I'm doing a workshop in a grad class on using picture books in intermediate grades (third through sixth), and I'd like to show a few good ones and model some lessons that can be done with them. I have a list of ideas but I'm interested in hearing what books you guys are using in your classrooms and if there is anything you LOVE using a picture book for. Thanks!
I don't think this is what you're asking about specifically, but it's something I've really wanted to do with my 4th graders ever since reading about it - probably on this message board. One day soon, I'll plan a lesson. You could take a very basic kids book - think "Hop on Pop" or "**** and Jane." Then, have your intermediate kids write their own story to go with the pix. They tell the same story, but use much better sentences. I love this idea!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! There must be some filter on this board. I assure you that I didn't use asterisks on the above post. Or a naughty word. I wrote that nickname for Richard that starts with a "D" and is seldom used these days. Hee hee hee.
I use picture books when I want to put more emphasis on the skill, rather than on the level of the book. For example, our first book report of the year is usually a picture book. We use picture books for other book projects as well. I like this, because they can read the book in one sitting, and have more time to work on the actual content piece. They read chapter books in book clubs, or independent reading. I got the idea for an inside/outside book project on this board, and I plan on using picture books for it. They will read the book and analyze the characters inner and outer traits and create a book report. I hope that in the spring we will do something along these lines every few weeks with picture books only.
I asked this question (one like it anyway) recently. I didn't have good luck, but I did have one picture book to use in my university class. The instructor, who is a 6th grade Language Arts teacher, is going to use it in her class after my presentation. It is Animalia by Graeme Base. It uses over the top, fun alliteration! It is also good for vocabulary building and tongue twisters.The artwork is amazing!
I use picture books all the time in my classroom to teach our state objectives. I love using picture books, I believe it gets the kids thinking much more deeply and they build a better understanding than if they are just given a "reading passage" (test practice) to complete! I love almost anything by Patricia Polacco. Her books are especially great when teaching theme. The other day I used Pink and Say. I read the book and then on chart paper, as a class we came up with the theme(s) of the book. After we came up with the theme, the students had to list details from the book that helped understand the theme. The next day students made a Venn Diagram, on their own, to compare and contrast the two main characters in the book. Other great books I have used this year to work on summary, themes, main idea, characters, text organization, etc... The Memory String- Eve Bunting Faithful Elephants- Yukio Tsuchiya Ticky Tacky Doll- Cynthia Rylant Groundhog Gets a Say- Pamela Curtis Swallow Sister Anne's Hands- Marybeth Lorbiecki The Patchwork Quilt- Valerie Flournoy Show Way- Jacqueline Woodson Knots on a Counting Rope- Bill Martin Jr.
I love "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" and "Stormy Night" by Eve Bunting (great for metaphores). I have a resource book that lists picture books that can be used for teaching different traits of writing. I know that "The Z was Zapped" is in there as is "Lily's Plastic Purse". "Rotten Teeth" is another favorite, great for narative writing.
I like to use picture books to introduce curriculum. Some that I've used: First Painter, Katherine Lanksy (cave painting) Weslandia, Paul Fleischman (civilization) Gilgamesh, Ludmilla Zeman (mesopotamia) A Medieval Feast, Aliki (middle ages) oh, and there's the one about the conquistodores, but its new to me and I don't remember the title/author. The kids love it, I love it, and it ends up being a great "hook" for the unit.
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka is fun. There are lots of great picture books to use in math besides this though. A Remainder of One, The Greedy Triangle, One Grain of Rice, The Grapes of Math. For Lang. Arts, you could use The Girl's Like Spaghetti: Why, You Can't Manage without Apostrophes! or Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!. When you teach compound words, you could use Once There Was a Bull...(frog).
Jon Scieszka also has a book of poems called Science Verse. Each poem is in the rhyme/rythm of some other familiar or famous poem. My kids love it. Dinosaurs, black holes, germs, electricity, just too much fun.
I use picture books quite a bit with my 6+1 Writing Trait lessons. Here are some I've used: The Boy Who Cried Wolf (Word Choice) Brave Potatoes (Word Choice) Click, Clack, Moo (Organization, Ideas) Punctuation Takes a Vacation (Conventions) The Secret Shortcut (Sequencing)
These are all great, so many I never thought of, THANK YOU!! Keep em comin, these are great ideas for everyone to put in their mental file cabinet!
