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“The difference between fiction and non-fiction is that fiction has to be believable.”

― Mark Twain

Not Ready for Her Ending

Barbara Kerley’s Sept 13 blog about strong opening paragraphs, Balloons, got me thinking about what makes a good closing. Typically writers and teachers reason that the last sentence needs to sum up, tie together, or provide closure to a narrative. But science, history, and other subjects such as human rights [a personal favorite] change, grow, and evolve without an end in sight, or a clear trajectory from the past. So the last paragraph is not necessarily end of story.

Years ago I wrote and photographed a book about the life and times of an eight-year-old dwarf. Her name is Jaime. This was the second book I authored and illustrated, and the first children’s book about dwarfism. I wanted it to be perfect. After spending months and months with Jaime, her family, and her friends, I had a large body of material to easily pare down to a thirty-two-page picture book. But I didn’t have an ending. Over and over I returned to Jaime’s home in New Jersey, trying to uncover that impeccable final phrase that would tie everything together. No luck.

Why couldn’t I get Jaime to say something like this: “Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision.” Well, Virginia Woolf had already ended To the Lighthouse with that stunner. But my Jaime was so smart, so wise; she could have come up with something like that. I kept pushing, taping, waiting for a Virginia Woolf moment.

            Finally in exasperation because I was driving him and this wonderful child crazy, my husband said, “She’s eight years old, for goodness sake! [He used stronger language.] She’s not ready for an ending.” Then he closed his eyes and pointed to a group of sentences on the storyboard mess of text and photos strewn across the floor. “There’s your ending.” Lo and behold, the last line was right there patiently waiting for its close up: "I’m like everybody else, just little.” 

In my view the reader does need some kind of closure, but it need not be detailed, complete. I like books that allow the reader a little breathing space, space to wonder. My favorites are the ones where I wistfully reread the last lines before closing the cover.

There are gazillions of great endings in literature. One that particularly moves me is from Oliver Sacks’s Musicophila:“But to those who are lost in dementia, the situation is different. Music is no luxury to them, but a necessity, and can have a power beyond anything else to restore them to themselves, and to others, at least for a while.” 

           

And you? When do you know your book, article or essay is complete? Please share your favorite endings – the ones you have written, and ones you wish you had written?

And Jaime? She’s become a beloved first grade teacher, who continues to think big, and is not nearly ready for her ending.

Summer Interesting Nonfiction and Fiction Pairings

Reposted from June 2013

School’s out for summer! Many summer reading lists combine nonfiction and fiction reading recommendations. It was exciting to see Steve Sheinkin’s Bomb: The Race to Build, another INK contributor, on the list from my son’s English teacher.

Since summer’s here and it’s time to play, I thought that it would be fun to add other senses to the mix and a little play. A few years ago I taught a class at the Games for Education Conference at the Chicago Toy and Game fair. The class was titled Play and Creativity in the Classroom.  Here’s what I wrote about the class on the INK blog titled Play in Classroom with several nonfiction book recommendations. Why not add a little kinetic learning to the summer reading schedule?

A teacher friend is taking her children on an extended vacation to New England this summer. They are reading fiction and nonfiction books in preparation. When she mentioned that they were creating KWL charts to go along with the reading, I was curious. Many teachers reading this will know about KWL charts, but my friend explained, “It is a 3 column chart- list what they KNOW, list what the WANT to know, and then after reading list what they LEARNED. It is a great way to assess prior misconceptions as well as knowledge, see if they learned anything from their reading, and can be a basis for further research for unanswered questions.” Here’s a link that explains how to make KWLcharts.

Kind of wish I had made a KWL chart before our recent London and Paris trip. After we were back home, while recuperating from jetlag, I tried to remember what my preconceived impressions of Paris were. For example, my mind had a different vision of what Notre Dame was like. Being there right in front of Notre Dame was rather surreal.

Everywhere we went on our vacation, I would point out what we were seeing to my children. I think they became a little tired of me by the end of our trip. Last Christmas, I bought the family a puzzle of the London Underground and a puzzle of a map of Paris. I do this because of my childhood.  Growing up, we would go almost every other summer to Germany for a month to visit Oma. Most of what I remember was my little brother and I creating a dividing line in the back seat of my uncle’s Mercedes and constantly tapping my mom on the arm while she spoke in German to all my relatives. We went to some cool places, but I have no idea where I was, why the place was significant, or how it related to European history.  

