# data[].attributes.body
Although this video deals with diversity at work, it could be a great starting point. Did you notice that the lady being interviewed in the video is speaking German? Well!! That is another form of diversity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is Diversity? – About Diversity in the working world

# data[].attributes.body
Although this video deals with diversity at work, it could be a great starting point. Did you notice that the lady being interviewed in the video is speaking German? Well!! That is another form of diversity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is Diversity? – About Diversity in the working world

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Features Does Sora Have for You_.mp4

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Look for  and Select Books on Destiny.webm

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Search for a Book on Destiny Based on a Reading Level

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Search for a Book on Destiny Based on a Reading Level

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Search for a Book on Destiny in a Certain Reading Level (AR or F&P).webm

# data[].attributes.headline
Criteria for Checking the Reliability of a Source

# data[].attributes.subject
Criteria for Checking the Reliability of a Source

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Criteria for Checking the Credibility of a Website.webm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Create a Project on NoodleTools.webm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Cite Your Sources on NoodleTools and How to .webm

# data[].attributes.body
A fun way to remember the basic poetry tools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Problem: I would love to study poetry with my class but I'm not sure how to go about it.

Solution: Read on! Here is a way to structure a week-long study of poetry:

Preparation - Choose a few poems for you kids to work on all week. For 2nd graders I would choose 4 to 7 poems depending on their length. I liked to make copies and give each student a packet so they could underline and make other marks on the poems. Make note of vocabulary words used in the poems that your students might not be familiar with. I found it was helpful to make a simple Powerpoint slide show with these words, their definitions and a picture cue.

Monday - Read each poem aloud to your class so they can sit back and enjoy them. You can choose to talk about new vocabulary words before or after reading the poems. I like to have students go through and underline the new vocab words after we read the poems so we can focus on how those words are used all week.

Tuesday - "Poetic devices" sound intimidating but they're just the tools that poets use to create meaning and make their poems interesting. Here are a few poetic devices I have found that students can usually handle pretty well:

Choose an appropriate number of poetic devices to introduce to your students based on their age and their amount of experience with poetry. I like to introduce a few of the more basic poetic devices (perhaps line breaks, imagery, and rhythm) the first time we study poetry, and then add on as we revisit poetry later in the year.

Explain the poetic devices that you chose. Then challenge your students to listen for these as they read the poems again.

Read each poem chorally as a class. Stop and identify poetic devices and maybe even mark them with a star.

***Get a FREE printable chart of poetic devices HERE!***

Wednesday - Remind your students of the poetic devices they just learned yesterday. Read the poems chorally together. Dig into the poet's craft. They used those poetic devices for a reason. Discuss why. Here is a chart I created with my class about the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost.

Thursday - It's important for students to know that not all poems rhyme, but some of them do. Most kids are good at identifying rhyming words but they will be surprised to see that some poets use a predictable pattern of rhyme over and over again in their poems. Here is an example of marking a poem's rhyme scheme.

If you start marking lines and you have A, B, C, D, E, etc. and you're not finding lines that rhyme, then you can conclude with your students that the particular poem you're looking at doesn't have a rhyme scheme.

Friday - After studying the poems all week I think it's fun to have some kind of extension activity. I especially love art activities and since poets "paint pictures with words" there is almost always some kind of art connection you can make with poetry. When we read the poem "Trees are the Kindest Things I Know" by Harry Behn, we responded to the line "they are the last to hold the light, when evening changes into night" with these silhouette paintings:

You could have kids perform the poems with their best expression or act the poems out. They could write their own poem in a style similar to a poem you have studied.

I like to throw in a week-long study of poetry every 6 weeks (because that corresponds to when my language arts units are coming to a close). I feel like the first time we look at poetry during the year the kids aren't as excited and I feel like I must not be teaching it well. But then when we do "poetry week" the next time and the next time it gets a whole lot better. They start to recognize the poetic devices on their own and can take a lot more meaning away from the poems. So...if you feel like teaching poetry flops at first, give your kids another shot at it a few weeks later.

Here's a fun resource over at my TeachersPayTeachers store to help you if you'd also like to get your class going on writing poetry. It includes planning graphic organizers, posters, lesson plans, vocabulary activities, and writing project templates.

