Teaching the Common Core
with Great Books
Elizabeth Parnell- Librarian/Media Specialist,
Southside High School
Jessica Peccolo-Donnell- Librarian/Media
Specialist, The Montessori School at Bemis
What’s the Plan?
•
Introduction- What does the research say?
•
Tackling the Common Core-books, books,
and more books.
•
Digital resources.
•
Example Activities
Ice Breaker- Name that
Book!
What Does the Research
Say?
* Literacy Implementation Guidance for the ELA Common
Core State Standards- International Reading Association
“ …teachers need to establish and ambitious itinerary of rich
and varied narrative and informational texts, including some
texts that are easier than the Standards specify.”
“….readers need reading experiences with a range of text
difficulties and lengths if they are to develop these
characteristics as readers”
Just how important
Are those pictures?
Kindergarten
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown
words in a text.
Book:
Manners Mash-up by Scholastic- features a number of illustrators
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the
relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g.,
what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).
Book
Not a box and Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify the main
topic and retell key details of a text.
Book
A is for Musk Ox by Erin Cabatingan
First Grade
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures
and experiences of characters in stories
Books
The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.9 Identify basic similarities in and differences
between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations,
descriptions, or procedures).
Books
Stand Tall Abe Lincoln by Judith St. George
Lincoln Tells a Joke by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer
Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman
Second Grade
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who,
what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding
of key details in a text.
Book:
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as
who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding
of key details in a text.
.
Books:
Big Enough Anna by Pam Flowers
Third Grade
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s
illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story
(e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
Books
How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount
the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
Books
Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Pope Osborne
Fourth Grade
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or
event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text
(e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
Books
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or
concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what
happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
Books
War of the Worlds a reader’s theater based on the Orsen Well’s
Radio production published by Scholastic
Fifth Grade
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more
characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on
specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
Book
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions
between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a
historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information
in the text.
Books
The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin
Sixth Grade
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence,
chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text
and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or
plot.
Book
Holes by Louis Sachar
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or
purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
Book
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
By Laura Amy Schlitz
Seventh Grade
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or
drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts
the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
Book
Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to
organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the
whole and to the development of the ideas.
Book
The Great Fire by Jim Murphy
Eighth Grade
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or
incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a
character, or provoke a decision.
Books
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and
analyze its development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the
text.
Books
The Anne Frank Case by Susan Goldman Rubin
Use picture books even beyond middle school to
introduce challenging concepts and new skills
Examples:
The End by David LaRochelle
Once Upon a Time The End by Geoffrey Kloskey
Wolves by Emily Gravett
Teaching with Picture BooksScaffolding in Action
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/theories-of-character?fd=1
Digital
Storybook Sites
Why Digital Storybooks
 While
print books are crucial, online story
sites provide

a simple way to share a story with your class
or small groups where everyone can see
when using a projector

a connection to common core standards
that focus on visual and multimedia
presentations of books.

Many sites offer books for free or more
affordable prices.
TumbleBooks

Tumblebooks is a searchable library of books,
and playlists can be created to play
automatically.

Picture books are animated and read aloud
to the viewer and the words are highlighted
as the words are spoken.

There are also some novels, games, even
books in other languages!

Many popular and recognizable stories are
located here, along with some not-asrecognized gems.
Tumblebooks

Tumblebooks is a subscription based digital
book service. Many libraries in the state
subscribe to this service that you may access.
Some public libraries provide free access to
Tumblebooks from their websites. You can also
sign up for a free trial.

Jackson Madison County Public Library offers
this database for it’s patrons. Go to
http://www.jmcl.tn.org/Databases.php and
choose Tumblebooks to check it out!
TumbleBook Cloud and Cloud Jr.

TumbleBook Cloud is “an online collection of eBooks
and read-along chapter books, graphic novels,
educational videos, and audio books! All books are
available with unlimited access, all the time, from
any device with an internet connection.”

The Cloud Jr. has a Common Core Portal linking 4th
and 5th grade core Language Arts standards to
books within the TumbleBook Library.