Here’s a few nonfiction and fiction reading ideas for the summer with some added senses, kinetic learning, and play.
Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steven Sheinkin
The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
Modern Marvels - The Manhattan Project (History Channel)

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
King of the Mound - My Summer with Satchel Paige by Wes Tooke
Watch a baseball game or go to a game.
Major League Baseball Scrabble
Eat a hot dog, peanuts and Cracker Jacks

Football Hero: A Football Genius Novel by Tim Green
Sports Illustrated Kids 1st and 10: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Football by Sports Illustrated For Kids Jukem Football Card Game by Jukem
Play football in the backyard

My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier or Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes
The American Revolution for Kids: A History with 21 Activities (For Kids series) by Janis Herbert
City Doodles: Boston by Chris Sabatino
Educational Trivia Card Game - Professor Noggin's American Revolution by Professor Noggin

Chicago History for Kids: Triumphs and Tragedies of the Windy City Includes 21 Activities (For Kids series) by Owen Hurd
A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
City Doodles: Chicago by Anna M. Lewis
Chicago-Opoly by Late for the Sky
Build a Skyscaper model

Fact, Fiction, and Folklore in Harry Potter's World: An Unofficial Guide by George Beahm
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson
Eat Harry Potter Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans by Jelly Belly
(This list could be endless.)

Sandy's Circus: A Story About Alexander Calder by Tanya Lee Stone (author), Boris Kulikov (Illustrator)
The Calder Game by Blue Balliett(Author) , Brett Helquist (Illustrator)
Make a Mobile
Go to an art museum

For Younger Readers:
The First Teddy Bear by Helen Kay (Author) , Susan Detwiler (Illustrator)
Made in the USA - Teddy Bears by Tanya Lee Stone
The Teddy Bears' Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy (Author) , Michael Hague (illustrator)
Baby Bear Counters by Learning Resources
Gather all your teddy bears and have a tea party
Play the song Teddy Bear’s Picnic

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordecai Gerstein
New York City by David F. Marx
New York for Kids: 25 Big Apple Sites to Color (Dover Coloring Books) by Patricia J. Wynne
50-Piece Double 2-Sided Jigsaw Puzzle - New York City by Pigment and Hue

This list is just a jumping off point to get everyone thinking about all the possibilities. I had to stop somewhere or I’d be still writing this blog post. Please add your recommendations to the comments and I’ll add it to the list. On my website, I will add a hand-out form when I’m done compiling.

Here’s to a happy summer with lots of reading and playing.

A Few More Words About PEN

Having just completed a stint as a judge for the PEN Center’s 2013 Children’s Literature award, I thought I’d reprise my blog on the history of PEN, from October 2012. The judging was great fun. One thing though: I was dismayed by the small number of nonfiction books we received. I urge nonfiction authors west of the Mississipi to ask your publishers to submit your books for consideration. Information is here. 

Did you know that PEN – that venerable group that fights for freedom of expression worldwide – is an acronym for Poets, Essayists, and Novelists?  I didn’t, until I attended the PEN Center USA Literary Awards Dinner last night in Beverly Hills (swanky hotel, delicious dinner.) 

Way back in 1921, the founders of the world’s oldest international literary society acknowledged us nonfiction writers. Today PEN also includes historians, screenwriters, playwrights, graphic writers, journalists, editors, and translators. But somehow PENHSPGJET doesn’t trip lightly off the tongue, so PEN it remains.

Founded in London, PEN’s first president was John Galsworthy, followed by H.G. Wells and J.B. Priestley.  In the wake of World War I, its first members hoped that “if the writers of the world could learn to stretch out their hands to each other, the nations of the world could learn in time to do the same.” If only……

PEN American Center was born a year later in 1922 in New York, and PEN Center USA (for writers west of the Mississippi) set up shop in Los Angeles in 1943.  Today PEN is active in more than 100 countries.

Though PEN began as a dinner club for literati, it became overtly political in the 1930s, and for decades has lobbied for release of writers imprisoned for speaking their minds. Lives have been saved and prisoners released thanks to PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee.

