We Are What We Do
Inspiration Book:
31 ways to change the world : we are what we do by - Candlewick Press, p2010, c2010 --303.48--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 6.0 A collection of thirty-one creative ideas for changing the world, contributed by over 4,000 children This book presents the top 31 ideas out of more than 4,000 suggestions put forth by children in Great Britain on ways to change the world. From “teach your granny to text,” to “grow something and eat it,” this book helps children think about the little things they can do to make a difference. (KAC) 2, 3,
Rationale: This is a book that’s difficult to share with children cover-to-cover in one sitting, but cover-to-cover in 31 sittings is very possible and very interesting. If your theme for the year is change, or making the world a better place, or every little bit helps, or even the youngest can change the world, the book provides a multitude of ideas. I suggest that each week be a new study or discussion of a different change concept. Take a homebase period at the beginning of each week to introduce the idea, then let the kids take it from there for the remainder of the week. Set a pattern which the students should be able to emulate by the end of the year--introduction, class discussion and activity, home discussion and activity, personal activity, conclusion back in class. Begin the book at the beginning of the year and save the last month to do a culminating activity.
All grade levels can be involved. This could be an all school project with the librarian or principal or one classroom teacher leading the introduction each week. It could also be one grade’s year-long project or one teacher’s personal classroom project. I like it for my middle school kids because they are becoming very community conscious and need to be involved and apply what they are learning. The majority of the ideas presented here are, thus, geared to the middle school. The book and ideas shared here also meet the trends of service-learning and makerspaces.
OR, the topics and books could be the Wisdom Book activities for the year. See All the World (SSI ) for specifics about the Wisdom Book project.
Included here are the book topics and one or two picture books that support the topic for your introduction. Then there is a brief listing of generic methods suitable for all the topics to involve the home and children personally.
Company objective: We Are What We Do, the sponsor of the book, is “a not-for-profit behaviour change company that creates ways for millions of people to do more small, good things. We make stuff that people want to buy or use and which have positive behaviours built in, aiming to reach massive audiences and help address major social and environmental issues. At the heart of our work is the understanding that telling people what to do doesn’t work. So our creations are things people simply like, which incidentally help them to do more.”
Note that this is a progressive liberal world wide organization very in-tuned to environmentalism trumping other activities. The student activities, however, are more traditional. We Are What We Do (British not-for-profit behaviour change company ) or Change by Doing web address is https://changebydoing.com/tag/wearewhatwedo-org/
A YouTube Video introducing the book is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=752rVLzk7pQ and I recommend beginning the whole lesson or program with the video or by reading the following picture book.
If kids ran the world by Dillon, Leo; illustrated by Dillon, Dianer — The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2014. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.2. In text and pictures, this book tells us how much better the world would be, if kids were allowed to run the world.
A philanthropic educational organization that I frequently use or refer to is Learning to Give http://learningtogive.org The organization has a database of over 1600 lesson plans aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The lessons are grade-level specific, and the database is searchable. They also have lessons by calendar event for each month of the year. For example in September 9/11 and Citizenship/Constitution Day have lesson plans.
#1 Make someone smile
Because Amelia smiled by Stein, David Ezra — Candlewick Press, 2012. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.8. A little girl's smile as she skips down the street in New York inspires a neighbor to send cookies to her grandson in Mexico, and the good will soon spreads around the world.
#2 Walk your Dad
Grumpy Bird by Tankard, Jeremy — Scholastic Press, 2007--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.5
After waking up grumpy, Bird decides he will walk instead of fly and is joined by other animals who cheer him up.
#3 Grow something & eat it
Muncha! muncha! muncha! by Fleming, Candace — Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.7
After planting the garden he has dreamed of for years, Mr. McGreely tries to find a way to keep some persistent bunnies from eating all his vegetables.
#4 Stand up for something
What do you stand for? : for teens : a guide to building character by Lewis, Barbara A., 1943- — Free Spirit Pub., 2005--155.5; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 7.3
Text, anecdotes, and activities direct the reader to explore and practice honesty, kindness, empathy, integrity, tolerance, and more.
