Series Books & Research
Inspiration Book:
Face to face with butterflies by Murawski, Darlyne — National Geographic, 2010--595.78; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 6.0 Introduces readers to butterflies, describing how they transform from caterpillers, how they develop their wings, their behavior, and other related topics.
Rationale: The Inspiration Book is part of a series Face to Face with Animals, published by National Geographic. Animals included at this writing are: butterflies, caterpillars, cheetahs, dolphins, elephants, frogs, gorillas, leopards, lions, manatees, orangutans, penguins, polar bears, sharks, whales, wild horses, and wolves.
Two other animal series that could be used in the same manner, and that have proven popular with children are Children’s Press (imprint of Scholastic) Nature’s Children (both older edition and the newly revised will work) and Valerie Bodden animals series (Creepy Creatures and Amazing Animals) for Creative Education. The Bodden titles are easy enough that the youngest students in the interest range can read most of the book and the struggling reader won’t be too challenged. The high interest level of the series is also conducive to attracting reluctant readers, and the attractiveness will also draw a more advanced group.
Each title in the three series is formatted in a similar way, and covers many of the same topics, thus making the series an excellent tool to learn about book parts, and to model the research process. Modeling bibliographic format is also much easier when using a series.
When there are many titles about one topic or in a series, I often take the time to have a reading, note taking, and paragraph writing day(s). I use one book as a model. I read a few pages or a chapter, ask students for facts that impressed them, jot those facts on a white/chalkboard or chart, then have students write a short paragraph using the notes that the group selected. The first time summarizing and writing is practiced, try writing as a whole group, then by small groups, then individually. Summarizing is a huge Common Core skill, well worth repeating often and in various ways.
Another Common Core skill is comparing and contrasting. Since each of the animals in the series has other books about them, comparing and contrasting can be emphasized. Students simply read the series book plus one or two others. I again model this skill by reading several books, making a several column chart of topics (food, habitat, appearance, etc.), than taking chart notes using a different color for each book. If the information is the same, we simply check the note using the second or third colors. From the note charts we can make Venn diagrams and finally write compare and/or contrast paragraph(s). Again begin modeling with the whole group, then small groups and finally individually.
A series is also a useful tool when working with the Super 3 or Big 6 research process. One of the series titles can be a model. Students in Grades 3-6 do their own research using one of the animals in the series following the Super 3 or Big 6 steps. If students in Grades 5-8 are not familiar with the research process, this lesson would also be suitable for them; if they are familiar, use the series to quickly review the steps and then have the older students do their own research beginning with one of the books in the series. The Teacher Resources are all related to the Super 3 or Big 6 research process.
Teacher Resources:
Official Big 6 website https://thebig6.org
Utah Education Network http://www.uen.org/k12educator/big6/task.shtml
CyberBee--In the Hollow of a Tree http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/sep01/cybe0109.htm
In the Hollow of a Tree (I really like this example because it uses an animal which the students will be doing.) http://www.cyberbee.com/raccoons/raccoon.html
Face to Face with Animals Series:
Face to face with butterflies by Murawski, Darlyne — National Geographic, 2010--595.78; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 6.0 Introduces readers to butterflies, describing how they transform from caterpillers, how they develop their wings, their behavior, and other related topics.
Face to face with caterpillars by Murawski, Darlyne — National Geographic, 2007--595.78; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.8 An introduction to caterpillars, discussing where they live, what they look like, what they eat, how they defend themselves, and what they need to survive.
Face to face with cheetahs by Johns, Chris — National Geographic, 2008--599.75; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.9 Photographs, anecdotes, and facts provide a look at the behaviors of a family of cheetahs living in Okavango Delta in Botswana. Includes suggestions on how to help the endangered species. (Individual entry under construction).
Face to face with dolphins by Nicklin, Flip — National Geographic, 2007--599.53; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.2 An underwater photographer describes the physical characteristics and social behaviors of dolphins; discusses how they interact with people; and provides readers with ideas of how they can help and learn more about dolphins.
Face to face with elephants by Joubert, Beverly — National Geographic, 2008--599.67; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.3 Photographs and narration describe the behaviors and physical characteristics of African elephants. (Individual entry under construction. Another elephant entry Elephants of Africa SciIV under construction).
Face to face with frogs by Moffett, Mark W — National Geographic, 2008--597.8; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.6 Mark Moffett shares the experiences he has had while studying frogs around the world, provides information about the physical characteristics of frogs, and describes deadly and unusual species. (NSTA Frog books entry under construction. Two frog entries posted Nic Bishop Frogs NNF and Beware of the Frog NPB.)
Face to face with gorillas by Nichols, Michael — National Geographic, 2009--599.884; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.9 The author describes his experiences photographing gorillas, shares what he has learned about the animals, and showcases some of his pictures. (Individual entry under construction).
Face to face with grizzlies by Sartore, Joel — National Geographic, 2007--599.784; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.2 Joel Sartore describes his experiences with bears while on assignment for "National Geographic" magazine, and provides basic information about bears' bodies, habitats, and behavior, as well as environmental and human factors that endanger bears. Includes animal conservation ideas.
Face to face with leopards by Joubert, Beverly — National Geographic, 2009--599.75; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.9 Beverly and Dereck Joubert share what they have learned about the behavior, physical characteristics, habitat, and hunting styles of leopards by watching one leopard grow from a cub into an adult in the wild.
Face to face with lions by Joubert, Beverly — National Geographic, 2008
599.757; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.0 Dereck Joubert shares the experiences he and his wife have had while studying and photographing lions in Africa for twenty-five years, and provides information about the lives of lions, their eating habits, behaviors, and uncertain future. (Individual entry under construction).
Face to face with manatees by Skerry, Brian — National Geographic, 2010--599.55; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.5 Introduces young readers to the life cycle, behaviors, and the natural habitat of manatees living off Florida's southern coast and describes the conservation efforts being performed to protect the species. (Individual entry under construction).
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