Who Knew... Polar Bears and Math?!?!

I was beyond excited to find a way to incorporate math into a Polar Bear theme! Although this book is mainly geared toward older children, it can probably be used with younger ones with a bit of modification!

Nagda, Ann Whitehead.
Polar Bear Math.
2004.
Henry Holt and Company.
Review copy borrowed from local library.

Klondike and Snow, newborn polar bear cubs who have been abandoned by their mother, are taken in and tenderly raised by zookeepers at the Denver Zoo. Throughout this story readers watch as Klondike and Snow grow into full-size polar bears. Along the way, readers also have the opportunity to learn about fractions!

Usable in two different ways, this book is accessible to all, even the youngest of children are eager to listen to a story about these twin polar bear cubs. Older children (third grade and up) have the opportunity to turn the story into a learning experience, as on the left hand side of each page, a separate story of sorts exists, in which, fractions are introduced, explored and ultimately expanded upon. For younger children, the story alone (found on the right hand side of each page) is wonderful and will easily capture attention!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• The following activity, a companion worksheet, combines aspects of everyday mathematical concepts with fractions, similar to those introduced in Polar Bear Math. The worksheet is appropriate for children in grades four and up. Some may need a bit of extra guidance! The worksheet can be downloaded here.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Although It's My Birthday... I Have a Present for Y'all!

Well, I'd originally planned on posting this back in the BEGINNING of January... somehow, I never got around to it! So... today seems appropriate! I'll share my love of children's literature with you as part of my birthday present to myself! Each month here at Katie's Literature Lounge, I'll be hosting at least one giveaway. This month there is just one title I'm giving away...

Bubble Trouble, by Margaret Mahy

Gonna make these giveaway requirements interesting each month to encourage participation (this will also be an activity that you can try with your kids at the dinner table to encourage family discussion)!

To Enter:

• You must include your e-mail address.
• Must leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm on Sunday, January 31.
• A great deal of this book contains the literary element of alliteration. Use your imagination to come up with a title for a children's book. The trick is, the title must use alliteration and be 5 words long!

FYI: For those of you not familiar with alliteration, it's a way of writing in which each word begins with the same consonant sound.

I'll give you an example to get you started: Katie's Kangaroo Kissed Kristen's Kitten

Winner will be drawn on Monday, February 1st and will be notified via e-mail!

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

The Effect of Global Warming on Polar Bears

As you probably gathered from Monday's post, Global Warming has had a significant impact on polar bears. Today we'll be exploring that whole concept in a child-friendly manner, ultimately allowing them to see the little things they can be doing to help save the polar bears!

Carrick, Carol.
The Polar Bears are Hungry.
2002.
Clarion Books.
Review copy borrowed from local library.

Written in lyrics, Carol Carrick approaches the delicate topic of global warming in a way most appropriate for the youngest of children, without being to graphic or descriptive in a way that might scare them. The mother polar bear and her two cubs set out in search of food, successful at first. But as the water temperatures warm, readers quickly discover the impact that warmer water temperatuCarores have on creatures that so depend on any icy environment for successful hunting. For the youngest of children handling this book (ages 4-7), the ending is certainly appropriate - seemingly happy. Although, in reality, the majority of polar bears don't recover from these hunting troubles as quickly as this mother and cub team did!

This is a wonderful book that focuses on the topic of global warming's impact on the polar bear population. The non-fictional way in which it is written makes it appealing and easy to read for young children. Coupled with a discussion and the activity found below, this book will certainly get your child(ren) thinking along the lines of how they can do their part to help prevent future global warming!

Lumry, Amanda and Laura Hurwitz.
Adventures of Riley: Polar Bear Puzzle.
2008.
Eaglemont Press.
Review copy borrowed from local library.

Nine-year old Riley embarks on yet another adventure with Uncle Max, Professor and Senior Field Biologist. This time, the pair is headed to Churchill, Canada...

Dear Riley,
We're worried about polar bears, the
Arctic's largest predators! Every year they're
becoming skinnier and weaker, and giving birth
to fewer cubs, and scientists aren't sure why.
Aunt Martha, Cousin Alice, and I are going
to the Arctic town of Churchill,
Canada, to get to the bottom of this
mystery. What do you say, Riley -
will you "bear" with us?
Uncle Max

Upon arriving in Churchill, readers will follow alongside Uncle Max, Aunt Martha, Cousin Alice and Riley to begin learning of the puzzling factors contributing to the decline in the polar bear population.

