Energy Island: How one community harnessed the wind and changed their world

Drummond, A. (2011). Energy island: How one community harnessed the wind and changed their world. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN: 978-0-374-32184-0

Author & illustrator: Allan Drummond
Website: http://www.allandrummond.com/

Media Used: Ink and wash illustrations

Summary: This is the true story of how an ordinary island decided to do something extraordinary and become almost completely energy independent by utilizing renewable energy sources such as sunlight, rivers, biofuels, and wind.

Personal Thoughts: This book is a great way to introduce what renewable energy is and how it can be implemented in real life.  The fact that it is based on a real island, rather then on theory, makes it so much more interesting.  The book really stresses that the reason that the island of Samso has been able to reduced its carbon emissions by 140 percent in just ten years is because every person on the island is contributing in a small or large way.  The green sidebars contain wonderful information that expands or defines different energy topics mentioned in the story text, such as global warming, renewable energy, and nonrenewable energy.  The illustrations are light and colorful, which capture the constant wind present on Samso. 

Lesson Plan #5: Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Energy

Curricular Connection: Grade 6 Science
California Standard: Resources 6. Sources of energy and materials differ in amounts, distribution, usefulness, and the time required for their formation. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know the utility of energy sources is determined by factors that are involved in converting these sources to useful forms and the consequences of the conversion process.

b. Students know different natural energy and material resources, including air, soil, rocks, minerals, petroleum, fresh water, wildlife, and forests, and know how to classify them as renewable or nonrenewable.

Lesson #4: Segregation

Subject Areas: American History, English-Language Arts, & Mathematics

Grade Level: Grade 7 to 12

Unit Title: Segregation in America

Lesson Title: Baseball & the Negro League

Teaching Standards:

• California Education History-Social Science Standard, Grade 8
• 8.11.3: Understand the effects of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen, including racial segregation and "Jim Crow" laws.
• Measurement & Geometry, Grade 7 - 1.0 Students choose appropriate units of measure and use ratios to convert within and between measurement systems to solve problems:
• 1.1 Compare weights, capacities, geometric measures, times, and temperatures within and between measurement systems (e.g., miles per hour and feet per second, cubic inches to cubic centimeters).
• 1.2 Construct and read drawings and models made to scale.
• National Language Arts Standards, Grades 9 to 12
• Standard 7 - Students gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources.
• Standard 8 -Students use a variety of technological and information resources to create and communicate knowledge.

Performance Objectives:

Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to...

• Utilize research skills to gather information about segregation in America and baseball’s Negro League from various in-class, book, and internet resources.
• Create a timeline illustrating major milestones and events related to segregation in America and baseball’s Negro League.
• Use what they have learned from researching to participate in a class discussion about segregation, Satchel Paige, baseball (past and present), and current social injustice.

Materials:

• Books:
• Sturm, J., & Tommaso, R. (2007). Satchel Paige: Striking out Jim Crow. New York, NY: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN: 978-0-7868-3900-1
• Overhead projector
• Satchel Paige biography handout
• Such as the one provided by Teacher Created Resources, Inc. Retrieved July 29, 2011 from: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/TCR/1576901009_138.pdf
• Butcher Paper
• Yard Stick
• Drawing Supplies

References:

The components included in this lesson plan were modified from the lesson plan provided by the Center for Cartoon Studies and created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer (Retrieved July 29, 2011 from: http://a.dolimg.com/explore/PMPages/DCOM/books/catalog/Printable/Satchel-Paige.pdf) as well as the free lesson plan provided by Teacher Created Resources, Inc. (Retrieved July 29, 2011 from: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/TCR/1576901009_138.pdf).

Preparation

• Students will read Strum and Tommaso’s Satchel Paige: Striking out Jim Crow prior to class.
• Have student’s locate one resource about Satchel Paige, segregation, the Negro League, or baseball history as it relates to minority player accomplishments.

Presentation

• As a class, lead a discussion about the book in order to start students thinking using the discussion questions provided by Zimmer or located in the back of the book.
• Have students quickly share the information resource that they located.
• Present information about segregation, Satchel Paige and other baseball players, the Negro League, and major league baseball.

