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Teacher's Pets #24 Paul Needs Specs
Paul asked, "Has the world gone fuzzy, . . .?" What a scary feeling to have your world blur in front of your eyes, especially when you are a child no bigger than Paul. The world hadn't gone fuzzy or blurry or misty or foggy . . . well not really. But, Paul's eyesight did. Author, Bernard Cohen takes us on a trip to the eye doctor. What a strange place that is! Paul tries many different lenses. Some make him see fat and some make him see tall and I wonder if some do nothing at all. Then Goeff Kelly adds his zany, very psychedelic illustrations, which will make readers howl. This book should definitely allay the fears of any child who needs to get glasses. PAUL NEEDS SPECS is a real eye-opener.
This review was originally published on SmartWriters and on donnaodonnellfigurski.com
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
"Paul needed specs because everything was fuzzy and blurry," said Greg.
"Specs are some kind of glasses," said Katie-Erin.
"Paul was bumping into things," said Zach.
"I felt bad for him," said Lucy, "because he was upset."
"Paul felt kind of weird because everything was foggy," said Anya.
"Well, if I needed glasses or spectacles," said Philippe, "I would freak out."
"Yeah! It would be pretty crazy, if I had to get glasses," agreed Kurtis.
"They don't make you look bad," said Sarit.
"They just make you look unique!" said Marta with a grin.
"Right, because sometimes people don't want to blend in with the crowd," said Juan.
"Hmm, I think glasses always make you look smart," said Philippe.
"This book reminds me of when I got glasses," said Sarit, "but I don't really wear them much."
"Sometimes people tease people with glasses." said Zach. "Sometimes they call them four eyes . . . uhhhh, no offense, Juan."
"None taken," said Juan.
"Well, I think teasing is a mean thing to do," said Becky.
"I don't understand why people have to tease people with glasses. There's nothing wrong with them," said Katie-Erin.
"It just makes them different . . . and different is all right," said Marta. "Different is better than being the same."
"Yeah!" said Pritka. "If we were all the same you couldn't tell who was who."
"And, kids wear glasses for their own good," said Anya. "Who cares what other people think?"
"There's a poem," said Lucy. "It goes, 'Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me.'"
"I sort of agree," said Kurtis, "It should be normal for people to wear glasses."
"I just don't get it. They're just glasses. What's bad about that?" asked Marta.
"Yeah!" said Sarit. "What's bad about glasses? Sometimes they make you look smart."
"Like teenagers!" said Pritka with a giggle. "Teenagers get glasses to make them look smart."
"I just think it's crazy calling people names just because they wear glasses," said Greg. "If they take them off they can't see."
"Well, in all my life of having glasses . . .," said Juan, "since kindergarten . . . nobody has made fun of me."
To SEE or NOT to SEE Health/Science
Most of us take our vision for granted. It's there and we don't much think about it. It's not until we lose a sense do we become more aware of it. To raise sensitivity in children and make them more aware of their sense of sight, try the following activity.
#1 Split the class into teams with three members each.
#2 Give each team a paper bag filled with several familiar objects, such as a crayon, pencil, eraser, sock, mitten, penny, barrette, rubber band, paperclip, glue stick, etc.
#3 Two team members place blindfolds over their eyes.
#4 The first blindfolded team member chooses an item from the bag and, without looking, describes the item to the second blindfolded partner.
#5 The second blindfolded partner, also without looking, uses the clues his partner gives him to try to identify the object.
#6 The third team member is not blindfolded. His job is to record his teammates' answers on paper, but he may NOT offer any help to his team.
#7 The team with the most accurate guesses is the winner.
JUST ADD "ed" Language Arts
Paul bumped, tripped, dropped, and spilled. Hey, that was a lot of past tense verbs
Have the children make a list of past tense action verbs and record them on the chalkboard or on chart paper. Next, using the list, have the children locate the verbs that fall into each of the patterns below. You may want to take it slow and practice each rule for several days before progressing to the next rule.
#1 Some verbs are made into past tense simply by adding "ed." For example knock/knocked and work/worked.
#2 Other verbs need special operations. Notice the verbs that fall into the CVC pattern. (Consonant – Vowel – Consonant) They need to follow this rule, "Double the final consonant and add "ed" . . . like this, hop/hopped, slam/slammed.
#3 Then there are the verbs that end in "e". They have a special rule to follow, too. "Drop the final "e" and add "ed."
#4 Don't forget verbs that end in "y". That rule looks like this. "Change the "y" to "i" and add "ed". Some verbs that follow that rule are cry/cried, try/tried.
Now have fun using all the rules to categorize the verbs that the children listed on their chart. Hey did you notice I used a past tense verb in that last sentence?
(Although I examined these websites and found them to be very helpful, please use them at your own discretion.)
CHILDREN TODAY: Four Eyes Can Be Fabulous:
When your child starts wearing glasses:
Baby Duck and the Bad Eyeglasses by Amy Hest
Glasses (Who Needs 'Em?) by Lane Smith
Glasses for D. W. by Marc Brown
Teacher's Pets #23 Myrtle
written by Tracey Campbell Pearson
illustrated by Tracey Campbell Pearson
Farrar Straus and Giroux
Ages: 3-6
$15.00There are bullies everywhere, but don't you hate it when you find them in your own back yard? Once at the grocery store checkout as I waited patiently, grasping a bunch of broccoli, a woman pushed her overflowing cart right in front of me. Every day on my 20 mile commute to school, there are cars that bully their way into the line exiting the highway. Can't they see the 50 cars waiting, patiently? HOW RUDE! That's what Myrtle would say and I fully agree with her. "RUDE! RUDE! RUDE!" These are the bullies in my back yard.When Frances moved in, Myrtle found a bully in her back yard, too. Frances was downright mean and Myrtle was downright scared. Snakes and monsters and mean songs would scare me, too. No one deserves to be bullied. So, when Aunt Tizzy told Myrtle of the nasty lions she met in Africa and their mean lion roars, Myrtle got to thinking. She grabbed her brother's hand and set off to face her fears. She felt bigger! She felt stronger! And, she was ready to stand up for herself . . . a very liberating feeling! I think I'll take a lesson from Myrtle. Just wait . . . the next time someone tries to push her overflowing grocery cart in front of me, I'll just bop her on the head . . . with my broccoli. Well . . . maybe not.
Tracey Campbell Pearson hit on a very timely topic . . . one that visits and revisits children in every age and at every stage. It seems, unfortunately, that there will always be bullies. I remember them when I was a child. Definitely, not fun! Ms. Pearson's whimsical illustrations add a welcome lightness to a serious problem. Young readers will gain confidence as Myrtle did, as they realize that they are not alone in the "BULLY" world and they CAN do something about it.
This review can also be seen on: SmartWriters
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
"Frances was Myrtle's neighbor," said Philippe.
"Myrtle and her baby brother didn't like their new neighbor," said Tony.
"That's because she was mean," said Philippe.
"Myrtle had a good life until Frances came," said Marta.
"Then every time Myrtle went outside," said Juan, "Frances played a trick on her."
Tony shook his head. "Frances sure does mean stuff," he said.
"Like she was making monsters and singing bad songs," said Sarit.
"And," said Becky, rolling her eyes, "she put rubber snakes on the ground."
"And, she put gum on Myrtle's brother's ball," said Lucy. "Then it stuck to his nose!"
"She was really like a bad kid," said Sarit.
"I wonder why Frances was so mean?" asked Katie-Erin.
"She was a bully!" said Pritka.
"I think Frances was mean," said Anya, "because she wanted people to pay attention to her."
"Maybe she had a bad life," said Marta.
"Or, maybe she was just jealous of Myrtle," said Sarit, "because she had a good life."
"Frances wasn't born mean," said Juan. "It's not somebody's instinct to be mean. It's their choice."
"Well, Myrtle was feeling really sad," said Sarit.
"And, she was very, very, scared," said Marta.
"It's actually not your choice to be scared," said Anya.
Sarit agreed. "Yeah!" she said. "It comes up to you. You don't know you're going to be scared."
"So Myrtle's parents called her Aunt Tizzy," said Marta.
"Myrtle's aunt was very brave and intelligent. She told Myrtle that she wouldn't even let a lion scare her," said Sarit.
"And she made Myrtle laugh," said Jake.
"That's right," said Juan. "Then Myrtle realized that if her Aunt Tizzy wouldn't let lions keep her away from the jungle, Myrtle wasn't going to let Frances keep her away from having fun."
"Myrtle really faced her fears," said Marta. "She stood up for herself and said, 'HOW RUDE!'
And her life came up great again."
"But, I wonder if Frances learned her lesson?" asked Kurtis.
"Well, if Frances is mean," said Philippe, "she won't get the right respect."
"Yeah, she'll be ignored by everybody," said Kurtis.
"But, I mean . . . come on . . ." said Juan. "Nobody can live without friends!"
YOU BIG, BULLY Health (Part 1)
Bullying comes in many different forms and they are all hurtful. Teasing and calling names are two of the most common forms of bullying for young children, and most children can recall at least one incident where he or she has been a victim of bullying.
Have children identify as many bullying actions as they can think of. Then record them on a class list.
1. Calling Names
2. Teasing
3. Hitting – Kicking
Next, have children suggest ways to overcome bullies and record these answers on a class list, as well.
1. Tell an adult – A Parent, Teacher, Lunchroom Aide
2. Stand up for themselves – Tell the bully to stop.
3. Ignore the bully – Walk away.
Then, have the children suggest reasons why someone might act like a bully. Again, record the answers on a class list.
1. Looking for attention
2. Making themselves feel more important
3. Feeling insecure themselves
Last, split children into small groups and have them conduct their own discussions. Roam around the room to eavesdrop to be sure that each group understands the concept.
YOU BIG, BULLY Health (Part 2)
Have children volunteers role-play a variety of bullying situations. To get more real reactions, you might prefer the children to use puppets for the role-play.
Bully Role-Play Situations
1. Gabe takes Mike's pencil and won't give it back. He threatens to tell the teacher on Mike about something that Mike didn't even do.
2. Maura tells Ginny she won't be her friend if Ginny won't go to the store with her, even though Ginny will get in trouble with her mom.
AN EMOTIONAL LOOK AT BULLYING: from A to Z Health
Make a list from A to Z of as many bully-related feelings as possible – both from the bully's point of view and the victim's point of view. After the list is made, have children decide which feeling/emotion belongs to which character.
Angry…………..bully or victim
Disturbed………bully or victim
(Although I examined these websites and found them to be very helpful, please use them at your own discretion.)
Sort It – Bullying http://www.sortit.org.uk/bullying.htm#you
We Can Work It Out! http://members.aol.com/pforpeace/WorkItOut/color.htm
What Kids Say about Bullying
HOOWAY FOR WODNEY WAT by Helen Lester, Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
RECESS QUEEN by Alexis O'Niell, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith
BOOTSIE BARKER BITES by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Peggy Rathman
Teacher's Pets #22 Whose House
Houses come in so many colors and sizes and shapes. Some are tall and skinny and rise high into the sky. Some are kind of fat and have acres of land around them. That's called s-p-r-a-w-l-i-n-g. Some are in big buildings called apartments and some are tiny, little cottages or bungalows. Houses are made of wood, brick, stone, or mud, and some are even made of ice. There are castles and palaces and mansions. There are igloos, and houses made of grass, which have thatched roofs. I've seen purple houses and bright yellow and green houses. Once, I even saw a pink house with blue shutters. That was pretty scary unless, of course, pink and blue are your favorite colors. So, with so many different kinds of houses, how can you ever choose which house is exactly right for you?
