Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/27/17

March 27, 2017 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover the next “must-read” book!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too.

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last Week’s Posts

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Tuesday: Ten Short Novels that Pack a Punch

Wednesday: Review and Giveaway!: Brobarians by Lindsay Ward

Thursday: Review and Giveaway!: I Am (Not) Scared by Anna Kang

Friday: Paint Me a Picture & Tell Me a Story by Emily Bannister

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Journey” by Michael Cottman, Author of Shackles from the Deep

**Don’t miss out on the two giveaways from last week!**

Last Week’s Journeys

I love Spring Break! Even with our mini-vacation and being a bit busy, I was able to get a lot of reading done. I am not going to list all of the picture books I read (17!) because I plan on reviewing them all soon, so I will share them with you then 🙂

First Second has some amazing upcoming graphic novels coming out!
–Pelé: The King of Soccer by Eddy Simon and Vincent Brascaglia is the name I have heard for years because soccer is by far the most popular sport at my school, but I hadn’t know much about him until this graphic novel, and I loved learning about the man that many of my students call a hero.
–Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke is just as good as the first one, and I love the world that Hatke has created for Jack, Maddy, and Lilly. The creatures are so creative and interesting, the adventures are heart stopping, and the characters are so well developed. And GUYS! There is an epic cliffhanger ending! I cannot wait!
–Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld is everything you would expect from Scott Westerfeld: unique, mind-blowing, and fantastical. I cannot believe this books is not getting more hype because it is going to be a series that readers will not be able to put down and readers will be so anxious to read the next one. I loved the premise that is so mysterious and only little clues sprinkled throughout the book to help you figure things out, but there is SO MUCH more to know–I cannot wait for the next book!

I almost met my Spring Break reading goal!
-Sting is a really awesome continuation of Loot–it was just unique enough to not seem like it was Loot continued but it also really helps you get to know all the characters.
–Bot Wars and Bot Wars: Meta-Rise by J.V. Kade are so good! I love the political aspects of this story while it also has such an interesting plot and characters. If you haven’t read them and like sci-fi, I really recommend it.
-Frenzy is TERRIFYING! It is probably the creepiest middle grade book that I have ever read. And there were so many deaths. If you or your students like horror and suspense, they should pick this one up! (Oh, and it was my final book from my state list! I read all 15 of them! Woot!)
-The Chronicles of Nick is a series that one of my students is obsessed with, and he makes comments all the time like, “Why won’t anyone read it?!” So, I promised him I would read it over break, and I can see why he likes it–it is a pretty epic paranormal adventure. I probably won’t continue the series, but I am glad that I can now chat with the student about the world of this series.

Ricki

Hi! I am off the grid this week because my dissertation is due to my advisor this Wednesday. Hugs to you all, and I apologize for being so elusive this month!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

This is one of those series that everyone freaks out about me not reading, so I am going to jump in. Hopefully it is as good as everyone says!

After, I plan on reading a few more novels for review that I’ll share later 🙂

I want to apologize for the lack of commenting recently: two weeks ago it was my yearbook deadline, last week was my mini-vacation for my anniversary, and today is the state competition for my Future Problem Solvers. Hopefully next week things will be more back to normal.
HAPPY READING THIS WEEK!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Top Ten Authors We Would Love to Meet

Wednesday: Teaching Guide for Ada’s Ideas by Fiona Robinson

Thursday: Guest Review: Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey

Friday: Review and Giveaway!: Henry and the Chalk Dragon by Jennifer Trafton

Sunday: Author Guest Post

So, what are you reading?

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

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Author Guest Post: “Journey” by Michael Cottman, Author of Shackles from the Deep

March 26, 2017 by Kellee

“Journey” by Michael Cottman

My journey to write Shackles From The Deep started when I was a boy growing up in Detroit and watching a popular television show called Sea Hunt, a 1960s adventure program about an underwater detective.

From the time I was a kid, I wanted to scuba dive and explore the ocean’s depths. And because National Geographic embraces adventure tales like no other company, this was a perfect publishing partnership.

