Person of The Month: Famous Americans

Grades K2
Person
of the
Month
Famous
Americans
Ready-to-Go Units That Include Mini-Books, Read-Aloud Plays, Graphic

Organizers, and Writing Activities That Teach About 12 Important Americans
Karen Shelton
Person of the Month: Famous Americans 2011 by Karen Shelton, Scholastic Teaching Resources
In memory of countless unsung Americans

whose insight, craftsmanship, grace, and integrity
proved them extraordinary beyond measure
to those whose lives they touched.
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages in this book for classroom
use. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written
permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway,
New York, NY 10012-3999.
Edited by Immacula A. Rhodes
Cover design by Maria Lilja
Interior illustrations by George Ulrich
Interior design by Holly Grundon
ISBN: 978-0-545-28076-1
Copyright 2011 by Karen Shelton
Illustrations 2011 by Scholastic Inc.
Published by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
40
18
17 16 15 14 13 12 11
Contents
Person of the Month
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
How to Make the Mini-Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Teaching Tips and Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Flexible-Use Graphic Organizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Connections to the Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Famous Americans
George Washington Carver (August) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Cesar Chavez (September) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Sacagawea (October) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Squanto (November) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Clara Barton (December) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Martin Luther King, Jr. (January) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Abraham Lincoln (February) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Susan B. Anthony (March) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Rachel Carson (April) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Sally Ride (May) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Helen Keller (June) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Alexander Graham Bell (July) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Introduction
elcome to Person of the Month: Famous Americans, a literacy-rich collection of

mini-books, read-aloud plays, and activity pages. This unique resource offers
a month-by-month study of famous people from all walks of life who have had a great
impact on the American culture. Care has been taken to tailor the information in
this book to give children insights into the circumstances surrounding each featured
person and impress on them the character traits that propelled the person. Activities
are designed to foster childrens developing reading and writing skills and expand their
knowledge of important Americans.
Background information and a list of facts are provided to help you become familiar
with each featured American. When introducing the person, you can share as much or
as little of the information as desired with children. The mini-books, read-aloud plays,
and activity pages that accompany each unit can be used together to provide a more
comprehensive study of the person, or each can be used as a supplemental or stand-alone
activity. Materials in the units are adaptable, allowing you to dip into this resource to
select a specific activity to meet an instructional need or childrens interests, or to delve
deeper by using any combination of activities in your teaching. The flexible-use graphic
organizers (pages 911) offer additional opportunities for children to explore further,
make personal connections, and write about what they know.
Whether you want to briefly introduce the featured American, teach new facts
about that person, or reinforce previously learned information, the activities provide an
engaging and meaningful way to boost childrens fluency, comprehension, vocabulary,
oral language, and writing skills. And Person of the Month: Famous Americans is packed
with ready-to-use reproducible pages that make preparing the units quick and easy. Just
copy the read-aloud plays and activity pages, and theyre ready for use. To make the minibooks, you need only provide children with crayons, scissors, and a stapler.
Activities can be used with the whole class, small groups, and in some cases,
individual students. In addition, children can use the mini-books and plays to share their
knowledge of each fascinating American with classmates, family members, and friends.
Youll find that young readers will enjoy reading the mini-books and plays again and
again, boosting their reading confidence and abilities!
So, as you consider teaching about famous Americans, think of this resource
as a valuable toolkit containing a dozen different units chockfull of effective literacy
experiencestotally integrated with meaningful social studies content.
About This Book
his handy resource offers information and activities that help you introduce twelve
inspirational Americans to students and guide an exploration of their lives and
accomplishments. The activitieswhether used in combination or individuallycan easily be
integrated into your curriculum throughout the year. Each unit includes the following:
Introduction: The introductory paragraphs for each unit help connect the featured person to
a particular month while providing important and interesting background information about that
person. You can share any or all of the information in this section with children, along with other
facts you glean from additional reading and research you might do to build your own background
knowledge of this important person.
More Interesting Facts: These nuggets of information add interest and help make the
person more memorable by offering additional facts about the persons life, experiences, and
accomplishments. To enhance childrens learning, you might gather more
information, facts, and pictures to share with them.
Mini-Book: This easy-to-read mini-book is filled with interesting and factual

