Producing Energy

Producing Energy

Carey, H. (1984). Producing energy. New York: Franklin Watts.  

Genre: Non-Fiction

Age Level: 8-10

Summary:  Producing Energy is one of many non-fiction/informational books written for children by Helen Carey. This short chapter book discusses the many types of energy that humans depend on for survival and many types of energy that are emerging as primary sources of power. This book has chapters and sections dedicated to coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear energy, wind energy, hydroelectricity, and solar power. Each type of energy discussed has its advantages and drawbacks but the author states the importance of moving from consuming non-renewable resources to using more efficient types of energy producing methods.

Reflection: Helen Carey sets this book up like it would be used as a classroom textbook. The chapters of this book discuss the physical science behind gathering these resources to produce energy and then turning these resources into energy to be used throughout the country. The text is separated by chapters but with many heading, subtitles, and bolded words for easy navigation. For example, chapter 2 “Coal” is broken up into sections “Mining Coal,” “Transporting Coal,” “Uses of Coal,” “New Technology for Coal,” and “Coal Industry.” The bolded terms in the chapters can be found in the glossary at the end of the book for a more exact definition which is great for gaining factual knowledge. Of course, not every aspect of these types of energy is discussed but that would make the book practically endless. This book is somewhat outdated but it’s interesting to see if what the author mentions in this book about how we could potentially use energy has come to pass. She talks about wind farming being in an experimental stage but many states like Oklahoma and Kansas have wind farms set up amongst many acres of land that are producing enough energy to support small towns.

Field Experience

1. How many hours did you complete? Five

2. In a short paragraph or bulleted list, how did you spend your time?
    I spent most of my time observing reading and writing instruction. Mrs. Baker used a variety of instructional methods to teach her students. Introducing them to vocabulary was crucial before beginning a new story so the students would have background knowledge before reading. They would repeat the words, give their own best definition and clap the syllable. Mrs. Baker said this was for sensory learning. The students did picture-walks through books and made predictions before engaging in guided oral reading. I used much of those same techniques during the lesson I taught to the students. The students worked with story elements, pointing out main ideas and supporting details with a read and reveal flip chart activity. They student used Vinn Diagrams to compare and contrast parts of the stories they would read. Mrs. Baker instructed them on Prefixes and suffixes. Some class time was used to take STAR Reading test to map how the students were progressing with their intervention instruction. While the students were testing, Mrs. Baker and I would discuss where they started and what kinds of intervention instruction was working best with them. After they finished, we would print out their scores and look at their growth charts and discuss how to keep them progressing at a good rate or what to do with those who weren't gaining as much ground as the others. 
 
3. How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher Standard? (be sure to name the standard)
Completing this field experience helped me strengthen KTS #4: The teacher implements and manages instruction. During my observation, Mrs. Baker used direct and student-led instruction, sensory learning, guided oral and silent reading, Q &A, diagrams, charts, and hands-on activities to instruct the students. She divided the instruction between all these different methods to keep the students learning in new and fun ways. She chose methods that were very appropriate for the lesson topic of the day and I used much of what I observed in my lesson I presented to her class. 

4. Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience. 
The main thing I learned during my observations was what a reading and writing specialist working with students on reading intervention does in his/her classroom on a daily basis. Intervention is a step in learning struggling students may go through before they are recommended for special education services. Intervention helps students catch up to the rest of their peers by offering the students extra attention and giving them a small student to teacher ratio for individualized learning. They follow closely with what their peers are doing in the general education classroom and test regularly to measure their growth whether it be positive or negative. I could see myself working as an intervention specialist because I would like the personal attention I could give students and feel pride in myself and them for learning the skills they were having trouble with. 

Book Log and Wiki Checklist

Book Log and Wiki Checklist

Reading Log for 25 books (to paste into your blog in at the end of the term)

• Instructions: List the titles and authors you read under each Genre, and use checklist below for Wiki posts. Then, highlight this material and paste it into a final blog post. I have already included (in the 25) the ones we read for discussion. Feel free to read more in each genre as you make time. Failure to read and list at least 25 books will results in grade being lowered one letter.

Genre / Titles you read

            I.     Non-fiction/Informational (1 chapter book or photo essay book reflection required on blog)

1)     Producing Energy by Helen H. Carey

2)     The Solar System by David Lambert

3)     A Week is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver by ALIKI

          II.     Poetry (1 chapter or picture book reflection required on blog)

1)     Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)     Casey at the Bat by E.L. Thayer

        III.     Modern Fantasy (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)        

1)     I, Jack  by Patricia Finney. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)     The Giver by Lois Lowry

3)     Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

4)     Messenger by Lois Lowry

       IV.     Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)  

1)     The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)     When I was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

         V.     Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)  

1)     Hiroshima: A Novella by Laurence Yep (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)     Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin

3)     Cousins by Virginia Hamiliton

       VI.     Realistic Fiction (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)

1)     Baby by Patricia MacLachlan. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)     Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

     VII.     Picture Books (5 reflections required on blog during the first two weeks of class. There should be a total here of at least six.)