This was a very clever approach to handling such a mind-boggling topic for children. The whole concept of global warming is extremely difficult for a young child to understand, but I felt this book approached it in an appropriate manner! As for this book being part of a series? I'm truly amazed it's taken me this long to discover! The book was wonderful and I'm hoping to try and highlight a few more of them throughout the course of 2010!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Talk to you child about global warming. Address information such as: What is global warming? What causes global warming to happen? How does global warming effect animals? People? Plants? Then, send your child on a webquest (having bookmarked several appropriate child-friendly sites on the topic) to find out what he/she can be doing to prevent further global warming. Then, using the information he/she finds, ask your child to create a poster titled "Solving the Polar Bear Puzzle," in which he/she shares with others ways in which they can impact the amount of global warming that takes places - all in an effort to save the polar bears.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

A Year in the Life of Polar Bear Cubs

I wanted to include this topic in my polar bear theme because not only will kids love learning about those cuddly-looking cubs, there's also a great deal of information revolving around polar bear life in general - cubs and adults!

Miller, Debbie S.
A Polar Bear Journey.
1997.
Walker & Company.
Guided Reading Level: T
Review copy borrowed from local library.

It's November and Mother Polar Bear has just descended deep into a cave, settling into a deep sleep, anticipating the arrival of her coming polar bear cubs. As the months pass, we quickly arrive to January - the time when the new cubs are born! From here on out, readers are taken on a virtual adventure, traveling the Arctic with mother Polar Bear and her twin cubs. The journey shares with readers one year of the cubs' life, leaving us with the ultimate achievements of the first year - traveling nearly fifteen hundred miles before becoming strong enough to hunt and kill seals on their own!

The book is quite lengthy and detailed. However, it is chuck full of information that is more than relevant to the study of polar bears in this unit! To break up the reading, or to check comprehension of your child(ren)'s reading/listening, I have created A Year in the Life of a Polar Bear Cub. This is a study-guide of sorts and could be used in countless ways! Hopefully you'll find some use in it!


If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Non-Fiction Monday: All About Polar Bears

This week's theme is Polar Bears! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed coming up with the resources for you!

Gibbons, Gail.
Polar Bears.
2001.
Holiday House.
Guided Reading Level: O
Review copy borrowed from local library.

As usual, Gail Gibbons doesn't disappoint in this title! Children are sure to love all of the knowledge they'll gain about Polar Bears and are likely to be quizzing you for days about polar bear facts! A majority of the book focuses on how a polar bear survives in the Arctic. However, there is a bit of relevant information about the declining polar bear population. Overall, this is a great introductory book to a polar bear themed unit!

Learning/Reading Activity

• I created a polar bear anatomy worksheet to coincide with this book that will help children become familiar with polar bears and the ways in which their body has adapted to be of the most benefit in the Arctic region. The worksheet can be downloaded here!
  

Thomson, Sarah L.
Where Do Polar Bears Live?
December 2009.
HarperCollins Publishers.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Another great book about polar bears for non-fiction Monday is Sarah L. Thomson's latest, Where Do Polar Bears Live? Not only does it address that question, but many others as well. It's perfect for young children who want to know the basics without tons of details. Perhaps, this book would be the ideal way to start a polar bear unit, as it is basic, and would be engaging enough to have children begin coming up with additional questions that they'd like to have answered about polar bears. I also enjoyed that the book makes notice of how the recent trend in global warming has had such a significant effect on the Arctic polar bears. Definitely one I'll be flagging for Earth Day and Polar Bear units!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Take the opportunity during this unit to show your children that even someone as small as them can make a difference in the world. Adopt a Polar Bear and do your part to help save endangered wildlife! While the first donations that appear on the website appear quite hefty in price, there are more reasonable ones as you scroll down!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

For Fun Friday: Quilting with Children

Okay... nothing overly educational tonight! A few lighthearted reads that you can share and enjoy together! And this will conclude the quilt series!

Bourgeois, Paulette.
Oma's Quilt.
2001.
Kids Can Press.
Guided Reading Level: L
Review copy borrowed from local library.

Emily's Oma has sold her home and is moving into a retirement facility. While there are exciting, wonderful things about the move, Oma continues to relive her years and memories that were created at her longtime home on Maple Street. When she finally makes the move, she seems to shut down, refusing to talk and unwilling to try and adapt to her new "home." Emily, bright, caring granddaughter that she is, comes up with the plan to make her grandmother a quilt that will serve as a reminder of her life on Maple Street. Together, Emily and her mother sort through Oma's belongings and make two piles - one to discard and one that will be used to make the quilt. Emily's hard work and caring efforts pay off, allowing Oma the perfect amount of reminders to come to terms with and accept her place in her new home.

