Blogs, Bagels, & Books!

For those of you who have followed this blog for awhile now, you may now that I am a big fan of Donna from Math Coach's Corner. I've bought several of her products and have used them with even my students who struggle the most; the great part is through her attention to detail in lessons and games my students "get it." It's amazing.

Something else that I find a little amazing is the fact that Donna bopped by my blog this week. Not only that, but she contacted me last night to tell me she is featuring that post on her Blogs & Bagels weekly spot today! I was just a wee bit excited when I read that last night. I'm not sure my husband truly understood why I had the level of excitement that I did.

 

If you would like to see my math games post that was featured you can click on the picture below. Or, an even better idea, click to go back to Donna's blog, read up on my post and four others and then click to follow for more great math ideas throughout the week!

Onward now to a great linky that is going to hurt my wallet in the very near future: Mentor Texts with the Collaboration Cuties. (Scholastic Warehouse sale is coming up in a couple of weeks and my wishlist has grown exponentially due to this linky, and garage sales are popping up...)

This week the topic is social studies. I tried very hard this week to narrow it down to just one book; this was not an easy feat! I have a deep love for history, so I have worked hard to include engaging nonfiction and historical fiction books within my classroom library. Today I'm highlighting a book from one of my all time favorite children's authors: Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco.

Below is what Leah Polacco shared about the book, I think she does a much more fitting job than I do of telling about this heartwarming story.

 Pink and Say highlights the brief but intimate friendship of two young boys, Pinkus Aylee (Pink) and Sheldon Curtis (Say), during the Civil War. When wounded attempting to escape his unit, Say is rescued by Pink, who carries him back to his Georgia home where he and his family were slaves. While the frightened soldier is nursed back to health under the care of Pink’s mother, Moe Moe Bay, he begins to understand why his new found friend is so adamant on returning to the war; to fight against "the sickness" that is slavery. However it isn’t until marauders take Moe Moe Bay’s life, that Say is driven to fight. Although ultimately, both boys are taken prisoners of the Confederate Army, fortunately Say survives and was unable to pass along the story of Pink and Say to his daughter Rosa, Patricia Polacco’s great grandmother. As it was told, Pink was hanged just shortly after being taken prisoner, therefore Patricia’s book "serves as a written memory" of him. At the end of the story Patricia bids the reader, "Before you put this book down, say his name (Pinkus Aylee) out loud and vow to remember him always."

One of the more heartwarming moments of the story is when Say tells Pink and his mother that he once shook the hand of Abraham Lincoln. Convinced that his encounter is a "sign" of hope, Say reaches for Pink’s hand, exclaiming, "Now you can say you touched the hand that shook the hand of Abraham Lincoln!" At the end of the story when the boys are separated, Pink reaches for Say one last time to touch his hand.
After hearing this story from Patricia Polacco in the words of generations preceding, I eagerly touched her hand; the hand that has touched the hand, that has touched the hand… I can assure you, the hope is still alive!

One last resource that I want to share with you. The Smithsonian's History Explorer has over 300 books cataloged that would be great to draw from for any social studies unit. This site seems to be updated frequently as well. Each book has a brief synopsis, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, and a grade level band that the book would be appropriate for. This is just one little segment of a website with a wealth of information. 

Be sure to link up and share your favorite social studies texts with the Collaboration Cuties!