information about the person. After assembling and reading the mini-book in
class, children can take it home to read and discuss with others.
Read-Aloud Play: Each ready-to-use play reinforces childrens

knowledge about the person while providing fluency practice thats engaging and
fun. Suggestions are included for preparing props or embellishing the play to add
inspiration. If desired, copy the play for each child, then encourage children to
take it home to share with their family.
Activity Page: This reproducible page gives children the opportunity to further
reflect on the persons character traits and passions, make personal connections,
and express their thought and ideas in writing.
Related Reading: These book suggestions help you easily locate literature
to enrich your conversations and help build childrens (or your own) background
knowledge and understanding of the person. After reading or reviewing the books
ahead of time to become familiar with their content, you might choose illustrations
and excerpts from one or more of the books to share with children, or read any book
of your choice to the class. In addition, you might add these titles to your class library
for children to use as references or to read for pleasure.
How to Make the

Mini-Books
Materials
The mini-books require very few materials, and children can

complete them at their desk or at a learning center. To get
started, provide pre-trimmed copies of the mini-book pages
you can use a paper cutter to cut along the dashed line on each
copy. Then demonstrate the steps below. (Or assemble the
books in advance.)
1. Cut each reproducible

page in half along the
solid line. Then fold the
front cover/page 1 along
the dotted center line.
Keep the fold to the
right side.
2. Repeat the folding

process for each of the
remaining page pairs:
pages 2/3, 4/5, and 6/7.
Stack the pages in order
with the cover on top
and all of the folds on
the right side.
@@ scissors
@@ crayons or markers
@@ stapler
3. Staple the pages

together along the
left edge.
Teaching Tips and Extensions

Creative Timing
With many of the Americans in this resource having ties to several seasonal observances, be
creative with the timing you choose for using these activities. For example, the unit on Susan B.
Anthony is suggested for use during Womens History Month (March), but the activities are also
a perfect fit for pre-election days in October and November. The unit on Alexander Graham Bell
(July) might instead be used during National Inventors Month in August.
Multi-Use Mini-Books
Mix things up a bit with these suggestions for using the mini-books:
Mask the text of a mini-book and make a copy of the pages. Then cut out the text from
another copy. Laminate all the pieces, place them in a center, and encourage children to
match the corresponding text to each page.
Have children glue the mini-book pages, in sequence, to a strip of accordion-folded bulletin
board paper. Children can then unfold the strip, one section at a time, to read the story.
Highlight selected words in a mini-book and place it in a literacy center. Invite children to
search other books, materials, and displays in the center to find words that match those
highlighted in the mini-book.
Play Props and Productions

After reading through a play a few times, invite children to suggest embellishments they might
add to make the production more interesting, such as an interesting prop, a musical link, or even
an announcer to provide oral credits at the conclusion of the play. By encouraging children to
contribute to the plans and preparations for the play, they will become more fully engaged.
All-in-One Activity Pages

A class set of completed activity pages makes an interesting read. For a quick way to compile
them, hole-punch the left side of the pages and put them in a slim binder. Place the book on your
classroom bookshelves for children to enjoy.
Flexible-Use
Graphic Organizers
The graphic organizers (pages
Nam
e:
911) can be used individually
One Special American
American Pride
Mystery
American
or with any unit in this book
to help children respond to
what they learn. After children
complete the activities on pages
USA
9 and 10, you might compile
them into a notebook, then
I wonder . . .
invite children to read and enjoy
the pages on their own. To use
the organizer on page 11, have
children fill out the page, glue
it to a 9- by 12-inch envelope, and place objects and pictures related to that famous person inside the
envelope. If desired, punch holes along the left side of the envelopes, taking care not to puncture any items
inside, and bind them in a notebook. Place the notebook in your class library to introduce a unique and
Birth Date:
interesting book format for children to enjoy.
To extend the use of any of these graphic organizers, invite children to select, research, and
complete the activity for another American with traits similar to a person featured in this book. For Home Place:
example, after filling in a graphic organizer for Abraham Lincoln, ask children to complete the same
activity for another president. Similarly, you might have them use the graphic organizers to show what they
have learned about famous Americans that can be connected to a particular national observance (such as
Womens History Month), topic (such as explorers or inventors), or month of the year.
Name:
Date:
Graphic Organizer
Name:
Date:
Graphic Organizer
Born:
Name:
Date:
Graphic Organizer
(date)
Name:
Lived:
Ways to
describe this
American:
(where)
Birth
Born:
Best
known for:
Date:
Hom
e Pla
ce:
(city,
state)
Occupation:
(date)
Draw the person.
Draw the person.
One thing this person did:
One special thing this person

