Trade Books
My unit is over reading and narrative writing including imagery and figurative language. I did use one specific trade book throughout my whole unit but there are others I could use too.
1. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen- This is the book that is the main example of narrative stories and the use of imagery and figurative languages.

2. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume- This book could be use by reading a few pages and asking students what point of view this book was written. Judy Blume also uses figurative language throughout the book which is similar to Gary Paulen in Hatchet.
3. Prairie Evers by Ellen Airgood- I had not read this book before but it is a book that tells a great story. The book also uses figurative language that students can see how they can incorporate it into their writing.

4. My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook- This book is a short book that I can use to show illustrations. Illustrations would be helpful in my unit for their summaries because if I really had my students do this unit, I would like for them to take and make their illustrations neat and colorful.

5. Canoe Days by Gary Paulsen- Another book by the same author of the main book my students would read for the unit. This book however, is shorter than Hatchet and could be use to teach an additional lesson of imagery.

6. My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall- This book is filled with figurative language. The book is short which I could read to those students who have trouble understanding the lesson of figurative language.
7. My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks by Hanoch Piven- This book is filled with figurative language. In my unit, I want my students use figurative language in their writing just like Gary Paulsen.

8. A Chocolate Moose for Dinner by Fred Gwynne- Like the books above, this book is funny and filled with figurative language. This book like a few mentioned above, I would keep out during this unit as resources for students to use. I would like them to be familiar on how to use figurative language and distinguish the different kinds such as metaphor or similes.

9. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg- I love this book and movie!! This book I would use to teach imagery and figurative language. I want the students to see how the author wrote the book so the reader can picture the story in their heads. That is my goal for the unit, to make the students better writers.
10. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen- I love this book and want to have this in my classroom. The book is filled with imagery and would be helpful for students in understanding how their senses help create imagery.

Which of these book have you guys read or familiar?
I have read a few from my list but read from some websites about the other books and how they were used in teacher's lesson plans. They are pretty neat.
*And sorry this is late blog, I have been packing and going back and forth to St. Louis. Moving is awful!
I have read the Owl Moon one before! I love it, I read it to my daughter! I bet moving and taking classes while getting ready for your new job is a mess! I hope it is over soon for you and all works out great :)
ReplyDeleteI think Owl Moon is a book that teachers and even parents should have. Lots of students remember that book. And yes, it is hectic since I am in Columbia and had been going back and forth for interviews in St. Louis the past few weeks in addition to packing and getting ready to move. Ready for classes to be over! :)
DeleteI hear ya on the moving thing! I'm getting ready to move and the thought of packing makes me want to cry. lol I LOVE Owl Moon. It would be such a good one to teach about imagery. "My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks" would be a good one to teach about similes. Also, I didn't know Gary Paulsen had any picture books!
ReplyDeleteOh my! Good luck! I was not aware either until I looked up all Gary Paulsen's books. I really like him as an author so it is nice he has different books including the picture book I would use in my unit.
DeleteMoving is time consuming a wears you out. Hope you are almost done or done already! I have read "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" I remember it being a favorite in school. I have also read "Polar Express to the grand kids it is okay but not a favorite of mine. I think the book "My Dog Is as Smelly as Dirty Socks" and "A Chocolate Moose for Dinner" both look like cute books. You have a nice list.
ReplyDeleteMoving is indeed very tiring. I am not done yet, but getting closer! My fourth graders loved Judy Blume's book too. I picked the dog book because it is all about similes and filled with pictures. Something that maybe lower level students may enjoy if they needed further understanding of that type of figurative language.
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