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Monday, January 31, 2011

Study Guide

Study Guide

Peg Kehret (born Margaret Ann Schulze in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on November 11, 1936; last name pronounced like carrot) is an American writer, who writes for children aged 8–14. Her family and she moved to Austin, Minnesota in 1944, and in 1948 she was diagnosed with polio. Peg married Carl Kehret on July 2, 1955, whom she travelled around the world with until his death on April 28, 2004.

Bibliography

* I'm Not Who You Think I Am
* The Volcano Disaster
* Night of Fear
* Terror at the Zoo
* Horror at the Haunted House
* Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio
* Encore! More Winning Monologs
* Sisters, Long Ago
* Earthquake Terror
* Deadly Stranger
* Searching for Candlestick Park
* Danger at the Fair
* Winning Monologs for Young Actors
* Cages
* Nightmare Mountain
* The Blizzard Disaster
* The Secret Journey
* Acting Normal
* The Hideout
* My Brother Made Me Do It
* Saving Lilly
* Don't Tell Anyone
* The Stranger Next Door
* Escaping the Giant Wave
* Spy Cat
* Abduction!
* My Uncle Loved Me

External links

* Peg Kehret's Offical Site

February Book of the Month


Summary

This book opens in 14-year-old Kit's speech class. It's the end of the school year, and it's Kit's turn to give her final speech of the year. The topic is teenage shoplifting, and just as she's finishing up by telling the other kids not to shoplift because they WILL get caught, one of the boys in the class challenges her speech. He claims that it's easy to get away with taking stuff, and that Kit is dead wrong. Miss Fenton, the teacher, asks Kit if she wants to defend her speech. Kit hesitates; if she doesn't defend, her grades suffers. If she DOES defend, everyone in the class will know the secret she's been keeping for months....

At this point, the book flashes back in time to the day that the cast list for the school play came out. Kit had tried out for the lead role of Frankie in The Member of the Wedding, and she heads to school that morning, she's relatively sure she'll see her name on the cast list. Nope; Kit didn't get a part at all. Marcia Homer, little miss perfect, got the part instead. Kit's best friend, Tracy, got a small role, so she encourages Kit to help out backstage. Kit doesn't really want to; she's pretty disappointed about not getting the lead. She and Tracy had promised each other beforehand that if one of them got a role and the other didn't, the one who didn't would work on the crew. At the first crew meeting, Kit volunteers to make the publicity posters. She figures that she won't have to be at many rehearsals in order to do that, and won't have to watch someone else in "her" role.

Kit's still in a crummy mood when she gets home from school that afternoon. She has big plans to give herself her "Triple B Treatment:" Bath, Book, and Bag of chocolate stars. That doesn't happen, though. Her stepfather, Wayne, is on another one of his drinking binges, and Kit's mom, Dorothy, is too busy enabling him and covering his tracks to see that Kit is unhappy. Kit takes the bus to the mall, and decides to look at all the fancy clothes she can't afford in one of the department stores. Unfortunately, she runs into Marcia Homer while she's there. Marcia's dad is buying a present (a 24 karat gold present) for getting the lead in the play, and she wants Kit's help picking it out. Kit is instantly drawn to one of the bracelets, but she doesn't tell Marcia that. The last thing she needs is for Marcia to get yet another thing that Kit herself wants. Marcia ends up choosing a gold choker, and while the salesperson is busy ringing up the purchase, Kit's attention is drawn back to the bracelet. All of a sudden, her anger and frustration about losing the lead role, Wayne's drinking, and Dorothy's inability to see that there is, in fact, a problem at home, boils over. Kit decides to keep the bracelet, and she almost makes it out of the store before she's stopped by security. The woman takes Kit into her office, and Kit confesses everything. After all, she was SEEN taking the bracelet. Dorothy is called to pick Kit up, and she's definitely not happy.

