Black-Eyed Susan Book
Award Teaching Unit
By Katie Douglas
What is the Black-Eyed Susan Book Award?
The Black-Eyed Susan Book Award is a children's choice award for the state of
Maryland. Each year since 1992, the Black-Eyed Susan Book Award has been given to
authors and/or illustrators of outstanding books chosen for the award by Maryland
students. The award seeks to promote literacy and lifelong reading habits by
encouraging students to read quality, contemporary literature.
Reading committees of school and public librarians, and other interested members of
the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL), meet to determine which books
will be nominated and placed on student reading lists. There are four different reading
lists: Picture Books, books for students in Grades 4-6, books for students in Grades 69, and books for High School students. The nominated books are expected to be
outstanding books that broaden the human experience and provide students with new
insights into their own lives. Books may be suggested for consideration by students,
teachers, parents, or other interested readers.
Following are some of the criteria, which are used in determining the nominated
books:
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Books may be fiction or nonfiction.
Books must have a copyright date of the current year or one of the preceding
three years and be readily available.
Each title selected will have received positive reviews from appropriate
professional journals.
Books must have been read, discussed, and voted upon by the appropriate BlackEyed Susan reading committee before being placed on the appropriate list.
Students who vote for the winning titles must have followed the "Guidelines for School
Participation" before voting. Students may cast one vote for the book they consider to
be the most outstanding book in each of the categories. All votes from schools across
the state of Maryland are submitted to the Black-Eyed Susan Book Award committee
to be tallied in order to determine the winners. The winning authors and/or illustrators
receive an award engraved with the book title, the year, and the Black-Eyed Susan Book
Award logo. Authors, illustrators, and publishers recognize the Maryland Black-Eyed
Susan Book Award as an honor bestowed by Maryland student readers.
Picture Book
Nominees for 2008-2009
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Barretta, Gene - Now & Ben: the Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin
Bruel, Nick - Who is Melvin Bubble?
Bruel, Robert O. - Bob and Otto
Clements, Andrew – Dogku
Deedy, Carmen Agra - Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: a Cuban Folktale
Ehrhardt, Karen - This Jazz Man
Flaherty, Alice - The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: a Tale of Picky Eating
Freymann, Saxton... et al. – Knock, Knock!
Harrington, Janice N. - The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County
Kay, Verla - Rough, Tough Charley
Madison, Alan - Velma Gratch & the Way Cool Butterfly
Michelson, Richard - Across the Alley
Sierra, Judy - Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf
Watt, Melanie - Scaredy Squirrel
Woodruff, Elvira - Small Beauties: the Journey of Darcy Heart O'Hara
Grades 4-6
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Berlin, Eric – Puzzling World of Winston Breen, The
Clements, Andrew – No Talking
Dahlberg, Maurine – Story of Jonas, The
DeFelice, Cynthia – Ghost of Poplar Point, The
Graff, Lisa – Thing about Georgie, The: a novel
Hahn, Mary Downing – Witch Catcher
Hicks, Betty – Out of Order
McKissack, Patricia – Friendship for Today, A
O'Connor, Barbara – How to Steal a Dog
Pitchford, Dean – Big One-Oh
Grades 6-9
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Auch, M. J. – One-Handed Catch
Carter, Ally – I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Key, Watt – Alabama Moon
Kostick, Conor – Epic
Lord, Cynthia – Rules
Pfeffer, Susan Beth – Life As We Knew It
Salisbury, Graham – Night of the Howling Dogs
Shafer, Audrey – Mailbox, The
Smith, Roland – Peak
Wells, Rosemary – Red Moon at Sharpsburg
Plans for Black-Eyed Susan Books
- Share with students PowerPoint presentation about the
Black-Eyed Susan Awards.
- For all grades I am going to share the Picture Books.
- When we are finished reading them all I am going to have
3rd –5th graders choose their favorite book. I am going to
group them according to favorite books and have them
create a voki (www.voki.com) on why they think their book
should be the winner. I am going to have them share this
with the younger grades.
- For K-2 I am going to have them choose their favorite book.
