Are you looking for a way to help keep yourself and your students or kids organized while learning online? I have created this hyperlinked Google Doc that allows you to input assignments across multiple sites / platforms, or even just paper work. You can embed links into the organizer that will take students straight to their assignments - on Google Drive or Classroom, PDFs, websites, videos, songs, etc. Students click on the table of contents to view their work for that day.
Click here to download this 6 page Google Doc on Teachers Pay Teachers.
This post consists of a book list from a Donors Choose project I had funded in 2019. I was creating an author study and realized how lacking my classroom library was in diverse materials after 13 years of teaching. Sure, I had some books we used during Black History Month and Women's History Month, a couple of copies of diaries from Anne Frank and Zlata's Diary, as well as some whitewashed versions of Thanksgiving and Native American group profiles. But so many segments were not adequately represented, including many that my coworkers and students (past and present) could relate to - Jews, Muslims, female scientists, Hispanics, visible and invisible disabilities, divorced and / or nontraditional families, imprisoned family members, immigrants, and even just fictional characters from different cultures, among other categories.
First, read the project description. Then check out the books and summaries of their plots. Don't forget to check out other books by these authors.
Help me give my students books like Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, Nonni's Moon, Pashmina, and Lailah's Lunchbox. These books will help us celebrate diversity in our classroom!
My Students
“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to people who prepare for it today." - MX
My lively bunch of 28 students come from different cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
Each student has a unique and valuable set of experiences that they contribute to the class. We have worked hard to build bonds with each other and consider our class to be like a family, while our classroom is like a home. Students truly feel safe to be themselves, take risks, and explore.
My Project
Students will get to read books about characters from their cultures and others within our classroom. Reading books with diverse characters will motivate my students to read as they will be able to make connections with the characters and other students in our class.
These books will help students understand different aspects of their lives so that we can create a more inclusive, caring classroom.
Students will be able to understand social and cultural norms that may differ from theirs. This will help further our dialogue of multiculturalism and acceptance of all people. Children are learning to be productive members of a global classroom and society!
The first inhabitants of the Turtle Island, name formerly given to North America, were also people rich in legends. One of these famous legends is Gluskabe, the colossal and prodigious hero of the Wabanakis people.This first book of Gluskabe’s magical adventures tells you about the coming of our hero on Earth.
In Gluskabe's time, the squirrel was not the cute little rodent leaping from branch to branch that we see nowadays. It was a frightening beast, the size of the largest bear. “Gluskabe, I'm not afraid of your humans, the ALNOBAK. If they dare coming near my territory I will fight them, I will crush them. I will mash them into cranberry compote!” the squirrel retorted in a threatening tone.
The Game Bag is a ten thousand years old legend that joins today’s plea for a more equitable sharing of the natural resources. A fantastic read for children and grown-ups alike and an homage to our Abenaki environment advocate "Alanis Obomsawin".
Gr 4–8—Priyanka is a teenage girl who loves to draw. Her mother emigrated from India years ago, leaving Pri's father behind. Pri is eager to learn about her father and her Indian heritage, but her mother refuses to discuss the subject. Then Pri finds an old pashmina in her mother's suitcase, and when she puts it on, she is magically transported to the India of her dreams. Pri is greeted by an elephant and a peacock, who offer to show her around the country. Though they provide some answers, they inspire even more questions, and Pri must figure out how and why reality and her dream world overlap. This heartwarming story about family problems and female empowerment will inspire readers to make their voices heard. Much of the artwork is reminiscent of the illustrations in Vera Brosgol's Anya's Ghost: black-and-white with clear thick lines. Whenever someone dons the pashmina, the pages are suddenly drenched in rich colors. VERDICT This dazzling blend of realistic fiction and fantasy is perfect for fans of characters who have to overcome obstacles on their way to growing up.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library
From personal experience, the author Nidhi Chanani is awesome, and her illustrations are beautiful. After reaching out on Twitter and telling her how beloved her book has been, she sent us some illustrations we proudly displayed in the classroom.
Lailah is in a new school in a new country, thousands of miles from her old home, and missing her old friends. When Ramadan begins, she is excited that she is finally old enough to participate in the fasting but worried that her classmates won’t understand why she doesn’t join them in the lunchroom.
Lailah solves her problem with help from the school librarian and her teacher and in doing so learns that she can make new friends who respect her beliefs. This gentle, moving story from first-time author Reem Faruqi comes to life in Lea Lyon’s vibrant illustrations. Lyon uses decorative arabesque borders on intermittent spreads to contrast the ordered patterns of Islamic observances with the unbounded rhythms of American school days.