#5 Turn things off when you leave the room
Go easy on energy by Bullard, Lisa — Millbrook Press, 2012--33.791; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.6. Using energy -- Energy problems -- Saving energy -- Play the power patrol game. Tyler learns about the different ways people use energy, explains how using energy can cause problems for the environment, and describes ways to save energy and protect the environment.
#6 Test your teacher
I play a game with my students from about third grade up called “Stump the Librarian.” When students line up to leave the library, or better yet when they enter, they ask me the call number of a topic they want to read about. Fortunately, I had been the cataloger for my whole district for many years and had the DDS (Dewey Decimal System) memorized enough to be able to tell them a number that was fairly close. I usually “forget” at least once to give a student a chance to stump me. That also means they look forward to the game on another day.
Maps and geography by Jennings, Ken — Little Simon, 2014--910; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 6.9 Discover the fun facts about the world and become a master of geography with this interactive trivia book from Jeopardy! champ and New York Times bestselling author Ken Jennings. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at Follett.
#7 Look closer
ABC NYC : a book about seeing New York City by Dugan, Joanne — Abrams, 2005. Dewey: 974.7; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.9. Presents a children's picture book illustrating the sights and scenes of New York City.
Look! look! look! by Wallace, Nancy Elizabeth — Marshall Cavendish Children, 2006--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.4 Three mice "borrow" a postcard which is a reproduction of a painting, and from it they learn about color, pattern, line, and shape. Includes instructions for making and sending a postcard.
#8 Be friendly in sign language
Dad, Jackie, and me by Uhlberg, Myron — Peachtree, 2005. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.8. In Brooklyn, New York, in 1947, a boy learns about discrimination and tolerance as he and his deaf father share their enthusiasm over baseball and the Dodgers' first baseman, Jackie Robinson.
Moses goes to a concert by Millman, Isaac — Farrar, Straus and Giroux, c1998 p2002. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2. Moses and his schoolmates, all deaf, attend a concert where the orchestra's percussionist is also deaf. Includes illustrations in sign language and a page showing the manual alphabet.
#9 Layer up
Recess at 20 below by Aillaud, Cindy Lou, 1955- — Alaska Northwest Books, 2005--371.2; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.9
Discusses how kids who live and go to school in Alaska spend their recess when it is twenty below zero, with photographs.
#10 Cook a meal from scratch
Three scoops and a fig by Akin, Sara — Peachtree, 2010--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.2
Tired of always being told she is too little to help in the busy kitchen of her family's Italian restaurant, Sofia is inspired by a storm and a fig tree to come up with a delicious recipe of her own. Includes facts about the foods mentioned in the story.
#11 Love your stuff
Knuffle Bunny free : an unexpected diversion by Willems, Mo — Balzer + Bray, 2010--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.9. Trixie and her family are off on a fantastic trip to visit her grandparents—all the way in Holland! But does Knuffle Bunny have different travel plans?
Bun Bun Button by Polacco, Patricia — G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2011--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.1
Paige Darling loves the stuffed rabbit her grandmother has made for her, but when she ties a helium-filled balloon to Bun Bun Button the toy gets loose and goes floating away, and it may take some Darling luck to bring her home.
#12 Go to more parties
Happy Pig Day! by Willems, Mo — Hyperion Books for Children, 2011--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.2
Piggie celebrates her favorite day of the year, but Gerald the elephant is sad, thinking that he cannot join the fun.
Big red lollipop by Khan, Rukhsana, 1962- — Viking, 2010--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.6
Having to take her younger sister along the first time she is invited to a birthday party spoils Rubina's fun, and later when that sister is asked to a party and baby sister wants to come, Rubina must decide whether to help.
#13 Ask “Why?”
But why can't I? by Graves, Sue, 1950- — Free Spirit Pub., 2011--152.4; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.4
While their parents are away, Noah and his little sister, Rosie, learn about rules and why it is a good idea to follow them from their babysitter, Jenny.
Why did the chicken cross the road? : and other riddles, old and new by Cole, Joanna — Beech Tree, 1994. Dewey: 818; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.5. A collection of jokes, puns, and witticisms for those who never get enough.
