Children’s author/illustrator Eric Carle asked 14 friends that question and the result is the delightful book, What’s Your Favorite Animal? In the book, 14 children’s authors present their favorite animals, with (of course) accompanying illustrations. The book is a treasure of creativity. Think of all the ways it could be used. Examine all the different … Continue reading
Do you teach poetry? Do you teach about these men? I started to blog about cowboy poetry, but really what I want to say is, go here. Read this. Listen to the story, or scroll down to the bottom and read the transcript. Read the poems. Aren’t they beautiful? It’s a far cry from what … Continue reading
If you could meet anyone in your community, who would you pick? Joe Rhatigan encourages young people to explore that question in his book, People You Gotta Meet Before You Grow Up: Get to Know the Movers and Shakers, Heroes and Hotshots in Your Hometown. I’ll admit that one of my favorite things about this … Continue reading
How would you represent a great person’s life work in a single symbol? What single image could represent the contributions of Martin Luther King? Abraham Lincoln? Srinivasa Ramanujan? The artist using the pseudonym Hydrogene tackles that question, while also creating art work focusing on STEM education and technology across cultures. The most recent additions to … Continue reading
I love a book that sets me laughing in the aisles of a bookstore. Recently, I had that experience with Jay Sacher’s The Amazing Story Generator: Creates Thousands of Writing Prompts. The story generator’s pages are divided in thirds, to be mixed and matched at will. The top third sets up a situation like “Upon … Continue reading
For me, one of the silly joys of the Christmas season is finding a new version of Clement Moore’s A Visit From St. Nicholas—or, to be more accurate, one of the many parodies of the famous poem. And now I get to share my joys, and some pre-holiday lesson options, with you. Last year I … Continue reading
“Eat your vegetables!’ ‘Drink your milk!” “Don’t jump on the bed!” “But why?” David Wisniewskil had the answers and in The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups, he let us in on the secrets. This imaginative gem reminds us why his 2002 death was such a loss—and how he can continue to inspire. The book spoofs all … Continue reading
At a recent conference, I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Newbery Award-winning author Laura Amy Schlitz talk about her writing. She is a story-teller at heart, so just listening to her was a delight, but my favorite moment came during her account of how she came to write Good Masters, Sweet Ladies, the book … Continue reading
I love concrete poetry. The combination of poetry and art speaks to me—and I love the way it gives students with differing strengths a chance to shine. Concrete poetry is the graffiti of the poetry world—its messages as much graphic as literary. Recently I ran across a wonderful collection of concrete poems for all ages, … Continue reading
The U.S. Library of Congress is a treasure trove for teachers—so much so that it can become a bit overwhelming. So, for today, I’d like to share just one resource, Lyrical Legacy, a collection of 400 years of American song and poetry. Few things can give us insight into a place or period of history … Continue reading
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