What a great pleasure meeting with the fourth graders at the Thomas Conley School in Asbury, New Jersey! These kids were enthusiastic learning and sharing information about one of our most amazing, and misunderstood, creatures: wolves. I can’t help but wonder what sticks with the students the most about our time together. For me, it was their curiosity and excitement.
Friends with a wolf? Who would dare?
Plenty of people would, and for good reasons: wolves are fascinating animals and they are important to our environment. For years, they were hunted to near extinction. Today, with the help of friends, their numbers are growing.
My latest book, Friends of the Wolf introduces young readers (ages 7-10) to the wonderful world of wolves. Readers discover wolves’ amazing physical characteristics, their long history of being one of the most maligned animals on the planet, and their road to recovery. A real-life sanctuary is spotlighted, and its everyday workings to preserve and protect wolves.
The journey of creating this book took longer than most I’ve done: seven years. It began with a visit to a wolf sanctuary in southern Oregon, where my interest in wolves was piqued and where I had my first experience closely observing people who work with these amazing animals. Their passion was contagious. And that was just the beginning for me.
Research followed, of course. Reading, reading, reading, and interviewing biologists and other experts. An essential part of the process was traveling to other sanctuaries, which took me to four other states: California, Washington, Idaho, and New Jersey. At those places I got to see firsthand the efforts people are making to assist wolves.
There are many children’s books written about wolves. Most of them cover the same basic information: where wolves live, what they eat, their family life. What the world does not need is another such book. So, I tried something different. I took a step beyond mere information and made a call to action, encouraging readers to be advocates for wolves and providing suggestions doing that.
Over centuries, humans have done a great disservice to the natural food chain as well as the environment by our global assaults on wolves. It will take the continued efforts of dedicated friends now, and especially in the future, to ensure that these amazing animals will survive.
To order:
See Books tab on this website
or
Barnes and Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/friends-of-the-wolf-robert-young/1132101501?ean=9780974219622
or
Amazon
It’s coming to that time again, the closing of summer and the starting of school. Hurrah for new beginnings!
Start the school year on the right foot by having kids write the first day. Nothing complicated or onerous, but something that can be very helpful in providing feedback and informing your instruction. Here are two simple activities:
Writing Sample – Finding out your students’ writing proficiency levels is essential for your planning. An easy way to do this is with a writing sample. Invite students to write about something they did (or would have like to have done) over the summer. Other prompts could be, “What is important for me to know about you,” or “What (or who) do you really care about?” These samples will give you information about your student’s writing abilities as well as insights into who they are. Date and keep these samples to measure progress during the year.
Writing Survey – Besides assessing students’ writing abilities, find out how they view writing and themselves as writers. You can use the survey I developed below. In addition to the beginning of the year, give it in the middle and end of the year too. What changes take place, and what do they tell you about what you are doling?
For more writing ideas and activities, click on the Resources tab on the homepage.
Have a fantastic year!
When is a book’s run done? That can be a very tough question, especially if the topic is classic and the information is not outdated. So it is with my book about the Lewis and Clark expedition.
I first published this book several years back. It was very popular and went through two printings. After all the books were sold, a small publisher picked it up and we upgraded it and reprinted. This past spring, after the last books of that printing were gone, I thought that would be end of the book’s life. And I was okay with that. It had been good run.
But then, something happened. I met with a university professor, who was running a summer institute on the L&C expedition, and shared the resources I had, including the book I had written. The professor was excited about the book and asked where it was available so she could share that information with her institute participants.
Uhhh. Ummm. The book was no longer available. Which got me thinking. Why couldn’t I reissue the book. The story is classic and the information was not outdated. So, I contacted a publisher that produces on-demand books and we made a deal. A week ago I got my first printed copy and it looks great!
Passage: A dog’s journey west with Lewis and Clark is an interactive activity book for young readers (aimed at 8-10 year-olds). This historically accurate book tells the story of the most famous expedition in American history through the eyes of Seaman, the 150-pound Newfoundland that accompanied the Corps of Discovery every step of the way. The format is a series of journal entries, and readers are encouraged to interact with the text by making predictions, asking questions, finding answers, and connecting the text to their own lives. Incomplete line illustrations allow readers to enhance their artistic skills.
Tara and I
Mrs. Domovich and I
Greetings Teachers!
Hope your year has been rich with discovery and learning. As summer approaches, here’s something to consider:
“Use it or lose it” the old saying goes. And we know it’s true. That’s one of the reasons we develop summer reading programs: to reduce the “summer slide” that takes place when kids don’t read. It works, too. (www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/summer/research.htm)
Why can’t we stop the “summer slide” in writing as well by developing summer writing programs? We can. The program you create can be as simple or complex as you want. I prefer simple.
