•
Adair, J. (2007). Surviving the Weather: Animals in Their Environments.
Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about different animal habitats around the world. It includes a wide variety of places, from the Antarctic to tropical forests, and explains how animals live in those places. This book fits into the third week’s “mini theme” about how animals adapt to survive, and will be used during reading groups.
• Adler, C.S. (2000). The Magic of the Glits. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse, Inc.
This book is about a boy who creates a world of magical beach creatures in order to comfort a young orphan girl one summer. This book will be used as a read aloud for the first week of the unit and used to introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• Barnhart, C.A. (2007). What Makes Great Athletes. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about what it takes for someone to become a great athlete. It describes how athletes prepare for major competitions with rigorous training and tough competition. It talks about some major world athletes like Jim Thorpe and Babe Didrikson Zaharias. This book fits into the fifth week’s “mini theme” about why people try to change themselves, and will be used during reading groups.
• Biviano, J. (2007). Nathaniel Comes to Town. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is a bout a boy named Drew who does not have many friends and hates school. A boy named Nathaniel moves to town and he and Drew become friends. Although they run into some rough patches in their friendship, in the end, their friendship is strong and Nathaniel helps Drew have a more positive attitude about school. This book fits into the fourth week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to a new school, and will be used during reading groups.
• Bove, L. (2007). Let the Games Begin: History of the Olympics. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about the history of the Olympic Games and how they have changed over the years. It specifically focuses on the 1904 Olympics and the athletes that participated in it, like Felix Carvajal. This book fits into the fifth week’s “mini theme” about why people try to change themselves, and will be used during reading groups.
• Cheney, G.A. (1995). Teens with Physical Disabilities: Real-Life Stories of Meeting the Challenges. Berkeley Heights, New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
In this book, eight teenagers describe the variety of challenges they face everyday living with a physical disability. The disabilities discussed include rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, and paralysis. Each teen explains the source of their disability and how they cope with it. This book will be used as a read aloud during the second week of the unit and will introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• Cleary, B. (1994). Dear Mr. Henshaw. HarperCollins: New York, NY.
This book is about a sixth grade boy named Leigh Botts. He’s lonely and troubled and the new kid at school, which only makes matters worse. Leigh chooses to write to his favorite author for a letter-writing project that his teacher assigned and the author’s surprising response ends up changing Leigh’s life. This book will be used as a read aloud during the fourth week of the unit and will introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• Douglas, V. (2007). Moving. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about a boy named Joey who has move many times with his family. He has to get to know a new school and make new friends every time he moves. By learning to trust himself, Joey eventually learns how to adapt to his frequent moves. This book fits into the fourth week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to a new school, and will be used during reading groups.
• Duggan, L. (2007). Changing to Survive: Bird Adaptations. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about various birds from around the world. It identifies and describes a wide variety or bird groups and describes their habitats, eating habits, behavior, and physical make-up. This book fits into the third week’s “mini theme” about how animals adapt to survive, and will be used during reading groups.
• Foresman, S. (2007). Reading Street. Washington, Student Edition. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This is the textbook that my students will use during the literature unit. It will be used for individual and partner reading of weekly stories that directly tie into the theme of the unit through the “mini themes” of each week.
• Forman, L. (2007). A Home for Humans in Outer Space: Is it Possible?. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about research on deep-space travel and talks about the adaptations that humans would have to make to withstand long voyages in space. This book fits into the third week’s “mini theme” about how animals adapt to survive, and will be used during reading groups.
• Lazarus, B. (2007). Strange Sports with Weird Gear. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about strange sports that use unusual gear. It goes into detail describing such sports as curling, rhythmic gymnastics, and jai alai, which are all sports of which most students have little to no knowledge. This book fits into the fifth week’s “mini theme” about why people try to change themselves, and will be used during reading groups.
• Lublinski, J. (2007). A New Girl in Class. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about two friends who help organize a walk-a-thon to raise money for research for muscular disorders. This book fits into the second week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to living with physical limitations, and will be used during reading groups.
• Martin, J. (2007). Feel, Think, Move. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about how the brain communicates with the musculoskeletal system and enables people to move. This book fits into the second week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to living with physical limitations, and will be used during reading groups.
• Martin, J. & Wolfe, A. (1993). Hiding Out: Camouflage in the Wild. Random House Children’s Books: New York, NY.
This book shows and describes how wild animals become virtually invisible in their native habitats through their use of camouflage. This book will be used as a read aloud during the third week of the unit and will introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• McBride, G. (2007). Adventure to the New World. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about a girl named Jane who emigrated with her family from England to Virginia during colonial times. When they arrive at the colony, they find it deserted. After hard work and some help from an Indian family, Jane and her family help bring the colony back to life. This book fits into the first week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to difficult situations, and will be used during reading groups.
