but it’s worth it! I would use this book to think/share with a peer of times where they remember being kind, and times where they remember they could be a little more kinds and they weren't. This is a good opportunity to remind students that being kind is not easy as the book mentioned, but it is worth it. I would be asking students to share why they think that being kind would be worth it. I will also share with them after they had a change to share that being kind will help others have a good/high self-esteem, and that by them being nice to others, they are making a big impact of positive difference in other, and that if they are kind to other, others will be kind to them. Kindness will be pass down than from generations to generations. I will also ask students if they have some kind of celebration in their comminity that involves kindness.
Corduroy
by Don Freeman
Freeman, D. (1968). Corduroy. Viking Press.
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This book is about the story of a stuffed bear who lived in a toy store, waiting for someone to buy him, but nobody seemed to want a bear like him, until one day a little girl comes to the store with her mother, and the little girl asked her mother to buy the bear for her. The little girl states that the bear was the bear she always wanted to have, but her mother states she doesn’t have enough money to buy him, and that the bear seemed to be old because he was missing a button from his overalls. The little girl and her mother leave the store and corduroy (the stuffed bear) starts to look for his missing button. The bear wonders around the store and the security guard brings him back to the toy stand where the next day the little girl comes back to the store to buy the bear she always wanted to have, she uses her own money from her savings money. Both the bear and the little girl become best friends. This is a good book to introduce friendship to students, ask if they have a favorite stuffed animal (toy) of their own, or if they wish they could have a stuffed toy. And if they either wish to have a stuffed toy or have one, then a writing opportunity would be taking the next step. I would give students an assignment to draw their stuffed toy and write a short description of why is special to them. Students would also have an opportunity to pair with a peer and share. For this activity I would also invite students to share how they celebrate their cultural heritage in the community.
Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match
by Monica Brown
Brown, M. (2011). Marisol McDonal Doesn't Match. Books, Lee & Low.
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Marisol McDonald is a story about a girl who has her own way of liking things even if they don’t make sense to others. She likes doing what she does and that it what makes her be herself. Marisol is not like the other people, she is no ordinary, she is really different in all the ways; starting with her physical appearance because she has mix cultures and that is how she starts with her mismatch to others as they say. Her outfits don’t match to other people and her food she chooses to eat seems to not be normal to other people either. Even her cousin notices her skin color is the same as his, but her hair color it doesn’t match to her skin color. She decides to do things like other people do, to appear normal and match like other people do. She decides to do this, not because she wants to be like others, but to please other and for them to stop saying she doesn't match. When she decides to do things different, she noticed her life is not the same, things don’t make sense to her, even her teacher notices Marisol is not doing her work like she was before. Her teacher encourages her to continue being who she, she tells her that she is not Marisol, the Marisol she know. Her teacher is a good motivation for Marisol to go back to what she used to do. The Marisol she was before, was the Marisol she wanted to see again. Marisol then decides to do things her way, things she used to do, the things that helped her be who she was. Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match! This is a great book to introduce and encourage to students that they don't have to pleased anybody. That they should not do what other people tell them to do to fit in, or be like others. That they should do what makes them happy and makes them feel comfortable. I would also initiate an activity where students feel safe and free to share and bring into school something on a specific day what we schedule to celebrate in the classroom how they celebrate their cultural heritage. Families would be invited to celebrate with us!
In My Heart
by Jo Witek
Witek, J. (2014). In My Heart. Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
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This book is about feelings. The book uses different experiences and feelings that explain the way people feel when encounter specific experience.This book offers a good opportunity for students to express, know and name their emotions and their feelings. Children can easily relate with this book. The character in the book does a great job to describe feelings, that students can easily recognize as they relate themselves with the character as felling the same way. This book provides a good opportunity for children to name their emotions as they happen each day when in school, and on their every day life experience. I will use this book with my students to help them label their emotions on a before and after activity. I will have students placed their picture or sign in their name bellow a chart that will have different emotion images. By doing the activity before, students will probably not be sure or not have enough information of how to recognize the way they feel, but by reading the book to students and provide enough examples of the emotions and the experience, students will most likely be able to recognize their emotions. I will also have students check in on a daily basis using our chart after the book reading activity. This will provide me a way to identify how my students are feeling each day. Our young students need lots of opportunities to help them identify their feelings, and this books is a great asset to be use at anytime of the year. This book can be placed out in the classroom library and be use with students when they need support from visuals or support to connect their emotions. Students might encounter different experiences a day, and with the book's activity and reading, they will be able to identify them as they happen. I will also provide an activity to students to share how they feel when they get to celebrate in the community their culture heritage. Because our classroom will have knowledge about culture heritage celebration from our previous learning activities, they will know or be familiar with what to do. Support will be provided as needed.
