The Story of Johnny Appleseed

Title: The Story of Johnny Appleseed

Author/Illustrator" Aliki

Genre: Informational 

Age Group: 1st - 3rd grade

                                                    

Summary:

Johnny Chapman, later known as Johnny Appleseed, walked around for miles every day. One day he decided to sit under a tree and eat an apple. In his hand seeds were leftover and he decided to plant them. Which led to him wanting to plant apple seeds. So that became his mission. He walked and traveled miles from home, planting apple seeds as he went. Until one day he became very ill. An Indian mother and her child found Johnny laying down in the snow sick. She took him back to her village and nurtured him back to health. Once he was feeling better, he ventured off again but visited his friends frequently since they did save his life. To this day we can see apple trees everywhere, only because of him.

In my classroom, I would use this book to talk about the accomplishments the children have made so far. For an activity, I would have a big cut out of a tree in my classroom and instead of apples, I would have the children write their accomplishments and glue them on the tree.

I think the age group is appropriate for 1st through 3rd because it is a good read-aloud story and is easy to follow along with.

Let's Meet a Police Officer

Title: Let's Meet a Police Officer
Author/Illustrated: Gina Bellisario and Cale Atkinson
Genre: Informational
Age Group: K - 1st
                                                     
Summary:

In this short informational story, the students meet police officer Gabby and police officer Ken and his K-9. This story explores what officers have to do on a day to day basis and different things the students can follow. It also goes into detail about what technology officers use to help cities safe from crime. As the book progresses it talks about FBI agents, which they describe as people who protect the country. They sum up the book to talk about what to do to keep a neighborhood safe in day to day life.

In my classroom I would use this book to talk about different professions there are in the world. I would probably do a weekly book read over the different jobs people can have just to get the kids interested. If I was starting the weekly book reads with this book I would have the students write on a sentence strip "When I grow up I want to be a ... " and then they would finish it. I would hang it up around the classroom once they were finished.

I think the age group is appropriate because I think it is good to have the young students thinking about the different possibilities that are out there.

Salmon Stream

Title: Salmon Stream
Author/Illustrator: Carol Reed-Jones and Michael S. Maydak
Genre: Informational
Age Group: 2nd - 4th grade
                                                   
Summary:

Salmon Stream takes the reader through different fish that lives in a stream. The main fish of the story is the salmon, it shows the life cycle of a salmon. Starting off with the water salmons are hatched in, different places that are the best for a salmon to leave their eggs, how the salmon fish hatch, all the way through their life as a salmon. The book includes an informational page that is dedicated to the salmon life cycle.

I would have this book in my classroom for a research project. I would plan for my students to have a research project and use this book as an example of something they could research.

I think the age group 2nd through 4th grade is appropriate because they could read this independently and be able to understand it.

It's Raining

Title: It's Raining
Author/Illustrator: Gail Gibbons
Genre: Informational
Age Group: 3rd - 5th grade
                                                   
Summary:

This book talks about the rain cycle. Starting with the importance of rain such as it is necessary for plants and animals to survive. Then it moves onto "The Water Cycle" and breaks it down for the reader, then onto clouds and the components of a cloud such as droplets, rain clouds, raindrops and then rain. Then onto the different rain clouds, there are such as stratus, nimbostratus, cumulus, and cumulonimbus rain clouds. The book then continues on to talk about the different types of rain such as drizzle, shower, rain, rainstorms, thunderstorms, and flash floods. The last thing the book mentions is how to stay safe during the rain.

In my classroom, I would use this as an intro to the water cycle and then a segway on the different kinds of weather. I would have the students, in the beginning, make a water cycle foldable and then move on to making different foldables.

I think the age group is appropriate because 3rd through 5th is when students start to learn about earth science and this relates to earth science.

Freshwater Habitats

Title: Freshwater Habitats
Author/Illustrator: Diana Snowball and Cynthia A. Belcher
Genre: Informational
Age Group: 2nd through 4th

                                                 
Summary:
This informational book takes the reader through the freshwater habitat, hence the title. It starts by talking about exploring the area of freshwater habitats and the animals that live around the area. Then going onto the foodchains. It covers marshes, lakes, streams and so on. It has a glossary and an index at the end of the book.

I would use this book for another research project in my classroom. As an independent read I think the age group of 2nd - 4th is appropriate because it is easy to understand and follow.