FLASH, CRASH, RUMBLE AND ROLL - December Book Review and Lesson Plan

"My heart is singing for joy this morning. A miracle has happened! The light of understanding has shone upon my little pupil's mind, and behold, all things are changed." - Anne Sullivan

 

Dear Readers,

My blog is evolving into a "one-stop shop" for educators, parents, and people interested in education. My goal is to have:

 

1. A weekly blog commentary

2. A monthly review of a book I have found useful, with a lesson plan that has worked for me.

3. A blog list that is filled with resources for the following:

• Teachers on all levels including special education.
• Washington State Teaching and Learning Standards
• A really neat set of lists for the 220 Dolch words.
• Homeschooling.
• Information about charter schools.
• Tips on classroom management.
• Information about multiple intelligences and how to determine your own learning style.
• What's going on in the U.S. Department of Education.
• What's going on This Week in Education.
• Several cool sites for printables, ideas and additional lesson plans for every grade level.
• How and where to get post secondary scholarships.
• Tips on writing and starting your own blog.
• Some of my favorite blogs that are full of good information
• Access to top N.Y. Times columnists. (Check out Opinionator)
• And finally, a link to my website for enrichment ideas for your class and your school.

I love motivating kids to learn and making lesson plans to that end. So I would also be willing to design lessons around your favorite books for a small fee. Please feel free to e-mail me if that would interest you.

Finally, I hope you will share some of your classroom experiences with the rest of us. If you have a pesky problem and want ideas, perhaps this would be a good venue. So, teachers, log on and let's learn together.

Jan

Flash, Crash, Rumble, And Roll by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
With a lesson plan by Jan Lind-Sherman

When lightning flashes in the distance we wonder how close it is and whether it presents danger to us and our surroundings. In a book published nearly fifty years ago, Franklyn Branley explains this amazing, sometimes deadly phenomenon in a way children can clearly understand. They learn how and where it occurs, how to be safe, and to not be afraid of these powerful and beautiful acts of nature. I highly recommend adding this book to your science library and to explore other similar "read and find out" books by the now deceased Dr. Branley.
LESSON PLAN

1. Do KWL Chart. (Know, Want to know, Learned)
2. Read Story. Children can watch pictures on document camera or overhead projector and take written or picture notes, depending on age of children.
3. Talk about what students have learned.
4. Show art project and go over multiple intelligences center options.
5. Start writing about lightning and thunder
6. Share information

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES ACTIVITIES:

Verbal-linguistic – I love words
Hearing and discussing the story. Making the Chart.

Intrapersonal – I love working alone
Writing assignment – either facts or feelings about storms.

Logical-Mathematical – I love math and science
Count how far the lightning is – l-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000, 4-1000, 5-1000 and/or find a way of teaching the concept of “billions”. Experiment with the concept of how thunder happens by blowing up and popping bags. (See experiment below.)

Bodily-Kinesthetic – I love moving around
Role play or make skits of what to do to be safe during an electric storm.

Interpersonal – I love working with others
Read your story to another person/partner in the room.

Musical-Rhythmic - I love music
Sing a song based on information from the book to the tune of Brother John. You can make up a song yourself or the class can make one up together.

Visual-Spatial – I love art
Make a diagram of the water cycle and/or do a creative picture of a stormy night. On a dark blue construction paper background paste cutouts of black paper trees, houses, mountains, water, boats, clouds, etc. Have yellow construction paper flashes of lightning coming from the clouds. Put student stories with their pictures and post them in the hall.MAIN IDEAS
1. Be aware of dark clouds
2. Airplanes stay out of these clouds
3. Billions of droplets are in the clouds
4. The clouds are charged with electricity
5. The charge jumps from top to bottom of cloud or from one cloud to another which makes a flash.
6. It may flash to the ground and be very dangerous.
7. You then hear a loud sound called thunder.
8. Lightning pushes air into air which makes a sound.

Experiment: Blow up a paper bag, and hold it closed. With the other hand hit the bag and it will pop with a loud sound. What happened? Lightning splits the air, and when it rushes back together you hear the sound of thunder
9. Count 5 seconds for every mile from you to the lightning.
10. Animals do not like thunder. Dogs will hide, for example.
11. Lightning can kill people and other animals, knock over trees, and start fires.
12. We must respect lightning but we do not have to be afraid of it if we know what to do.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE IN A THUNDER STORM

• Get out of any water – lakes, pools, bathtubs, showers.
• Stay inside.
• Stay away from the stove, phone or windows.
• If you are in a car, stay inside. It is safe.
• If you are outdoors get down low. Do not be the tallest thing.
• Get out from under trees.
• Keep away from metal fences or metal pipes.
  

VOCABULARY FOR THIS LESSON

clouds / dark / air
earth / storm / droplet
electricity / particle / ion
charge / billions / flash
lightning / thunder / loud
crash / noise / sound
seconds / outdoors / rain
danger / downpour / safe