did for our country:
Another thing this person did:
Things that
made this
person special:
How this person

inspires me:
1. Choose a famous person

to learn about.
2. Read and talk about

this person.
3. Complete this page.
4. Glue this page to an

envelope.
5. Put pictures and things

inside that give clues
10
about who the person is.
11
Connections to the Standards

The activities in this book are designed to support you in meeting the following standards as outlined by
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), an organization that collects and synthesizes
national and state K12 curriculum standards.
Language Arts
Writing
uses writing to describe persons, places, objects,
or experiences
writes in a variety of forms or genres (information
pieces, messages, responses to literature)
uses conventions of spelling in writing (spells levelappropriate high frequency and phonetically regular
words)
uses conventions of print in writing (uses uppercase
and lowercase letters, spaces words, writes from left-toright and top-to-bottom)
knows that there are rules for forming sentences
Reading
uses mental images and meaning clues to aid
comprehension and make predictions about content
summarizes information found in text (retells in

own words)
relates new information to prior knowledge and
experience
History
understands the contributions and significance of
historical figures of the community
understands the daily life of a colonial community
understands how individuals have worked to achieve
the liberties and equality promised in the principles
of American democracy and to improve the lives of
people from many groups (Cesar Chavez, Martin
Luther King, Jr.)
understands how important figures reacted to their
times and why they were significant to the history of our
democracy (Abraham Lincoln; Susan B. Anthony)
uses basic elements of phonetic analysis (letter-sound

relationships, vowel sounds, blends, word patterns) to
decode unknown words
understands the ways in which people in a variety

of fields have advanced the cause of human rights,
equality, and the common good (Clara Barton, Cesar
Chavez)
understands level-appropriate sight words and

vocabulary
understands the reasons that Americans celebrate

certain national holidays
reads aloud with fluency and expression (rhythm, flow,

meter, tempo, pitch, tone, intonation)
knows the accomplishments of major scientists and

inventors (George Washington Carver, Alexander
Graham Bell)
uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety

of informational texts (written directions, captions, labels,
informational books)
understands the main idea and supporting details of
simple expository information
knows the ways people communicate with each other

now and long ago, and the technological developments
that facilitated communication
understands differences in the methods of travel from
various times in human history and the advantages and
disadvantages of each
Kendall, J. S., & Marzano, R. J. (2004). Content knowledge: A compendium of standards and benchmarks for K12 education. Aurora, CO: Mid-continent
Research for Education and Learning. Online database: http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/
Common Core State Standards

The activities in this book also correlate with the English Language Arts standards recommended by the Common Core State
Standards Initiative, a state-led effort to establish a single set of clear educational standards whose aim is to provide students
with a high-quality education. At the time this book went to press, these standards were still being finalized. To learn more,
go to www.corestandards.org.
Name:
Date:
Graphic Organizer
American Pride
Name:
Ways to
describe this
American:
Born:
(date)
Draw the person.
One thing this person did:
Another thing this person did:
I wonder . . .
Name:
Date:
Graphic Organizer
One Special American

Born:
(date)
Lived:
(where)
Occupation:
Draw the person.
USA
One special thing this person

did for our country:
10
How this person

inspires me:
Name:
Date:
Graphic Organizer
Mystery
American
D
Birth
Best
known fo
r:
ate:
Hom
ce:
e Pla
stat
(city,
e)
Things that
made this
person special:
1. Choose a famous person

to learn about.
2. Read and talk about
this person.
3. Complete this page.
4. Glue this page to an
envelope.
5. Put pictures and things
inside that give clues
about who the person is.
11
George Washington Carver

