Fire Trucks

Roberts, Cynthia. Fire Trucks. Mankato: Child's World, 2007. Print.

This book teaches kids all about fire trucks and firefighters. It tells what fire trucks are, what they look like, how they move, different kinds of fire trucks, and how they are important. It also gives the meanings of terms such as controls, emergencies and sirens. The students get a better understanding of the purpose of fire trucks and firefighters in the community.

Content Area: Literature

Reading Level: 7-9

Creative Activity: The students could be "put" in different situations and they would have to say what they would do in that emergency. Have them use terms they learned from the book and tell them why it's important to know what to do in emergency situations. 

Keeping You Healthy- A Book About Doctors

Owen, Ann. Keeping You Healthy- A Book About Doctors. Minneapolis: Picture Window, 2004. Print.

This book teaches children what a doctor does. It tells when and why kids have to go to the doctor. It gives the names of the tools a doctor uses and what that tool is used for. It basically gives a profile of the job of a doctor and helps kids understand the importance of staying healthy.

Content Area: Literature, Hygiene

Reading Level: 5-8

Creative Activity: I would give the students a crossword puzzle of terms relating to the job of a doctor, the tools a doctor uses and ways to stay healthy. If they understand the terms than they understood the book and tips on staying healthy are important for kids to learn.

Tigers

Squire, Ann O. Tigers. New York: Children's, 2005. Print.

This book gives all kinds of facts on tigers. He talks about how wild tigers are endangered. It discusses the five subspecies of tigers. It talks about what the tigers eat, where they live and what their behaviors are. It tells kids what they can do to help save tigers. 

Content Area: Literature, Animals

Interest Level: Grade 3

Creative Activity: You could give the students a worksheet with a bunch of different facts on it. The kids could circle the facts that are about the tigers from that they learned in the story. They could also write down what fact about tigers they found most interesting.

Oh, the Places You'll Go

 Seuss, Dr. Oh, the Places You'll Go! New York: Random House, 1990. Print.

This story is about a character who goes on a journey. This person has to make decisions and face their fears. They experience many wonderful things but they have to take chances in order to witness those things. The book is about moving on and going out on your own. It teaches kids to be brave enough to make their own decisions and voice their opinions. It teaches them that they are in charge of their life and they choose how to live it. 


Content: literature


Grade level: 3.2
Interest level: Kindegarten-Second Grade


Creative activity: Since Dr. Seuss rhymes often, help the students identify the different rhymes in the story and explain what a rhyme is. Also, Dr. Seuss uses figures of speech in the story like "you'll move mountains". Have the kids understand the difference between literal and figurative language. The teacher could make two columns on the board and pass out cards with different sayings on them, some literal and some figurative. Have the kids figure out what cards go in which column. 

The Polar Express

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is a Caldecott Medal winner.


Van Allsburg, Chris. The Polar Express. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985. Print.

The Polar Express is a story about a boy who gets on a train in the middle of the night heading to the North Pole. When they arrive at the North Pole, the boy asks Santa for a bell from his sleigh. Santa gives him the bell as the first gift of Christmas. However, the boy loses the bell on the train ride home. The next morning, the boy gets the bell in a present from Santa. However, only he can hear the sound it makes, not his parents. The story is about believing in Santa Claus. However, it also teaches the lesson of having faith and hope. The boy learned that seeing isn't believing and he could hear the bell because he had faith that Santa really did exist.

Content area: literature

Grade Level: 4.9

Interest Level: Kindergarten-Second Grade

Creative Activity: Allow children to come into school in their pajamas since the story takes place at night. Have the kids act out the story. The author uses all of the senses to tell the story of the boy's journey so have the students use their senses to retell the story. This will allow the children to learn what their five senses are and how they are used to describe events.