An empty chair has been a PEN symbol for oppressed writer for decades now, and in 2011, to mark the 90^th anniversary of PEN, Witness, a sculpture by Anthony Gormley, was installed at the British Library plaza in London.  Its simple lines speak volumes.

In addition to its human rights mission, PEN gives out literary awards every year and that’s what took me to Beverly Hills.  I was a finalist for the PEN Literary Award for Children’s Literature (for my novel, All the World’s A Stage: A Novel in Five Acts,) and sat with the winner, Matthew Kirby (for Icefall.) [Correction: Allen Say’s Drawing from Memory, was one of three finalists.]

Children’s books are sometimes removed from shelves in U.S. schools and libraries, or not purchased at all. Self-censorship – by writers and publishers – of controversial issues has been discussed here and elsewhere. But we haven’t been thrown into prison, tortured, or killed. (I see on the PEN website that just last week, down the road in Tijuana, another journalist was murdered.) 

PEN recognizes our work. I’d like to encourage my literary community to join PEN in their worthy work. 

A Bird's Eye View of Teaching Persuasive Essay Writing

Last summer, part of my job was helping some 4^th and 5^th graders hone their skills at writing persuasive essays. This essay form is often seen on standardized tests and is the style kids tend to hate the most. The format must be strictly followed and the rules can be intimidating. There must be five full paragraphs: Introduction, Reason 1, Reason 2, Reason 3, and Conclusion. Yes, each essay must state three reasons and you have to write a full paragraph elaborating on each reason.

Boy, kids really hate this. Can’t you hear the whining now about how they can only think of two reasons? Even though the essays are usually about “kid friendly” topics, they’re not the kind of subjects kinds enjoy pondering, especially when faced with the pressure of writing five paragraphs in 30 or 40 minutes. Honestly their feelings about whether there should be vending machines in school or all students should wear uniforms is usually rather limited and their fear about if they will have enough to write seemingly never ending.

So instead of rote practicing, I used non fiction books to get them thinking.  After we talked about the life experiences of a certain bird in New York City, my students had a much better understanding of perspective and point of view. And once we put those things together, their essays really started to flow.

I chose I.N.K. books about a bird named Pale Male, a hawk who chose to build a nest on a swank 5^th Avenue Apartment building near Central Park in NYC. This was fascinating to city bird watchers because Hawks were rare in the area but it became a full blown news story when the ritzy apartment building removed the hawk’s nest because of the resulting mess in front of the building and the constant peeking eyes of the bird watchers with large telescopes in Central Park.

There are at least three good non fiction children’s books that I know of about Pale Male. The story and illustrations are a great way to introduce the concept of perspective. The hawks fly high above Central Park and the buildings, giving them a perspective to search for their prey, see the natural beauty of the city, and keep away from the crowds. In the trees or lower on the ground, they can be vulnerable to large groups of crows or people touching their nests. These books also open up a conversation about perspective’s cousin, point of view: what did the hawks want and need, how did the bird watchers want to help them, and how was this the same or different from how the people living in the apartment building thought about birds nesting there?

I ‘ve also found it effective to read two of these books and compare and contrast. What points of the story did each writer focus on? What were some details that were included by one writer but left out by the other? Are there any facts that were absolutely necessary in order to tell the story?

These discussions translated easily and naturally to the persuasive essay form. The kids began to understand that students will often see an issue differently than a teacher or parent or the Principal based on their point of view. They could expand their reasoning when seen from another point of view and based on whom they were trying to convince. Is the letter to a friend or relative? Lets talk about how you could have fun and do things together. If the letter is to the Principal, you can focus on reasons such as safety, health, learning, and community.

 From my perspective, using non fiction is tremendously effective in helping kids expand their own way of seeing things and how others see things. This enables them to feel much more confident about their reasoning and, ultimately, helps them express that more naturally in their writing.

A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words

Well, maybe not 1,000, but even as a writer I can’t deny the power of a photograph. One click of a shutter release and BAM, we see a story. Photos capture drama (below, survivors from the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania). They convey emotion. Sometimes they offer clarity. At other times they fill us with questions. And that’s where the words come in (thank goodness, say the writers).

Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ggbain-19173

I owe at least two of my books to photos. I became so captivated by the Earnest Withers “I AM A MAN” image from Memphis 1968 that I wrote a whole book about it, Marching to the Mountaintop. Ditto for the “Blood Brothers” image of John Lewis and Jim Zwerg, following their beating as Freedom Riders on May 20, 1961. (See page 42 of this title.)

