Curriculum Laboratory
A Guide To Using Student Textbooks And
Other Basic Resources For Integrating
Literature Into the Curriculum
Over the past several years, the following student teachers participated in a directed study and
seminar class. They were Christina Abma, Braden Dalton, Kristen Dow, Erin Lyons, Shane Orr,
Sara Ritchie, Ivy Waite, Jessica Wright. These students created a number of guides for finding
literature integration activities in the textbooks found in Alberta schools. In some cases, other
basic titles of particular note and scope are included, even though they are not actual textbooks.
The results of their research efforts are found below. They were to include the titles of the
textbooks, publishing information, frequency and format of the literature links, and methods for
finding literature integration ideas and titles in the books. Therefore, the summaries should assist
you in finding literature links in any of these sources.
Language Arts Titles:
Artichuk, F., Barclay, S., Broersma, W., Wernner-King, J., Knight, D., Orme, L., Reed, K., &
Weeks, P. (2002). Echoes: fiction, media, and non-fiction. Canada, Oxford University
Press. Recommended Grade levels of the title: Useful for grades 10-12. Summary written
by Erin Lyons.
Echoes: Fiction, Media and Non-Fiction is a great series that is used in Language Arts. It is based
in the Sr. High level curriculum, with readers and teacher’s resources available for each grade
level. This series is laid out in a consistent manner that allows easy transition from grade to
grade. Echoes is full of great ideas and resources for teachers to use in language arts and could
also be incorporated across curriculums.
The teacher resource follows along nicely with the student reader. Each chapter follows the same
structure making it easy to navigate through the book. At the end of each chapter in the student
reader you will find responding activities that focus on each story or poem from the chapter. This
is great for focusing students work and following up with each story, poem etc. from the chapter.
The teacher’s resource is an excellent resource that I would recommend using. It includes a
section that talks about implementing Echoes with ideas on how to do so and rational behind
why you would want to. Each theme is broken down in the same format. It starts off with an
overview of the theme and a brief suggestion on how you may want to introduce the unit. It also
includes a list of assessment tools and where they can be found in the assessment section of the
resource. Each story or poem is introduced with a bit of background information, a chart gauging
the reading level as well as a program correlation chart. This chart lists activities as well as the
outcomes that will be covered. Pre-reading, reading, responding, and additional activities are
included for each piece. As well, at the end of each section an additional resources list is
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included with a list of books, authors as well as additional resources such as Internet sources or
films. This resource has a series of symbols that can be found in each chapter. These include
differentiated instruction, mini-lesson, information and communication technology, multimedia,
assessment, self-assessment and metacognition. These symbols can be found throughout the
chapters, highlighting ideas and are very user friendly. The resource also includes a section of
reproducible masters as well as assessment masters that correspond to the themes in the student
reader. The final page of the resource includes an “Author and Artist Index”. This page has
author’s names and the page numbers where their works can be found in the corresponding
student reader.
Overall, Echoes: Fiction, Media, and Non-Fiction is a great resource. It is full of lesson ideas that
incorporate literature and could be used across curriculums to enhance learning through the
subject areas.
McClymont, C., Lashmar, P., Strauss, D., FitzGerald-Chesterman, P., Colville, C., Cutting, R., &
et al. (1998). Gage cornerstones: Canadian language arts. Vancouver, Canada: Gage
Educational Publishing Company. Recommended Grade levels of the title: Useful for
grades 1-6. Summary written by Kristen Dow.
The Cornerstones: Canadian Language Arts series, published by Gage Educational Publishing
Company, is one of the language arts textbook series available for teachers to use in their
classrooms. Recommended by Alberta Education as a curricular-appropriate resource for grades
one to six, this series maintains a consistent layout and design for each grade. Included in the
series are a student-reader, teacher guide, assessment guide and template-master guide for each
grade. Although this series is intended to support grade-specific language arts instruction based
on the different units, it can also be used as a source of inspiration for integrating additional
literature.
As a basic resource option for elementary grades, the Cornerstones: Language Arts textbook
series focuses on the development of students’ language learning skills. To do this, a variety of
activities and extra resources can be found in the teacher guide. One resource in particular is a
section called Resource Links, which appears in the introduction of every unit. This section
includes a list of additional books, in reference form, that can be used to further develop each
unit. Although this list provides all the necessary information needed to find each book, the
Cornerstones series does not include any of the additional books within the each grade-level kit.
Overall, Cornerstones: Canadian Language Arts textbook series does not just support teachers
with a basic resource for building elementary language lessons on, but it also provides ideas on
how literature can be integrated into the curriculum.
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Mathematics Titles:
Small, M. (2008). Math focus series. Toronto, ON: Nelson, a division of Thomas Canada
Limited. Recommended Grade levels of the title: K-9. Summary written by Christine
Abma.
