Field Experience

Field Experience

1. How many hours did you complete?

5 hours

2. In a short paragraph or bulleted list, how did you spend your time?

·        board meeting

·        observations

·        teaching a lesson

3. How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher Standard?

            Due to the field experience, I was able to Kentucky Teacher Standard number 4: The teacher implements and manages instruction. I was able to do this because I had to plan and implement a lesson plan that involved reading a trade book. This was very interesting to do because I teach Math all day. It was very eye opening to see how students were able to stay more focused when the lesson followed along as the book was being read aloud.

4. Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience.

            I learned that time management is the key when trying to teach using a trade book. If it is a long trade book then it might be important to break the book up into sections because reading the whole book at one time can lose the interest of students and also take up the entire class period.

Reading Log

Genre / Titles

             I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 chapter book or photo essay book reflection required on blog)

1)      The Great Fire by Jim Murphy

          II.      Poetry (1 chapter or picture book reflection required on blog)

1)      Casey at Bat by Ernest L. Thayer

2)      Mathematickles by Betsy Franco

       III.      Modern Fantasy (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)          

1)      I, Jack  by Patricia Finney. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

3)      The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

       IV.      Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)     

1)      The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport

          V.      Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)         

1)      Hiroshima: A Novella by Laurence Yep (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      The Faithful Friend by Robert D. San Souci

3)      The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin

4)      Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth

5)      Pecos Bill by Steven Kellogg

6)      Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema

       VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)

1)      Baby by Patricia MacLachlan. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

3)      Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

    VII.      Picture Books (5 reflections required on blog during the first two weeks of class. There should be a total here of at least six.)

1)      The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine

3)      Madam President by Lane Smith

4)      Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo

5)      Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride by Kate DiCamillo

6)      Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin

7)      Wemberley Worried by Kevin Henkes

8)      In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming

Wiki Checklist:

__1__ Social Studies

____ Science

__1__ Math

____ Music

____ Art

____ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

____ Other

The Great Fire

Murphy, J. (1995). The great fire. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Genre: Informational

Age Level: 10-14

Summary: Chicago was once made out of wood; all the sidewalks and buildings were wooden. Since Chicago was in a drought it caused the wooden buildings and sidewalks to be very dry. This caused many fires throughout the city. On Sunday, October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in a barn near the edge of Chicago. According to the author Jim Murphy, no one knows for certain how the fire started. Most people believed the fire began when a cow, being milked by Catherine O'Leary, kicked over a gas lamp catching the hay on fire. There were many factors that lead to the fire spreading very quickly. The fire burnt for 31 hours and 100,000 people were left homeless. Chicago was rebuilt but it has never forgotten the night of the great fire.

Reflection: The Chicago fire of 1871 is one of the greatest disasters in American history and the author writes in third person as he uses the personal stories of survivors, newspaper articles, and research to tell the facts about the event. Murphy tells about the chaos during the fire as families became separated in the crowds. The illustrations consist of maps, photos with captions, and drawings in a sepia color to help readers get a sense of the time period in which the fire took place. The book also has many features such as author’s acknowledgment, a table of contents, an introduction, bibliography and sources, and an index. Jim Murphy won many awards for his book including Newberry Honor Book and Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction.

I would say he won these awards because this book is well written and pulls the reader in.

     I can relate to this story because I live on a farm and often worry about the barn catching on fire. I know of a family friend is also lived on a farm and his barn burnt down and before anyone could begin to help the barn was completely engulfed in flames. When his barn burnt he lost a lot of livestock because he was unable to rescue them. This is a very scary scenario for anyone living on a farm.

     This book could be used in a 5^th grade classroom to compare and contrast how the 1800s and today are alike and different. Students could create a timeline to show when the different every day inventions were created such as the telephone. I would also have students tie into writing by having them write a story as if they were one of the survivors of the fire. Students could also determine the distant travelled by the fire to determine how fast the fire travelled within the 31 hours.
     Some thoughtful questions I would ask are: How would you feel if your house was on fire and you had no way of calling for help? Why do you think the author chose the titles he did for each chapter? and "Would you continue to live in the same town that burnt up or would you move to another town? Why or Why not?

Rappaport, D., & Collier, B. (2001). Martin's big words: The life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Because of Winn Dixie

DiCamillo, K. (2000). Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press.

Imagine moving to a new town where you have no friends and your father is the only family you have there until you find a dog in a grocery store. What kind of adventures and friends would you make?

This realistic fiction novel, Because of Winn Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo is about just that. Being a preacher’s daughter can make life hard for a young girl, Opal, but when your mom leaves you and moving to a new town, Whatley, make it even harder what is a girl to do.  After finding a dog, Winn Dixie, in a grocery store, Opal’s life finally turns around for the best. This story is filled of unlikely friendships that all begin with Winn Dixie. From librarians, to witches, to criminals nobody is safe in Whatley as long as Winn Dixie is around to lead the adventure.

