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This T shirt is an example of everyday texts that children could come across that is about life changes. This shirt simply says, such is life. It is talking about when life turns for the worse, there's not much you can do to make it better. Or, when something happens that you have no control over, just say "such is life" and not to worry about it.

This could be used in teaching about life transitions and changes because not all of the time can something be done to change it. Sometimes, these changes are inevitable. So, instead of worrying to extremes, I could teach children to accept that which they cannot change.

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These websites are resources about transitions and changes in the life of a child and how to deal with them. As transitions are the hardest periods of a child's life, it is important to provide proper support during these times.

These websites could be used in the classroom with students by having them look up more information on a certain transition that was talked about in class. For example, if the topic of moving was brought up in the lesson, the students could look more into how moving affects a child.

http://www.youngminds.org.uk/training_services/training_and_consultancy/for_schools/wellbeing/transitions
http://extension.psu.edu/youth/betterkidcare/early-care/our-resources/tip-pages/tips/understanding-transitions

http://www.brighthorizons.com/family-resources/e-family-news/helping-children-deal-with-change-and-stress

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Painted by: Leon Zernitsky

This is a picture of what a divorce looks like in a child's world. The parents are going separate ways with the child stuck between them, getting pulled in both directions. The child's face is very confused and concerned. He doesn't know what to do. The parents are both facing opposite directions, going on their own way and pulling their child along with them.

This painting to be used when talking about the topic of divorce and different families. This painting could be used to teach and show that all families are different from one another. This could also be used to teach and show children that if they are going through a divorce in the family, they are not alone in how they feel and what they are going through.

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Poet: Tony Harrison

This is a poem of how a husband is still dealing and stuggling with the death of his wife years after her death. This is written in the point of view of the child, who himself stuggles with the death of his mother still. The dad tries his best to hide his grief from the world, but the child knows that he is still struggling.

This poem would be good to use in a classroom when teaching about death and life cycles to students. This poem gives a unique perspective on death, as it shows that not only is the child suffering but also the spouse who lost their life partner. This would be a good poem to use when teaching about death, life cycles, or grief

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Child's Grief Poems, Bereavement Poems, Sympathy Poems, Grief Support

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Bereavement poems and bereavement articles provides sympathy resources for those dealing with grief and loss. We hope the bereaved find sympathy in our poems, articles and online memorial.

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Singer: Joni Mitchell
Songwriter: Joni Mitchell

This song is about how life will throw you curve balls, that everything comes and goes, but it all really comes down to you to decide what to do with what life gives you. This song is about deciding for yourself what to do with what happens in your life.

I could use this song in the classroom when teaching about and life change or transition, because it doesn't specify a single one in the song. But it does reference life changes and also says that it all comes down to you, the individual, to decide how you want to handle that change. I could introduce this song in the classroom and explain to students that even though life might throw them curve balls, they ultimately are the ones who can decide what to do with it. This song could be used to teach about self-empowerment.

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from the 1974 album COURT AND SPARK - created at http://animoto.com

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Was It The Chocolate Pudding? A Story for Little Kids About Divorce

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Was It The Chocolate Pudding? A Story for Little Kids About Divorce

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Author: Levins, Sandra
Illustrator: Langdo, Bryan
Genre: Nonfiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-3
Approximate Text Level: N/A

A family with two little boys is going through a divorce. Mommy and Daddy are getting a divorce and the narrator, the older brother, thinks that it's his fault because him and his younger made a huge mess with chocolate pudding. This story tells about what it's like to go through a divorce as a child. It talks about what it's like to live with just one parents and seeing the other parent on weekends.

This would be a great book to read to children going through a divorce in the family. They might also think that it was their fault, but this book clearly explains that it's just "adult problems". This book could be used to teach children about divorce. This could also be used to teach children about different families.
https://educators.brainpop.com/lesson-plan/divorce-movie-activities-for-kids/
https://www.scribd.com/document/31270584/Lesson-Plan-Divorce
http://www.tolerance.org/lesson/every-family-same-every-family-different

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Author: Polonsky, Ami
Year of Publication: 2014
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: 4-8
Approximate Text Level: 720L (Lexile Measure)

Grayson is a 12 year old who struggles with going with the gender norms. Grayson was born a boy but is a girl on the inside. This is the story of how Grayson accepts herself, with the help of her friends and family. It follows Grayson through the hardships that she must endure to be able to be her truest self.

