Lesson Planning Books

Literature Guide: From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Grades 4-8)

E. L. Konigsburg

List Price: $3.95 By: Scholastic Amazon Marketplace: 6 new & used starting at $11.91

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Classics by Age -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 312 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A proper mystery! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I think you have to be a kid or a kid at heart to properly understand the magic of this book. What kid did not dream of running away? Here is a girl, a very practical girl, who makes that dream come true. She and her younger brother create an elaborate plan to run away and hide in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Remember, this was written before huge advancements in security. As they live an awesome life in a museum, they allow themselves to become part of a possible mystery.

This is an exciting and smartly-written book that manages to laugh at itself and his characters while still making you love everyone connected to this clever story.

Still good after all these years 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I feel funny reviewing books that are older than I am (this was published in 1967), but I will share what I thought. I thought this was a cute story, and I don't know how I missed this one when I was young...it seems like it would have been just my style! And, except for a few details (such as how much things cost and the fact that Claudia wears a petticoat), it doesn't feel like it's outdated. I thought a couple of parts were particularly funny, like when Claudia and Jamie find an unopened candy bar on the ground, and Jamie wants to eat it. Claudia says "You better not touch it. It's probably poisoned or filled with marijuana, so you'll eat it and become either dead or a dope addict." How funny!

Editorial Review:

A complete guide to teaching the Newbery Award winner, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. E. Frankweiler. Includes an author biography, background information, summaries, thought-provoking discussion questions, as well as creative, cross-curricular activities and reproducibles that motivate students.

Literature Guide: Island of the Blue Dolphins (Grades 4-8)

Scott O'Dell

List Price: $3.95 By: Scholastic Amazon Marketplace: 6 new & used starting at $1.97

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( O ) -> O'Dell, Scott

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 609 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Just didn't excite me 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My babysitter got this out for my 8 year old daughter who loves to read, and I started reading it first to see if she would like it. I remember reading it as a child but couldn't remember whether I liked it or not. As an adult I found it somewhat interesting but not captivating. Nothing much happens, and I didn't think it was written in a way which would excite my daughter. I found myself wishing Scott ODell were a better writer--the descriptions of how food or clothing is made from natural products are so thin, compared to the Little House books (which are masterpieces). Since so many people seem to love it, I guess you just have to check it out of the library and see.

Dolphin book for school 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We received this book very quickly, in the described condition. It was an earlier print of the book with a smaller font, but overall it was a great
buying experience.

Editorial Review:

A complete guide to teaching the Newbery Award winner, Island of the Blue Dolphins. Includes an author biography, background information, summaries, thought-provoking discussion questions, as well as creative, cross-curricular activities and reproducibles that motivate students.

Literature Guide: Where the Red Ferns Grow (Grades 4-8)

Wilson Rawls

List Price: $3.95 By: Scholastic Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $63.98

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Reading
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1209 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An Ozark Requiem - Where the Red Fern Grows 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Being an avid reader my whole life, I don't know how I skipped over this book as a kid. Recently I decided to brush up on some classic literature, and I grabbed this off my bookshelf...wow. This has to be one of the most AMAZING American tales of all time...and it's definitely in my top five books ever.

Warning: it has a little flavor of Bridge to Terebithia in it because of it's terribly bittersweet ending...but it is well worth it.

The writing style is so easy to read and so engrossing, it's like the author is actually sitting across from you telling you the story.

This is a slice of Americana that all kids should read...it captures the Ozarks and the heart of a little boy who loves his dogs so well! The fact that the main character had to work so hard for what he wanted is such a wonderful message to kids today.

Where the Red Fern Grows is a little piece of the American dream, and it is a must read for everyone. No questions asked.

Editorial Review:

A complete guide to teaching Where the Red Fern Grows. Includes an author biography, background information, summaries, thought-provoking discussion questions, as well as creative, cross-curricular activities and reproducibles that motivate students.

The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher

Harry K. Wong, Rosemary Tripi Wong

List Price: $29.95 By: Harry K. Wong Publications Amazon Marketplace: 123 new & used starting at $0.25

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Pedagogy
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 292 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great Quality 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The book that I ordered came very quick, and it is in really great condition. I am really satisfied with the product that I received.

The First Days of School 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A great book to start teachers on the right track with confidence in classroom management. An easy reference guide to typical topics that first year teachers struggle with.

Great book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful book for teachers new and old learning how to manage a successful classroom. Cannot recommend it highly enough

Great info, lenghty read 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is actually applicable to most teachers, but it takes at least a year to impliment it ALL correctly in the classroom. Make sure to apply it with some common sense and NOT word-for-word!