In a simple summer writing program, kids will need three things:
Do you have your students bring in notebooks at the start of the year? If so, have you used them all? If not, there’s your summer writing logs. If notebooks are not available, you can create writing logs by simply stapling lined paper together and adding covers of construction paper. Or, of course, you can use any other bookmaking method you know about.
Provide students with options of things to write. What areas did you cover? You can make a list of them in the front of the logs, and add directions and/or samples. Some examples of writing areas include:
Celebrate the efforts your young writers make. Invite them to bring their writing logs to school when it starts in the fall. At that time, provide them with class opportunities to share what they have done.
But wait, more than likely, you won’t have the same students again. That’s why it’s important to collaborate with your colleagues. Do it together with the colleagues who teach a grade level above and a grade level below you. Better yet, make it a school-wide program. Create a writing culture that extends beyond your classroom and the walls of your school.
Imagine this: It’s the first day of school and your new students, in addition to their class supplies, bring their summer writing logs. Over the next week or so, students share some of their work—a story, some poems, questions they had and the answers they found, letters they wrote (and the responses received)—with the class.
Communication is important for this to work: communication with colleagues, with the kids, and with their parents. Send a note home at the end of the year explaining what you’re doing. Encourage parents to write with their kids, and to make sure the writing logs are returned in the fall.
Will all the kids participate? Hardly. But if you can get a few, or even one, then you can show by sharing the value and the fun of writing. The next year there will be more, and the next year even more. You will be creating a true writing community.
Good luck!
I carry curiosity with me wherever I go. It’s not heavy and it fits easily into my pocket, where I can take it out at a moment’s notice.
I often pull it out when visiting schools. There’s lots to wonder about when you’re at a school: the displays, the kids, the design of the building, and, of course, the school name. How did the name come about? Who named it? Is it named after a real person? Why?
Douglas Gardens Elementary is a school I visited recently. Hmmm…I wondered…Was there really a “Douglas” that the school was named for? Was it a first name, or last name? Was there really a “garden” there? What kind of garden was it?
Sharing curiosity at Douglas Gardens
There were so many questions, and so little time that I wasn’t able to get my questions answered. I’m hoping that some brave souls, willing to accept a challenge, will find out how the name came to be and share it.
Good luck in your search!
Gilham friends,
I had a great time visiting with you last week and enjoyed your comments, questions, and stories. Some of you took the opportunity to be editors (helpers) for my personal narrative draft. Now, all of you can!
Remember what good editors do: compliment, ask questions, and make suggestions. Take a look at the draft below and try out your editing skills. All you have to do is click the Comment button above and type away. I look forward to your feedback to help make my writing better.
My family moved into this neighborhood in 1985 the local school Gilham was surrounded by fields. It looked alot different then.
In a few years my son, Tyler, was ready for kindergarten. I took him on his first day. I’ll remember that day forever.
The school was alive with activity. Busses and cars streamed through the parking lot. Kids parents filled the sidewalks, voices buzzing with excitement. I took Tyler’s hand and walked him to his portable classroom.
When we got close he pulled me to the side and dropped to his knees. I followed him to the ground. “What’s the matter Tyler” I asked him. “I’m a little scared, he said his voice a whisper.
He looked over into my eyes. “Me too” I said.
Tyler got up, let go of my hand, walked past the teacher at the door, and in the classroom. He didn’t look back.
Had a great visit with the 4th grade writers at Maple Elementary in Springfield yesterday. It’s enjoyable to spend time with kids who are interested, engaged, and respectful of each other. Their questions were awesome, and you know I LOVE questions!
The classes have been working on opinion writing, an important foundation for argument (make-a-case) writing. I offered a challenge, to share an opinion that they feel strongly about and to include reasons. Here’s my contribution:
Maples are the best kind of trees! They can grow huge (up to 145 feet), live long (up to 300 years), and they give us so much. In the heat of the summer their leaves provide us a cool, shady place to sit. In the fall they transform into colorful works of art. I love making helicopters from their seeds, and watching them whirl to the ground. Our world is a better place because of maple trees.
I’m looking forward to reading other opinions. Just click on the Comment area and write on!
I’m visiting classes this week in Creswell and Oakridge, talking with students about informative writing, the kind of writing you do to share information. Note: This type of writing does not have to be dull and bland, like an encyclopedia or Wikipedia. It can contain interesting words and devices like metaphors, alliterations, and more. Remember to keep your audience in mind; they want to be engaged in your text. So, engage them!
Click the Comment tab above to make a comment or ask a question.
How are you going to engage these people in your writing?