Chances are, your children have grandparents are rapidly aging, and possibly facing the selling of their longtime home and a move into a retirement facility, assisted living facility or nursing home. Chances are, you (and very likely, your child(ren)) are facing the emotions alongside your loved ones and will do just about anything to make the transition an easy, comfortable one. Here are a few suggestions that you and your child(ren) can do to help your loved ones during this difficult time:

• Create a memory box similar to the one found here. Rather than holiday memories, place little items from around the grandparents' home that will act as reminders of their "old" life.
• Grab your camera and head out to the house in which your child's grandparents used to live. Snap 10-20 photos of the house, different angles, dimensions, etc. Help your child snip the photos to recreate the house, using bits and pieces of several of the photos. An example can be seen here. (My brother created this several years ago in an art class. I have exaggerated the separate photos so it is easier for you to see how they are pieced together).
  
• Or... if you're feeling really ambitious... tackle the project like Emily and her mother!
  

Dwyer, Mindy.
Quilt of Dreams
2000.
Alaska Northwest Books.
Guided Reading Level: P
Review copy borrowed from local library.

Quilting has been a tradition passed on from mother to daughter for many years in Katy's family. However, young Katy is just in the learning stages. She had worked with her grandmother a little bit before she had passed away and now it's up to her mother to teach her the stitches of quilting. The two spend their long winter nights working on a pile of quilting triangles found in Grandma's sewing basket with the label, "Katy's Quilt." She and her mother are left to determine the story that would ultimately be shared upon the quilts completion.

Sleep under a new quilt and your dreams will come true.

As she sleeps under her new quilt, Katy learns there is truth to this... as once again, she envisions her Grandmother and all of the times they shared together.

A perfect book for mother-daughter bonding time - a bedtime story or even just a quiet, mid-day break!

Jonas, Ann.
The Quilt.
1984.
Greenwillow Books.
Guided Reading Level: I
Review copy borrowed from local library.

This quilt book is geared toward younger children - nice to see a change of pace during this quilting theme! The text is simple, but it so accurately portrays the meaning behind some quilts!

A little girl shares with readers the new quilt that her mother and father made for her grown-up bed... a quilt made up entirely of articles of clothe that are reminders of her past - her first curtains and bedsheets... the material used to make her security item (a dog), pieces of her favorite pants, etc. The quilt offers this little girl comfort as she transitions into a new phase in her life, by allowing her little reminders of the past to grasp and hold onto those memories!

The story here is so important, as it shows how you can keep old memories alive... but it's also funny, as the little girl ultimately ends up in search of Sally, her little blue dog, who is "lost" in the quilt (really just disguised in the quilt square made out of the same fabric)! This would make a great bedtime read-aloud!

Reading Activity for The Quilt and/or Quilt of Dreams:

• Mother-Daughter (Son) Activity: Chances are... if you're here... reading this post, you'll do anything for your daughter (and son)... including learning how to quilt if you don't know how already! Work with your child... go through his/her clothes (way back to the baby years, if you have some saved). Choose one piece from each year and continue doing so until the time your child is married. Each year, add one memorable piece to the quilt each year - whether it be a special birthday clothing, a sports uniform, a piece of a backpack, etc. Just complete the front of the quilt together. Once your child decides to marry (or even strike out on his/her own), finish the quilt as a gift and present it to him/her on that special day!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Quilting and the Amish and Mennonite Cultures

In many cultures, quilting is a way of life... the Amish and Mennonite cultures are two of those and, to me, are very interesting, so I just had to focus on quilts in their culture today! Tomorrow, you'll see quilting in more modern, current ways as part of "For Fun Friday."

Good, Merle.
Reuben and the Quilt.
1999.
Good Books.
Review copy borrowed from local library.

Reuben, a young Amish boy, joins his older sisters in making a quilt for an elderly gentleman in the community who was injured when his buggy was hit by a car from behind. While he quilts, readers learn how quilting brings together the Amish community to show their support for one another, as the quilt that's being sewn is going to be up for auction - what a show of support! The great thing about this book is that it brings in another very important aspect of the Amish faith - not seeking revenge when someone wrongs you. Once the family has completed sewing the quilt, it gets hung outside to observe as the family completes their "chores." Somehow, the quilt is stolen, but rather than being bitter and seeking revenge, the family takes on an entirely different attitude, believing that the thief is poor and the quilt is badly needed. Luckily, all turns out well...