Follow along on Pinterest for more literacy ideas:

Follow Hannah @ The Classroom Key's board Literacy on Pinterest.

Hannah Braun is a former teacher with 8 years of experience in the classroom and a master's degree in early childhood education. She designs engaging, organized classroom resources for 1st-3rd grade teachers.

Author: Hannah Braun

https://www.theclassroomkey.com

Hannah Braun is a former teacher with 8 years of experience in the classroom and a master's degree in early childhood education. She designs engaging, organized classroom resources for 1st-3rd grade teachers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Problem: I would love to study poetry with my class but I'm not sure how to go about it. Solution: Read on! Here is a way to structure a week-long study of poetry: Preparation - Choose a few poems for you kids to work on all week.

# data[].attributes.headline
Nelson Mandela نيلسون مانديلا/ Afkar Ghayaret Al Alam/ Book 3/

# data[].attributes.subject
Nelson Mandela نيلسون مانديلا/ Afkar Ghayaret Al Alam/ Book 3/

# data[].attributes.body
An account of Nelson Mandela, the person who fought against racism. Read more about the book here.

# data[].attributes.headline
Nabaweya Moussa نبويه موسى/ Afkar Ghayaret Al Alam/ Book 12

# data[].attributes.subject
Nabaweya Moussa نبويه موسى/ Afkar Ghayaret Al Alam/ Book 12

# data[].attributes.body
Tells the story of Nabawiyya Mohamed Musa Badawia, an Egyptian Nationalist and Feminist and is recognized as one of the founding feminists of the 20th century in Egypt.

Read more about the book here.

# data[].attributes.body
Please don't cry while reading this poem

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read, review and discuss the A Very Special Child poem by Gary Shulman, MS. Ed. on Poetry.com

# data[].attributes.body
An inspirational poem

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Author Unknown

You weren't like other children,
And God was well aware,
You'd need a caring family,
With love enough to share.
And so He sent you to us,
And much to our surprise,
You haven't been a challenge,
But a blessing in disguise.
Your winning smiles and laughter,
The pleasures you impart,
Far outweigh your special needs,
And melt the coldest heart.
We're proud that we've been chosen,
To help you learn and grow,
The job that you have brought us,
Is more than you can know.
A precious gift from Heaven,
A treasure from above,
A child who's taught us many things,
But most of all- "Real Love"

I came across this gorgeous poem on blog called Kids - A connection for Inspiration.

Return from The Special Child back to Homepage
Return from The Special Child back to Inspiration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Author Unknown You weren't like other children, And God was well aware, You'd need a caring family, With love enough to share. And so He sent you to us, And much to our surprise, You haven't been a challenge, But a blessing in disguise.

# data[].attributes.headline
Thanku: Poems of Gratitude by Miranda Paul

# data[].attributes.subject
Thanku: Poems of Gratitude by Miranda Paul

# data[].attributes.body
This poetry anthology, edited by Miranda Paul, explores a wide range of ways to be grateful (from gratitude for a puppy to gratitude for family to gratitude for the sky) with poems by a diverse group of contributors, including Joseph Bruchac, Margarita Engle, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Naomi Shihab Nye, Charles Waters, and Jane Yolen.
Interest Level: Juvenile

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This poetry anthology, edited by Miranda Paul, explores a wide range of ways to be grateful (from gratitude for a puppy to gratitude for ...

# data[].attributes.body
A girl with Tourette syndrome starts at a new school and tries to hide her quirks in this debut middle-grade novel in verse.

Astronomy-loving Calliope June has Tourette syndrome, so she sometimes makes faces or noises that she doesn't mean to make. When she and her mother move yet again, she tries to hide her TS. But it isn't long before the kids at her new school realize she's different. Only Calli's neighbor, who is also the popular student body president, sees her as she truly is—an interesting person and a good friend. But is he brave enough to take their friendship public?

As Calli navigates school, she must also face her mother's new relationship and the fact that she might be moving, again, just as she starts to make friends and finally accept her differences.
Interest level: Juvenile
Text Difficulty: 3
Lexile Score: 670L

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
3.25-3.5 stars

Have to state the obvious first: this cover is so gorgeous! Would honestly call this one of the prettiest covers of books I've read this year.