(Circa 18641943)
Using the Mini-Book

After introducing children to
George Washington Carver,
have them make the minibook (pages 1314). Then
read the story together as a
class, encouraging children to
track the text with their finger.
(You might introduce any new
vocabulary before reading.)
Later, invite children to reread
their books in small groups,
with partners, or individually.
eorge Washington Carver, with his ingenuity and creativity, is a

great American to feature in August for National Inventors Month.
From a very young age, Carvers ability to innovate was apparent. He
gardened and doctored ailing plants. He made his own paints and brushes
to use in his artwork. By the age of 12, Carver was living on his own, doing
jobs such as laundering, cooking, and farming to support himself and pay
for his education.
Carver was turned away from the first college that accepted him due
to his race. However, he became the first African-American student and the
first African-American faculty member at Iowa State University. His desire to
serve poor African-American farmers led Carver to become the director of
the agriculture department at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. There he taught
farmers about alternatives to growing cotton, crop rotation, how to preserve
food, new uses for their crops, and much more. Carver encouraged others
to live in racial harmony. He turned down jobs that could have made him
rich, choosing instead to help improve the lives of others. His tombstone
reads, He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found
happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.
More Interesting Facts

Carver was raised by Moses and Susan Carver after his own mother was
kidnapped and never found.
At Tuskegee Institute, Carver was paid $125 a month for 46 years.
Related Reading
by Andy Carter (Carolrhoda
Books, 2000)
by Lynea Bowdish (Childrens
Press, 2004)
In the Garden With Dr. Carver
by Susan Grigsby (Albert
Whitman & Company, 2010)
A Man for All Seasons: The Life
of George Washington Carver
by Stephen Krensky (Amistad,
2008)
12
He found over 300 uses for peanuts, including their use in products such
as cooking oil, ink, soap, and glue.
Carver also found 100 uses for sweet potatoes, such as for making stains,
paints, paste, and wood fillers.
His other interests included piano, painting, crocheting, and cooking.
Preparing for the Read-Aloud Play

Before children read the play (pages 1518), provide an apron (for George
to wear), a real or silk plant, and a paper towel tubeor a similar objectto
serve as a microphone. Also arrange four chairs to represent seating in the
time machine.
Using the Activity Page

Explain that Carver never let anything stand in his waynot being
orphaned, not race, not money, not illness. He persevered to reach his
goals. Most of the time, his goal was to create something that helped others.
Discuss and help children understand what persevere means. Then have them
complete the activity (page 19) by filling in information about people they
know who persevere, help, and invent.
by
He made his own brushes and paint.
George liked to paint pictures.
The Plant Doctor
George
Washington
Carver
The Plant Doctor.
sick plants well. His friends called him
George also liked plants. He could make
brother lived with Moses and Susan Carver.
George was the son of a slave. He and his
Person of the Month: Famous Americans 2011 by Karen Shelton, Scholastic Teaching Resources (page 14)
to use them, too.
soybeans. George showed others how
He found many ways to use peanuts and

6
Today, we use many things he invented.
George became famous for his inventions.
and new crops.
farmers. He talked to them about soils
and art. One of his teachers saw that he
was also good with plants.
After college, George wanted to help
In college, George was good with music
George Washington
Carver
Catching Up With Carver
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Filmers 1 & 2
Reporters 1 & 2
Mr. Carver
Filmer 1:
Were live in 321Go!
Reporter 1:
Good evening! Tonight the

W-H-E-N team goes back in
time to 1908.
Reporter 2:
Were going to meet George Washington Carver!
Reporter 1:
Step into our time machine and buckle up!

Ready? Lets go!
All:
Sputter, bang, whir. Everythings a blur.

Pssssssss.
Filmer 1:
Were here. Look at all the smoke!
Filmer 2:
Its clear now! Lets go into the lab.
Reporter 2:
Mr. Carver? George Washington Carver?
Mr. Carver:
(Talking to a plant.)
Hello, my friend. Youre looking well today!
Reporter 1:
What did you say?
15
Mr. Carver:
Oh, hello there!