I’m not sure which I love more, writing or photo research. Both are passions for me, so I am lucky to work in a genre that seamlessly weaves the two media into a powerful forum for conveying the stories of history. If you read these words on their magical 12-12-12 posting date, you can imagine me engaged in photo research. I’ll be in Washington, D.C., that day, wrapping up three days of research for my latest project which, come to think of it, started with an image, too. (Or at least it started during an earlier round of photo research when my efforts to track down the background of one picture led to the discovery of a whole new story from the past.)

 

Photo courtesy Library of Congress, LC-DIG-highsm-01901

So what is photo research like? Truthfully it’s about as glamorous as a day of writing, which is to say not very. By the end of the day my back aches for bending over images. My mind is so warped by time traveling through thousands of windows into the past that it is jarring to step out into real time. My sleep is animated by disjointed pictures as my mind races to process all the scenes it has observed.

 

But photo research is also as rewarding as writing. That moment when you revise to the perfect conclusion is matched by the discovery of a gotta-have-it photograph. I suspect there is some chemical parallel between gambling and photo research, because that rush of excitement from finding one great picture becomes the fuel for the next few hours of fruitless searching.

 

Sometimes I do photo research using on-line databases. Sometimes I’m on site, glove-adorned, paging through carefully catalogued original prints. And sometimes I’m cut loose in an archive of dog-eared, we-should-organize-these-some-day gems. I become a treasure hunter, gently sifting through the sheets of chemical-infused paper to find just the right shades of sepia and cream. Here a dramatic smile. There a scene filled with action. Now a glimpse of a forgotten figure. Then a fresh look at a favorite icon. Sorting the wheat from the chaff, the powerful from the mundane.

 

Courtesy Library of Congress, LC-DIG-highsm-03177

One of my favorite places to conduct photo research is the Library of Congress, and I will be there at least twice during my current research trip. Those on-site trips offer access to materials that are otherwise inaccessible, but these days it’s getting easier and easier to find treasures using the online databases of the Library’s Prints and Photographs Collection. I’m a big booster of this site, especially when I do school visits. Anyone who hasn’t used it should kill an hour or two playing around with the search engines. More and more material is now accessible off-site, and any images that can be downloaded from a remote location can be used with a clear conscience as material in the public domain. These are our tax dollars at work, people. It’s wonderful! Enjoy!

 

P.S.: I’ve developed an online tutorial for using the collections of the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs division. For more information, visit the Muckrakers page of my author website and follow the tab marked “Behind the scenes—photo research.”

It's All About "Me"

Why have so many people stopped using "me" after prepositions? Instead they say, "This is just right for you and I," or "Ted went to the game with Tony and I." Friends do it, family members do it, TV news anchors do it, I've even heard an NPR reporter do it. OK, she was reporting from a battleground, so I'll cut her a break for stress, but still...

What's wrong with "me?" Could it be that some "I" misusers think "me" sounds babyish? "Me want cookies now!" Or maybe "I" seems more educated, more elegant, more formal than "me." "Me" certainly feels more sensual in the mouth. You have to press your lips together to produce the "m" sound, the vibration that begins a moan or a moo. "I" is unsullied by such an earthy consonant.

I bet the "I" crowd never had to memorize the 48 prepositions in alphabetical order and be ready for a pop quiz on them every single week, as I was required to do in 8th grade English. If they had, they'd think twice before using a subjective pronoun after a preposition.

But I'm guessing the main reason so many people say "for you and I" instead of "for you and me" is because the usage has become so common. You hear it all the time. My theory--which is probably not original although I can't recall reading about it before--is that Jim Morrison and The Doors share the blame for this. In 1968, they released a single called "Touch Me" that reached #3 on Billboard Hot 100 and has been playing on oldies stations every since. You must have heard it. Here's the refrain:

I'm gonna love you
Till the heavens stop the rain
I'm gonna love you
Till the stars fall from the sky for you and I.

