Wednesday August 13, 2008
Wednesday August 13, 2008
Graphic Nonfiction Review: Nat Turner
The graphic nonfiction title that I read was Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion, by Micheal Burgan. This book is about the slave revolt that happend during the 1800's and was led by Nat Turner. The novel talks about why Nat Turner decided to start the slave revolt, along with who he killed and how he got the people who were involved in the revolt.
The graphics in the novel are set up in comic style. This where the page is split up into boxes and each part of the story is told in each box. The art work is drawn and in color to help show the intensity of the story. The words that the people are saying are in conversation bubbles, and the narriative part is written at the bottom of the boxes.
I feel the strength of the book is the actual story itself, and the color of the drawings in the book. The color is very vibrant, I feel this is to show the intesity of the story.
I think the weakness the book has is the point of view of the story. I know that the revolt was a horrible thing and that it shouldn't have happend but there is more emphasis on how terrible he was instead of how the conditions that he was in.
I would use this book to help explain the conditions of slavery, and how it affected the people. This book would be good for eigth grade students who are learning about the civil war, and the slave conditions. This will help explain things that are happening in the US compared to North Carolina. In eight grade students are suppose to learn about the civil war especially in North Carolina.
The book shows how the slave revolt affected the people in the south. I thought it was very good, and even though the point of view isn't the best. It still shows how intense the slave situation was in the south. The students will be able to understand the feeling of people during that time.
I think that the students will like this book. It has great pictures for them to look at, along with the story line. Kids like to hear about how people are being killed, and then being arrested.
I think teachers should use this book to help get students understand the intensity in the south during this time. Teachers should also use this book to help show what type of things happend during this time, such as revolts.
- Nicole Lessar, Spring 2008
Posted by nrlessar ( Aug 13 2008, 02:34:34 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
The graphic nonfiction title that I read was Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion, by Micheal Burgan. This book is about the slave revolt that happend during the 1800's and was led by Nat Turner. The novel talks about why Nat Turner decided to start the slave revolt, along with who he killed and how he got the people who were involved in the revolt.
The graphics in the novel are set up in comic style. This where the page is split up into boxes and each part of the story is told in each box. The art work is drawn and in color to help show the intensity of the story. The words that the people are saying are in conversation bubbles, and the narriative part is written at the bottom of the boxes.
I feel the strength of the book is the actual story itself, and the color of the drawings in the book. The color is very vibrant, I feel this is to show the intesity of the story.
I think the weakness the book has is the point of view of the story. I know that the revolt was a horrible thing and that it shouldn't have happend but there is more emphasis on how terrible he was instead of how the conditions that he was in.
I would use this book to help explain the conditions of slavery, and how it affected the people. This book would be good for eigth grade students who are learning about the civil war, and the slave conditions. This will help explain things that are happening in the US compared to North Carolina. In eight grade students are suppose to learn about the civil war especially in North Carolina.
The book shows how the slave revolt affected the people in the south. I thought it was very good, and even though the point of view isn't the best. It still shows how intense the slave situation was in the south. The students will be able to understand the feeling of people during that time.
I think that the students will like this book. It has great pictures for them to look at, along with the story line. Kids like to hear about how people are being killed, and then being arrested.
I think teachers should use this book to help get students understand the intensity in the south during this time. Teachers should also use this book to help show what type of things happend during this time, such as revolts.
- Nicole Lessar, Spring 2008
Posted by nrlessar ( Aug 13 2008, 02:34:34 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Graphic Nonfiction Review: The Wright Brothers...
I choose to read The Wright Brothers and the Airplane by Xavier Niz. This book tells the story of the Wright borthers and there quest to fly an airplane. The book shows all of the trial and error that they went throught to get to their goal to pilot this first aircraft. I believe one strength of the book is the fact that it is not very long and easy to read. The pictures in the book are very detailed and can almost tell the story without words. I did feel that it was sometimes confusing where the words were placed on the pictures. At times I had to figure out the exact order that they went in and for an inexperienced reader this might be difficult.
This could be used in the North Carolina curriculm in the 8th grade becuse this is when they teach the history of North Carolina and that is where Wilber and Orville flew for the first time. I think that most students would recieve this book well becuase it would be better than reading the material straight out of a textbook. I think that graphic nonfiction books are a great way for teacher to incorporate material into their lessons becuse if a student is reading that is appealing to them they will get more out of the book.
