Change of Due Dates
• 4/14 Literary Theory of any Novel
• 4/28 Contemporary Realistic Fiction #8 International Blog Post
• 5/12 1 Digital Picture Book
Today’s Topics
Literary Theory
Environmental Stewardship
In Class
Write a Readers Response for an ecology themed book
What’s Due Next Week
4/7
Have Read a book from the Fantasy Text Set
Green Earth Book Award Picture Book
4/9
Green Earth Novel-Protagonist as Steward
One Professional Development
Literary theory is a way of thinking about the ideas in art and literature
There are several different lenses critics you can use to view and talk about art,
literature
• Structural analysis - looks for underlying elements in culture and literature that
can be connected so that you can develop general conclusions about the works
and the systems from which they emerge
• Psychoanalytic criticism builds on Freudian theories of psychology
• Reader response whereas most focus attention primarily on the author or the
content and form of the work Reader response criticism considers readers'
reactions to literature as vital to interpreting the meaning of the text
The role of the reader cannot be omitted from our understanding of literature
Readers do not passively consume the meaning presented to them
Genre
Text Structure
Literary Elements
Content/Topic
Background knowledge
Age/Stage
Skills of Reading, writing,
listening
Personal values
Reasons for Reader Response View of Literature and Teaching
• Children have a feeling of accomplishment as readers
Reasons for Reader Response View of Literature and Teaching
• Children have a feeling of accomplishment as readers
• Requires a literature across all genres-there’s something for everyone
Reasons for Reader Response View of Literature and Teaching
• Children have a feeling of accomplishment as readers
• Requires a literature across all genres-there’s something for everyone
• Students can use their own writing and speaking voice through journals and
discussions
Reasons for Reader Response View of Literature and Teaching
• Children have a feeling of accomplishment as readers
• Requires a literature across all genres-there’s something for everyone
• Students can use their own writing and speaking voice through journals
and discussions
• Students assume responsibility for learning-recording their own reflective
responses
Reasons for Reader Response View of Literature and Teaching
• Children have a feeling of accomplishment as readers
• Requires a literature across all genres-there’s something for everyone
• Students can use their own writing and speaking voice through journals and discussions
• Students assume responsibility for learning-recording their own reflective responses
• Students make personal connections
Reasons for Reader Response View of Literature and Teaching
• Children have a feeling of accomplishment as readers
• Requires a literature across all genres-there’s something for everyone
• Students can use their own writing and speaking voice through journals and discussions
• Students assume responsibility for learning-recording their own reflective responses
• Students make personal connections
• Reader Response encourages higher level thinking
Reasons for Reader Response View of Literature and Teaching
• Children have a feeling of accomplishment as readers
• Requires a literature across all genres-there’s something for everyone
• Students can use their own writing and speaking voice through journals and
discussions
• Students assume responsibility for learning-recording their own reflective responses
• Students make personal connections
• Reader Response encourages higher level thinking
• Reading becomes a process of active learning
Reasons for Reader Response View of Literature and Teaching
• Children have a feeling of accomplishment as readers
• Requires a literature across all genres-there’s something for everyone
• Students can use their own writing and speaking voice through journals and
discussions
• Students assume responsibility for learning-recording their own reflective
responses
• Students make personal connections
• Reader Response encourages higher level thinking
• Reading becomes a process of active learning
• Affords readers the opportunity to expect quality in the books they read
Reasons for Reader Response View of Literature and Teaching
• Children have a feeling of accomplishment as readers
• Requires a literature across all genres-there’s something for everyone
• Students can use their own writing and speaking voice through journals and discussions
• Students assume responsibility for learning-recording their own reflective responses
• Students make personal connections
• Reader Response encourages higher level thinking
• Reading becomes a process of active learning
• Affords readers the opportunity to expect quality in the books they read
Nonfiction Book Awards
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
Promotes and recognizes excellence in the writing of nonfiction for
children. The name Orbis Pictus, commemorates the work of Johannes
Amos Comenius, Orbis Pictus—The World in Pictures (1657), considered
to be the first book actually planned for children.
Winners and honors are organized in categories biography, history,
science, and the arts
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
Awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most
distinguished informational book published in the United States in
English during the preceding year. The award is named in honor of
Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound
Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois. ALSC administers the award.
