Author: Education Librarian

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Open Access Electronic Resources

Below is a list of resources that are available online and are free to access for everyone.

Global Storybooks

Grades: K-4. This global project provides free access to illustrated and interactive stories from around the world. Includes access to Storybooks Canada and Indigenous Storybooks. 

Classic Books: Read.gov (Library of Congress)

Grades: K-5. Over 50 classic children’s books available for free online. Books in the collection include Peter Rabbit, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and more.

Unite for Literacy

Grades: K-5. A large selection of digital picture books which include narration. Narration is available in numerous languages including English, French, Tagalog, Arabic, Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Russian, and more.

Scholastic Learn at Home

Grades: K-9. Scholastic has prepared five learning journeys a week for students. Each learning journey is based on a specific theme and includes a video of a story to watch, a book to read, and relevant activities. New learning journeys will be released weekly. See also, Scholastic’s Things to Do portal which has a variety of games, quizzes, activities, videos, discussion guides, and more.

UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach

Grades: K-12. UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach is a non-profit organization organized and operated by UBC students that aims to promote science, engineering, and technology to youth across British Columbia. Their new online learning site has resources for families and teachers, including live-stream daily activities, online events on Saturdays, weekly homework club, virtual workshops, one on one online teaching support, and more.

Keep Learning 

Grades: K-12. This website was created by the BC Ministry of Education to offer parents and caregivers resources to support students’ learning at home. The site includes tips and tricks, activity ideas with curriculum connections, daily activity ideas, additional resources, and more.

Lit2Go

Grades: 8-12+. A large collection of free audiobooks which includes short stories, poetry, and full length novels.

Categories
Electronic Resources

Electronic Resources

Listed below are selected teacher resources, picture books, non-fiction, and some additional resources which are available online.

Teacher Resources

How to teach poetry writing: Workshops for ages 5-9, by Michaela Morgan

Grades: K-4. This book is a practical, activity-based guide to developing poetry workshops that will help students read and poetry, and also improve their speaking and listening skills. Includes activities, poetry writing frames, poems from diverse cultures, word games, and an A to Z guide to poetry. See also, Poetry – from reading to writing: A classroom guide for ages 7-11. 

The really useful book of science experiments: 100 easy ideas for primary school teachers, by Tracy-Ann Aston

Grades: K-7. This book includes 100 easy to plan and execute science experiments across four broad categories — It’s Alive, A Material World, Let’s Get Physical, and Something a Bit Different. The experiments included don’t require specialist equipment or knowledge, but will help students grasp basic science concepts in a fun hands-on way. See also, The really useful book of secondary science experiments: 101 essential activities to support teaching and learning. 

The school garden curriculum: An integrated K-8 guide for discovering science, ecology, and whole-systems thinking, by Kaci Rae Christopher

Grades: K-8. Focuses on the intersection of science, permaculture, environmental education and place-based, immersive learning. Helps students to gain skills and knowledge related to science while also developing their sense of environmental stewardship. Includes over 200 weekly lessons.

Jumpstart! maths: Maths activities and games for ages 5-14, by John Taylor

Grades: K-9. This book offers practical and engaging activities that will introduce students to math in a new way. Includes oral games, differentiated games and quizzes, and activities which utilize technology. Areas covered include, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions, ratio and proportion, algebra, measurement, geometry and statistics. See also, A practical guide to transforming primary mathematics: Activities and tasks that really work. 

Powerful understanding: Helping students explore, question, and transform their thinking about themselves and the world around them, by Adrienne Gear

Grades: K-12. This book focuses on helping students develop social emotional skills, make connections, question what they read, and become reflective learners. Includes classroom examples and hands-on activities which will be useful across a variety of subjects.

Aboriginal worldviews and perspectives in the classroom: Moving forward, by the BC Ministry of Education

Grades: K-12. This resources is designed to answer a number of questions, including what is meant by Aboriginal education and by Aboriginal worldviews and perspectives; what is required of teachers and of the education system in order to provide appropriate and authentic teaching in line with the First Peoples Principles of Learning; and where teachers can turn for guidance and support in modifying their practice to incorporate new content and approaches.

Teaching history creatively, edited by Hilary Cooper

Grades: K-12. This book introduces teachers to a range of available approaches to historical inquiry which involve creative, active and effective learning. Topics include the link between history education and creativity, investigating sources, using archives, using drama to explore events, and more. See also, Enlivening secondary history: 50 classroom activities for teachers and pupils. 

Gymtherapy: Developing emotional wellbeing and resilience in children through the medium of movement, by Rebekah Pierre

Grades: k-12. This book explores the connection between movement and emotional wellbeing, seeing the former as a way of improving the latter. This connection is explored across five key areas: Identity and Self Esteem, Mindfulness, Anger Expression, Protective Behaviour, and Gender Stereotypes. Includes lesson plans, real-life examples, and case studies that help to link active living with emotional well-being. See also Teaching physical education creatively.

Developing thinking skills through creative writing: Story steps for 9-12 year olds, by Stephen Bowkett

Grades: 4-7. An easy to use guide which help teachers develop creative writing activities across different genres that will build skills and excitement related to creative writing. Covers key concepts in storytelling including narrative structure, plots, characters and settings, vocabulary, word choice, sentence structure, and punctuation.  See also, Descriptosaurus: Supporting creative writing for ages 8-14.

Powerful readers: Thinking strategies to guide literacy instruction in secondary classrooms, by Kyla Hadden and Adrienne Gear

Grades: 8-12. A combination of theory and practical lessons, this book showcases tools to help students develop their ability to think as they read. Key strategies discussed include, connecting, visualizing, questioning, inferring, determining importance, and transforming. See also, Reading power: Teaching students to think while they read. 

More secondary starters and plenaries: Ready-to-use activities for teaching any subject, by Mike Gershon

Grades: 8-12. This book has 25 starters and 25 plenaries that will help to get students engaged and excited about any subject. Includes step by step instructions, teacher’s tips, worksheet examples, PowerPoint slides, and printable resources.

Picture Books

You hold me up, written by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Danielle Daniel

Gray Smith and Daniel created this book to prompt a dialogue among young people, their care providers and educators about reconciliation and the importance of the connections children make with their friends, classmates and families. This is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens.

