Procedural

A procedural text is an informal, often short, description of how to accomplish some specific task. These books most commonly appear under the “self-help” genre, which is a self-guided improvement often including an extensive psychological basis. When choosing books for the procedural genre it is always good to provide books for students that allow them to gain an understanding of how to complete a process. One criterion that I would use when choosing books for my classroom would be the text features. I would want to make sure that the illustrations and the way the text is laid out is helpful to the reader. I would also look at the appeal of the book. I want books in my classroom that are going to appeal to students so they want to read them. When talking about this genre in the classroom I could also talk to the students about how to write procedural material. I think that when teaching a certain style of writing it is important to have multiple examples for students to work with. Having multiple examples can be beneficial, especially for students who struggle.

From Cow to Ice Cream

Knight, B. T. (1997). From cow to ice cream: A photo essay. New York, NY:                                     Children’s Press.

This book has a lexile level of 710L. It would be at the 3^rd grade independent reading level. It could be used between kindergarten and second grade for interest reading. The major concepts in this book include ice cream and how to turn milk into ice cream. The pictures in this book are realistic. The pictures are also larch and go along with the basic text. The text that describes the process for turning milk into ice cream is given in a step-by-step process and easy for students to understand. There are no connections to any type of issues present in the text. The text does talk about a process that occurs in other countries around the world. Some students may struggle to make a connection if they have never experienced life on a farm. They may struggle to make a connection with cows or any of the other processes that take place on a farm. Other than that, students will need little assistance to understand the text.

From Metal to Music

Davis, W. (1997). From metal to music. New York, NY: Children's Press.

This text would be a complex text in the grades first and second. For a read aloud, I would use this text in a kindergarten or first grade classroom. The theme of the text is procedure and musical instruments. The text is written well and goes through each step of the process from metal to instruments. This text also includes realistic illustrations that correlate with the text on the corresponding page. At the end of the book, the text includes a reference page of the different types of brass instruments. Each of the different instruments has an illustration and a brief description. If a student is in music they could make connections through that. Students may need some supports when it comes to explaining the different places and equipment used throughout the process.

Textbooks

Textbooks are one book that is surrounded around a content area. They are generally packed with the curriculum. Textbooks are something that is going to be seen in every classroom. I wanted to make sure that the book had quality information that enhanced student learning and was presented in a way they could easily understand. It is important that the textbooks are appropriate for the grade level of the students that you are teaching, and that the information is accurate and relevant for the content area. I will use textbooks in my classroom, but also with other books and materials. It is important that a classroom has a balance of resources available to students. 

Math in Focus

Sharpe, P., Clark, A., & Kanter, P. F. (2009). Math Expressions.  Sinapore math.               Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Education.

This textbook is for the first grade level. The concepts that are covered in the book are addition, subtraction, patterns, geometric shapes, counting on, counting back, ones and measurement. I think that this text is great because it is very relatable to student’s lives. It is also filled with bright and engaging pictures. The students will go through the series and apply the different concepts. The concepts should align with the grade that the students are in and the directions are in a language that the student should understand. Students will be at different levels, so it would be understandable if some concepts are harder for some students in the classroom. The teacher will have to differentiate for the needs of the students in the classroom.

Make a Splash

Aoki, E. M. (1993) Make a splash. New York: Macmillan-McGraw-Hill School Pub.

This textbook was also for the first grade level. It is a reading/language arts text. The text had many short stories that students can read or that can be used for classroom reading. The textbook was very appealing from the outside and made me want to open it up and read it. Each story had different graphics and text features. The stories that are in the book should align with the grade that the students are in. The discussion questions are in a language that is easy for students to understand. Students in the classroom will be at different levels, so some stories may be harder for some students to understand or comprehend. It is the responsibility of the teacher to differentiate for the needs of the students in their classroom.

