The first Audubon Christmas Bird Count took place 119 years ago. The purpose of the event was to save birds from a hunting tradition. Hunters would gather on Christmas day to shoot as many birds as they could. The person… Read More ›
picture books
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Lines, Bars and Circles: How William Playfair Invented Graphs by Helaine Becker and Marie-Eve Tremblay
There are certainly historically based picture books about inventions that I’ve read before, but none may have surprised me more than Helaine Becker’s Lines, Bars and Circles. I had never attributed the creation of the line, bar, and circle graphs… Read More ›
Create Your Own Graph: A Math Collaboration in 5 Steps
Recently, a second-grade teacher and I had the opportunity to work together on a project in math. Her class was finishing a unit on graphing and I recommended the book The Great Graph Contest by Loreen Leedy. The book sparked… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Interview with Donna Janell Bowman, Author of King of the Tightrope
As we continue to explore picture book authors who utilize primary sources in their research, I was excited to interview Donna Janell Bowman who, in her newest book, writes about one of my favorite lesser-known historical figures, The Great Blondin…. Read More ›
Improve Visual Literacy Skills with Picture Books
Visual literacy is the ability to gather meaning from an image. It’s the practice of asking questions about what we see and why it matters. Giving learners opportunities to look closely at images will sharpen their critical thinking skills. Picture… Read More ›
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney and Peter M. Fiore
Last month I helped to give a workshop in Lexington, Kentucky, through a grant called Project CHARGE (Civics History through Advanced Research and Geography Education). Over five days, elementary and middle school teachers focused on mid-17th-century history through the adoption… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution. By Rob Sanders and Jamey Christoph
I am always glad when an anniversary of an event coincides with a historically based picture book. It adds a greater purpose to bring that book and event into student learning. This is the case with the upcoming 50th anniversary… Read More ›
Compelling Resources to Support Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Library
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the practice of noticing and working with feelings. Learners develop skills to manage emotions, build empathy, communicate, persevere, and solve problems. Citizens need these skills to contribute to society. SEL skills are important enough… Read More ›
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: The Boo-Boos That Changed the World by Barry Wittenstein
There are times when I read a historically based picture book and hope that I can find great primary sources to accompany it. I felt this way when I read The Boo-Boos That Changed the World written by Barry Wittenstein… Read More ›
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan
There are picture books that take a moment in history that I have a basic understanding of and expand it to the point that I realize that I know very little about that moment. That was the case with What… Read More ›