This was a nice quick read for me that I was able to finish in one day. It was nice having a main character with Tourette's Syndrome who wasn't on the most extreme side of the spectrum. I have a friend with TS who is actually a lot like Callie so I might send her a copy of this book.

The build up of a friendship between Callie and Jinsong wa...more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
3.25-3.5 stars Have to state the obvious first: this cover is so gorgeous! Would honestly call this one of the prettiest covers of books I've read this year. This was a nice quick read for me that I was able to finish in one day.

# data[].attributes.headline
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly 

# data[].attributes.subject
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly 

# data[].attributes.body
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math...really good.

They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black and a woman limited what they could do. But they worked hard. They persisted. And they used their genius minds to change the world.

In this illustrated picture book edition, we explore the story of four female African American mathematicians at NASA, known as "colored computers," and how they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging STEM-based career

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math...really good. They participated in some of NAS...

# data[].attributes.body
Jude never thought she'd be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven't quite prepared her for starting school in the US--and her new label of 'Middle Eastern,' an identity she's never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises--there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude just might try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.

Interest grade level: 5-8

Fountas and Pinnell: W

Lexile Service: 930L.

Read more about the book here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The overall concept of the book is amazing.! The only things I would say to be mindful are mentions of menstrual cycles (twice or thrice), a bomb goi The overall concept of the book is amazing.! The only things I would say to be mindful are mentions of menstrual cycles (twice or thrice), a bomb going off, cities that are being torn apart by war, and Islamophobia. ...more
Nothing of overly graphic, but it is realistic. I hop this helps!(less)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The overall concept of the book is amazing.! The only things I would say to be mindful are mentions of menstrual cycles (twice or thrice), a bomb goi The overall concept of the book is amazing.!

# data[].attributes.headline
This Book Is Anti-Racist/ 20 Lessons on How to Wake up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell

# data[].attributes.subject
This Book Is Anti-Racist/ 20 Lessons on How to Wake up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell

# data[].attributes.body
This Book Is Anti-Racist Journal, a guided journal with more than 50 activities to support your anti-racism journey Who are you? What is racism? Where does it come from? Why does it exist? What can you do to disrupt it? Learn about social identities, the history of racism and resistance against it, and how you can use your anti-racist lens and voice to move the world toward equity and liberation.

Interest grade level: 5-8

Fountas and Pinnell: U

Lexile: 900L.

Read more about the book here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Yes, it's absolutely appropriate for kids in 4th-5th grade. One of my kids read it as a 4th grader and got a lot out of it. With respect to one of theYes, it's absolutely appropriate for kids in 4th-5th grade. One of my kids read it as a 4th grader and got a lot out of it. With respect to one of the comments below, while white children in 5th grade might not have "the baggage that some of this book addresses," their classmates of color probably do and if we want to raise kids who are anti-racist, it's important to start young. ...more (less)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Yes, it's absolutely appropriate for kids in 4th-5th grade. One of my kids read it as a 4th grader and got a lot out of it. With respect to one of theYes, it's absolutely appropriate for kids in 4th-5th grade. One of my kids read it as a 4th grader and got a lot out of it.

# data[].attributes.headline
Reaching for the Moon The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine G. Johnson

# data[].attributes.subject
Reaching for the Moon The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine G. Johnson

# data[].attributes.body
As a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an exceptional aptitude for math. In school she quickly skipped ahead several grades and was soon studying complex equations with the support of a professor who saw great promise in her. But ability and opportunity did not always go hand in hand. As an African American and a girl growing up in an era of brutal racism and sexism, Katherine faced daily challenges. Still, she lived her life with her father’s words in mind: “You are no better than anyone else, and nobody else is better than you.”

In the early 1950s, Katherine was thrilled to join the organization that would become NASA. She worked on many of NASA’s biggest projects including the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first men on the moon.

Katherine Johnson’s story was made famous in the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures. Now in Reaching for the Moon she tells her own story for the first time, in a lively autobiography that will inspire young readers everywhere.
Interest Level: 5-8
Lexile Score: 1040L
Text Difficulty: 6-8

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
“This rich volume is a national treasure.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Captivating, informative, and inspiring…Easy to follow and h...