The next day at school, Tracy can tell that Kit's not okay, but Kit doesn't feel she can tell her about what happened. She's afraid that Tracy won't like her anymore if she knows what happened. There IS one bright spot in the day, though: Miss Fenton pulls Kit aside and explains to her that not getting the lead doesn't mean that she's not a good actress; it just means that she wasn't chosen this particular time and that she is, in fact, talented. That evening at dinner, Wayne is actually sober, so Kit thinks that it might be a good time to try talking to him about her arrest. When she tries, though, Dorothy cuts her off. Later, she tells Kit that since Wayne was "sick" when this happened, there's no need to worry him about it.

A couple of weeks later, Tracy asks to meet Kit before school. She's excited about her upcoming birthday party, which is going to include a hot air ballon ride and a picnic, and she wants Kit to have her invitation before anyone else. Unfortunately, the party falls on the same day that Kit is supposed to appear before a committee that will decide her punshiment for stealing the bracelet. If she doesn't appear, she'll have to go to court and could possibly be arrested again. Kit tells Tracy that she can't go, but not WHY she can't go. Kit still doesn't want anyone to know about her crime. Tracy is pretty upset....

The day of Kit's hearing arrives. She and Dorothy tell Wayne that they're going to a meeting at school, and he buys it. When Kit is brought into the room where the committee meets, she gets the shock of her life. One of the members of the panel is Miss Fenton, her speech teacher. Miss Fenton asks if Kit would rather she be replaced with someone that Kit DOESN'T know, but Kit decides to go ahead with things rather than drag the process out. Since the group feels that Kit is not likely to reoffend, they offer her the chance to do some community service and pay a fine. If she does that and stays out of trouble until she's sixteen, her record will be cleared.

The next day at school, Miss Fenton approaches Kit and asks if she needs to talk about anything. Kit had left the part about Wayne's drinking out of what she told the committee, and Miss Fenton could tell that Kit was hiding something. The whole story comes pouring out, and Miss Fenton makes Kit promise that she'll tell someone if things get out of control.

Kit's first day of community service happens not long after that. She's been assigned to work at the Humane Society, and she's asked to socialize some dogs. That means talking to them, playing with them, letting them out in the excersise yard for awhile. Right off the bat, she falls in love with a little terrier mix named Lady. After a couple of visits, Kit decides to ask her parents if they can keep Lady. Dorothy seems agreeable to the idea, but Wayne steamrolls her as always. Kit decides to try and find Lady a good home, so she posts a notice at school. A few days later, who should approach Kit with permission from her parents to take Lady home? Yep, Marcia Homer. Kit isn't too thrilled with that turn of events, but she knows that Lady will be taken care of. Marcia and her parents agree to meet Kit at the Humane Society after school that day. When Kit gets there, she heads for Lady's cage...but Lady isn't there. She checks all the cages, but no Lady. Could she have already been adopted, or has something else happened? Kit rushes for the office and finds the manager. Sure enough, Kit's worst fears have come true: Lady was euthanized. She'd been at the shelter too long, and they had to let her go. Kit so upset that the manager offers to credit her with her full 20 hours of community service. Kit refuses the offer; she WANTS to finish her time.

The next day, Kit is in history class when she's called down to the office. Her mother has been admitted to the hospital, and Kit is needed there right away. The principal drivers her there, and they find Wayne in the waiting room. He's really worried about Dorothy, and he's afraid that all the tension that exists between him and Kit caused her to have some sort of heart attack. When a doctor comes out to tell them what's wrong, though, it turns out to be appendicitis. Dorothy will need emergency surgery, though. She ends up pulling through okay.

The next day, Kit gets home from her humane society work to find Wayne drunk. He tries to order her around, but Kit is having none of it. She stands up to him, and takes off to Tracy's house for the night. Kit tells her mom when she sees her next that Wayne is drunk again, and Dorothy finally sees that she needs to insist on his getting help. That becomes even more clear two days later: Wayne tries to drive drunk and ends up in the hospital with a skull fracture and a broken arm, among other things. When he comes home from the hospital, he continues to insist that he can handle his drinking, and doesn't have a problem. Dorothy, FINALLY, won't take any of his lame promises and Wayne starts going to AA.