My heart fills with happiness, written by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Julie Flett

A celebration of happiness which encourages children to take note of and appreciate what brings them joy.

Salmon forest, written by David Suzuki and Sarah Ellis, illustrated by Sheena Lott

Kate heads down to the river with her father, a biologist, and learns about how salmon, rivers, bears, forests, and humans are all connected. A fun and informative introduction to the salmon lifecycle.

Fraser bear: A cub’s life, written by Maggie de Vries, illustrated by Renné Benoit

Follows a black bear cub’s life in the Pacific Northwest from his birth to his first salmon catch at the Fraser River, uniting the cycles of bear and fish. A map and further information about bears and salmon are included.

Nimoshom and his bus, written by Penny M. Thomas, illustrated by Karen Hibbard

Nimoshom (my grandfather in Cree) picks up the kids from the community each morning and takes them to school. Nimoshom always has something to say to the kids along the way. Provides an introduction to basic Cree words.

What’s going on at the time tonight, written by Gerald Mercer, illustrated by Holly DeWolf

In Newfoundland a party is called a “time” and this time the time is taking place underwater! Join the barnacles, jellyfish, and sea lice as they get ready for a big shindig.

The boy & the bindi, written by Vivek Shraya, illustrated by Rajni Perera

This book explore cultural and gender difference, through the eyes of a 5-year-old South Asian child.

Non-fiction

Island kids, edited by Tara Saracuse

Grades: 3-7. This book includes 22 stories based primarily on real life events occurring as early as 1800 on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The stories are told from the perspective of children making it engaging and relatable for students.

Protest movements series, by Duchess Harris

Grades: 4-7. This series offers an introduction to some of the most influential protest movements in history, including the Black Lives Matter movement, Environmental Protests, Women’s Suffrage, and more.

Get-into-it guides series, by various authors

Grades: 4-7. A series of books to help young people explore their interests and build skills in new areas. The series includes books on getting into yoga, mixed media, chess, Minecraft, knitting, photography, claymation, citizen science, and more.

#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American women, edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

Grades: 8-12. A collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art written by Native women about their experiences. The book includes stories of abuse, strength, stereotyping, resilience, and more, which will encourage readers to think deeply about the representation and experience of Native women.

One in every crowd: Stories, by Ivan E. Coyote

Grades: 9-12. A collection of autobiographical short stories written by Coyote which delve into navigating growing up and adulthood when you don’t feel like you fit in.

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Additional Resources

Curio, by CBC and Radio-Canada

Grades: K-12. Curio provides streaming access to educational content from CBC and Radio-Canada. Includes documentaries, news reports, archival material from 1990-2018, audio, and more across a range of subjects. Teacher guides are provided for many of Curio’s documentary series and for recommended books.

Primary Search Reference eBooks Collection

Grades: K-7. A collection of roughly 100 fiction and non-fiction books for kids. Books in the collection cover a range of topics including math, science, social studies, and history.

MAS Reference eBook Collection 

Grades: 8-12. A collection of over 250 eBooks specifically geared towards teens. Includes books on developing money, life, and job skills, managing anxiety, math, science, history, and more.

Global Storybooks

Grades: K-4. This global project provides free access to illustrated and interactive stories from around the world. Includes access to Storybooks Canada and Indigenous Storybooks. 

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Narrow results to online only by selecting “Full Text Online” under the “Refine Your Search Heading” in the left hand bar. Then, under the “Content Type” heading, select “Book/eBook” to limit your results to only eBooks.
  • Use specific terms such as “juvenile fiction” and “juvenile literature” in the search bar to help narrow results to materials for youth.
  • Use specific codes such as “PZ4.9” or “PZ7” in the search bar to help narrow results to materials for youth.
  • Use specific terms such as “study and teaching”, “lesson planning”, “activity programs”, elementary, or secondary to help narrow the results to education specific resources.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
Social Studies

Maps and Mapping

Listed below are selected teacher resources, picture books, and non-fiction related to maps and mapping.

Teacher Resources

Dynamic social studies

by George W. Maxim

Grades: K-6

This book presents a range of effective ways to teach social studies to elementary school students, with the hope of inspiring them to become informed, rational, and culturally responsive citizens. It focuses on motivation, creativity, and the examples of experienced teachers to help readers breathe life into their social studies teaching. Includes multiple sections on maps and mapping specifically.

Learning and teaching with maps

by Patrick Wiegand

Grades: K-8

A comprehensive and authoritative account of how primary school children and teachers can use maps to enhance learning and deepen understanding of this essential skill. Includes all aspects of map use, such as reading and interpreting maps and using maps to find the way, covering maps of all scales, including globes and atlases. eBook

Instant map skills: Neighborhoods & Communities

by Wendy Vierow

Grades: 1-3

Includes a large wall map and accompanying activities to teach map skills such as cardinal directions, reading a map key, and following a route.

Picture Books

Mapping Sam

by Joyce Hesselberth

Grades: K-3

An adventurous cat named Sam explores her neighbourhood at night, with maps of all types revealing the spots she visits and different points of view.

Henry’s Map

by David Elliot

Grades: K-3

Henry the pig makes a map to show where everything goes on the farm he lives in. But after he’s done, he and the other animals discover a problem!

Quest

by Aaron Becker

Grades: K-3

Two children must follow a map given to them by a mysterious king to save both him and his kingdom from dark forces.

Mapping Penny’s world

by Loreen Leedy

Grades: K-3

When Lisa’s teacher tells the class that they can make a map of anywhere, Lisa decides to map all of her dog Penny’s favourite locations.

Non-fiction

Rookie read-about geography: Map skills series

by various authors

Grades: K-1

The four books in this series – Latitude and Longitude, Map Keys, Looking at Maps and Globes, and Map Scales – each highlight a different aspect of map reading.

Follow that map! A first book of mapping skills

by Scot Ritchie

Grades: K-3

Using maps, learners can follow Sally as she searches for her missing cat and dog, and can try making a map of their own bedroom at the end of the book.