This book could be read to children when talking about the topic of gender norms. It could also be read to students if there is a transgender student in the school, to lessen the stigma around them so they feel more accepted. This book could be used to teach students about gender norms, more specifically transgender. This book could also be used when teaching about accepting others despite their differences.
http://www.partnersagainsthate.org/educators/middle_school_lesson_plans.pdf
http://www.tolerance.org/activity/controversial-issues
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/217-lessons
http://www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/documents/LessonPlan-GenderVariance.pdf

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Author: Cutler, Jane
Illustrator: Ryan, Susannah
Year of Publication: 1993
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-2
Approximate Text Level: 410L (Lexile Measure)

Darcy has a new baby brother that she doesn't like. She decides that she doesn't like babies or the attention that the new baby gets. She tells everyone that she doesn't like the baby and they all tell her something different. But when she tells Gran, Gran agrees with Darcy. She doesn't like babies either. Darcy and Gran hang out and talk about babies. Eventually Darcy realizes that the baby won't stop her from doing what she wants to do. She thinks at the end that maybe the baby won't be so bad after all.

This book could be read to a child who recently has a new sibling. It would help them realize that what they are feeling is normal and also that a new baby sibling isn't a bad thing. This would be a good book for teaching about acceptance. This would also be good to use when teaching about families and their dynamics.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/lesson-plan-helping-young-children-learn-accept-differences-maurice-elias
http://www.samaritans.org/your-community/supporting-schools/deal-teaching-resources/developing-emotional-awareness-and/copin-0
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/we-are-family

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Author: Watts, Jeri
Illustrator: Yum, Hyewon
Year of Publication: 2016
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-3
Approximate Text Level: AD650 (Lexile Measure)

Hee Jun's family moves from Korea to West Virginia. His life in Korea was describes as being very comfortable, for him and also the rest of his family. One day his dad accepts a job in West Virginia and they are forced to move. Hee Jun's experience in the States at first wasn't good. He didn't speak English, he didn't have friends, and he was very aware of his differences from the other children. He also described how the environment and surroundings were different. Then, things slowly start to get better as Hee Jun learns English and makes friends. And then he finds a piece of home, a flower that was in the garden at his old house.

This book could be read in a classroom when there is a student from a different country who recently moved in or is anticipated to come. This would help offer insight on what the student might be experiencing. This would also help the peers understand who and maybe why the new student acts the way they do. This book would be good to read when teaching about different cultures.
http://www.sdcda.org/office/girlsonlytoolkit/toolkit/got-12-culture.pdf
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/one_world/lesson_plans/index.asp?article=lesson2
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/children-around-the-world.cfm

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Author: Clifton, Lucille
Illustrator: Grifalconi, Ann
Year of Publication: 1983
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-2
Approximate Text Level: 20 (DRA)

Everett Anderson's father recently died. This story follows Everett throughout his journey in the five stages of grief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Everett's mom is right by his side throughout all of the stages.

This book would be good to read when someone important in a child's life recently passes away. If someone at the school passed, this would be good to read to the whole class because they would all relate to it. On the other hand, if an individual in the classroom is experiencing a loss, this would be a good book to read to shed some insight on what the child is going through to his/her peers. This book could be used to teach about death and life cycles. It could also be used to teach about rhymes and poetry, as the book is a poem telling a story.
http://www.dyingmatters.org/sites/default/files/user/images/Resources/information%20schools/lesson%20plan%20res/Student%20Lesson%20Plan%20%28notes%20for%20teachers%29_1_.pdf
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=28943
http://www.scholastic.com/childrenandgrief/pdfs/Educators/Educator_Guide.pdf
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/grades-1-2-poetry-lessons

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Author: Rylant, Cynthia
Illustrator: Stevenson, Suzie
Year of Publication: 1998
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-2
Approximate Text Level: 400L

Henry and his dog Mudge are very excited to hear the news that Henry's cousin, Annie, is moving next door to him. They go and help Annie move, but Annie is very nervous about it all. She is scared about what will happen to her belongings. Henry and Mudge do their best to console her. When they finally move Annie into her new home, she calms down. Annie and Henry already plan on spending all of their time together.