The end of the school year is approaching, and the story returns to the place where it started. Each kid in the class drew a speech topic out of a fishbowl, and it was just dumb luck that Kit happened to get assigned the topic of shoplifting. She decides to defend her speech when her classmate challenges it, and tells her story to the class. Her honesty earns her one of the few A grades that Miss Fenton ever gives out, and things are finally okay between Kit and Tracy. When the end of the year awards ceremony rolls around, Kit is surprised when she's awarded the Ninth Grade Scholarship. The money will pay for two years of college, and when Kit is asked what she plans to study, she's more sure than she's ever been: she'll be going to vet school so she can work with animals.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Million Minute Marathon!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

I created this movie for my educational technology class. Enjoy!

Poetry and Other Readings for Black History Month



Free & Equal: Two Black History Month Poems

By Tonya Hillukka January 25, 2010
Two short poems written in honor of Black History Month.

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Sofia January 17, 2008
short poem for black history month


Classroom Activities for Black History Month

By Akua Miller January 21, 2009
This article features websites with worksheets and activities for Black History Month. It is for teachers, taking the work out of curriculum planning and researching information for use in the classroom.

Three Black History Month Lesson Plans
By Bill Smith January 25, 2010
If you are looking for some lesson plans for Black History Month, here are some ideas.

A Poem for Black History Month
By Sherri Taylor February 2, 2009
Black History month poem

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Cedric henry January 12, 2008
A Rant In Rhythmic Prose


Short Poems for Black History Month

By Missy H. January 11, 2008
Short Poems For Black History Month. A poem about Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech.


Short Poems for Black History Month

By Gail January 12, 2008
Rhythmic understanding of self!

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Stephanie Modkins January 13, 2008
Three short poems to commemorate Black History month.

Reed Middle School Closes Black History Month with a Twisty Tune!
By Nneka March 24, 2008
February marks Black History Month. Students and teachers have some good fun on this year's event at Reed.

Short Poems for Black History Month
By mensab January 10, 2008
This is a short poem for Black History Month. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech forty years ago. This poem locates the speech in the family setting.

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Khara E. House January 12, 2008
Short poem for Black History Month examining the current state of Blacks in America

Black History Month Poems
By Wendy Dawn January 29, 2009
Poems that celebrate great men in African American history.

Poem for Black History Month: Tribute to Phillis Wheatley - Poet
By Ira Mency February 2, 2009
A poem that is tribute to Phillis Wheatley, Poet.

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Kami Valentino January 12, 2008
Poem about Black History month.

Black History Month Poems Celebrate the Civil Rights Movement and Barack Obama
By Roy A. Barnes January 20, 2009
Two poems discuss the Civil Rights Movement from the death of Emmett Till until the eve before Barack Obama's inauguration.

Poems for Black History Month
By Chad R. Herman January 28, 2010
Poetry for you, no matter your skin. For those that believe it is a great thing to celebrate the heritage of all, especially our Black brethren.

Short Poems for Black History Month
By LeTara Moore January 11, 2008
Who is your hero? Is she/he a negro? Is she/he black? Is she/he colored? Are you?

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Bionic Taffy January 11, 2008
The 1960's through 1970's have been one of our most life-changing periods. And, in all of those years, we human beings finally learned to accept the pure fact that we are all, in fact, human beings.

Books, CDs, Things to Watch During Black History Month
By Stephanie Jeannot February 17, 2010
A list of works celebrating the black experience.

Six Black History Month Activities in Las Vegas, Nevada
By Angela Coleman February 7, 2008
Want to find events in Las Vegas that celebrate Black History this month? Here are some activities you may want to consider.

Celebrating Black History in Chicago: Locations to Visit
By R. Hill January 29, 2010
Some of the best places to celebrate Black History Month in Chicago can be easily accessed by public transportation. With the various locations and events you are sure to learn something new.

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Dani D. January 17, 2008
A poem that I felt describes what was and what still is...

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Huey Freeman January 11, 2008
Nearly 60 years after the Civil Rights Era, have any definitive gains been made towards true racial justice in America?

