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Great Resources for Busy Teachers
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Great Resources for Busy Teachers |
Text to Text Connections
This is a list of texts that compliment one another for teaching text to text connections and compare / contrast. It's important for students to make connections across various texts that go beyond a shallow level. Students should be able to compare and contrast characters feelings and actions, setting, theme, plots and information. State tests often ask questions that require students to make these comparisons. The paired texts are fiction pairs, fiction / nonfiction pairs, or nonfiction / nonfiction pairs. A number of the pairs will complement social studies and science curriculum.
<<T-S 1 of 17 | T-T 1 of 10>> | T-W 1 of 11>> | Reading Workshop Home
| Ben's Dream and Just
a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg Reading Level: Middle of 4th grade Story
Treasure:
Teach: In both books the antagonist (a boy)
goes to sleep and dreams of visiting different places. There are a lot
of similarities between the two books, yet there are many differences.
Connect: pollution, recycling, geography, landmarks Author's Website: Chris Van Allsburg
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| Stellaluna by Janell Cannon and
Bats by Betsy Maestro
Reading Level: Beginning 3rd grade Story Treasure: bat sticker Teach: Connect fiction and nonfiction together by focusing on facts learned about bats. What facts about bats are integrated into Stellaluna's fictional story? Connect: compare and contrast features of bats
and birds, writing factual information into fictional stories,
nonfiction text features, facts about bats
Author's Website: Betsy Maestro, Janell Cannon Not Available
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| Hoops by Robert Burleigh and
Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan Reading Level: Middle of 2nd grade Story Treasure: small package of salt Teach: Both texts are about basketball. One is a poem, and the other is a story. Hoops captures the essence of basketball while Salt in His Shoes tells us Michael Jordan's story of perseverance. Capture the essence of another story or topic by working as a class to write a poem. Connect: basketball, perseverance Author's Website: Robert Burleigh, Deloris Jordan Not Available
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| Alexander and Terrible, Horrible, No
Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and Today Was a Terrible Day
by Patricia Reilly Giff Reading Level: Middle of 2nd grade Story
Treasure:
Teach: In both stories the main character has a bad day. Compare the two stories searching for connections between events, setting, and character feelings. Connect: text to self connections, writing following the text structure, Austrailia, build background knowledge (setting and items from another time period) Author's Website: Not Available
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| Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor
and If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian Reading Level: End of 2nd grade Story Treasure: small rock Teach: Together as a class make a chart about rocks and what you can do with them. Notice how the two texts relate similar and different information on the same topic. Notice how the authors approach a similar idea for writing. Connect: geology, writing (write about your rock), art (pet rock), poetry Author's Website: Peggy Christian, Byrd Baylor Not Available |
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| The Wednesday Surprise by Eve
Bunting and Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco Reading Level: End of 3rd grade Story Treasure: (Tasty Treasure) graham cracker with a little honey Teach: In one story the adult is teaching the child to read, and in the other story the child is teaching the adult to read. Compare and contrast their struggles, feelings, and experiences. Connect: text to self connections, the value of learning to read Author's Website: Patricia Polacco, Eve Bunting Not Available
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| The Memory Box by Mary Bahr and
Keepers by Jeri Hanel Watts Reading Level: Beginning 4th grade Story
Treasure:
Teach: Both stories are about collecting memories. Each story is worthy of its' own reading lesson. Compare and contrast the two books focusing on the events and character's feelings. Connect: writing (journal about memories), Grandparents Author's Website: Not Available
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| When Lightning Comes in a Jar by
Ernest L. Polacco and Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe Reading Level: End of 2nd grade Story Treasure: tiny (the smallest size) baby food jar filled with clear vegetable oil and silver glitter (sealed tight) Teach: Write on chart paper (together as a class) how these two books are alike and different. What information is found in both books? How are the stories different? Connect: science of lightning bugs Author's Website: Not Available
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| The Keeping Quilt by Patricia
Polacco and Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah
Hopkinson Reading Level: Beginning of 4th grade Story
Treasure: quilt square
Teach: These two stories focus on quilt making
as a important part of the character's lives, yet they are in different
time periods and cultures. How does quilting effect the characters? What
are the similarities between the characters? What are the differences?
Connect: quilts, slavery, the Underground Railroad, narrative text structure (plot) Author's Website: Patricia Polacco, Deborah Hopkinson
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A Drop Around the World by Barbara McKinney and The Snowflake by Neil Waldman Reading Level: End of 3rd grade Story Treasure: snowflake sticker Teach: Both books follow the water cycle, one
book following a raindrop and the other following a snowflake. Compare
the journeys and map out the water cycle.
Connect: water cycle, snow, rain, matter
Snowflake Bentley (Caldecott Medal Book)
Bentley's Snowflakes CD-ROM and Book (Electronic Clip Art) Author's Website: Neil Waldman, Barbara McKinney Not Available |
| Thunder Cake and Babushka's
Doll by Patricia Polacco Reading Level: End of 3rd grade Story
Treasure:
Teach: The grandmother in each story teaches
the child a lesson through creative means. Compare the lessons taught,
the characters, character's feelings, and the setting of the two
stories.
Connect: overcoming fears, acting selfish, fantasy, Russian / Jewish cultures Author's Website: Patricia Polacco
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Going Batty