I wrote Shackles From The Deep in a conversational way for young readers to share the story of the Henrietta Marie, a sunken 17^th century slave ship. This is more than just the story of one ship – it’s the untold story about millions of African people taken as captives to the New World.

I traveled to three continents to piece together a trans-Atlantic puzzle. I reviewed shipping records and slave-ship captain’s logs in London. I retraced the route of the Henrietta Marie slave ship and scuba-dived the ship’s ports of call in Jamaica, Barbados, and West Africa.

During my research, I learned amazing things: Today, the Henrietta Marie is believed to be the world’s largest source of tangible objects from the early years of the slave trade.

The Henrietta Marie is the only slave ship in America that has been scientifically documented and where more than 20,000 artifacts were recovered, including the largest collection of slave-ship shackles ever found on one site.

I also learned the shackles were discovered in 1973 by Moe Molinar, a black underwater treasure hunter who was searching for the Atocha, a Spanish galleon that had sunk nearly 400 years ago filled with gold, silver and $400 million worth of jewels.

Treasure hunters didn’t know what to make of these relics. Then in 1983, maritime archaeologists, intrigued by the mystery, revisited the site and came upon a ship’s bell. As they chipped away at the limestone encrustation a name and a date emerged: Henrietta Marie, 1699.

Beneath the sea, on the wreck of the Henrietta Marie, I ran my hands through the sand and held the tiny glass trade beads that were used by the Henrietta Marie’s crew to trade for African people.

The story of Shackles From The Deep also introduces young readers to the unprecedented partnership between members of The National Association of Black Scuba Divers (I’m a lifetime member) and white maritime archaeologists who explored the Henrietta Marie together for a common purpose and forged lifelong friendships along the way.

After all, the global institution of slavery is our collective history.

But because of slavery, it is nearly impossible for African Americans to pinpoint the origins of our ancestors.

We cannot always identify a country in Africa where they were born, let alone a city or village. We can only know they came from somewhere on the west coast of the enormous continent.

Are my people Ibo from Nigeria, or Fulani from Mali, or Wolof from Senegal, or Ashanti from Ghana? I may never know.

What’s important, however, is my appreciation for the African culture — my culture, too — and my need to draw strength from the African people who came before me and survived.

And we continue to honor them.

In 1993, I joined members of The National Association of Black Scuba Divers to place a one-ton concrete memorial on the site of the Henrietta Marie shipwreck.

The bronze inscription on the memorial is a powerful testament to the human spirit: “In memory and recognition of the courage, pain and suffering of enslaved African people. Speak her name and gently touch the souls of our ancestors.”

Shackles from the Deep: Tracing the Path of a Sunken Slave Ship, a Bitter Past, and a Rich Legacy
Author: Michael Cottman
Published January 3rd, 2017 by The National Geographic Society

Summary: A pile of lime-encrusted shackles discovered on the seafloor in the remains of a ship called the Henrietta Marie, lands Michael Cottman, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and avid scuba diver, in the middle of an amazing journey that stretches across three continents, from foundries and tombs in England, to slave ports on the shores of West Africa, to present-day Caribbean plantations. This is more than just the story of one ship it’s the untold story of millions of people taken as captives to the New World. Told from the author’s perspective, this book introduces young readers to the wonders of diving, detective work, and discovery, while shedding light on the history of slavery.

Critical Praise:

“The idea of identity is at the center of this fascinating narrative nonfiction book…This truly multidisciplinary volume….engagingly explores a wide scope of topics, including the history of slavery, marine archaeology, and contemporary racial discrimination, culminating in a dive down to the wreck itself. Every bit of this concise, detailed book feels personal, and Cottman’s exploration and investigation of the wreck is rich with intrigue and poignant, thought-provoking questions.” -Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)

“Cottman weaves his personal story of discovery with history of the slave trade, helping readers understand why a sunken slave ship from the 1700s still matters. His emotional attachment to the artifacts, including child-sized shackles, deepens the storytelling in this highly readable narrative.” –Kirkus

“Accessible and very personal account….(a) chilling exploration of the slave trade.” -Publishers Weekly

“Cottman’s personal journey, fraught with reminders of the trials and injustice his own enslaved ancestors must have endured, is compelling” -BCCB

About the Author: Michael H. Cottman, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, is a former political reporter for the Washington Post. Cottman has appeared on National Public Radio’s (NPR) “Tell Me More” with Michel Martin and also the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2000 to discuss his (adult) book The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie. Cottman also serves as a special consultant to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for a national multimedia project, “Voyage to Discovery,” an education initiative that focuses on the African-American contribution to the maritime industry spanning 300 years and efforts to teach students of color about careers in marine biology and oceanography. Visit his website at http://www.michaelhcottman.com/.

