​I recently read the book An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Aston for a Children’s Literature course I am taking. As I was reading, I kept thinking about how much your students would enjoy this book. You always mention how nature is one of their favorite subjects to learn about. I would like to share my thoughts with you on a few things you could do in your classroom to incorporate this book. 

​I noticed when I began the book that there are a lot of vocabulary words you could go over with your students. The words could go with any science/nature lesson or even an art lesson. I thought the students could start their own nature dictionary as an activity to go with this book. However, they would be able to use the dictionary for several other books as well. With each nature book that they read, either as a class or individually, the students would add words that they don’t know into their nature dictionary. This way they strengthen their dictionary skills by looking up the meaning of the word as well as their vocabulary exposure.

I hope you decide to read this book to your students. They are going to love it! 

Sincerely,
Katye Butts

Stevens gives each dog a different personality and a different problem that is unique, yet realistic. It is because of the realistic aspect of these pet problems that children will find this book hilarious and entertaining. Even children who don’t like to read will enjoy hearing about Mr. Mutt’s advice to these troubled animals. 

 

 

 

This concept has been something I have always struggled with. For me, it was always with friendships. It seemed like I was always more dedicated to my friends than they were to me. Don’t get me wrong, I had great friends. However, anytime they needed anything I dropped whatever I was doing to be there for them. This action was very rarely returned. In Diary of a Wimpy Kid, this quote may have been said sarcastically, but there is a lot of truth to it. I want my students to learn life lessons in my classroom, not just school subjects. I want my students to leave my classroom knowing that they became a better version of themselves that year. I know with my personal experiences throughout school, I can teach them this concept of accepting that not everyone is going to be as dedicated as you are to something-no matter what it is.

 

If you would like to learn more about Rosa Parks, please visit: https://www.biography.com/people/rosa-parks-9433715

 

Here are some lessons and activities that you can do with your students about Rosa Parks and Civil Rights:

 

This quote hit me like a brick wall. I have always known this is a fact, but seeing it in words is so much different. What Natasha is saying is a concept that many of us take for granted. This is the only life we have to live. There’s no “I’ll do it better the next go ‘round”. No, this is is. The term “YOLO” (you only live once) is something that today’s society uses as an excuse to justify doing really stupid stuff. However, I think this is a quote that I would have on my board everyday if I ever taught a middle school/high school class. This is a concept that young teenagers and young adults need to grasp and the faster they do, the better. As a teacher, I want my students to leave my classroom at the end of the year knowing that they gained so much more than schoolbook knowledge. I want my students to know they became a better version of themselves because they were in my classroom.

​I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all you did for me throughout my years in Argyle Middle School. You were one of my favorite teachers and have become a friend. I enjoy watching your children grow up into beautiful toddlers and miss them terribly. 

​I wanted to share a few thoughts with you and hope I can offer some new and exciting ideas for you classroom. I have recently read the book Rollergirl by Victoria Jamieson and think it would be a great addition to your classroom library and maybe even to your lesson plans. This is a book that I wish I had read when I was in middle school. Astrid is a typical middle school girl with a best friend who is attached at her hip. Astrid wants to join the roller derby team and just assumes her friend will join with her since they do everything together. However, this is not the case and it causes Astrid to do something on her own for once. It covers friendships, surviving middle school, and finding who you are and learning to be happy with it. Every student in middle school can relate to this book in some way. I definitely think you should look into it and consider at least putting it in your classroom library. 

​Hope to talk to you soon and please tell you kiddo’s I said hello! 

 

Sincerely, 

Katye Butts

The story starts off with all the eggs hatching except the biggest one. There is one egg that seems to be significantly bigger than all the other eggs, and seems to be taking longer to hatch. When the egg finally hatches, it turns out it’s not a duckling at all but a swan. As this little swan grows up, he is constantly outcast and made fun of for not looking like the rest of the ducklings it was born with. He always sees the swans elegantly swimming in the water as wishes he could be as beautiful as they are. However, one day the swan looks at his reflection in the water and realizes that he is in fact as beautiful as they are. He finally found a group of animals that he feels he belongs with. After searching his whole life, he was finally confidant in who he is.  I think this is an important story to read especially to younger children. This concept can never be covered too much.

The lucky narrator of this story is Jack, from Jack and the Beanstalk. The characters in this story are the counterparts to the characters in the original tales. For example, the counterpart to The Gingerbreadman in this story would be The Stink Cheeseman. Usually when the princess kisses the frog, he turns into the prince of her dreams. However, that does not happen in this story. The princess kisses the frog only to get slime all over her and he jumps back into the water. 

This book would be appropriate for children ages 8 and up. The child would have to have an understanding of the original tales and how they are supposed to be told in order to really appreciate this book and everything it has to offer. 

 

 

I love this quote because there is so much truth to it. This would be a concept that you could use for middle school and high school both. Most of the time you do not just do something and then all of the sudden get in trouble for it. It takes steps, sometimes many steps to get there. Even if you do not get caught the first time, the more steps you take the more lies you have to tell and you will eventually get caught. While teaching this lesson in class, I could give some age appropriate examples of different times in my own personal life that this has been the case. Students always learn better when you take a concept and apply it to your life so they can better understand it.

 

When I read this, it was like a light bulb went off in my head. In order to truly be considered brave, you have to know the entirety of everything that you’re being brave for. If you truly knew everything that you’re acting brave for, would you still be brave? Or would you shy away from the situation and leave the being brave to someone else? Personally, I’d like to think I would choose to be brave either way. However, that is very hard to say. Yes, it depends on the circumstances. I do think it has some to do with your pride as well. Some people wouldn’t choose to continue to be brave, but because the have so much pride they can’t bare to see themselves back down from what they have already stood up against. This would be an interesting discussion topic to bring up to a classroom of high school students. Would they continue to be brave if they knew everything? Why or why not? Honestly I think the discussion would be very intellectual and very interesting to listen to.

 

This line signifies so much in the book because it is stressed so much about how dry it is. The rain signifies hope and change in the future for these boys. Stanley and his family had been under a curse for as long as he can remember. The Green Lake had been under a curse of a never-ending drought because God was punishing them for what Sam did. The drought was a big part of the book. If you do not understand the significance of the drought, you will not fully understand just how important even the one raindrop really is to the story. The rain signifies the breaking of all curses and the end of the drought for Green Lake. They can finally go back to living normal lives once again and have a hope of a better future.