Race the Wild: Rain Forest Relay

Hi All!

Race the Wild: Rain Forest Relay is the first in the Kristin Earhart ecosystem series. I love that it has several facts about the ecosystem and explains how they interact.

This is a great read for students in grades 2 - 4. A brief overview for this book: This books starts off a race through different ecosystems. This leg of the race occurs in the Amazon Rain Forest, where along the way the reader will learn many different facts about plants, animals, and other ecosystem parts (in this case about the Amazon River). The story is focused around the Red team and its four members, Sage, Dev, Russell, and Mari.

The main ideas students can take away are:

1.     Interaction of different parts of the rain forest.

2.    There are 4 main levels of the rain forest.

3.    Wildlife facts about thing such as the poison dart frog, squirrel cuckoo, capybara, three-toed sloth, piranha, Amazon River dolphin, and more.

4.    Another aspect of the life supported by the sacred kapok tree. (I think a teacher could even tie in an additional book, The Great Kapok Tree, for additional lessons or comparisons about the rain forest. I thought this was a good connection for my classroom).

I created a literature unit that accompanies this story. In it I included text evidence based comprehension questions, character trait evidence, fact journal, expository writing, and more.

These are some pics from the unit. If you are interested please click on this link: Race the Wild: Rain Forest Relay.

Thanks!

Erin Hansen

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Hi All!

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 is the second in the series that I have read. I enjoyed the book and still love that Lauren Tarshis brings out the history subtly to younger readers. However, I will say I enjoyed I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 much more.

This was an appropriate and fun book for my third graders. A brief summary for this book is that it follows the story of an adventurous 10 year old boy named George who is traveling with his Aunt Daisy and his sister Phoebe. They are traveling first-class on the Titanic when it struck an iceberg. During, the story George interacts with the staff and third-class passengers which gives the reader different perspectives of the different classes.  

The main ideas students can take away are: 

1.     Differing perspectives from wait staff, third-class passengers, first-class passengers, and the differences between men and women + children on the fateful voyage. 

2.    Demonstrates different class systems had differing privileges.

3.    History of the Carpathia coming to the rescue, too late and the nonchalant attitude of first-class passengers when the boat first hit the iceberg. In addition to third-class passengers being locked below deck.

4.    The struggle of different individuals trying to make it onto a lifeboat and how this struggle led to a change in a law for passenger ships.

5.    The change of a relationship between a boy and his father.

I created a literature unit that accompanies this story. In it I included text evidence based comprehension questions, character trait evidence, change in relationship, expository writing debate, and more.

These are some pics from the unit. If you are interested please click on this link. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Thanks!

Erin Hansen