Thank you to Michael for his post and to Barbara from Blue Slip Media for providing the resources!

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Paint Me a Picture & Tell Me a Story by Emily Bannister

March 24, 2017 by Kellee

Paint Me a Picture: A Colorful Book of Art Inspiration
Author: Emily Bannister
Illustrator: Holly Hatam
Published by Kane Miller EDC Publishing

Tell Me a Story: An Inspirational Book for Creative Writers
Author: Emily Bannister
Illustrator: Barbara Chotiner
Published by Kane Miller EDC Publishing

Summary: Paint Me a Picture equates color to mood, getting children thinking about the way they see and feel our colorful world.

Tell Me a Story lets children know that their words are important, that no matter the form, their stories are meaningful.

With simple rhyming text and accessible art, this book is a springboard for drawing and sharing stories, giving color to emotions, and kids permission to do, create, show and tell.

It delightfully, poetically, celebrates the joy and imagination in art in all its forms and inspires the storyteller in everyone.

Review: I love books that help students feel like they are artists, writers, or thinkers. I think creativity is such an important part of childhood and too often we are pushing kids to grow up too quickly and not learn how to be creative or we’re pushing kids to fit into a certain box instead of letting them think outside of the box. These books help kids see the joy in writing and creating. They celebrate creative thinking and writing and the colors of our world. They show how you can combine color and words to create something that others will want to read and see.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Sometimes all a student needs is inspiration to create a story or piece of art work. These texts are those inspiration. They help students know that their story means something. That their words are something someone wants to read. That color can mean something. That their color choices when making artwork make a difference but that all colors are beautiful.

Discussion Questions: If you wanted to draw a picture that symbolizes sadness/happiness/laughter/anger, etc., what color would you use? What would you draw?; What is your favorite color? What does it symbolize to you?; To write a story, you first need to start with an idea, a place, or a thing. What would you write a story about?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Loved: What Do You See? by Kyla Ryman, The Amazing Crafty Cat by Charise Mericle Harper, A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers, The Museum by Susan Verde, My Life in Pictures by Deborah Zemke, Doodle Adventures by Mike Lowery, My Pen by Christopher Myers, Mix it Up! by Hervé Tullet, Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds, Art by Patrick McDonnell, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, Seen Art? by Jon Scieszka, The Cat and the Bird by Geraldine Elschner

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Lynn at Kane Miller for providing copies for review!!**

Review and Giveaway!: Brobarians by Lindsay Ward

March 22, 2017March 22, 2017 by Kellee

Brobarians
Author & Illustrator: Lindsay Ward
Published March 28th, 2017 by Two Lions

Summary: This is the tale of the mighty Brobarians. Two warriors, once at peace…now at odds.

Iggy the Brobarian has taken over the land. Can Otto the Big Brobarian win it back? Or maybe, with a little help, the two brothers can find peace again…

This is an epic—and adorable—story of sibling rivalry and resolution.

About the Author: Lindsay Ward would never have written this book if she hadn’t stayed up late one night watching Conan the Barbarian. She finds the idea of baby barbarians to be very funny . . . and hopes you do too. Lindsay’s recent books include Rosco vs. the Baby and The Importance of Being 3. Most days you can find her writing and sketching at home in Ohio with her family. Learn more about her at www.lindsaymward.com or on Twitter: @lindsaymward.