This book would be good to read if a new student is coming into the classroom so the rest of the students can be more sympathetic. This would also be good to read when a current student is going to be moving away. This is a good book because it helps kids put words to their feelings and thoughts. It also helps them know that what they are thinking and feeling is a natural response to moving. This would be a good book to use when teaching on changes and how to cope with them.
http://www.samaritans.org/your-community/supporting-schools/deal-teaching-resources/developing-emotional-awareness-and/copin-0
http://www.factivities.com/change_management/CopingwithChange.html

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Author: Bergstrom, Corinne
Illustrator: Rosamilia, Patricia
Year of Publication: 1980
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: 2-4
Approximate Text Level: N/A

The narrator and her best friend, Robin, do everything together. The narrator likes to play pretend, but Robin doesn't. One day, twins move into the narrator and Robin's neighborhood. The twins' names are Sally and Benny. Robin and Sally start hanging out together all of the time and exclude the narrator. She feels very left out and dejected for feeling like she lost her best friend completely. But, eventually she learns that her and Benny have a lot in common. The narrator realizes that it's okay to be friends with other people. Her and Robin were still friends but they were now part of a larger friend group instead of just the two of them.

This would be a good book to use when teaching about friendships. If there are any current fights between friends in the classroom this would be a good book to read. Every child has a friendship with someone so every child would be able to relate to this story. This book would be a very useful tool to use when teaching about friendships.
http://www.goodcharacter.com/YCC/BeingFriends.html
https://educators.brainpop.com/lesson-plan/friends-activities-for-kids/
http://www.canlearn.com/guides/5-5139.pdf

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Author: Watson, Wendy
Year of Publication: 1978
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-2
Approximate Text Level: N/A

Mom and Dad decide to move to a new house, but Muffin decides to stay behind in the old house. She doesn't let Mom or Dad pack up anything of hers because it's all going to stay in the old house. When Mom and Dad are ready to leave for the new house, Muffin decides that maybe the new house might not be so bad after all. Muffin decides to move with Mom and Dad.

This would be a good book to read for students who are going to move to a different house or to a classroom when there is a new student or is going to be a new students so the peers can be more sympathetic to the student. This would be a good book to use as a tool for teaching about different outlooks on events, optimism.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/cultivating-practical-optimism-donna-wilson
http://www.momentsaday.com/10-activities-help-young-children-develop-a-positive-attitude/

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Author: Koehler, Phoebe
Illustrator: Quan, Julie
Year of Publication: 1990
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-2
Approximate Text Level: AD380L (Lexile Measure)

This book is about parents who adopt a child. It goes into detail about what the parents did to prepare for the new child. Multiple people let the couple borrow things or gave them things that they would need to use with the new child in the house. When the child is brought home, the parents are overwhelmed with joy.

This would be a good book to read to a newly adopted child or any other child so they can better understand the process of adoption. If all children understand adoption, then when they come across someone who is adopted or if they themselves are adopted, they will not think that it is something abnormal. This book would be a good tool to use when teaching about adoption.
http://www.thecompassnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015-04-April-AdoptionLessonPlan.pdf
http://blog.leeandlow.com/2014/11/20/books-to-teach-about-adoption/

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Author: Tobias, Tobi
Illustrator: Pene du Bois, William
Year of Publication: 1976
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-3
Approximate Text Level: N/A

The narrator of this story is moving with her family. This is the story of the process of the whole move, her reactions to saying goodbye as well as her reactions to the new house and surroundings. She takes her stuffed animal, Bear, with her always.

This would be a good book to read to children who are going to move to a new house, or to a classroom when a new student is going to arrive soon so the peers can be more sympathetic to the new student. This would be a good book to use when teaching about rhymes, as the whole book is written like a poem.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/generating-rhymes-developing-phonemic-121.html
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/get-ready-rhyme

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Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying

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Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying

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Author: Mills, Joyce C
Illustrator: Chesworth, Michael
Year of Publication: 1993
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-4
Approximate Text Level: AD660L (Lexile Measure)

Little Tree and her friend, Amanda, make a new friend who lives across the pond from Little Tree. Their friend's name is Gentle Willow. One day, Amanda discovers that Gentle Willow is sick so she calls the Tree Wizards. They tell Amanda that there is nothing they can do to cure Gentle Willow, but they can make her feel more comfortable until she passes. Amanda and Little Tree do everything to keep Gentle Willow comfortable and happy until she passes.

