[MOSAIC] National Geographic Sets - Ann

[Ann Jernigan]

We are quite pleased with them.  This is our first year to use it and  
find them a great help to comprehension.  As the others have said  
they are beautiful books on interesting subjects that really help  
with creating schema for the state standards in science and social  
studies.   The writing genre focused on is the one you are reading  
which also makes for a great help in writing workshop.  Another thing  
I like is the extended books you can order for practice on the skill  
you taught with one book.   The 3 additional books are written at 3  
levels. That has worked wonderfully in that the LD class has so many  
varying abilities.   They can practice the strategy in a book that is  
their reading level  (and they all look the same - so no one really  
even know they are ability grouped.
>
If any of you are in schools pushing differentiated learning right  
now, you need to look at the Nat. Geo.   Theme Sets.  They are 4 book  
sets on topics like Simple Machines, Solar System, Animal Habitats,  
Energy, Native Americans, Immigration, Colonial America, and many  
more.   The 4 books have the same structure on each page but are  
written on 4 reading levels from 3.0 to 6.9.   Each one looks at a  
different aspect of the subject, so if you are grouped.   Each group  
needs each other.    You can have ability groups reading their book  
and sharing their info with the class, or you can have heterogeneous  
groups where   each student has the book at their reading level and  
their group benefits from all the info.

Another commercial for Nat. Geo - we do Constitution and Bill of  
Rights in our 8th grade.  Nat. Geo has some beautiful books that  
teach the important concepts with a lower reading level and gorgeous,  
easy to understand format,

There are also some fairly decent support materials for most of the  
books online at:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/education/lesson_plans/index.html

Ann Jernigan
Literacy Coach K-12
Webb City R-7 Schools
ajernigan at mail.wccards.k12.mo.us