Praise for Brobarians:

“Highly cinematic, both in imagery and narrative soundtrack…Good and campy and a fine opportunity for vocabulary building.”—Kirkus Reviews

“As readalouds go, it’s pretty epic.” – Publishers Weekly

“Ward’s plot cleverly celebrates the spirit of imaginative toddlers, and her cartoonlike cut-paper collage, pencil and crayon illustrations playfully match the humor of the tale. A boisterous, silly picture book that would work well for story-time.” —School Library Journal

Kellee’s Review: This extended metaphor really embodies what it feels like to be a sibling. As the oldest, I can definitely remember times when I was younger and felt like I was in a battle with my sister for attention or cookies or anything that she had that I wanted. And through this metaphor of siblings as brobarians fighting over territory and bah bahs, hilarity ensues! Once best of friends, they are now at odds–who will win?!

Ricki’s Review: Ah, this book is the best! As a mama of two boys, I feel so lucky to have it in my collection. I read this one with both of my boys on my lap. My older son thought it was fabulous. He did a demonstration of some of the moves after we finished. My younger son pawed at the pages and was clearly enamored, too. I can’t wait until they are both a bit older. We are going to create paper outfits to match the outfits of the characters in the book. I highly recommend this book. I promise that you will get swept into the adventurous spirit of these two boys.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Publisher’s Weekly says, “As readalouds go, it’s pretty epic,” and we would have to agree. In addition to the read aloud opportunity, there are opportunities for discussions about siblings to go along with a family unit. Brobarians brings to light the rivalry that siblings may feel against each other which is something that any child with a sibling may feel and may feel is not normal. Using this story, teachers can discuss what it may feel like to have a sibling and ways to deal with sibling rivalry.

You can also check out a coloring sheet and a map of Brobaria here!

Discussion Questions: Why are Iggy and Otto fighting at first?; What does Otto do to make it worse?; Who wins in the end?; Did you see the end coming? Who did you think was going to win?; How does the map on the end sheets help you navigate the story better?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Loved: Pug Meets Pig by Sue Lowell Gallion, Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Best by Stacy McAnulty, We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen, Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge, That’s (Not) Mine by Anna Kang

Recommended For:

Giveaway!

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and

**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for copies for review!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Short Novels That Packed a Punch

March 21, 2017 by Kellee

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Ten Short Novels That Packed a Punch

Ricki

I prepped my list before I saw Kellee’s list and A Long Walk to Water and Stuck in Neutral were on my list! DANG!

1. Once by Morris Gleitzman

Felix’s parents left him in an orphanage in Poland. Three years and eight months later, it is 1942, and he still waits for them to come back. He is Jewish, but he knows he is supposed to keep this a secret–although he is not sure why. When he sees Nazis burning books in the orphanage yard, he worries about his parents, who are booksellers. Felix’s naive voice is heartbreaking, as he doesn’t understand what is going on in the world around him. This is a powerful book that I would recommend to middle school or upper-elementary school teachers. All in 149 pages.

2. The Stranger by Albert Camus

This book is one part bizarre and two parts incredible. It tells the story of a senseless murder and the unemotional man who tells the story of how it happened. I loved teaching this book because we had awesome conversations about absurdity and the meaning of life. All in 123 pages.

3. Night by Elie Wiesel

I suspect that most of the people reading this have experienced the power of this book. This Holocaust story will stick with me for the rest of my life. I’ve reading it at least fifty times, and I still get incredibly emotional when I read it. All in 120 pages.

4. The Giver by Lois Lowry

In Jonas’ community, every person’s spouse is chosen for them. They are assigned one boy and one girl as children, and they don’t feel any strong emotions, like love. At age 12, they are each assigned a job. When anyone deviates from the norm, they are sent “elsewhere.” This is a fantastic book that can be appreciated by people of all ages. Dystopian-lovers will enjoy it immensely. As I listened to it, I couldn’t help but ponder all of the themes that emerged. All in 180 pages.

5. Readicide by Kelly Gallagher

Gallagher does a phenomenal job balancing statistics to support his theory for why American schools are killing reading.The statistics and explanations are quite powerful. I read this book several years ago, and I still talk about it often. All in 160 pages.

Kellee

1. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Linda Sue Park took a true story of a lost boy’s survival after being chased from his village because of war and transformed it into a novel that will leave the reader with a feeling of awe. Awe of the bravery and pure fearlessness of Salva and the other Lost boys of Sudan and awe of the world of riches and blindness we live in while a horrendous war wages on the other side of the world. All in 128 pages.

2. Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

This book is terrifying and eye-opening. It helps the reader look past what they already know and realize they have to learn about people before making assumptions. It is terrifying because you don’t know what is going to happen and death awaits around every corner. Oh and it is a Printz Finalist. All in 114 pages.

3. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

In this perfect book about fostering, life, and family. Within these pages, you will fall in love with Joseph and Jack and hope for their success in life. But then tears. Lots of tears. All in 160 pages.

4. Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet

E.B. White is fascinating! Who would have know?! But Melissa Sweet tells us his life story, mixed with primary sources like White’s letters and photos, that will definitely make you want to pick up Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little as well as pick up a pencil to write your own story. All in 176 pages.

5. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
(And the rest of the Hogwarts Library books)

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter texts are quite intense and long, but her books that make up the Hogwards Library set are quite small and add such depth to the mythology of Harry Potter’s world. My favorite is Tales of Beedle the Bard because it gives us more insight into the history of their world as well as Dumbledore. All in 109 pages.

Which small novels do you enjoy the most?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 3/20/17

March 20, 2017 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

We encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

CONGRATULATIONS
Nicole L.
for winning a copy of A Boy Called Bat!

CONGRATULATIONS
Regan
for winning a copy of Mapping My Day!

Last Week’s Posts

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Tuesday: Ten Reason Kellee Loves Teaching Middle School

Wednesday: Stand Up and Sing!: Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and the Path to Justice by Susanna Reich

Thursday: Guest Review: Five Little Ducks by Denise Fleming

Friday: In the Middle School Classroom: Who Wins? 100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head And You Decide the Winner!

Sunday: Author Guest Post and Giveaway: “A Recipe for Storytelling: Take One Real Life, Add a Spoonful of Fantasy, and Stir” by Carter Roy, Author of The Blazing Bridge, the third book in the The Blood Guard series *Giveaway!*

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

These upcoming picture books are all must buys!
The Fog by Kyo Maclear is about beating something by putting your mind to it and collaborating and also about the environment. It is a beautifully illustrated picture book that will definitely start thoughtful and much-needed discussions.
A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen is a perfect read aloud for an early elementary school before starting creative writing because it shows that writing is something anyone can do and is just a form of expression with no boundaries. I cannot wait to read this to Trent and write a story together afterwards, and I know many of you will feel that way with your kids/students.
Ashley Spire has a way of writing stories that makes you have even more faith in kids that you did before reading them. The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do is not exception. Lou loves to do so many things, but when she is faced with something she doesn’t think she can do, she hesitates. Until she realizes that she can do whatever she puts her mind to!
Hair-pocalypse by Geoff Herbach has much of the same humor that his YA books have! It starts out as a silly book about Aidan’s crazy hair and ends up being a book about thinking of others and compromise. This’ll definitely be a favorite read aloud!
Gennifer Choldenko and Dan Santat are a winning combination! This story shows that fear is something that anyone can face and parents are there to support you when you need them. I worry a bit about some of the “boys can’t be scared” and “don’t tell mom” parts, but the message in the end is positive.

Tinyville Town, just in this week, has become a favorite of mine and Trent’s. I love how it highlights all the different kind of jobs there are in a town, how each is special, and what the jobs entail. Gets to Work talks a bit about how city planning works then each of the other books focuses on a different profession. Trent LOVES the firefighter one, and he reads it to himself before bed almost every night!

Every time I read graphic novels, it reminds me why I love them so much! The visuals just a whole new element to the story for me!
Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt is the second Narwhal book and is just as good as the first book! I just have a soft spot for these two who just perfectly fit together as friends. Narwhal and Jelly are the perfect ladder up from Elephant & Piggy, Bird & Squirrel, or other fun duos.
Star Scouts is a fun sci-fi story about finding your place even if that place at first feels like it is in the middle of misfits. Avani ends up being accidentally abducted by a Star Scout, an alien equivalent of our Scouts, and finds a place in their troop. I loved that Avani is so relatable! She speaks Hindi, loves rodeo, and is a bit testy–a perfect mix to make an authentic middle schooler. All of her Star Scouts friends are different also, so even though they are aliens, many readers will relate to one of them. One of my students already checked it out for Spring Break, and I know he will love it!
Real Friends is Shannon Hale’s graphic novel memoir about her time in elementary school and the drama of finding true friends while trying to find her own identity and family drama also. Like Sunny Side Up and Smile & Sisters, many readers will find Shannon’s story interesting and relatable, and Pham’s illustrations make it even more appealing.

