Animal+Text+Set

1. Title: This Little Chick user:kthompson26 user:rroe Summary: A little chick is very brave and wanders away to go meet new animals and make new friends. He learns all of the voices of other farm animals. He then mimics each of his new barnyard friends. This book is very repetitive, rhymes, and includes bright illustrations of all the animals. Rationale: This book has very simple language for an ELL student. It introduces several animals, as well as the sounds they make, which can help students connect letters they see to the sounds they hear. It is also repetitive, which will allow ELLs to catch on to the rhythm and almost predict the next line. This increasing practice will provide familiarity with words that a more advanced book may not have. Targeted literacy level: beginning Potential instructional uses: This book can be used in a variety of ways. The best way to use it would be to read it out loud to the students during circle time. The class can create different motions for certain parts (pointing when it says "over the way") so it can be interactive. Once they pick up the pattern, they can read along with the teacher. Furthermore, this could be used as silent reading for an ELL student. The use of important sounds the animals make, such as "CLUCK" might reinforce his/her phonics schema. Language demands: There are a variety of verbs, a few words with a silent “e,” and words with double vowels. There is also the phrase “over the way” that might be confusing for ELL students to grasp the concept of.

2. Title: Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont, 2006. user:kthompson26 Summary: Rover is very comfortable in his dog house while it is pouring rain outside. As other animals come in looking for a warm place to sit out the storm, Rover allows them to come take shelter in his dog house. So many animals are inside the dog house that it begins to bulge! One of those animals happens to be a stinky skunk. Rationale: It is a repetitive book that introduces a variety of common animals that students may see in the US. The illustrations are a great tool, especially if the teacher teaches them in advance. It is relative to all students either through the animals or the weather. Targeted literacy level: intermediate Potential instructional uses: It could be used for a reading lesson, writing activity after the book is read, or a lesson on weather. Furthermore, the rhyming and repetition provides students with practice in reading. Language demands: This book has more advanced vocabulary, and words that aren't easy to sound out. It has to be read with good expression; also, the reader needs to pay attention to the variety of punctuation. Some animals may be unfamiliar to ELL students, but the illustrations are a good aid.

3. Title: Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde 2007. user:rroe Summary: This illustrated story is an informational text about the life of a bumblebee bat. Pages ask questions about the life of the bat and then the bat answers the questions. It is a good book for all students because it is simple and can be related back to themselves. Rationale: It provides examples of question formats as well as how to answer a question. It had detailed descriptions of the bat, and this idea can be carried over and put to use through other animals. It provides a good introduction for asking questions about animals. Targeted literacy level: advanced beginning Potential instructional uses: It could be used as a baseline for asking questions about other animals. Students could use the questions asked to the bat, choose their own animal, and find the answers. Also, the questions could be asked to the students, which allows them to reflect on their own personal lives and cultures. This creates a bridge between different cultures and animals. Language demands: Some terms may be unfamiliar to ELL students, but the pictures include most of the vocabulary. The sentences are too complex for beginners, but could be a good text if scaffolding techniques are used.

4. Title: [|The Farm Animals] Written and Illustrated by Rolando Merino 2004 user:bfogus Summary:This short story covers the different animals that live on a farm including a cow, horse, pig, sheep, duck, and goat. It points out the different characteristics each animal has or what each animal enjoys doing, like the pig likes to take mud baths. It also shows pictures of each animal and the sounds they make. The book provides an audio so they can click on the animal to hear the noise or they can click on a word or the sentence in order to hear it and read it. Rationale: I chose this one because not only is there visuals, but there is an audio option as well. The student can click on a word if they are struggling, or they can do an echo read by playing the whole sentence, then repeating after. Or they can just listen along, to try and understand each farm animal. Targeted literacy level: Beginning. Potential instructional uses: This book can lay out the different types of animals that are found on a farm. Language demands: This story is perfect for an ELL learner. The sentences are short and easy to understand. There are a couple of vocabulary words that would be important to teach beforehand e.g. waddle, wool, etc.

5. Title: [|See How They Grow - Bunny] DK Publishing 2007 user:bfogus Summary: This online book goes through the growing up process of a bunny. It talks about the different weeks of a bunny's life through the first week until 6 weeks. It tells what the bunny can do each week, including what it likes to do and what it eats. It shows pictures of each stage and the different activities it does. Rationale: This one would be fun for learners who want to see a baby animal mature. I chose it because the language was perfect for a beginner in ELL and is easy for them to relate to their own life of growing up. The font is fun and the pictures are real pictures of bunnies making it easier for them to follow along with. Targeted literacy level: Beginning Potential instructional uses: This book can be related to the stages that the student went through in their own life. Language demands: different colors, relationships among family e.g. father, brother, mother. The student will also need to know the time concept of a week.

6. Title: [|Little Owl's Night] by Divya Srinivasan 2011 user:bfogus Summary: Little Owl explores the forest at night and meets other animals that also are awake during the night. He ventures through the forest to see which animals were sleeping and which animals were awake during the night. He takes notice of what each animal is doing during the night, whether eating, sleeping, hunting, playing. Rationale: I chose this book because it goes through every animal (who lives in the forest) that are awake or sleeping during the night. It shows clear pictures of what each nocturnal animal does at night while the little owl explores through the woods. The pictures are really cute and easy to follow. The font is a little smaller and their are some more difficult words so it would be better for more advanced ELL readers. Targeted literacy level: Advanced Potential instructional uses: This book covers the different nocturnal animals, and what they do at night while other animals are sleeping. Language demands: This story is for an advanced ELL reader. There are vocabulary works such as Dewdrops or Moonflowers that are more difficult. The student needs a basis of the English language before reading this book.

