Children's Literature K-6: June 2014

I chose to do my non fiction review on Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman. I found the book title intriguing. While perusing the pages of the book I realized just how far pictures can go in bringing a story to life. This book is geared toward children ages 9-11 and serves multiple purposes. Along with historical images, it also provides a glossary, index and resource list to aid students. Books of this nature sometimes prove difficult to comprehend for students who are not familiar with scientific vocabulary. Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science provides extensive clarification.

So who was Phineas Gage? Mr. Gage was a railroad construction foreman in Vermont in the 1840's. While on site blasting rock, Mr. Gage was impaled with a thirteen pound iron rod through the brain. Miraculously, Gage survived this horrible accident which led to a neuro-science case study. This book tells the story of Mr. Gage's journey while also educating students on facets of how the brain works.

The book covers the events leading up to Gage's injury. It provides sketches and images of the impalement. There is also extensive information about bacterias and infections doctor's are forced to contend with regarding an injury of this magnitude. The second chapter walks through the doctor's discoveries in the operating room. The book shows pictures of who was in the room during the evaluations and subsequent operations. The book delves into the anatomy and functions of the brain, complete with diagrams that are helpfully connected to the glossary. In later chapters, Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science discusses how doctors were able to put Phineas Gage back together. It covers how this single event changed the face of science and the understanding of the brain. From tragedy came truly wonderful discoveries for mankind. Phineas Gage will not only be known throughout history as the man that survived a iron rod through his skull, but as a man who's story gave science an unbelievable boost.

What is a thoughtful Journal Entry?

A thoughtful journal entry can have many aspects within it. Sometimes a journal entry can be as simple as writing down your thoughts and how you feel about something in particular. It can be connecting what you learned to your own life experiences. It can be memories triggered. It can allow open ended questioning. Journal entries can be brain storming your ideas for a project of some sort. Journal entries are a great therapeutic element as well and something that students may not race to but when finished they may find themselves soothed and relaxed. Journal entries are simply gathering your thoughts questions, answers and anything in between and even more. The sky is the limit.

1 comment:

Melissa HollandJune 21, 2014 at 4:40 PM

WOW! That is some book! I'm amazed that someone was able to live after having something go through their face and brain, as shown in the pictures that you posted. I can see this being a book that boys would really enjoy reading and learning about. I think it would depend on the age and maturity level of the girls for whether or not they would enjoy a book like this. Needless to say this book could definitely be used in a science lesson to teach students about the different parts of the brain. Great post, Melissa.
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After viewing the video

http://www.learner.org/libraries/engagingliterature/starting/

I thought that Jonathan Holden did an awesome job at incorporating higher order thinking questions into poetry. Personally, poetry was not something that I remember reading much of in elementary school which made it harder for me to understand later on in life. I love that he embraced different opinions of students and how they interpreted poems. I think we often forget that poems are a form of art and it can be up to the reader/observer to decide how it makes them feel and what it makes them think about. I also think that he has done a great job showing students that their voice matters and that their opinions and views matter. He has given his class the freedom to explore poetry in a way that is fun while building the appropriate foundation needed to be successful when dissecting literature.

I think poetry can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. It can be used for rhyming techniques, choral readings, comprehension, interpretation, influencing skills, sequencing of events and much more. I think poetry can be intimidating for students who are not used to reading it because the dialogue is so different and unrecognizable at times. The more students hear and read poetry themselves, the more comfortable they will become. There are so many books that they can be introduced to weekly.

Children's Literature K-6

Shel Silverstein's Lesson Enrichment Links

Non Fiction Literature- Phineas Gage A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science

1 comment:

Poetry