Showing posts with label courage. Show all posts
Friday, October 16, 2015
PPBF: What Does It Mean To Be Kind?
Today I'm excited because I'm hosting my first Lunch 'n Learn with retired teacher and friend April Darling, who'll share ideas to enhance our Morning Meetings.
I'm also delighted to share today's PPBF pick,
the perfect springboard for class circle discussions.
Title: What Does It Mean To Be Kind?
Author: Rana DiOrio
Illustrator: Stéphane Jorisch
Publisher: Little Pickle Press
Date: August 25, 2015
Suitable for: grades preK-3rd
Non-fiction
Themes: kindness, courage, empathy
Brief synopsis: In this fifth book of the author's What Does It Mean? series, children can cultivate ideas about how people of all ages can show and experience kindness.
Opening page: What does it mean to be kind?
Resources:
*Read a Forward Review {here}.
*Check out this comprehensive Cool Mom Picks review.
*Download the Publisher's Discussion Guide {here}.
*Download The Kindness Game at Edutopia {here}.
*Revisit this post about Teaching Kindness at Edutopia.
*Prepare to be wowed by these beautiful Kindness Tree visual displays gathered by my friend Lisa at Ripple Kindness blog.
Why I like this book: Who wouldn't love the focus of this treasure's actionable suggestions for making kindness a verb. And because kindness knows no calendar, this book is positively perfect for any time of year, especially right now as we're about to kick of National Character Counts! Week.
We know that we get more of what we focus on, so putting the spotlight on kindness is spot on. And because of its contagious quality, kindness creates a win-win that can serve as a powerful antidote to apathy, meanness, and bullying. After reading this gem aloud, look up the word kindness using Sign Language. Then research the signs using other words in the book to enrich the text's vocabulary and bring it to life.
My friend Heather made this sign for the threshold to our Hero Headquarters; use it to inspire a Kindness: It's A Sign campaign. Encourage your students to create a sign, a billboard, or a bumper sticker to advertise kindness and post them around the classroom, cafeteria, and hallways.
Check out this book: it's a beautiful reminder of the charge of James M. Barrie: For today, be a little kinder than necessary.
What's your favorite practice for intentionally showing kindness?
Friday, September 25, 2015
Daring To Be Brave
Hello dear reader, and happy Friday.
Today I'm excited to introduce you to a fun new book
that just might help your child understand and conquer a fear or two,
but not before I tell you about my trip to NASA yesterday.
John's supervisor invited me to talk with a few leadership giants
about Fixed and Growth Mindset, so I went to share Carol Dweck's work with a Star Wars spin that I adapted from {here}.
I have it on good authority that they really connected with the Mindset song
I wrote for them and played on the Ukulele.
You are my Padawans, my Mindset Padawans ...
Anyway, so many fun presenting opportunities presenting themselves.
And now, today's book review:
Title: Daredevil Duck
Author & Illustrator: Charlie Alder
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Date: May 12, 2105
Suitable for ages: 3 and up
Fiction
Theme: courage, friendship, fear
Brief synopsis: Daredevil Duck only dreams of being brave. Will he be able to muster up some courage when mole's yellow balloon gets stuck in a tree and he needs Duck's help?
Opening page:
Compare and contrast this Duck tale with another book
Why I like this book: If you've already watched the little clip, you've seen the flip-flap feature that instantly endeared me to this treasure. I love lift-the-flap books, but it's rare to find them beyond the Board Book stage.
Daredevil Duck totally wants courage to be his superpower. He wants do brave stuff, to be a superhero, but time and time again, his fear gets in the way, and he's scared silly. This is super common in younger children, so I predict they'll connect with this beautifully-illustrated Duck tale that has sent my heart soaring.
As an enrichment idea, encourage students to create their own Fear-This Flip-Flap book listing or drawing out things that scare them. Under the flap, they can show ways in which they imagine processing through to conquer that fear. Give them a yellow balloon as a tangible reminder about Duck and his adventure.
Friday, May 29, 2015
PPBF: The Pout-Pout Fish In The Big-Big Dark
Today I'm excited because it was our last Friday of this school year
hook, line, and sinker.
Title: The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark
Author: Deborah Diesen
Illustrator: Dan Hanna
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Date: August 17, 2010
Fiction
Suitable for: ages 3-6
Themes: feelings of fear, courage, friendship
Brief synopsis: Ms. Clam needs help when her little pearl is lost at sea. Can the Pout-Pout Fish conquer his fear of the dark so that he can keep a promise?
Opening page:
A doozie of a drowsy
Made Ms. Clam yawn.
Then a big current whooshed
And her pearl was GONE!
Resources:
Sing along with the Pout-Pout Fish song:
Project-Based Learning: Read the book, research ocean life, then hold an Aquarium Open House. Here's a sneak peek into the sea-life event that Mrs. Martin's Kindergarten learners hosted this afternoon; talk about courageous!
Why I like this book:
Who wouldn't savor this sea-worthy story as we sail in to summer? Cute and clever, this rhyming underwater treat serves up an all-important underlying truth:
We are bigger than the dark.
Mr. Fish knows his strengths, but he's also well-aware of his limitations. And although he wants to help his friend recover what was lost, he realizes that he must first muster up a whole lot of what he doesn't have much of when it comes to the dark: courage!
Courage comes in all shapes and sizes. For Mr. Fish, it's going to come shaped like Miss Shimmer, who works side-by-side with him to keep his promise, face his fears, brave the dark, and recover that pearl. Find out from your little sponges what scares them and let them share their strategies for mastering those
scared feelings.
Check out this book and the other Pout-Pout Fish titles,
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