Missing someone far away is hard. It's hard if you're a grown-up. It's even harder if you're a child.No one knows more than Beanie how hard it is to live far away from loved ones. But then she figures out a way she and Nonni can send messages back and forth.... through the moon!
You will love Nonni's Moon because it is important to keep family and friends close to our hearts, even at great distances and circumstances. It can help explain bereavement or absence of a loved one to children learning how to make sense of an adult world. Nonni's Moon will instantly become a bedtime favorite for all.
This sweet tale follows Yasmeeen, a seven-year-old Pakistani-American Girl, as she celebrates the Muslim holidays of Ramadan, "The Night of the Moon" (Chaand Raat), and Eid. With lush illustrations that evoke Islamic art, this beautiful story offers a peek into modern Muslim culture—and into the ancient roots of its most cherished traditions.
Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.
Crack, crack, crack! The cookies snap open and the family’s fortunes are revealed. Mei Mei wants to know how hers will come true. Jie Jie scoffs—they never come true. But Pacy isn’t so sure. As she waits and watches, she notices magical things happening in her family. Could the fortunes really be right? And what about Pacy’s fortune: “You will see the world in a new way”? Well, yes, it’s true! Pacy has been seeing the world through fortune cookies!
It's Chinese New Year, and Goldy Luck’s mother wants her to take a plate of turnip cakes to the neighbors. The Chans aren’t home, but that doesn’t stop Goldy from trying out their rice porridge, their chairs, and their beds—with disastrous results.
In this funny and festive retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Natasha Yim and Grace Zong introduce a plucky heroine who takes responsibility for her actions and makes a new friend (and a whole plate of turnip cakes!), just in time for Chinese New Year.
Includes back matter about Chinese New Year and a recipe for turnip cakes.
The Empty Pot is Demi's beloved picture book about an honest schoolboy. A long time ago in China there was a boy named Ping who loved flowers. Anything he planted burst into bloom. The Emperor loved flowers too. When it was time to choose an heir, he gave a flower seed to each child in the kingdom. "Whoever can show me their best in a year's time," he proclaimed, "shall succeed me to the throne!" Ping plants his seed and tends it every day. But month after month passes, and nothing grows. When spring comes, Ping must go to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot. Demi's exquisite art and beautifully simple text show how Ping's embarrassing failure is turned triumphant in this satisfying tale of honesty rewarded.
A great story for children learning mathematical concepts, The King’s Chessboard tells the story of a wise man who refuses the king’s reward for completing a favor. When the king insists the man accept a reward, the man proposes a deal: He will take a payment of rice equal to each square on the king’s chessboard—doubling the amount he receives with each day. This quickly empties out the royal coffers. . . .
The wind is blowing. It is a good day for kites! The whole family makes a trip to the local craft store for paper, glue, and paint. Everyone has a job: Ma-Ma joins sticks together. Ba-Ba glues paper. Mei-Mei cuts whiskers while Jie-Jie paints a laughing mouth. Dragon eyes are added and then everyone attaches the final touch . . . a noisemaker! Now their dragon kite is ready to fly.
Kite Flying celebrates the Chinese tradition of kite making and kite flying and lovingly depicts a family bonded by this ancient and modern pleasure.
Want to spark curiosity and arouse your little one’s leadership skills? Inspire your future entrepreneur to follow its passion and introduce him or her to the world of entrepreneurship with the story of Jasmine. The first perfect business book to share with your child to ignite interest in starting a business or launching a start-up.
This kids’ first business book instills lessons about hard work, creativity and determination, coaching your young, upcoming CEO to acquire the right mindset needed to turn a dream or vision into reality.
In this children’s book, kids will be exposed to the fundamentals of starting a business and get a glimpse into the career of an entrepreneur, including: – Following your passion – How to start-up and challenge the status quo – Focusing on a specific market – Taking risks, moving into action and seeking help when needed – The importance of teamwork and never giving up
Alvin, an Asian American second grader who's afraid of everything, is facing something truly scary: the idea that someone he loves might die. When Alvin's GungGung loses his best friend, Alvin (gulp) volunteers to go with him to the funeral.
A humorous and touching series about facing your fears and embracing new experiences—with a truly unforgettable character—from author Lenore Look and New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor winning illustrator LeUyen Pham.
