Reading Guy

This Reader's Theatre covers the history of the famous battle at the Alamo in Texas. There are 14 characters including five Narrators, Santa Anna,Davie Crockett, Sam Houston, and Stephen Austin. This fits perfectly with a study of the Southwest Region of the United States and works with 4th-6th grade students. With smaller classrooms, parts can be combined to fit your needs. It is a total of eight pages long, and takes approximately 10 minutes to peform.

The book Take Me Out Of the Bathtub by Alan Katz is an excellent example of incorporating VOICE into writing. After reading several of the poems in the book, I explain what a parody is. The students then create their own parodies of famous songs such as It's Raining it's Pouring, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and I'm a Little Teapot. I encourage students to use their own VOICE while writing their parodies.

On the website: https://www.npss.sk.ca/bell-games/prairie/build/index.html students are required to research plants and animals to determine if they are a good fit for prairie life. The site then simulates the growth of a prairie including grasses,flowers, and various animals. This three-page interactive activity is designed to accompany the site and includes questions students must answer as they maneuver through the site. Great for small groups, as a center, or whole group instruction.

This digital file includes a list of approximately ten prompts that could be used to begin a mystery or fantasy writing piece. The prompts are intended for 5-8 grade students.

A two-sided sheet featuring recommended sites for parents and kids. There is also a section for Reading Games as well as approximately eight Reading/Language Arts Apps. We pass this out to parents to help engage students over the summer.