Final Reflection of 7E:123

Wow, it's hard to believe the semester is at an end! Well, this class far exceeded my expectations on a variety of different levels. First off, I really liked how the class was set up. It was a very comfortable, open environment that encouraged everyone to participate in class-wide discussion. I really enjoyed working together in our groups, especially during "The Misfits" book. I thought it was extremely interesting and fun trading our elementary/middle school perspectives of how name calling and stereotyping effected us all on a personal level. Probably the most memorable activity I will take from this class was the day we worked on poetry - and had to read our designated poem out loud to the class. It gave us the opportunity to be goofy, creative, fun, and unique. It's amazing that just changing how we say the poem can alter its tone and the way others around us interpret the poem.

Aside from my in class experiences, I really thought this class as a whole was fantastic - especially for any student going into elementary education. My first presumptions about this class was "Great, what could there really be about children's literature that I have to learn - besides that it is super easy to read?" Reflecting back over the semester it is amazing how many different layers there are to great children's literature. Unlike novels, children's literature can utilize some of the most important tools of all, keeping students visually and physically engaged in their reading. I have seen many books that have pop-out additions, books with different sized fonts, different shapes, colors, types of illustrations, etc. It is amazing at the extent to how great children's authors construct their books. They are much more meticulous and methodical than I ever thought children's authors would be. From every single illustration to every single word, I have come to understand and appreciate children's literature for much more than my old stereotype of it. It is creative, intuitive, funny, and a whole list of other adjectives that I won't waste time listing. Overall, fantasic course. Nothing more need be said.

"Love That Dog" by Sharon Creech

Contrary to my minimal expectations of the story, I actually really enjoyed it. I think that many young kids can relate to Jack considering many young boys share the same perspectives he does about poetry. Jack exclaims that poetry is "Just for girls" and refuses to participate for a while. Finally, his teacher struck a chord with his emotions and Jack became inspired by a male poet to write a poem about his deceased dog. After Jack realizes he enjoys expressing how he feels about his dog, he has a new found perspective regarding poetry. I think this story is great to integrate into a poetry unit in any classroom. It helps break down gender stereotypes/barriers that may hold back other male students from participating, similar to Jack. Although I have taken a variety of Gender + Society classes, it still baffles me where these stereotypes come from. Obviously, the media and other traditional influences tell our society what is expected of each gender. However, I believe there are deeper roots than just the media that these stereotypes have been formed - and that we must look at the origins of "the traditional" American gender roles to start looking for patterns. These gender biases will always exist, but I believe it is our job as educators to help introduce a variety of literature and role models to help break down these stereotypes so all students feel comfortable to participate in any activity.

"Northern Lullaby" by Nancy White Carlstrom

This poem story has a very light-hearted calming tone all throughout the book. As the reader progresses through the book, the author is telling goodnight to all different aspects of nature, such as "mother willow" and "grandpa mountain." Obviously nature is a very large part of this author's life, and she illustrates it in such a way that makes the reader appreciate it with her. Illustrations seem to emphasize shading and realism, as well as uses very soft colors. The author's inspiration for these pictures come from the Alaskan winter environment, as the reader can observe through vast snow and warm winter fires. These soft colors help contribute to the poem's smooth and calming tone. Although there seems to be nothing special about this picture poetry book, I believe it would be a great book to read to a child before they fall asleep.

"Quilt Alphabet" by Lesa Cline-Ransome

This poem picture book would be fantastic for kindergarten students. Each of the two adjacent pages is dedicated to a letter from the alphabet, followed by a large picture of what the poem talks about. For example, on page "D" there is a large picture of dolls, and there is a very short 4 line poem that talks about what the image is. One aspect of the poem book that I thought was interesting was that the author never actually mentions on each page what the designated word actually is. So for letter "D," the author never says the word doll, thus the student is supposed to deduce from the picture and text what word the author is talking about. This can make for a fun activity in the classroom with your students, and can easily keep them engaged and wanting to participate. Obviously since kindergarten students are unable to read very well at this point in school, you would have to read them the poems. But you could ask questions like "So what is this a picture of? What word do you think the author is talking about?" The illustrations are created from watercolors, and attempt to give a somewhat realistic portrayal of what it is trying to convey.

"Come With Me: Poems For a Journey" by Naomi Shihab Nye

In this poem picture story, each of the two adjacent pages are dedicated to a short poem along with collage-based illustrations that are rather colorful. Each of the two pages' poems talk about random topics that little children participate in all the time, such as observing others, being physically active, telling/keeping secrets, etc. When I read these poems, I compare them to the little motivational quotes that are seen on posters and in other forms of literature. Honestly, I did not really care for this poem book - all of the poems were arbitrary and there was no consistent subject/topic.

