Nick's Picks—Selected Resources from TeachingBooks.net
Nick Glass, TeachingBooks.net for Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 9/13/2007
National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15) offers teachers a great opportunity to merge literature and technology in their lessons. This month's column highlights K-12 online resources that will bring some beloved Hispanic authors and illustrators into the classroom. Use these resources to add an informed, multimedia dimension to book activities across content areas. Here are a few ideas from TeachingBooks.net:
Francisco JiménezWatch three short movies featuring Francisco Jiménez
In his books for children and teens, Francisco Jiménez, author of The Circuit: Stories From the Life of a Migrant Child (Univ. of New Mexico Press, 1997) and Breaking Through (Houghton, 2001) delivers realistic and touching glimpses into the lives of migrant farm worker families.
Practicum: In this TeachingBooks.net original author program, the Pura Belpré and Horn Book Award recipient discusses the autobiographical nature of his writing. The program includes a mini-documentary with Jiménez, and two movies of him reading from The Circuit (one in English, and one in Spanish). Share Jimenez’s empowering message with your language-arts and Spanish-language classes and with the English-Language learners in your school.
Yuyi Morales
Hear the acclaimed author and illustrator pronounce and explain her name.
Yuyi Morales has garnered more than a dozen major children's book awards, including the Pura Belpré Award, the Américas Award, and the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award. She is the author of Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book (Chronicle, 2003) and the illustrator of Kathleen Krull’s Harvesting Hope: The Story of César Chávez (Harcourt, 2003), both popular classroom selections.
Practicum: When booktalking or introducing Morales’s books, play this Author Name Pronunciation and your students will relate to her books in a new, personal way while learning about a Mexican naming convention.
Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street (Knopf, 1991)
A baker’s dozen Reading / Discussion Guides, including two in Spanish
Practicum: Literature circles, book groups, students researching authors, and teachers leading discussions about this 20th-century classic will appreciate the insights and guidance contained in these resources. The guides, issued by public libraries, publishers, and schools are guaranteed to stimulate informed dialogue.
Margaret Wise Brown's El Conejito Andarín
Spanish Audio Excerpt of Susanna Tubert Reading The Runaway Bunny
Practicum: The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to share Margaret Wise Brown's story of The Runaway Bunny (HarperCollins, 1942) with young students. After reading aloud the English version, use the link below to play an excerpt from El Conejito Andarín (HarperAudio, 1995), the Spanish version of the beloved work, as read by Susanna Tubert. Whether or not your students understand the meaning of the words, they will recognize the rhythm of this timeless tale with a reassuring message. Beginning Spanish-language classes and English-language learners will also appreciate this auditory experience.
If you have thoughts about this column or would like to share details of any related activities that have been successful in your classroom, don't hesitate to drop me an email. Ciao.
Nick Glass is the Founder of TeachingBooks.net. A highlight of his recent trip to San Antonio, TX, was hearing Linda Ronstadt sing, accompanied by a fabulous mariachi string band, at the opening celebration of the Museo Alameda del Smithsonian. nick@TeachingBooks.net