Well, you could try them out just like the young boy in WHOSE HOUSE did. On his journey to find just the right house, he visited a beaver's lodge and a bee's hive. They weren't right for him. He tried out a hollow log, too, but he learned that that was better for a frog. This rhyming picture book written by Barbara Seuling and illustrated by Kay Chorao will have young readers testing out all kinds of houses . . . until they find the one just right for them. And . . . maybe . . . just maybe, it's the one they are already living in.
This review can also be seen on: SmartWriters
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
"This is a book about houses for animals and humans," said Philippe.
"Every animal keeps safe in their homes just like in our homes," said Jake.
"I think this book is about the perfect house," said Marta.
"I like the way that Barbara made the kid in the story always want to live in a different home," said Kurtis. "I think that the boy was trying to look for something more than just his ordinary house."
"It's weird," said Jake. "He had a house."
"He had his own bed, too," said Kurtis. "So, why was he looking for another house?"
"He wanted to see other houses," said Anya.
"Maybe he was trying to find a better home," said Juan. "A better place than where he lived."
"He might try living in a squirrel's home or a mole's home," said Kurtis.
"Or maybe he just wanted to see where other animals' houses were," said Hannah.
"Everybody has their own way of homes," said Juan. "Beavers live in lodges made of mud and sticks and birds live in nests."
"I would not like to be a bird," said Katie-Erin.
"And he couldn't live with the bats," said Greg, "because he couldn't sleep upside down."
"Actually, some kids can hang on monkey bars like that," said Olivia and she laughed.
"He couldn't fit in a beehive either," said Sarit.
"Yep! He would get stung," said Philippe.
"Well, maybe he was just looking for facts about other homes," said Jake.
"I relax, eat, and sleep in my home," said Pritka. "But, it would be fun to live in a different home," she said.
"A house for me is a place where I study," said Philippe.
"A good house for me," said Keisha, "is a little brick house with a little, cozy bed."
"Well, I would like to live in a mansion because it's humongous," said Lucy.
"I'd like to live in the White House because there are probably a lot of bathrooms in there," said Juan.
"I'd like to live in a future house like space people," said Philippe, "because their houses have monorails."
"Almost everyone has a home," said Juan. "Even if it's a tree, hole, or pond . . . it's a home."
"Well, I think my home is just right for me," said Becky. "But, I would never leave my house without telling my mom or dad."
"I think the boy was thinking about what it would be like in other homes," said Juan. "But in the end, he realized that one house was right for him . . . and that was his own."
THE SHAPE OF THINGS Geometry
What do a pumpkin, a shoe, and gingerbread all have in common? Why, they are all houses, of course. Peter put his wife in a pumpkin. Silly man! The old woman lived in a shoe with so many children . . . well, you know the rest. And a gingerbread house is good enough to eat. Houses come in many different shapes and sizes and children can discover the many shapes in their own houses.
Introduce and discuss the following geometrical shapes. (square, rectangle, circle, triangle) Have children locate and name shapes in their classroom.
Triangle……….letter "A"
Square……….bulletin board
For HOMEFUN, ask them to search their homes and make a list of geometrical shapes they find.
Then have the children draw a picture of their house. Encourage them to use as many geometrical shapes as they can.
MY HOUSE is RIGHT FOR ME! Social Studies
Have children bring in a picture of their home. Let each child describe their house and tell why it is a good house for them.
My house is the right house for me because …….I have my own bedroom.
My house is the right house for me because…….my mommy lives there and she loves me.
(Although I examined these websites and found them to be very helpful, please use them at your own discretion.)
Jan Brett Gingerbread Baby House:
Miniature Gingerbread House (recipe)
THE PERFECT CLUBHOUSE by Daniel J. Mahoney
A HOUSE FOR A HERMIT CRAB by Eric Carle
THIS IS MY HOUSE by Arthur Dorros
Teacher's Pets #21 Out and About at the Supermarket
This is a selection of non-fiction titles from Picture Window Books. Featured is OUT AND ABOUT AT THE SUPERMARKET by Kitty Shea, illustrated by Becky Shipe.
Kiddles love to learn facts. They love to spout them off in the least expected places. It makes them sound so smart and . . . oh so worldly. You've heard of name-droppers, well you can just think of them as fact-droppers. This sample of Picture Window Books will have KIDDLES dropping facts all over the place.
This review can also be seen on: SmartWriters
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
Written by Kitty Shea
Illustrated by Becky Shipe
Picture Window Books
Ages: 4-9
"This book is good because you can learn about the market," said Meg.
"Cereal is in the supermarket," said Hannah.
"Milk, yogurt, and cheese are in the dairy department," said Philippe.
"I like milk," said Charlie. "It's my favorite thing."
"A supermarket has a butcher," said Miguel. "A butcher grinds meat."
"My favorite food is chicken," said Becky.
"The supermarket keeps cold cuts in one spot," said Keisha.
"And the fruit and vegetables in another spot," said Pritka.
"Did you know the lettuce takes a shower?" asked Keisha.
Kurtis started to laugh. "I got wet the first time I saw a lettuce head getting a shower," he said.
Keisha giggled, too. "I mean, what kind of lettuce would want to take a shower?"
"Keisha," said Hannah, "the lettuce takes a shower so the customers will buy it. Then they won't have to wash it at home."
"Well, supermarkets have almost everything," said Lucy.
"Yeah, don't forget the sweet food aisle," said Meg.
"You mean the junk food aisle," said Pritka.
"SUGARY junk!" added Miguel with a laugh.
"I wonder what would happen if there were no supermarkets," asked Anya.
"Well, the Pilgrims and the Native Americans did not have supermarkets," said Kurtis.
"When they lived they had to grow their own foods," said Juan. "such as carrots, potatoes, and lettuce."
"I feel sorry for them," said Sarit, "because they had to plant their own food and it took a long time."
Katie-Erin shook her head. "I can't believe they lived without supermarkets," she said.
Marta agreed. "Yeah, if there was no such thing as a supermarket, the people would starve."
"The supermarket is a great place to get all your produce, meats, sweets and grains that you use for your breakfast, lunch and dinners every day," said Juan. "They have food for any occasion."
"I'd recommend this book to someone who doesn't like to go to the supermarket," said Zach, "because after they read this book, they might go."
Written by Michele Zurakowski
Illustrated by Jeff Yesh
Picture Window Books
Ages: 5-10
"The book tells about different foods from around the world," said Hannah.
"It tells you some of the places where you can have the best snacks," said Charlie.
"Yeah, like . . . United States, Mexico, Senegal, England, Israel, Oman, Philippines, Vietnam, and Australia," said Hannah ticking off each country on her fingers.
"There's one drink in Oman," said Philippe laughing, "which sends bubbles up your nose."
"Limonada!" said Marta, "like lime or lemonade."
"In England they drink smash," said Philippe, "and in the Philippines, they eat lumpia."
"It's weird that in Australia an eating time is called, "TEA TIME", but they don't drink tea," said Hannah.
"Popcorn is America's favorite snack," said Pritka.
"I don't like popcorn," said Lucy, "I LOVE it."
"Yummy!" said Katie-Erin.
"I make popcorn in the microwave," said Sarit.
"It's a very crunchy snack," said Juan.
"Snacks are fun," said Keisha.
"And every snack is unique," said Marta. "And they are different all around the world."
Written by Pamela Hill Nettleton
Illustrated by Becky Shipe
Picture Window Books
Ages: 5-9
"This book teaches you about your body," said Keisha. "It has my favorite body part . . . called the brain."
"Your brain works like a computer," said Marta. "It makes you smart."
"Your brain works even when you sleep," said Pritka. "It helps you dream. And did you know your left side of your brain controls your right side and the right side controls the left side?"
"Well, I learned that I have a brain," said Keisha, "and it makes me think."
Written by Darlene Stille
Illustrated by Sheree Boyd
Picture Window Books
Ages; 5-9
"This book is cool because it has fun facts," said Hannah. "When I looked at the cover I said to myself, What is matter? Then when I read it, I knew what matter was – something that you can see, touch, taste, and smell."
"We are matter," said Pritka. "That means we take up space. Even air is matter."
"I left this book with a lot of knowledge," said Hannah. "When I first looked at the cover of the book, I thought, 'This does not look very interesting, but it is never good to judge a book by its cover.'"
Written by Nick Fauchald
Illustrated by Bill Dickson
Picture Window Books
Ages: 5-9
"This book is good for me," said Philippe, "because I want to play baseball."
"You need a glove, tennis shoes, a bat, and ball," said Meg.
" . . . and a helmet," said Philippe.
Meg nodded. "You need to watch the ball when it comes, too," she said.
"It taught me everything about baseball," said Greg.
Written by Michael Dahl
Illustrated by Anne Haberstroh
Picture Window Books
Ages: 4-9
"This book is packed with facts about where animals live," said Juan.
"I liked it because it was funny," said Lucy. "It certainly made me think of the desert."
"It teaches you about animals in a fun way," said Zach. "If you're an animal lover, you should read this book."
"The illustrations were so perky, I thought my eyes would pop out," said Juan.
"And," said Zach, "this book proves — DUCKS DON'T LIVE IN THE DESERT."
(to be used with Out and About at the Supermarket)
Discuss the FOOD GROUPS with the children.
Write the group headings on chart paper. (MEAT/PROTEIN, FRUITS, etc) Encourage the children to suggest a variety of foods and write each food under the appropriate heading. List as many foods as they can possibly think of. When the lists are completed, hang them around the room for easy reference.
Ice cream
Next have the children make a FOOD GROUP book for each food category. Use one sheet of 9" x 12" colored construction paper, folded in half widthwise as the cover, and one sheet of manila paper folded in half widthwise as the inner pages. Label each cover with one of the food groups. (MEAT/PROTEIN, FRUITS, etc)
Then give the children a supply of supermarket fliers. Have them cut out a variety of food pictures and glue them into the correct book. Next, they need to label their pictures. Encourage them to use the charts that are hanging around the room to check for correct spelling. When the books are completed, they can be housed in a student classroom library for all to enjoy.
By placing the supermarket fliers in a center area this can be an on-going project, which the children can work on independently.
(to be used with Out and About at the Supermarket)
In the supermarket everything has its place. There is the cereal aisle and the canned goods aisle. There's the dairy section and the produce section, and the meat and fish department. There is the deli and the bakery. AND late at night, the stock clerk makes sure that everything is in its place.
Turn your classroom into a superWORDmarket. It's easy. Have the children place their desks in rows. Label each row with one of the following words. NOUN, VERB, ADJECTIVE
Make a variety of flash cards using nouns, verbs, and adjectives. (Ex.: moon, dance, beautiful) Be sure to make enough cards so that every child has one.
Next the children (word stock clerks) locate the aisle in which their word belongs and hold their cards in the air. Select a child to be the store manager. The store manager must check each aisle to be sure that everything is in its place.
This game can be used as a center activity for children to work on independently. Place the cards in an envelope and provide three baskets labeled NOUN, VERB, and ADJECTIVE. The children sort the flashcards into the correct baskets. You may want to color-code the backs of the cards so that the children can check their own work.
You can adapt this game to be used with long and short vowels, rhyming words, or a variety of other language arts skills. Be Creative!
(Although I examined these websites and found them to be very helpful, please use them at your own discretion.)
CHEM4KIDS.COM: http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_intro.html
SOMETHING GOOD by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko
LET'S VISIT THE SUPERMARKET by Marianne Johnston
SUPERMARKET by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg
HOW DOES YOUR BRAIN WORK by Don L. Curry
THE BRAIN Our Nervous System by Seymour Simon
WHAT IS THE WORLD MADE OF? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases
#20 Teacher's Pets The Giant Jelly Bean Jar
written by Marcie Aboff
illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye
Dutton Children's Books
Ages 5-8
Beans! Beans! Beans! There are lima beans, coffee beans, kidney beans and refried beans. I love them all! But my favorite kinds of beans are jelly beans – and every flavor, too. Cherry, grape, lemon-lime, licorice . . . YUM! Double yum for strawberry and banana.
I bet Marcie Aboff loves jelly beans, too. After all, she did write The Giant Jelly Bean Jar. But I wonder if she really likes pizza jelly beans. I mean, whoever heard of pizza jelly beans? Next she'll probably think of spinach or olive, or liver jelly beans. Arrrghhh!
Then illustrator, Paige Billin-Frye dabs her color onto the pages to make those jelly beans look so yummy and so inviting. Who can help but want to eat them all up?
This review can also be seen on: SmartWriters
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
Jo-Jo's apron said, "I love Jelly Beans," said Philippe.
"And he made all different kinds of jelly beans," said Meg.
"Jam jelly beans sound very interesting to me," said Becky. "Even the popcorn jelly beans are interesting."
"My favorite jelly beans are bubble gum," said Anya.
"My favorite are blueberry," said Kurtis.
"Popcorn jelly beans are really, really crazy," said Greg.
Keisha giggled. "I like pizza jelly beans."
"I wonder what pizza jelly beans would look like." asked Marta.
"Pizza jelly beans would be yellow with some red under the yellow and a little brown," said Sarit.
"Maybe reddish-orange," said Anya.
"Anya!" said Pritka laughing. "That sounds like pepperoni jelly beans."
Ewwww, gross!" said Hannah.
"Some of Jo-Jo's jelly beans were disgusting and some were good,' said Lucy.
"That jelly bean man made a lot of different kinds of jelly beans," said Greg.
"He had a jelly bean contest," said Charlie.
"I won a candy corn contest once," said Pritka. "I guessed the exact number!"
"And Jo-Jo made a riddle and who ever got it right won a jar of jelly beans," said Meg.
"A riddle has clues and you have to put the clues together and try to think of the big answer," said Juan.
"From my point of view," said Anya, "A riddle is something that people use instead of telling somebody what it really is."
"Well, every time Jo-Jo said a riddle," said Juan, "Ben knew the answer . . ."
'But, I think he was shy and that's why he didn't say anything," said Becky.
"Yeah, I think Ben felt very nervous," said Zach.
"I was nervous once," said Marta, "because I was going to sing in the choir."
"Well, once I had to dance in front of two hundred people," said Pritka. "I was very, very shy – like Ben."
"I think Ben is like most people," said Zach. "I get shy very easily, too."
"But Ben knew the answer, he just forgot because he was so excited," said Hannah.
"And embarrassed," said Marta.
"I was sad because Ben lost two times," said Greg.
"I think Ben was sad, too," said Katie-Erin
"But, when it was the anniversary party," said Juan, "Ben gave up his fear and won."
"Right!" said Marta. "If you like something so much, you never give up on it. Ben deserved to win."
"And he got crowned Prince of the Jelly Beans," said Hannah with a giggle.
Is it a "G" or is it a "J"?
Jo-Jo's Jelly Bean shop was crazy with weird flavored jelly beans. The English language is crazy, too, with weird combination letter sounds. So maybe, with the help of Jo-Jo and his jelly bean book, we can figure out this riddle of the English language. I know it's a long shot, but it's a start.
Explain the sound concept of hard and soft "G" and the letter "J" to the children. Then make three columns on the chalkboard or whiteboard. Have the children suggest words that begin with these sounds and have them decide which column they belong under. When all children seem to know the concept, place them into teams of two or three and give each team a sheet of paper, which is pre-folded into three columns. Have the children write Hard "G" in the first column, Soft "G" in the second column, and "J" in the third column.
Each team takes a turn to search through the Giant Jelly Bean Jar book to locate all the words that begin with these letters. (Hint: There is only one soft 'G' word.) The team that finds all of the words or comes the closest is the winner. Sounds like a contest to me.
Have each child spread a sheet of paper towel on his/her desk. Give them twenty jellybeans in a small, sealed, plastic, sandwich bag. Have the children open their plastic bags and place their jellybeans on the towel. Next, have them arrange the beans to make a variety of repeating patterns. (Their pattern must be able to repeat at least once.)
Child 1: green, orange, green, orange
Child 2: pink, yellow, orange, green, pink, yellow, orange, green
Child 3: red, red, green, yellow, red, red, green, yellow, etc.
When the children are ready, visit each desk and have them read their pattern to you.
After everyone has had a chance to read their pattern, they may eat the jellybeans. Bon apetit!
(Although I examined these websites and found them to be very helpful, please use them at your own discretion.)
Jelly Belly Home
Classic Jelly Belly Recipes
Everybody Wins by Sheila Bruce, illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye
Ribbit Riddles Katy Hall & Lisa Eisenberg, illustrated by Robert Bender
Boogie Bones by Elizabeth Loredo, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
When Riddles Come Rumbling by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Karen Dugan
Pinky and Rex and the Spelling Bee by James Howe, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Teacher's Pets #19 Blueberry Mouse
I've heard of a greenhouse, the Whitehouse, and even a house of cards. I've heard of a townhouse. I live in one. But, who ever heard of a blueberry house? Well, Blueberry Mouse, of course! Blueberry Mouse, written by Alice Low and illustrated by David Michael Friend, tells of a mouse as sweet as she can be. And, why not? She nibbles the whole day long . . . on sweet, juicy blueberries inside her blueberry house.Blueberry Mouse's house is made of blueberry pie and everything inside is made of . . . you guessed it . . . blueberries. Blueberry Mouse nibbles her blueberry table and blueberry cups. Her blanket and bedclothes and even her bed are not spared when Blueberry Mouse gets hungry. It is no wonder Blueberry Mouse is a lovely shade of blueberry. And it sounds like a lovely existence, too, until Blueberry Mouse begins to nibble her window and wall and her floor and her door. That's when the roof comes crumbling down.
You might think Blueberry Mouse a rather foolish mouse for eating so many blueberries. But, did you know that many scientists believe that blueberries are a "super" food containing high contents of antioxidants, which help to prevent aging and many common diseases? So maybe Blueberry Mouse and her creator, Alice Low, are onto something. Now, I'm going to scoop up a big dish of blueberry ice cream, dribble warm blueberry sauce over it, and put a cherr. . . I mean a blueberry on top. It's important to stay healthy, you know. (grin)
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
"This book was crazy," said Becky. "I never heard of a blueberry mouse."
"The Blueberry Mouse just loved blueberries," said Hannah.
"Everything was blueberry," said Charlie.
"Even her table, doors, walls, roof, and floor," said Miguel counting off on his fingers.
" . . . And her bed," said Greg.
"Blueberry Mouse loved everything blue," said Marta.
"I know. It's crazy!" said Sarit.
"She turned blue from eating too many blueberries," said Jack. "I thought that only worked with carrots."
"But she's a BLUEBERRY mouse," insisted Sarit.
Becky giggled. "I liked when Blueberry Mouse ate her sheets."
"Yeah, that was pretty funny," said Greg. "She ate almost all of her house, too."
"I never heard of a mouse eating a house," said Katie-Erin.
"She should be fat," said Lucy, "but she wasn't."
"Why would Blueberry Mouse do such a thing?" asked Marta.
"Well, it sure wasn't smart for her to eat her walls," said Jack with a laugh.
"Yeah! Her roof will fall down. I wouldn't want my roof to fall down," said Anya.
Sarit shook her head. "She didn't know what she was doing."
"Yeah," said Keisha. "Like, if you love blueberries, never build your house out of them!"
Miguel thought a moment. "I'd make my house out of pizza," he said. "Yum!"
"Well, I would build my house out of pure Indian food," said Pritka. "Pita bread for the walls and floors."
"My floors would be made of marshmallows," said Philippe. Then if I fell, I wouldn't get hurt. Marshmallows are very fluffy."
"Well, if I were a mouse, I would be a strawberry mouse," said Hannah, "I like strawberries."
You could almost see the wheels turning in Juan's brain. "If the author wanted to," he said, "she could make a lot of different mouse books . . . like Waffle Mouse . . ."
". . . Or Chocolate Chip Mouse," yelled Zach.
"Or Ice Cream Mouse," said Philippe.
"Or Spaghetti Mouse with Sauce," added Miguel.
"This is making me hungry," said Zach.
"It's a blueberry–licious book," said Pritka.
"Well, I think it was a little crazy for a mouse to eat her own house," said Hannah. "But since the Blueberry Mouse just loved blueberries, I guess it's sensible. I think the author was trying to teach us that if you love something – don't eat it all up!"
"Blueberry Mouse couldn't resist!" said Miguel with a laugh.
Sarit sighed. "Yeah! She was really a fan of blueberries!"
Children will feel just like the Blueberry Mouse in this edible math lesson. But unlike her, I hope they can resist eating the blueberries before the lesson is over.
First, have children wash their hands. Then give each group of four children a pint of blueberries and four napkins. Next, give each child a piece of paper. Have them fold it into three columns and write GUESSTIMATE at the top of the first column, DISCUSS & GUESS in the middle column, and REAL COUNT in the last column.
Guesstimate . . . . . . . . . . Discuss & Guess . . . . . . . . . Real Count
Ask the children to guess how many blueberries are in their pints. Tell them it is a private guess and ask them to not discuss their answers with their partners. Reassure them that this is only a guess (guess + estimate = guesstimate) and that you do not expect them to be correct. Have them write their answers in the column under GUESSTIMATE. Remind them to NOT change their answers in this area.
Now, have each group of children discuss how many blueberries they think are in their pint. Give plenty of time for this chatter and listen carefully to their reasoning. Have each child write his or her guess in the column under DISCUSS & GUESS. Again, remind them that this is still a private guess and that you do not expect them to be correct, but that their answers may be closer to the "real" count this time.
Now, pour a portion of blueberries on each child's napkin from their pint container. Have the children count the blueberries on their napkins by placing the blueberries in rows of ten. After the count is completed, have the children count up their groups of ten and their left over berries to see which group has the most. It's easiest to do this if each child takes a turn and counts by ten and then the next child continues on. If there are extra berries (ones), save them to count last. Children may need assistance with the counting.
Expand the lesson by doing one or more of the following activities.
MORE or LESS
1. Find out which child in each group had the most/least berries.
2. Find out which group in the class had the most/least berries.
3. Split each group of children in half. Then have them count their total number of berries and compare them with the other members in their group.
Well, if you got this far and you still have blueberries left, give your class a great big hand. And, now the best part . . . clean-up. Bon Appétit!
(Although I examined these websites and found them to be very helpful, please use them at your own discretion.)
KidChef: http://www.kidchef.com/cda/article_detail.cfm?articleId=65
Maine Farmhouse Journal: PYO Blueberries http://www.crabcoll.com/journal/pyo.html
A Fair Bear Share by Stuart J. Murphy, illustrated by John Speirs
If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond
By Word of Mouse by Kate Spohn
Quiet as a Mouse by Lynne Gibbs, Illustrated by Melanie Mitchell
Watch Out Jan Fearnley
Teacher's Pets #18 Capstone Press – Pebble Books
(This set of books is shown as an example of the sets of book, which are offered by Capstone Press. PENGUINS is reviewed below.)
Capstone Press produces a vast range of non-fiction titles for Pre-K through 12th grade. These easy to read fact-filled, photo-illustrated books are a great addition to your personal library, but they are also especially valuable for teachers and students as a resource tool in any classroom. High interest topics combined with reading ease make these books fun to read. Pebble Books are written for beginning readers in grades Pre-K to 2nd grade.