Maps and mapping for Canadian kids

by Laura Peetom & Paul Heersink

Grades: 1-4

Discusses concepts such as scale, symbols, and colour and how they relate to reading maps. Also touches on basic principles of navigation and how they’re used to explore and chart the world.

National Geographic Kids World Atlas

by National Geographic Society

Grades: 3-8

The 5th edition of this well-known atlas includes new features such as a thematic map on endangered species, a map about the region of Central Africa, and an expanded Antarctica section.

How does GPS work?

by Leon Gray

Grades: 4-6

When taking a road trip today, some sort of GPS device is essential. It may be built into the car’s dashboard, or perhaps it’s just an app on a smartphone. But GPS is used for more than just finding your way! Readers will be fascinated by its many uses, such as catching criminals, predicting earthquakes, and creating maps.

Map types

by Ann Becker

Grades: 4-8

This book explores what maps are, what kinds of maps there are – like road maps, topographical maps, and globe – and how maps are created and used. Part of the All over the map series.

Map parts

by Kate Torpie

Grades: 4-8

This book examines the essential parts of maps through carefully chosen examples. Part of the All over the map series.

Drawing maps

by Kate Torpie

Grades: 4-8

The author demonstrates how maps are made at different scales and for a variety of purposes, and gives easy-to-follow instructions on how to draw maps. Part of the All over the map series.

Mapping in a digital world

by James Bow

Grades: 4-8

This book explores how map making is changing due to new developments in technology: from satellite data, to videos from the internet, to computer game technology. Part of the Mapping in the modern world series.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms to narrow your results, such as “Maps –Juvenile fiction”, “Maps–Juvenile literature”, “Atlases–Juvenile literature”, or “Map reading–Juvenile literature”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
Social Studies

Immigrant and Refugee Experiences

Listed below are selected teacher resources, picture books, fiction, and non-fiction related to immigrant and refugee experiences.

Teacher Resources

Supporting refugee children: Strategies for educators

by Jan Stewart

Grades: K-12

The psychosocial needs of war-affected children who migrate to other countries are difficult to identify, complicated to understand, and even more troubling to address. This book provides a holistic exploration of these challenges and offers practical advice for teachers, social workers, and counsellors, as well as suggestions for policy makers.

Voices from the margins: School experiences of refugee, migrant and indigenous children

edited by Eva Alerby and Jill Brown

Grades: K-12

This collection of studies provides a place for migrant, refugee and indigenous children to talk about their school experiences. Refugee children from the Sudan, Afghanistan and Somalia, indigenous children from Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam, migrant children in Canada, Iceland and Hong Kong, and urban and rural children from Zanzibar all speak out through drawings, small group and individual discussion.

Global migration and education: Schools, children and families

edited by Leah Adams and Anna Kirova

Grades: K-12

The essays in this book are organized around five themes: Multiple Global Issues for Immigrant Children and the Schools They Attend; They Are Here: Newcomers in the Schools; Views and Voices of Immigrant Children; Far from Home With Fluctuating Hopes; and Searching for New Ways to Belong. (Also available online.)

Untapped skills: Realising the potential of immigrant students

by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Grades: K-12

This report explores a number of questions about the performance and socio-economic background of children of immigrants, including: Who are the children of immigrants? What do they know and what can they do? How do they differ from other students? Do they approach school and learning in a different way?

Righting Canada’s wrongs resource guide

by Lindsay Gibson, Ilan Danjoux, and Roland Case

Grades: 6-12

To be used with the books in the Righting Canada’s wrongs series, which explores the Canadian government’s actions against various ethnic groups throughout history, the subsequent fights for justice, and the eventual apologies and restitution.

Picture Books

The Journey

by Francesca Sanna

A mother and her two children leave everything behind and set out to find a new home, in a journey filled with both fear of the unknown and great hope.

 Mustafa

written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay

Grades: K-3

Some nights Mustafa dreams of the country he used to live in. Dreams full of smoke and fire and loud noises. Mustafa’s mother and a new friend help him to feel a little more at home in this unfamiliar place.

Teacup

written by Rebecca Young, illustrated by Matt Ottley

Grades: K-3

A boy travels across the sea in a rowboat to look for a new home, taking with him a teacup full of earth from the place where he grew up.

The Day You Begin

written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López

Grades: K-3

When Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself, his classmates laugh – but Angelina understands what it’s like to be an outsider.

The Name Jar

by Yangsook Choi

Grades: K-2

Instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, Korean immigrant Unhei tells her class that she will choose an English name by the following week. Her classmates want to help her – but which name will she choose?

Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Story

written by Margriet Ruurs, illustrated by Nizar Ali Badr

A young girl and her family are forced to flee their village to escape the Syrian civil war and make their way toward safety and freedom in Europe. In English and Arabic.

Out

written by Angela May George, illustrated by Owen Swan

Grades: K-3

A little girl and her mother flee their war-torn homeland, making a long and treacherous sea journey to find a new place to call home.

The day war came

written by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb

Grades: 1-4

Imagine war came to your town, turning it to rubble. Then imagine going on a long journey to find a new home, with no welcome at the end of the journey.

Fiction

Front desk

by Kelly Yang

Grades: 3-7

Mia lives with her parents, who are immigrants, at the motel where they work. While Mia covers the front desk and tries to tell her mother she wants to become a writer, her parents are hiding newcomers who they let stay at the hotel for free. Mia has to juggle the demands of her work while striving for her dream.

Inside Out and Back Again

by Thanhha Lai

Grades: 3-7

Ha, a young Vietnamese girl, chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers flee their home in Saigon and resettle in Alabama.

A Long Walk to Water

by Linda Sue Park

Grades: 5-7

When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of a safe haven.

Seeking Refuge: a graphic novel

by Irene N. Watts, illustrated by Kathryn E. Shoemaker

Grades: 4-7

Marianne, a young Jewish girl, has made it out of Nazi Germany in the Kindertransport of 1938. Now in Wales in 1939, she moves from one unsuitable home to another, but her courage and resilience see her through.

Non-fiction

Too young to escape: A Vietnamese girl waits to be reunited with her family

by Van Ho and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

When her family flees from Vietnam to the West, Van is too young – and her grandmother is too old – to make the dangerous boat journey. While they wait for their family to send for them, they must endure many hardships.