I am also going to group them according to favorite books
and have them create a poster on why they think their book
should be the winner.
- I am going to encourage my 3rd-5th graders to read the
nominees for chapter books. I am going to do lots of book
talks on these books. I am also going to have students that
read the books share with the class their feelings on the
books.
- My talented and gifted students in 5th grade are going to
attempt the 6-9 nominees as long as they are appropriate.
Unit: Black Eyed-Susan
Grade Level: 2nd-5th
Lesson: Rough, Tough Charley, by Verla Kay
Objectives:
1a3a. Discover the pleasure of reading by listening to books.
1a1a. Read, listen to, and discuss stories that provide examples of
characters interacting with each other and solving problems that reflect
human experience.
2a3a. Explore ways to express questions in order to help them find out what
the need/want to know.
Cue Set:
Ask students to look at the cover of the book and describe who they think
the main character is and what their importance is. (Make sure you get
them to imply if the character is a male or female)
Teaching Strategies:
- Read Rough, Tough Charley and have students make a mental note of
the main events of her life.
- Discuss the different roles of women in the 1800’s. Have the
students visit or share with them the following sites
o http://pbskids.org/wayback/civilrights/features.html
o http://www.42explore2.com/suffrage.htm
- Put students in groups of 3-4 and tell them that they are going to
create a time-line of the events of Charley Darkey. Read the story to
the students for a second time and have them take notes of what
events they want to share on their timeline. For younger students
show examples of timelines.
Closure:
Discuss why the author turned this story into a picture book.
Unit: Black Eyed-Susan
Grade Level: K-5
Lesson: The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating
Objectives:
1a3a. Discover the pleasure of reading by listening to books.
1a1a. Read, listen to, and discuss stories that provide examples of
characters interacting with each other and solving problems that reflect
human experience.
Cue Set:
Tell the students how much you hate eating cauliflower and brussel sprouts.
Make a class list of the some of the student’s least favorite foods.
Teaching Strategies:
- Explain that you have a story that explains what can happen to you if
you are a picky eater.
- Read The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating
- Stop at the page “The worm saw that it had changed a great deal
since its first bite of oatmeal.” Have the students create a sketch of
what they think the worm looks like.
- In the back of the book share with students “The Science of It All”.
Give students the Supertaster Test. Only have students that want to
take the test.
o Directions: You will need blue food coloring, cotton swabs, and
a reinforcing ring for three-holed paper. With the cotton swab,
dab a little food coloring on the front of their tongue. Put the
ring over it and count the number of taste buds inside the ring.
Supertasters have more than thirty, nontasters have less than
fifteen, and average tasters are in between.
Closure:
Is the supertaster test accurate?
Unit: Black Eyed-Susan
Grade Level: K-5
Lesson: Scaredy Squirrel, by Melanie Watt
Objectives:
1a3a. Discover the pleasure of reading by listening to books.
1a1a. Read, listen to, and discuss stories that provide examples of
characters interacting with each other and solving problems that reflect
human experience.
Cue Set:
What are some of the things that you are scared of?
Teaching Strategies:
- Explain that you have a story about a squirrel that is scared of
everything and he would like for you to wash your hands with
antibacterial soap before reading his book. Pass around Germ-X for
the students to put on their hands.
- Read Scaredy Squirrel.
- Create a list of unexpected things that could happen and things you
would need an emergency kit for.
- Visit the Hurricane Preparedness Website
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/disaster_prevention.shtml
and discuss hurricane season and what you would need in a hurricane
emergency kit.
- In groups of three have students use a plain white sheet of paper and
draw the things they would put in their hurricane emergency kit.
Closure:
Share their emergency kits. Why is it important to be prepared for
emergencies?
Unit: Black Eyed-Susan
Grade Level: K-5
Lesson: Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin, by Gene
Barretta
Cue Set:
What is Benjamin Franklin famous for?
Objectives:
1a3a. Discover the pleasure of reading by listening to books.
1a1a. Read, listen to, and discuss stories that provide examples of
characters interacting with each other and solving problems that reflect
human experience.