- Erin Shattuck, Spring 2008
Posted by eeshattu ( Aug 13 2008, 02:33:53 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
I choose to read The Wright Brothers and the Airplane by Xavier Niz. This book tells the story of the Wright borthers and there quest to fly an airplane. The book shows all of the trial and error that they went throught to get to their goal to pilot this first aircraft. I believe one strength of the book is the fact that it is not very long and easy to read. The pictures in the book are very detailed and can almost tell the story without words. I did feel that it was sometimes confusing where the words were placed on the pictures. At times I had to figure out the exact order that they went in and for an inexperienced reader this might be difficult.
This could be used in the North Carolina curriculm in the 8th grade becuse this is when they teach the history of North Carolina and that is where Wilber and Orville flew for the first time. I think that most students would recieve this book well becuase it would be better than reading the material straight out of a textbook. I think that graphic nonfiction books are a great way for teacher to incorporate material into their lessons becuse if a student is reading that is appealing to them they will get more out of the book.
- Erin Shattuck, Spring 2008
Posted by eeshattu ( Aug 13 2008, 02:33:53 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Graphic Nonfiction Review: Cesar Chavez
Our graphic nonfiction book is titled "Cesar Chavez: Fighting for Farmworkers." In this graphic novel, the life of Cesar Chavez is depicted. Chavez realized at an early age, due to his family's conditions, that farmworkers were being treated unfairly. Therefore, as he grew older, he decided that he wanted to change the conditions of the farmworkers. He did this by organizing farmworkers into a union called UFW (United Farmworkers). In the end, UFW boycotted products such as grapes and his efforts succeeded in giving farmworkers better working conditions and more pay.
In the back of this novel, there is a glossary that contains vocabulary words used throughout the text. Also, there is a timeline of Chavez's life. These two tools are beneficial to the reader because they give extra background knowledge that would help the reader understand the text. The artwork is colorful and eye-catching. However, there are weaknesses in this book. The text seems too elementary and there is not enough detail included.
Although this book seems too young for middle school students, it could still potentially be implented into the classroom. In the 8th grade social studies curriculum, North Carolina is studied in depth. Since NC is a agricultural state, it would be interesting to learn about Chavez and how his work out west has influenced North Carolina today. This could be used in one lesson as a supplemental reading, but it really would only be relevant for maybe one or two classes-- you could not stretch it out. In our opinion, students would probably find this text interesting and it would be easy for them to read.
Our recommendation to preservice teachers is to use this text if it fits into the curriculum, because he is a very interesting man who many people have probably not heard of.
-- Sarah Edwards and Caroline Baum, Spring 2008
Posted by seedward ( Aug 13 2008, 02:28:28 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Our graphic nonfiction book is titled "Cesar Chavez: Fighting for Farmworkers." In this graphic novel, the life of Cesar Chavez is depicted. Chavez realized at an early age, due to his family's conditions, that farmworkers were being treated unfairly. Therefore, as he grew older, he decided that he wanted to change the conditions of the farmworkers. He did this by organizing farmworkers into a union called UFW (United Farmworkers). In the end, UFW boycotted products such as grapes and his efforts succeeded in giving farmworkers better working conditions and more pay.
In the back of this novel, there is a glossary that contains vocabulary words used throughout the text. Also, there is a timeline of Chavez's life. These two tools are beneficial to the reader because they give extra background knowledge that would help the reader understand the text. The artwork is colorful and eye-catching. However, there are weaknesses in this book. The text seems too elementary and there is not enough detail included.
Although this book seems too young for middle school students, it could still potentially be implented into the classroom. In the 8th grade social studies curriculum, North Carolina is studied in depth. Since NC is a agricultural state, it would be interesting to learn about Chavez and how his work out west has influenced North Carolina today. This could be used in one lesson as a supplemental reading, but it really would only be relevant for maybe one or two classes-- you could not stretch it out. In our opinion, students would probably find this text interesting and it would be easy for them to read.
Our recommendation to preservice teachers is to use this text if it fits into the curriculum, because he is a very interesting man who many people have probably not heard of.
