Field Experience

Field Experience!

         For my required field experience I chose to observe the librarian at the school I teach at. I was excited to do so because she was in the middle of her Native American unit and was preparing her 2nd and 3rd grade students for a showcase. She is responsible for teaching drama. The music teacher (me) collaborated with the librarian with the Native American/Colonial unit and prepared a performance right before the Thanksgiving holiday. In the classes I observed the librarian discussed the elements of drama and had the students prepare a short dramatic work to perform during the showcase.
        There are three 3rd grade classes. Each class represented a different Native American region: Eastern woodlands, Northwest/Southwest, and the Plains. The librarian taught the students about Native American storytelling and the importance of it. A group of students acted as narrators while other students acted out the action of the story. I was able to observe all three 3rd grade classes.
        The 2nd grade classes were divided into four different countries. During the performance each class told the audience what their country brought to America. The librarian focused on fairy tales  with the 2nd graders and found fairy tales that originated from each of the four countries represented in the showcase. Each class put on a mini drama using their fairytale. I was able to observe a class that represented England. Their fairytale was Jack and the Beanstalk. I also observed a class that represented France and performed the fairytale, Sleeping Beauty. It was fun watching these stories come to life! Observing the librarian use literature to teach drama inspired me to use more literature in my music classroom!    

Reading Log

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Reading Log for 30 books

Genre / Titles

          I.     Non-fiction/Informational

1)    Eleanor Roosevelt: A life of discovery by Russell Freedman

2)    The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon

        II.     Poetry

1)    Witness by Karen Hesse. (required for discussion)

2)    A Light in the Attic by Shel Silvershtein

      III.     Modern Fantasy        

1)    The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. (Required for discussion)

2)    The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

3)    Brave new world, by Huxley, A.

4)    The Giver, by Lowry, L.

      IV.     Historical Fiction       

1)    A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. (required for discussion)

2)    Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey

3)    Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

4)    Roll of thunder, hear my cry, by Taylor, M. D.

        V.     Multicultural/Traditional

1)    Monster by Walter Dean Meyers_

2)    The Faithful Friend byRobert D. San Souci

3)    Jack tales, by Chase, R.

      VI.     Realistic Fiction

1)    The Last Safe Place on Earth by Richard Peck. (required for discussion)

2)    Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

3)    I know why the caged bird sings, by Angelou, M.

    VII.     Picture Books

1)    Flossie & the Fox by Patricia McKissack. (required for discussion)

2)     The House in the Night by Susan Maie Swanson

3)     The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

4)     Golem by David Wisniewski

5)     Hiroshima no pika,  Maruki, T.

6)    The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

7)     Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth

8)     Cathedral  by Houghton Mifflin

9)     Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, by Mo Willems

10)     The Invention of Hugo Cabret,  by Selznick, B

11)     Cathedral, by Macaulay, D.

12)    The ballad of Belle Dorcas, by Hooks, W. H.

TOTAL: 31

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement is four total posts, in four different categories)

__1_ Social Studies

____ Science

____ Math

____ Music

_1 _  Art

__1_ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

___1 Other

The Burn Journals

 The Burn Journals

 Runyon, B. (2004). The burn journals. New York, NY: Random House Inc.

Age Level: 15 and up (debatable, due to vulgar language use)
Genre:  This is Non-Fiction piece.
Summary:

            A fourteen year old boy douses his bathrobe with gasoline, puts it on, and sets it on fire. Burns covered 85% of his body. Even so, he lives. He’s given a second chance. This memoir, told in first person and set in a journal format, allows the reader to enter the mind of a 14 year old boy as he contemplates suicide, attempts suicide, and recovers mentally and physically from the harm he caused himself and others. 

Reflection:

POWERFUL! I have always asked myself, where are these people mentally that commit suicide? What are they thinking? How do they actually do it? This memoire is POWERFUL! Entering the mind of this young boy as he struggles in school and life really opens my eyes. I found myself on many occasions as I was reading thinking of my own students and wondering if I am missing any signs. It is amazing that he tells people he is going to commit suicide and they do nothing about it. While reading I constantly asked myself, if when I was a teenager someone told me they were going to commit suicide, would I actually believe them enough to do something about it? Probably not! I couldn’t fathom suicide. It wasn’t part of me or my up bringing.

            This book would be a great read for a young adult to teach them to look for warning signs. To let them know that they exist. To make them aware that if someone says they might hurt themselves, they actually might.

            This book also teaches a nice lesson on healing and strength. He got another chance. A chance to heal and appreciate the life he has.  The year he spent in the hospital is presented nicely to the reader. It is full of emotion.