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Robert Longley January 11, 2008
A tribute to Martin Luther King

Short Poems for Black History Month
By sancraft January 11, 2008
It's hard to be a color first and a person second (or third or fourth...)

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Iain McMullin January 15, 2008
This poem was written in honor of Barack Obama and the great step our nation is taking in eliminating racism from it's future.

Short Poems for Black History Month
By AntBee January 15, 2008
A short poem I wrote after having had a really rough day at work.

Short Poems for Black History Month
By eliza January 11, 2008
This poem represents the Slave's voice of Black History Month.

Black History Month Poems
By Chad R. Herman January 11, 2009
A group of poems about the african american people and their plight.

Black History Month Poem: History Has Been Made
By Gloria Rivera January 20, 2009
Poems of Black History Month

Black History Lesson Plans
By SundiSC February 19, 2009
Here are 3 lessons plans that incorporate learning Black history throughout the year.

Short Poems for Black History Month
By Sharie C January 17, 2008
A celebration of the life of my ancestors. It is an ode to their journey.

Confessing and Blessing
By Linda Ann Nickerson January 30, 2009
Poem for Black History Month - Is it possible to apologize for the sins of one's ancestors? Perhaps even a Northerner may repent and confess for racial sins of past generations. If such apology may be made, let me do so with this sonnet.

Black History Month Poems: Following the Guiding Light
By Krystal Krebs February 3, 2010
In the 1850s slavery was at its peak. Long days, beatings, little to no food and pure loneliness haunting individuals of slavery day in and day out. Escaping was mostly a dream, a whisper in one's mind and some were lucky enough to make it a reality.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Free, Printable Coloring Pages for Printing Out at Home
By Marie M. Daniels January 12, 2010
If you are looking for free printable Martin Luther King, Jr. coloring pages for Martin Luther King Jr. Day you can find them here. Free Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) printables for everyone.

PBS Celebrates Black History Month with True Originals 2011/01/13

Upcoming Black History Month



2011 Black History Month Recommended Reading List

Grades 6-8

This recommended reading list, in celebration of Florida's Black History Month, highlights African-American literature. This list provides an excellent source of suggested books for children of all ages. Just Read, Florida! makes reading a priority in Florida's public schools and among the community groups and volunteer organizations that support them.

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

* The Legend of Buddy Bush, Sheila P. Moses
* Days of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue, Julius Lester
* Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl, Tonya Bolden
* Dark Sons, Nikki Grimes
* The Road to Paris, Nikki Grimes
* Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, Ben Carson
* Days of Jubilee: The End of Slavery in the United States, Patricia C. and Frederick L. McKissack
* Locomotion, Jacqueline Woodson
* The Battle of Jericho, Sharon Draper
* The Red Rose Box, Brenda Woods
* The Land, Mildred Taylor
* Miracle’s Boys, Jacqueline Woodson
* Let It Shine! Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, Andrea Davis Pinkney
* Francie, Karen English
* Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African American Whalers, Patricia C. & Frederick L. McKissack
* Bayard Rustin: Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movement, James Haskins
* Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters, Patricia C. and Frederick L. McKissack
* The Captive, Joyce Hansen
* Now is Your Time: The African American Struggle for Freedom, Walter Dean Myers
* A Thief in the Village and Other Stories, James Berry
* Which Way Freedom, Joyce Hansen
* Junius Over Far, Virginia Hamilton
* The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King
* Forged by Fire, Sharon M. Draper
* Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush, Virginia Hamilton
* Breaking Ground, Breaking Silence: The Story of New York’s African Burial Ground, Joyce Hansen and Gary McGowan
* I See the Rhythm, Toyomi Igus
* Heaven, Angela Johnson
* The Other Side: Shorter Poems, Angela Johnson
* Toning the Sweep, Angela Johnson
* Rebels Against Slavery: American Slave Revolts, Patricia C. and Frederick L. McKissack
* Soujourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman?, Patricia C. and Frederick L. McKissack
* Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World, Mildred Pitts Walter
* Let the Circle Be Unbroken, Mildred D. Taylor
* Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir, Eloise Greenfield and Lessie Jones Little
* Andrew Young: Young Man With a Mission, James Haskins
* The Way a Door Closes, Hope Anita Smith
* The Skin I’m In, Sharon Flake
* Another Way to Dance, Martha Southgate
* Elijah of Buxton – Christopher Paul Curtis
* Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali – Charles R. Smith, Jr.
* We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, Kadir Nelson
* Keeping the Night Watch, Hope Anita Smith
* Maizon at Blue Hill, Jacqueline Woodson
* W.E.B. Du Bois, David Levering Lewis
* Separate Fountains, Patti Wilson Byars