• McClellan, A. (2007). Learning to Play the Game. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about a brother and sister who just moved to a new town. The story describes their adjustment to new friends and a new school environment. This book fits into the first week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to difficult situations, and will be used during reading groups.
• Oram, L. (2007). The New Kid at School. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about what it is like to be the new student at school. It gives new students suggestions for what they can do to make it easier to adapt to a new school. It also gives suggestions to other students for what they can do to make a new student feel welcome. This book fits into the fourth week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to a new school, and will be used during reading groups.
• Soto, G. (1995). Pool Party. Yearling Books: New York, NY.
This book is about a ten-year-old boy named Rudy. When Rudy is invited to a pool party by the most popular girl in school, everyone starts giving him advice about how to make small talk and to be proud of who he is. In the days before the party, Rudy wonders what it will be like and tries to find a gift to bring the hostess on the day of the party. He finally finds a toy to bring and ends up being the hit of the party. This book will be used as a read aloud during the fifth week of the unit and will introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• Swain, C. (2007). Cheaper, Faster, Better: Recent Technological Innovations. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about the technological advances in the past twenty years and the huge impact they have had on our daily lives. This book fits into the first week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to difficult situations, and will be used during reading groups.
• Swain, C. (2007). Everybody Wins: The Story of Special Olympics. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about the Special Olympics and explains how and when they started and what events are included. This book fits into the second week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to living with physical limitations, and will be used during reading groups.
Resource List
• Foresman, S. (2007). Reading Street: Vol. 5.4. Washington. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This reference is the curriculum that I will be using at my student teaching school. It is the fourth unit in the series of six literature units for fifth grade. I used this reference for my TLU theme and adapted some of my lessons from it.
• Schlick Noe, K.L. (August 27, 1999). Extension Projects. Literature Circles Resource Center. Retrieved November 13, 2007, from http://www.litcircles.org/Extension/extension.html.
I used this reference for my artistic response. I adapted the accordion book project for the themed art project that my students will create at the end of my unit.
• Vonderlage, D. (2004). Reaching Out to Understand Others. Themed Literature Unit Examples K-8. Retrieved November 4, 2007, from http://fac-staff.seattleu.edu/kschlnoe/web/MITexample.html.
I used this reference for the format of the unit outline section of my unit plan.
This book is about different animal habitats around the world. It includes a wide variety of places, from the Antarctic to tropical forests, and explains how animals live in those places. This book fits into the third week’s “mini theme” about how animals adapt to survive, and will be used during reading groups.
• Adler, C.S. (2000). The Magic of the Glits. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse, Inc.
This book is about a boy who creates a world of magical beach creatures in order to comfort a young orphan girl one summer. This book will be used as a read aloud for the first week of the unit and used to introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• Barnhart, C.A. (2007). What Makes Great Athletes. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about what it takes for someone to become a great athlete. It describes how athletes prepare for major competitions with rigorous training and tough competition. It talks about some major world athletes like Jim Thorpe and Babe Didrikson Zaharias. This book fits into the fifth week’s “mini theme” about why people try to change themselves, and will be used during reading groups.
• Biviano, J. (2007). Nathaniel Comes to Town. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is a bout a boy named Drew who does not have many friends and hates school. A boy named Nathaniel moves to town and he and Drew become friends. Although they run into some rough patches in their friendship, in the end, their friendship is strong and Nathaniel helps Drew have a more positive attitude about school. This book fits into the fourth week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to a new school, and will be used during reading groups.
• Bove, L. (2007). Let the Games Begin: History of the Olympics. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about the history of the Olympic Games and how they have changed over the years. It specifically focuses on the 1904 Olympics and the athletes that participated in it, like Felix Carvajal. This book fits into the fifth week’s “mini theme” about why people try to change themselves, and will be used during reading groups.
• Cheney, G.A. (1995). Teens with Physical Disabilities: Real-Life Stories of Meeting the Challenges. Berkeley Heights, New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
In this book, eight teenagers describe the variety of challenges they face everyday living with a physical disability. The disabilities discussed include rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, and paralysis. Each teen explains the source of their disability and how they cope with it. This book will be used as a read aloud during the second week of the unit and will introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• Cleary, B. (1994). Dear Mr. Henshaw. HarperCollins: New York, NY.
This book is about a sixth grade boy named Leigh Botts. He’s lonely and troubled and the new kid at school, which only makes matters worse. Leigh chooses to write to his favorite author for a letter-writing project that his teacher assigned and the author’s surprising response ends up changing Leigh’s life. This book will be used as a read aloud during the fourth week of the unit and will introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• Douglas, V. (2007). Moving. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about a boy named Joey who has move many times with his family. He has to get to know a new school and make new friends every time he moves. By learning to trust himself, Joey eventually learns how to adapt to his frequent moves. This book fits into the fourth week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to a new school, and will be used during reading groups.