"How We Are Smart" by W. Nikola Lisa

This is a poem book that has eight different poems that talk about different influential historical figures that all have different skill sets they excel at. One page is separated into the poem of the famous figure, and the other side of the page is a water-color based illustration of the person. One aspect of the story that I really liked was that right below the person's poem on each page, it gave a mini biography about the famous person. This is beneficial to students who are not knowledgeable regarding the famous person - in that they are able to read and gain background information about this famous person. Each poem talks about how these different historical figures are unique and skilled, and at the end of each poem it asks "Are you smart like _______?" I thought this is a great poem compilation for young children because it shows that even though everyone has their own personal things that they excel at. So if a student is not good at something like reading very well, maybe they excel at art. Thus, this book helps open up new role models for a variety of students with different skill sets.

"Harlem" by Walter Dean Myeres

"Harlem" has a relatively relaxing tone for a poem picture book. It talks about everything that Harlem had to offer for many of the diverse people that inhabited it. Throughout the poem, the author talks about the different things to do, people, places, etc. of Harlem, and how they were special to the town. The illustrator uses a variety of creative illustrative techniques such as ink and collage to construct the world he is trying to convey. Each illustration has rigid sides, so it is fairly obvious to tell that they are all constructed from different magazines, newspapers, etc. I think a book like this would be beneficial to students learning about diversity - and how different American towns across the country play a role in making American the ever changing melting pot it is today.

"So Far From the Bamboo Grove" by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

I thought this story was a great alternative perspective from the traditional World War II stories told in the U.S. Most American depictions of WWII deal with the Western Conflicts, i.e. Germany VS U.S. and Europe, and America VS Japan, etc. We rarely ever hear about what goes on across the other side of the globe, and I thought this viewpoint was valuable. Yoko is a part of a Japanese family that lives in Korea because her father works for the Manchurian government. It is amazing at how much the author describes at what happens on the train. The depressing tone leaves little room for the reader to think of any hope at this point in the story, but compels the reader to continue reading. Unlike "Year of Impossible Goodbyes" I thought this story was definitely a lot more consistently engaging/exciting. There was not a single point in the novel where I thought there was a dull/boring point. Between disguising themselves in uniforms to getting injured, there is constant plot development. I especially liked how other characters mention events in Japan unfold (i.e. Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) throughout the novel, as it helps the reader understand where we are in the WWII timeline, and gives us some steady footing. Overall, I thought these two book comparisons would be fantastic for middle-junior high students - and I believe students would greatly benefit from these alternative perspectives of WWII.

"50 Ways To Save The Earth" by Anne Jankeliowitch

This is a relatively long chapter book with about 5 chapters, and ten different ways to help the environment in each chapter. In each of these chapters, there is a broad topic that talks about a variety of ways to be more eco-friendly, as well as a plethora of vivid photographs that are related to the ideas being conveyed. One example of a typical chapter is similar to Chapter 5, in that it talks about "Caring for Water" and discusses a variety of ways to be more eco-friendly with water such as: "Dont leave your water running while brushing your teeth, save/recycle water, clean up the river to help discourage river pollution, clean beaches, etc." This book, similar to the previous book, can easily be integrated into any elementary classroom that talks about environmental issues as a class. I believe in this day and age, it is imperative for our future generations to understand the issues we are to face in the near future regarding depleting of resources, pollution, and other global issues regarding the destruction of our ecosystems. By introducing these topics at a young age, children may be more likely to be more environmentally concious throughout their lives and take a proactive role in their society to be more environmentally friendly.

"Earth Lines: Poems For The Green Age" by Pat Moon

Going along with the whole concept of "Going Green" I thought Pat Moon's compilation of short poems would be an excellent addition to any unit covering environmentalism. Each poem discusses different topics regarding going green such as conservation of materials, recycling, maintaining habitats, endangered species, etc. Almost all of these poems have simple sketched illustrations next to them that have to do with the poem itself. The only colors used in any of these illustrations is the color green, which is very fitting considering all of the poems are about environmental issues. As I stated earlier, these poems would be a great way to introduce students to environmental issues. One educational lesson would be give each group a different poem from the story, and let them try to extract what the environmental issue is in the poem and how it pertains to the whole overarching idea of being environmentally friendly.