As you can see, this is definitely a book that places emphasis on quilting in diverse cultures, making it a wonderful addition to the quilting theme!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Work together as a family to create a quilt. When you have completed the quilt, determine a family in need in your community. Collaborate with the local library to host an auction, selling the quilt and raising money for the needy family!
  

Smucker, Barbara.
Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt.
1995.
Crown Publishers, Inc.

This is another book focusing on aspects of the Amish and Mennonite cultures, making mention of being "humble and quiet," an important trait in children of the culture, as well as "quilting bees," a frequent event for women in the faith. Taking readers back to the time of the onset of the Civil War, we watch how young Selina deals with her family moving to avoid being caught in the crossfire of the war. As she comes to grips with leaving her dearly loved grandmother behind, she realizes that her grandmother will always be with her, as her relatives in Canada help her to see that the quilt she traveled to Canada with will be finished in time to act as a bed cover at her new house... and that the quilt on her bed right now is made from pieces of old dresses... including her grandmother's wedding dress.

And For the Educators Out There (I desperately wanted to actually feature these with reviews, but the local library doesn't carry many teaching resources, and its out my budget currently).:

• Quick Quilts Across the Curriculum, Kathy Pike
• Month-By-Month Quilt & Learn Activities: 25 Easy, No-Sew Activities for Reading, Writing, Math, Social Studies and More, Kathy Pike
• Easy Literature-Based Quilts Around the Year (Grades K-3), Phyllis Howard
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Quilting through History: Slavery and Freedom

My post earlier tonight focused on the role that quilting played in the lives of Pioneer women. Tonight, I'm focusing on another aspect of quilting in the history of the United States - Slavery and Freedom. Since both of the learning activities include making a quilt, perhaps you'll want to read both stories and then decide which would be the more appropriate activity for your child(ren) - if you're a teacher, option 2 might be better... if you're a parent, option 1 might work better! Either way, enjoy!

Hopkinson, Deborah.
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt.
1993.
Alfred A. Knopf.
Guided Reading Level: S
Review copy borrowed from local library.

Little Clara is more fortunate than most slaves - at least, as fortunate as a slave child could possibly be. She's been given the opportunity to work inside the house, alongside Aunt Rachel to help sew for the upcoming wedding for the plantation owner's daughter. As she learns the stitches to sew, she also picks up on information in the house that allows her the opportunity to find a way to help other slaves. Using the scraps of fabric left over from her sewing projects, Clara sews a patchwork quilt that maps out the lay of the land, ultimately helping the plantation slaves escape North by means of the Underground Railroad... all they have to do is follow the fields, roads and other symbols on her Freedom Quilt.

This book is very informational and shows one way in which slaves used quilts to gain their freedom. Not only is the book full of quilting-related information, children will learn a great deal about the life of slaves as Clara works her way through the sewing of the quilt. This is highly recommended reading by me!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• With your child(ren), create a "Freedom Quilt" of your own. Head out to your local dollar store and pick up a few packs of scrapbooking paper. Come up with a plan - where will you go to find freedom? (This could be as simple as going from the living room to the bedroom or barn... or as complex as heading from your house to the library). Whatever plan you come up with, work together to create the quilt using the various scrapbook papers. Be sure to include roads, fields, houses, etc., just as Clara did! Then, challenge other family members... will they be able to read the quilt to find freedom?
  

Stroud, Bettye.
The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom.
2005.
Candlewick Press.
Guided Reading Level: N
Review copy borrowed from local library.

In The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom, readers are introduced to Hannah, a young slave girl of ten, whose sister was sold off and whose mother passed away. Only Hannah and her father remain. However, Hannah's mother with always be with the pair, as when they choose to head north to Canada in search of freedom, they take along Mother's "Patchwork Path" quilt, using the symbols depicted to assist them in their travels along the Underground Railroad. Similar to Clara in Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, here, another slave is sharing a different way in which quilts assisted them in finding freedom. Rather than being almost a physical map of the land as Clara's was, Hannah's quilt used symbols to tell the story of how to find her way north.

While the stories are very different in the way in which quilts were used, they are ultimately sharing the same goal - leading slaves to freedom! This was my first time reading this book, but it is truly wonderfully written and should be included, not only in a quilt-themed unit, but also in a unit focusing on slavery.

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Create your a classroom "Patchwork Path" quilt that features symbols that are important to your life. Instructions can be found here.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!