#14 Love where you live
Nana in the city by Castillo, Lauren — Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.1. A young boy is frightened by how busy and noisy the city is when he goes there to visit his Nana, but she makes him a fancy red cape that keeps him from being scared as she shows him how wonderful a place it is.
Monkey see, monkey draw by Beard, Alex, 1970- — Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2011--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.9
Elephant leads a troupe of monkeys into a cave they have been afraid to explore, and after admiring the paintings found on the walls they make their own art with mud, squabbling over whose painting is best until Elephant explains that this is not a game to win or lose.
#15 Teach your granny to text
The Wednesday surprise by Bunting, Eve — Clarion Books, 1989--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.0 On Wednesday nights when Grandma stays with Anna everyone thinks she is teaching Anna to read.
#16 Find out about your food
Lunch will never be the same! (Phoebe G. Green, Book 1) by Hiranandani, Veera — Grosset & Dunlap, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2014. Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.3
When Camille, a tall French girl, arrives at school with unusual lunches, third-grader Phoebe neglects her best friend Sage to get invited to Camille's house for dinner to see what other mysterious food Camille eats.
What in the world is green food? by Gaarder-Juntti, Oona, 1979- — ABDO Pub., 2011--641; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.3 Explains what it means to be green, identifies different types of green food, and looks at some of the ways in which food is grown, how people choose food, and how to eat green.
#17 Read with a pal
Dog loves books by Yates, Louise — Alfred A. Knopf, 2010--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.9 Dog loves books so much that he decides to open a book store.
Miss Brooks loves books! (and I don't) by Bottner, Barbara — Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4. A first-grade girl--who does not like to read--stubbornly resists her school librarian's efforts to convince her to love books until she finds one that might change her mind.
Library Lily by Shields, Gillian — Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2011--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.5 From the day her mother introduces her to the library, Lily wants to spend all of her time reading until she meets Milly, who hates reading but loves adventure.
#18 Don’t sing in the shower
Water in the park : a book about water & the times of the day by Jenkins, Emily — Schwartz & Wade Books, 2013--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.1 Relates how the water in a park is used in different ways throughout the day by the human and animal inhabitants of a neighborhood.
King Bidgood's in the bathtub by Wood, Audrey — Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1985--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.6 Despite pleas from his court, a fun-loving king refuses to get out of his bathtub to rule his kingdom.
#19 Play
Jumanji by Van Allsburg, Chris — Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, c1981 p2011--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.4 Left on their own for an afternoon, two bored and restless children find more excitement than they bargained for in a mysterious and mystical jungle adventure board game. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett.
#20 Give lots of compliments
Julius, the baby of the world by Henkes, Kevin — Greenwillow Books, 1990--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.9 Lilly thinks her new baby brother, Julius, is disgusting. But when Cousin Garland dares to criticize Julius, Lilly bullies her into loudly admiring Julius as the baby of the world.
#21 Stop junk mail
It came in the mail by Clanton, Ben — Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.8. After Liam writes to his mailbox, asking for more mail, he gets his wish, but soon he realizes that sending mail is even more fun than receiving it.
Mule train mail by Brown, Craig McFarland — Charlesbridge, 2009--383; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.2 Rain or shine, Anthony the Postman leads his pack of mules through the Grand Canyon to deliver the mail to the town of Supai.
#22 Don’t charge your phone overnight
Ninja Cowboy Bear presents the call of the cowboy by Bruins, David — Kids Can Press, 2011--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.3 The cowboy is confused when his noisiness gets in the way of his friendship with the bear and the ninja.
The lonely phone booth by Ackerman, Peter — David R. Godine, 2010--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.6 When cellular telephones arrive on the scene, a once-popular Manhattan phonebooth becomes shabby and lonely until a power outage reminds everyone of how useful it can be.
#23 Don’t start a war
Changes, changes by Hutchins, Pat — Aladdin Paperbacks, c1971 p1987--E-; Int Lvl: K-3 Two wooden dolls rearrange wooden building blocks to form various objects.
No! by McPhail, David, 1940- — Roaring Brook Press, 2009--E-; Int Lvl: K-3 Illustrations and a nearly wordless text tell a story of a little boy who witnesses war both on the personal level and on a world-wide level as he sets out to deliver a letter.