Three decades and more than one million copies later children still love hearing about the boy with the long name who fell down the well. Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.
Deep in the forests of Cameroon, in the heart of Central Africa, a young girl named Snow Flower lives with her grandmother. One day Snow Flower is out collecting water with her friend, Remi. As they walk through the forest they hear a rustling sound nearby…What will Snow Flower and Remi do when they discover what is hiding in the bushes? Beautifully illustrated, the story of Snow Flower and the Panther is perfect for children ages 5 and up, and suitable for the whole family.
The world is a scary place right now, and always for many kids. I have compiled some of my son's favorite books, songs, and videos that are helping him through a variety of situations and topics, from potty training, to sleeping or being in the dark, getting a haircut, going to the dentist, and to trying new things. I have also included some of the resources I've used in my elementary school classroom.
"Logan is a stay-at-home bunny - but he's about to discover how brave he really is. It's time for his first adventure, and he doesn't want to go. But there's an amazing world outside, if he can just pluck up courage to look."
"Wemberly worried about spilling her juice, about shrinking in the bathtub, even about snakes in the radiator. She worried morning, noon, and night. "Worry, worry, worry," her family said. "Too much worry." And Wemberly worried about one thing most of all: her first day of school. But when she meets a fellow worrywart in her class, Wemberly realizes that school is too much fun to waste time worrying!"
"I Am Brave follows a little girl as she navigates her own family vacation, complete with her first airplane ride, a giant water slide at the hotel, a spooky cave—with bats!—and the main role in a disappearing trick. Thankfully, with her brother, parents, and even a magician as a guide, she learns to overcome hesitation and embrace her family’s new adventures. Repeating the affirmation that “I am brave” allows courage to take over and helps her have a very happy vacation."
"Meet Ruby--a happy, curious, imaginative girl. But one day, she finds something unexpected: a Worry. It's not such a big Worry, at first. But every day, it grows a little bigger . . . And a little bigger . . . Until eventually, the Worry is ENORMOUS and is all she can think about. But when Ruby befriends a young boy, she discovers that everyone has worries, and not only that, there's a great way to get rid of them too . . ."
"Being brave isn't the same as not feeling scared. Being brave is about what you do, even when you do feel scared." -Gator
"Thomas and his friends face their fears in their boldest adventure yet! After a monstrous storm on the Island of Sodor, a landslide unearths some very unusual footprints. Thomas and Percy are eager to find out what could have made these marks but obstacles and danger seem to appear around every bend in the track. With the help of new friends, a little digging, and a heap of courage, they discover the surprising answer and, along the way, uncover the true meaning of bravery. Join Thomas & Friends in this exciting and inspiring movie adventure."
Thomas & Friends The Brave Song - "Such a Brave Little Engine" video
"Buffers and Bumpers! There are times to be brave and times to be strong, Thomas knows what must be done! He knows and what is more... He's the leader! Number one! Such a brave little engine for sure!"
Is your child going to get his or her first haircut or are they returning to the barber's chair for the first time after a long quarantine? This video may help.
"Baby John's getting his very first haircut, and he's very nervous! There's nothing to be afraid of baby, especially when the hairdresser has you dancing to baby shark! Enjoy this fun song about getting your first haircut."
"Belly Breathe" video by Common, Colbie Callait, and Elmo
"Esperanza thought she'd always live a privileged life on her family's ranch in Mexico. She'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home filled with servants, and Mama, Papa, and Abuelita to care for her. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard work, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances-because Mama's life, and her own, depend on it."
―The number four ―The tip of a newly sharpened No. 2 pencil ―A crisp white pad of paper ―Her neatly aligned glass animal figurines
What’s not perfect is Molly’s mother leaving the family to take a faraway job with the promise to return in one year. Molly knows that promises are sometimes broken, so she hatches a plan to bring her mother home: Win the Lakeville Middle School Poetry Slam Contest. The winner is honored at a fancy banquet with white tablecloths. Molly is sure her mother would never miss that. Right…? But as time passes, writing and reciting slam poetry become harder. Actually, everything becomes harder as new habits appear, and counting, cleaning, and organizing are not enough to keep Molly's world from spinning out of control. In this fresh-voiced debut novel, one girl learns there is no such thing as perfect."
Sara Bareilles - "Brave"
Kelly Clarkson "Breakaway" is a great song to help empower kids to face fear of the unknown. Lyrics are clean and the song is calm enough to be played at school.