Caps for Sale
by Esphyr Slobodkina
Slobodkina, E. (1940). Caps for Sale. W. R. Scott.
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This book has an opportunity for students to learn new vocabulary, it’s a fun story about a peddler who happens to encounter monkeys when he gets really tired, and decides to rest against a tree trunk after a long day of trying to sell his caps, as he walked up and down the streets. When he wakes up, his caps that he was balancing on his head had disappeared! All of his caps expect for his own that he was still wearing. He is no ordinary peddler who carries his wear in the back, but instead he carries his caps on his head and balances them as he walks. He has no idea where the rest of his caps went, he tries different way to look for his caps but none of them seem to be working until something happens. If you want to find out where his caps were, reading the book is your task now! This book offers repetition and patterns that students will easily follow and could easily read (retell) on their own or with minimal adult support after hearing it for the first time. Students will learn about problem and resolution by experiencing situations. "Caps! Caps for Sale! Fifty cents a cap! I will use this book with students to help them learn new vocabulary and to learn that people sell items by walking on the street, and that not only things are sold at the store. This is good opportunity to teach students of different culture, since people from other countries still sell items on the street. One writing activity I would do with my students, is by providing sentence frames. Students will also share with peers and the whole group class as an activity I will provide, about things they know people sale that are not at the store. I will also provide another activity where students can do a home activity with their family members, for this activity, students will ask their family members to help them gather some information about their country and list some of the items people sell in the street and not at the store, like the peddler in the story. This activity will provide students to participate and share a little bit about their culture. Along with this activity, students will be encourage to share a little bit about their culture heritage community celebration if applies to them.
Tortillas And Lullabies
Reiser, L. (1998). Tortillas and Lullabies. Rayo.
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This is a multicultural book that teaches about traditions that are passed through generations, but not matter how many generations the traditions are passed down, the love remains the same. This book specifies the traditions that are passed through a girl's family from her great-grandmother to her. This is a great book that offers colorful and vivid images that will easily connect people with their culture. It offers a good opportunity for students to talk about traditions they practice from their ancestors. This book opens a great opportunity to try foods and listen to songs from other country different than America that are very common in latino culture. I will use this book to celebrate heritage month. I will use it during hispanic heritage month, or if there is no celebration of heritage in our school. I will initiate heritage month according to the cultures from our classroom students. I will make sure all of our students get recognize of their culture by celebrating and providing a month to celebrate their culture. I will use this book with students to make a cooking project that represents or reminds them of their country. I will bring tortillas to make quesadillas to represent one of the traditions from the book. This book also provides an opportunity to invite parents and share stories with our students about their culture, and some of the traditions are have been passed down to them from generation to generation.
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This is a multicultural book that teaches about traditions that are passed through generations, but not matter how many generations the traditions are passed down, the love remains the same. This book specifies the traditions that are passed through a girl's family from her great-grandmother to her. This is a great book that offers colorful and vivid images that will easily connect people with their culture. It offers a good opportunity for students to talk about traditions they practice from their ancestors. This book opens a great opportunity to try foods and listen to songs from other country different than America that are very common in latino culture. I will use this book to celebrate heritage month. I will use it during hispanic heritage month, or if there is no celebration of heritage in our school. I will initiate heritage month according to the cultures from our classroom students. I will make sure all of our students get recognize of their culture by celebrating and providing a month to celebrate their culture. I will use this book with students to make a cooking project that represents or reminds them of their country. I will bring tortillas to make quesadillas to represent one of the traditions from the book. This book also provides an opportunity to invite parents and share stories with our students about their culture, and some of the traditions are have been passed down to them from generation to generation.
This are the links to the websites that I will use to read aloud. (copy and paste the fist link in a new tab to have access to it)
https://youtu.be/cPZtuPyXRfw
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this videos are good to share to students, they provide opportunities for students to both provide writing activities that support the literacy standard, as well to help them share information that support the social study standard.
https://youtu.be/cPZtuPyXRfw
Now playing Watch later Watch later Add to queue Add to queue
this videos are good to share to students, they provide opportunities for students to both provide writing activities that support the literacy standard, as well to help them share information that support the social study standard.