Canada’s immigrant cultures

by Barbara Samuels

Grades: 4-6

Canada is a country of many cultures, and all of these cultures have played important roles in establishing the county’s foundation. In this book, readers explore Canada’s rich cultural landscape, and learn about the impact that different cultural groups have had throughout Canada’s history, and continue to have today. Part of the Multiculturalism in Canada series.

The Komagata Maru and Canada’s anti-Indian immigration policies in the twentieth century

by Pamela Hickman

Grades: 6-12

This book explores the 1914 incident in which the Canadian government refused to allow over 300 immigrants who came to Canada by ship – on the Komagata Maru – to stay in this country. Part of the Righting Canada’s wrongs series.

The Chinese head tax and anti-Chinese immigration policies in the twentieth century

by Arlene Chan

Grades: 6-12

Through historical photographs, documents, and first-person narratives from Chinese Canadians who experienced the Head Tax or who were children of Head Tax payers, this book offers a full account of the injustice of this period in Canadian history. Part of the Righting Canada’s wrongs series.

Japanese Canadian internment in the Second World War

by Pamela Hickman and Masako Fukawa

Grades: 6-12

This book uses first-person narrative from five Japanese Canadians who were youths at the time their families were forced to move to the camps to describe the experience of internment. Also includes photographs and historical documents. Part of the Righting Canada’s wrongs series.

Italian Canadian internment in the Second World War

by Pamela Hickman and Jean Smith Cavalluzzo

Grades: 6-12

This book uses first-person narratives, historical photographs, paintings, and documents to describe Italian Canadians experience of internment. Part of the Righting Canada’s wrongs series.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left-hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to physical materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms, such as “Refugees – Juvenile fiction”, “Refugee children – Education – Canada”, “Children of immigrants – Education”, or “Emigration and immigration”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

PDF Booklist

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
Planning for Teaching and Learning

Universal Design for Learning

Listed below are selected resources for teachers related to incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into the classroom.

Ensouling our schools: A universally designed framework for mental health, well-being, and reconciliation

by Jennifer Katz, with Kevin Lamoureux

Grades: K-12

The authors share methods of creating schools that engender mental, spiritual, and emotional health while developing intellectual thought and critical analysis, as well as Indigenous approaches to mental and spiritual health that benefit all students and address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action.

Antiracism and universal design for learning : building expressways to success

by Andratesha Fritzgerald; foreword by Samaria Rice

Grades: K-12

This book reveals Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as an effective framework to teach Black and Brown students. Drawing vivid portraits of classroom instruction, Fritzgerald shows how teachers open new roads of communication, engagement, and skill-building for students who feel honored and loved.

Universal design for learning in the classroom: Practical Applications

by Tracey E. Hall, Anne Meyer, and David H. Rose (E-book available here)

Grades: K-12

This book shows how to apply the principles of UDL across all subject areas and grade levels. The editors and contributors describe practical ways to develop classroom goals, assessments, materials, and methods that use UDL to meet the needs of all learner, with specific teaching ideas presented for reading, writing, science, mathematics, history, and the arts.

Universal design for learning in the early childhood classroom: Teaching children of languages, cultures and abilities, birth-8 years

by Pamela Brillante and Karen Nemeth

Grades: K-3

This book  focuses on proactively designing PreK through Grade 3 classroom environments, instruction, and assessments that are flexible enough to ensure that teachers can accommodate the needs of all the students in their classrooms.

UDL now!: A teacher’s guide to applying universal design for learning in today’s classrooms

by Katie Novak, foreword by David Rose

Grades: K-12

This book shows how to use the UDL Guidelines to plan lessons, choose materials, assess learning, and improve instructional practice. Novak discusses key concepts such as scaffolding, vocabulary-building, and using student feedback to inform instruction.

Teaching to diversity: The three-block model of universal design for learning

by Jennifer Katz, foreword by Faye Brownlie (E-book available here)

Grades: K-12

This book demonstrates a three-block model of UDL: Block One, Social and Emotional Learning; Block Two, Inclusive Instructional Practice; and Block Three, Systems and Structures: This model can empower educators with the knowledge, skills, and confidence required to teach diverse learners in the same classroom.

Resource teachers: A changing role in the three-block model of universal design for learning

by Jennifer Katz

Grades: K-12

Building on the three-block model described in Teaching to diversity, Katz describes the fundamental shift in the role of the resource teacher in the inclusive classroom. This book discusses practical and innovative ways to partner with classroom teachers to create inclusive learning communities – by co-planning, co-teaching, and co-assessing instruction – with less emphasis on traditional practices of pull-out remediation, IEPs, and modified programming.

Your UDL lesson planner: The step-by-step guide for teaching all learners

by Patti Kelly Ralabate (E-book available here)

Grades: K-12

Through vignettes, exercises, video demonstrations, and other resources, K-12 educators will discover how to translate UDL from theory to practice, and plan lessons that meet every learner’s needs.

Succeeding in the inclusive classroom: K-12 lesson plans using universal design for learning

by Debbie Metcalf

Grades: K-12

This book provides strategies teachers can use to apply the principles of UDL to their lesson planning, by considering “up front” potential barriers that could limit access to instruction for some learners and brainstorming possible solutions before lessons begin.

 A practical reader in universal design for learning

edited by David H. Rose and Anne Meyer

Grades: K-12

The authors collected here offer insights on learner differences, the capacities of new media in the classroom, and effective teaching and assessment practices. The book also includes lessons from teacher professional development workshops, classroom-based research, and UDL practitioners.

Differentiating instruction: Collaborative planning and teaching for universally designed learning

by Jacqueline S. Thousand, Richard A. Villa, and Ann I. Nevin

Grades: K-12

The authors demonstrate how to use co-planning, co-teaching, and collaboration to differentiate instruction more effectively. The book showcases examples of good practice using differentiated instruction through retrofit and universal design.

The maker playbook : a guide to creating inclusive learning experiences

by Caroline D. Haebig

Grades: K-12

This book provides concrete strategies for designing and implementing cultural and instructional supports for maker learning, and equipping makerspaces to model universal design for learning (UDL) in action.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left-hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to physical materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms, such as “universal design for learning”, “individualized instruction”, “inclusive education”, or “Instructional systems–Design”
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

PDF Booklist

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
Sciences

Forces and Motion

Listed below are selected teacher resources, picture books, fiction, and non-fiction related to forces and motion.