There's some great stuff in this book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Harry Wong really has some stuff straight. I'm working towards my teaching license and am working in some different schools. Harry's techniques really work! I've seen the difference of teachers that use this and those who don't. Wow, what a difference!
It's about gaining back your respect as a professional... not having to yell or be unprofessional in order to manage your students. Dicipline is not the #1 problem in todays classrooms. It's all about routines and proceedures. Establishing routines and proceedures allows the students to know what is expected of them and allows them to focus on learning in a structured environment conducive to learning. Seriously, get this book. If every classroom did this... we would have an amazing education system.

Editorial Review:

Used by new and veteran teachers, college instructors, and administrators, this is a beautifully designed book on classroom management, student achievement, and teacher effectiveness. Color graphics.

A Guide for Using The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in the Classroom

LAURIE SWINWOOD

Amazon Price: $8.99 List Price: $8.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Teacher Created Resources Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $5.92

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Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General -> General AAS
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General AAS
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Elementary School -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 115 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

love it 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have read this book at least once a year for 15yrs and now I'm reading it to my kids. It's a quick read, I can't put it down.

Very Well Written! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I like books and I don't know if this is my favorite book but it is excellent. We read it as a family every year at Christmas. It never fails to touch me. It is fun with a redeeming message.

One of the Best Christmas Books Ever 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The worst kids in the neighborhood decide to be in the annual Christmas Pageant and turn the weeks leading up to the event into a very funny, read. I've read this book to many classrooms of children over the years and it's guaranteed to make them listen and laugh.

...

True meaning of Christmas in an untraditional presentation 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's a fun story about an untraditional Christmas play. It shows how good can come of seemingly negative changes and find some unexpected, meaningful outcomes.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Editorial Review:

This resource is directly related to its literature equivalent and filled with a variety of cross-curricular lessons to do before, during, and after reading the book. This reproducible book includes sample plans, author information, vocabulary building ideas, cross-curriculum activities, sectional activities and quizzes, unit tests, and ideas for culminating and extending the novel.

Literature Guide: Maniac Magee (Grades 4-6)

Jerry Spinelli, Linda Ward Beech

List Price: $3.95 By: Scholastic Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $76.52

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Reading
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 718 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Maniac Magee 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Jeffery Magee is a twelve-year-old kid who's parents died in the famous P&W trolley crash. His aunt and Uncle can't agree on anything, not even Jeffery. When they come to the school choir concert they sit on opposite sides of the bleachers, at the end of the song Jeffery is screaming for them to talk. Then he starts running, away from school, away from his aunt and uncle, away from Holidaysburg. Into Two Mills.
Upon arriving in Two Mills Jeffery gets himself into the furious fight between blacks and whites. When he starts living with a family of blacks, the Beales, he finds himself in for alot of trouble, especially from Mars Bars Thompson. Eventually Jeffery, now Maniac Magee, ralizes the trouble he has caused and runs to East end, the white side of town. There he starts living with the Mcnabs, but soon sees that he's only causing trouble there too. In the end Maniac is living in a buffalo pen at the zoo when Amanda Beale and Mars Bars Thompson convince Maniac to live with them in West end, because they don't care if he's white, he is their friend.
Pg 182:
"Let's go."
"Where?"
"Home."
"Who's?"
"Mine. Yours. Ours. Come on, I'm sleepy"...
He knew that finally, truly, at long last, someone was calling him home.
I think this best examplifies the authors purpose in writing this book by saying that if you keep trying and don't give up you will be acceptted no matter what. Also that no matter how the world looks there is always someone who cares about you.
I think that this book is a great contribution to society. It teaches us that growing up can be hard, but there is always something good waiting for you on the other side. Also, it helps us understand that if we preservere we will always make it.
We will make it through life, good or bad, depending on our choices and I think that this book is a great example of that. overall this is a book that anyone who has questions about growing up should read.

Editorial Review:

Literature Guides
A complete guide to teaching the Newbery Award winner, Maniac Magee. Includes an author biography, background information, summaries, thought-provoking discussion questions, as well as creative, cross-curricular activities and reproducibles that motivate students.

Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement

Robert J. Marzano, Debra Pickering, Jane E. Pollock

Amazon Price: $17.96 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Deve Amazon Marketplace: 103 new & used starting at $10.00

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Research
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Instruction Method -> General AAS
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

What works in education? How do we know? How can teachers find out? How can educational research find its way into the classroom? How can we apply it to help our individual students? Questions like these arise in most schools, and busy educators often don't have time to find the answers. Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock have examined decades of research findings to distill the results into nine broad teaching strategies that have positive effects on student learning:

* Identifying similarities and differences.
* Summarizing and note taking.
* Reinforcing effort and providing recognition.
* Homework and practice.
* Nonlinguistic representations.
* Cooperative learning.
* Setting objectives and providing feedback.
* Generating and testing hypotheses.
* Questions, cues, and advance organizers.

