Thursday, July 11, 2013

FREE Teachers Guides Make Using Nonfiction in the Classroom Less Scary

Reprinted from October

With Halloween just around the corner, I’m going to offer a solution to something some teachers find scary: incorporating nonfiction into their teaching. With the adoption of the Common Core http://www.corestandards.org/ in 46 states, there is a strong movement to use more nonfiction in the classroom. But how, exactly, should teachers do this?

The most common way that I’ve seen nonfiction used in classrooms is as a resource for students to find information to include in subject-area reports. There is nothing wrong with this, but many books written by Interesting Nonfiction for Kids (I.N.K.) authors and others are far more than a list of facts on a subject and can be used to do so much more. Our books are designed to inspire, engage, enlighten, challenge, and deepen understanding. We wrote them to open kids’ eyes to the world around them and to encourage kids’ to ask questions about their world. So really, what we are trying to do with our books is very much aligned with what great teachers are already trying to do with their classrooms.

The best news of all is that many authors have thought deeply about how their books could be used in the classroom and have created teachers’ guides that offer discussion questions, writing prompts, hands-on activities, individual and group projects, theater scripts and more. But there is no organized way, as far as I can see, to get these powerful resources to teachers.

So here is a start: What follows is a list of free teachers’ guides available for some of the best children’s nonfiction books out there. PLEASE share this list with a teacher you know, forward it, repost it, tweet it, share it on Facebook, etc. And please let me know about great teachers’ guides for nonfiction that you wrote or know about. If I get a lot of additions, I’d be happy to post another, larger, even more inclusive list.

Happy teaching and Happy Halloween!

Elizabeth Rusch

The books and teachers’ guides are organized by subject area and then by grade level (preK-12) within subject area. So a subject-area teacher can find his or her section and a grade-level teacher can look for the grade-appropriate books in each subject area. Some books cross subject areas and so are listed under more than one category.


SOCIAL STUDIES/HISTORY

On This Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Life sciences, animals, adaptation, prehistoric times and creatures, ecosystems, Earth science, natural history, U.S. history, geography
Grade levels: K and up
Guide includes: Cross-curricular activities in art, language arts, math, science and especially history (historical changes and adaptations); and, personal, historical, social and societal timelines.

One World, One Day
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: global awareness, other cultures
Grade levels: K - 4
Guide includes: diary of a school day; hopscotch around the world with bar graph follow-up

A Little Peace
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: global awareness, other cultures, peace
Grade levels: K - 4
Guide includes: school-related peace projects (peace posters; Welcome-To-School packet)

You and Me Together: Moms, Dads, and Kids Around the World
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: global awareness, other cultures, families
Grade levels: K - 4
Guide includes: creating a Thank You card for a parent; interviewing a parent

A Cool Drink of Water
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: global awareness, other cultures, water resources
Grade levels: K - 4
Guide includes: making a water diary; gallons/minute water use exercise 

Sandy's Circus: A Story about Alexander Calder
By Tanya Lee Stone
Subject Area(s): American Art, Art History, Contemporary Art, Biography
Grade Levels: K-5
Guide Includes: Synopsis, About the Author and Illustrator, Author Interview, Pre-Reading and Discussion Question, Cross-Curriculum project suggestions
Additional Resources:
A YouTube video showcasing student-made art inspired by Sandy's Circus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr9bbuNvezc 


Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote
By Tanya Lee Stone
Subject Area(s): American History, Women's History, Suffrage, Biography
Grade Levels: K-8 (upper level usage because of curriculum connections to American history)
What the Guide Includes: Synopsis, Author Interview, Pre-Reading and Discussion Questions, Cross-curriculum project suggestions

The Truth About Poop
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Health, human development, the human body, digestion, science, animals, world history, regions/cultures
Grade levels: 1 and up
Guide includes: Cross-curricular activities in language arts (vocabulary, grammar, research skills), math and science

Saving the Whooping Crane
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Language arts, life sciences, endangered species, birds, national history
Grade levels: 1-4
Guide includes:  Cross-curricular activities in history, endangered species, the scientific process, and geography by providing links to detailed lesson plans by National Geographic, and superb downloadable booklets, slideshows, audio and video clips, handouts, activities and teachers’ tips by Journey North.