Teacher Resources

Hands-on physical science activities for grades K-6

by Marvin N. Tolman

Grades: K-6

This book’s activities follow the discovery/inquiry approach and encourage students to analyze, synthesize, and infer based on their own hands-on experiences. Topics include the nature of matter, energy, light, sound, simple machines, magnetism, static electricity, and current electricity.

Explaining primary science

by Paul Chambers and Nicholas Souter

Grades: K-6

The authors cover all the major areas of science relevant for beginning primary/elementary school teachers, explaining key concepts from the ground up. Topics include forces, matter, energy, biodiversity and ecosystems, water, light, sound, and more.

Making physics fun: Key concepts, classroom activities, & everyday examples, grades K-8

by Robert Prigo

Grades: K-8

The author provides fun and engaging activities using safe, available materials that educators can easily incorporate into lesson plans. Extensive examples, sample inquiry questions, and ideas for initiating units are available for teachers to pick and choose from to meet student needs. This resource addresses specific areas of physical science, including motion and force, waves and sound, light and electromagnetic waves, and more.

Loco-motion: Physics models for the classroom

by Ed Sobey

Grades: 5-8

This activity book contains  instructions and guidelines for building physics models that fly through the air, drive on the ground, or paddle through water. Each model is presented in a specific educational context, so teachers can instruct with hands-on experimentation. Students will explore science concepts such as gravity, air pressure, kinetic energy, Newton’s laws, electrical circuitry, buoyancy, and inertia.

Simple machines

by Steven Souza and Joseph Shortell

Grades: 7-12

This book allows students to investigate force and motion through 17 activities that explore the mechanical advantage of the six types of simple machines: inclined planes, pulleys, gears, screws, levers and the wheel. The concepts of force, work and power are also explored.

The big ideas in physics and how to teach them: Teaching physics 11-18

by Ben Rogers

Grades: 7-12

Each chapter of this book provides the historical narrative behind a Big Idea, explaining its significance, the key figures behind it, and its place in scientific history. Accompanied by detailed ready-to-use lesson plans and classroom activities, the book contains not only a thorough explanation of physics, but also the applied pedagogy to ensure its effective translation to students in the classroom. Each of the five big ideas in physics are covered in detail: electricity, forces, energy, particles, and the universe. (E-book only.)

Picture Books

 I fall down

written by Vicky Cobb, illustrated by Julia Gorton

What happens when you trip or when you drop a ball? When something falls, which way does it fall? Down, down, down! Explore the force of gravity through this book.

Bird builds a nest

written by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Richard Jones

Follow Bird as she spends the day building her nest, making sure that everything is in the right place to hold it together. Using a falling twig as an example, this book provides an introduction to physical forcers for early readers.

Fiction

 A crash course in forces and motion with Max Axiom, super scientist,

written by Emily Sohn, illustrated by Steve Erwin and Charles Barnett III

Grades: 3-9

Zoom along as Max Axiom rides his way through a lesson in speed, acceleration, inertia, friction, and gravity. Young readers will discover the complex forces that keep the world running. Part of the Graphic Library series.

Non-Fiction

Motion, magnets and more: The big book of primary physical science,

written by Adrienne Mason, illustrated by Claudia Dávila

Grades: K-6

Where do the bubbles come from in a piece of cake? Why do triangles make a structure stronger? And how come magnets don’t stick to the wall? This introduction to the physical sciences gives young readers an easy-to-understand overview of such concepts as materials, forces, structures, solids, liquids and gases.

What is motion?

by Natalie Hyde

Grades: K-3

This book explores how objects are moved by a change in energy. Simple activities show young readers how energy is changed by applying a force, either by coming in contact with an object or by a force that does not touch it physically, like gravity.

Changing direction

by Natalie Hyde

Grades: K-3

This book explains how forces can change the direction of an object in motion. Simple explanations and activities help children understand the science behind forces.

Pushing and pulling

by Natalie Hyde

Grades: K-3

This book explains how a force, such as a push or a pull, can put an object in motion. Simple activities show how a force can move an object that is not moving or stop one that is moving.

Amazing forces and movement

by Sally Hewitt

Grades: 3-6

This new book introduces children to the concepts of push and pull, friction, and gravity, as well as how our own muscles use force to push us along. Examples include a huge magnet that attracts or pulls iron, wind pushing a water wheel to make it turn, and a skydiver’s parachute slowing down the pull of gravity toward the ground.

Simple machines: Forces in motion

by Buffy Silverman

Grades: 3-6

How did the Ancient Egyptians build the pyramids? What is an Archimedes’ screw? Which wedge do you use every time you eat? This book helps you answer these questions and more through experiments and activities. Part of the Do it yourself series.

What are Newton’s laws of motion?

by Denyse O’Leary

Grades: 5-8

This book examines how Sir Isaac Newton developed three basic laws that explain the way in which objects move. Readers will learn how Newton expanded on the work of other great scientists to make his important discovery, as well as how Newton’s laws have influenced modern science and technology in areas such as sports and transportation. Part of the Shaping modern science series.

Forces and motion

by Casey Rand.

Grades: 5-8

This book explores questions such as how friction helps you ride a bicycle, how submarines keep from sinking, and what equilibrium is. Part of the Sci-Hi series, which presents middle-school science topics in a format appropriate for less skilled readers.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms to narrow your results, such as “force and energy–juvenile literature”, “motion–juvenile literature”, or “physics–study and teaching”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry-Based Learning: Picture Books

Below are selected picture books which can be used to introduce students to Inquiry-Based Learning.

What do you do with an idea?

written by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom

A boy has an idea which makes him uncomfortable at first, but he discovers it is magical and that, no matter what other people say, he should give it his attention.

Ada Twist, Scientist

written by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts

Ada is curious; she spends almost all her time asking questions about why things are the way they are. Her family supports her – at least, until the day she looks for the source of a horrible smell.

