I am curious to know if Mosaic and ITI teachers have any great end of the
year activities. It is hard because I really don't need any more grades but I
do still want quality learning experiences. I have 2 ideas that I use, but I
would love to have some more ideas.
The Elephant Child by Rudyard Kipling-Read aloud this picture book and talk
about visualization as you go. Before you read, take a long (15-20 ft) piece
of white butcher paper. Divide it up horizontally into pieces. I use 6 pieces
because I have 6 groups. At the end of the book, make a list (in sequential
order) of the 6 most important parts of the book. Each group gets to pick one
part and illustrate it for a mural. I take down everything from one wall and
then put this mural up. You can do this all in one day or take 2 days.
Island of the Skog by Steven Kellogg-Read this book and again talk about
visualization of the island. After reading the book, give kids 11 x 18 poster
paper and let them design their own fantasy island. Sometimes I let kids
work on this with a partner. These can go up on another wall that has been
cleared off.
Hope I get some more ideas! I only have 17 days left!
Chris Preston-Grade 4

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From: "David Fife" <fife_9@sympatico.ca>
Subject: [mosaic] (Mosaic) Visualization, Questioning Books
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 23:01:52 -0400

Hello Everyone! My first post to the list. I have used two poetry books
by the author David Bouchard that work very well with Visualiztion and
Questioning.

Voices from the Wild - This book of poetry takes animals and divides them
into one of the 5 senses based on their natural abilities. I would read a
poem and have the children try to "picture" the scene described in the poem
and have them guess. This book also has great pictures to show the children
after reading. It would also be great to use for Background Knowledge, as
the kids knew a heck of a lot more than me :-)

If Sarah Will Take Me - A great poetry book for Questioning. It is a story
of a man who is injured in an accident and confined to a wheelchair. He
falls in love with his nurse and they get married. However, none of this is
told in the book. It was written by the man who was injured and illustrated
by him as well. Unbelieveable paintings. The children can ask many
questions throughout the book.

If you can get your hands on these two books I am sure you will enjoy them.
David Bouchard came to our school as a speaker and the students loved him.
He has many other books that are truly inspiring.

Hope to get some great ideas from the list
Dave

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From: "Kadus, Alisa" <kadusa@ramnet.k12.ny.us>
Subject: [mosaic]
Date: Tue, 21 May 2002 10:24:54 -0400

I just read an email about end of the year activiites and Ithought I'd share
1 activity a teacher shared with me for teaching summarizing. I give my
children a graphic organizer that is shaped like a t-chart, with the
labels-characters, setting, problem and solution. The children take notes
as they read on these major points. Then I have them turn to a partner and
orally summarize their book,using their notes. However, they are NOT
allowed to say the words, "characters, setting, problem and solution in
their oral summary. This helps them to say a more natural summary. Once the
children have said a great summary, we move onto writing a summary, hitting
on thhose four points without wriitng the wrodw characters, setting, problem
and solution. I found this to be a very effective way to introduce
summarizing with my third grade students!- Alisa Kadus

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From: "Erlich, Jami" <ErlichJ@ramnet.k12.ny.us>
Subject: [mosaic] THANKS
Date: Tue, 21 May 2002 12:23:18 -0400

I just wanted to write a quick thank you! Someone posted a lesson that
they had used for questioning; they used the book The Wednesday Surprise by
Eve Bunting. Another teacher and I used used the same technique and it
worked out really well. It was one of my first attempts at using a strategy
and I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the kids responded to it.
Thanks again for your input and suggestions.
Jami

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Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 06:25:44 -0700
From: "Hayley Dupuy" <dupuyh@cambrian.k12.ca.us>
Subject: [mosaic] novel in an hour

I know that the Novel in an Hour lesson was explained recently, but I
couldn't find it in either the listserve archives or my own. If someone
still has it, could you please post it again?

Thanks,
Hayley

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From: "safranck" <safranck@connectiva.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] [PERIODIC mosaic DIGEST POSTING]
Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 01:33:08 GMT

Hi, I ususally just read and learn, but I do have an idea that you might
like. It isn't exactly something that connects to just language arts but ot
your whole year. One thing I like to do is create a People Hunt that lists
any of the things that you have done this year. Students would fill it out
on their own first and then look for anyone else who has chosen the same
thing. So it might have such things as My favorite story or book we read
this year, Our best study (field) trip, Something in science we did that I
liked, etc. It would have to go along with your year. The students walk
around and get signatures and discuss the year. Children could share in
community cirlces any part of the people hunt. This could be the circle for
a few days just by sharing different parts of it. I usually create it on
Publisher or Print shop and put each thing in boxes with room for two
signatures. You could also do it by folding a paper into eight boxes. Then
ask the students to write or draw a response in each box after you ask a
question. You might say What was your favorite part of the school day this
year. Then after filling out eight boxes the children walk around matching
up with partners and anyone who wrote the same thing on any of the boxes
would sign inside the boxes. Shirley Franck
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From: CPres64735@aol.com
Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 22:10:37 EDT
Subject: Re: [mosaic] novel in an hour