Lastly, I finished two wonderful yet very different novels. However, the are more alike than they seem. Glory Be is about Freedom Summer and Glory learning about the prejudice in the world while realizing that she need to stand up for what she believes. Bot Wars takes place in the future after robots have been segregated because of the fear of them taking over, but Trout, the protagonist, soon learns that the government have spread negative propaganda to meet their needs.

Ricki

As Kellee said, the Tinyville Town books are awesome! Henry fell in love with them. He points to all of the characters in the book and reminds me which board books we have and which board books we don’t have. This book has inspired a lot of conversations about jobs. It would be fun to have kids create their own books based on their town!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

Spring Break Reading Goal:

It’s a pretty hefty goal, but I have had some really good reading weeks later, so I thought it might be doable. Jim and I are going on a mini anniversary vacation though, so we’ll see!

The Books: I loved Bot Wars, so I knew I wanted to read #2. Same with Loot, so I have Sting on my Kindle. Infinity (Chronicles of Nick) and Legend are books that students really want me to read. March is on my #mustreadin2017 list, and Frenzy is our March book club book. I also hope to read some picture books and graphic novels that I’ve been lucky enough to get from publishers. *fingers crossed!*

Ricki

My dissertation is due in NINE days to my advisor. I have about 70 pages left to write. I am so sorry I have been off the grid. I can’t apologize enough. 🙁 Writing a dissertation with a three-year-old and five-month-old means very, very little sleep, so I haven’t been a great blogger.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday

Tuesday: Ten Short Novels that Pack a Punch

Wednesday: Review and Giveaway!: Brobarians by Lindsay Ward

Thursday: Review, Giveaway, and Author Guest Post!: I Am (Not) Scared by Anna Kang

Friday: Paint Me a Picture & Tell Me a Story by Emily Bannister

Sunday: Author Guest Post

So, what are you reading?

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In the Middle School Classroom: Who Wins?100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head and You Decide the Winner! by Clay Swartz

April 3, 2017March 17, 2017 by Kellee

Who Wins? 100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head and You Decide the Winner!
Created by Clay Swartz
Illustrated by Tom Booth
Published July 12th, 2016 by Workman Publishing Company

Summary: Who would rock the mic at karaoke night? Abraham “The Great Emancipator” Lincoln or Jane “Lady Persuasion” Austen? How about a hot dog eating contest between Harry “Mr. Magic” Houdini and Mary “Mother of Frankenstein” Shelley? What about a pie contest? A staring contest? And who has a better chance of sneaking into Area 51, Isaac “Gravity Guy” Newton or Sacagawea aka “The Pathfinder”?

In Who Wins?: History, you decide the winner in over 50 head-to-head challenges between 100 of history’s most illustrious characters. But choosing the victor isn’t arbitrary. Readers must justify their answers using each of the historical figures’ six 0-10 category rankings in bravery, leadership, artistry, wealth, wisdom, and fitness; as well as facts from short biographies.

As funny as it is informative, the book is uniquely formatted so readers can match up each and every character in any of the head-to-head battles. History has never been so much fun!

Review (from 10/26/16): Who Wins? is informative, funny, and so cleverly formatted that it is going to be a star in homes and classrooms. I love how the book gives each historical figure a nickname (either one they already were given, like Satchmo, or made up, like Gravity Guru for Isaac Newton) to add a bit of humor to the book; however, still makes sure to include a plethora of information about each figure including a bio then 3 little-known facts. Each head-to-head situation also helps guide your decision by giving some example questions to think about. Let’s look at a head-to-head, so you can really see how clever it is!