Going Places

by Peter H. Reynolds and Paul A. Reynolds

Maya is following her own set of rules for this year’s Oak Hill School go-kart race.

The Wonder

by Faye Hanson

A little boy is constantly being told to get his head out of the clouds; when his daydreams finally come out, he creates something wonderful he can share with everyone.

 I Wonder

by Annaka Harris, illustrated by John Rowe

On a walk with her mother, a little girl discovers that it’s okay to say “I don’t know”, and that sometimes even adults don’t know the answers to questions.

Imagine a place

by Sarah L. Thomson, illustrated by Rob Gonsalves

Imagining can take a person anywhere they’d like to go, whether it’s real or not.

Step forward with curiosity

by Shannon Welbourn

Curiosity can help people to discover amazing new places, inventions, and ideas.

The mermaid and the shoe

by K. G. Campbell

Minnow seems to only be good at asking questions; when she finds a strange object, her questions take her to a wondrous new place.

If…

by Sarah Perry

What if frogs ate rainbows? What if cats could fly? What if worms had wheels? When you start to ask unusual questions, you just might find interesting and unexpected answers.

Stuck

by Oliver Jeffers

Floyd’s kite is stuck in a tree. It shouldn’t be too hard to get it out if he throws his shoe at it…or maybe an orangutan…or how about his front door? What might finally get it out?

Anything is possible

written by Giulia Belloni, illustrated by Marco Trevisan, translated by William Anselmi

A sheep dreams of building a flying machine. Her friend the wolf thinks it will never work. But when they start working together on the project, amazing things happen.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms to narrow your results, such as “inquiry based learning”, “inquiry-based learning”, or “inquiry”.
  • To find picture books, include “children’s books”, “juvenile literature”, “juvenile fiction” or “picture books” in your search terms.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
Sciences

Teaching Science Disciplines

Listed below are selected teacher resources for teaching the Science disciplines.

Teacher Resources

Inspiring young minds: Scientific inquiry in the early years

by Julie Smart

Grades: K-3

This book provides a concrete guide to using research-based principles of inquiry to help children explore their world, using case studies to focus on the teacher’s interaction with children.

Whole-class inquiry: Creating student-centered science communities

by Dennis Smithenry and Joan Gallager-Bolos

Grades: 7-12

The authors present ideas, techniques and resources for implementing whole-class inquiry in the middle and high school science classroom.

Science stories: Science methods for elementary and middle school teachers

by Janice Koch

Grades: K-8

Through narratives about science teaching and learning in real-world classrooms, this text demonstrates learning, important content, and strategies in action. Koch’s approach guides teachers in discovering and exploring their scientific selves, enabling them to learn from students’ experiences and become effective scientific explorers in their own classrooms.

Kid’s eye view of science: A conceptual, integrated approach to teaching science, K-6

by Susan J. Kovalik and Karen D. Olsen

Grades: K-6

The authors demonstrate how to teach science conceptually through the lens of “big ideas” such as change, interdependence, and adaptation. The book includes charts, graphics, forms, and summaries that help teachers translate abstract concepts into concrete lessons; a comprehensive discussion of brain research, including helpful tips to assimilate 10 body-brain-compatible elements into the classroom; and practical hands-on guidance for enriching science programs and improving student outcomes.

Formative assessment for secondary science teachers

by Erin Marie Furtak

Grades: 7-12

The author demonstrates how to create and implement formative assessments in all science content areas – physics/physical science, life science/biology, earth and space science, and chemistry – in middle and high school science classrooms. Five types of formative assessments are discussed: big idea questions, concept maps, evidence-to-explanation, predict-observe-explain, and multiple choice.

The really useful book of science experiments: 100 easy ideas for primary school teachers

by Tracy-ann Aston

Grades: K-6

This book provides simple-to-do science experiments that can be carried out by any teacher in a primary school classroom with minimal or no specialist equipment needed. Each experiment is accompanied by a subject knowledge guide, as well as suggestions for how to adapt each experiment to increase or decrease the challenge. (E-book)

Teaching science for understanding in elementary and middle schools

by Wynne Harlen

Grades: K-8

This book explores how to build on the ideas students already have to cultivate the thinking and skills necessary for developing an understanding of scientific aspects of the world, including investigating and drawing conclusions from data through analyzing, interpreting, and explaining.

Becoming scientists: Inquiry-based teaching in diverse classrooms, grades 3-5

by Rusty Bresser and Sharon Fargason.

Grades: 3-5

Using examples from classrooms where teachers practice inquiry science and engage students in science and engineering practices, the authors show teachers how to build on students’ varied experiences, background knowledge, and readiness; respond to the needs of students with varying levels of English language proficiency; manage a diverse classroom during inquiry science exploration; and facilitate science discussions.

Differentiated science inquiry

by Douglas Llewellyn

Grades: K-8

The author gives teachers standards-based strategies for differentiating inquiry-based science instruction to more effectively meet the needs of all students. This book takes the concept of inquiry-based science education to a deeper level with the author’s unique model, including fresh ideas for engaging students and practical tools for differentiating inquiry instruction.

99 jumpstarts for kids’ science research

by Peggy J. Whitley and Susan Williams Goodwin

Grades: 4-8

The authors’ pathfinder approach aids students in the research process, helping them define important terms, offer beginning questions to help narrow their topic, furnish source ideas, and engage in fun activities to explore each topic.

Science formative assessment: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning

by Page Keeley

Grades: K-12

This book presents 75 specific formative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs) to help K–12 science teachers determine students’ understanding of key scientific concepts.

Scaffolding science inquiry through lesson design

by Michael Klentschy and Laurie Thompson

Grades: K-8

The authors explore the approach taken in the El Centro, California school district to create a well-designed, inquiry-based science curriculum, which raised student achievement in K-8 science across the district.

100 ideas for secondary teachers: Outstanding science lessons

by Ian McDaid

Grades: 9-12

This book presents 100 practical ideas and activities for science teachers to use in their daily lessons, as well as teaching and planning strategies for those lessons.

Arguing from evidence in middle school science: 24 activities for productive talk and deeper learning

by Jonathan Osborne, Brian M. Donovan, J. Bryan Henderson, et al.