Those Rebels, John and Tom
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: biography, history, American Independence, American Revolution, Continental Congress, Presidents, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, slavery
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: Venn diagram exercise to compare/contrast; links to historic homes of Adams and Jefferson

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: biography, history, women's studies, American literature, Mark Twain
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: tip sheet, "Writing an Extraordinary Biography"; audio clip of author discussing and reading from the book; extension activity (designing a place to create)

The Right Dog for the Job: Irah’s Path from Service Dog to Guide Dog
By Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Subject area: Social Studies
Grade levels: Grade 2-8
Guide includes: Activities for young children

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: biography, history, science, history of science, paleontology, art, dinosaurs
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: make-a-dinsosaur puzzle; creating dinosaurs out of tin foil; hosting a dinosaur feast; writing a letter in defense of paleontology

What To Do About Alice?
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: biography, history, women's studies, Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: language exploration of metaphor; link to learn more about being a kid in the White House

For the Love of Music: The remarkable story of Maria Anna Mozart
By Elizabeth Rusch
Subject area(s): History, music, biography, women’s studies, language arts
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: Creative art projects, hands-on musical games, and engaging history lessons for elementary and middle school students.  The guide features lessons on mapping the Mozart's musical tour of Europe, writing timelines of Maria Anna Mozart's life as if she had been alive today, linking primary source letters written by the Mozart family and friends to scenes in For the Love of Music, and more.

Walt Whitman: Words for America
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: biography, history, poetry, poets, American Civil War, Walt Whitman
Grade levels: Grades 3 and up
Guide includes: creating poetic language; making small notebooks and then observing/taking notes

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance
By Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Subject area: Social Studies
Grade levels: Grade 3-8
Guide includes:  Comprehensive 4th grade lesson plans with questions and space to write

Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer
By Gretchen Woelfle
Subject area(s): American History, Geography, Contemporary Politics, Literary and Dramatic Activities
Grade levels: Grades 4 and up
Guide includes: Research on women and other political figures in 20th century politics, Vietnam War; map Rankin’s movements; research gender politics in current local, state, and national office; poll class members on gender politics; creative writing, creative dramatics, research on 1960s protest songs; stage a women’s suffrage tea party or ‘60s anti-war rally.

Write on, Mercy! The Secret Life of Mercy Otis Warren
By Gretchen Woelfle
Subject areas: Social Studies, American history, women’s history
Grade levels: 4-8
Guide includes: Social Studies: research and discussion of men and women of the Revolution, women in politics today, political cartoons; Language arts: creative writing and dramatics, parts of a book; Visual arts and crafts: symbols in portraits, painting a portrait, making and using quill pen and ink

Generation Fix: Young Ideas for a Better World
By Elizabeth Rusch
Grade levels: Grades 4-12
Subject areas: Social studies, community service, language arts
Guide Includes: Chapter-by-chapter discussion questions
Guide includes: Tips and questions to kick off a classroomwide, clubwide, or schoolwide commitment to community service

See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Language arts, social studies, U.S. history, civics, government
Grade levels: 4-12
Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2456
Guide includes: Cross-curricular activities in history, government, civic involvement, and language arts (key ideas and details, integration of knowledge and ideas, research skills, option/analytic texts, informative/explanatory texts, etc.)

Marching to the Mountaintop—How Poverty, Labor Fights, and Civil Rights Set the Stage for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Final Hours
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, civil rights, labor rights, poverty
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
Includes: Discussion questions and downloadable study guide to come by 2013.

Unraveling Freedom—The Battle for Democracy on the Home Front During World War I
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, World War I, wartime homefront, civil liberties, free speech
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
Includes: Discussion topics and questions about echoes of history, presidential secrecy, and restrictions of civil liberties during war time.

Denied, Detained, Deported—Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, immigration policy, World War I, Red Scare, World War II, Japanese American internment, holocaust survivors, Mexican-American border relations
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
Includes: Discussion topics on themes explored in the book, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, deportations during the Red Scare, exclusion of Jewish refugees pre-World War II, detention of Japanese-Americans during World War II, and the exploitation of Mexican and Mexican-American laborers.

