Happy Birthday, James Monroe!

“It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty.” — James Monroe

Today is the birthday of James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, and the last U.S. President who was also a Founding Father.  Monroe was born on April 28th, 1758 in rural Westmoreland County, Virginia.  

My  five-page Level O reader The Founding Fathers is a wonderful resource to bring information about life in the American colonies about the founders of the United States into your classroom.  The book comes with three accompanying worksheets to help reinforce literacy skills involving reading comprehension, language, spelling, and writing.   

Your class can learn more about some of America’s other important Founding Fathers in my third grade level O reader Ben Franklin - A Man with an Electric Personality

my first-grade Level G reader Ben Franklin, my second grade Level L reader John Hancock and a Study of Pronouns.  Your students will learn more about The Liberty Bell, and The United States Flag in my set of leveled books Social Studies Topics - Leveled Books: First Grade Levels H/I

Happy Birthday Shakespeare!

A (probably!) belated Happy Birthday to the Bard himself, William Shakespeare!  Shakespeare’s birthday is celebrated in modern times on April 23rd, however some experts believe that he was actually born on April 20, or another day entirely.  However, we do know that he was baptised in Stratford upon Avon on April 26, 1564, so his 450th birthday did occur sometime recently!  Shakespeare’s birthday comes in one of the last weeks of National Poetry Month.  EdWeekly offers this great list of 13 Ways to Celebrate Shakespeare's 450th Birthday.  

Want another way to enjoy poetry with your class?  In my collection of four first-grade leveled books Literature Topics - Leveled Books: First Grade Levels F - I your students will have the opportunity to explore different literature topics including a poem, two fables, and a folktale. You can also enjoy another favorite literary form of Shakespeare’s, the theater, with one of my original plays.  My reader play Trees – A Joy Forever! is also perfect this week for Arbor Day celebrations!

4/22/2014 Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Happy Birthday John Muir!

Happy Earth Day, and (almost) Happy Arbor Day!  

Arbor Day will be celebrated across America on Friday, April 25th.  The Arbor Day Foundation has some wonderful recommendations for activities for kids on their website.   

Also, a belated Happy Birthday to naturalist, preservationist and author John Muir!  John Muir was born on April 21st 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland.   Muir was the founder of the Sierra Club and worked to preserve important natural areas, including Yosemite National Park.  

My original reader Do Your Part to Save The Earth is a great addition to your lesson plan this week, or whenever your class is studying recycling and conserving resources! This third-grade level N reader combines reading activities and science concepts.Another great educational resource for Arbor Day is my original play, Trees – A Joy Forever! The play is written for 2nd - 5th grades and has 11 parts. The play focuses on J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day. The play tells the history of Morton’s contribution to establishing Arbor Day as a national holiday through the eyes of the statue (J. Sterling Morton). The statue comes alive when two children walk through Arbor Lodge Historical Park in Nebraska.  This is an original play written for use as readers’ theater, as a part of balanced literacy (Read-Aloud, Shared and Performance Reading or Guided Reading), or for an actual play production.

4/21/2014 Happy San Jacinto Day!

Today, April 21st, is the  is the 178th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, the final battle of the Texas Revolution. With this victory, Texas won its independence from Mexico.  San Jacinto Day is celebrated as a state holiday in Texas.    

The site where the battle was fought is now the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site on the Houston Ship Channel, where historic renactments take place yearly to mark this important point in the history of Texas.  

Your class can learn more about this holiday and its history in my original 1st grade Level G reader San Jacinto Day

The San Jacinto Monument in Houston commemorates this battle.  It is the world's tallest monumental column and tallest war memorial.  My original 4th grade Level R reader “The San Jacinto Monument” will tell your class more interesting facts about this monument and the early history of Texas.

4/13/2014 Happy Birthday, Thomas Jefferson!

Happy Birthday, Thomas Jefferson!

Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, was born on April 13th, 1743.  He was an important Founding Father, and the main author of the Declaration of Independence.  

The Founding Fathers is a great resource for your students to learn about life in the American colonies and about the founders of the United States. This five-page Level O reader has specific concepts, skills, and vocabulary targeted in the book listed on the first page of the story. And to help reinforce literacy skills involving reading comprehension, language, spelling, and writing, the book comes with three accompanying worksheets.

Your class can learn more about some of America’s other fascinating Founding Fathers in my third grade level O reader Ben Franklin - A Man with an Electric Personality

my first-grade Level G reader Ben Franklin, my second grade Level L reader John Hancock and a Study of Pronouns.  Your students will learn more about The Liberty Bell, and The United States Flag in my set of leveled books Social Studies Topics - Leveled Books: First Grade Levels H/I

4/8/2014 Looking Ahead: Earth Day and San Jacinto Day

April has so much to get excited about- We are now just about two weeks away from Earth Day and San Jacinto Day!  

My original reader Do Your Part to Save The Earth is a great addition to your lesson plan for Earth Day, or when your class is studying recycling and conserving resources! This third-grade level N reader combines reading activities and science concepts.

The battle that would decide the outcome of the Texas Revolution, The Battle of San Jacinto, was fought on April 21, 1836.  The Texans were led to victory by General Sam Houston against a Mexican army led by Santa Anna.  Santa Anna would soon sign a peace treaty that required the Mexican army to leave the land that would become the Republic of Texas, later the US state of Texas.    

Your class can learn more about this holiday and its history in my original 1st grade Level G reader San Jacinto Day

The San Jacinto Monument in Houston commemorates this battle.  It is the world's tallest monumental column and tallest war memorial.  My original 4th grade Level R reader “The San Jacinto Monument” will tell your class more interesting facts about this monument and the early history of Texas.

4/5/2014 Happy Birthday Colin Powell!

Today is the birthday of American politician and general Colin Powell.  He was born in Harlem, New York City, NY on April 5th, 1937.  

In my fifth-grade level U reader Colin Powell - Helping Young People your class can learn more about this four-star general and the first African-American U.S. Secretary of State.

The four-page story is accompanied by two pages of worksheets which reinforce literacy skills involving reading, language, spelling, and writing. Specific concepts, skills, and vocabulary targeted in the story are listed on the first page of the reader.  This is one of the fifth-grade readers in my original series of leveled books which I have written to incorporate the Fountas and Pinnell leveled vocabulary, Rebecca Sitton spelling words, and common core curriculum standards for grades K-6 in the United States.