Edgar Allan Poe's Pie

Taking a cue from classic poems, J. Patrick Lewis has written Edgar Allan Poe's Pie:  Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems, a series of poems that contain math riddles to get students thinking about numbers. From Robert Frost ("Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" becomes "Robert Frost's Boxer Shorts") to Shel Silverstein ("Boa Constrictor" becomes Shel Silverstein's "Hippo-po-tah-tum"), teachers will appreciate being able to reference the original poem, as well as tying in the new poem and working with their students to solve the math problems. This book is a fun way to tie literacy and numeracy together. Problems include adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, as well as fractions, decimals, and percentages.

In order to understand the poems and locate the math problems hidden with each one, students will have to look at textual evidence--a skill that is present throughout the Common Core State Standards, so the book, as well as the math contained within, will be useful at several grade levels.

Common Core Connections:

CCSS ELA-Literacy.RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Edgar Allan Poe's Pie:  Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Michael Slack is currently available at Maple Street and Linden Grove.

Experiments With . . .

Students are curious about all kinds of scientific processes. Trevor Cook's Science Lab series, including Experiments with Heat and Experiments with States of Matter will allow them to extend their curiosity beyond the science lab. Each title includes basic background information, a list of necessary materials (my favorite supply is "friends can help"), and about a dozen experiments students can complete to learn more about the world around them.

Each process is clearly photographed, step-by-step, and a basic explanation of what is happening is given. However, maybe the best part is that there is a section at the end of each experiment that asks, "What else can you do?" and then provides extensions beyond the basic experiment. The book also includes "jargon busters" to help students with unfamiliar language and the author includes a glossary and website to help students further their knowledge.

Many times students read about scientific processes in connection with their classwork. These books present experiments that will help students understand the concepts from a hands-on perspective, as well as think deeply about how the process connects to their lives.

Common Core State Standards Connections:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

In addition to Experiments with Heat and Experiments with States of Matter, other titles in the series include Experiments with Electricity and Magnetism, Experiments with Forces, Experiments with Light and Sound, and Experiments with Plants and Other Living Things. Maple Street, Milwood Magnet, Linden Grove, and Hillside all own Heat and States of Matter. Would you like to see the other titles in your library?

Creative Writing in 5 Simple Steps

The Spilling Ink writing club at Maple Street has been busy preparing for our Literacy Night poetry slam. As they continue through the year, it's possible that more and more styles of writing and interests will begin to emerge and there is a new series that can help any young writer work on his or her craft. Write Fantasy Fiction in 5 Simple Steps is a book in the Creative Writing in 5 Simple Steps series. Each title is a guide for writers of a particular genre. In the fantasy title, students are encouraged to keep a journal, do research, learn more about the genre and its conventions, and complete other activities that will improve their writing.

Specific information about the genre is included, as well as excellent examples of work from popular authors that the students will recognize such as J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, and Cornelia Funke. Advice about publishing is provided as well. The book ends will a detailed glossary, a list for further reading, and websites to visit so that students can extend their understanding beyond the pages.

In addition to fantasy, the other genres addressed in this series are: mystery, romance, graphic novels, science fiction, and horror. Students who enjoy reading these genres will love learning more about the conventions and each book provides opportunities for teachers to pull out elements that will help improve their students' writing.

Common Core State Standards Connections:

Sixth Grade:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W6.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W6.3aEngage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W6.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W6.3c Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W6.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W6.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Seventh Grade:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W7.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W7.3a Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W7.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W7.3c Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W7.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W7.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

Eighth Grade:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W8.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W8.3a Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W8.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W8.3c Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W8.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy W8.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

Currently, this title is available at Maple Street. I am considering purchasing the whole series for Maple Street. Would you like to see it at your middle school as well?

Six Questions of American History

The who, what, when, where, why, and how questions of American history are made much more interesting when put into an accessible format. The "Six Questions of American History" series from Lerner Publishing Group seeks to answer questions about the history of the United States in a fun and conversational way. Each of the 18 books in the series follows a similar format: basic background information about the events in question is laid out in an introduction. Then, each short chapter seeks to answer a question such as, "How did the delegates begin working together" (Who Wrote the U.S. Constitution?) or, "Who were the people trying to stop slavery?" (When Were the First Slaves Set Free During the Civil War?) The historical figures, places, and events are highlighted using paintings and photographs and key vocabulary terms are defined in boxes on each page. Many maps and documents are also placed as photographs in modern technological equipment such as cell phones and GPS devices to add interest to the graphics.

One of my favorite parts of this series is the final question in each book. The author always asks, "How do we know so much about . . ." each event and then discusses the primary sources that are available to help students and teachers better understand the concepts. Each book also includes a challenge to have students write their own story using the facts that they have learned, as well as a detailed timeline of the events discussed in the book.

Lerner has included esource downloads to accompany this series, including a series timeline (spanning events from 1492-1957) and teaching guide, which are available by creating a Lerner account.

These books can be used to promote critical thinking skills as students debate the "what if" questions that will inevitably come up when learning about the people and details surrounding the major turning points of American history. This series is the perfect complement to the eighth grade Social Studies GLCEs.

In addition, the titles in this series can be used to address several areas of the Common Core State Standards, including:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Copies of all 18 books in this series are currently available at Milwood Magnet School, Hillside Middle School, and Maple Street Magnet School. Search your school's online library catalog to  locate these resources.