[MOSAIC] Using Harvey's Toolkit at multiple levels

[Ann Jernigan]

This is in response to Lisa and Angela's earlier posts about using  
the Toolkit at multiple levels.

Our district started using the Nonfiction kit in 3rd grade this year  
and the teachers are loving it and seeing great things with their  
students.  They talked about it so much that the 4th grade teachers  
started borrowing their books as soon as they were through with  each  
strategy. So...this year they have been able to use the same anchor  
books, but we knew there would be a problem next year.   Certainly  
the same strategies are appropriate and need to be emphasized so we  
have picked out new anchor books to use that fits our 4th grade  
curriculum.  In some instances we even found books by the same  
author.  I will include our list  below.  Now we have the rest of the  
year to find the shorter pieces we want to use next year.   As has  
already been mentioned, this strategy teaching is very adaptable to  
any materials.    What we have found is that we teach the strategy  
with the kit and the non fiction anchor books and articles, then  
spend some time practicing that same strategy in fiction books and  
stories.  Then we go back to the next cluster and work on it with  
both non-fiction and fiction.   We have found that the kids are  
seeing the transfer and importance of using the strategy everywhere -  
in math, social studies, science, watching TV even.  Here are the  
books we are planning to use at 4th grade.  We still are looking for  
a good science book to use in place of the Mt. Everest book.  All  
suggestions are welcomed!

Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting
Tornado by Stephen Kramer
Roanoke, the Lost Colony  by Jane Yolen
My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris
Our Journey West – The Oregon Trail Adventures of Sarah Marshall by  
Gare Thompson
The Memory Coat  by Woodruff
Dandelions  by Eve Bunting

Ann Jernigan
Webb City R-7