I was just talking to my friend.
Reporter 2:
But, Mr. Carver, were the only ones here.
Mr. Carver:
Look again! Heres my friend the sunflower plant.

We talk every day.
Reporter 1:
And does she talk back?
Mr. Carver:
No, but her looks tell me shes happy.

She loves the plant food I put in her pot.
Reporter 2:
How long have you been talking to plants?
Mr. Carver:
Since I was a boy.

I had a secret garden full of plants.
Reporter 1:
Did anyone learn your secret?
Mr. Carver:
Im not sure.
But people did bring their sick plants to me.
I always helped the plants get better.
Reporter 2:
Is that why you were called The Plant Doctor?
Mr. Carver:
I think so. I might doctor plants some,

but nature is the best teacher.
Reporter 1:
Tell us about your teaching.
Mr. Carver:
Well, sometimes the students come to my class.

And sometimes my class goes to the students.
16
Reporter 2:
What do students learn in your class?
Mr. Carver:
I teach them how to make poor soil good again.

Strong, healthy plants grow from good soil.
Reporter 1:
How do you make soil good?
Mr. Carver: You change the crop you grow from time to time.
This is called crop rotation.
Reporter 2:
How do you take your class to students?
Mr. Carver:
Its easy! I just load up a wagon

and head to a farm.

Filmer 1:

Filmer 2:
Excuse me, Mr. Carver.

Wed like to film you in your classroom.
And later, wed like to show your traveling
classroom. What will we see there?
Mr. Carver: Well, we test the soil to see what it needs.
And we show farmers how to grow new crops.
Reporter 1:
Like peanuts?
Mr. Carver:
Yes! Soybeans and sweet potatoes, too!
Reporter 2:
How is that working out?
Mr. Carver:
Farmers have started to grow a lot of peanuts.

But not a lot are selling.
17
Reporter 1:
What can be done about that?
Mr. Carver:
Im trying to come up with

new ways to use peanuts.
Reporter 2:
Have you had any luck?
Mr. Carver:
Yes, Ive used peanuts to make soap and creams.

They can also be used in paints and papers.
Reporter 1:
Wow! Who knew peanuts could be so useful?
Reporter 2:
Mr. Carver, before we go, we want

to thank you for all your inventions.
Mr. Carver:
Youre very welcome.

By the way, how did you get here?
Filmer 1:
We came in a time machine, sir.
Filmer 2:
It took us no time at all to get here!
Mr. Carver:
I wish I had invented that gizmo!
Reporter 1:
That wraps up our visit to 1908.
Reporter 2:
Good night from the W-H-E-N time machine.

See you next week!
All:
Sputter, bang, whir. Everythings a blur.

Pssssssss.

18
The End
George Washington
Carver
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
Well-Deserved Tributes
Choose three people you know. Draw each person on one of the stamps.
Then complete the sentence about that person.
George Washington Carver never gave
up even when things got hard.
never gives up even when
(persons name)
George Washington Carver was

helpful by teaching farmers.
(persons name)
is helpful by
George Washington Carver found

new uses for peanuts.
(persons name)
finds new uses for
19
Cesar Chavez
(19271993)
Using the Mini-Book

After introducing children
to Cesar Chavez, have
them make the mini-book
(pages 2122). Then read
the story together as a class,
encouraging children to
track the text with their
finger. (You might introduce
any new vocabulary before
reading.) Later, invite
children to reread their
books in small groups, with
partners, or individually.
he September holiday of Labor Day makes this month an ideal time to

introduce children to Cesar Chavez, champion of rights for American
migrant workers. As a child, Chavez and his family faced economic
hardships due to the Great Depression. Consequently, they became migrant
farm workers, often working and living in deplorable conditions. Chavez
felt the sting of prejudice and racism from a young ageeven in school,
where teachers insisted he communicate only in English. Before he was a
young man, his experiences had forged in him a burning desire to improve
conditions for Mexican American migrant families.
In the 1950s, Chavez worked evenings for the Community Service
Organization where he helped migrant workers with basic needs, such as food,
housing, and medical care. He later organized a union of farm workers. Inspired
by the teachings of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Chavez sought
nonviolent means to bring about change. Beginning in 1965, he led a National
Farm Workers Association strike against grape growers, a 250-mile march to call
attention to the workers plight, and a nationwide boycott of grapes. After five
years, the growers finally agreed to raise workers pay and provide them with
health insurance. Under Chavezs leadership, peaceful protests helped bring
about the first of many changes that benefited farm workers.