-- Sarah Edwards and Caroline Baum, Spring 2008
Posted by seedward ( Aug 13 2008, 02:28:28 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Graphic Novel
The graphic nonfiction book I am reading is titled "The Mystery of the Roanoke Colony" by Xavier Niz and illustrated by Shannon Denton
~ Ginger Mulla
Posted by gcmulla ( Aug 13 2008, 02:25:51 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Thursday April 24, 2008
Lindsey and Sarah
Lindsey Guffey
Sarah Hoyle
Graphic Nonfiction Title: Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow
Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow is a graphic novel that describes the life of a sharecropper under the control of landowners, that lives in a small town with his son where the Jim Crow laws are in full force. He had once played in the African American baseball league and actually played against Satchel Paige. The story shows segregation among the people in the sharecropper?s town and the tragic events that were occurring there, like lynching. As the story progresses, the landowners and other whites in the town schedule a baseball game against Satchel Paige and his team. During the game, the African Americans are ridiculed against and it really shows how awful these times were. In the end, Satchel Paige does a remarkable thing and shows not only the town, but the whole world, that eras like the Jim Crow period should have never existed. The graphics in this novel are very simple and are done in black/white/gray shades. The pages almost look like they have been painted with water colors.
The story in and of itself is a strength. We thought it was fabulous that the realness of Jim Crow laws could be portrayed through a story that deals with baseball. It was truly an inspirational story, even though it did discuss some of the tragedies that were occurring during this time. The artwork was also great. The drawings were done so simply, yet effectively. It was not too much that it took away from the story. Another strength was that the novel is only around 85 pages. It is short enough that kids will be able to finish it very quickly, all while proving the point about Jim Crow.
The only real aspect that might make the book hard to teach is the use of African American Vernacular English. Some students might find it difficult to read and follow along with some of the phrases that are used, but it can definitely be done. We will just have to work hard to make sure they can follow along easily. It was really a great graphic novel and this is the only thing that we could note.
Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow could be used in conjunction with teaching eighth grade Social Studies. In eighth grade students learn about North Carolina history, which includes slavery and the Jim Crow laws. Reading this graphic novel allows students to better understand the conditions of the segregated South from 1929 ? 1944. The novel reveals the injustices that African Americans faced during this time and uses the All-American sport of baseball to add interest for the elimination of the Jim Crow laws and segregation in the South.
The novel addresses North Carolina history content in such a way that students can truly enjoy learning about it, and they actually may not even realize they are learning at all! Using the famous professional baseball player, Satchel Paige, in a story about life for African Americans, particularly the sharecropper, during the Jim Crow era in the South is a fantastic way to captivate the students? interests. The novel addresses historical content such as sharecropping, racial segregation and the Jim Crow laws. It also allows students to see how African Americans felt when faced such cruelty and mistreatment during this time period.
We truly think middle school students will enjoy reading Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow. Since the book has a focus on baseball and includes the famous baseball player, Satchel Paige, we think middle school boys especially will enjoy reading the book; it brings in an element of something they can relate to. I think that even middle school girls will enjoy reading the book, as well.
I would definitely recommend using Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow in eighth grade Social Studies. The novel offers an interesting way to look at an important piece of history.
Posted by lmguffey ( Apr 24 2008, 02:28:06 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Graphic Nonfiction Review
I chose to read The Wright Brothers and the Airplane by Xavier Niz. This book tells the story of how Orville and Wilbur Wright came to be the first people in history to pilot a powered aircraft. The story begins when the brothers are young boys, and it describes the events in their lives and specific details about the types of aircraft they built. All of the graphics are in color and are large enough to allow the reader to see the details. The story is told in boxes that explain the important details and dialogue boxes that show conversations between the characters of the story. This book has many strengths, especially for middle school students. For example, the book is short enough that it will not take most students very long to read (an important detail, not to be overlooked). Also, the book's artwork boxes are large enough to ensure that the reader will not get lost on the page. Other strengths of this book are an Interesting Facts section and a glossary of flight terms that were used in the story. The only weakness that I see with this book is that there are a lot of dates, which might get confusing. If the book were reprinted, I would like to see a timeline of events added to the back of the book.
This book could be used very effectively in any middle grades classroom. The book specifically addresses the social studies content area because 8th grade students study
I believe that most middle school students would respond very positively to this book, but I think it would appeal more to males than females. When I asked an 8th grade female to look the book over, she said that she didn't care for it and probably wouldn't choose to read it. She found "comics" to be too confusing because there is a lot of reading up and down the page rather than the usual left to right. She also told me that she only knew one person that read "comics," and he read
While there will be students who dislike graphic novels, I think this title could go over well if it were used as supplementary reading to a social studies textbook. The fact that it appears to be a very short book would be the biggest draw for most students. However, once they began to read it, they would find it pretty interesting and the graphics would help keep their attention.