In My Classroom: Whenever I begin a debate unit, I always start with a mini-debate, and I wanted this year’s to include Who Wins? because I thought it was such an awesome class resource (and my students were slightly obsessed with the book). To start, I randomly picked a male and a female historical figure from each side of the Who Wins? book for each class. I didn’t choose the middle activity yet because I wanted my students to get to know their historical figures before I gave them the rest of the topic for the debate. For two days, the students researched their figures and tried to learn as much about them as possible. We talked about making sure to not just list dates but to get to know them as a person: their strengths, their weaknesses, their personality, their education, etc. Finally, on day three, I randomly revealed the rest of the debate topic and randomly put each class into two groups. We ended up with:

Who wins WRESTLEMANIA? Queen Elizabeth I or Genghis Khan?
Who wins LIVING IN 10,000 BC? Harriet Tubman or Ramses II?
Who wins CELEBRITY JEOPARDY? Nelson Mandela or Marie Curie?

Each group then made a Google Doc that they could collaborate on, and they focuses on preparing their argument, possible counterarguments, and rebuttals to the counter argument. They could research more now that they knew the topic, and I shared Who Wins? information with them as well (see photo above).

Then, after a couple of days of collaboration, we had our mini-debate. The most successful was the Queen Elizabeth I vs. Genghis Khan because they not only researched their historical figure, but they also researched Wrestlemania which allowed the debate go to a whole different level than my other two periods. The Nelson Mandela vs. Marie Curie debate had the opposite problem: they didn’t research Jeopardy at all which made for the debate never really having a clear winner because they were just debating who was smarter. The Ramses II vs. Harriet Tubman went well though the Harriet Tubman side never pulled out their best argument: she primarily lived on the run in the wilderness! In the end, Wrestlemania was a tie; Ramses II would survive better in 10,000 BC; and Marie Curie would win Jeopardy.

Some Students’ Collaborative Notes: Here are some examples of the collaborative notes some groups put together when preparing for the mini-debate. These are not examples of the initial research notes they took on their historical figures.

Genghis Khan

Harriet Tubman:

Marie Curie:

Second Debate Using Who Wins?: For our second debate, I did things a little bit differently. Instead of giving them the historical person first, for each class, I randomly chose the center tile (the topic) and we ended up with: Rap Battle, Ironman World Championship, and Summiting Everest. I then let the students, within their groups, go through their side of the book to find the person they wanted for their side of the debate.

They used their prior knowledge, the bios, and the stats for each person to try to pick the best for the debate. Our people ended up being:

Who Wins a Rap Battle: Muhammad Ali vs. Sojourner Truth?
Who Wins the Ironman World Championship: Jim Thorpe vs. Mildred Ella Didrikson?
Who Wins at Summiting Everest: Ernest Shackleton vs. Alexander the Great?

This time around, students were much more invested in their historical figure and with the topic already chosen, they could narrow down their research. Also, they realized how important it was to research the topic. Students also were given 2 extra days to research this time though given the same amount of time (2 days) to collaborate.

Once we got to the debates, I made a decision I was so happy about: Students were not allowed to have their iPads with them. They could have 1 Post-it note (front only) with any specifics that were tough to remember (years, prices, times, etc.), but that was it. And the debates went so much better! Students knew their stuff, and the debates were so intense, detailed, and close!

In the end, we’re still not sure who would be most successful at summiting Everest, Shackelton or Alexander the Great; Jim Thorpe is more likely to win the Ironman World Championship; and Muhammad Ali would win a rap battle vs. Sojourner Truth.

Final Assessment: As a final cumulative assessment, I asked my students to write me an argumentative paragraph stating why they felt their historical figure would be more successful than the other. Students were asked to have multiple reasons why with evidence to support their claim.

Examples from the Shackleton vs. Alexander the Great debate:

Reflection: Using Who Wins?, I was able to create a standards-based unit that allowed students to not only debate, research, and read informational texts, but work collaboratively, think outside the box, and cite evidence to support their claims. I know the students learned from it as well, and they asked to do another, so I know they enjoyed it. They also now realize that learning just dates or facts about a person isn’t thorough research, it is important to know both sides of an argument so you can have a rebuttal, and that you need to research all aspects of a debate to ensure you are arguing for the right reasons. Overall, I call this a win!