Access for FREE via the Jackson Madison County
Library website. Go to
http://www.jmcl.tn.org/Databases.php and choose
Tumblebooks Cloud or Cloud Jr. to check it out!
We Give Books

http://www.wegivebooks.org

Created by the Penguin Group and Pearson
Book Foundation

For each book viewed online, a physical book
will be given to a child

Not an extensive collection, but some good
titles…DK!
We Give Books
 Books
on the site are appropriate for children
through age ten and include a great mix of
fiction and nonfiction titles.
 New
titles added each month!
 Site
does require a username and password.
But is absolutely FREE!!
 Does
not have a read aloud feature.
Barnes and Noble
Storytime
 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/storytime
 The
popular bookstore has a handful of picture
books read to the viewers.
 Includes



some very popular stories…
Where the Wild Things Are
Fancy Nancy
The Kissing Hand
 Does
not include words on screen for students to
follow
Storyline Online

http://www.storylineonline.net/

A program of the Screen Actor’s Guild Foundation

Popular titles are read via video by famous actors

Each title includes



Related activities (writing, drawing, and more!)
A downloadable activity guide (related activities;
information about author, illustrator, reader; other
books viewer may enjoy
Does not include words on screen for students to
follow
Read to Me

http://www.readtomelv.com/

A program of the Clark County (NV)
Educational Association

Well known titles are read via video by actors
and personalities from around the Las Vegas
area

Does not include words on screen for students
to follow
International Children’s
Digital Library

http://childrenslibrary.org

A program of the International Children Digital
Library Foundation


“Goal is to build a collection of books that
represents outstanding historical and
contemporary books from throughout the world.”
Features stories from around the world, a great
resource for multicultural literature and books in
different languages!

May be a bit too obscure for younger grades
International Children’s
Digital Library

ICDL has a search tool that separates books
by:








Age
Fiction (Not Real) and Nonfiction (Real)
Picture Book or Chapter Book
Book length
Character Type (Kid, Real Animal, Imaginary
Animal)
Fairy Tales and Folk Tales
Cover Colors
Language (default set to English)
R.E.A.D.S.

http://reads.lib.overdrive.com

A service provided by the TN State Library System
providing e-books and audio books

Must have a library card to a local library to access

Books are checked out for a specific amount of time
(usually 2 weeks) and can be downloaded to your
computer, tablet or other device


Must download Overdrive Reader or can use Kindle App
Books disappear from device at the end of loan period
R.E.A.D.S.

Limited number of copies of titles…plan
ahead!


You may have to place a book on hold and wait
for it to become available for check out.
It may be best to not pull up the site on the
projector.

The home page features books for all audiences,
thus some titles/covers may not be the most
friendly for young eyes.
Common Core and Digital
Storybooks
 Besides
the common core standards that
apply to just about every work of
literature…



Literary Elements
Compare contrast text
Etc.
 …digital
storybooks hit some other
common core standards.
Common Core and Digital
Storybooks
 Demonstrate
understanding of the
organization and basic features of print.

If the digital story has a read along feature,
students will see the words highlighted as the
words are read aloud.
 Actively
engage in group reading activities
with purpose and understanding.

Can include entire class or small groups
depending on how books are shared.
Common Core and Digital
Storybooks
 Recognize
poems

common types of texts (e.g., storybooks,
A variety of types are available to you!
 Confirm
understanding of a text read aloud or
information presented orally or through other media
by asking and answering questions about key
details and requesting clarification if something is
not understood.

“other media!!”
Common Core and Digital
Storybooks

Know and use various text features (e.g., captions,
bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes,
electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or
information in a text efficiently.


WeGiveBooks.org have some wonderful nonfiction
books to teach this standard
Recount stories, including fables and folktales
from diverse cultures, and determine their central
message, lesson, or moral

International Children’s Digital Library has a fantastic
collection featuring diverse cultures
Common Core and Digital
Storybooks
 Compare
and contrast two or more
versions of the same story by different
authors or from different cultures.

International Children’s Digital Library
Make it a rule never
to give a child a
book you would not
read yourself.
–George Bernard
Shaw