Grades: 5-8

The authors share strategies and activities to help engage students in arguments about competing data sets, opposing scientific ideas, applying evidence to support specific claims, and more. The activities are drawn from the physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and space sciences.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to physical materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms to narrow your results, such as “science – study and teaching”, “creative ability in science”, “science – examinations, questions”, etc.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
Physical and Health Education

Teaching Physical and Health Education

Listed below are selected teacher resources for teaching physical and health education.

Dynamic physical education for elementary school children

by Robert P. Pangrazi and Aaron Beighle

Grades: K-6

This text guides teachers through step-by-step techniques for teaching physical education. It offers both a theoretical framework and hands-on activities, with information on contemporary trends, research and fitness technology, and management techniques.

Healthy breaks: Wellness activities for the classroom

by Jenine M. De Marzo

Grades: K-6

This book serves as a supplemental guide for classroom teachers who want to integrate health, wellness, and movement within their classrooms, as well as a resource for physical educators who have limited gym space and resources. It presents a range of teacher-tested activities that take 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

Teaching physical education creatively

by Angela Pickard and Patricia Maude

Grades: K-6

Emphasizes the benefits of taking a creative approach to physical education and utilizing students’ curiosity, imagination, and desire to move. Includes practical suggestions and examples to help develop and execute engaging and creative physical education activities. eBook only.

Canadian quality daily physical activities. Grades 4-6: 80 activities adapted for classroom & outside

by Grace Price

Grades: K-8

80 activities that encourage physical activity everyday through play. Each activity includes a learning goal, necessary equipment, safety considerations, instructions, and possible extensions. Available for grades: PreK – 1, 2 – 3, 4 – 6, 7 – 8.

Jump start health!: Practical ideas to promote wellness in kids of all ages

by David Campos

Grades: K-12

An in-depth overview of what wellness is and how to incorporate it into the classroom. Includes chapters on health and wellness, nutrition, physical activity, and school and community collaboration. Also includes clear learning objectives and step by step guides for activities.

Ophea 50 fitness activity cards [Les 50 cartes d’activités physiques d’Ophea],

by OPHEA

Grades: K-12

A set of 50 bilingual Fitness Activity Cards, each with an on the spot fitness move. The cards can be combined in different ways to create fun fitness routines or can be used individually as a quick movement break during class.

Fundamental movement skills: An educator’s guide to teaching fundamental movement skills

by Nancy Francis et al.

Grades: K-12

This book aims to support teachers in planning and delivering activities that support the development of locomotor, stability, and manipulative skills. Includes sections on theoretical perspectives of physical literacy in children, children with disabilities and inclusion needs, balance and stability skills, manipulative skills in games, and planning and assessment strategies.

Health information in a changing world: Practical approaches for teachers, schools, and school librarians

by W. Bernard Lukenbill and Barbara Froling Immroth

Grades: K-12

Offers a guide for teachers on how to integrate health education across the curriculum. Also discusses how to find and evaluate health information, how to convey that information to students and caregivers, and provides additional resources for support.

A curriculum of wellness: Reconceptualizing physical education

by Michelle Kilborn

Grades: K-12

This book takes a holistic wellness approach to physical education, challenging current understandings of physical education curriculum. For more in the Complicated conversation series, click here.

Digital technology in physical education: Global perspectives

edited by Jeroen Koekoek and Ivo van Hilvoorde

Grades: K-12

Explores how digital technology can be utilized in physical education to enhance student experience. Takes a practical approach that connects ideas to core pedagogical principles and solidifies concepts through personal narratives, case studies, and reflection. eBook only.

Mental health

by Jacqueline Nemni

Grades: 6-9

Part of the Issues 21 series, which examines contemporary issues in society in order to develop students’ skills in the areas of critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, ethical citizenship and activism. Includes 6 student books and a teacher’s guide.

Threats to health

by Dona Foucault

Grades: 6-9

Part of the Issues 21 series, which examines contemporary issues in society in order to develop students’ skills in the areas of critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, ethical citizenship and activism. Includes 6 student books and a teacher’s guide.

Fitness for life Canada: Preparing teens for healthy, active lifestyles

by Guy C. Le Masurier et al.

Grades: 7-12

This book presents an evidence-based program focused on shifting teens from dependence to independence when it comes to healthy behaviours, including physical activity, fitness, and healthy eating.

Dynamic physical education: For secondary school students

by Paul W. Darst, Robert P. Pangrazi, and Benjamin Cummings

Grades: 8-12

Provides comprehensive information for developing a physical education curriculum for secondary students. Includes assessment assistance, case studies to illustrate concepts, tips for technology integration, and highlights important topics in the field.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms to narrow your results, such as “Physical education and training–Study and teaching”, “Physical education for children”, “Health education (Secondary”, “Health education (Elementary)”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

Categories
English Language Arts

Teaching English Language Arts

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Listed below are selected teacher resources for teaching English language arts.

Engaging young readers: Practical tools and strategies to reach all learners,

by L. Robert Furman

Grades: K-4

Beginner-level guide focusing on developmental reading strategies for elementary students at all stages and exploring how technology can be used to improve the skills of a wide range of readers, including beginning readers, struggling readers, reluctant readers, enriched readers and English Language Learners.

Think big with think alouds, grades K-5: A three-step planning process that develops strategic readers

by Molly Ness

Grades: K-5

The author presents five strategies that can help student become better readers: asking questions, making inferences, synthesizing, understanding the author’s purpose, and monitoring and clarifying.

The reading strategies book: Your everything guide to developing skilled readers

by Jennifer Serravallo

Grades: K-6

This book presents a wide range of techniques to allow teachers to develop individual goals for every reader, give students step-by-step instructions for reading with skill, guide readers using prompts aligned with a strategy, adjust instruction to meet individual needs, and more.

The writing strategies book: Your everything guide to developing skilled writers with 300 strategies

by Jennifer Serravallo

Grades: K-6

From the author of The reading strategies book, this book presents a wide range of techniques to allow teachers to develop individual goals for every writer, give students step-by-step instructions for writing with skill and craft, coach writers using prompts aligned with a strategy, present mentor texts that support a genre and strategy, and more.