This would be a good book to read to children who have an illness they might not survive or to children who know someone like that. This would help children cope with the thought of possibly losing a loved one or possibly dying themselves. This would be a good book to teach about the realities of death. It could also be used to teach about life cycles in nature.
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3758055
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2014/04/10-ready-go-resources-teaching-life-cycles
http://www.education.com/lesson-plan/animal-life-cycles-all-around/

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Little Tree: A Story for Children With Serious Medical Problems

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Little Tree: A Story for Children With Serious Medical Problems

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Author: Mills, Joyce C
Illustrator: Sebern, Brian
Year of Publication: 1992
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-4
Approximate Text Level: N/A

Little Tree suffers damage from a severe storm and is afraid that she won't be able to be fixed. Little Tree's friend, Amanda, calls two Tree Wizards to help Little Tree out. They doctor her up by cutting off dead limbs and putting bandages all over her. Once Little Tree is fully healed, the Tree Wizards remove her bandages. When Little Tree sees herself for the first time without the bandages, she becomes upset and doesn't think she is the same after missing her limbs and having her physical appearance changed. But, her friend Amanda tells Little Tree that she is still the same just different on the outside.

This book would be good for children who are or know someone going through/have went through a serious illness. This story would help children cope with losing a limb or having their physical appearance altered from an illness by knowing that they are not alone even if it seems like it. This would also help explain what these children might be going through to peers. This book could be used to teach about illness and other medical problems. It could also be used to teach about cause and effect.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/engaging-with-cause-effect-30678.html?tab=4
http://www.teachjunkie.com/language-arts/ela-cause-effect-inferevidence/

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Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation

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Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation

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Author: Danticant, Edwidge
Illustrator: Staub, Leslie
Year of Publication: 2015
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-3
Approximate Text Level: NC890L (Lexile Measure)

The narrator of this story, a little girl, has her mom taken away from her and her dad because her mom doesn't have the right papers to be in the country. Her mom is an immigrant from Haiti and didn't yet have the right documents to be in the country. This is the story of how the little girl and her dad deal with the mom being away and how they get her to come back.

This would be a good book to read to an immigrant family or children of immigrants if their parent/parents get arrested for not having the proper documentation to be in the country. This story would help them see a light at the end of the tunnel, to know that things will work out. It also serves to show these children that they are not alone in their struggle and that there are others out there who have dealt with the same issues. This book could be used to teach children about immigrants and immigration in the United States.
http://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-daily/2016/01/06/putting-books-to-work-em-mama-s-nightingale-a-story-of-immigration-and-separation-em
http://www.adl.org/assets/pdf/education-outreach/book-of-the-month-mamas-nightingale.pdf

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Author: Ewert, Marcus
Illustrator: Ray, Rex
Year of Publication: 2008
Genre: Fiction
Approximate Level of Interest: K-3
Approximate Text Level: AD540L (Lexile Measure)

Bailey dreams about beautiful dresses and longs to wear them all. When she expresses her thoughts to her family, she is rejected. Her family doesn't accept how Bailey views herself, but she finds someone who does.

This would be a good book for children to read who are going through the transition or coming to the realization that they themselves are transgender. It would help them feel less alone in the process.
This would be a good book to use when teaching or approaching the topic of transgender in the classroom. I would use this book to help open the discussion about gender norms, and what it looks like to not conform to those norms. I would have the kids fill out an OWI Chart for the book and then after, there could be a classroom discussion about it.
This would also be a good book to use when teaching about adjectives. When Bailey's dresses are described in the book, very rich adjectives are used.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7rMDWV075I
https://elementarygendereducation.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/lesson-plans.docx

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Author: Richardson, Justin and Parnell, Peter
Illustrator: Cole, Henry
Year of Publication: 2005
Genre: Informational
Approximate Level of Interest: K-2
Approximate Text Level: AD720L (Lexile Measure)

Two penguins who live in Central Park, Roy and Silo, are a couple. Both of these penguins are males. They do what every other penguin couple does, they even make a nest and sit on it like the others do. Only, they do not have an egg to sit on. Then along comes Tango.

This would be a good book for children who are adopted/being raised by same-sex parents to read. They would understand and realize that they aren't alone and that it isn't bad to have same-sex parents.
This would be a good book to use with predictions. There are a lot of moments when one could stop and make predictions about what will happen next.
This book could also be used when talking about diversity amongst different families and how different families all have different family dynamics.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/and-tango-makes-three-lesson-plan
http://www.mikemcmahon.info/BOE052609Lesson9Grade2.pdf
http://www.healthiersf.org/LGBTQ/InTheClassroom/docs/curriculum/Tango%20Makes%203_revised2.pdf