7. Title: [|Meet Baby Animals] by Seymour Simon, 1980 user:rroe Summary: This book introduces the reader to many different baby animals. It is an informational book and describes various baby animals. The animals included in this book are mostly animals and are from all over the world. Most of these animals are commonly known. Rationale: This book covers a range of animals that are familiar so that all students should have an idea of what they are. Because the animals are from different places around the world, different students should be able to make cultural connections. There are also animals commonly found in zoos so connections can be made through that. The book also gives enough information to be interesting but not so much as to be overwhelming, which is important especially for the ELLs. Targeted literacy level: intermediate Potential instructional uses: This text would be good for introducing academic language because it is written simply but it is an informational text that involves aspects of academic language. This book would also be good for connecting to science lessons about habitats, food chains, etc. Students could also choose an animal, either included in the book or another animal, research that animal, and write their own description of their animal using this text as a model. Language demands: There are words with silent letters and multiple letters making one sound together, compound words, and longer words. The sentences are still fairly simple but some have multiple clauses. There is some academic language in the text which includes terms about the animals that may not be familiar, but most of it is simpler than what would be found at a higher level book.

8. Title: [|Extreme Animals: Creepy Animals!] by Michael Teitelbaum, 2004 user:rroe Summary: This book is an informational text. It is written in academic language but also in a very interesting and engaging way. It describes multiple animals from around the world. It includes animals that may not be familiar to the reader. The animals in this book cover a large range, from birds to bats to bugs to fish! The pictures in this book are large, detailed, and colorful photographs that clearly show what the animal is. The text will even specifically reference to the pictures. There is also a short glossary in the back. Rationale: This book will help familiarize students with academic text in a way that is not as challenging as something like a textbook would be. The animals are from various places so culture could easily be tied in. Also, since many of the animals are less familiar, all of the students will be learning about something new and unfamiliar, not just the ELLs. In fact an ELL might get to be an expert for an animal if it is one they are more familiar with than the other students are. Targeted literacy level: advanced Potential instructional uses: This is a great book to teach academic language through the format and terms in the book. It could easily be connected to science lessons through habitats and life cycles. While this book is informational and has academic language, it also has phrases that are more social language, like "that's creepy" or "now that's an unwelcome dinner guest." These types of phrases help to make the academic language more accessible and are also a good opportunity to teach ELLs about phrases that do not havve literal meanings or that have implied meanings. The glossary in the back is an excellent opportunity to teach an introductory lesson or review about glossaries and they are an aspect of academic texts. Language demands: This book has many complex words and some more complex sentence structures, many with multiple clauses. It also has vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to students, like exoskeleton and larvae. It also has different tenses of words.

9. Title: Frog Dissection Glogster user:kthompson26 Summary: This Glogster shows the steps of a frog dissection through images and videos. It also is has a interactive quiz questions that students can answer. Most images are labeled, such as two diagrams that show the different parts of a frog. This Glogster focuses more on anatomy and science, but reading and writing could possibly be tied into the lesson. Rationale: Our overarching lesson, Animals, needs to cover more than just reading and writing. Having the students look at the photos of a frog and study the body parts can tie into science. It will also connect the students to animals because students can compare the anatomy of a human to that of a frog. Targeted literacy level: intermediate Potential instructional uses: This Glogster could be used in several ways. The first could be as a basic science lesson if students are unable to physically dissect frogs themselves. It might be a great introduction before dissection too. Also, students can use the the Glogster website to make their own virtual poster. They can choose an animal of their choice, research it on appropriate websites, and then go to the computer lab where students can look at one anthers' pages. This can give ELL students the opportunity to share knowledge about their own culture through the description of animals. It also embraces the students creativity and is an exciting assignment. Language demands: This specific Glogster has a lot of academic language, such as specific science terms. It would be key to introduce many words ahead of time to the students. Also, before students worked on their own Glogster, teachers should give a lesson on how to use them.

10. Title: Reader's Theatre: "Fur and Feathers" user:kthompson26 Summary: This short play takes place in the African jungle; it is about a mother ostrich whose chicks are taking by a mother lion, claiming that these chicks are her baby cubs. The mother ostrich receives help from other jungle animals to get her baby chicks back from the lion. The animals are afraid of the lion, so it is quite the process in getting the chicks back. Rationale: Children should be exposed to animals from other cultures, and using Reader's Theatre is a fun way to do that. This play shows the differences between animals, involves repetition from practicing lines, group communication, personality in reading, etc. Having ELL students practice a specific part repeatedly until they can read it themselves, and in front of an audience, will build confidence in their reading. It will also force them to get more involved with other students and push them out of their comfort zone. Targeted literacy level: beginner Potential instructional uses: I would use this activity as a reading lesson. The class would be divided into small groups, where all ELL students will be divided into separate groups to encourage their own engagement. Then I would have the students practice their parts as a team. English speaking students can help ELL students with their lines, and the ELL student will have an opportunity to become confident in their English. I would also have my students do branch off activities, such creating masks to wear and different props for the play that are related to the habitat the animals are in. Each student should become a master of their own characters, and that should come across in the performance. Language demands: The language is very simple, but the difficult part will be trying to get enthusiasm and personality out of the students. Once the ELL students are able to master their roles, there will be great emphasis on having them take complete control of the character. Their lines should create confidence for them.