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
"All of the PEBBLE animal books have chapters," said Annie.
"They also have the same beginning chapter," said Pritka.
"For example," said Keisha, " Woodpeckers is the name of the first chapter in the Woodpecker book."
"And, the title of the first chapter of Coyote is coyotes," said Philippe.
"Each animal book also tells about where the animals live," said Pritka.
"The books also tell what the animals do," said Juan, "Beavers use sticks and mud to build their homes, which are called dams."
"All the books are non-fiction," said Lucy.
"And there are maps in the books, too," said Juan.
"And timelines," said Jake. "And some of the books have real photographs."
"Yeah!" said Annie, "They show where the animals homes are . . . like penguins live in the Antarctic."
"And woodpeckers live in the woodlands," said Keisha.
"There are many weather books in this series, too," said Lucy. "Some of them are Clouds, Ice, Snow, and Lightning."
"When I read the Fog book," said Pritka, "I noticed there were no maps to show where fog goes." She laughed and continued. "Because fog can be anywhere!"
"I like these books because they have lots of information," said Philippe.
"I would recommend these books to young readers," said Pritka, "because the text is big."
"I agree," said Keisha, "because these books are short and easy for little kids to read."
by Margaret Hall
Capstone Press Pebble Books
Grades PreK-2
"Beavers are rodents," said Jake.
"And they are nocturnal rodents," said Pritka.
"Beavers use their tails for warning animals and people," said Miguel.
"Beavers rule the wetlands," said Pritka. " because they can squash animals with their flat tails."
"If I were a beaver, I would be wet and cool in the water," said Philippe. He thought for a moment. "I would recommend this book to my dad. He would be interested because he likes to swim in the water, too."
by Patricia J. Murphy
Capstone Press Pebble Books
Grades PreK-2
"Coyotes are in the dog family," said Steven.
"They look like puppies when they are young," said Raymond.
"Coyotes aren't fed, (like dogs) you know?" said Lucas. "They have to catch their own food."
"If I were a coyote, I would eat meat," said Steven, " . . . like rabbits."
"I enjoyed this book," said Lucas, "because it gives you information about an animal that lives on the grasslands."
by Helen Frost
Capstone Press Pebble Books
Grades PreK-2
"Fog forms from air and water," said Pritka.
"It's called water vapor," said Jake.
"Fog is a cloud," said Pritka.
"Fog can be near water or ground," said Philippe.
"When it gets foggy, you can't see," said Kiley.
"Yeah, it can be dangerous," said Barry.
"No one can see through thick fog," said Lucy. "It looks like dusty air."
"When it gets foggy, people in cars can't see, so they have to put on their lights," said Kiley.
"And, planes can't land in thick fog," said Philippe.
"There are all kinds of fog," said Juan, "Like advection fog, and ice fog."
"I'd like to live in the ice/snow type of fog because I just LOVE SNOW!" said Annie. "But, if I stay in it for a long time, I might become frozen."
Emily Rose Townsend
Capstone Press Pebble Books
Grades PreK-2
"Penguins are a type of bird," said Alexa.
"Penguins are a type of bird," said Annie.
"They can swim," said Jake.
"But they can't fly," said Kiley.
"They are the only birds that can't fly," said Pritka.
"They love coldness," said Lucy. "so they live in Antarctica."
"South of the equator," said Juan.
"Penguins have black and white feathers," said Annie.
"And they are fat to keep warm," said Kiley.
"Well, if I were a penguin, I would be cold, too," said Philippe with a laugh.
"I think penguins look like toys," said Keisha.
"If you read this animal book, you will be an animal wizard," said Pritka. ". . . and that's a fact."
by Lisa Trumbauer
Capstone Press Pebble Books
Grades PreK-2
"Sitting Bull was a Lakota Indian," said Annie.
"He was born in the 1830s," said Philippe.
"Sitting Bull is remembered for defending the American Indians' way of life," said Juan.
"His army won the battle," said Keisha, "but it was pretty sad how they had to move away after the war."
"If I were Sitting Bull and I fought in the war," said Lucy, "I would go straight home and never go back again."
"I wish I could rule the land," said Keisha, "because there are bad things going on in this land and I think I can change them."
by Emily Rose Townsend
Capstone Press Pebble Books
Grades PreK-2
"Woodpeckers live in the woodlands," said Pritka.
"They are red-headed birds," said Annie.
"Woodpeckers have sharp tongues," said Lucy, "Their tongues look like worms."
"So that they can grab bugs," said Keisha.
"They eat nuts, seeds, and fruits, too," said Kiley.
"And they have long beaks," said Barry.
"Woodpeckers like to drill holes in trees," said Philippe.
"Yeah," agreed Annie. "They make a drumming sound."
"I'd recommend this book to a kid who would like to learn about the creatures of the woods," said Juan.
"Yep," said Jake, "And I like this book because it tells you facts."
Have children work in small groups to make a list of as many animals that they can think of.
Dog, Cow, Dolphin, Deer, Bear, Duck, Cat, Shark, Pig
Then, have them categorize the animals into the habitats or environments in which they live. Add as many different environments as there are animals to fill each category.
FARM ANIMALS: Cow, Pig
HOUSE ANIMALS: Dog, Cat
OCEAN ANIMALS: Dolphin, Shark
FOREST ANIMALS: Bear , Deer
Have the children bring their lists to a whole group meeting. On the board or on chart paper write headings for several environment/habitat areas.
To get more mileage from this lesson, write each animal name on 2" x 4" flashcards. Then make another set of cards with a variety of environments written on them. Laminate cards for durability. Store cards in a 6" x 9" envelope and place in a Language Arts/Science center. Children can match the animal cards to the habitat/environment cards. Some animal cards may fit into more than one category.
LANGUAGE ARTS: ANIMAL SPELL and SCRAMBLE
Choose five to ten animal names from the list that the children generated in the above lesson or you can use this as a stand-alone lesson by making up your own set of animal words. Then jumble the letters and make a worksheet like the one below. There is a great website that will scramble the letters of words for you instantly. See SUGGESTED WEBSITES below. Children can work in small groups or individually to unscramble the letters to make words.
1. act ________________ 2. dgo ________________
3. srhka ________________ 4. nphoidl ________________
5. ebar ________________ 6. eerd ________________
7. woc ________________ 8. gip________________
LANGUAGE ARTS: ANIMAL SPELL and MATCH
Use the same five to ten animal names from ANIMAL SPELL and SCRAMBLE (above) and prepare 2" x 4" flash cards. Write one set of cards with the scrambled words on them and one set of cards with the real words on them. Then pass out the cards to the children. Have a child with the jumbled letters hold a card up. The child with the "real word" holds up the matching card.
ebar bear
For spelling practice have the whole class say the word, spell it, and say it again. Then place the game in a Language Arts/Science center and have children match the cards and spell the words.
(Although I examined this website and found it to be helpful, please use it at your own discretion.)
TeAch-nology.com's Word Scramble Generator
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Teacher's Pets #17 The Dirty Cowboy
written by Amy Timberlake
illustrated by Adam Rex
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Ages 4—8
You know, there's something to be said about loyalty and obedience, but Eustace Shackleford Montana may have gone too far the day his cowboy took a bath. When the Cowboy said, "Dawg! No one touches these clothes but me. Hear?", Eustace took the Cowboy at his word. What good dog wouldn't? On that fateful day under the New Mexico sky, Eustace demonstrated his dedication to his Cowboy . . . to the limit. That's definitely an A+ dog and THE DIRTY COWBOY written by Amy Timberlake and illustrated by Adam Rex is an A+ book.
Ms. Timberlake writes a very funny and engaging tale of a cowboy who takes a bath only once a year. Bet kids would love that! She tells a story of a cowboy who sings of rivers flowin', cattle lowin', and cowboys crowin' a combination that will surely have KIDDLES howlin'. (Okay so it doesn't rhyme, but you get the gist.)
Then illustrator, Adam Rex, steps in to complete the package — and he does it in such a clever way. The hilarious images he paints of the cowboy cavorting "nearly nekkid" across the pages present a very funny picture — one that will capture readers, both young and old, city-slickers and prairie-dwellers, and maybe even a doodlebug or two.
This review, unlike my regular reviews written from my home in the New York City metropolitan area, was written under the clear New Mexico sky with no dust devil or smudgy rainbow in sight, but I did see a small gray spider scurry by a few moments ago.
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
"The dirty cowboy was funny," said Kaya.
"He was very dirty," said Jake.
Tina nodded. "That cowboy definitely needed a bath," she said.
"Yeah," said Jaina, "He was strange smelling,"
"It's gross to have ticks in your hair," said Treska, " and fleas!" She scrunched up her nose.
"I don't think that cowboy ever took a bath," said Emma, " . . . in his whole life!"
"That cowboy was crazy," said Jaina, "and crazy cowboys never bathe!"
"I take a bath . . . like every Sunday or something," said Kaya.
"Well, if I didn't take a bath for a whole year, I would be all smelly," said Annie.
"I wouldn't have any friends," said Tina.
" And no one would want to play with me," said Roberto.
Tina giggled. "I'd just stay in my house and never come out," she said.
"Yeah, but how many parents would let you get away with it?" asked Jake.
"Well, if you were a cowboy living in the west, you could take a bath in the river," said Kiley.
"Or in the bathtub or the shower?" said Barry.
"It's better to go in the bathtub," said Jake, "but sometimes people flush the toilet and it gets really cold."
"I take a bath in the bathtub because you get to use fresh water and soap," said Philippe.
"Yeah!" agreed Ethan, "And you have toys to play with."
"But, cowboys lived long ago" said Jaina, "They didn't have bathtubs."
"There's one thing I don't get though," said Ethan, "Wouldn't it have made sense if he had taken a bath sooner?
Tina shook her head. "I think the cowboy should have just stayed stinky," she said, "There was nobody to smell him . . . only the dog and the horse. So it was worth it to stay stinky."
Treska giggled. "It was funny when the dog thought the cowboy was somebody else," she said, "He wouldn't let the cowboy have his clothes."
"The cowboy should NOT have let the dog look after his clothes in the first place," said Tina, "What was the cowboy thinking?"
"I think the dog did the right thing," said Emma, "because he listened to what the cowboy said."
"Well, the dog was very honest," said Treska, "He thought that that was not his cowboy. And . . . he kept his promise to not give the cowboy's clothes to anybody."
Kaya giggled. "I always keep my promises," she said.
HYGIENE and HEALTH — HI, JEAN or HI, GENE!
No one can deny the dirty cowboy had poor hygiene. I mean thirty-two lice and a doodlebug should be proof enough – don't you think? Well, anyhow, that doodlebug drove the cowboy to take his once-a-year-bath down in the old river. I know the KIDDLES have better sense than that cowboy, and here's a game to prove it.
Have the children sit in a circle. Each child takes a turn calling on another and asking one of the questions below. Spend as much time on each question as you feel comfortable.
When a child addresses a female child, he or she will say, "Hi, Jean . . ."
When a child addresses a male child, he or she will say, "Hi, Gene . . ."
Okay time to get down to the dirty nitty gritty.
Hi Jean/Gene, when (or how often) do you take a bath?
Possible answers:
. . . every night
. . . when I slip in a mud puddle.
Hi Jean/Gene, when do you wash your hands?
Possible answers:
. . . before eating
. . . when I sneeze
Hi Jean/Gene, when do you brush your teeth?
Possible answers:
. . . after eating
. . . before bed
Hi Jean/Gene, how many hours of sleep do you get?
Possible answers:
. . . eight
. . . not enough
Hi Jean/Gene, what is your favorite healthy food?
Possible answers:
. . . apples
. . . carrots
Hi Jean/Gene, what do you like to do for exercise?
Possible answers:
. . . climb a mountain
. . . play soccer
Prepare the following checklist. Have the children place a checkmark next to each hygiene activity that they take part in each day.
M_ _T_ _W_ _Th_ _F
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ wash hands before eating
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ wash hands after using the bathroom
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ wash hands after sneezing