The rhythm slows for the first three lines, which are sung gently, sweetly. Then the tempo starts to pick up and at the crescendo Morrison punches out "FOR YOU AND I!" Yeah, yeah, I know Morrison did it for the rhyme and that there are no grammar rules in rock and roll. And I think it's a great song. I'm just fascinated by the power of music, and by the idea that maybe the emphatic "FOR YOU AND I," heard over and over again on oldies stations, became so embedded in our brains that the usage spread like a virus. Personally, I hope we find a cure for this virus. I think the cure might have to do with memorizing prepositions and diagramming sentences.

What does this have to do with nonfiction for kids? For one thing, it reminds me of something Jim Murphy discussed in one of his INK posts. Faulty "facts"--like faulty grammar--can take hold through sheer repetition.

As for the poor old pronoun "me," I can't feel too sorry for it, since it appears to have usurped "I" as a subject. Me and my kids can tell you all about it.

Helping Kids Nurture Their Inner Ratters

Last July 8, a Cairn terrier came into our lives. We had been without a dog since Tinka, our beloved Golden Retriever, died in 2004. While in Pennsylvania for a party, we heard about a dog who needed a home, and even though we debated for seven years whether or not we could have a dog in the city (we lived in Bucks County, PA, during the Tinka years), we have not looked back. Ketzie is, as I tell her often, a value-adder in our lives. 

     There is only one time when I feel at all doubtful about Ketzie. And that's the last walk of the night. Not because I'm too tired, but because the last walk of the night has become THE RATTING WALK. 

     Before you get too grossed out (or maybe too excited), see below for one of the cuter aspects of the dog being a ratter. Here she is hiding under our bed. "Hiding." Why is she hiding? She has a new toy bone, and she doesn't want us to get it. OR rather, she'd like for us to try to get it, but she wants to put up a fight. She knows it is safe under there. 

(Why are there books there? Our bed is a little bit broken. Until we can get our friend Keith to make us a new one, we have to prop it up with something. We have more books than we have space for, so.....) 

Where we lived in Pennsylvania, there were mice and moles and skunks and deer. Where we live now, there are rats. Mostly they are hidden. But once in a while, at night, one will scamper across the street or sidewalk in front of us. While my instinct is to jump back, Ketzie's instinct is to become very alert. She assumes a posture we don't see any other time: alert in every cell of her body. It's as if her ratting genes coming to ATTENTION. Cairns were bred to get rats out of cairns (or maybe, truly, out of homes made of stones). And at night, just outside our lovely apartment building, Ketzie is ready to be OF SERVICE. 

I don't think we're going to train her to be on the rat-hunting squad.  Yes. There is a rat-hunting squad in NYC and that link is to an article and a video about it. Please watch the video. It's only a minute and a half, and so worth it. I'll wait until you come back. 

Right? Ketzie really should be on that squad. But considering every night we're (husband and I) terrified she will catch a rat, I don't think it is in her future. 

When we have to force her to come back inside--Cairns are stubborn!-- I feel like we're thwarting her most basic nature. Which makes me sad. 

Tinka, our Golden, did not understand fetching in our Buckingham back yard. But the first time we threw a stick into the ocean, in Nova Scotia, she swam in, retrieved it, and laid it at our feet. Another clear sign of genes being able to express themselves. 

As parents and teachers and writers it is our job to help kids find their true selves. To help them express who they are, who they were meant to be. People who live their lives letting their innermost selves guide what they do are the ones we admire the most. Often those people have to fight inner and outer battles to do so. Paul Erdős was one of those people. He was so lucky that his mother (and later his father) nurtured his love of math, and understood his true nature. Mama let Paul be home-schooled until he was ready for school. She challenged him with math from the time he showed the great interest and ability (when he was four). Later on, the love and support he got from his parents, and the great foundation he had in math, allowed him to go out into the world--on his own terms. 

(Shameless and excited plug: THE BOY WHO LOVED MATH is coming out next Tuesday. Check out my website for news, etc.) 

Even if we are not math prodigies or ratters or retrievers, we each have inborn strengths and talents that should be nurtured. We each have problems to overcome; everyone has to learn strategies for how to fit into the world. Some, like Paul Erdős, have more of a challenge than others. But with adults in their lives who understand their needs, they have a greater chance at success and a happy life. 

As parents, teachers, and dog-owners, we do the best we can. Even though I don't let Ketzie go after rats, I do buy her a new toy every time she destroys her current favorite. I think--I hope--that along with about an hour and half's worth of walks every day, good food, and lots of attention, that's enough. She seems pretty happy, and at home. 