Application:

• Students will create a timeline depicting major events in baseball from the 1860s to 2000.
• Index cards containing basic information about certain events in the history of baseball and segregation will be passed out to each student randomly. 
• Each student will draw a picture depicting their event.
• As a group, students will need to determine an appropriate ratio of measurement (inches/feet/centimeters) to time (years/months/days) in order to create a linear timeline that will fit on the group’s piece of butcher paper and includes each of the student’s individual events. 

Evaluation:

• Evaluate how well each group was able to create a timeline to scale.
• Groups should provide the ratio of distance to time used.
• Each student’s event (drawing and index card information) should be included on the timeline.
• Evaluate how well each student was able to depict the index card event in their drawing.

Closure & Assigned Student Work:

• Group timelines will be taped up onto the classroom walls.
• Students will write 2 to 3 paragraphs comparing and contrasting baseball during segregation times to baseball today.

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation

Hamilton, T. (Adapter), & Bradbury, R. (Author) (2009). Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The authorized adaptation.  New York : Hill and Wang. ISBN: 978-0-8090-5101-4

Author: Ray Bradbury
Website: http://www.raybradbury.com/


Adapter & illustrator: Tim Hamilton
Website: http://hamilton-tim.pair.com/


Media Used: Ink and full color illustrations.

Summary: Montag is a fireman, one of those who enforce the government's band on books by burning them.  But certain circumstances awaken Montag to the evil of government controlled thought and the beauty that can be found in books.

Personal Thoughts: I really enjoyed this rendition of Bradbury's classic novel.  Hamilton does a wonderful job of capturing the mood and tone of the novel.  The young girl Clarisse is pictured as both knowledgeable and a little crazy all at the same time.  Montag's transformation from happy fireman to a conflicted person to finally a person standing up for what he has decided to believe in is well portrayed throughout the images.  I definitely think that this adaptation did well because of Bradbury's support and input into its creation.

The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation

Jacobson, S.(Editor) (2006). The 9/11 report: A graphic adaptation. New York, NY: Hill and Wang. ISBN: 0-8090-5738-7

Editor: Sid Jacobsen
Website: No author website
Illustrator: Ernie Colón
Website: No illustrator website

Media Used: Mixture of pen, pencil, ink and color illustrations.

Summary: Based on the final reports of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, this graphic adaptation attempts to make the findings contained within the report more accessible to all.

Personal Thoughts: Couldn't read this book without remembering where I was that day, what I was doing, and how I was feeling.  It was such a tragic moment in history.  This graphic adaptation does a wonderful job presenting information.  I learned a lot of back history that I was previously unaware of - too young and carefree to be paying much attention to politics at the time.  My favorite section of the book was the four parallel time lines showing the sequence of events for the four airplanes.  My next favorite section was Chapter 9: Heroism and Horror which talks about some of the ground response events.  Probably my least favorite section was the "National Crisis Management" which describes how unprepared agencies were to handle this kind of emergency, especially in terms of communication.  A great book - A Must Read - and a wonderful way to introduce the 9/11 report and events to a wider audience.

Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan

Williams, M. (2005). Brothers in hope: The story of the lost boys of Sudan. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books. ISBN: 1-58430-232-1

Author: Mary Williams
Website: No author website
Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
Website: http://www.gas-art.com/

Media Used: Illustrations were rendered in acrylic and the text set in Gill Sans.

Summary: Based on true events, this book tells the story of 8 year old Garang who, out tending the cattle, survives his village's destruction and joins a thousand other orphaned boys walking, from Sudan to Ethiopia to Kenya, seeking safety.

Personal Thoughts: I think this is a truly inspirational story about the human will to survive.  The boys in this story band together to help, feed, and protect one another.  They divide up responsibilities and make the decision to travel to Ethiopia as a group by pulling their information.  When I looked at the map at the end of the book, all I could think of was how very far those young boys had to travel - some as young as 5!  In a society that rarely walks more then a block when we can drive, it is hard to fathom.  I really appreciated the Afterward which spoke a little about how the boys were adjusting or struggling in the United States.  I couldn't help but ask myself about all the things I take for granted everyday - like having shoes - and how capable I would be if our roles were reversed.  Great book.

The Enemy: A Book About Peace

Cali, D. (2009). The enemy: A book about peace. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN: 978-0-375-84500-0

Author: Davide Cali
Website: http://www.davidecali.com/
Illustrator: Serge Bloch
Website: http://www.sergebloch.net/

Media Used: Illustrations were rendered in China ink on paper and photography

Summary: Two soldiers wait for each other in separate holes on a battlefield.  The soldiers have been told that they are enemies and that the other will kill them.  If only they could end the war...