• Duggan, L. (2007). Changing to Survive: Bird Adaptations. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about various birds from around the world. It identifies and describes a wide variety or bird groups and describes their habitats, eating habits, behavior, and physical make-up. This book fits into the third week’s “mini theme” about how animals adapt to survive, and will be used during reading groups.
• Foresman, S. (2007). Reading Street. Washington, Student Edition. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This is the textbook that my students will use during the literature unit. It will be used for individual and partner reading of weekly stories that directly tie into the theme of the unit through the “mini themes” of each week.
• Forman, L. (2007). A Home for Humans in Outer Space: Is it Possible?. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about research on deep-space travel and talks about the adaptations that humans would have to make to withstand long voyages in space. This book fits into the third week’s “mini theme” about how animals adapt to survive, and will be used during reading groups.
• Lazarus, B. (2007). Strange Sports with Weird Gear. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about strange sports that use unusual gear. It goes into detail describing such sports as curling, rhythmic gymnastics, and jai alai, which are all sports of which most students have little to no knowledge. This book fits into the fifth week’s “mini theme” about why people try to change themselves, and will be used during reading groups.
• Lublinski, J. (2007). A New Girl in Class. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about two friends who help organize a walk-a-thon to raise money for research for muscular disorders. This book fits into the second week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to living with physical limitations, and will be used during reading groups.
• Martin, J. (2007). Feel, Think, Move. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about how the brain communicates with the musculoskeletal system and enables people to move. This book fits into the second week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to living with physical limitations, and will be used during reading groups.
• Martin, J. & Wolfe, A. (1993). Hiding Out: Camouflage in the Wild. Random House Children’s Books: New York, NY.
This book shows and describes how wild animals become virtually invisible in their native habitats through their use of camouflage. This book will be used as a read aloud during the third week of the unit and will introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• McBride, G. (2007). Adventure to the New World. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about a girl named Jane who emigrated with her family from England to Virginia during colonial times. When they arrive at the colony, they find it deserted. After hard work and some help from an Indian family, Jane and her family help bring the colony back to life. This book fits into the first week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to difficult situations, and will be used during reading groups.
• McClellan, A. (2007). Learning to Play the Game. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about a brother and sister who just moved to a new town. The story describes their adjustment to new friends and a new school environment. This book fits into the first week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to difficult situations, and will be used during reading groups.
• Oram, L. (2007). The New Kid at School. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about what it is like to be the new student at school. It gives new students suggestions for what they can do to make it easier to adapt to a new school. It also gives suggestions to other students for what they can do to make a new student feel welcome. This book fits into the fourth week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to a new school, and will be used during reading groups.
• Soto, G. (1995). Pool Party. Yearling Books: New York, NY.
This book is about a ten-year-old boy named Rudy. When Rudy is invited to a pool party by the most popular girl in school, everyone starts giving him advice about how to make small talk and to be proud of who he is. In the days before the party, Rudy wonders what it will be like and tries to find a gift to bring the hostess on the day of the party. He finally finds a toy to bring and ends up being the hit of the party. This book will be used as a read aloud during the fifth week of the unit and will introduce the “mini theme” of the week.
• Swain, C. (2007). Cheaper, Faster, Better: Recent Technological Innovations. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about the technological advances in the past twenty years and the huge impact they have had on our daily lives. This book fits into the first week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to difficult situations, and will be used during reading groups.
• Swain, C. (2007). Everybody Wins: The Story of Special Olympics. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This book is about the Special Olympics and explains how and when they started and what events are included. This book fits into the second week’s “mini theme” about how people adapt to living with physical limitations, and will be used during reading groups.
Resource List
• Foresman, S. (2007). Reading Street: Vol. 5.4. Washington. Glenview, Illinois: Pearson Education, Inc.
This reference is the curriculum that I will be using at my student teaching school. It is the fourth unit in the series of six literature units for fifth grade. I used this reference for my TLU theme and adapted some of my lessons from it.
• Schlick Noe, K.L. (August 27, 1999). Extension Projects. Literature Circles Resource Center. Retrieved November 13, 2007, from http://www.litcircles.org/Extension/extension.html.
I used this reference for my artistic response. I adapted the accordion book project for the themed art project that my students will create at the end of my unit.
• Vonderlage, D. (2004). Reaching Out to Understand Others. Themed Literature Unit Examples K-8. Retrieved November 4, 2007, from http://fac-staff.seattleu.edu/kschlnoe/web/MITexample.html.
I used this reference for the format of the unit outline section of my unit plan.