"10 Things I Can Do To Help My World" by Melanie Walsh

This is actually a Children's book and an educational book regarding simple things children can do at home to help become eco-friendly. The book is very interactive and short, each page giving a simple illustration following a sentence in how to become more environmentally conscious. For example, one page talks about turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth to conserve water, so it shows a sink with a little girl turning off the water with a toothbrush. This book is very fun and interactive because each page is designed to have little flip-up parts so the children can stay engaged throughout the story. One aspect of the story that I thought was extremely cool was the fact that the book said it was made from "100% recycled material." Thus, the construction of the book itself was environmentally friendly. Overall, this is a fantastic learning took for K-2nd grade to learn about simple things you can do to help the environment.

"Earth Day" by Mir Tamim Ansary

This is a very small, but simple story that talks about the history of "Earth Day." This story uses real photographs, rather than illustrations on each page to help give the student insight into what historical figure/topic they are reading about. The story starts off by talking about the history of environmentalism, and how no one used to take it seriously. It talks about major people that influenced environmental decisions in history to enforce new laws about global environmentalism. The author uses very simple vocabulary so grades 2-4 would easily be able to read this story and gain insight into the history of environmental education. Similar to the previous book, it has bolded vocabulary to help stress important preliminary words that students should become familiar with if they are to study environmental education. Each page consists of 2-3 short sentences discussing what the topic is, and its significance. The little book is constructed chronologically, so students read about the earliest history of environmental issues and it quickly transitions to modern day issues - and gives students a perspective of how far we have come in regards to environmentalism.

"Earth in Danger: Habitat Destruction" by Helen Orme

For these next five stories I decided to use some of my favorite stories from my Text Set study regarding environmentalism. This story is a non-fiction piece of literature that discusses different environmental issues. The chapters discuss topics such as "What is a Habitat" and the consequences of human pollution, and the detrimental effects it has on the environment. I think this book is extremely informative; the author integrates a variety of learning tools throughout the book. Orme uses bold words to highlight important definitions that students need to be aware of surrounding the environmental topic. Aside from bold words, each page has a "random fact" or statistic that has to do with the current chapter. The photography in this story is very detailed - and they are all hi definition photographs taken of different ecosystems throughout the world. Overall, this story is a great learning tool for any students learning about environmental science education.

"Year Of Impossible Goodbyes" by Sook Nyul Choi

I thought this story was somewhat depressing, but realistic. I was amazing at the drastic measures Sookan and her family had to take in order to get through Japanese occupation. The realism of the conflicts in the Korean area really sets in when Sookan describes the extent of which she had to go in order to blend into the Japanese. At one point, in Chapter 5, Sookan was sent to a Japanese school in which she would be punished if she spoke Korean. I tried to put myself in that situation, and I just can't even believe it. You are supposed to go to a school where you cannot speak your native language, or else you will be punished. It's just unreal. She even had to get called by an alternative Japanese name, and learn the Japanese anthem to recite in class. Aside from learning an entire different culture in order to blend, Sookan had unfathomable responsibility for a child of her age. Almost every decision she made weighed upon life and death. Overall, I thought this was a great book that really gave insight to eastern world conflicts.

"How The Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Suess

Since the holidays are coming up, I thought it would only be fitting to do this last Suess review on "How The Grinch Stole Christmas." As crazy as it sounds, I have never read this story of Suess'. This story pretty much talks about how the Grinch disguised himself as Santa, and stole everyone's presents. However, he realized that on Christmas everyone still celebrated, despite being robbed of their presents. Similar to many of Suess' earlier children's stories, he uses only one or two basic colors in his story. In this particular story, he uses the color red, and in almost every page he uses the red in the Grinch's eye to symbolize his malicious intentions. However, by the end of the book the Grinch is so humbled by everyone's holiday spirit, that he, himself becomes overjoyed for the holidays.

Although this story is a holiday classic, I think it teaches children some great basic lessons. That is, you shouldn't need presents to be happy (many children may still argue that concept). But in all reality if you choose to read this to your class, you should be very careful what lessons you extract from the story, and how you introduce the story. Many students may not celebrate Christmas, so you want to make sure you somehow introduce the story in ways that every student can relate.

"The Butter Battle Book" by Dr. Suess

I haven't read this book in over a decade, but so far this is my favorite new Suess book I can recall. It's amazing the different things you see in stories as you age, and gain new knowledge. This story is fantastic, in that it is about two different towns who "spread their butter on toast" differently, thus they are separated by a wall to stay away from one another. Throughout the story, they continuously threaten each other with newer and newer technology, until finally at the end of the book they invented a little weapon that would completely clear out the opposing town. At the end of the story, both sides are holding this "little weapon" over each others town, waiting to see who will drop these little magic eggs first.