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ brush teeth before coming to school
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ brush teeth after meals (when possible)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ brush teeth before going to bed
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ take a bath before going to bed or in morning before school
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ wash hair
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ brush or comb hair
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ put on clean clothes (all the way down to the underwear)
It took the dirty cowboy nearly the whole day to get to the river. Do you think if he had a map he could have found a more direct route? I mean following fence lines . . . come on . . . there must be an easier way. Try playing GRAPH IT! MAP IT! – and I promise it won't take you all day.
Draw a 10 x 10 grid on the chalkboard.
Number the Horizontal coordinates A, B, C ->
Number the Vertical coordinates 1, 2, 3 ->
Label several coordinates with a location in your school.
Ex. Library = 3-B; Principal's Office 6-J; Lunchroom 4-A
Have children locate each place on the map.
Give each child a blank grid. Have them plot their own coordinates and ask a friend to locate them.
(Although I examined these websites and found them to be very helpful, please use them at your own discretion.)
KidsHealth – Kids
The ChildFun Family Website Health & Hygiene
Phoebe Clapsaddle and the Tumbleweed Gang by Melanie Chrismer, illustrated by Virginia Marsh Roeder
No More Baths by Brock Cole
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Teacher's Pets #15 The Case of Vampire Vivian
By Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Amy Wummer
Ages 5 – 8 years
Well, she is sort of weird — that new girl who just moved in — her hair all sticking out like bat wings. How can you ignore that bat shirt she's wearing and those bat stickers on her notebook and what about her bat earrings? Now isn't that a "bat" much? Who can blame Molly for thinking Vivian is a vampire? Wouldn't you?
Molly and her friends, Frank and Louis, turn into detectives and scientists all rolled into one as they try to solve the mystery of The Case of Vivian Vampire written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Amy Wummer. Ms. Knudsen mixes fact with fiction as she weaves an interesting tale about bats and vampires, while Ms. Wummer's paintbrush teases the reader into thinking Vivian may actually be a vampire. I mean just look at Vivian's hair. Looks like bats to me!
So of course, young readers, armed with Knudsen's "bat" facts and Wummer's perky illustrations, will eagerly join Molly and her friends to try to discover if Vivian is really a vampire. BUT . . . WAIT! If she's a "real" vampire, then why is she awake during the day? And why did she eat garlic-mashed potatoes? Anyone knows vampires hate garlic. It's a real mystery all right, but don't let it drive you "batty"!
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
"I don't think Vivian is really a vampire," said Annie.
"There's no such thing as a vampire," said Philippe.
"Maybe she acted like that because she was so 'into' bats," said Tina.
"Well, she wore bat clothes," said Jaina. "And she had bat stickers on her notebooks and she had a bat knapsack."
"She had bat earrings, too," said Roberto.
"And Vivian's hair looked like batwings," said Philippe. "I think the illustrator was trying to make us believe that Vivian was a vampire."
Jaina nodded. "Molly and the gang didn't really know if Vivian was a vampire or not," she said, "So they had to find out. They had to find vampire facts."
"One learning fact about bats is their wings can be about six feet long," said Emma.
"And bats can fly as fast as 15 miles per hour," said Jaina.
"But, Molly was scared of bats," said Roberto.
"Before I read the book I was scared, too. I thought bats were really creepy," said Jaina.
Jake shook his head. "I don't really think bats are creepy. If you look at them up close, they are kind of like a person. They have hands. They have a mouth and they have teeth."
" . . . Really sharp teeth," said Roberto. "They're fangs!"
" And they have a face and they have legs," continued Jake.
"They are mammals . . . like us," said Roberto.
"But, when you look at Vivian's face, she sort of looks like a (vampire) bat," said Emma.
"But, there are no vampires in the world," said Jaina. "That is a superstition."
"But imagine if there were!" said Jake.
"Superstition means that it is just made up! There is no such thing," insisted Jaina.
"Vampire bats are only in Central and South America. They're not anywhere around our place," said Jaina.
"Vampire bats live in Mexico, too," said Roberto. "Last year I visited Mexico, but I never actually got to see one."
"That's a relief!" sighed Ethan. "If there was a kid that looked like Vivian in my class, I would think she looked very creepy."
"Well, Thank goodness there are no vampires in our classroom," said Jake.
Tina shook her head. "She's just a normal kid . . . like all of us," she said.
SCIENCE – BAT – and – GO – SEEK!
It's a myth that bats are blind. They can see well enough. But since they are nocturnal animals and they spend most of their waking hours in the dark, bats rely on their heightened sense of hearing and their sense of echolocation to move about. Bats send out high-pitched sounds, which bounce off insects. This lets the bat know in which direction to fly in order to find its dinner . . . or dessert as the case may be. To demonstrate this concept, play . . .
BAT – and – Go – Seek!
Choose one child to be the bat and five children to be bugs. The bat stands in the front of the room with his or her eyes tightly shut, while the bugs tiptoe to various parts of the classroom. As you point to each bug, they emit a buzzing sound. The bat, with his or her eyes still closed, points in the direction of the sound. Children can take turns being the bat and the bugs.
This game develops hearing sensitivity. It's also a check to see if any of your students may be having any hearing difficulty. A trip to the school nurse for a quick hearing test can either verify or allay your fears.
List the five senses, sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing on the board or chart paper. Have children suggest various ways they use each of their senses. Record their answers.
Sense of Sight . . . . .read a book . . . . gaze at the stars
Sense of Smell . . . . sniff a rose . . . . . some popcorn
Sense of Taste . . . . lick a lollipop . . . .sip a milkshake
Sense of Touch. . . . feel a bunny . . . . .hold hands
Sense of Hearing . . .hear a secret . . . .listen to birds sing
Hey wait! Don't forget . . . Common Sense and . . . a Sense of Humor!
(Although I examined these websites and found them to be very helpful, please use them at your own discretion.)
Screech: A Book About Bats by Melvin & Gilda Berger
What is a Bat? by Bobby Kalman and Heather Levigne
Bats! Strange and Wonderful by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Meryl Henderson
Bat in the Dining Room by Crescent Dragonwagon, illustrated by S. D. Schindler
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Teacher's Pets #14 An Ant's Day Off
by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Nina Laden
Simon & Schuster Children's
Ages 4 – 8 years
Working! Working! Always working! That sums up Bart's life in An Ant's Day Off written by Bonny Becker and illustrated by Nina Laden. Moving sand from one tunnel to the next, day after day — hey, that's the life of a sand ant!
But it's been said, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." So would that make Bart a dull ant? Everybody needs a day off once in a while . . . doesn't he? A day to take in the wonders of the world . . . a day to pull the covers up over your head and dream.
It seemed that Bart was content with his life in the sand tunnel . . . until one day . . . the day he looked up and saw a glimmer of blue. That's all it took. Bart threw down his shovel. He flung off his hard hat. Nothing, not even his friend, Floyd's warning, "No ant has ever taken a day off – never in the history of antdom," could stop Bart from scrambling toward the sun. Well, sometimes an ant just needs to look at the sky, now doesn't he? I'm sure that children will scramble for this book when they want to escape from their busy worlds.
I'm glad Bonny Becker and Nina Laden didn't take a day off or this delightful book may never have been produced. What fun!
FROM the MOUTHS of KIDDLE CRITers: a critique group
"In AN ANT'S DAY OFF Bart and Floyd were in their sand nest," said Lucy.
"Those ants were working," said Zach.
"But Bart and Floyd had never seen the sky," said Miguel, "or the rain, or the world."
"So Bart took the day off," said Hannah.
Keisha shook her head. "Bart shouldn't have taken the day off," she said, "He should have stayed at work."
"Yeah, That was kind of bad," said Hannah. "It's kind of like taking a day off from school."
"And, it wouldn't be fair if he took a day off and all the other ants had to stay at work," said Keisha.
"I think that if I took a day off I would be miserable," said Lucy, "I would want to play with my friends and they would be at school.
"Right!" said Juan. "So you might as well stay in school.
And if you take a day off from school you are kind of lying.
"And, when you lie your tummy feels tingly because that means you are guilty." said Miguel.
"Yeah!" said Zach. "When you tell a lie – after about ten minutes – your stomach starts to feel weird. You feel like you're going to throw up."
Pritka nodded. "And if you tell a lie your head will hurt."
"You have this thing going through your head saying, 'I should have told the truth! I should have told the truth!'" said Zach. "It just burns your head."
"Once I took a day off from school just to go to the park," said Pritka.
"Well, if I took a day off, I'd feel guilty and I wouldn't like it, but I would go to Florida," said Miguel with a grin.
"I would spend my day at the library," said Juan.
"Well, maybe he (Bart) wasn't supposed to, but he did it anyway," said Zach. "And I can understand why. He was trapped inside like a dungeon."
"Yeah, Bart just wanted to see what was in the outside world," said Pritka.
Juan nodded. "Every guy needs at least one look at the sun," he said.
LANGUAGE ARTS – It's Mine!
"Ants" means more than one ant. So what does "Ant's" mean?
When children discover the apostrophe they can't wait to use it . . . or more likely they can't wait to overuse it. Children will take possession of the "possessive" concept by playing the "IT'S MINE" game.
Assign children letters of the alphabet and have them make up a phrase to show that someone or something owns something. In AN ANT'S DAY OFF – who owns the day off? The ant of course!
Bertha's bubbles
Hannah's hippo
Martin's milkshake
Children should illustrate their work to depict their phrases.
To expand this idea, children can add an adjective to describe the noun.
Bossy Bertha's bubbles
Horrible Hannah's hippo
Maniac Martin's milkshake
To take a step farther, have children write complete sentences. They may want to work in pairs or small groups. This is harder than it looks.
Bossy Bertha's bubbles burst in the bathtub.
Horrible Hannah's hippo hiccups under the hamper.
Maniac Martin's milkshake made a mess.
When the alphabet is complete, bind all the pages into book form for a very early reading experience. Children will love to turn the pages of a book that they have written. Happy Writing and Happy Reading!
SOCIAL STUDIES – Community Workers
Ants are known as workers. There are sand ants, like Bart and Floyd, who are engineers. They build and maintain the tunnels of their underground home. But it takes many ants performing many specific jobs to keep a finely tuned nest.
Some ant jobs include nurses, who provide childcare and nourish the young. There are teachers and farmers. There are ants that specialize in climate control to keep the temperature of the nest just right for baby ants. There are foragers who provide food for the colony and there are guards who protect it. Hey, this doesn't sound so different from our world. Does it? Children will discover how all jobs are important and all are necessary to make our world run smoothly . . . just as the ant world does.
Have children work in pairs or small groups to brainstorm as many jobs as they can think of. Record all job suggestions on chart paper. Then have children choose a job they might like to do when they get older and write a short paragraph about it. Younger children can write a sentence or two. Don't forget to illustrate. The children's writings can be bound into book form as a classroom book. Happy Writing and Happy Reading!
(Although I examined these websites and found them to be very helpful, please use them at your own discretion.)
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose, illustrated by Debbie Tilley
The Ants Go Marching by Jeffrey Scherer