The Math Focus series Teacher’s Resource binders offer a a fantastic array of resources. They
include a Program Overview book and individual books for each chapter that are in the Student
Textbook. The chapter-specific books include lesson plans that provide suggestions for
assessment and options for supporting diverse student needs, including suggestions for providing
extra challenge and extra support. Within the first few pages of the chapter-specific books, there
is a Planning Chart. Here you can view the chapter ‘at a glance’. The layout is very simple and
organized. As sampled below, a large table displays the lesson goals, outcomes, pacing, and prerequisite skills (Math Focus 4).
In the materials column, you will be able to find out if the lesson incorporates a piece of
literature, such as a storybook or poem.
Math Focus 4 is a great guide to use in the classroom. The Teacher`s Resource binder has
thorough lesson plans, overviews, assessment strategies and multi-purpose masters. Literature is
incorporated into the lessons; at least one lesson in every chapter involves an additional reading
(poem, story, etc.).
List of Recommended Literature titles included in the resource:
My Rows and Piles of Coins, by Tolowa M. Mollel
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Thousand Paper Cranes, by Eleanor Coerr
Jingle Dancer, Cynthia L. Smith
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, by Judy Barrett
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Nelson Math Focus resources are availible for Kindergarten classrooms up to Grade 9
classrooms, with an adapted program for struggling students in Grades 4 to 9. For each grade, a
Teacher's Resource is availible, similar to the one reviewed. Each Teacher's Resource includes
easy-to-follow lesson plans that incorporate age-appropriate and content-specific literature links.
Morrow, P., Keyes, B., Thomas, S., D'Alessandro, A., Jones, D., Gray, L., et al. (2004). Math
makes sense series. Toronto: Addison Wesley. Recommended Grade levels of the title:
Useful for grades K-8. Summary written by Braden Dalton, focussing on grade 4.
The Math Makes Sense series put forth by Addison-Wesley (part of Pearson Education Canada)
makes a good attempt at integrating literature into the mathematics curriculum. As one can
assume, as students progress through the grades, there are unfortunately not as many literary
resources as one would hope, but the series provides a decent starting point. This text offers
teachers some help in the areas of literature integration and language arts skills. The Math Makes
Sense series has two different series, one published by Addison-Wesley, and one published by
Pearson. The main difference is geographic: Addison-Wesley publishes mainly for Ontario,
Québec, and the Atlantic provinces, whereas Pearson publishes for the western provinces and
territories. Aside from a few minor differences, literature integration is basically treated in the
same manner.
The teacher's guide for this resource is limited in its literature resources, but each grade level
does offer some integration ideas. The guide contains a brief annotated list of possible resources
that teachers may use in their lessons, but it is left to the teacher to identify where these books fit
in the curriculum. The unit-specific guides do highlight a chosen text that underscores (one of)
the objectives of the unit, and the lesson plans throughout the unit also may draw back to this
literature. Located in the "Literature Connections for the Unit" area at the launch section
(beginning of the unit), this section provides a brief summary of the story, but it is again the
teacher's responsibility to identify connections to the program of study. The literature is again
referred to at the end of the unit, where students are able to make connections using it.
Aside from specific literature integration, the Math Makes Sense does make an effort to
implement language arts skills in the mathematics classroom. The teacher's guide does make note
of students of English with a Second Language programs and offers simple suggestions for them
to incorporate language in their learning, e.g., explain to a partner a mathematical concept with a
short story. The guide also stresses the importance of vocabulary skills - it suggests that teachers
use a mathematics word wall for the most important of concepts, and journals for students in
which they can use the vocabulary and express themselves and their understanding of the learned
concepts. The Math Makes Sense series also implements visual literacy skills and aids in two
useful manners: the textbooks contain an illustrated glossary for students who are visual learners;
the series has a "Big Math Book" for students in kindergarten and grades one and two - it relies
very much on large pictures to illustrate math concepts rather than the written word, and has
correlations fort the entire textbook.
All in all, the Math Makes Sense series of textbooks is a decent textbook resource for teachers in
the elementary school setting. Again, it is more of a starting point; a teacher who uses this series
for its integration of literature must still work to ameliorate the integration. Addison-Wesley
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provides us with a basic template for using trade books in the classroom, and teachers are able to
find for themselves resources which build upon those suggested in the Math Makes Sense series.
Science Titles:
Cross, Gary. (2000-2005). Pan Canadian science place series. Toronto, ON: Scholastic Canada
Inc. Recommended Grade levels of the title: Useful for grades K-6. Summary written by
Sara Ritchie.