Muckrakers—How Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, and Lincoln Steffens Helped Expose Scandal, Inspire Reform, and Invent Investigative Journalism
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, journalism, progressive era, muckraking, investigative reporting
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
Classroom resources on photographs: http://www.annbausum.com/muckrakers.html#behind
Includes: Step-by-step online tutorial on how to conduct online photo research using the Prints and Photographs Reading Room at the Library of Congress.
Includes: Further suggestions on how to conduct research at and download images from the Library of Congress.

Freedom Riders—John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, civil rights, the Freedom Rides
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
Includes: Activities and discussion topics related to race and racism, following one’s convictions even in the face of death, the power of song, and commitments to causes.

With Courage and Cloth—Winning the Fight for a Woman’s Right to Vote
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, women’s rights, voting rights, World War I, civil liberties
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
What you’ll find: Background information about the research and writing of the book.

Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs—A Photobiography of Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, exploration, paleontology
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
What you’ll find: Background information about the research and writing of the book.

Our Country’s Presidents
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, U.S. Presidents, politics
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
What you’ll find: Background information about the research and writing of the book.

Our Country’s First Ladies
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, First Ladies, U.S. Presidents
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
Includes: Background information about the production of the book.

The Wind at Work: An Activity Guide to Windmills
By Gretchen Woelfle
Subject Areas: World history, American history, history of science, environmental science, climate change
Grade levels: Grades 5-9
Teachers’ guide includes: scientific measurement, arts and crafts, music, cooking, writing, environmental research, community action

Almost Astronauts: Thirteen Women Who Dared to Dream
By Tanya Lee Stone
Subject Area(s): Women's History, Space Program History, Biography
Grade Levels: 5 and up
Guide Includes: Synopsis, Author Interview, Pre-Reading and Discussion Questions, Cross-curriculum project suggestions,and Curriculum Standards
Additional Resources: Mountain Lake PBS Interview with the Author: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5o-ocVhb90
CPSAN Book TV Presentation on Almost Astronautshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiLvkBHHNX0

The Lewis and Clark Trail Then and Now
Plants on the Trail with Lewis and Clark
Animals on the Trail with Lewis and Clark
By Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Subject areas: American history, social studies, science
Grade levels: Grade 5-12
Lewis and Clark in the Curriculum:
Guide includes: Appropriate questions teachers and students might use to learn more about topics in the book
Using Lewis and Clark in the Science Curriculum:
Guide includes: Information, with page numbers, on how the book fits into the curriculum

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith
By Deborah Heiligman
Subject area(s): History, Science, History of Science, Biology, Evolution, Religion 
Grade levels: Grades 6 and up
Author's research and further reading: http://deborahheiligman.com/books/charles-and-emma/research/


MATH

How Much Is a Million?
By David Schwartz 
Subject area(s): math
Grade levels: Grades 2-5
Teachers’ guide:  http://davidschwartz.com/blog/resources/mmab gets you to a free download for The Magic of a Million Activity Book, which is a teacher guide How Much Is a Million?
Guide includes: A plethora of activities that build on How Much Is a Million? and invite children to explore the number 1,000,000 and other big numbers. 

SCIENCE

From Caterpillar to Butterfly
By Deborah Heiligman
Subject area(s): Science, biology, lifecycles
Grade levels: Pre-K to 3

On This Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Life sciences, animals, adaptation, prehistoric times and creatures, ecosystems, Earth science, natural history, U.S. history, geography
Grade levels: K and up
Guide includes: Cross-curricular activities in art, language arts, math, science and especially history (historical changes and adaptations); and, personal, historical, social and societal timelines.

Under the Snow
By Melissa Stewart
Subject area(s): science
Grade levels: K-3
Teachers’ guide includes: KWL reading guide; crosscurricular activities in math, language art, science, social studies, art, and music; related reading. 


When Rain Falls
By Melissa Stewart
Subject area(s): science
Grade levels: K-3
Teachers’ guide includes: KWL reading guide; crosscurricular activities in math, language art, science, social studies, art, and music; related reading. 

A Place for Bats
By Melissa Stewart
Subject area(s): science
Grade levels: K-5
Teachers’ guide includes: KWL reading guide; crosscurricular activities in math, language art with direct links to Common core standards, science, social studies, art, and music; related reading.
  