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Our Company & Facilities
Stardust Memorials is the USA's leading online cremation urn store. We're dedicated to helping people find the right cremation urn or memorial product to hold the ashes of a treasured loved one. We offer an unparalleled selection of cremation urns and cremation jewelry. Our choices are beautiful, made with care, popular with today's families, and, whenever possible, often options for personalization.
We know a cremation urn is a purchase no one wants to make, so the Stardust Memorials' team has a shared commitment to being as helpful as possible. To us, being helpful means: an easy to use website, urns that we would recommend to our family members and friends, lots of images and information about every product, quick tips and guides, and of course a friendly, caring customer service team that is available seven days a week.
Stardust Memorials is a family-owned company based in Traverse City, Michigan. It was founded in 2010. In 2015, Stardust Memorials was named a Michigan Top 50 Companies to Watch. In 2016, Stardust Memorials was selected by INC magazine as one of the INC 500 -- a list of the top 500 fastest-growing private companies in the United States.
Our Staff
|Marcy (Owner, Purchasing, Marketing) is responsible for overseeing purchasing, as well as web site development and marketing for Stardust Memorials. She has over two decades of experience in marketing and communications. Marcy holds a M.A. in library science from Wayne State University. Marcy is an active volunteer and is rarely without a book on hand.
|Jordan (Owner, Accounting & Metrics, Strategic Leadership) is an entrepreneur, educator, and Executive Vice-President of eFulfillment Service, Inc. He holds degrees from Albion College, Michigan State University, and the University of Missouri-Columbia. He enjoys spending time with his family, fly fishing, golf, guitar, and traveling to sunny spots in the wintertime.
|Deb (Engraving Supervisor, Customer Service, Order Processing) has a background in the funeral industry designing head stones and enjoys her many roles at Stardust Memorials. In her spare time, Deb enjoys being active outdoors, live theater performances, backgammon, baking, reading a good mystery novel, and travel.
|Dagny (Customer Service Supervisor, Order Processing) holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and has spent most of her career working in the non-profit sector. Her love for helping others brought her to Stardust Memorials and into the role of Customer Service Supervisor. In her spare time, Dagny enjoys beekeeping, cooking, wine tasting, and kayaking in beautiful northern Michigan.
|Marjorie (Domestic Purchasing Supervisor, Product Photographer) has spent much of her career working in business and customer service, along with several years as a bicycle tour guide. She enjoys stand up paddle boarding, golf, cross country skiing, and most of all, spending time with her family.
|Julie (Order Processing) holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Education and has spent most of her career working to organize her family's (husband and three sons) busy schedule. Her attention to detail, organizational skills and love for helping others brought her to Stardust Memorials Customer Service. In her spare time, Julie enjoys volunteering, scrapbooking, wine tasting, watching hockey (Go Wings), and outings with friends and family in beautiful northern Michigan.
|Tina (Operations Supervisor) is an entrepreneur, artist, and volunteer. She enjoys traveling, watching movies and Britcoms with her family, and renovating their mid-century modern home that overlooks beautiful Grand Traverse Bay.
|Tracy (Keeper of Books) comes from sunny South Carolina but now calls Traverse City her home. Tracy also owns an online toy store but enjoys helping other businesses with bookkeeping tasks. When Tracy is not working, she can be found with her family, kayaking, boating, and tending to her chickens!
|Rachael (Product Management & International Purchasing Supervisor) is a Traverse City native with a B.S. in Healthcare Management. Her professional career includes time in the Marine Corps. Rachael serves as Treasurer of a local non-profit and enjoys photography, roller derby and cheering on the Michigan Wolverines.
|Shari (Engraving, Customer Service, Purchasing, Shipping) Working with the wonderful team at Stardust has been the highlight of her 15-year retail career. Outside of work, Shari enjoys playing bocce ball, darts, and stand up paddle-boarding. Shari is also an active blood donor and has earned her 2-gallon pin.
|Kim (Warehouse Supervisor) began her career in banking and has most recently worked for the local school district. She loves being part of the amazing team at Stardust Memorials. Outside of work, Kim enjoys cooking, hiking, kayaking, and family game nights.
|Marta (Director of Marketing and Business Development) has a background in start-ups and tech companies. She currently splits her time between Traverse City and Kyiv, Ukraine, and enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family.
|Susan (Customer Service, Order Processing) was born and raised in the Detroit Metropolitan area. She moved up north in the 90's with her family to raise her children in Northern Michigan. She enjoys baking, sewing, selling her crafts and walking in the woods with her husband and two dogs.
|Renie (Customer Service, Order Processing) is new to the world of customer service and is enjoying helping families at Stardust Memorials. She loves activities that feed the imagination such as art, reading, video games, cooking, music and gazing out into the beautiful scenery of Northern Michigan.
Kathy (Engraving Assistant, Order Processing) comes from a career in customer service. She enjoys hiking, kayaking & spending time reading mystery novels on her deck overlooking Torch Lake.
|Andrea (Customer Service, Engraving, Order Processing) is an educator who works with vulnerable students at the local high school. She enjoys finding creative ways to problem solve and looks forward to helping you pick out the perfect product in memory of your loved one. In Andrea's free time she enjoys kayaking, fly fishing, hiking, crafting, and spending time with friends and family.
|Chris (Customer Service, Order Processing) is relatively new to the Northern Michigan area. She has years of experience in retail and eagerly anticipates assisting you with your order. She is the proud pet parent of two yellow lab littermates. When not working, Chris loves to feel Mother Nature's embrace in the waters of the Platte River.