Teaching Strategies:
- Create a T-chart that has “Now” on one side and “Ben” on the other.
While reading write down how the invention is used today and how Ben
Franklin used it.
- Read Now & Ben: The Modern inventions of Benjamin Franklin.
- Make a list of machines that would be useful in student’s everyday
life. (Example: homework machine, vacuum that cleans your room,
etc)
- In groups of two have students design and draw a picture of a machine
that would help them.
- Share them with the class.
Closure:
How do we use Benjamin Franklin’s inventions in our everyday life?
Unit: Black-Eyed Susan
Lesson: Dogku, by Andrew Clements
Grade Level: K-5
Objectives:
1a3a. Discover the pleasure of reading by listening to books.
1a1a. Read, listen to, and discuss stories that provide examples of
characters interacting with each other and solving problems that reflect
human experience.
Cue Set:
What is a haiku?
Teaching Strategies:
- Explain to students that this book is written in haiku’s. Remind
students that haiku’s are 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables.
- Read Dogku and stop several times for students to count syllables.
- As a class write a haiku about Dogku.
- For younger students you can write several haiku’s as a class and have
them attempt them in groups of two.
- For older students have them form groups of two and draw different
subjects out of a hat. (These subjects could include winter, snow day,
funny noises, etc) Give them ten minutes to create a haiku with their
partner.
- Share the haiku’s that were written with the class.
Closure:
Discuss Andrew Clement’s chapter books with the older students.
With younger students remind them that they could write haiku’s at home
with their parents.
Unit: Black-Eyed Susan
Grade Level: K-5
Lesson: This Jazz Man, by Karen Ehrhardt
Objectives:
1a3a. Discover the pleasure of reading by listening to books.
1a1a. Read, listen to, and discuss stories that provide examples of
characters interacting with each other and solving problems that reflect
human experience.
Cue Set:
What instruments are in a jazz band?
Teaching Strategies:
- Read to students “This Jazz Man” and while reading make a list of
instruments that are in the jazz band.
- For younger students have them visit http://pbskids.org/jazz/ Model
how to use it and then have them explore the website on their own.
- For older students have student’s research one of the ten famous
musician that are shown in this book and list three to five facts on
that musician. They have to present this to the class and they can
share it in anyway, including a quick PowerPoint.
- Have students share them with the class.
Closure:
Why is music so important?
Voting Tally
2008-2009
The following votes are for: _X__ Picture Books
Grades (Optional)
Title
Now & Ben
Who is Melvin Bubble?
Bob and Otto
Dogku
Martina the beautiful cockroach
This jazz man
The luck of the Loch Ness monster
Knock, Knock!
The chicken-chasing queen of Lamar
County
Rough, tough Charley
Velma Gratch & the way cool
butterfly
Across the alley
Mind your manners, B.B. Wolf
Scaredy squirrel
Small beauties…Darcy Heart O’Hara
Person Completing Form:
Position:
School:
County:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Totals
Voting Tally
2008-2009
The following votes are for:
_X__ Grades 4-6
Title
Grades (Optional)
The puzzling world of Winston Breen
No talking
The story of Jonas
The ghost of Poplar Point
The thing about Georgie
Witch catcher
Out of order
A friendship for today
How to steal a dog
The big one-oh
Person Completing Form:
Position:
School:
County:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Tally must be postmarked no later than April 25, 2009.
Please send to:
Maryland Black-eyed Susan Book Award
PO Box 21127, Baltimore, MD 21228
Totals
Voting Tally
2008-2009
The following votes are for:
__X_ Grades 6-9
Title
Grades (Optional)
One-handed catch
I’d tell you I love you, but then I’d
have to kill you
Alabama moon
Epic
Rules
Life as we knew it
Night of the howling dogs
The mailbox
Peak
Red moon at Sharpsburg
Person Completing Form:
Position:
School:
County:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Tally must be postmarked no later than April 25, 2009.
Please send to:
Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
PO Box 21127, Baltimore, MD 21228
Totals