I would definitely recommend this book to pre-service and in-service middle school teachers; however, I would make sure that it was supplemented with another text. The book's ability to connect many content areas and subjects makes it worthwhile to have in all core classes. It would also make a great addition to a bookshelf that students could access when they had free time--at least for the students who like graphic novels! --Melissa Zerbs
Posted by mlzerbs ( Apr 24 2008, 11:21:16 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Review of my graphic nonfiction title: Fallout
My graphic novel is "Fallout" and deals with the creation of the atomic bomb, as well as the political and social issues that arose after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I don't know what kind of graphics and artwork were used. One weakness I perceived was that there is no color used throughout the book. After reading, I do think now that this book is more suited for a social science class since the scientific aspects of the bomb are only mentioned briefly. I was disappointed by this book and would not use it in my science class. It seemed boring even for my age; I would not want to know how boring it would be for the kids. This book goes too much into the political aspects and really does not explore the main characters in depth.
Posted by krbevill ( Apr 24 2008, 10:43:25 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
ECI306 Graphic Novel Review!
Nevermore: A Graphic Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories by Various Artists/Authors
This graphic novel is a compilation of several of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poems and short stories. The selection of graphic novels that would be educationally appealing and not necessarily Manga was surprisedly slim when I began my search for the ultimate graphic novel. As I scanned the shelves, the eye-catching title of this graphic novel immediately jumped out at me. I immediately recognized the title from one of the most memorable Edgar Allan Poe poems, The Raven. As I picked it up to scan through the pictures, I was impressed! The graphics reminded me of an early Marvel comic and before each section, the artist consideratly provides a brief summary of the selected poem or short story so that readers will have a better understanding of the plot and graphics. Robert Corman's foreward provides readers with what to expect from the various artists, just in case avid Poe readers are surprised by the modern twist that has been given to his short stories and poems.
Although it is a wonderful and educational graphic novel, I would have liked to see more color images. I feel that it would have made it more visually appealing to young readers. Not to be sexist/ feminist but I felt that most of the graphic novel was very masculine so it may be more challenging to sell this to a middle school girl (but who knows, I may be wrong). There is a section that provides information about Edgar Allan Poe and his style of writing, but it isn't quite as detailed and that will be important when trying to introduce this author in a Language Arts class. In 6th grade, I remember reading "The Raven" and I feel that this book would have been a good way to reemphasize Poe's work, famous and not-so famous. Teachers can use this book to teach about audience, themes, types of literary genres, setting, imagery, etc. The modern twist that has been given to the short stories and poems will make it much easier for middle school students to read, follow and understand. I would definitely recommend this book for any English/Language Arts teacher to teach literature from different time periods, style and other literary terms. Personally, I didn't like every piece in this graphic novel, but I definitely chose a favorite and thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
Posted by iidahor ( Apr 24 2008, 04:01:30 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
Welcome and Introduction
Graphic novels, comics, and graphic nonfiction continue to grow in popularity with young adult readers and adults alike. They also continue to become recognized more and more as serious literature rather than just as simple comic books. This purpose of this blog is to consider graphic novels and graphic nonfiction seriously, including their potential use in middle schools and the extent to which they can be integrated into middle school content area instruction.
The blog features reviews composed by pre-service teachers on specific graphic novel and graphic nonfiction titles--reviews that provide candid assessments of how particular graphic novels and nonfiction may or may not work well in middle grades content area teaching and learning.
We hope you find the information and resources created and referenced here helpful.
- Dr. Young and the Students of ECI 306
Note: This blog is a companion site to our ECI 306 WolfWiki.
Posted by cayoung2 ( Apr 24 2008, 12:29:59 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
Graphic novels, comics, and graphic nonfiction continue to grow in popularity with young adult readers and adults alike. They also continue to become recognized more and more as serious literature rather than just as simple comic books. This purpose of this blog is to consider graphic novels and graphic nonfiction seriously, including their potential use in middle schools and the extent to which they can be integrated into middle school content area instruction.
The blog features reviews composed by pre-service teachers on specific graphic novel and graphic nonfiction titles--reviews that provide candid assessments of how particular graphic novels and nonfiction may or may not work well in middle grades content area teaching and learning.
We hope you find the information and resources created and referenced here helpful.
- Dr. Young and the Students of ECI 306
Note: This blog is a companion site to our ECI 306 WolfWiki.