            Here is the part I struggle with. The language used from the very first chapter is very vulgar. As a teacher I am not sure I would be able to recommend this to a student. That being said, it’s a great read for teachers and adults. It taught me a lot about looking for warning signs and made me aware of some of the stresses the school created for the teenager. I am very glad I got to read this haunting and powerful non-fiction book. 

Picture of Brent recovering.....

 

Players in Pigtails

Players in Pigtails

Corey , S. (2003). Players in pigtails. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

  Can you imagine a time when girls weren’t aloud to do certain things? When girls were expected to stay at home and cook and clean? Well, this was not OK for Katie Casey. This young lady did not like to cook, or clean, or sew. She liked to play BASEBALL! She couldn’t think about anything other than baseball. However, baseball was for boys, not girls. Nobody wanted to watch a girl play baseball. Nobody allowed a girl to play baseball on a team. Will Katie Casey get to live out her dream of playing baseball? Will girls get to play baseball? You won’t want to miss this brightly colored picture book, Players in Pigtails!

Hatchet

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Hatchet

Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Age Level: 9 and up

Genre: Realistic Fiction.  This book is classified realistic fiction because the events in this book could happen in real life.
Summary:

            A fourteen year old boy says goodbye to his mother as he jumps on a plane with a suitcase and his going away present, a hatchet. He is upset that his family is being torn apart by divorce and has the burden of keeping a dark secret that could ruin his family even more. When Brian is forced to emergency land the plane after the pilot suffers an heart attack, Brian has to mature quickly as he embarks on the great task of surviving in the wilderness alone with nothing but his hatchet. Who will he encounter? Will he survive?  

Reflection:

            This book has so many wonderful life lessons perfect for the middle school aged student. You take a fourteen year old child dealing with divorce and put him in a situation where he has to mature quickly in order to learn to survive in the wilderness. He eventually realizes that the divorce of his parents is a small problem in his life in comparison. It could be worse is what his situation teaches him.

The conflict of person against nature thickens as he encounters different animals and natural disasters. Told in third person Paulsen does a great job creating suspense with each encounter making this book hard to put down.

I couldn’t help think as I was reading how great this book would be to recommend to a student dealing with their parents' divorce. The theme of maturity is shown through Brian’s necessity to mature as he struggles to survive but also as he learns to deal with keeping the “secret” and coping with his parents' divorce. It is well written, filled with suspense and adventure, and teaches many good lessons along the way!

A Light in the Attic

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A Light in the Attic

Silverstein, S. (1981). A light n the attic. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Age Level: 4 and up

Genre:  This is a book of poetry. 

Summary:

 This zany collection of poetry by Shel Silverstein includes several poems written in verse about ordinary situations that have been twisted just enough to be humorous and off the wall. Silly and zany are the two words that come to mind when thinking of this collection. Each poem introduces the reader to a new character to fall in love with!

Reflection:

After reading this collection I had a smile on my face. Each poem is fairly short in length and easy to read and follow. The illustrations are simply drawn in black ink. 

Some poems have short lines, which create a faster rhythm while other poems consist of lines comprised of several words creating a slower pace or rhythm. 

One of the included poems is written in a concrete style. At first glance I thought it was merely an illustration until I started reading the signs and realized that it was a poem written in rhyme. It is pictured below...

I like how each of the poems are stand alone and have their own style, format, and subject. However, each poem is humorous and will leave you with a smile.

The Faithfull Friend

The Faithful Friend

San Souci, R. D. (1995). The faithful friend . New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

 Age Level: 5 and up

Genre:  This is a retelling of a Traditional Tale and Picture book

Summary:

This narrative takes place on the beautiful and magical island of Martinique. A young man Clement falls in love with a young girl and asks his friend Hippolyte to join him on a journey to ask her to marry him. The young girl is delighted to marry Clement and follows him and his friends back to their home. The young girl’s uncle is enraged and makes his niece pay for her defiance by making their journey home filled with tricks and traps that force Hippolythe to choose between his friend’s safety and his own. Will they make it through the journey alive? This tale is a true test of friendship and love.    

Reflection:

This retelling of a traditional tale from the French West Indies is brightly illustrated using scratchboard and oils. The illustrator did an excellent job of showing emotion on the characters’ faces. You can really get a sense of fear in the eyes of the young girl as seen below.

There is a significant use of French in this picture book. The author provides a word guide in the beginning to guide the reader on pronunciation and meaning. The use of the French language gives the book color and character. It helps characterize the setting of the story. 

This book would be great to use for reading comprehension as there is a clear order of events that take place. Along the journey back home the friend encounters three "zombies" that cast different spells on the travelers. Students could fill out a sequence of events chart to check for comprehension. 

