One of my favorite units with my first-grade students is the Long Ago and Today unit. Students compare and contrast several aspects of culture and civilization in the U.S. from today and different moments in history. Technology, communication, and transportation… Read More ›
I am fascinated with history. My fascination shows in my undergraduate coursework in history. When I decided to teach, I started with high school social studies. I always thought my love of history came from my father. Then I realized… Read More ›
Occasionally a historically based picture book slips by me. Farmers Unite! Planting a Protest for Fair Prices was one such books. But then the author, Lindsay Metcalf, spoke at our state conference. When she shared her book, one librarian after… Read More ›
Five Years Ago It seems like many long ages have passed since Lin-Manuel Miranda, accepting the Tony Award for Hamilton’s score, gave an emotional and heartfelt speech (in sonnet form!) that honored his own wife and also gave tribute to… Read More ›
As this post “goes to press,” we stand poised at a threshold. The 2020 Presidential Election is nigh. Each election is a tipping point, and this one is no exception. In a year rife with strange days, the possibility of… Read More ›
Usually, I write about historically based narrative nonfiction picture books. There was a book that didn’t fit into that category that I saw recently. However, I knew it would fit perfectly into a primary source-focused learning experience with some of… Read More ›
Historically based picture books, while often having some type of connection to our own lives, may not always seem timely. That certainly wasn’t the case with Linda Elovitz Marshall’s new book, The Polio Pioneer. The book explores Dr. Salk’s life… Read More ›
What interesting times we are living in. Teaching and learning within a set of unprecedented challenges that includes: a pandemic that keeps students at home most, if not all, of the school day learning from online courses, Zoom meetings, and… Read More ›
There are some fascinating historically based picture books that focus on a largely unknown moment of a well-known person’s life. The best of those highlights an aspect of that person’s character that helps the reader look at that individual differently… Read More ›
As I write this blog post, the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has led to eight days of protests across the United States as demonstrators demand police reform as well as justice for Mr. Floyd…. Read More ›