Reading power: Teaching students to think while they read

by Adrienne Gear

Grades: K-6

This book presents five thinking strategies that children can employ during their reading: connecting, questioning, visualizing, inferring, and transforming.

Writing power: Teaching writing strategies that engage thinking

by Adrienne Gear

Grades: K-6

The author examines how developing an awareness of readers’ thinking can influence and affect a student’s ability to write. A range of effective writing techniques are outlined and reinforced throughout the book, with suggested “anchor books” for each lesson.

Teaching writing: Balancing process and product

by Gail E. Tompkins and Pat Daniel Jones

Grades: K-8

The authors present an overview of the strategies that writers use, the writing genres, and the writer’s craft, along with techniques for improving the quality of students’ writing. Classroom artifacts, mini-lessons, and day-to-day teaching strategies are integrated throughout the text.

Differentiated reading instruction: Strategies and technology tools to help all students improve

by Jules Csillag

Grades: K-12

This book explores how reading instruction can be differentiated using a range of technological tools, including text-to-speech programs, videos, interactive annotation tools, dictation software, and more.

Powerful understanding: Helping students explore, question, and transform their thinking about themselves and the world around them

by Adrienne Gear

Grades: K-12

This book explores ways to build social emotional skills and help students make connections, question what they read, and reflect on their learning as they develop into stronger readers and learners. Strategic and critical thinking strategies revolve around core anchor books that help integrate thinking into all aspects of teaching and learning: from social responsibility, to immigration, to life cycles.

Pulling together: Integrating inquiry, assessment, and instruction in today’s English classroom

by Leyton Schnellert et al.

Grades: K-12

This book explores working together with students to develop and explore essential ideas and practices, including responsive teaching and assessment, reading as a personalized and meaningful experience, and critical literacy.

Cultivating genius: an equity framework for culturally and historically responsive literacy

by Gholdy Muhammad

Grades: K-12

This book examines culturally responsive practices, interventions, and supports for educators that can be utilized in school settings. “In CultivatingGenius, Dr. Gholdy E. Muhammad presents a four-layered equity framework–one that is grounded in history and restores excellence in literacy education.

Challenging stories: Canadian literature for social justice in the classroom

edited by Anne Burke, Ingrid Johnston, and Angela Ward

Grades: K-12

This edited collection highlights the value of contemporary Canadian literature for addressing issues of social justice in elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms. The collection describes how a group of teachers selected Canadian social justice literature and developed curriculum around this literature.

Teaching tough topics: how do I use children’s literature to build a deeper understanding of social justice, equity, and diversity?

by Larry Swartz

Grades: K-12

Teaching Tough Topics shows teachers how to lead students to become caring citizens as they read and respond to quality children’s literature. It focuses on topics that can be challenging or sensitive, yet are significant in order to build understanding of social justice, diversity, and equity.

Concept-based Literacy Lessons cover artConcept-based literacy lessons: Designing learning to ignite understanding and transfer

by Lois A. Lanning & Tiffanee Brown

Grades: 4-10

For literacy teachers looking for practical ways to implement a Curriculum and Instruction Model that’s more inquiry-driven and idea-centered, look no further than this book. This resource helps bridge the divide between conceptual curriculum and actionable practice, and provides practical support for teachers implementing Concept-Based literacy lessons.

The flexible ELA classroom: Practical tools for differentiated instruction in grades 4-8

by Amber Chandler

Grades: 4-8

This book describes a range of strategies for use in the ELA classroom, including using choice boards and menus to teach vocabulary, reading, and presentation skills; grouping students strategically to maximize learning outcomes and encourage collaboration; making vocabulary learning interesting and memorable with visual aids, tiered lists, and personalized word studies; designing Project Based Learning lessons to unleash students’ creativity; and assessing students’ progress without the use of one-size-fits-all testing.

Teaching literature to adolescents

by Richard Beach, Deborah Appleman, Bob Fecho, and Rob Simon

Grades: 6-12

How do I teach what my students are reading? How do I help students understand what they are reading? How do I create opportunities to talk and write about texts? This questions and more are addressed in this practical guide to teaching literature to middle school and high school students. Available in print and as an eBook.

Socialjusticeliteracies in the Englishclassroom: teaching practice in action

by Ashley S. Boyd; foreword by Deborah Appleman

Grades: 6-college

This timely book focuses on different social justice pedagogies and how they can work within standards and district mandates in a variety of English language arts classrooms. With detailed analysis and authentic classroom vignettes, the author explores how teachers cultivate relationships for equity, utilize transformative language practices, demonstrate critical caring, and develop students’ critical literacies with traditional and critical content.

Powerful readers: Thinking strategies to guide literacy instruction in secondary classrooms

by Kyla Hadden and Adrienne Gear

Grades: 9-12

This book demonstrates that instruction in the key strategies of connecting, visualizing, questioning, inferring, determining importance, and transforming can help students develop their reading skills and get more out of their work with fiction and nonfiction. Includes step-by-step lessons for introducing and using the strategies, connections to literary devices, and reading lists for each strategy.

Secondary starters and plenaries: English

by Johnnie Young

Grades: 9-12

This book provides English teachers with 50 suggestions for embedding and extending learning in the classroom: from individual to whole-class activities, and from the energetic to the sedate. Each starter and plenary contains an ‘ideas generator’, making it easily adaptable for the whole ability range of a class.

Letting go: How to give your students control over their learning in the English classroom

by Meg Donhauser, Cathy Stutzman, and Heather Hersey

Grades: 10-12

This book explores an inquiry-based approach which allows students to differentiate their learning, giving them the space to choose texts, develop questions, and practice skills based on their individual needs.

Finding More Resources

To find more resources in this area, try the following:

  • Search using the General tab on the UBC Library website to look for material in all UBC Library branches.
  • Search using “Search Education Resources” box in the left hand bar on the Education Library website to limit your results to physical materials in the Education Library.
  • Use specific search terms, such as “English”, “English language arts”, “English language”, “equitable”, “diversity”, or “supportive”.
  • To find lesson plans, include “lesson plans”, “lesson planning”, or “activity programs” in your search terms.

For more help with searching, please visit the Library Service Desk or e-mail ed.lib@ubc.ca.

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