Test-to-Self Connections

Test Quote: “Your willingness to sacrifice your life for your friend gave me the power to break the spell.”

This reminds me of... This quote defined the true theme and lesson of this story. This reminds me of how truly blessed one is to have true friends. True friends are those who will go out of their way to help you when you are in need. It also reminds me that to be a good friend is just as important as having good friends. It goes both ways.

Monster

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Monster

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Age Level: 12 and up

Genre:  Multicultural

Summary: 
             This multicultural charm follows a 16 year old boy Steve Harmon as he sits trial for accomplice to murder. Told from his point-of-view and in a screen play format the reader is thrown into the courtroom as the trial unfolds. Will he get acquitted or will he spend the rest of his life in prison? What lessons did this young man learn from the decisions he made on that one unforgettable night of his life?

Reflection: 
             What an interesting book! Everything from the different font styles used, the photographs, the screen play format, to the journal entries shown as if they were hand written right onto the pages, made this book interesting.

The author uses type face print to show the reader when the screen play is being used and hand writing to show when journal entries are being used. There are also times when the author uses gigantic bold font to suggest emphasis. These text changes make the book easy to follow and intriguing to the eye.

There are several photographs included in the text. I like how they add a realistic touch to the already realistic dialogue. These photographs allow the reader to visualize the main character and the situations he was put in. We get to see pictures of his mother, his mugshots, and even surveillance pictures of his involvement with the crime. Pictured below are surveillance pictures.

 This book has a VERY powerful message or theme. 

*There are serious consequences for the decisions you make in life. 

What a powerful lesson to teach students. 

Test-to-Self Connections

Test Quote: “I’m just not a bad person. I know that in my heart I am not a bad person.”

This reminds me of... So many young people get hooked up with the wrong people and get put in situations they should not be in. This quote reminds me that we all have choices in life that we have to live with. It is our job as parents/teachers to steer our youth in the right direction in hopes that they never have to prove to anyone that they “are not a bad person.”

The Devil's Arithmetic

The Devil’s Arithmetic

Yolen, J. (1988). The devil's arithmetic. New York, NY: Viking Penguin

Age Level: 10 and up

Genre:  This is Modern Fantasy

 

Summary:

Hannah is tired of hearing her family speak about the Holocaust and her family’s involvement in it. During every Jewish holiday Hannah is forced to hear the same stories. She wonders why she must hear them. During Seder she is asked to open the door to welcome the prophet Elijah into the home (a tradition done at every Seder). When she opens the door she is transported to a different time and place. She is in Poland during the Holocaust. Her new experiences teach Hannah a lesson she will never forget. 

Reflection:

We must not forget the past. If we forget it, we may not learn from it. That was one of th4 most important lessons I learned from this novel.

I was immediately drawn to this book because I have a fascination with the Holocaust and Jewish history. I myself am not Jewish but have always been dumbfounded that something like the Holocaust could take place. The book itself starts very slowly and does not pick up steam until chapter 4. The earlier chapters set up the scene allowing the reader to feel Hannah’s boredom with the family’s stories. This becomes important towards the end of the book.

            The novel is categorized as modern fantasy because the main character’s time travel back in time. Because time travel does not exist, it is fantasy. Some might feel as though it is historical fiction because it deals with the Holocaust. However, the time travel aspect makes it fantasy.

            The story’s setting is integral because the story would not be the same in another setting. The story has to take place in concentration camps for it to make sense. The imagery the author use to describe the conditions of the concentration camp gave this novel emotion. I felt the pain Hannah was feeling.

            The Devil's Arithmetic would be great to use to introduce the concept of the Holocaust and the Jewish culture to students. It has just enough action to keep the reader’s attention. I enjoyed reading this novel!  

The House in the Night

The House in the Night

Swanson, S. M., & Krommes, B. (2008). The house in the night. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Age Level: 2 to 8

Genre:  This is a picture book.

Summary: The story follows a young child as light transcends out of the dark. In the lighted house appears a bed. On the bed lays a book. In the book is a bird which allows the child’s imagination to take flight through the night sky.

Reflection:

This patterned picture book for young children is full imagination. The illustrations take the reader on a journey through the night sky. It is a wonderful book to use for pre school aged children to identify all things associated with the night. It could also be used to teach patterns and sequencing. This book would be classified as a cumulative pattern book.

The artistic media used was scratchboard and watercolor.  These glowing illustrations were colored in black and yellow. The yellow was used to show light. 

The artistic style used is surrealistic due to the pictures of the child riding a bird out a window and into the night sky. 

The simplistic text makes it an easy read and a great bedtime story!