Personal Thoughts: This is a very thought provoking type of book.  The drawings are very simple - a mixture of doodle like drawings (reminiscent of Shel Silverstein) and photos with splashes of army green and red. As a result, I thought that the story and text was going to be something simple or that there would be a funny twist in the end.   But this book really tried to explain the pointlessness in war.  While there was some humor to be found - the soldier dressed as a bush hiding from the "lion" - it didn't belittle war.  Instead the actions of the soldier being mimicked by the other soldier showed how alike two parties at war can be - in their actions and in their thinking.  The soldier thoughts about hoping the war will end, protecting his family, and what he would do if the enemy surrendered are insightful.  The final scene, is so hopeful, yet fragile - will the enemy get the message? A great opening introduction into a discussion about war.

Lesson Plan #3: Hurricane Katrina

Subject Area: English-Language Arts & Life Science

Grade Level: Grade 9 to 12

Unit Title: Natural Disasters

Lesson Title: Hurricane Katrina

Teaching Standards:

• California Education History-Social Science Standard, Grade 11
• U.S. History & Geography, 11.11 - Students analyze the major social problems and domestic policy issues in contemporary American society.
• National Language Arts Standards, Grades 9 to 12
• Standard 6 -Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
• Standard 7 - Students gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources.
• Standard 8 -Students use a variety of technological and information resources to create and communicate knowledge.

Performance Objectives:

Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to...

• Use their knowledge of current events and teacher provided articles/resources to participate in
  a class discussion about the facts surrounding Hurricane Katrina.
• Utilize research skills to gather information about the Gulf Coast Region and Hurricane Katrina
• Use what they have learned from researching to participate in a class discussion related to the
  history, topography, economics, and demographics of the Gulf Coast Region/New Orleans.

Materials:

• Books:
• Neufeld, J. (2009). A.D.: New Orleans after the deluge. New York, NY: Pantheon Books. ISBN: 978-0-307-37814-9
• Movie:
• Towers Productions Inc. for National Geographic Channel. (2006). Inside Hurricane Katrina [DVD] Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video.
• Pictures of New Orleans and the surrounding areas before and after the hurricane.
• Overhead projector

References:

This lesson plan is modeled after the PBS Teacher Source Lesson Plan, “The Gulf Coast Region: Geography, Demographics, and the Effects of Hurricane Katrina” by Lisa Prososki. (Retrieved July 27, 2011): http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/socialstudies/katrina.html

Preparation

• Learn from students what prior knowledge they have of Hurricane Katrina’s effects. 
• Find out if any of the students have been directly or indirectly affected by this disaster.  Such as if any of the students’ family or friends was involved. 
• If so then it might be a good idea to see if any of those involved would be willing to speak in class about their first hand experiences.
• Prior to the class have each student research and present one resource about Hurricane Katrina and one about the Gulf Coast region. 

Presentation

• In class, show some clips from the movie in order to review the events that happened during Hurricane Katrina.
• Share and discuss in class some of the before and after pictures of New Orleans.
• Share and discuss some of the ways in which the topography, economics, and demographics of the Gulf Coast Region (particularly New Orleans) were affected by the hurricane. 

Application:

• Have students write 2 to 3 paragraphs describing the events of Hurricane Katrina based on the information they found, provided in class, and in the movie.
• Have students write 2 paragraphs outlining how they would react during such a disaster.  Would they evacuate at the first sign of trouble? Would they stay behind?  Would some of their family go and some stay behind?  Where would they go if they had to evacuate out of the city? The county? What are the reasons for their answers?
• Make a chart comparing the number of students who would stay behind, the number of students who would evacuate early, and the number of students who would evacuate at the last minute.

Evaluation:

• Evaluate how well each student was able to synthesis the events of Hurricane Katrina and their ability to view themselves in a similar situation.

Closure & Assigned Student Work:

• Have students read A.D.: New Orleans after the deluge.
• Afterwards have students reflect on whether they would do anything differently compared to their first response about evacuating.
• Have students write about which character’s actions they related to the most and why?
• During the next class, break students into groups and provide each group with a different discussion question.  Afterwards, each group will present their response to the rest of the class.