1)     The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)     –10 Minutes till Bedtime by Peggy Rathman

3)     –A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

4)     –Chanticleer and the Fox by Geoffrey Chaucer

5)     –Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine by Evaline Ness

6)     –Buzz Boy and Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

7)     There’s a Fly Guy in my Soup by Tedd Arnold

8)     Hooray for Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

9)     The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement is 2 total posts, in 2 different categories)

____ Social Studies

_X___ Science

____ Math

____ Music

____ Art

_X___ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

____ Other

When I was Young in the Mountains Booktalk

Rylant, C. (1982). When I was young in the mountains. New York: E.P. Dutton

Have you ever dreamed of living during a simpler time? Where daily life is not ruled by technology? In When I was Young in the Mountains, the narrator tells of the many ways she stayed busy living with her brother and grandparents high in the mountains of coal mining country.  She tells of jumping in the swimming hole, regardless of the presence of snakes, visiting old Mr. Crawford’s shop, participating in church activities, and sitting out under the stars. She says as long as she was in the mountains she never had the desire to visit the ocean, desert, or anywhere else in the world. This story tells of how adventure can be discovered anywhere, even amongst the elderly in a place of peace and quiet.  

Bridge to Terabithia Booktalk

Bridge to Terabithia Booktalk

Paterson, K (1977). Bridge to Terabithia. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company

BookTalk

Have you ever had a place to call your own? A place you would only share with a best friend? In Katherine Paterson’s novel, Bridge to Terabithia, fifth-grader Jess Aarons befriends the unlikeliest of foes when he realizes that having differences doesn’t necessarily require conflict. Jess, who has a traditional home-life, gets a new neighbor when a family from Washington D.C. moves onto the farm next door. Leslie’s family is very educated but less formal when it comes to the parent-child relationship which at times leaves Jess feeling uncomfortable. Despite taking criticism for befriending an odd girl, Jess feels grateful for his new friend. Leslie helps Jess embraces his artistic side and learn to use his imagination as they create a magical kingdom they name Terabithia. Receiving the Newberry Medal, Bridge to Terabithia, teaches the reader what real friendship is all about, but also shows family can be there to support one another in a time of tragedy.  Be prepared for a variety of emotions as you read this book of realistic fiction. 

Hate That Cat

Hate That Cat

Creech, S. (2008). Hate that cat. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Genre: Poetry

Age Level: 8-10

Summary:  Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech stars a young male student who believes he can’t write poetry. He believes that poetry must rhyme and contain long sentences but his teacher tells him otherwise and encourages his writing. At the beginning of the book, he writes about how much he hats cats especially one in particular. Throughout the book, he models poems after famous poets such as Poe, Tennyson, and Myers. At the end, he has grown fond of writing poetry and cats since his parents bought him a kitten.

Reflection: Sharon Creech creates a very original story with Hate That Cat. The book is about a young male student learning to write poetry but it also teaches the reader the basics of poetry construction. This book shows multiple elements of poetry and examples of each. The main character Jack explains alliteration by writing “purple pickle,” “polished pencil,” and “chocolate chalk.” He explains onomatopoeia by writing “All that buzz buzz buzz and pop! pop! and drip and tinkle and trickle.” Examples of similes are shown as well as metaphors. Jack writes “the chair in my room is like a pleasingly plump momma” and “the black kitten is a poet leaping from line to line.” One of the types of poetry known as concrete poetry is displayed in this book also. Concrete poetry is written and printed in a shape that signifies the subject of the poem. This book of poetry was a fun read for me because like the main character, I also don’t care for cats. This would be a great book to begin a poetry unit with since it explains so many different elements of the poetic writing style. 

Cousins

Cousins

Hamilton, V. (1990). Cousins. New York: Philomel Books.

Genre: Multicultural/Realistic Fiction

Age: 12-14

Summary: Cammy lives in a rural Ohio town with her mother and brother.  She hasn’t seen her father in a long time since her parents are divorced but she is none too short on family having many cousins, aunts, and uncles living near as well as an old grandmother living in a nursing home that she visits very often.  Cammy’s mother works days so she is left in the care of her 16-year old brother whom she often slips away from.  One day after being caught in a thunder storm, she is forced to seek shelter at the home of her cousin Patty Ann whom she sees as the enemy.  After the girls exchange insults, she rushes out into the storm once more, but quickly finds her brother and jumps into his pick-up truck. The reader discovers here that although the father isn’t present much in their lives, he still helps with their financial situation.  During the week, many kids without supervision are taken to day camp with other kids to do activities, go swimming, and socialize.  Cammy, Patty Ann, and their third cousin Elodie all go but they all share different levels of fondness towards one another. At this camp is where the climax of the story takes place. One of the cousins makes a life changing decision and it is the turning point of the story.  How will the others deal with this?

Reflection:  Virginia Hamilton is a world renowned author and shows it with her story-telling and writing style in her book Cousins. This multicultural book was a more difficult read than others I’ve read recently because the style in her writing mirrors the language style of the African American culture displayed in this novel. Hamilton uses phrases like “wouldn’t never know how” and “coo-el” to show the speaking style of the characters in the book. It took a while to understand the rhythm of the language, but once I did the story has a good flow. Hamilton uses imagery to describe the environment of the area especially the day camp Cammy attends. Hamilton writes, “They’d go to another part of the State Park, down dusty roads that were so hot, the air above them seemed to bend in the light. Mirages of water lay on the gravel roadbed.” Being from Oklahoma and experiencing dramatic heat, I can easily picture this in my mind as could a reader who hasn’t seen much of this. She also gives very detailed descriptions of the characters by describing their clothes, hair, and attitudes at many points in the book. If you like to read books about how having loving family members can help mend a broken heart and save one from despair then this is the book for you.