Chavez fasted for 25 days during the grape boycott that began in 1965.
In 1988, he fasted for 36 days and called for another boycott of grapes
to protest the use of harmful pesticides.
Chavez never owned property. The most he ever earned in a year
was $6,000.
Related Reading
His motto was si se puede, which means it can be done.
Cesar Chavez by Ginger

Wadsworth (First Avenue
Editions, 2001)
After his death, Chavez was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Cesar Chavez by Susan Eddy

(Childrens Press, 2004)
Before reading the play (pages 2325), you might bring in folding lawn
chairs to use as props to suggest a laid-back, late summer setting.
Cesar Chavez: A PhotoIllustrated Biography by Lucile

Davis (Capstone Press, 2006)
Harvesting Hope: The Story

of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen
Krull (Harcourt Childrens
Books, 2003)
20
Remind children that farm workers are responsible for many of the fruits
and vegetables we enjoy daily. Talk about how people of all cultures,
backgrounds, and races are important to our nations workforce. Then ask
children to think of things they can do and say to help people feel included.
Have them complete the activity (page 26) by filling in each section, then
drawing a fruit in the bowl to represent how that response can help bring
about fruitful, healthy relationships with others.
by
moved from place to place to find work.
Cesars family worked on farms. They
Cesar
Chavez
Life was hard for them.
things better for workers. Their pay was low.
When Cesar grew up, he wanted to make
treated well.
a boy. Mexican Americans were not always
Times were hard when Cesar Chavez was
life better for the workers.
in peaceful ways.
He showed that good things could be done
country not to buy grapes.
pay the workers more. They would make
Cesar spent his whole life helping others.
working. He asked people across the
Finally, the farm owners said they would
to vote. He helped them learn to drive.
Cesar helped the farm workers learn how
In 1965, Cesar asked the workers to stop
Cesar Chavez
The Fruits of Their Labor
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Children 17
Child 1: Im so glad its Labor Day!

Child 2: Theres no school today.
Were having a cookout tonight!
Child 3: But lets not forget what Labor Day is really about.
Child 5: Its a day to honor American workers.
Many work long and hard at their jobs.
Child 4: Do you ever think about the jobs people do?

Child 3: Not much. But we owe a lot to people
who do hard jobs.
Child 1: Our class learned about a man who helped
workers. His name was Cesar Chavez.
Child 5: He helped migrant farm workers in California.

Child 7: What are migrant workers?
Child 6: Migrant workers move from place to place
to find work.
23
Child 5: When the work runs out at one place,
they move to another.
Child 7: Why would work run out?

Child 2: Sometimes fruit growers need lots of help
with their crops. When that work is done,

the workers have to find work in other places.
Child 3: Life was hard for the workers then.

Child 1: Thats true. They were very poor.
They got very little pay to do their jobs.
Child 6: They didnt have things they neededlike
water and bathrooms near their work.
Child 2: And the farmers didnt treat them very well.

Child 4: Did Cesar know these things?
Child 3: He did. You see, he was a migrant worker, too.
He wanted to help make life better for the workers.
Child 5: So he read about the ways of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
He began to think of peaceful ways to bring some changes.
Child 7: How did that help the workers?

Child 2: Well, he asked the grape farm workers to strike.
That means to stop working.
Child 3: And he asked people to stop buying grapes.

24
Child 6: He led a march to get people to think about the workers.
The march started with 75 people.

It ended with ten thousand!
Child 4: Did his ideas work?

