Magazines

Magazines are a periodical publication containing articles and illustrations, typically covering a particular subject or area of interest. When selecting magazines it is important that they are visually appealing to students. It is also important that the magazines are at the reading level of the students. If using magazines for a specific content area, the teacher should make sure that they cover the content that they are learning about and the students can understand it. It is important that teachers are taking advantage of the tools and resources that help us meet the standards. When choosing magazines it is also important that we are choosing magazines that are appropriate for the age and ability level of the students.

National Geographic

(2015, April). National Geographic

This magazine would be great for students in eighth grade and above. National Geographic has a lot of information on current National and Global issues that connect with the social studies and science content areas. The April issue has a feature article on Abraham Lincoln. The features of this book are appealing to all readers. It is filled with a lot of great pictures. Teachers can use this magazine for instruction or students can use it for an independent read. This magazine is a tougher read, so when students are reading it, they may need help with some of the vocabulary.

National Geographic: Kids

(2015, April). National Geographic Kids

National Geographic for Kids is a great magazine for students of all ages, but it would be a good independent read for students in grades third or fourth. The April 2015 edition includes thirty cool things about going green, feature articles about mammal’s smelling abilities, and comics. The text features are wonderful and the text content is engaging for all students. I think that these magazines would be especially engaging for students who are not interested in reading most texts. National Geographic for Kids aligns well with science content. They connect students to national and global issues. Global warming was on that this magazine talked about. Teachers could use this magazine for instruction or students could use it as a free read. Students might struggle with some of the vocabulary in the text. Other than vocabulary, students shouldn’t have much trouble when reading.

Memoir

A memoir is a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources. When selecting books in this genre it is important to get books that are visually appealing to the students. The quality of the information should enhance student learning and it should be presented in a way that can be easily understood by the students. It is important that the pictures and graphics appeal to the students.  It is also important that they are grade and ability level appropriate. When choosing texts, it is important that the information that is presented enhances the learning of the students. It should also be presented in a way that the students can easily understand. The teacher should make sure to choose books that match the standard that they are trying to teach. If choosing websites you want to make sure that they are acceptable for the students in the classroom. It is good to provide books that allow students to gain an understanding of background information that pertains to the concept.

One Boy From Kosovo

Marx, T., & Karp, C. (2000). One boy from Kosovo. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee &                 Shepard Books.

A lexile level for the text could not be found. This book would be good for fourth to fifth grade levels. “One Boy from Kosovo” has many themes. Some of them are refuges, violence in foreign countries, and the country of Kosovo. This text has real pictures and captions. The captions provide additional understandings of the concepts depicted through the pictures. The text also has large texts that provide pronunciations within the text. This helps with words that students may not know. Global issues that can create a connection for students include violence in the Middle East. At the beginning, the book gives background knowledge about Kosovo.  Because the book provides background knowledge about Kosovo, students might only need support when it comes to the discussion on violence in the Middle East.

The Boy on the Wooden Box

Leyson, L., & Harran, M. (2013). The boy on the wooden box. Prince Frederick,                 MD: Recorded Books. 

This book has a lexile level of 1000L. It would be a seventh grade independent reading level and it could be used between fifth and seventh for interest or as a read aloud. The theme of this book is desperation. The book starts out as a story of a perfectly normal scene out of any child’s summer. This encompasses the desperation that will soon be the reality of a child’s life. The text does not include a lot of graphics or illustrations to go along with the text. The text is also smaller so it would be best for older students. Students may need extra help when it comes to the vocabulary in the text. Much of the vocabulary that is used is true for the time period of the book. Other than vocabulary, students would need little support when reading this text.

Editorials and Persuasive Essay

An editorial is a newspaper article written by or on behalf of an editor that gives an opinion on a topical issue. A persuasive essay is one in which you attempt to get the reader to agree with your point of view. You are trying to present arguments, research, and ideas in order to sway the reader one way or the other. When selecting books in this genre it is important to get books that are visually appealing to the students. The teacher would also want to make sure that this is true for the websites that they are choosing for in the classroom. It is also important that they are grade level appropriate. If choosing websites you want to make sure that they are acceptable for the students in the classroom. The websites should also be at the appropriate grade level for the students. We want the websites to cover the material that we are teaching in the classroom. The websites should be student friendly and easily accessible by the students in the classroom. Just like a book, the websites should also have good text features including, headings, larger text that is easy to read, and a good layout.

DOGO News: http://www.dogonews.com

DOGO News can be used for all grade levels. It provides many different themes and concepts for all students to explore. DOGO News is a great resource for all students to use both at home and at school. Students are given the opportunity to see good examples of an editorial. The different examples on the website include pictures of the topics covered. I really like that this is kid friendly, so students will be able to navigate them on their own. The students will encounter a variety of different articles. These articles will present events that occur locally, nationally, and globally. With the different articles, students might need some help with the vocabulary terms that are used within the editorials.

Time for Kids: www.timeforkids.com

This website is very similar to DOGO News and can also be used for students in all grade levels. It provides many different themes and concepts for students. Magazines are a great tool to provide students within the classroom, this website is also a great resource for students. They can use it both at home and at school. Like DOGO News, Time for Kids lets students see what a good example of an editorial is. The articles include realistic pictures and the different topics that are covered are for students. The editorials cover a variety of topics about things that are happening around the world today. They do it in a way that students can understand what is happening. Depending on the topics that are covered within the editorials, students will be presented with a variety of events that occur locally, nationally, and globally involving major issues. Due to the wide range of topics that are covered within these editorials, students might need help with some of the vocabulary terms that are used.