A Place for Frogs
By  Melissa Stewart
Subject area(s): science
Grade levels: K-5
Teachers’ guide includes: KWL reading guide; crosscurricular activities in math, language art, science, social studies, art, and music; related reading.
Link to Nonfiction Text Structure & Features Materials to introduce and reinforce Common Core ELA RIT #5, which focuses on text features and structures: http://www.melissa-stewart.com/sciclubhouse/teachhome/nonfiction.html

The Planet Hunter: The story behind what happened to Pluto
By Elizabeth Rusch
Grades: K-5
Subject areas: Science, astronomy, biography, solar system
Guide Includes: Links to great NASA website, hands-on activities such as make a crater, the real size of the planets, and the real shape of the solar system.

The Truth About Poop
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Health, human development, the human body, digestion, science, animals, world history, regions/cultures
Grade levels: 1 and up
Guide includes: Cross-curricular activities in language arts (vocabulary, grammar, research skills), math and science

Saving the Whooping Crane
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Language arts, life sciences, endangered species, birds, national history
Grade levels: 1-4
Guide includes:  Cross-curricular activities in history, endangered species, the scientific process, and geography by providing links to detailed lesson plans by National Geographic, and superb downloadable booklets, slideshows, audio and video clips, handouts, activities and teachers’ tips by Journey North.

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: biography, history, science, history of science, paleontology, art, dinosaurs
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: make-a-dinsosaur puzzle; creating dinosaurs out of tin foil; hosting a dinosaur feast; writing a letter in defense of paleontology

Will It Blow?: Become a volcano detective at Mount St. Helens
By Elizabeth Rusch
Grades: 3 and up
Subject areas: Science, geology, volcanology
Teachers’ Guide: Please note that the book includes hands-on activities great for use in the classroom. In addition, please see: http://www.elizabethrusch.com/Books/AllBooks/WillItBlow/WillItBlowCoolStuff/tabid/70/Default.aspx
Guide includes: Links to volcanology related websites; Q&A with author.

Life on the Ice
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Life sciences, animals, Earth science, polar science, geography, exploration
Grade levels: 3-6
Guide includes: The National Science Foundation, which included Life on the Ice on its reading list, has assembled a fantastic compendium of information about the polar regions specifically for elementary school teachers.  It includes lesson plans across the curriculum from polar animals to the people of the Arctic to water, ice, and snow to polar explorers.

The Mighty Mars Rovers: The incredible adventures of Spirit and Opportunity
By Elizabeth Rusch
Subject area(s): Science, astronomy, technology, engineering
Grade levels:  Grades 4 and up
Guide includes:  Classroom discussion questions; writing activities; egg-drop, build a rover, drive a rover blind hands-on activities, and more.
Includes: Links to more astronomy teaching units, links to NASA and JPL videos on Spirit, Opportunity and the newest rover Curiosity

The Wind at Work: An Activity Guide to Windmills
By Gretchen Woelfle
Subject Areas: World history, American history, history of science, environmental science, climate change
Grade levels: Grades 5-9
Teachers’ guide includes: scientific measurement, arts and crafts, music, cooking, writing, environmental research, community action

Almost Astronauts: Thirteen Women Who Dared to Dream
By Tanya Lee Stone
Subject Area(s): Women's History, Space Program History, Biography
Grade Levels: 5 and up
Guide Includes: Synopsis, Author Interview, Pre-Reading and Discussion Questions, Cross-curriculum project suggestions,and Curriculum Standards
Additional Resources: Mountain Lake PBS Interview with the Author: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5o-ocVhb90
CPSAN Book TV Presentation on Almost Astronautshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiLvkBHHNX0

The Lewis and Clark Trail Then and Now
Plants on the Trail with Lewis and Clark
Animals on the Trail with Lewis and Clark
By Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Subject areas: American history, social studies, science
Grade levels: Grade 5-12
Using Lewis and Clark in the Science Curriculum:
Guide includes: Information, with page numbers, on how the book fits into the curriculum
Lewis and Clark in the Curriculum:
Guide includes: Appropriate questions teachers and students might use to learn more about topics in the book

Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs—A Photobiography of Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews
By Ann Bausum
Subject area(s): U.S. history, exploration, paleontology
Grade levels: Grades 5-12
What you’ll find: Background information about the research and writing of the book.

