4-6th grade teachers question :-)

I just got a job on LI which will require me to work with 4-6th grade teachers to help design enriched lesson plans and units to help differentiate units for all the kids in their classes. My degree is in Gifted ed. My supervisor also asked me to come up with some enrichment units for 4th and 5th grades based on the core curriculum on the NYSEd website. (mainly SS and science).

Do you have anything that you used this year with your kids that worked really well or the kids loved?

Also, just for my own knowledge, any great read alouds or anything curriculum related that you could share with me would be immensely helpful.

I'm more familiar with the younger grades and want to use this summer to prepare as much as possible and go in in September strong.

Thanks so much!!!

~Jennifer

Re: 4-6th grade teachers question :-)

- You can do something interdisciplinary on Greek mythology and the history of ancient Greece. Kids also really like Ancient Egypt, and you can do something like a trip to the Metropolitan Museum to get a tour of the Ancient Egyptian artifacts and art.

-Kids seem to like myths, legends, folk tales in general. These are good if you have a diverse population- every culture has its stories and kids love when you find something from their culture.

- Most of my kids like our unit on Children of War- you can incorporate lots of genres (Anne Frank, Zlata's Diary, Farewell to Manzanar, The Orphans of Normandy, Sarah Bishop, The Devil's Arithmetic are all historical fiction, and there are tons of articles and first person stories on the net. I gave my kids a huge packet in addition to the books.)

Naked Reading by Teri S. Lesesne is a great resource with a great list of books that "Tweens" love.

Other books my kids have loved-
Boy by Roald Dahl
Joyful Noise and I am Phoenix by Paul Fleischman (two voice poems, amazing)
Technically, It's Not My Fault: Concrete Poems
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (read aloud)
Leonardo's Horse by Jean Fritz
Anything by Jerry Spinelli, Avi, Lois Lowry

I know there are other books that I and my kids have loved but I'm blanking- I'll add more later.

Re: 4-6th grade teachers question :-)

Thank you!!

Anyone else?