Casey at the Bat

Thayer, E. L., & Bing, C. H. (2000). Ernest L. Thayer's Casey at the bat: A ballad of the Republic sung in the year 1888. Brooklyn, NY: Handprint Books.

Genre: Poetry

Age Level: 9-13

Summary: Casey at the Bat is about a baseball team in Mudville that is two points behind with two outs and is in the last inning of the game. Both the team and the fans believe they can win if the "Mighty Casey” (the star player) could get up to bat. Casey is fifth in the lineup and the better players (Cooney and Barrows) got out. The next two batters are believed to be weaker players. Surprisingly, the first batter hits a single and the second batter hits a double. Now it’s all up to Casey with two outs and bases loaded. Casey is so confident that he does not swing at the first two pitches and they end up being strikes. On the last pitch, Casey strikes out ending the game with the other team going home happy.

Reflection: This story is in the form of a ballad and seems to be told by a baseball guru who is in the stands at the game. The structure of the ballad is one of traditional verse because of the rhyming at the end of each line throughout the poem. For example, the first stanza reads “The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day: The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play. And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same, A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game” where day/play and same/game rhyme. The author also uses different forms of figurative language throughout the story. For example, a simile was used in the line “From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar, Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.” Alliteration was used in the line “And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.”

The author tells the poem in an exciting and suspenseful way that keeps the reader very interested, especially boys. The illustrations are also very interesting because they are designed to look the newspaper clippings and the verses are made to look like captions. Boys will love looking at this story and the illustrations as they create an amazing story that they can relate to.

This story would be great in a poetry unit. Students can work in small groups to analyze different stanzas of the poem. Then groups can take turns explaining each stanza. Another activity would be for students to write their own ballad using an activity of their choice. Students could also write an acrostic or concrete poem using words from the story such as baseball, Casey, or bat. Students could also change parts of the story causing an alternate ending to the story.

Some questions I would ask students are: How do you think Casey feels now that he has struck out causing his team to lose the game? Why do you think everyone called Casey “Mighty Casey”? What other events do you think happened before this game? For example, maybe this was the World Series game, a regular game, or a district game.

The Rough-Face Girl

Martin, R., & Shannon, D. (1992). The rough-face girl. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Genre: Traditional/ Multicultural Literature

Age Level: 8-10

Summary: This tale takes place in an Indian village by Lake Ontario. Within the largest wigwam lives an “Invisible Being” who is a rich, powerful, and handsome warrior. All the young ladies in the tribe wish to marry him. However, he lives with his sister who states that only the woman who can see him can marry him. Within the same tribe is a poor man with three daughters. The oldest two daughters are very cruel to the youngest sister. They force her to sit by the fire and feed the flames causing sparks to burn the sister’s arms and face. When the two older sisters get dressed up and decide to convince the Invisible Being’s sister that they can see him and should marry him, the tribe expresses how beautiful they are. However the younger sister did the same thing and the tribe told her she was ugly and laughed at her. The Invisible Being’s sister sees right through the older sisters and do not allow them to marry the warrior. When the younger sister arrived to marry the Invisible Being, his sister was amazed at her honesty and beauty (even with the scars). The Invisible Being shows up at his wigwam and uses his power to turn the rough face girl into a beautiful lady and they live happily ever after.

Reflection: I found this story to be very similar to the modern “Cinderella” stories we often read that have been passed down through generations. This makes the setting a backdrop because the plot is the same; there are two evil sisters, a mistreated sister, and a charming prince the girls are trying to marry but in this version they are Native Americans. The story has person-against-person conflict because the evil sisters are bullying the younger sister. These types of stories teach students about how beauty is skin deep and that looks are not everything. When you see the beauty of objects throughout the world and treat others with kindness, then it will show. The "rough face girl" had burnt hair and scars of her arms, but her kind heart and appreciation for Earth's beauty made her a beautiful woman.

Students would enjoy reading this book because it is a different version of Cinderella that I feel boys would enjoy also because of the use of Native Americans. I feel many students would connect to this book because many times when at a young age we feel people make fun of us or tease us. This book would be a great way to discuss with students how bullying makes others feel with the use of the illustrations and the mood throughout the overall story.

This would be a wonderful book to teach compare and contrast. Students could compare and contrast this story and a different version of the Cinderella story. Students could complete a Venn diagram to help organize their thoughts about how the two stories are similar and different. Students could also work in groups create their own version of “Cinderella”. Once the stories are created then students could act them out to help build fluency and to connect to listening and speaking standards within the Common Core Standards. The story can be used as a cross curriculum story to help bring up the topic of Native Americans and how they believed in the spirits and felt nature was very important because of its beauty.

A few questions I would ask my students are: How do you think the evil sisters felt after the rough face girl married the prince? Why is it important to not judge others? How would you feel if you were the rough face girl?