Well, to say it's been a while since I posted would be an understatement! The fact of the matter is that the stress and anxiety that comes with being a first-year teacher has really gotten to me the last few months, and I haven't been as motivated and gung-ho about creating the lessons that I usually enjoy creating.
Well...this past week, we were reading a TIMES for Kids article about unlikely animal bonds, which is something that always touches my heart when I read an article or see a documentary about these peculiar animal friendships. Not only do the tales about multiple animals coming together against the odds just melt my heart, but the stories about the powerful connection between animals and humans are always the ones that push me over the edge, and before I know it the teardrops are rolling down my face.
My students also seem to really enjoy these types of stories, for I have shared many of my favorites with them already (including my all-time favorite, the story about Nubs the dog and his best friend the Marine...I cry every time I read that picture book hahaha). After my students and I had read the TFK article which mentioned the dynamic duo of Owen the Hippo and Mzee the Tortoise (which I had also read to them previously), I could see that the topic of animal bonds was something about which the students were also extremely passionate.
In reading this week, we are slated to discuss the importance of describing relationships between characters in a story, and what better way than to practice this through reading some of these great stories about the relationships between animals, and the relationships between animals and humans!
I have pictured some of the books that we will be reading this week below. The story of Christian the Lion is one of my favorites, and the book "Stay" is one of my new favorite books about the bond that can be shared between humans and animals. If you have not read any of these books, you should...and if you are a sucker for animal stories like I am...you might just want to have a box of Kleenex handy :-)
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| This is a must-read!!!!!!!!! And the foreword by "Because of Winn Dixie" author Kate DiCamillo is beautiful! |
While some of the groups are reading the picture books, one of the groups during Guided Reading each day will have the opportunity to view a PowerPoint that shows some examples of other animal friendships. At the end of the PowerPoint, students will have their own chance to write about one of their unlikely friendships, and while they do this, they can listen to some famous songs that speak of friendship. Of course I have included James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend", and the classic Golden Girls theme "Thank you for Being a Friend", and with my love of Disney, I also included "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story, and "When You're the Best of Friends" from Fox and the Hound. Lastly, I included one of my absolute favorite songs, that seems to fit all of the stories that we are reading this week. After you view the PowerPoint slides...you'll find out what it is...
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| All of the backgrounds for the slides were obtained from the Vera Bradley website. Yes...Michael Jackson's "Will you be There" has been, and always will be, one of my favorite songs...not just because it is featured in one of my favorite movies...Free Willy, but because it speaks of the true meaning of being there for someone! |
