Children's Books Online

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Illustration, Pinkie says good-bye, Margaret Clayton, From Bunny Brothers
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This website's library offers full versions of more than 700 classic children's books indexed by age/interest reading levels (pre-readers and very early readers, early readers, intermediate readers, advanced readers, and adult readers). Such classic tales as Jack and the Beanstalk, Mother Goose, Three Blind Mice, Tom Thumb, The Ugly Duckling, Peter Rabbit, Puss in Boots, The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Pinocchio are available on the site.

A number of the books are available in multiple languages. The site's Eye in the Ear section offers audio tracks accompanying select children's books. And its Super Index offers a full listing of the available stories, poems, rhymes, book chapters, and illustrations. For those researching children or children's literature, this site is a treasure trove.

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Picturing the American Revolution

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Photography, Yorktown Cannon, 23 April 2003, DanRhett, Flickr CC
Question

If you had to choose five picture books for early U.S. History what would these books be? Also, this would be for urban 5th graders who have not had Social Studies and tend to score very low on standardized reading tests.

Answer

My answer to your question will be based on the following assumptions:

  1. By “early U.S. history” you are referring to the American Revolution.
  2. You will use the picture books as read aloud and possibly incorporate an ELA writing activity after the read aloud.
  3. Both fiction and nonfiction books may be used.
  4. The order of the list does not give precedence to one book over another.
  5. It’s impossible to choose only five books!

Enjoy!

Here are some suggestions for the American Revolution:

  1. Boston Tea Party by Pamela Duncan Edwards: This book sets the stage for the Revolution. Students will gain an understanding as to why the colonists were upset with the British king and took such action. The book offers a clear and concise explanation of the causes and effects of the Boston Tea Party while providing a humorous touch with mice conversing at the bottom of each page. Their chattering provides a simplified version of the events reaching students who might find too many details overwhelming.

    2. ELA writing piece: Have students write a friendly letter to a family member in England explaining why they are upset.

  2. Let It Begin Here- Lexington & Concord—First Battles of the American Revolution by Dennis Brindell Fradin: A timeline of events is depicted for the first 24 hours of the American Revolution. Students will gain an overview of that fateful day. As the date and time that appears at the top of each page is read aloud, students will sense how quickly the events unraveled. It would be fun to give each student a paper clock and have them move the hands as the time is reported. They could use their math skills to determine how much time has passed between events.

    ELA writing piece: Have students rewrite history. Students will change one event and write how it could have changed our history.

  3. Sybil’s Night Ride by Karen B. Winnick: Not only Paul Revere rode to announce the British were coming, so did Sybil Ludington. Students will relate to the heroism of a peer and enjoy hearing about someone their age performing a heroic deed similar to that of Paul Revere. After the reading the class could discuss the characteristics of a hero.

    4. ELA writing piece: Have students write a paragraph about a contemporary hero.

  4. When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney: A detailed depiction of Washington’s attack on Trenton. Students should take notes on the hardships faced by the colonial army. After reading and discussing these, the teacher could show students the famous 1851 painting of Washington crossing the Delaware and ask them how the artist’s depiction is not historically accurate. Students will enjoy finding the “mistakes.” They should be ready to answer this question, “If a photograph had been taken what would we see?” Students could even draw their interpretation.

    5. ELA writing piece: Have students write a character sketch of Washington. What made him such a great leader? Use details from the story.

  5. The Scarlet Stockings Spy by Trinka Hakes Noble: A young girl in Philadelphia, 1777, helps Washington’s army by spying on the British. The order in which she hangs laundry is a code and secretly read by her brother who is a spy for the Patriots. Students will like the suspense of the story and notice that even though women may not be on the battlefield, they served in meaningful ways on the home front.

    6. ELA writing piece: Have students retell the story in modern time using current technology that mirrors the actions taken by Maddy Rose in 1777.

  6. The Declaration of Independence—The Words that Made America by Sam Fink: The words of the Declaration are written phrase by phrase. Instead of reading aloud, the teacher could give pairs of students a phrase to rewrite in their own words and then explain to the class. The teacher should first model one phrase for the class. Students will gain a true understanding of what this document is saying. For students who have only seen small mock versions of the document, they will find that the larger than life font size brings the words to life. The cartoon-like illustrations with bubble captions will also appeal to this age group.
For more information

Books for students who would like to discover more on their own:

  1. Why Not Lafayette? by Jean Fritz: Readable biography of Lafayette for a 5th grader.
  2. Paul Revere’s Ride by Xavier Niz: A graphic rendition of the famous ride.
  3. Twice a Hero by Dirk Wales: Tells the story of Polish American heroes of the Revolution.
  4. Now & Ben—The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta: Connects Ben Franklin to our lives today.

Look for more ideas here, where you will find books for the K-12 classroom that have been designated as notable by social studies teachers who are members of the National Council for the Social Studies.

Another Kind of American Idol

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Smithsonian image, Star Spangled Banner
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The impressive Star-Spangled Banner, America's almost 200-year old, 34-by-34-foot flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the national anthem, is a highlight exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

But as important as the flag and the anthem are to our national identity, it's no secret that singing the anthem is not for the faint-of-voice or for the monotone, although it's publicly sung in every imaginable venue by choirs, opera singers, pop and rap performers, and many, many, many more. Now, the Smithsonian offers visitors to the online Star-Spangled Banner exhibit a chance to show the world how it ought to be sung on YouTube.

