The Important BookBy

Third Grade

School

The important thing about school is that we learn.

School is a building. We learn math. It looks like a big building. It is made of bricks. The school has windows. A school is in a town. I love math at school!

The important thing about school is that we learn.

K.M.

Slide

The important thing about a slide is you slide down it.

It is playground equipment. You climb up it. It can be different colors and it can be curvy. It can be made out of metal. It has a ladder. It can be at the park or it can be on a playground. You can use the slide to go in the pool.

The important thing about a slide is you slide down it.

A.L.

Tree

The important thing about a tree is that it gives us oxygen.

A tree is a plant. It can grow many leaves. Some trees are very big. A tree is wood. On a tree there are branches. You can see it at a park. A tree is good for the environment.

The important thing about a tree is that it gives us oxygen.

D.P.

Swing

The important thing about a swing is that you play on it.

The playground has swings. You play on it at recess. It looks like a rectangle. It is made of plastic. The swing has a chain and a seat. In the park they have swings. You can swing fast.

The important thing about a swing is that you play on it.

R.S..

Playground truck

The important thing about the playground truck is you can pretend to drive it.

It is playground equipment. You can pretend to drive it. The colors are orange, white and black. It can be plastic and metal. It has wheels and lights. You would find it on a playground. You can hide behind it.

The important thing about the playground truck is you can pretend to drive it.

D.K.

Phys. Ed.

The importantthing aboutPhys. Ed. is games.

Phys. Ed. Is a special class. We play games. It looks like kids playing. The gym is a big place. We use balls, hoops, and frisbees. We have P.E. in the gym. P.E. is hard sometimes.

The importantthing aboutPhys. Ed. is games.

Z.B.

Teacher

The important thing about teachers is they teach all the time.

Teachers have a job. Teachers teach math and science. Teachers can be women and men. Teachers go to college. Teachers have a classroom and pens. Teachers work in schools. Some teachers teach gym, library, music, technology and art.

The important thing about teachers is they teach all the time.

D.M.

Book bags

The important thing about bookBags is I take them to School.

A book bag is a kind of a bag. I wear it to school. My friends have different bags. It is made of Plastic. A book bag has straps and Zippers. I find it on hooks and in cubbies. There are different color book bags.

The important thing about bookBags is I take them to School.

D.G.

Flags

The important thing about a flag is that it is a symbol of the United States.

A flag is a kind of banner. A flag waves because the wind makes it wave. The flag looks like 3 different colors that are red white and blue because it represents the United States. The flag is made of fabric because it is soft. The parts of a flag are stripes and stars. Flags are sometimes at parades and schools. Sometimes people put the flag on the moon because some people want the country better and some people love the united states.

The important thing about a flag is that it is a symbol of the United States.

A.W.

How we made this book:

First, we read “The Important Book “ by

Margaret Wise Brown.

Next, we brainstormed ideas of objects or places

around the school that we could describe.

Then, we used a camera to take pictures of our

topics.

We complete a graphic organizer based on the

Expanding Expression Tool to help us describe the

objects.

Then, we took our ideas and put them into

sentences and organized them into a paragraph.

We used Power Point to type our sentences.

Then, we were able to put our pictures into each

slide.

Finally, we chose a background color, and our teacher put all the slides

together.

Expanding Expression Tool (EET) – A Multisensory Approach for Improved Oral and Written Language

• The Expanding Expression Tool provides students with a hands-on approach to describing and defining. As a mnemonic device, it provides visual and tactile information which facilitates improved language organization. The kit itself is designed to allow you to follow a hierarchical approach taking student's expression from words to paragraphs to reports. Therefore, it can be used by a variety of ages.

• The Expanding Expression Tool is color symbol coded. Students learn the code and from this code are able to provide detailed descriptions including the following elements: the category the item belongs to, the function of the object, the appearance, what the item is made of, the parts of the item, and it's location.

• http://www.expandingexpression.com/index.html

Green - Group

Blue - Do

What does it look like?

What is it made of?

Pink – Parts

White – Where?

What else do I know?

Pennsylvania Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking Standards connection:

• Standard 1.9. Information, Communication, and Technology Literacy. – 1.9.3A Use media and technology resources for directed

and independent learning activities.

• Standard 1.5 Quality of Writing. – 1.5.3.A: Write with a focus, with an understanding of topic,

task, and audience. – 1.5.3.C: Organize writing in a logical order: Include a

recognizable beginning, middle, and end.

• Book Summary: The Important Book has been a favorite read-aloud for over fifty years. The author takes the concept of everyday objects, and describes them using keen observations, rich language and an easy-to-imitate pattern of producing paragraphs. A sample description is as follows: "The important thing about rain is that it is wet. It falls out of the sky, and it sounds like rain, and makes things shiny, and it does not taste like anything, and is the color of air. But the important thing about rain is that it is wet." Other objects described include an apple, a chair, and a cat.

• Research Based Connections: According to McKenna, et al. (2007) using a "Digital Language Experience Approach" can promote digital literacy, along with providing students with an opportunity to collaborate and take advantage of scaffolding through adult support while using technology. "Authoring digital LEA stories is an authentic literacy experience, because the stories are shared with admiring peers." McKenna, et al, cite researchers who suggest that technology is best used to facilitate authentic literacy tasks.

• Sylvester, R. and Greenidge W. (2009) suggest that creating digital stories keep children engaged in the process. Starr, L (2004) advocates the use of digital cameras to document class projects and activities. Children love to use digital cameras, and they can be used to have students record objects and events in the world around them. The photographs can then be used to have students create digital presentations that are related to reading, writing, and speaking goals. "It's about using the camera as a tool to help explore and understand other subjects."