Book Trailers

My principal and I wrote a grant proposal for NYSCATE last year.  We won it!!!

With the grant money we bought some professional development books:

• The iMovie '11 Project Book
• Reading and Writing Genre with Purpose in K-8 Classrooms
•   The Digital Writing Workshop

3 iPads 2 and 3 iMovie 11 apps


After reading the books we created a book review/book trailer unit. We taught these units in 5th and 7th grade English classrooms.  

The students watched this instructional template video we created using the iMovie 11 trailer app, then had to storyboard their own trailers.

The 5th grade students worked in groups, using books they had read in Literature Circle groups.  The 7th graders read books I have been receiving for consideration for the NYSRA 2014 Charlotte Award nomination list. They wrote and directed the trailers alone.  We had a trailer review event with judges from the school and a local news station.  

Here are the 3 of the 4 winning entries (the Charlotte preview books):

Out in Left Field

Best Direction

Take What You Can Carry

Best Acting

Without Tess

Overall Winner

and one of my other favorites (but no award) 

Chasing the Nightbird

How many books did You read this year?

Last fall I posted an entry about the fantastic opportunity I had to see Donalyn Miller (The Book Whisperer).  She showed us a video in which she had taken pictures of her students hold a piece of paper with the number of books they read in the last year.  She challenges her students to read 40 books a year.

Felling inspired, I did the same.  I created a chart with the following requirements:

• 2 Poetry anthologies
• 2 Traditional literature books
• 2 realistic Fiction Books
• 2 Historical Fiction Books
• 2 Fantasy Books
• 2 Science Fiction Books
• 15 Informational Books
• 2 Biographies, Memoirs, Autobiographies
• 1 Graphic Novel
• 10 free choice books

I chose 15 informational because one of my class requirements is 1 nonfiction book every 2 weeks.   These nonfiction books could be the shorter guided reading books, or "readers".  Students were asked to read good fit books, so some of my 6ht graders may of read Brisinger, while others were reading I Survived...Katrina.

My Common Core based lesson can be found here, along with the handouts.  It was one of my first CCLS units, so forgive my mistakes please. 

Here is one of  my videos (the others seem to be too big :-( ) with my student's totals and their graphs. 

Winter arrived

We had a winter day in New York.

The Book Whisperer

I had the chance this week to attend a conference with Donalyn Miller, the Book Whisperer.  What an inspiring day.  You can read about her in this National Writing Project article, and see a short video on how to encourage your child to read as a parent. 

Friends True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships

What makes a camel friends with a Vietnamese pig? Or a wild polar bear pals with a sled dog? In this young preschool book, Catherine Thimmesh makes us wonder at the truth and mystery of unlikely animal friendships. Because the stories behind these friendships are true, not contrived, captured by photographers in many countries ranging from Siberia to Japan, they not only give readers insight into animals but challenge preconceived notions about compatibility. This book also expresses tolerance of differences and makes us look at the kindness of animals—and humans—a little differently.

The photographs in this book are of true animal friendships.  It warms your heart to see the photos and read the stories of how the animal pairs have become friends.  The book is told as an extend rhyme about friendship, but below each stanza is the story of the animals.  The rhyme seems a little forced sometimes, earning it a 2 in my review. 

This is a  book I’ve received for consideration.   The above is my opinion and the book has not been nominated to the official Charlotte2014 ballot.

Job Site

 

Bring in the big rigs! The bulldozer, the excavator, the loader and other heavy machinery all have important tasks to accomplish at the job site digging, lifting, carrying, dumping, moving, shaping. In this exciting follow up to the critically acclaimed Drive, Nathan Clement once again pairs his striking illustrations with spare, succinct prose, offering construction buffs a close-up view of the action and excitement at the job site.

A great book for boys everywhere!  The illustrations will captivate young & old.  The author uses the real names for all the construction equipment and the limited text on the page makes it an excellent read along for your younger readers.  My nephew has already asked me to read it over & over!

This one receives a 1- highly recommended

This is a  book I’ve received for consideration.   The above is my opinion and the book has not been nominated to the official Charlotte2014 ballot.