Posted by cayoung2 ( Apr 24 2008, 12:29:59 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
Wednesday April 23, 2008
Graphic Nonfiction Review
Graphic Novel - Marie Curie and Radioactivity
1. This graphic novel is about the life of Marie Curie and her discovery of radioactivity and the elements radium and polonium. This book is sort of like a comic strip with ?bubbles? telling the story from the character?s point of view, and it also has boxes with facts throughout the story.
2. I feel the major strength of this book is that it isn?t a textbook. It tells the story of Marie Curie in a way that students can learn in a more entertaining way.
3. The major weakness of this book is that students may perceive it as being too ?babyish? for them.
4. This book goes along with the 8th Grade Science Standard Course of Study. This book could also be used with Sixth Grade Social Studies Competency Goal 7 that ?assesses connections between historical events and contemporary issues since Marie Curie helped France in the war.
5. The book does a great job of displaying the facts in a more entertaining way. It will be a great way of breaking up the normal text readings.
6. I believe that students would not take this assignment seriously because they may perceive it as childish. I would recommend that teachers use this book during class to be sure that students actually read it. I think that some of the students may not want to admit it, but they will enjoy this reading because it is like a Superman comic book.
7. I would definitely recommend this book. I think that students could definitely respond to this book in a positive way because it is a different form of learning the material.
-Deanna Godbout
Posted by dlgodbou ( Apr 23 2008, 11:44:00 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Graphic Nonfiction Review
Graphic Novel - Marie Curie and Radioactivity
1. This graphic novel is about the life of Marie Curie and her discovery of radioactivity and the elements radium and polonium. This book is sort of like a comic strip with ?bubbles? telling the story from the character?s point of view, and it also has boxes with facts throughout the story.
2. I feel the major strength of this book is that it isn?t a textbook. It tells the story of Marie Curie in a way that students can learn in a more entertaining way.
3. The major weakness of this book is that students may perceive it as being too ?babyish? for them.
4. This book goes along with the 8th Grade Science Standard Course of Study. This book could also be used with Sixth Grade Social Studies Competency Goal 7 that ?assesses connections between historical events and contemporary issues since Marie Curie helped France in the war.
5. The book does a great job of displaying the facts in a more entertaining way. It will be a great way of breaking up the normal text readings.
6. I believe that students would not take this assignment seriously because they may perceive it as childish. I would recommend that teachers use this book during class to be sure that students actually read it. I think that some of the students may not want to admit it, but they will enjoy this reading because it is like a Superman comic book.
7. I would definitely recommend this book. I think that students could definitely respond to this book in a positive way because it is a different form of learning the material.
-Deanna Godbout
Posted by dlgodbou ( Apr 23 2008, 11:38:57 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Graphic Nonfiction Title Review by Laura Smith
- Summary:
This graphic novel highlights Elizabeth Cady Stanton?s struggle for women?s
rights. Starting at the age of eleven,
- Strengths: The story is easy to read and is presented in an entertaining way. It is hard to remember that you?re reading about important historical characters and events because you really get into the story. I also liked how the book provided vocabulary terms at the end of the story.
- Weaknesses: I do not think there are any weaknesses.
- Content Area Connections: This would be a good book to use in an eighth grade English class. It would follow these DPI competency goals:
-Goal 2: The learner will explore and analyze information from a variety of sources.
-Goal
5: The learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes.
- Addressing
Content: I could do a unit on biographies and we could read this biography
about Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It covers her life from the age of eleven
until 92 and all of the accomplishments she achieved. A biography would be
one type of literary genre that the students could analyze. It also
addressed issues that the students would be learning about in
- Students: I think that students would respond well to this book because it is easy to read and has a lot of illustrations. I?m sure that they would prefer to read this instead of a boring textbook.
- Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this graphic novel to other teachers. I wasn?t sure how well I was going to like graphic novels at first, but I have come to realize that they are really interesting and fun. It will encourage students to learn about history.
Graphic Novel Title
1. Summary: Six teenagers come together in a fight to save the world from their Supervillian parents. They use their owns gifts of magic, superhero gadgets, and spell casting to try to infiltrate their parents' plans. Something goes awry and one the teens dies (due to his betrayal to the Runaways). By the end of the story members of the group have left (either by death, choice, or theft) and other groups have come to the aid of the Runaways, leaving you on edge until you read the rest of the trilogy.
2. The strengths of the novel include the artwork and plot. Since the novel was created by Marvel Comics, the graphics are pretty awesome. The story itself was great due to the twists and turns that were involved.
