Graphic Organizers

I have come across a website that offers graphic organizers that can accommodate many different types of lessons. I think utilizing graphic organizers for long stories is an excellent way to help readers organize story elements.

Visit www.edhelper.com to view a variety of graphic organizers!

~Stephanie Ham

A fantastic book...

I wanted to share a wonderful book I came across. It is titled, The Journal of James Edmond Pease, by Jim Murphy. It is about a young, sixteen-year-old Civil War soldier in Virginia in 1863. The book is written as journal entries by James and outlines his daily life and trials and tribulations of being a young soldier in the war.

I felt this would be a fantastic book to use in a fifth or sixth grade classroom, as students in this age range would be able to connect well with it. Providing students with the perspective of war through the eyes of a child close to their age would really be an eye opener. This book was an easy read and also provides illustrations to help capture what life was like during that era.

~Stephanie Ham

More About Me...

With such busy schedules, my husband and I enjoy occasional time alone. We just got back from a five day trip to Las Vegas. One of the things we enjoyed while we were there was the Tournament of Kings show at the Excalibur. It was something different and gave a feeling of being in medieval times, eating dinner with your hands, while watching the knights joust. A few other highlights included riding the roller coaster at New York, New York and a trip to the spa for a relaxing massage.