I shall miss the CandyCanes over the summer! I’m looking forward to sharing stories and experiences in our new school year—and hugs!
As we break for summer, I am offering some resources in the hope that they will enrich summer break. They include:
- PDF Multi-cultural anthropology and Social Studies activity
- Kids Series history videos.
- Virtual museum tours websites for ‘sofa” field trips.
- Websites for Social Studies lessons/activities
- Parent Resources for exploring your student’s reading choices.
- Reading Suggestions websites
- Hard copy Reading Lists for Elementary students.
NOTE: Because Elementary has an age-range of 6-10 years old, Parental Guidance for reading choices is important.
The Who Is, What is, Where Is series offer enjoyable overviews on a myriad of topics and students love them.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder series is strongly recommended for summer reading, especially Little House in the Big Woods, which is the first book in the series. In class, we will explore her book Little House on the Prairie as we go in-depth on the American Westward Expansion, the Homestead Act, Pioneers, Inventors, and the fifty States and Capitals.
Westward Ho! Here we come!
Have a Wonderful Summer,
Ms. Cane
SUMMER ACTIVITIES
Create a Culture Pbl
A Complete Framework for Students to Use in Creating an Original Culture
Written by Carol Nordgaarden. Illustrated by Bev Armstrong.
This Multi-cultural anthropology and Social Studies activity offers a PBL template for students, which will spur productive thinking and answer important questions about the many aspects that make up a culture. The questions and ideas can be elucidated with hands-on crafts and artwork. Learners can apply anthropological information to develop their culture, but it is only limited by their imagination! The project is aimed at public school intermediate level; however, parents can guide the pace and choice of cultural topics for their gifted student. Each page can stand on its own, or it can be an extended project that is compiled as a research booklet at the end.
” I would love to see some results in the fall!”
AMAZON PRIME KIDS SERIES HISTORY VIDEOS
This resource was given during Distance- Learning. Unfortunately, we did not get to do our Vikings PBL during last quarter. Please encourage an exploration of the legacy of the Vikings. Additionally, have students watch The Vikings on Kid’s Animated History With Pipo.
Review Continents
MR. DONN’S SITE FOR KIDS AND TEACHERS
Web Museum Virtural Tours Resource
10 Museums with Virtual Tours for Kids Who Need A “Field Trip”. Some museums included are:
- The British Museum. Chris Jackson/Getty Images News/Getty Images. Explore one of the most comprehensive museums in existence.
- The Louvre.
- The Metropolitan Museum Of Art.
- Museo Del Prado.
- The Children’s Museum Of Indianapolis.
Ten virtual museum tours for Parents who need a break!
Live Animal Webcams by the Sierra club
Just watching the jellyfish float by makes everything better!
READING SUGGESTIONS
PARENTS RESOURCES FOR EXPLORING YOUR CHILD’S READING CHOICES:
These resources can help parents guide their children’s reading choices:
- Allyn, Pam, What to Read When
- Baskin, Barbara, Books for the Gifted Child
- Codell, Esme, How to Get Your Child to Love Reading
- Dreyer, Sharon, The Best of Bookfinder
- Halsted, Judith Wynn, Some of my Best Friends are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers.
- Oppenheim, Joanne, Choosing Books for Kids
- Silvey, Anita, 100 Best Books for Children
When asked which books I recommend for my students, I invariably emphasize Newbery Medal Winners & Honor Books, Texas Library Association Bluebonnet books, and timeless classics. Encourage learners to try a variety of genres, even if they think they will not like it. Read together to get them started.
Note: Having a Hardback Dictionary with thumb-tabs at hand while reading is an exceptionally good strategy. I am particularly fond of dictionaries that include Mr. Webster’s name on them: Merriam-Webster, etc.
This comprehensive listing has books from 1922 to the present. Choose books from across a wide spectrum of time periods to show change: through time, with thought, of writing style and language; and the evolution of discoveries and facts.
Texas Library Association Bluebonnet books lists
The Texas Association of Libraries website is an excellent resource for the Bluebonnet Award book lists and popular and classic summer reading suggestions.
Children’s Literature Classics
Hoagies’ Gifted: Reading List
Basher Series Science Books
All topics are informative, and children love them! “The Basher Science series are little books that teach big science concepts in ingenious ways. Simon Basher’s hip, kicky style and colorful characters make science learning fun and fundamental ideas easy to remember.” Quote from Macmillan Publishing website.