The Smithsonian invites you to

Sing the national anthem your way! Upload your video to our YouTube group and enter to win the Star-Spangled Banner singing contest sponsored by the National Museum of American History and USA WEEKEND. The Grand Prize winner will be invited to perform the national anthem at the Museum in Washington, DC and at the Baltimore Orioles vs. Atlanta Braves game, both on Flag Day (June 14, 2009). The prize includes a trip for two to Washington, DC, including airfare and two nights hotel accommodations; tickets and transportation to a Baltimore Orioles baseball game; and $400 in spending money.

Sample entries are posted; just hit the Go button and start singing!

The exhibit explores the Star-Spangled Banner as history, as artifact, and as symbol.

But first, tour other elements of this online exhibit. The Star-Spangled Banner site looks at the flag as history, as artifact, and as symbol. It weaves narratives of the past with present-day meaning. The exhibit tells the story of the flag and invites viewers to explore the physical features and dimensions of this carefully-preserved remnant. Close-up zooms focus on the fabric, weave, and color and explain history and conservation efforts over the years.

Mini-essays and quizzes give context to the War of 1812 and explain why the Star-Spangled Banner and subsequent versions of the flag came to hold such meaning for Americans. Read the history of the American flag, and investigate rules and rituals surrounding its display and use.

The interactive feature, Share Your Story, encourages individuals to talk about the meaning of the flag in their own lives and to upload photographs illustrating that meaning.

Jennifer Orr on Integrating History into 1st-grade Instruction

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Photography, Old Telephones and assorted equipment, Chester Paul Sgroi, 23 Dec 2
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As a primary school teacher my focus is on building basic academic skills in ways that are developmentally appropriate for my students. That means we focus most of our time on reading, writing, and math while ensuring that we have chances to play and explore our world.

As one can imagine, this leaves little time for social studies and science. I have standards and objectives to teach in these areas, but they are prioritized below the others. As a result, I look for ways to integrate them into other parts of our day.

Some ways to do so are obvious. When we are working on nonfiction reading skills I carefully choose books about Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, or life in the past. As we explore writing reports I will gently nudge my students towards something about the past that has caught their interest. I stock my classroom library with biographies, history trade books, and historical fiction at appropriate reading levels. I choose read alouds that offer a window into the past, such as Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression by Kate Lied, Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting, or books from the American Girl or Magic Tree House series.

In addition to those options, I also try to integrate our exploration of history into other areas. One way I do so is to have my students talk to family members and adults in the school about their own histories. Homework might be to ask someone in the family how their experience in school was different from that of my students or what going to the movies was like when they were young. During our morning meeting the next day we’ll talk about what their family members shared with them.

I want to correct misperceptions, expose them to surprising ideas, and generally encourage an interest in understanding how our world has changed over time.

We study data and graphing in math in first grade and I use this as a chance to learn about the past. My students will fan out around the school and interview teachers, administrators, secretaries, lunch room helpers, and custodians about their lives in first grade. They might ask how many channels they had on TV then, did they wear seat belts or ride in car seats, how many telephones were in their house, etc. (I do try to send my students off to interview only those staff members old enough to make a difference here. Our just-out-of-college teachers won’t offer answers different enough to be noticeable.) Then we graph the answers they got from staff members and my students’ answers and look at the differences.

History is fascinating to young children, but it is also very nebulous. They struggle to understand something they can’t see. I try to build it into our days throughout the year to ensure that we are talking about and exploring history as much as possible. I want to correct misperceptions, expose them to surprising ideas, and generally encourage an interest in understanding how our world has changed over time.

For more information

Watch Orr demonstrate integrating history into a lesson that also teaches skills such as reading, ordering, and technology use, in Beyond the Chalkboard.

National Portrait Gallery

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The National Portrait Gallery gathers together artistic depictions of or by ". . . individuals who have left—and are leaving—their mark on our country and our culture," according to the gallery website. If you are looking for art relating to early America or politicians, then the exhibits could prove quite useful. While the temptation is to immediately select the web-only exhibitions, the other sections (current and past) all also have well-developed web components. Examples of exhibits worth a look include "Thomas Paine: The Radical Founding Father," "Presidents in Waiting," and "American Origins, 1600-1900." The museum offers a number of educational resources to accompany their exhibits. These include lesson plans, study guides, and teacher's guides. You can also access short articles on historical figures such as Rosa Parks and Walt Whitman.

Portraits may just be key to making the past feel real to your students, making the humanity of history readily accessible in their imaginations.

If you have something more specific in mind, you can, of course, search the collection. Face-to-Face podcasts offer an in-depth look at artists, major historical figures, and events as interpreted through a particular artwork. Of course, visiting a museum with your class is the best way to introduce them to the stories of famous works of art, so give it some thought if you're in the DC area. The section entitled School Programs offers teacher and student online introductory videos and a list of available on-site student programs (with suggested grade levels), while Teacher Programs covers upcoming professional development opportunities. Think of how frustrating it is to hear stories about friends' co-workers, etc. whom you don't have a face for. If you do nothing else with the collections, consider giving your students the opportunity to visualize the subjects of their studies—the greater the amount of personality apparent in the portraiture, the better. Portraits may just be key to making the past feel real to your students, making the humanity of history readily accessible in their imaginations.

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