Science

Science is a content area that deals with things in nature, environment, and much more. According to the Iowa Common Core the subjects included in science are earth and space, life science, physical science, and science as inquiry. One criterion that is important when choosing science texts for the classroom is that they are accessible and accurate. Science is constantly changing so we want to make sure that we are providing texts that have accurate information. Another thing I look for when choosing texts are the text features. Some science concepts can be confusing, so I would want to make sure that the text features are adding to the text and helping with the comprehension of the concept. A table of contents, glossary and index would also be beneficial in these texts so that students can easily access the information that they are looking for. We can use these books in our classrooms to get away from the textbook to help engage our students in what they are learning. For science I chose books that would provide students with background knowledge of a concept that they would need prior to diving too far into a unit.

I See Myself

Cobb, V., & Gorton, J. (2002). I see myself. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

This book has a lexile level of AD500L.  It would be at the third grade independent reading level and it could be used between first and third grade for interest reading. The theme of this book is reflections. Students can learn how and when they see their reflection. This book connects to a lot of things in a student’s everyday life. They are always seeing reflections of themselves, but now they will understand how that works. The text in this book goes in all different shapes. This makes the text interesting to look at. The text also engages the reader by posing questions to the reader and getting them involved. The pictures in the book are very character like, but are helpful for comprehension of the text. The text is large so it is easy for students to read. Students may struggle with some of the vocabulary in this text. The text includes some science terms that students may not know. Other than that, students would need little help understanding the text.

Erosion

Winner, C. (1999). Erosion. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books.

This book has a lexile level of 860L. It would be a seventh grade independent reading level and it could be used between fifth and eighth for interest reading. The theme of this book is erosion. Students can learn about the forces of erosion as caused by glaciers, water, and wind. They can learn how they affect the earth’s surface, and how their destructive effects can be prevented. This book makes a connection to the students lives when it talks about how we can prevent erosion. Since this book is for an upper level, some students may struggle with the vocabulary of the book. It is advanced science vocabulary. The book does offer a glossary for students to look up some of the words. Other than vocabulary, students would need little help in understanding the text.

Math

Math is a content area teaches numbers and their relationship to the world.  There are many different concepts that are included in math. For math, I searched for books that would depict alternative methods for students to complete problems and questions. I feel like this is important because it allows students to find a method that is a best fit for them. Also, when choosing texts for students I want books that are appropriate for my students. The books have to be at their level so they can understand the text. For math texts, I would also want to make sure that the texts would appeal to the students in my class. When texts are appealing it makes them more interesting. This would especially be helpful for the students who struggle with math. In my classroom I would use math texts as an additional text to the textbook. 

Subtraction Action

Leedy, L. (2000). Subtraction action. New York, NY: Holiday House.

This book has a lexile level of GN440L. It would be a second grade independent reading level and it could be used between first and third grade for interest reading. The theme of this book is subtraction. Students get to explore subtraction as if it is in the form of a story problem. This book makes a connection to the student’s lives when it puts it in a story problem. Students will come across things like this in their lives and they will have to solve it on their own. There are some math vocabulary terms that the students would have to know in order to understand the text. Other than vocabulary, students would need little help in understanding the text.

On Beyond a Million

Schwartz, D.M., & Meisel, P. (1999). On beyond a million: An amazing math                                  journey. New York, NY: Random House.

This book has a lexile level of IG440L. It would be a second grade independent reading level and it could be used between first and third grade for interest reading. The theme of this book is numbers. This book helps students explore numbers that go above a million. In the lives of our students, they may have to work with numbers that go above a million. They will have to really understand how large these numbers are before they can really understand the concept. Students may have some trouble when it comes to actually understanding the topic. Students will really have to understand place value and have good number sense. The vocabulary in the text is fairly simple for the topic. I think that students would be able to get through this text with little support.

Autobiography/Biography

An autobiography is an account of a person’s life written by that person. A biography is an account of a person’s life written by someone else. When I was looking for books, I chose books that would provide students will alternative views on how we see things from our past about specific people and how they impacted our world today; these would be different views that students would gather from our textbooks. One criterion that I felt was important when choosing texts was the organizational structure of the text. Biographies make more sense when they are written in chronological order of the person’s life. This would definitely make it easier for students to understand. The appeal is another criteria that I feel is important when choosing texts. When texts are appealing students are more likely to engage in them. Biographies tend to always have a boring appeal and that doesn't make students want to look at them. These texts are great for research on a specific person. They would also be good for teaching writing of biographies or autobiographies. They would be an example for students to look at so they know how to write them. I feel by incorporating these books into my classroom I will be giving my students the opportunity to find someone who truly impacted our nation’s history.

Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man

Adler, D.A., & Widener, T (1997). Lou Gehrig: The luckiest man. San Diego, CA:                   Harcourt Brace.

This book has a lexile level of 750L.  It would be at the 4^th grade independent reading level and it could be used between second and fourth grade for interest reading. The theme of this book is character and values. Lou Gehrig worked really hard despite his sickness. This says a lot about his character and his values to work hard no matter what. There are no connections to any type of issue presented in this text. If students have experienced a sick family member they may be able to make a connection, but others may not. The pictures in this book are life like and very detailed. It makes the book very appealing to the reader. The text is large so it is easy for students to read. Students may struggle with some of the vocabulary in this text. Other than that, students would need little help understanding the text.

Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery
Miller, W., & Lucas, C. (1995). Frederick Douglass: The last day of slavery. New             York, NY: Lee & Low Books. 

This book has a lexile level of AD 760L. It would be at the fourth grade independent reading level and it could be used between second and fourth grade for interest reading. The theme of this book is character and values. The book describes how the future abolitionist found freedom in his heart and mind before escaping slavery. This book has connections to the topic of slavery so it would also connect with a social studies lesson. The graphics in the text really help to aid in comprehension for the reader. There is some advanced vocabulary in the text, so some students in the class may struggle with that, while others will not. Other than that, students should not need additional help understanding the text.

Social Studies

Social Studies is a content area about the world around us. There are many different things that go into the content area of social studies. According to the Iowa Core social studies includes behavioral sciences, economics, geography, history and political science. When choosing social studies texts for my classroom I would make sure that the texts would help enhance whatever it is that I am teaching. It would be helpful if the texts were from a different perspective than the textbook. This can help students to see the different views. I would want to choose books that are going to engage the students in my classroom. Once criterion that I would look for in the texts that I am choosing is appropriateness. I would make sure that they would fit the level for the students in my classroom. In my classroom, I would use these books along with the textbook. Having other resources in the classroom can be helpful because they may provide additional information that is not given in the textbook. This can be helpful to the students that want to learn more about a certain topic that they are learning about in class. It gives them the opportunity to further explore the content.

Off the Map: The Journals of Lewis and Clark

Clark, W., & Lewis, M. (1993). Off the map: The journals of Lewis and Clark. New              York, NY: Walker and Company.  

This book has a lexile level of 880L. It would be a seventh grade independent reading level and it could be used between fifth and seventh grade for interest reading or as a read aloud. The theme of this book is exploration. This book is a journal of Lewis and Clark. Students can actually read what they wrote and get a feel for what they went through. A neat thing about this book is that it is written in journal form so it has an easy layout and students can easily navigate the text. Students will have to have some background of the travels of Lewis and Clark to understand the text that they are reading. Some of the vocabulary that is used is more advanced, so not all students in the class may benefit from this text or they will need background in the vocabulary that is used.

Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found their Way by Land, Sea, and Air

Ross, S., & Biesty, S. (2011). Into the unknown: How great explorers found their              way by land, sea and air. Somervill, MA: Candlewick Press. 

This book has a lexile 1000L. It would be a seventh grade independent reading level and it could be used between fifth and seventh grade for interest or as a read aloud. The theme of this book is explorers. The book presents ideas about many different explorers and how they found their way. The book presents ideas on how the explorers just went out and found their way around and pieced together the picture of our world today. The book has many different text features. It has many foldouts and each page is presented in a new way. Some pages are presented in the form of a newspaper article and others are diagrams of a ship or airplane. Some pages are just paragraphs about a different explorer. Students would need extra help when it comes to the vocabulary of the text. It uses some advanced vocabulary and it uses some technical vocabulary about ships and airplanes. Other than vocabulary, students would need little support when reading this text.