This list is not new. But what is surprising is finding out what a big difference it makes, for example, when students learn how to take good notes, work in groups, and use graphic organizers. The authors provide statistical effect sizes and show how these translate into percentile gains for students, for each strategy. And each chapter presents extended classroom examples of teachers and students in action; models of successful instruction; and many "frames," rubrics, organizers, and charts to help teachers plan and implement the strategies.

Follow the Directions & Draw It All by Yourself!

Kristin Geller

Amazon Price: $8.76 List Price: $10.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Teaching Resources - Model: SC0439140072 Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $5.93

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Features:

• LEARNING MATERIALS
• Teacher Resources
• Language Arts

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Elementary School -> General AAS
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Pedagogy
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very basic great for a young beginner 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This was a great book for a young child that is very interested in starting to draw. Very simple and basic.

The best , most charming of all the draw it yourself type books, 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I really love this book. It is charming,so simple and not cartoony influenced . I have a lot of instructional drawing books for children and this is the best. I want more copies!

Simple 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very nice book for mom's like me who have no artistic ability at all. Plus my 4 year-old who is somewhat artistically inclined seems to be able to follow the steps pretty easily. It entertained us, and will hopefully do so for awhile yet.

Excellent in Kindergarten!! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book hoping that it would help me (drawing challenged!) as a Kindergarten teacher to be better at making illustrations and drawings that are often required by K teachers. I ended up leading my class in some of the step by step directions on the board while they drew on their papers just to try it for fun. They absolutely LOVED IT!! They would beg and beg to learn how to draw more things. My students are required as part of our curriculum to draw illustrations frequently, and I always have those students who are so upset that they "don't know how" to draw what they need to. I have used this book and other similar books for my students to use as a guide, and it has really empowered them! This one is definitely the very best one of all I've purchased (for kids aged 5-6), and it's so popular that I am having to buy more copies! I wish Scholastic would make more like this with different animals/objects!

Editorial Review:

25 Easy, Reproducible Lessons That Guide Kids Step-by-Step to Draw Adorable Pictures & Learn the Important Skill of Following Directions
Includes Creative Extension Activities!
From teddy bears to dinosaurs, kids will love drawing easy pictures on their own! Helps kids learn shapes and build fine motor skills.

Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction

Donald R. Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, Francine Johnston

List Price: $28.00 By: Merrill Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $0.12

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Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Books & Reading -> Literacy
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Elementary School -> Reading
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Elementary School -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Spelling and Reading 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

It's been shown that spelling provides a window to one's reading. This book explains the developmental stages children go through K- adult. The database software on one of the CDs that allows one to analyze the spelling inventories and sort the results is very easy to use. Classroom teachers appreciate the data I have been able to give them on their students. The word games and short videos on the 2nd CD are very helpful. The analytical phonics approach is very kid-friendly right up through high school. This is a very thorough resource that every ELA, SpEd, and Title I teacher should use.

Editorial Review:

With more than 15 years of extensive observations and experiences in real classrooms, the authors bring keen insight to this activity-based book. They advocate basing student learning on the appropriate developmental level. This philosophy is supported with more than 250 ready-to-use word study, spelling, vocabulary, and phonics activities presented in developmental sequence, from the Emergent through the Derivational Relation stage. For educators and school administrators.

104 Activities That Build: Self-Esteem, Teamwork, Communication, Anger Management, Self-Discovery, Coping Skills

Alanna E. Jones

Amazon Price: $16.32 List Price: $24.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rec Room Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $15.42

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General AAS
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Personal Health -> Stress -> Anger Management

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Resource! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I found this book to have some great ideas for group activities that introduce and teach social/emotional skills. As a social worker in a junior high school, I have implemented many of these activites into my daily activities. Highly recommended for teachers, counselors, social workers, etc.

One Math Teacher who Needed Some Ideas...got them! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Sometimes, like before long school breaks, i want to plan an activity for the kids that is fun and helps them learn a little more about themselves and/or each other. This book has lots of great ideas divided by category (very helpful); i'm planning to try several of them in the next schoolyear (2008-09). Also, some of the games can be adapted to serve instructional purposes; a bonus!

Great Activities! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is the best book, filled with fun activities to use in therapeutic groups! I ordered another one because someone took my original copy and I can't live without it.

great buy 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I am so glad I bought this book, I can't wait to try these new ideas with my kids so I can excite them into learning.

Worth the purchase 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Out of 104 activities I found about a dozen to use for a social skills group with 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th graders. You may not want to use ONLY this book to plan a group, but it has provided some very good ideas to incorporate into my groups.