# data[].attributes.body
Robert Hoge was born with a tumor the size of a tennis ball in the middle of his face and short, twisted legs, but he refused to let what made him different stand in the way of leading a happy, successful life. This is the true story of how he embraced his circumstances and never let his 'ugly' stop him from focusing on what truly mattered.

Read more about the book here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
the book is about a boy named Robert Hoge born on July 21, 1972 , he wasn't like any other normal baby. Robert was born with a massive tumor the size the book is about a boy named Robert Hoge born on July 21, 1972 , he wasn't like any other normal baby. Robert was born with a massive tumor the size of a tennis ball in the middle of his face, his legs were also bent, twisted and deformed. Throughout his life he struggled with bullying, lots of surgerys, and having to face that at first even his own mother didn't want him. Sarah Yonai...more
(less)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
the book is about a boy named Robert Hoge born on July 21, 1972 , he wasn't like any other normal baby. Robert was born with a massive tumor the size the book is about a boy named Robert Hoge born on July 21, 1972 , he wasn't like any other normal baby.

# data[].attributes.headline
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

# data[].attributes.subject
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

# data[].attributes.body
This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy—

Talking about boogers.

Stealing pocket change.

Skateboarding.

Wiping out.

Braving up.

Executing complicated handshakes.

Planning an escape.

Making jokes.

Lotioning up.

Finding comfort.

But mostly, too busy walking home.

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

Read more about the book here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Look Both Ways book. Read 2,631 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. From National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling ...

# data[].attributes.body
The story of a teenage girl who's literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she's ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.

Interest grade level: Young Adult Follett School Solutions.

Read more about the book here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
My disease is as rare as it is famous. It’s a form of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, but basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t...

# data[].attributes.headline
Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

# data[].attributes.subject
Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

# data[].attributes.body
Jason, a twelve-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer, relates what his life is like as he tries to make sense of his world.

Read more about the book here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jason Blake is an autistic 12-year-old living in a neurotypical world. Most days it’s just a matter of time before something goes wrong. ...

# data[].attributes.headline
Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science by Jeannine Atkins

# data[].attributes.subject
Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science by Jeannine Atkins

# data[].attributes.body
Three biographies in verse about three girls in three different time periods who grew up to become groundbreaking scientists.

Maria Merian was sure that caterpillars were not wicked things born from mud, as most people of her time believed. Through careful observation she discovered the truth about metamorphosis and documented her findings in gorgeous paintings of the life cycles of insects.

More than a century later, Mary Anning helped her father collect stone sea creatures from the cliffs in southwest England. To him they were merely a source of income, but to Mary they held a stronger fascination. Intrepid and patient, she eventually discovered fossils that would change people’s vision of the past.

Across the ocean, Maria Mitchell helped her mapmaker father in the whaling village of Nantucket. At night they explored the starry sky through his telescope. Maria longed to discover a new comet—and after years of studying the night sky, she finally did.

Told in vibrant, evocative poems, this stunning novel celebrates the joy of discovery and finding wonder in the world around us.
Interest Level: 4-8
Lexile Score: 970L
Text Difficulty: 4-7

# data[].attributes.headline
Definition of Diversity from a Dictionary

# data[].attributes.subject
Definition of Diversity from a Dictionary

# data[].attributes.body
Diversity is "the condition of having or being composed of differing elements

especially : the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or organization" (Definition of Diversity, 2022).

# data[].attributes.body
"Culture diversity refers to the importance of understanding and appreciating the cultural differences between race, ethnic, and gender groups" (Equity, Diversity, 2022).

# data[].attributes.headline
“Our beautiful America was built by a nation of strangers. From a hundred different places or more they have poured forth into an empty land, joining and blending in one mighty and irresistible tide.The land flourished because it was fed from so many sources―because it was nourished by so many cultures and traditions and peoples.”  — President Lyndon B. Johnson, on reforming immigration policy with the Hart-Celler Act, October 3, 1965 (Equity, Diversity, 2022).

# data[].attributes.subject
“Our beautiful America was built by a nation of strangers. From a hundred different places or more they have poured forth into an empty land, joining and blending in one mighty and irresistible tide.The land flourished because it was fed from so many sources―because it was nourished by so many cultures and traditions and peoples.”  — President Lyndon B. Johnson, on reforming immigration policy with the Hart-Celler Act, October 3, 1965 (Equity, Diversity, 2022).