subset: commoncrawl


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From rescuing lives to taking aerial photographs to actively assisting military affairs, drones have been used in a myriad of industries for various uses. The increasing popularity of drones has contributed to the rise of 'Dronics', a drone educational kit that is designed to teach everything about drones from theory to real-life application. JNC Community, the creator behind 'Dronics', showcased the product through Tumblbug, an online Korean crowdfunding site.
'Dronics' is an educational kit that allows the user to get a first-hand experience on the principles of drones as well as its manufacturing process. The kit consists of 9 different parts, including: a 3D printed drone body, a drone receiver, a drone transmitter, three types of body skins, drone assembling parts, a battery, CW/CCW drone wings, a charger set, and a workbook.
According to JNC Community, Dronics' drone possesses various capabilities – such as home return feature, 4-axis motor, and 6-axis gyro sensor – all of which ensure the safety and the accuracy of the flight.
"Dronics can be used in a wide array of purposes from children's educational toy to elementary school and middle school extracurricular activities. It is also even safe to say to open a drone-making class by leveraging the use of 3D printer with our educational kit," said Sa-Woong Chu, CEO of J&C Community.
- Inspired by Platum


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ReStore Volunteer Profile of Art Tucker
This week, for #MeetOurVolunteers, we introduce to you, Art Tucker. Art has been volunteering at the Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore since 2016.
With family roots in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Art has been an Andover, MA and Northshore resident since 1983. A Veteran who served as an officer in the US Navy during the Vietnam war, we thank Art for his service!
Art retired after 32 years at ICP, a World Wide operation that manufactures coatings for Tennis Courts and Running Tracks, where he went on to become Vice President of Recreational Products division.
Arts decision to volunteer at the Merrimack Valley ReStore was influenced by the example of President Jimmy Carter. Additionally, Art appreciates the concept of Habitat homeowners helping themselves through "Sweat Equity" to achieve a better life. He also enjoys the Habitat ReStore clientele and that ReStore is a "combination of flea market and good old fashioned hardware store." Our local Latino community provides an interesting perspective that Art enjoys. The opportunity to suggest and influence the operation through Customer Service brings an intellectual component that Art appreciates.
Art believes that "homeownership for all economic segments is a worthy goal." His opinion is that, when it comes to affordable housing, "the efforts of private organizations can serve as a model for others, including government."
Volunteering with us for two days a week leaves Art time for his other passions, which are traveling, visiting with family, and pursuing small home improvement projects.
Our work, providing affordable homes to local families in need, is only possible thanks to the commitment and dedication of volunteers like Art!
Interested in Volunteering?
Whether you're an individual, small business, a corporation, a community group, a faith congregation, or just a handful of friends – every volunteer increases our impact. Help us with pricing, organizing merchandise, accepting donations, and displays. We're bursting at the studs with contributions, and we need YOU to help make sense of it all!
The biggest perk is you get to see all new items before they hit the sales floor!
If you are interested in Volunteering with us, please email email@example.com.


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Provisions to build wind-swept rocks
Tools needed:
- Sharp implements: A scalpel and a needle tool to carve styrofoam and filler.
- Paint brushes of various sizes to apply paint and glue, but also to drybrush.
- A Dremel to bevel the MDF base (optional) and to shape the XPS. If you don't have one some coarse and fine sanding paper will also do.
- An airbrush or sprayer bottle to apply paint or a fixative (e. g. matte medium).
- A palette knife to spread out wood filler/acrylic medium.
Glues needed:
- Super glue. I use Insta Cure+ by Avetek.
- Styrofoam glue. Be careful here to choose an appropriate product, as many glues react with styrofoam and dissolve it. I use Selleys Liquid Nails Fast.
For the groundwork and the rock:
- A round base. I normally use some 3mm MDF or 3mm HIPS plastic sheet. Alternatively you can use cork or other materials. Just make sure they don't warp.
- Shellac to seal the MDF, should you use some, and to prevent warping.
- Extruded polystyrene (XPS). That is the dense stuff for construction, not the crumbly stuff you use as packaging. We will use it for the rock outcroppings.
- Wood filler. Either ready-made or as powder. I use Bostik Fill-and-Fix. We will use this to cover the XPS.
- Acrylic matte medium. We will use this to seal the piece and also use it as a glue to attach sand.
- Finely sieved soil from your garden or backyard. Can be any colour, but a lighter brown works well for an arid environment. You can also buy decorative sand in many one dollar shops. The advantage is here that the sand is very fine indeed and you don't have to sterilize the soil or sieve out larger pebbles.
- Small cork pieces or pebbles to depict small rocks (optional).
- Craft paints (light browns, beige, tans or white) to drybrush/paint the piece.
- Tamiya colours if you want to airbrush the piece. Thin with some IPA before use.
- Matte varnish to mix with pigment and water to fashion a brown wash to add contrast to the rock outcroppings.
Vegetation: Thorny brushes and dry grass:
- MiniNatur grass tufts (optional). I used a selection of autumn grass tufts to depict thorny bushes and dry grass. Naturally you can use any tufts you have on hand and also clump foliage.
- Matte spray varnish to reduce the shine of the grass tufts. I use Testor's Dull Coat.
- Brown acrylic spray paint to slightly darken the tufts or alternatively a brown wash to dull the shine of the tufts and grass.
If you would like a PDF version of this tutorial and more terrain building, painting and roleplaying tips consider supporting me on Patreon. You will get access to choice rewards for supporters. If you are not keen on Patreon, but enjoy my content and would like to see me well caffeinated so that I can publish tutorials, reviews and guides more frequently, click below and buy me a cup of dark, mellow goodness.


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Nesconset, NY - December 14, 2018 - Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are seeking the public's help to identify and locate the man who attempted to use counterfeit currency at a Nesconset business last month.
A man attempted to use a counterfeit $100 bill to purchase cigarettes at Handy Pantry, located at 279 Smithtown Blvd., on November 15 at 12:15 p.m. Employees informed the man the bill was fake and he fled in a 1996 to 1999 green Jeep Cherokee with an aftermarket metal rack affixed to the rear trailer hitch.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, texting "SCPD" and your message to "CRIMES" (274637) or by email at www.tipsubmit.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.


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Jose Mourinho has been dismissed by Manchester United following the club's very poor start to the season in 28 years.
Mourinho leaves the club after a chaotic two and half years in charge at Old Trafford.
His dismissal also comes after a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
In the interim, club legend Michael Carrick has been appointed as interim manager.
During the 55-year-old's tenure at Old Trafford, he played 144 games, won 84, lost 28, and drew 32.


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The following recipe, prepared by Chef Mario Batali, appears on ABC's The Chew.
- 1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella (thinly sliced)
- 8 sliced white American-style sandwich bread (crusts removed)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (plus 3 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (plus 3 tablespoons)
Servings: 4
Prepped and ready: 10 minutes
Click here for Mario Batali's full recipe.
Join Sunday Supper, OrderISDA's weekly e-newsletter, for the latest serving of all things Italian.
Make the pledge and become a member of Italian Sons and Daughters of America today!


text: HSHS St. John's Hospital April 23, 2019 Author: Deprecated: get_author_name is deprecated since version 2.8.0! Use get_the_author_meta('display_name') instead. in /www/wp-includes/functions.php on line 4713 admin U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) announced today the Jonny Wade Pediatric Cancer Research Act (H.R. 2234) alongside the Wade family and HSHS St. John's Hospital and SIU Medicine doctors in our women and children's clinic at HSHS St. John's Hospital. The Wade family lost their 8-year-old son, Jonny Wade, to brain cancer in 2015. Kim and Jon, Jonny's mom and dad, and Jacky, Jonny's twin brother, were there to speak on the importance of the bill.


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Old Glasgow 8 Year Old
SKU: old-glasgow-8-year-old-lot-id-2365bfe9c881e23a1015
Read More
1 bottle Old Glasgow 8 Year Old Delux Scotch Whisky. In presentation box. No strength or capacity stated. Good audible fill level. Good condition.
Ask a Question
If you have any questions regarding this item, please send us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.


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Hello there and welcome to week 6.
The prompt this week is: dead-end jobs.
500 words, due Thursday 8 pm EST, stories posted Friday. Playlist will be up tomorrow.
Six weeks of Mercurial Stories. Six weeks of thinking of new prompts, trying to get the word out, and writing my own response. It has proven to be an interesting side project for me. Besides for the act of coordinating this project, I also get the opportunity to explain to others the reasoning behind this endeavor.
Like millions of others, I have always wanted to be a writer and like millions of others, I have found that the reality of writing is much different from the concept. I am the type of writer who has a solid talent, decent ideas, but have yet to meet my own projected output (you fellow scribes know what I am talking about, the whole "by the time I am thirty, I will have written five thousand stories and won the Man Booker and Pulitzer prizes, in the same year" thing). I mean, Terry Gross has never interviewed me. Not even once.
I have been through some massive nonsense in the past few years and the insight it provided about who I am and how I write was phenomenal. I could not finish a story because I was suffering for a crippling combination of low self-esteem and over-idealization of writing. Add to that recipe the fact that I am a language teacher, well, you get a rather promising and grammatically tidy first paragraph.
I read a lot of short stories that could have been written by me, had I persisted past those initial feelings of self-loathing. They would make A+s in any English class. And yet, for all their lovely syntax, they are not noteworthy stories. They are stories that fill literary journals but they are not stories that linger in the collective imagination. They are sincere stories written by serious introverts who are so desperate to be Writers that they forget to write. And unfortunately they also end up mangling that true voice that distinguishes one storyteller from another.
Mercurial Stories is an attempt to knock Writing down from its pedestal. I want to make that W lowercase so that it is no longer a proper noun but a working verb. I want to give people a chance to participate in this writer's gym where the point is to get stronger as a writer. I want participants to forget the idea of writing for fame and glory, to abandon the shitty notion of perfection. Read the prompt, write something in response, and let it go so you can go through the process again next week. And the week after that. As the late great Ray Bradbury said:


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One-on-One Tutoring Available upon request | Learn More
Students who are working below grade level entering 6th grade will benefit greatly from this curriculum designed to give individual attention to each student. Basic skills in specific subject areas of math, language arts, and science are reinforced using a variety of teaching techniques and materials tailored to each student's skill level. Executive functioning is incorporated into the daily syllabus, including study skills, organization, and problem solving.Session dates:Session 1A: 6/01/20 - 6/19/20 (8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.) (EST)Session 2A: 6/22/20 - 7/10/20 (8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.) (EST)Session 3A: 7/13/20 - 7/31/20 (8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.) (EST)Each session is unique, so your child will benefit from taking more than one session.
Jayme McMahon is currently a faculty member at American Heritage. She earned a Master of Science in Education from Long Island University. She has been teaching for ten years and has taught grades kindergarten through 8th grade. She has taught the lower school enrichment courses for the Summer Institute for five years.
Andrea Spradling has been part of the American Heritage School English faculty for 16 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in Education. Her passion is helping students reach their academic potential. She is currently teaching in the Reading Lab, Writing Seminar (9th-10th grade), Great Books, and Literature & the Arts 7. Andrea incorporates strategies, tools, and assistive technology that benefit students of all levels. She helped to launch and teach the first American Heritage School summer program for elementary grades and has continued to be part of the summer programs at American Heritage Summer Institute.
American Heritage teacher Ashley Ventrella is an experienced teacher with a Master of Science in Earth Science and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She has been teaching for 15 years. In 2014, Ashley was selected as the Middle School Teacher of the Year for her district in Louisiana and she was also selected as a Semi-Finalist for Louisiana State Teacher of the Year.
A class may be canceled if fewer than 6 students enroll. A specific teacher is not guaranteed. To protect the privacy rights of all, there is absolutely no videotaping or recording. Students must be age appropriate for the course. Young children must be supervised by a parent at all times. It is the parent's responsibility to check with their child's school when seeking credit for a course.
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Main Content
Network: 12. LISnet - Library and Information Science Network
12 SES 09, European and Country Reports on Infrastructures in Education
Thursday, 2018-09-06, 09:00-10:30, Room: A2.17, Chair: Christoph Schindler
- European and Country Reports on Infrastructures in Education
Christoph Schindler Anke Hertling Marie Gaussel Catherine Reverdy Gerda Winkler Paolo Buoso
12 SES 10.5, Network Meeting - NW 12 (LISnet)
Thursday, 2018-09-06, 12:00-13:30, Room: A2.17, Chair: Christoph Schindler
- Network Meeting - NW 12
Christoph Schindler
12 SES 12, LISnet Paper Session (NW 12)
Thursday, 2018-09-06, 15:30-17:00, Room: A2.17, Chair: Chiara Ravagni
- Research Synthesis and Methodologies - Beyond the Evidence-Movement
- Transforming the Publication Landscape in Educational Research through Open Access - Exploring the Situation in Educational Science
- OER Research: a comparison of approaches
Britten Ekstrand
Klaus Rummler Christoph Schindler
Luca Mollenhauer Ingo Blees Markus Deimann
12 SES 13 B JS, Translation and Cross-cultural Comparability in Large Scale Assessments
Thursday, 2018-09-06, 17:15-18:45, Room: KH-Josefssaal, Chair: Manuela Endberg
- Information Use and Needs in Translation Processes for International Large-Scale Assessment Studies
- Enhancing the Cross-Cultural Comparability of Self-Reports Using the Overclaiming Technique: An Analysis of Accuracy and Exaggeration in 64 Cultures
- Do PISA 2015 Items Function Equivalently Across The Participant Countries?
Britta Upsing Marc Rittberger
Hana Vonkova Ondrej Papajoanu Jiri Stipek Miroslava Cernochova Katerina Kralova
Huseyin Husnu Yildirim Selda Yildirim Eren Ceylan Norman Verhelst
12 SES 14 B JS, Educational Research Infrastructure
Friday, 2018-09-07, 09:00-10:30, Room: KH-Saal 2, Chair: Christoph Schindler
- The Research Data Centre Education – collecting and providing instruments for educational research
- What you measure is what you get. The transparent value of Measurement and Evaluation from Bibliometry Research in Portugal Research Units
- The GESTINV Database: a tool for enhancing teachers professional development.
Marius Gerecht
Carla Silva
Federica Ferretti Giorgio Bolondi Alessandro Gambini
Programme by Network 2019
00. Central Events (Keynotes, EERA-Panel, EERJ Round Table, Invited Sessions)
Network 1. Continuing Professional Development: Learning for Individuals, Leaders, and Organisations
Network 2. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)
Network 3. Curriculum Innovation
Network 4. Inclusive Education
Network 5. Children and Youth at Risk and Urban Education
Network 6. Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures
Network 7. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Network 8. Research on Health Education
Network 9. Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement
Network 10. Teacher Education Research
Network 11. Educational Effectiveness and Quality Assurance
Network 12. LISnet - Library and Information Science Network
Network 13. Philosophy of Education
Network 14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research
Network 15. Research Partnerships in Education
Network 16. ICT in Education and Training
Network 17. Histories of Education
Network 18. Research in Sport Pedagogy
Network 19. Ethnography
Network 20. Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments
Network 22. Research in Higher Education
Network 23. Policy Studies and Politics of Education
Network 24. Mathematics Education Research
Network 25. Research on Children's Rights in Education
Network 26. Educational Leadership
Network 27. Didactics – Learning and Teaching
Network 28. Sociologies of Education
Network 29. Reserach on Arts Education
Network 30. Research on Environmental und Sustainability Education
Network 31. Research on Language and Education (LEd)
Network 32. Organizational Education
Network 33. Gender and Education
Additional Events
The programme is updated regularly (each day in the morning)
Marginal Content
Search the ECER Programme
- Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
- Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
- Search for authors and in the respective field.
- For planning your conference attendance you may want to use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference
- If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.


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There are a lot of egos circling the Los Angeles Lakers these days and we're not talking about Jack, Denzel, and whatever B- or C-lister impressed a studio executive enough for court-side seats. Team president Magic Johnson deservedly has one, as does former star Kobe Bryant. Both weighed in on the state of the team recently, and their thoughts were relayed to current Lakers star, LeBron James. His response was interesting for a number of factors, even if they can only be gleaned from the subtext.
"We are trying to make sure that we watch [LeBron's] minutes but also that we don't run everything through him," Magic told Sirius XM NBA Radio, "because now it is Cleveland all over again, and we don't want that." Then, during Monday's "All-Access" Lakers event at Staples Center, Kobe—after dragging bandwagon Warriors fans—chimed in as well, as recounted by Joe Vardon for The Athletic.
"At the beginning of the season, you saw a collection of individual talent trying to figure out what they can do and where they can do it on the floor," Bryant said at the Lakers fete. "What about their games? But at the same time how to figure out how to make those games blend in as a group. You can't have one before the other, see what I'm saying? So it's a test of Bron's patience, and also doing what he needs to do to keep the team's head above water. So it's a balancing act."
James, a master media manipulator even when put in difficult positions like this, offered up this response, via The Athletic's Bill Oram:
"I don't know what asking me to do too much is, to be honest," James said. "I understand the logic behind what Magic and Kobe are saying because we want to grow the young guys… But, I mean, Magic and Kobe know who I am. I know who I am. They know what they're going to get out of me. That is, you know what you're going to get out of me every game… When it's really, really, really money time, you know who is going to be there."
More telling was when he said during that same discussion the competitor in him wants to play all 48 minutes every game while acknowledging that would be incredibly unwise if you're thinking long term, which the Lakers are.
LeBron's confusion stems from never really having to think about his basketball mortality. He's played into June the last eight seasons, an unheard of streak of success and stamina in the modern game (tell those bozos screaming about the LEastern Conference to can it). But it's staring him in the face. He knows he's getting up their in age when wet-behind-the-ears teammates don't know any words to Jay-Z's The Blueprint (let alone Reasonable Doubt) but all the mumbled bars by Lil Uzi Vert. He takes care of his body enough to put up similar numbers as his MVP campaigns in Miami and Cleveland, but he's in uncharted territory as mentor instead of leader.
His cyborg-like ability to remain healthy despite all the wear and tear of repeated trips to the Finals won't allow him to entertain the thought of ceding control. But that's what he needs to do for the Lakers to be successful; for Brandon Ingram to fulfill on his promise as either a sidekick or trade chip; for Lonzo Ball to play point man on a LeBron team, or thorn in the side of some mid-market franchise stuck with Lavar.
James doesn't understand what Magic and Kobe are saying, but he knows what they mean. Whether he can translate that on the court might be just as hard, if not harder, than every one of his trips to the NBA's biggest stage.
Also Watch


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The Million Dollar Duck (1971) starring Dean Jones, Sandy Duncan, Joe Flynn
Synopsis of The Million Dollar Duck
In The Million Dollar Duck, a lab worker (Dean Jones) takes home a laboratory animal (Charlie the duck) to prevent it from being destroyed, as a pet for his son. As fate would have it, however, the duck's exposure to radiation has caused it to mutate — and it now literally lays golden eggs when the family dog barks. At first, the scientist, this ditzy wife (Sandy Duncan) think this is a Godsend — until they begin to get greedy, and their neighbor (Joe Flynn) begins to get suspicious.
Review of The Million Dollar Duck
I have fond memories of watching The Million Dollar Duck many years ago when it first came out. It's not high comedy, and it doesn't try to be. The Million Dollar Duck is simply a children's movie, with a simple message about family being more important than money and things. Dog, duck, gold nuggets, heroic ending with the Dad rescuing his son — what more can you ask for in a children's movie?
The Million Dollar Duck is enjoyable fluff and doesn't pretend to be anything more than that. Some people are offended by Sandy Duncan's portrayal of the ditzy wife — but if so, they also need to be offended by Gracie Allen, Christie from Three's Company, and every other "ditzy" female character ever portrayed.
Product Description of The Million Dollar Duck
Bring home surefire Disney fun starring classic comedians Dean Jones, Sandy Duncan, and Joe Flynn — now on Disney DVD! Research professor Albert Dooley (Jones) is stuck with past-due bills and one downy, dense lab duck. But an ordinary bird turns extraordinary when he is accidentally zapped with radiation and casually starts laying the proverbial "golden eggs." Cashing in on newfound riches becomes a side-splitting scramble as the secret gets out and friends, neighbors, and government T-men mount an all-out quack attack to capture the rare bird. It's heartwarming hilarity that will keep the whole family in stitches! The studio held open auditions for the duck role, with Webfoot Waddle winning the part. Runners-up Carlos and Jennifer got to be stand-ins. The ducks were given the full Hollywood treatment, including their own drinking pails, lettuce, and chicken scratch, plus evenings and weekends free to rest floating around the Disney Studio pond.
Editorial review of Million Dollar Duck courtesy of Amazon.com
Disney's classic 1971 comedy about the goose that lay the golden eggs returns in digital format, retaining its old-style family-friendliness, slapstick silliness, and good-natured predictability. Dean Jones plays professor Albert Dooley, a lab worker down on his luck, who lives in suburbia with his earnest yet scatterbrained wife Katie (played deliciously by Sandy Duncan). When an under-performing lab duck's life is in jeopardy, Dooley rescues him to become a family pet and soon discovers that some earlier exposure to radiation has turned the duck's eggs into gold. The Dooley's newfound wealth brings its share of pandemonium as they try to keep their proverbial "nest egg" under wraps, especially from nosy neighbor Finley Hooper (Joe Flynn), a government Treasury man. Such low-tech fare is not without touches of brilliance: Duncan gets to deliver the best lines and does so with great panache. If Million Dollar Duck falls short in inventiveness, this small serving of comfort food satisfies with ample amounts of warmhearted cheer. (Ages 4 and older) –Lynn Gibson


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Used Book in Good Condition
Product Description
Alice Rose Morgan, who has been giving psychic readings over the telephone long before it became a trend, has a friendly nickname for the spirits guiding her-"spooks." At their urging, she has poured seventy-one years of acquired wisdom into this eye-opening book, answering questions about psychic phenomena, soul groups, the nature of God, and our purpose on earth. Her amazing stories-true-life experiences of her own and her callers-illuminate the strange and wondrous: past life memories, messages from loved ones yet to be born or already passed on, psychic healing, karmic backlash, and countless lessons from the astral plane.
This psychic grandmother's sparkling humor and warmth shines through as she gives sound advice on finding love, dealing with death, using affirmations, and understanding our objective for this incarnation. She also shares practical tips for healing, communicating with the departed, solving problems through dreams, and uncovering our innate psychic skills.