3. A weakness of the novel is that some of the events seem unbelievable (it's a comic about superheroes, so that's to be expected, I guess).
4. & 5. This novel is like a futuristic version of The Outsiders, so I would use it for 7th grade Language Arts. This novel could be used to teach students how to infer and make predictions. It could also be used to teach them about different genres of literature and how to analyze what they are reading.
6. I think that students will love this book because they would be getting to read a comic book for school (something many of them probably wouldn't think they were able to do). Since the book is focused on teenagers and the difficulties they face with building their morals, I think students would identify with this because they are usually having to make a decision between what is right and what is cool.
7. I would recommend this book, but I would be cautious about the content (a girl being sacrificed, teenage love, etc.)--so I would probably seek approval by the principal and see if he/she thinks that a permission slip should be signed before the students are allowed to read it.
My Graphic Novel Title is Runaways Vol. 1 by Brian K Vaughan.
Seems cool! I'll let you know how it turns out (may have to read all three volumes to get the entire story, though).
Review:1. Summary: Six teenagers come together in a fight to save the world from their Supervillian parents. They use their owns gifts of magic, superhero gadgets, and spell casting to try to infiltrate their parents' plans. Something goes awry and one the teens dies (due to his betrayal to the Runaways). By the end of the story members of the group have left (either by death, choice, or theft) and other groups have come to the aid of the Runaways, leaving you on edge until you read the rest of the trilogy.
2. The strengths of the novel include the artwork and plot. Since the novel was created by Marvel Comics, the graphics are pretty awesome. The story itself was great due to the twists and turns that were involved.
3. A weakness of the novel is that some of the events seem unbelievable (it's a comic about superheroes, so that's to be expected, I guess).
4. & 5. This novel is like a futuristic version of The Outsiders, so I would use it for 7th grade Language Arts. This novel could be used to teach students how to infer and make predictions. It could also be used to teach them about different genres of literature and how to analyze what they are reading.
6. I think that students will love this book because they would be getting to read a comic book for school (something many of them probably wouldn't think they were able to do). Since the book is focused on teenagers and the difficulties they face with building their morals, I think students would identify with this because they are usually having to make a decision between what is right and what is cool.
7. I would recommend this book, but I would be cautious about the content (a girl being sacrificed, teenage love, etc.)--so I would probably seek approval by the principal and see if he/she thinks that a permission slip should be signed before the students are allowed to read it.
~Malissa Braxton
Graphic Nofiction Title
Posted by mrharris
( Apr 23 2008, 11:29:20 AM EDT )
Permalink
Comments [0]
I chose to read:
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
by Micheal Martin illustrated by Dave Hoover and Bill Anderson
This book would be helpful in an eight grade social studeis class when teaching my students about the contribution of slavery to the NC economy. This would allow me to show my students the effects of slavery on the lives of the enslaved, a piece to often left out of the history books or in small quantities when present.
Michelle Harris
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The first section of the graphic nonfiction title, Exploring Ecosystems with Max Axiom Super Scientist, discusses ecosystems. The main character, Max, defines organisms, communities, populations, and ecosystems. In section two of the graphic novel, Max describes consumers, producers, and decomposers in nature. Rich illustrations are used to provide examples. Max also describes and defines photosynthesis, carnivores, and omnivores. In this section, Max takes a ride on a boat where he uses marine wildlife to provide examples in describing food chains and food webs. Predator/prey relationships are also described. The predator/prey relationship discussion feeds into a discussion about the water cycle. Illustrations of maps, desert, and rainforest help to convey the factual information of section three: ?world?s biomes?. Max explains to the reader the differences between deciduous forests, grasslands, and tundra. In the final section of this graphic novel, Max discusses the importance of taking care of our ecosystem.
I feel that the strength of this book is the depth of information provided. This book is full of facts and useful examples. The only weakness I might find in this book is that it could be providing an information overload for some students. The book should be read over a period of time and could be used to supplement a class textbook or notes. The material in this book perfectly matches the curriculum for sixth grade standard course of study. Ecosystems, predator/prey relationships, and the water cycle are all sixth grade curriculum topics. The book addresses these topics well and the illustrations with the information might make this book more engaging than a normal textbook.
I think that middle school students would be more interested in reading this book than the textbook. I would strongly recommend this book to teachers. The book has tons of information directly linked to sixth grade curriculum and shares the information in a fun and interesting way.
- Melissa Williams, Spring 2008
Posted by mjwilli2 ( Aug 13 2008, 02:35:31 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]