Currently, the textbooks recommended for elementary science instruction in southern Alberta are
not addressing “the majority of outcomes for the science curriculum” (Glaister & Roscoe, 2007)
and nearly 125 of the previously authorized resources are now out of print (Alberta Education,
2006). As a result, many instructors regularly use the Edmonton Public Schools Science units
and Science Assessment Manuals when covering curriculum outcomes. The Alberta “Elementary
Science program is currently under review and a new program will likely be in place within five
years” (Glaister & Roscoe, 2007). This new program is hoping to make cross-curricular
integrations. In viewing the 2009 Kindergarten to Grade 6 Draft Program of Studies, the new
program will implement literature through the spoken and written word along with visual
representations (Alberta Education, 2009).
While Albertan teachers await the new list of approved resources for the Elementary Science
program, other Canadian resources are currently available. The “Pan-Canadian Science Place”
resource/text set developed by Scholastic for Elementary Science is a wonderful resource to
assist teachers in developing lessons and evaluating student learning. The “Teacher’s Guide”
contains well developed lesson plans with trouble-shooting, background knowledge, extended
knowledge, application activities, vocabulary building, integration ideas, handouts, etc. The
“Program and Assessment Guide” (Grades 1-3, 4-6) contains rubrics and checklists for teachers
and students to provide full evaluation of the units. The only downfall that I see to this resource
is that the Specific Learner Outcomes do not match up directly with Alberta’s Program of Studies
due to the fact that this is an Ontario based text. However, the benefits seem to surpass the pitfall
and with an extensive personal understanding of the Program of Studies, this dilemma can be
easily resolved.
In terms of integrating literature within the text, I did not find that lessons made a point of
regular integration. There are “Student Books” which promote higher level thinking and that are
geared directly towards the appropriate age group and ability level. These books ask questions
and provide images for the children to analyze and further their thinking. However, I did not find
this to be an ‘integration’ of literature, but rather another source of information the students have
available.
Upon further investigation I did find what Scholastic calls “Science Libraries”. With a collection
of 12-15 books at each grade, Scholastic has found an assortment of fiction, fact, guide and
nature books that are all connected to the desired learning topic. In this area, Scholastic has been
able to integrate literature and promote relevant real-world connections within their resource to
encourage lifelong reading. The text gives ideas on how you could integrate the literature into the
classroom but not necessarily into individual lessons. The Pan-Canadian Science Place does
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acknowledge that this collection is a ‘starter-set’ and encourages teachers to integrate other
related Science books into the collection, and by going to their website http://
www.scholasticcanada.ca/ they have an assortment of catalogues organized by school subject to
make easy library additions.
I do believe that the “Science Library” series could be used throughout the lessons if direct
literature integration was the desired outcome, however; Pan-Canadian Science Place does not
explicitly make that correlation. The resources seem to be excellent sources of well developed
lessons and evaluation methods, and with some additional tweaking by the educator, I believe
that literature integration with the provided resources could be successfully completed.
References:
Alberta Education, (2009). Kindergarten to grade 6 program of studies (draft). Edmonton,
AB: Alberta Education.
Alberta Education, (2006 July). Elementary Science: Program and Resource Review.
Retrieved May 27, 2009, from Alberta Education Web site: http://education.alberta.ca/media/
654870/elereview.pdf
Glaister & Roscoe, B (2007 July). Science Activities Series. Retrieved May 27, 2009, from
Teaching Ideas Showcase: Great Science Activity Books for Grades 1-9 Science Web site: http://
www.uleth.ca/edu/currlab/handouts/scienceactivityseries.html
Scholastic Canada Ltd., TM (2006). Scholastic Canada. Retrieved May 23, 2009, from
Scholastic Canada Web site: http://www.scholasticcanada.ca
Gue, D., Makar, D., Martin, J., Martin, T., Strachan, I., Bullard, J., Krupa, G., Krupa, M.,
Kiddell, B.A., Clancy, C., and Galbraith, D. (2001). Science focus 7. McGraw-Hill
Ryerson. p. 382-394. Recommended Grade levels of the title: Useful for grades 7-9.
Summary written by Shane Orr.
The Science Focus and Science in Action textbooks do not have a list of recommended literature
links. Rather, the textbooks have a number of experiments to go along with the topics under
study. It is left up to the teacher to find books that can relate to science topics being learned in the
classroom or the experiments students are performing. I am going to show a few examples of
how literature can be used in conjunction with these text books to give a new and exciting flavor
to science classrooms.
Such books as "More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons", mentioned in assignment one, provides a
number of story books to use in science lessons and is probably the easiest way to integrate
literature into the curriculum. The easiest way to find books for a particular lesson in a book such
as this is to just look in the index or the table of contents. However, a simple search on the
university library database for a story book on a subject covered in class is just as effective. Just
because a story book is not recommended in a published book does not mean that it will not
appeal to students and their learning styles. Sometimes a teacher's own intuition is his or her's
best tool.