Chris the "read a novel in an hour" technique might work for teaching
your kids about questions.
I found that the kids have so many questions that they are jumping out
of their skin to ask them. deb

Vanessa posted:

Feel free to chime in if you heard Tom Roe talk about
this at the Leadership Conference or if you have done
this before, but this is what I gathered:

Take a novel like Stone Fox, Seven Kisses in a Row,
The Whipping Boy, Dear Levi, Donavan's Word Jar, etc.
and tear it apart carefully into equal sections. The
number of sections you need depends on the size of
your class. You need enough sections for each group
of three children plus yourself. You could give
yourself just a tad more I think if you need to to
keep the other sections pretty equal.
Divide your class into heterogeneous groups of three,
making the 'top' one in the group the leader. After
telling the class they will read a novel in an hour,
give out an index card and random sections of the book
to the group leaders. Do not tell them which section
they have or how many chapters or pages are in the
book.
Each group reads their section by taking turns reading
aloud a page at a time. Whenever a question pops in
their head about the story they ask the leader to
write it on the index card. When the group is
finished reading they should compose a summary of
their section for the leader to write on the back of
the index card.
When everyone is finished gather together and choose a
group leader who had a middle section of the book to
read the first question on their index card. Someone
in the room should be able to answer it. After
answering the question that group now gets to ask
their first question. And on and on it goes. If a
question cannot be answered record it on the board or
a chart. When all of the questions have been asked
the teacher reveals that he/she has the last part of
the book and is going to read it aloud. Ask for
predictions for the answers of the questions you have
recorded. Ask each group, in order this time, to read
their summary. Then read aloud the end of the book
and see which questions were answered....some will
probably remain unanswered. Offer an intact copy of
the book for SSR.

=====
Vanessa Osborne, NBCT
3rd/4th Grade
Trindale Elementary
Archdale, North Carolina

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From: "Cathy Semkin" <cathy@iland.net>
Subject: [mosaic] PEBC professional development paper
Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 19:35:30 -0500

Laura,
Are you still interested in Mosaic and math? The PEBC website has a =
professional development paper that includes thoughts about math =
education and math thinking strategies. I have found it helpful,
Cathy

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Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 09:44:58 -0400
From: Dave & Deb Smith <D-SMITH@cybersol.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic]

The Jacket By Andrew Clements is awesome

I divided it into 7 parts and kept the last part from page 83 on. deb

Rachel Miller wrote:

>Hi everyone...I really liked Chris's "novel in an
>hour" idea. I thinks it's a great way to spark
>student's interest in a new novel and/or author and a
>totally different approach to discussing literature.
>
>I saw some of the book suggestions. Does it matter
>what genre of book you choose? Has anyone tried this
>and found a great book to use?
>
>Thank you,
>
>Rachel
>4th grade
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Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 17:23:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Rachel Miller <millerr0809@yahoo.com>
Subject: [mosaic]

Thank you for the book suggestions. I haven't read
"The Jacket" but I will check it out this weekend. We
also used Phoebe the Spy during our revolutionary war
unit. The kids loved the book, maybe next year I'll
try the "novel in a day" approach with it.

Thanks!
Rachel

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Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 20:56:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Diana Black <teacherblack@yahoo.com>
Subject: [mosaic] my first posting

Hi--I just found this list, so this is my first time
posting. I am a third grade teacher in Oakland, CA
just finishing up my second year (ten more days!). I
work with almost all ESL students. I tried to
integrate Mosaics of Thought into my teaching this
year, but it petered out after about 3 months. I'd
like to really do a good job with it next year.
Anyone know of any summer workshops that would help me
fully internalize this stuff? Any other thoughts on
how to sustain it for next year? Thanks--Diana

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From: "Leonard, Wanda L." <leonardw@mail.davenport.k12.ia.us>
Subject: RE: [mosaic] my first posting
Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 09:02:13 -0500

The other book that is mentioned on this website that seems to me to be more
user friendly than Mosaic is, Strategies that Work, by Stephanie Harvey and
Anne Goudvis. Since you are new to this listserve you may not have seen it
mentioned yet.

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