Book Links Nov. 2008 (vol. 18, no. 2)

Web Connections for November 2008

The Web sites listed below were verified at the time of publication, but please check that they remain valid before using them in an educational setting.

Best New Books for the Classroom

A downloadable activity guide for Cynthia Rylant's Snow, illustrated by Lauren Stringer, is available from the illustrator's Web site.
A discussion guide for Neal Shusterman’s Antsy Does Time is available from the Penguin Web site.

Holding on to Hope: Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

For further information on the Buxton settlement, visit the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum Web site.
The Library of Congress' African-American Odyssey Web site features primary sources from the Library's vast African-American collections, including the Frederick Douglass Papers and the African-American Pamphlet Collection, a collection of 397 pamphlets, published from 1824 through 1909, by African-American authors and others who wrote about slavery, African colonization, Emancipation, Reconstruction, and related topics.
"Aboard the Underground Railroad: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary," a Web site hosted by the National Park Service provides a list of historic sites on the Underground Railroad, organized by state.
The National Geographic's Underground Railroad Web site features activities, resources and links, classroom connections, and an interactive activity that allows visitors to take a ride on the Underground Railroad.
An excellent discussion guide for Elijah of Buxton, prepared by Pat Scales, is available from the Scholastic Web site.

Talking with Brian Floca

The Newspapers in Education Web site features an 18-part serial story by Floca titled Up in the Air: The Story of the Wright Brothers and supporting information and projects to connect readers with the story.
Brian Floca’s Web site includes downloadable coloring pages to accompany several books.

Voices in My Head: Public Libraries, Digital Media, & You

The November column’s downloadable “Guys and Spies” and “Girl Talk” downloadable PDF lists are a promotional tool to create parent and child audiobook listening clubs. The lists can be printed on both sides of cardstock or paper and cut apart to create bookmarks.
The recently released 21st Century Skills Map PDF, a collaborative initiative of the National Council for the Social Studies and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, holds many interdisciplinary themes and sample student outcomes that meld traditional units with multimodal literacy.
As audiobooks have moved to the mainstream, anxious adults now express concern that screen-based reading of online and e-book text is a lesser skill, as highlighted in a recent New York Times article, “Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?”

Show Me the Money: Books about Making and Managing Money

The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy is supported by banks, credit-card companies, and other corporate partners to ensure that basic personal financial management skills are attained during the K–12 educational experience. Visit the Jump$tart Web site for links to standards, best practices, and an educational resources clearinghouse.
The U.S. government established the Financial Literacy and Education Commission to improve financial literacy and education. Link to the commission's “Money Math: Lessons for Life” for free lesson plans in PDF format.
Financial literacy information sponsored by VISA is available on the Practical Money Skills for Life Web site and includes teacher resources, lesson plans, and student activities.