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith
By Deborah Heiligman
Subject area(s): History, Science, History of Science, Biology, Evolution, Religion 
Grade levels: Grades 6 and up
Author's research and further reading: http://deborahheiligman.com/books/charles-and-emma/research/


LANGUAGE ARTS

Saving the Whooping Crane
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Language arts, life sciences, endangered species, birds, national history
Grade levels: 1-4
Guide includes:  Cross-curricular activities in history, endangered species, the scientific process, and geography by providing links to detailed lesson plans by National Geographic, and superb downloadable booklets, slideshows, audio and video clips, handouts, activities and teachers’ tips by Journey North.

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: biography, history, women's studies, American literature, Mark Twain
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: tip sheet, "Writing an Extraordinary Biography"; audio clip of author discussing and reading from the book; extension activity (designing a place to create)

What To Do About Alice?
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: biography, history, women's studies, Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: language exploration of metaphor; link to learn more about being a kid in the White House

For the Love of Music: The remarkable story of Maria Anna Mozart
By Elizabeth Rusch
Subject area(s): History, music, biography, women’s studies, language arts
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: Creative art projects, hands-on musical games, and engaging history lessons for elementary and middle school students.  The guide features lessons on mapping the Mozart's musical tour of Europe, writing timelines of Maria Anna Mozart's life as if she had been alive today, linking primary source letters written by the Mozart family and friends to scenes in For the Love of Music, and more.

Walt Whitman: Words for America
By Barbara Kerley
Subject areas: biography, history, poetry, poets, American Civil War, Walt Whitman
Grade levels: Grades 3 and up
Guide includes: creating poetic language; making small notebooks and then observing/taking notes

Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer
By Gretchen Woelfle
Subject area(s): American History, Geography, Contemporary Politics, Literary and Dramatic Activities
Grade levels: Grades 4 and up
Guide includes: Research on women and other political figures in 20th century politics, Vietnam War; map Rankin’s movements; research gender politics in current local, state, and national office; poll class members on gender politics; creative writing, creative dramatics, research on 1960s protest songs; stage a women’s suffrage tea party or ‘60s anti-war rally.

See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House
By Susan E. Goodman
Subject areas: Language arts, social studies, U.S. history, civics, government
Grade levels: 4-12
Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2456
Guide includes: Cross-curricular activities in history, government, civic involvement, and language arts (key ideas and details, integration of knowledge and ideas, research skills, option/analytic texts, informative/explanatory texts, etc.)

Generation Fix: Young Ideas for a Better World
By Elizabeth Rusch
Grade levels: Grades 4-12
Subject areas: Social studies, community service, language arts
Guide Includes: Chapter-by-chapter discussion questions
Guide includes: Tips and questions to kick off a classroomwide, clubwide, or schoolwide commitment to community service

ART/MUSIC

Sandy's Circus: A Story about Alexander Calder
By Tanya Lee Stone
Subject Area(s): American Art, Art History, Contemporary Art, Biography
Grade Levels: K-5
Guide Includes: Synopsis, About the Author and Illustrator, Author Interview, Pre-Reading and Discussion Question, Cross-Curriculum project suggestions
Additional Resources:
A YouTube video showcasing student-made art inspired by Sandy's Circus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr9bbuNvezc 

For the Love of Music: The remarkable story of Maria Anna Mozart
By Elizabeth Rusch
Subject area(s): History, music, biography, women’s studies, language arts
Grade levels: Grades 2 and up
Guide includes: Creative art projects, hands-on musical games, and engaging history lessons for elementary and middle school students.  The guide features lessons on mapping the Mozart's musical tour of Europe, writing timelines of Maria Anna Mozart's life as if she had been alive today, linking primary source letters written by the Mozart family and friends to scenes in For the Love of Music, and more.



3 comments:

Mary Reilley Clark said...

Marc Aronson's Sugar Changed the World has an extensive set of lessons at: http://sugarchangedtheworld.com/teachers-guide. This list is a great start--I hope to see many more additions! These are all wonderful titles to hand to a teacher worried about how to increase nonfiction reading in her classroom.

Ms. Yingling said...

Wow! What a great list of resources. Your most important comment for teachers who are scared of Common Core, though, is "already trying to do". CC isn't really new; it's just emphasizing something people are already doing. Thanks for the list!

Mary said...

Thanks for putting together such a great list.
Here is the link for Claire Rudolf Murphy's CHILDREN OF THE GOLD RUSH.
http://www.clairerudolfmurphy.com/cgr-cia-study-guide/