Blogger Graphics
Turtles and Tortoises
By: Renee C. Rebman
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Corporation
Copyright: 2007
Genre: Nonfiction
Grade Level: 4th, 5th, or 6th
Brief Synopsis: This book describes the physical characteristics, behavior, habitat, and endangered status of turtles and tortoises. It takes the reader through descriptions of this ancient reptile with little factoids every few pages. The photographs in this book cover a wide variety of turtle and tortoise species, and are all captioned to describe the picture to the reader.
About the Author:
Renee C. Rebman- she is a published author of children's books and young adult books. Some of the published credits of Renee C. Rebman include Anteaters (Animals Animals), Turtles And Tortoises (Animals Animals), The Union Soldier (We the People: Civil War Era), and Animals Animals Group 7 (Animals Animals).
Themes: - Learning about the difference between a turtle and a tortoise
- Learning the life cycle of and turtle and tortoise
- What we can do to help the turtles and tortoises
Pre-Reading Activities:
- Have students create a KWL chart of turtles and tortoises. They will then keep this chart to fill in the "L" when we finish reading the book.
- Go for a book walk with the students as a whole group. Ask them questions about the organization of the book. How is it different from a fiction book we have read before? (Focus on table of contents, sections, photographs, fun facts, etc.)
- Have students try to draw a turtle or tortoise to the best of their ability based on what they know before they read. Have them include as many details as they possibly can. Explain that they also must put the turtle or tortoise in their habitat as well.
Post Reading Activities:
- Have students get with one partner, one person being the turtle and one person being the tortoise. They will each have to complete their portion of the graphic organizer, and together come up with similarities and differences. They should each create a web for their particular reptile. They can be as create as possible when drawing their webs for this activity.
- Students will take notes on the most important things from each section of the book as the teacher is reading. After the teacher reads a section the class will share their notes and help each other add to the notes throughout the dscussion.
- Students will answer the "L" after finishing the book and fill in what they have learned about turtles and tortoises.
- Students will get the pictures back of their turtle or tortoise that they drew before reading. Now they will finalize their picture with what they have learned is missing or a mistake, and then they will be displayed.
Reflection: I was very interested in finding a book about turtles and tortoises because I own an African Sulcata tortoise. When I take her out and about I get asked a lot about her, and people commonly mistake her for a turtle. There are many differences between turtles and tortoises, and this book will help kids and adults distinguish these differences. My tortoise will get to be about 100 pounds and most importantly, she HATES water. She is a LAND reptile. This is why it is so important to teach children about the world around them with nonfiction books. It is for the good of themselves as well as the living and nonliving things around them that are constantly being affected. This book is set up clearly, and children will have an easy time finding what they need quickly because of the table of contents. I think that photographs in nonfiction books are invalueable because the children can visualize the source they are being educated on. Depending on the topic, some students may have never seen what is being addressed, and the photographs gives them these first glimpses. I really love the fact that this book has a glossary and resources to find out more at the end of the book. This allows students to do some learning on their own if they are inquisitive.
Links:
My Little Girl, Squirt when she was a baby. She is much bigger now.
No comments:
Post a Comment