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One example of this is the story by Dr. Seuss entitled, "Bartholomew and the Oobleck". It is a
fictional story about a king who wants a different type of precipitation other than rain, snow,
sleet, or hail. So he sends Bartholomew, a child, to go tell the magical wizards up in a cave to
create a new kind of precipitation. Despite Bartholomew's protests the king orders him to do so
and disasterous consequences surface. Oobleck, as Dr. Seuss explains it, is a gooey substance
that is both solid and liquid. It is a great explanation of the popular cornstarch and water mixture
that exhibits strange properties under different amounts of pressure. This book is a fun and
exciting way to explain what this mixutre is and its properties in a unit such as solids, liquids,
and gases. It also is a great method for students to tuck the information away in their minds for
long term because it is linked to a very popular book written by a very popular author.
Other Literature Ideas:
1. "Bartholomew and the Oobleck" by Dr. Seuss
2. "Our Tree Named Steve" by Alan Zweibel
3. "Be a Friend to Trees" by Patricia Lauber
Social Studies Titles:
Akins, Melina, & Baniak, Karen & Berg Susan P. & Bradley, Lori-Lyn & Champagne, Lorraine
& Dewald, Alisa, et al.(2005). Many voices series (Alberta social studies) Pearson
Education Canada: Toronto. Recommended Grade levels of the title: Useful for grade
K-3. Summary written by Jessica Wright.
Many Voices is a literature-rich resource used in collaboration with the new Alberta Social
Studies Program of Studies. The grade one textbook is filled with impressive literature links that
compliment the general and specific learning objectives of the curriculum. Many Voices (Grade
1) does not come with an actual textbook for the students but instead comes with readers that
cater more to young children such as ‘big books’ for group reading and ‘discovery books’ for
students reading at a grade one reading level.
In the Teacher Resource, there are textboxes in each unit called ‘Literature Links’ that provide
titles of age-appropriate picture books that directly correlate to each lesson. Also, there is a
section called ‘Resource Links’ that provides non-fiction literature that enhance the lessons as
well. With an extensive annotated bibliography and appendices, there are numerous titles to
investigate that are suited for grade one students and correspond directly with each unit. Some
titles include Where Did You Get Your Moccasins? by Bernelda Wheeler, Franklin Plants A Tree
by Paulette Bourgeois and Under a Prairie Sky by Anne Laurel Carter.
One caution with using the Pearson Education text series is that the amount of literature links
within the textbook diminishes as the grades increase. The series seems to be literature-rich from
K-5 but does not integrate literature as well in the older grades. However, the Pearson Education
series seems to be the most extensive in the younger grades in relation to other authorized
textbooks and provides some great ways to pair fiction with non-fiction texts.
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Overall, this literature-rich textbook provides the teacher with many resources to integrate
literature into the content area. The titles would allow the teacher to make necessary and
meaningful connections with more abstract concepts such as community and citizenship and
broaden students’ understanding of the world.
Von Heyking, Amy, Creighton, Donna, Askin, Betty Lou, Ellsworth, John, Linden, Diane, MacKinnon, Peggy. (2003) Canada and the world. Markham, Ontario: Scholastic
Canada Limited. Recommended grade levels of the title: For grade 6, useful for 6-12. Summary written by Ivy Waite. While investigating the current state of literature links throughout various Social Studies
textbooks used in Alberta, it was discovered that unfortunately, there are no literature links for
grades 6-12. This situation requires teachers to look further than their primary texts to find
useful and meaningful literature connections that correlate with the Alberta Program of Social
Studies. Canada and the World is a complete integrated unit plan intended for use in grade 6
Social Studies and Language Arts in Alberta.
The resource contains a very detailed table of contents, and is extremely easy to navigate. There are 6 pieces of literature featured in the unit, and each is written in italics in the table of
contents, making it very easy to locate each specific piece. The resource also includes pre,
during, post and extension activities to accompany each literature link. Further, each section of
the resource contains a sidebar with critical information: required time and materials, any additional notes for the teacher, any notes on the literature, teaching strategies and assessment
foci. There are also numerous reproducible included throughout the resource. Perhaps the most useful feature of this resource (for those interested in integrating literature into
their Social Studies or Language Arts program) is the bibliography found at the end of the
resource. The bibliography contains professional resources for teachers looking for more
information related to the unit’s topics or integrating literature in general. Most useful however,
is the list of unit resources that have been organized by media type, as well as subject. There
are specific magazines, novels and stories, various non-fiction works (on Canada, Japan, the
United States and geography and history), picture books, and an extensive list of useful
websites.
While this resource is intended for use in grade 6, its comprehensive treatment of the literature
featured in the unit, as well as the bibliography, make this resource an ideal place to seek out
literature links for social studies, especially when it comes to any outcomes in the new social
studies curriculum dealing with "Canada and the World."
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