Although this story was adapted to children's literature, it seemed almost completely paralleled to the Cold War. I checked the publication date, and it was in 1984 (which was still around the cold war). Obviously the "little eggs" in the story that could destroy each others' towns symbolized nuclear weapons, however, little kids would most likely not pick up on that concept. I think this story is fantastic to read in the classrooms because it shows the consequences of not negotiating and accepting others' differences. I thought Suess did an excellent job in adapting realistic global issues into a children's story to help teach children the importance of tolerance and negotiation.

"Bartholomew and the Oobleck" by Dr. Suess

This was an extremely bizarre story (as are most of Suess' stories). It talks about a young boy who comes to a kingdom, and a king is unhappy with only rain, snow, and fog coming from the sky - and wishes other things fell from the sky. Eventually, the king is so fed up with routine and sameness that he orders his magicians to conjure up something new to fall from the sky. Suddenly, green goo called "oobleck" begins to fall from the sky, covering everything and making everyone's lives miserable. By the end of the story, the king wishes it was gone - and he is forced to apologize to Bartholomew, even though it makes his skin cringe.

Even though this story was rather long and arbitrary, it teaches a few lessons. I guess the first lesson is "the grass is always greener on the other side." The king wanted so bad for change, but then realized when there was change, it wasn't change for the better. The change he wished for caused everything to go anarchic, and disturbed the environment. Although kids would not pick up this concept, as a teacher you could ask students their thoughts on the book. Also, at the end of the story the king did not want to apologize and admit his mistakes for bringing the oobleck to town. Eventually, he owned up to his mistakes - despite not wanting to do it. He believed that because he was the king, he should never have to apologize. This teaches students that even people in power make mistakes, and should be expected to own up to their mistakes (although in the real world many of them still don't).

"Fox in Socks" by Dr. Suess

"Fox in Socks" is another Suess book that encompasses the concepts of rhyming schemes and tongue twisters. Although it is similar to "One Fish, Two Fish...," "Fox in Socks" may be a little more difficult in that it uses a lot of the same rhyming schemes (such as words that use the letters "X" and "S" to rhyme interchangeably. I think students that were beginning readers would really enjoy this story, not only for its illustrations but for the tongue-twisting vocabulary. As a teacher you could challenge students to see who can read it the fastest without getting their tongue twisted in a knot. Or even, you as the teacher could read it to the class and progressively read it faster and faster, and show the kids how difficult rhyming words can sometimes be if read too fast. Students would most likely find it comical if the teacher was getting all twisted up in rhyming words.

The illustrations are very similar to those from "One Fish, Two Fish..." The story uses simple colors, nothing vibrant or extravagant. The story follows two fictional characters, a "Knox" and a Fox in socks. Throughout the story Fox is trying to teach the Knox tongue twisters, and the Knox is having trouble with them. Overall, this story is simple and comical, and if integrated the right way, it could be a very fun reading for students.

"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" by Dr. Suess

For these next five posts I have chosen to do them all on my favorite all-time Children's author: Dr. Suess. This Suess story is typical of his many stories, in that there are many rhyming schemes and illustrations are very simple and engaging. He uses very basic colors throughout the story, nothing too drastic or vibrant. After reading this story I think it would be great for students who are in grades K-1, in that it helps reinforce new, simple vocabulary, as well as adjectives and verbs. It also aids to re-emphasize different colors (although by this point most children will know their colors). I think this story would be excellent in an elementary classroom in that the teacher can use it to teach what rhyming is to his/her students. Although most Suess books contain rhymes, this book uses very preliminary words - thus it would be easiest for students to comprehend the concept of rhyming if the most basic of words are used.

A/P/I - Chris Van Allsburg

I did my API study on Chris Van Allsburg. I chose Van Allsburg because I have always loved Jumanji and the Polar express, and I wanted to further investigate his past and where he gained his inspiration for his works from. After reading Van Allsburg's biography from http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/biography.html I had formed a greater appreciation for his works based on quite a few similarities I had with him. Similar to myself, Chris grew up in the midwest and was extremely interested and talented in math and science. Although he enjoyed both math and science, he had a great appreciation for the arts. After attending a Big 10 University and majoring in Sculpturing, he began drawing and writing in his free time. Not thinking of these drawings as anything more than his hobby, his wife and others thought they were extremely detailed and special. Thus, Van Allsburg began writing/illustrating children's books.

Throughout most of Van Allsburg's books, he uses common themes throughout. Many of these themes manifest in the form of common illustration techniques (such as soft colors, realism, etc.). One of the things I have found fascinating about his works is his ability to convey a story through only the use of illustrations. This method of telling a story is unique in that it gives the reader the opportunity to openly interpret what is going on in the story. Thus, there may be a variety of ways different readers may interpret what is going on in the story, consequently making every reader's experience with his stories unique.