Title of book: First Day of School: All About Shapes and Sizes Author’s name: Kristen Hall Publisher: Children’s Press Copyright year: 2003 Reading Level: 1st grade Genre: My Choice (Fiction) SYNOPSIS OF STORY: It’s the Beasties first day of school. Their teacher, Mr. Rigby, tries to make his room perfect for his students. However, when the Beasties get to school not everything is perfect. No ones chair is right. They are either; too small, too big, too flat or too dry. What can Mr. Rigby do? Pooky, one of the Beasties, helps Mr. Rigby and they end up saving the day. Theme: Everyone is different ACTIVITY ONE: Making a Chair • Indicate origination of idea: Original Idea • Objective(s): To have the students look at how they are different and what their ideal chair would look like. • Description of activity: Have the students create their own (not to size) chair in class using Popsicle stick, cotton balls, plastic straws, ect. ACTIVITY TWO: Create your own Beastie • Indicate origination of idea: Original Idea • Objective(s): To be creative and expand on the story. • Description of activity: Have the students create their own Beastie and figure out what type of chair would suit their beastie best.Title of book: Fish for Supper Author’s name: M.B. Goffstein Publisher: The Dial Press Copyright year: 1976 Reading Level: Kindergarten Genre: My Choice (Fiction) SYNOPSIS OF STORY: This story is about a child’s grandmother whose days never change. Every morning she gets up to go fishing. Then she comes home and cleans the fish and makes dinner. After dinner, she quickly cleans up for bed. Finally, she goes to be just to get up at 5 o’clock the next day to start all over again. Theme: Life ACTIVITY ONE: Itinerary • Indicate origination of idea: Original Idea • Objective(s): To have the students be able to break down their days and plan things out. • Description of activity: Students will work together with their teacher to map out their average day. You will work with them on memory by looking at what they have done on past days. You will also work with them on time; by figuring out at what time they did certain things. ACTIVITY TWO: Expand the book • Indicate origination of idea: Original Idea • Objective(s): Teach students how to add details into their stories • Description of activity: This is a great book with a good message. It reminds us how simple life use to be, but it can be very boring to students today. So I would like my students to use their imaginations and add details to the story. Add vocabulary words and adjectives to make the story more interesting and exciting to read.Title of book: The Unicorn Alphabet Author’s name: Marianna Mayer Publisher: Dial Books Copyright year: 1989 Reading Level: 4th Grade Genre: My Choice (Fiction) SYNOPSIS OF STORY: This book works it way through the alphabet. Each letter has a word with it like every other alphabet book. However, this one is different because not only does it have a word for each letter but it also tells you a legend about the word and then relates it to the unicorn. All the words are from the medieval times when unicorns seemed so real. This book looks at flowers, magical herbs, fair knights, proud maidens, and sinister serpents, which are all part of the unicorn’s powerful myth. Theme: Legends of Unicorns ACTIVITY ONE: Create an alphabet book • Indicate origination of idea: Original Idea • Objective(s): Have the students not only create an alphabet book but have them relate it to other topics. • Description of activity: Have the students pick their favorite animal and create an alphabet book around that animal. Having each letter word be related back to their animal as it is done in the book. ACTIVITY TWO: Tapestries • Indicate origination of idea: Original Idea • Objective(s): Learn more about different art styles and being able to incorporate a message into their art work. • Description of activity: Obviously we can’t have each student create an authentic tapestry but you can have them look up the history of tapestry and unicorn mythology and have them create a picture that incorporates a message. This book tells us that every little detail in these tapestries was put there for a reason, so I would then have the students write a short essay on why they included everything they did in their picture.Title of book: Time Train Author’s name: Paul Fleischman Publisher: A Charlotte Zolotow Book Copyright year: 1991 Reading Level: 1st grade Genre: My Choice (Fiction) SYNOPSIS OF STORY: Eight students go on a class trip with their teacher, Miss Pym. When they are at the train station the ticket seller changes their gate and puts the class on a magical train. The class ends up in the prehistoric times, playing soccer with their giant reptilian friends, going stegosaurus-back-riding, pterodactyl gliding, and more. When the students return to New York, their parents joke around with their kids and ask “Did you see any dinosaurs?” Little do they know what really happened on their kids’ field trip. Theme: Just live life. ACTIVITY ONE: Research Project • Indicate origination of idea: Original Idea • Objective(s): Learn more about Dinosaurs • Description of activity: Have your students research their favorite dinosaur(s) and do a mini report to the class on what they found. Have them look at their size, the food they eat, where in the world they mostly lived, ect. ACTIVITY TWO: Commercial clip • Indicate origination of idea: Taken from my 9th grade geography teacher • Objective(s): Have the student’s think of a fun creative way to pull future readers into the book. • Description of activity: Have the students shot a short commercial that will show future readers what the book is about and will excite them to read the book.Title of book: The Way I Feel Author’s name: Janan Cain Publisher: Parenting Press, Inc. Copyright year: 2000 Reading Level: Kindergarten Genre: My Choice (Fiction) SYNOPSIS OF STORY: This book is about many different feelings. It shows students that people have different emotions. This book also puts words to peoples’ different feelings. It shows students that it’s okay to cry when they are sad and smile when they are happy. This book does a great job