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2436

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Global_Awareness.html  

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

Teachers’ Guide:  http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Global_Awareness.html  

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Global_Awareness.html  

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Global_Awareness.html  

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

Teacher's Guide: http://www.tanyastone.com/assets/files/pdfs/Sandys%20Circus%20Reading%20Guide.pdf

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)

Teacher's Guide: http://www.tanyastone.com/assets/files/pdfs/Reading%20Guide.pdf

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2446

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2485

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

Teacher's guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Biographies.html  

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

Teacher's guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Biographies.html  

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com/links.html

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

Teacher's guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Biographies.html  

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

Teacher's guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Biographies.html  

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.elizabethrusch.com/Portals/0/For%20the%20Love%20of%20Music%20Teacher's%20Guide.pdf

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

Teacher's guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Biographies.html  

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com/links.html

Guide includes:  Comprehensive 4^th 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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.gretchenwoelfle.com/jeannette_rankin__political_pioneer_60457.htm

Guide includes: Research on women and other political figures in 20^th 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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.gretchenwoelfle.com/write_on__mercy__the_secret_life_of_mercy_otis_warren_113205.htm

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

Teachers’ Guide: http://www.elizabethrusch.com/Books/AllBooks/GenerationFix/GenFixCoolStuff/GenFixDiscussteachers/tabid/101/Default.aspx

Guide Includes: Chapter-by-chapter discussion questions

Service-learning discussion guide: http://www.elizabethrusch.com/Books/AllBooks/GenerationFix/GenFixCoolStuff/GenFixDiscussAdults/tabid/100/Default.aspx

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

Classroom resources: http://www.annbausum.com/mountaintop.html#classroom

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

Classroom resources: http://www.annbausum.com/unraveling.html#classroom

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

Classroom resources: http://www.annbausum.com/denied.html#classroom

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.

Classroom resources: http://www.annbausum.com/muckrakers.html#classroom

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

Classroom resources: http://www.annbausum.com/freedom_rides.html#classroom

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

Resources: http://www.annbausum.com/courage.html

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

Resources: http://www.annbausum.com/dragon.html

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

Resources: http://www.annbausum.com/presidents.html

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

Resources: http://www.annbausum.com/firstladies.html

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: http://www.gretchenwoelfle.com/the_wind_at_work__an_activity_guide_to_windmills_2996.htm

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.tanyastone.com/assets/files/AA%20Reading%20Guide.pdf

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 Astronauts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiLvkBHHNX0

Author Tribute in Poetry to Mercury 13 Women: http://www.tanyastone.com/assets/files/pdfs/Almost%20Astronauts%20Bonus%20Material.pdf

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:

http://www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com/links.html

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:

http://www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com/links.html

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

Teachers’ guide: http://media.us.macmillan.com/teachersguides/9780805087215TG.pdf

Readers' guide: http://media.us.macmillan.com/readersguides/9780312661045RG.pdf

Readers’ theater: http://deborahheiligman.com/wp-content/uploads/readerstheaterdarwins.pdf

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

Teaching activities: http://deborahheiligman.com/books/from-caterpillar-to-butterfly/

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2436

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: http://peachtree-online.com/pdfs/UndertheSnowTG.pdf

Teachers’ guide includes: KWL reading guide; crosscurricular activities in math, language art, science, social studies, art, and music; related reading. 

Readers Theater Script: http://peachtree-online.com/pdfs/UndertheSnowRT.pdf#zoom=70

Activity Pages: http://www.melissa-stewart.com/sciclubhouse/teachhome/activities.html

Behind the Book Video: http://www.melissa-stewart.com/video/index.html

When Rain Falls

By Melissa Stewart

Subject area(s): science

Grade levels: K-3

Teachers’ guide: http://peachtree-online.com/pdfs/When_Rain_FallsTG.pdf

Teachers’ guide includes: KWL reading guide; crosscurricular activities in math, language art, science, social studies, art, and music; related reading. 

