3 Cups of Tea: Young Readers Edition

One man's journey to change the world... one child at a time.

This is the inspirational story of Greg Mortenson's journey to build a school in Pakistan. There are several things that can be taught with a unit on this book. Geography is the obvious thing but there is so much more. Using this book is a great way to open up discussions about Muslim culture. One misconception that gets squashed is that women should not be educated. In village after village, Greg finds that the tribe leaders are longing for schools so that they can educate the girls.

The end of the book has a question and answer section with Greg's daughter. Among other things, she talks about the Pennies for Peace program. This program offers students a way to make a difference in Pakistan. The website actually has a full curriculum that teachers can use. http://www.penniesforpeace.org/

Trade Fair

Barter: To trade by exchanging one commodity for another.

Looking for ways to teach kids about the economy? Why not have a trade fair! This can be done many ways. You can have students bring in "garage sale" items from home (with parents permission) or give them time to make items in class. They can create artwork or crafts to trade or bring food or items from home.

This lesson can be linked to many social studies standards. You can easily talk about supply and demand as well as needs and wants. A trade fair can also be used when studying colonial America since this was the way early Americans got their supplies.

Picturing the Neighborhood

Neighborhood: An area with distinctive characteristics. The people who live near one another in a particular area.

There are several things that can be learned by having students bring in pictures of their neighborhoods. Students can discuss the things that are similar and different about the area where they live. This will also provide the teacher with a good opportunity to teach some vocabulary. Possible words to discuss include: neighborhood, cul-de-sac, intersection, street, road, lane, apartment, and duplex. Using students own pictures will allow them to feel connected to the activities. This can be extended by having students write stories about their neighborhoods using some of the vocabulary that you have introduced.

Colonial Life Resouces

Here is a list of resources for teaching about Colonial America:

DeFord, D. (2004). Life in the thirteen colonies Pennsylvania. New York: Scholastic

This book covers the history of the founding of the Pennsylvania colony up until the time it becomes a state. It also gives information about the way of life for the colonists. Life in the Thirteen Colonies is a series of books that would be useful for students to use for research. The book ends with a recipe, an activity, a time line, a further reading list, and a glossary.

Bowen, G. (1994). Stranded at Plimoth plantation 1626. New York: HarperCollins Publishers

This book is written as a daily diary of Christopher Sears. While this is a fictional story, it is based on historical accounts from 1626 and 1627. It provides the reader with a look at life in Plimoth.

Carlson, L. (1997). Colonial kids. Chicago: Chicago Review Press

This is an activity book filled with art projects, games, and recipes from colonial times. Each activity explains how it was used or was important in colonial times.

Fradin, D. B. (1990). The Connecticut colony. Chicago: Children’s Press

This is one book in a series on the colonies. The book discusses the Native Americans who lived in the colony before Europeans came, the first colonists to arrive, and the colonial wars. There are also several biographies of important people in the colony. The book ends with a timeline.

Walker, S. M. (2009). Written in bone. Minneapolis: Carolrboda Books

This book follows archeologists as they uncover skeletons and artifacts from Jamestown and colonial Maryland. It also shows the foundations of a church and pictures of its restoration. The book ends with a further reading list and a timeline.

Warner, J. F. (1993). Colonial american home life. New York: Franklin Watts.

This book is all about daily life of the colonists. It includes chapters on homes, clothing, food, work, and school. The book is full of prints that had been created during the time. The end of the book provides a glossary and a bibliography.

www.americaslibrary.gov

This website, created by the Library of Congress, offers children information about the history of America. The section about Colonial America offers several stories of famous people and events from the time period.

www.socialstudiesforkids

This website is full of useful information on topics including history, geography, government, holidays, time lines, religions, languages, and more. This website would be easy for students to navigate to find information for several purposes. The section on Colonial Times offers pages on each specific colony as well as characteristics of the colonies in general.

Using Historical Fiction: Chains

Historical Fiction: The genre of historical fiction in the field of children’s literature includes stories that are written to portray a time period or convey information about a specific time period or a historical event.

Chains is an emotional book about the life of a slave girl during the time of the Revolutionary War. The author weaves in real events and historical figures to create a story that is interesting and educational.

However that does mean that teachers need to be aware of what is fact and what is fiction. As you read this book with your students have them keep a list of things that are fact, fiction, and things that they are not sure of. This will give you opportunities to branch off into research topics.

Beware: this book is a bit heavy! There is a lot going on all at once. Make sure you have plenty of discussion and writing opportunities. It may be a good idea to do some drama with the scenes and discuss what the characters are thinking and feeling.