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RE:books for boys
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From: Christine Taylor-Butler <kansascitymom_at_earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:06:37 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
body{font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size: I've found the same thing. My book on Mount Everest has turned out to be my most popular because I try to put the students in the mindset of a climb, with all the equipment and dangers involved. Inevitably they ask all the things I wasn't allowed to pu t in the book - such as what happens to the people who don't make it down. Then I use that as a bridge to talk about the almost super-human skills of the Sherpa and how they can climb without oxygen in 18 hours (compared to 30-60 days for everyone else). I get a lot of letters and drawings from boy s after that.
Likewise, I hated American History with a passion as a child - so I try to make it relevant during school visits and talk less ab out structure and more about secrets, intrigue and dysfunction. When I get into examples of how Benjamin Franklin was followed because others thought he'd spill the beans about the secret Constitution debates, or how US carg o ships were once captured by Barbary pirates because it was cheaper for us to pay the ransom than to build a Navy, the boys are hooked and wanting mo re.
I think the key is that many children are stuck in learning envi ronments geared towards helping them pass the state exams (a nasty result o f NCLB Act) and school districts looking to make annual progress have intro duced curriculums and pre-packaged models that make learning as dry as melb a toast. So teachers aren't given the latitude they need to be creative wit h the content. I try to approach my school visits using a "what's in it for you if you read this" approach.
I'm heading for Rogers, Arkansas fo r a week of school visits. It's the third request I've had in as many mont hs to focus on nonfiction rather than fiction for that reason. I also try t o tie in how my research is not unlike their own when writing homework pape rs.....Christine
Received on Thu 22 Apr 2010 12:06:37 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:06:37 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
body{font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size: I've found the same thing. My book on Mount Everest has turned out to be my most popular because I try to put the students in the mindset of a climb, with all the equipment and dangers involved. Inevitably they ask all the things I wasn't allowed to pu t in the book - such as what happens to the people who don't make it down. Then I use that as a bridge to talk about the almost super-human skills of the Sherpa and how they can climb without oxygen in 18 hours (compared to 30-60 days for everyone else). I get a lot of letters and drawings from boy s after that.
Likewise, I hated American History with a passion as a child - so I try to make it relevant during school visits and talk less ab out structure and more about secrets, intrigue and dysfunction. When I get into examples of how Benjamin Franklin was followed because others thought he'd spill the beans about the secret Constitution debates, or how US carg o ships were once captured by Barbary pirates because it was cheaper for us to pay the ransom than to build a Navy, the boys are hooked and wanting mo re.
I think the key is that many children are stuck in learning envi ronments geared towards helping them pass the state exams (a nasty result o f NCLB Act) and school districts looking to make annual progress have intro duced curriculums and pre-packaged models that make learning as dry as melb a toast. So teachers aren't given the latitude they need to be creative wit h the content. I try to approach my school visits using a "what's in it for you if you read this" approach.
I'm heading for Rogers, Arkansas fo r a week of school visits. It's the third request I've had in as many mont hs to focus on nonfiction rather than fiction for that reason. I also try t o tie in how my research is not unlike their own when writing homework pape rs.....Christine
Received on Thu 22 Apr 2010 12:06:37 PM CDT