Readers Theater Script: http://peachtree-online.com/pdfs/WhenRainFallsRT.pdf

Behind the Book Video: http://www.melissa-stewart.com/video/index.html

Activity Pages: http://www.melissa-stewart.com/sciclubhouse/teachhome/activities.html

A Place for Bats

By Melissa Stewart

Subject area(s): science

Grade levels: K-5

Teachers guide: http://peachtree-online.com/files/private/books/383/teachers-guides/PlaceForBatsTG.pdf

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.

Reading Buddies Guide: http://www.melissa-stewart.com/pdf/scirdbuddies.pdf

Bat Song: http://www.melissa-stewart.com/pdf/BatSong.pdf

Activity Pages:  http://www.melissa-stewart.com/sciclubhouse/teachhome/activities.html

  

A Place for Frogs

By  Melissa Stewart

Subject area(s): science

Grade levels: K-5

Teachers’ Guide: http://peachtree-online.com/pdfs/Place_for_Frogs_TG.pdf

Teachers’ guide includes: KWL reading guide; crosscurricular activities in math, language art, science, social studies, art, and music; related reading.

Reading Buddies Guide: http://www.melissa-stewart.com/pdf/scirdbuddies.pdf

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

Activity Pages: http://www.melissa-stewart.com/sciclubhouse/teachhome/activities.html

The Planet Hunter: The story behind what happened to Pluto

By Elizabeth Rusch

Grades: K-5

Subject areas: Science, astronomy, biography, solar system

Teachers’ Guide: http://elizabethrusch.com/Books/AllBooks/PlanetHunter/PlanetHunterCoolStuff/tabid/89/Default.aspx

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2446

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2485

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

Teacher's guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Biographies.html  

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2478

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

Teachers’ guide: http://elizabethrusch.com/Portals/0/The%20Mighty%20Mars%20Rovers%20Teacher%20Guide.pdf

Guide includes:  Classroom discussion questions; writing activities; egg-drop, build a rover, drive a rover blind hands-on activities, and more.

Other teaching resources: http://elizabethrusch.com/MyBooks/AllBooks/TheMightyMarsRovers/TheMightyMarsRoversCoolStuff/THEMIGHTYMARSROVERSFORTEACHERS.aspx

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’s guide: http://www.gretchenwoelfle.com/the_wind_at_work__an_activity_guide_to_windmills_2996.htm

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.tanyastone.com/assets/files/AA%20Reading%20Guide.pdf

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 Astronauts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiLvkBHHNX0

Author Tribute in Poetry to Mercury 13 Women: http://www.tanyastone.com/assets/files/pdfs/Almost%20Astronauts%20Bonus%20Material.pdf

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:

http://www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com/links.html

Guide includes: Information, with page numbers, on how the book fits into the curriculum

Lewis and Clark in the Curriculum:

http://www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com/links.html

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

Resources: http://www.annbausum.com/dragon.html

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

Teachers’ guide: http://media.us.macmillan.com/teachersguides/9780805087215TG.pdf

Readers' guide: http://media.us.macmillan.com/readersguides/9780312661045RG.pdf

Readers’ theater: http://deborahheiligman.com/wp-content/uploads/readerstheaterdarwins.pdf

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/?page_id=2485

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

Teacher's guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Biographies.html  

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

Teacher's guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Biographies.html  

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.elizabethrusch.com/Portals/0/For%20the%20Love%20of%20Music%20Teacher's%20Guide.pdf

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

Teacher's guide: http://www.barbarakerley.com/Site/Teachers_Guide__Biographies.html  

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.gretchenwoelfle.com/jeannette_rankin__political_pioneer_60457.htm

Guide includes: Research on women and other political figures in 20^th 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

Teachers’ Guide: http://www.elizabethrusch.com/Books/AllBooks/GenerationFix/GenFixCoolStuff/GenFixDiscussteachers/tabid/101/Default.aspx

Guide Includes: Chapter-by-chapter discussion questions

Service-learning discussion guide: http://www.elizabethrusch.com/Books/AllBooks/GenerationFix/GenFixCoolStuff/GenFixDiscussAdults/tabid/100/Default.aspx

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

Teacher's Guide: http://www.tanyastone.com/assets/files/pdfs/Sandys%20Circus%20Reading%20Guide.pdf

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

Teachers’ guide: http://www.elizabethrusch.com/Portals/0/For%20the%20Love%20of%20Music%20Teacher's%20Guide.pdf

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.