Running Out of TIme by Elizabeth Levy



Levy, Elizabeth. Running Out of Time. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Ny, 1980. Print.

Running Out of Time by Elizabeth Levy is about three friends who have gone for a run and go into a large patch of fog. They momentarily cannot see each other but once they come out of the fog, they find themselves in ancient roman times. They are dressed like the Romans and are thought to be Roman slaves. They are brought to fight as gladiators and meet another gladiator named Spartacus. The friends and the others plan to have a revolt so that they can be free and not have to fight each other in the gladiator fights.

Resources:

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/
This cite gives a lot of information about the history of the ancient Romans and what life was like at those times. They can read about the slavery, food, homes, people, clothing, architecure and more.

http://rome.mrdonn.org/spartacus.html
This cite tells the history of who Spartacus was and how he became a slave. This can help the students understand how he is connected to the Spartacus in the book.

Vocabulary:
slavery, empire, gladiator

Before Reading:
Students read information about ancient Rome and who Spartacus was in history.

Writing Activity:
Students will respond to a prompt that they will write as if they are a Roman slave telling about what type of life they live and their daily routine.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

Hoose, Phillip. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. 1 ed. New York: Farrar, Straus And Giroux (Byr), 2009. Print.

In the book Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose tells the less known story of Claudette Colvin. She is was a young African-American girl who stood up for herself by refusing to move her seat on the bus. She knew that she had to stand up the injustice that so many people put in front of her. She would help lead to the civil rights movement along with famous individuals such as Rosa Parks. This is a great book to use when teaching students about black history and the civil rights movement. The book includes copy of primary sources that were released throughout the events of Claudette Colvin's life.

Resources:

http://www.neok12.com/Civil-Rights-Movement.htm
This site has plenty of multimedia to show the students about the civil rights movement and what it consisted of. There are many pictures and videos for the students to view.

http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/21-people/161-parks-rosa.html
This site gives students more information on the civil rights movement and Rosa Park's involvement. There is also information on other women who were involved in the movement.

Vocabulary:
civil rights, boycott

The Poet Slave of Cuba by Margarita Engle

Engle, Margarita. The Poet Slave of Cuba. Unabridged ed. Detroit: Listening Library (Audio), 2009. Print.

The Poet Slave of Cuba by Margarita Engle is a collection of poems about the life of Juan Francisco Manzano. Margarita Engle creates a great book of poems by taking the perspective of the people in Juan's life and telling his biography through those perspectives. Juan Francisco Manzano was a Cuban boy who was completely mistreated by the woman of the house who does not appreciate him and only uses him for his talents of using words. The poems are written in a way that the reader must continue on reading. The poet does a great job of sharing this story of Juan Francisco Manzano's life through the various perspectives of people in his life and how they viewed him. There is a great range of emotions that keep the reader interested.

Resources:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/cuba/
This cite gives students an opportunity to learn some information on Cuba in order to better understand what it would have been like to live in Cuba as a child.

http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=2435&a=1
This cite is a place students can visit and hear the author talk about her book and how she went about writing it. She also reads a portion of the poetry so the students can hear how she would read it.

Vocabulary:
slave, verse

Before reading:
Students should do some research on Cuba in 1797 in order to understand what life was like in Cuba at that time. Otherwise, students may assume that life in Cuba was just like life is today.

Writing Acitivity:
Based upon the poems that tell the biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, students will write a report in paragraph form that also tells his life story. This will make sure that the students are understanding what the poems are telling about his life.

If Bees Rode Shiny Bicycles by Michelle A. Taylor

Taylor, Michelle A.. If Bees Rode Shiny Bicycles. New York: University Of Queensland Pr (Australia), 2004. Print.


If Bees Rode Shiny Bicycles by Michelle A. Taylor is a collection of poems for children that are about various aspects of nature. They are broken up into categories and then the poems within each chapters relate to the various parts of nature. Most of the poems are fairly short while a few are longer. The poems are very fun to read and there are so many that cover a range of topics for children to relate to. All students can find a topic of a poem in this book that they find interesting or fun to read.

Resources:

http://www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive/home.do
This cite provides students a chance to explore more poems and poets online so that they can learn about a range of poetry styles.

http://www.poetry4kids.com/
This cite provides students with many opportunities to read, write and study poetry. They have poetry contests that the students can enter into and poetry podcasts that the students can listen to online.

Vocabulary:
rhyme, verse, stanza

During Reading:
Mark poems that they find interesting or have some trouble with. Students can also look up topics they are unfamiliar with in order to better understand the poems.

Writing Activity:
Students choose a section on the collection and write their own poem that would fit into that section about a particular living creature.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2009. Print.


When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is a 2009 Newbery Medal Winner. It is about a girl named Miranda whose mother is preparing to be on $20,000 Pyramid. The novel is made up of chapters in which Miranda is speaking to someone whom the reader does not know yet. Miranda receives a series of notes and clues as to who is writing her these notes. These notes direct her to do certain things in order to save the life of a friend. It is a very well-written novel that interests the reader immediately and has a quite unexpected ending.

Resources:

 http://www.litlovers.com/guide_when_you_reach-me.html
This cite helps to expand on the novel by providing some helpful discussion questions that could lead readers to think more about the novel. There is also a brief summary and information about the author.

Vocabulary:
meditate, truce, anesthesia

During reading:
record any clues as to who is writing the notes and what friend the person is trying to save.

Writing Activity:
Have students write a reaction to the end of the novel about whether or not they are surprised by who was writing the notes and explain why.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Patron, Susan. The Higher Power of Lucky Edition: 1. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2006. Print


The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron is a 2007 Newbery Medal winner that has been praised for its great story line. She is a ten year old girl who is currently being raised by her French step-mother, Brigitte. Throughout the book she is wrapped around the idea of finding people's own "higher power" and is determined to find her own. Since she fears that Brigitte will also leave her, Lucky makes the decision to run away. She is also determined to cast her mother's ashes into the wind of the desert as a memorial. This is a very endearing novel for young readers which makes it a great choice for students of third to fifth grade.


Resources:


http://www.edhelper.com/books/The_Higher_Power_of_Lucky.htm


This cite has a wide variety of activities and reviews to help teach this book. There are word puzzles, quizzes and ideas for extended activities.


Vocabulary: power (pertaining to book)


During reading: discuss how different characters discovered their higher power and how it is significant to them


Writing Activity: Have students respond to prompt about how Lucky discovered her higher power and the process she had to take in order to find her higher power.

Books to Read!

A Long Way from Chicago- Richard Peck


Dear Mr. Henshaw- Beverly Cleary


Matilda- Roald Dahl


Number the Stars- Lois Lowry


Maniac Magee- Jerry Spinelli


When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit- Judith Kerr