The butter battle book by Seuss — Random House, 1984--Fic-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.5 Engaged in a long-running battle, the Yooks and the Zooks develop more and more sophisticated weaponry as they attempt to outdo each other.
#24 Don’t worry if you make a mistake
Beautiful oops! by Saltzberg, Barney — Workman Pub., 2010--516; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.6 On lift-the-flap pages. Demonstrates the many ways that torn, crinkled, and smudged bits of paper can be transformed into various shapes and images.
Fall mixed up by Raczka, Bob — Carolrhoda Books, 2011--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.6 The delights of autumn are described in mixed-up verse and illustrations, and the reader is challenged to uncover the errors.
#25 Talk trash to your parents
Trashy town by Zimmerman, Andrea Griffing — HarperCollins, 1999--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.7 Little by little, can by can, Mr. Gilly, the trash man, cleans up his town.
I stink! by McMullan, Kate — Joanna Cotler Books, 2002--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2 A big city garbage truck makes its rounds, consuming everything from apple cores and banana peels to leftover ziti with zucchini.
Here comes the garbage barge! by Winter, Jonah — Schwartz & Wade Books, 2010--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.7 In the spring of 1987, the town of Islip, New York, with no place for its 3,168 tons of garbage, loads it on a barge that sets out on a 162-day journey along the east coast, around the Gulf of Mexico, down to Belize, and back again, in search of a place willing to accept and dispose of its very smelly cargo.
#26 Write a letter
A letter to my teacher by Hopkinson, Deborah; illustrated by Carpenter, Nancy— Schwartz & Wade Books, 2017. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.7. A letter from someone who was once an exasperating second-grader reveals her experiences with a teacher who brought out the best in her.
Ice cream summer by Sis, Peter — Scholastic Press, 2015--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.0 A little boy writes a letter to his grandfather about all the reading and studying he is doing this summer--but all his activities revolve around ice cream.
#27 Recycle your toys
Awesome Dawson by Gall, Chris — Little, Brown and Co., 2013--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2 All his life, Dawson has been inventing things, repairing toys in unusual ways, and helping clean up his neighborhood by reusing discarded objects, but when his Vacu-Maniac malfunctions it is his friend Mooey whose brainpower saves the day.
We are extremely very good recyclers by Child, Lauren — Dial Books for Young Readers, 2009--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2 Lola enlists her classmates in trying to win a recycling competition in which the prize is a live tree to plant.
#28 Involve everyone
We all sing with the same voice by Miller, J. Philip — HarperCollins, 2001. Dewey: 782.42164; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.1. This joyful Sesame Street song embraces the notion that no matter where children live, what they look like, or what they do, they're all the same where it counts--at heart.
Splashdance by Starin, Liz — Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2016. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.0. A new regulation at the community pool--no bears--leaves Ursula cut from the contest. Luckily, she encounters a group of undaunted animal swimmers at a local pond, and Ursula and her new team figure out a way to participate in the competition and make sure everyone is welcome at the pool once and for all.
#29 Speak soccer
Big kicks by Kolar, Bob — Candlewick Press, c2008 p2010--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.2 The town's soccer team knocks on Biggie Bear's door one day saying they need his help; however, once on the field Biggie realizes there is more to playing soccer than just being big.
Goal! by Javaherbin, Mina — Candlewick Press, c2010 p2012--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.5 In a dangerous alley in a township in South Africa, the strength and unity which a group of young friends feel while playing soccer keep them safe when a gang of bullies arrives to cause trouble.
#30 Knit with someone
Baa, baa, black sheep by Cabrera, Jane — Holiday House, 2015. Dewey: -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 1.7. Based on the nursery rhyme "Baa, baa black sheep" from Mother Goose. In this take-off on the familiar nursery rhyme, Black Sheep graciously offers bag after bag of wool to Miss, who handcrafts mittens, a tea cosy, and more for her friends, then produces a sweater for the shivering sheep when all the wool is gone.
Extra yarn by Barnett, Mac — Balzer + Bray, 2012--E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.2 With a supply of yarn that never runs out, Annabelle knits for everyone and everything in town until an evil archduke decides he wants the yarn for himself.
#31 Add your action
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