Wednesday, February 19, 2014

#NF10for10 2014

 An Invitation to Notice & Wonder

#NF10for10

Thank you to Cathy Mere, Mandy Robek, and Julie Balen for hosting this exciting event. 

 
This #NF10for10 list pairs collections of engaging, short NF texts with links to connect to wonders via www.wonderopolis.org  This year I have been working hard to layer texts and help students think more deeply within text sets.  Hope your students enjoy this invitation to notice, to wonder, to investigate further, and to push their thinking too.  
 
 
 

 
 
 

"Big Thinking in Small Packages"


Want students to write about their thinking and learning?  Try poetry. 

Donald Graves called poetry, "Big thinking in small packages."  

"Poetry is a memorable way to provide information."


 
This book of poetry explores inventions like roller coasters, Velcro, Fig Newtons and more. It helps readers look at everyday objects in a new way.

Wonderopolis # 164- What is an acrostic poem?


 

Lives of the Scientists Experiments, Explorers (and What the Neighbors Thought)

The latest in this series by Kathleen Krull.


Still wondering?   Curiosity is all it takes.  
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an inventor?  Can kids be inventors too?  Wonder #673
 Wonderopolis #673 Can Kids be inventors too?
 
 

10 Inventors who Changed the World 

 
Connecting ideas and reading across texts, students can think more deeply about a topic.  In 10 Inventors Who Changed the World, read to find the "life links" or chains of influence in this unique series of biographies. Great for older readers and fans of graphic novels.   
 
 
 
  
Ever wonder about word origins? 
Hello? Does Thomas Edison get credit for our most popular greeting?   Check this out and explore the interesting connection of events great for link to word study lessons.  
 
  
 

 An Illustrated Timeline of Inventions and Inventors

 
 Visual Literacy:
"Pictures help us see the story" 
 
 
 

"By Kids for Kids"  


 

Don Wulffson provides a variety of short engaging well crafted pieces students LOVE.  Discover lots of fun facts about the history behind Popsicles, Post its, and even perfume.
 
Did you ever wonder about the ice cream man? How about the first ice cream truck?
Want to learn more? Great collection of mentor texts for writing in this collection too.
 
 How about the history of deodorant? How about how post its came to be?   Wulffson addresses these wonders and more in his collection of short texts.   
Have you ever wondered why  some people's feet stink?  Well Wonderopolis explains it all here:
 
 
 

Imaginative Inventions

 
 
 
 Great text to connect to all above as many of the same inventions and inventors are found here in this fun text written in verse.

Wondering about how things work or how things came to be?  How about roller skates or chewing gum? 
Wondering about roller skates?
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/chewing-gum-101/
Great wonder to also pair with POP! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy
POP!





 

Mistakes That Worked

 
 
 
 How about another "mistake that worked"? Want to know more about who invented potato chips? 
Wondering about potato chips?
 
 
  Another great text to explore- but I wrote about this last #NF10for10.  Great piece on George Crum  found in What Color is My World.
 
 

Students LOVE the Gross Factor

  
Students also love learning about wacky, wild and gross foods? How about hairy, scary foods throughout history?  Fun hybrid text with poetry too:
 
 
Great examples of connected texts to read across and  synthesize information from multiple texts.
 
 
 
 
I have included this last mentor text because it is filled with examples for our students to explore the ways in which authors provide information and engage the reader.   
This new title from Loreen Leedy  has an interesting text structure.  Your students will find  fun facts, poetry, riddles and it has includes a question and answer format too.  Lots of great models for energizing nonfiction. 

I hope you enjoy finding those mentor authors and mentor texts that are your "co-teachers".

"Emulate those teachers that instilled the sense of wonder and curiosity that inspired you.”
Robert John Meehan


Happy Reading #NF10for10 
Can't wait to read and learn from other's lists. 

Thanks to all!

4 comments:

  1. So many good ones about inventions, & thanks for that final one, too-it does sound like it will cover many kinds of explorations!

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  2. Love this theme and your list, JoEllen!

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  3. I love how you connected it to Wonderopolis. I have incorporated "Wonderopolis Wednesday" in my 2nd grade classroom and If I had time, I'd do it every single day. The kids love it. I have pinned many book titles here and can't wait to order some that were new to me!

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  4. JoEllen,
    What a terrific idea to link picture books with wonders from Wonderopolis. This is why you should blog all the time! Creative and useful! I can't wait to share this post with our staff. I think they'll love the possibilities.

    Cathy

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