Taken directly from http://www.justreadflorida.com/bhm.asp?style=print

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

January Book of the Month

December Book of the Month


BIRD


Bird by Angela Johnson. Penguin Group (USA) (Dial), 2004. 144 p.

Summary
Bird, a thirteen-year-old girl, runs away from Cleveland, Ohio to Acorn, Alabama in search of her stepfather. While in Alabama, Bird hides out in a shed and sneaks into her stepfather’s family’s farmhouse for food and a shower while they are out. Ethan, a boy who lives in the farmhouse and who received a heart transplant a few years earlier, sees Bird but does not tell his family. He befriends Bird and brings her food and clothing. Bird also makes friends with another boy in town named Jay. Jay is sad because his brother died. It turns out that the heart transplanted into Ethan was the heart of Jay’s brother. Bird and Jay instantly connect because they are both still grieving their losses. The story is told by the three main characters in alternating chapters, so the reader gets insight into the emotions of all three. CCBC calls this novel, “a strong and delicate story about love, loss, and letting go.”

Awards
ALA Notable Book 2005
ALA Best Books for Young Adults 2005

Author’s Biography
Angela Johnson was born in Tuskegee, Alabama on June 18, 1961. She later moved to Windham, Ohio and attended Kent State University. After college she worked as a child development worker. Johnson began writing children’s picture books and later moved to books for young adults. Three of Johnson’s books have won the Coretta Scott King Author Award.
http://www.ohioreadingroadtrip.org/johnson/
http://www.visitingauthors.com/authors/johnson_angela/johnson_angela_bio.html

Other Titles by Angela Johnson
The First Part Last
Heaven
The Other Side: Shorter Poems
Toning the Sweep
When I Am Old With You
Cool Moonlight

Related Titles: Searching for Parents
Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan.
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
Classroom Connections

See Tracie Vaughn Zimmer’s Teacher’s Guide
http://www.tracievaughnzimmer.com/Bird.htm
This teacher’s guide includes a collection of discussion and comprehension questions for Bird. It also has curriculum-related activities for language, technology, music, art, and social studies.

Activity 1: Characteristics of Fiction and Realistic Fiction. Excerpts from this
short but very moving novel can be read to illustrate some of the real-life issues
found in realistic fiction.
Activity 3: Presentation of Stories with One Prominent Area (Plot, Setting,
Character). Since this story is told by the three main characters in alternating
chapters, this book can be used to illustrate the dominant presence of character.

Web Links
Angle: A Journal of Arts and Culture
http://www.anglemagazine.org/articles/Bird_on_the_Fly_2230.asp
An article published in Angle critiquing Bird.

Ohio Reading Road Trip: Angela Johnson
http://www.ohioreadingroadtrip.org/johnson/
This site has a biography of Angela Johnson.

Patricia M. Newman: Angela Johnson
http://www.patriciamnewman.com/johnsona.html
Site includes a brief biography of Angela Johnson, a list of her books and her contact information.

Tracie Vaughn Zimmer’s Teacher’s Guide
http://www.tracievaughnzimmer.com/Bird.htm
This teacher’s guide includes a collection of discussion and comprehension questions for Bird. It also has curriculum-related activities for language, technology, music, art, and social studies.

Visiting Authors: Angela Johnson
http://www.visitingauthors.com/printable_pages/johnson_angela_print_info.html
This site includes a biography of Angela Johnson, plus information about her books and her school presentations, including how to get Angela Johnson to visit your school or library.