The Boston Globe Nonfiction Category
Celebrating its 45th year, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards
are among the most prestigious honors in the field of children’s and
young adult literature. Winners and two Honor Books are selected in each
of three categories: Picture Book, Fiction and Poetry, and Nonfiction.
THE NONFICTION DETECTIVES' TIPS FOR EVALUATING NONFICTION
Survey – these books provide readers with an overview of a topic
Concept – books in this category cover abstract ideas or classification – life cycles
Specialized – topics are delved into more deeply and may use primary or secondary resources
Biography/Autobiography – the story of a person's life, written by them or someone else
How-To – gives directions
Who is the Author?
• What are their credentials?
• Read the introduction, preface or author’s note
Backmatter
• Does the book have:
• Table of Contents
• Index
• Epilogue, Author's Note
• Appendix, Glossary
• Source Notes
• Bibliography with Bibliographical Information
• Timeline
Organization: how is the information presented
• Chronological
• Classifiction
• Cause and Effect
In this compelling book, Roth and Trumbore
recount the efforts of the scientists of the
Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program to save
the parrots and ensure their future. Woven into
the parrots’ story is a brief history of Puerto
Rico itself, from before the first human settlers
to the present day.
In simple yet informative language, A Place for Turtles introduces
young readers to the ways human action or inaction can affect
turtle populations and opens kids’ minds to a wide range of
environmental issues. Describing various examples, the text
provides an intriguing look at turtles, at the ecosystems that
support their survival, and at the efforts of some people to save
them. At the end of the book, the author offers readers a list of
things they can do to help protect these special creatures in their
own communities. Recommended Age: 6-10
Writing Style
•
•
•
•
•
•
Expository-- Just the Facts
Narrative --Straight narrative or Second person
Persuasive
Poetry
Descriptive
Tone--Is the author trying to persuade readers or present
a particular point of view?
"A ribbon of coral stretches out below you.
Schools of brightly colored fish swirl past. As you
swim over the reef, you spot sponges, sea
cucumbers, anemones, spiny sea urchins, and a
blue sea star. The reef is jam-packed with life.
Scientists think tropical coral reefs might be
home to more than one million different kinds of
living things." [p. 11]
DESIGN: How everything in the book is put together
•
•
•
•
•
Maps
Charts
Photos
side bars
Captions
Do sidebars or information boxes force readers to turn several pages before break
up sentences?
How do the text and visual elements work together to help readers digest the
information?
Narrative Nonfiction
….sometimes called creative nonfiction, or literary nonfiction. I think the term
creative nonfiction is misleading — we don’t create anything that isn’t there
already, and literary sounds pretentious to me. So I prefer narrative nonfiction. It
boils down to this: making sure we are telling a story. The author of narrative
nonfiction uses all of the best techniques of fiction writing: plot, character
development, voice, and theme.
Narrative Nonfiction: Kicking Ass at Last by Elizabeth Partridge
Hornbook Magazine April 23, 2013
Checklist for Choosing Nonfiction
Finding Good Nonfiction on the Blogs
• InkThinkTank I.N.K.
• The Nonfiction Minute - short pieces of nonfiction on a wide variety of topics,
written by outstanding nonfiction writers for children. And the best news is—it’s all
free and waiting to be used by you and your students. So get to know really good
nonfiction writing.
• Nonfiction Monday - Bloggers across the kidlitosphere celebrate Nonfiction
Monday by writing about nonfiction books for kids on Monday.
• The Uncommon Corps - Marc Aronson, Myra Zarnowski, Mary Ann Cappiello, Sue
Bartle, and Kathleen Odean are using digital media to share their passion for and
knowledge of nonfiction literature and their experience with children, teachers, and
librarians, to champion nonfiction and provide schools across the nation with access to
kid-friendly, standards-based instructional ideas as they transition to the new Common
Core Standards for English Language Arts and Content Literacy.
Using Picture Books in Middle School
http://teachingreadingandla.pbworks.com/f/Picture%20Books%20Across%20the%20Curriculum%202011%20revised.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/abseconmedia/using-picture-books-in-the-middle-school