A 5-Minute Video on Using the Book of the Week to Build Relationships and Inspire Scientific Curiosity
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“If you read [Finding a Friend], I guarantee there’s going to be something new that you’ll learn too. And you can tie that in to your classroom with your students to show that you’re a constant learner as well!” —Megan Polk
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Did you know that Deep Blue is a real great white shark?!
In addition to being a gentle tale of underwater friendship, Finding a Friend gives readers the opportunity to dive into some fascinating real-life ocean facts. Watch this Teacher Share video featuring literacy specialist Megan Polk from Nashville, Tennessee, to discover how Finding a Friend is a captivating and fact-filled way to get readers of all ages thinking about friendship, sea creatures, and even poetry. Plus you might even learn something new yourself!
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As you read Finding a Friend, you can demonstrate how you’re a constant learner and reader as well by sharing which nonfiction facts were new to you.
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• Reader’s Theater: Since the dialogue is written in color-coded text bubbles, it’s easy to encourage students to read aloud together. Assign each student a text-bubble color for a particular character, just like in a play. The students can even act out the story to the class.
• Sound It Out: The scientific words throughout Finding a Friend are broken out into syllables to make pronouncing them easier. Have students practice the essential skill of sounding out complicated words.
• Animal Studies: Show students the fun facts in the back of Finding a Friend. Then invite students to choose a sea creature and do their own research to make a poster! They can also illustrate the animal and label its different parts.
• Acrostic Poetry: Students can choose a sea creature they want to know more about and write a poem based on the letters in its name. This can be a fun way to share information they find while researching!
Download a free printable “What Makes a Friend?” acrostic poem worksheet in this week’s Cooked Up from a Book.
How do you plan to use Finding a Friend with your class? Please share with the Scholastic Book Clubs community on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #ScholasticBookClubs.
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This Book Is Available from Scholastic Book Clubs
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