This interactive site offers downloads and activities from the Basher series.
BOOK LIST FOR ELEMENTARY GIFTED STUDENTS
Summer 2020: The reading suggestions are to encourage the fun and enjoyment of reading. It is not expected that readers will ingest the entire list but give it a few nibbles! After all, what would summer be without getting lost in the alternate world of an engrossing book!
| Genre | Book Title | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure | My Side of the Mountain ** | J. C. George |
| Adventure | Pippi Longstocking ** | Astrin Lundgren |
| Adventure/Fantasy | Rowan of Rin Series | Emily Rodda |
| Adventure/Historical Fiction | Hatchet/Mr. Tucket Series * | Gary Paulsen |
| Fantasy | Ella Enchanted | Gail Carson Levine |
| Fantasy | Catherine, Called Birdy | Karen Cushman |
| Fantasy | The Dark is Rising | Susan Cooper |
| Fantasy | Book of Three | Lloyd Alexander |
| Fantasy | Dragon Rider | Cornelia Funke |
| Fantasy | The Littles* | John Peterson |
| Fantasy | Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle | Betty MacDonald |
| Fantasy | The Phantom Tollbooth ** | Norton Juster |
| Fantasy | The Lightning Thief ** | Rick Riordan |
| Fantasy | The Time Warp Trio Series | John Scieszka |
| Fantasy | The Borrowers* | Mary Morton |
| Fantasy | Babe and others | Dick King-Smith |
| Fantasy | Matilda and others* | Roald Dahl |
| Fantasy/Mystery | Hank the Cowdog * | John Erickson |
| Historical Fiction | Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry** | M. Taylor |
| Mystery | A-Z Mystery Series* | Ron Roy |
| Mystery | Chasing Vermeer** | Blue Balliett |
| Mystery | Nate the Great* | Marjorie Sharmat |
| Mystery | Cam Jansen* | David Adler |
| Mystery | Westing Game | E. Raskin |
| Mystery | Encyclopedia Brown Series* | Donald Sobol |
| Realistic Fiction | Ramona Series* | Beverly Cleary |
| Realistic Fiction | The Secret Garden * | F.H. Burnett |
| Realistic Fiction | Frindle/Things Not Seen | Andrew Clements |
| Realistic Fiction | Twinkie Squad/Schooled | Gordon Korman |
| Realistic Fiction | Henry Reed series | Keith Robertson |
| Realistic Fiction | View from Saturday * | E.L. Konigsburg |
| Realistic Fiction | The Moffats Series | Eleanor Estes |
| Realistic Fiction | The Great Brain* | JD Fitzgerald |
| Science Fiction | A Wrinkle in Time and others ** | M. L’Engle |
materials which would be helpful for the French students
Preschool and Primary Students
These are suggestions for you if you want to practice your French during the summer break.
1. You can sing Karaoke, do some activities to learn French.
2. Youtube : Songs of Alain Lelait ( les nombres, les saisons, la chambre, la famille …)
3. You can listen to the songs of Alain Lelait and watch the clips
Primary and Elementary Students
These are suggestions for you if you want to practice your French during the summer break.
1. You can listen to audiobooks in French under Jeunesse..
2. Youtube : Songs of Alain Lelait ( les nombres, les saisons, la chambre, la famille …)
3. You can listen to the songs of Alain Lelait and watch the clips
Practice the vocabulary and the grammar on Duolingo French and Duolingo French for Classroom.
Duolingo classroom for Primary Students:
Learn More
classroom code: XUXWUU
Duolingo classroom for Elementary Students :
Learn More
classroom code: HCCCUF
Read books on Storyplayer
Name : the name of your child
Password : the name of your child
Code-Elementary students : TMXJC-82
For the rallyes-lectures / reading logs, the students must go on the website. The app will not work.
Watch some movies in French on Netflix
Movies with French audio : The Willoughbys / PJ Masks / The Little Prince / Pokemon Mewtwo strikes back…
Intermediate and Middle School Students
These are suggestions for you if you want to practice your French during the summer break.
Bescherelles conjugaison (grades 6 & 7)
ISBN: 978-2218951985
Larousse concise French-English / English/French Dictionary
ISBN: 978-2035700025
Grammaire progressive du francais- French edition
ISBN: 978-2090380996
A good book :
The Little Prince: a French/English Bilingual Reader
ISBN: 978-0956721594