Child 2: Nothing changed in the first year.
Child 7: Did anything change in the second year?
Child 6: No, and changes didnt happen in the third
or the fourth year.
Child 1: But in the fifth year, the grape growers said they would
pay more. They would do other helpful things, too.
Child 6: Things began to change for the good.
Cesar Chavez had helped make things better.
Child 4: Thats great! Now, when I eat fruit,
Ill think of the workers who picked it.
Child 5: When I walk into a building,
Ill think of the workers who built it.
Child 7: When I ride along a road,
Ill think of the workers who paved it.
Child 1: From now on, lets all think of workers on Labor Day.
All:
Happy Labor Day!
The End
25
Cesar Chavez
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
Harvesting Healthy Relationships

Cesar Chavez often felt rejected. Write about how you can help others feel
included. Draw a fruit in the bowl for each idea.
I can include others by
To show others respect, I can
To make others feel wanted, I can
To help understand others,

I can try
26
Sacagawea
Using the Mini-Book

Sacagawea, have them make
the mini-book (pages 2829).
Then read the story together
as a class, encouraging
children to track the text
with their finger. (You
might introduce any new
Later, invite children to
reread their books in small
groups, with partners, or
individually.
(17881812)
ntroduce children to Sacagawea in October as part of your autumn Native

American heritage celebrations. Sacagawea was born to the Shoshone
tribe in Idaho around 1788. At about 12 years of age, she was kidnapped
and taken to a Hidatsa village about 600 miles away. Several years later, she
married a French-speaking trapper and had a son.
In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark to find a passage to the Pacific Ocean. The men hired
Sacagaweas husband as an interpreter. Because Sacagawea spoke the
Shoshone and Hidatsa languages, she was also taken on the expedition. In
addition to her usefulness as an interpreter, the presence of a woman and
child signaled that the group was on a peaceful mission. Carrying her baby
the entire journey, Sacagawea contributed to the expedition by finding food
and remaining calm by offering helpful insights in the midst of exhausting
and often harrowing moments. As the party neared her homeland, Sacagawea
recognized landmarks such as a limestone formation called Beaverhead Rock.
When her tribe was located, she negotiated with a Shoshone chiefwho she
recognized to be her brotherto secure horses and guides for the expedition.
Sacagaweas role helped assure the success of the 16-month Lewis and Clark
Expedition and gave her a prominent place in American history.

On the expedition, Sacagawea helped the party find nuts, berries, and
nutritious roots to eat.
On one occasion, her husband panicked and nearly capsized a boat.
During the hubbub, Sacagawea retrieved invaluable documents and tools
that had fallen into the water.
Sacagaweas son was the only child taken on the expedition.
Related Reading
Sacajawea by Joyce Milton
(Grosset & Dunlap, 2001)
Sacagawea by Liselotte Erdrich
(Carolrhoda Books, 2003)
A Picture Book of Sacagawea
by David A. Adler (Holiday
House, 2001)
Most historians believe Sacagawea died in 1812, although some accounts

indicate her death occurred in 1884.
In 2000, Sacagawea was featured on a one-dollar coin.

Invite children to create movements to accompany each verse in the play
(pages 3031). If desired, ask older students or adult volunteers to help
children prepare a PowerPoint presentation that includes scenes suggested in
the play. Then project the scenes onto a wall or screen to provide a changing
backdrop for the play.

As Sacagawea traveled into the land of her childhood, she recognized
landmarks such as Beaverhead Rock. Ask children to think of landmarks
(natural ones, if possible) near their homes. Have them illustrate and write
about these landmarks to complete the activity (page 32).
27
by
She got married and had a baby boy.
Sacagawea worked hard and grew older.
Sacagawea
to find a way to the Pacific Ocean.
sent some explorers west. He wanted them
Around that time, President Jefferson
tribe took her from her home.
American. When she was young, another
Sacagawea was a Shoshone Native
Sacagaweas help!
back. They could never have done it without
He was the Shoshone chief! He helped
the explorers get horses and guides.
The explorers made it to the ocean and
On the trip, Sacagawea found her brother.
She was calm and brave.
She found roots, berries, and plants to eat.
them. She could help them speak to the
people they met.
Sacagawea helped in other ways, too.
The explorers asked Sacagawea to join
Sacagawea
Tell Me, Sacagawea
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Boys
Girl Choruses 14
Boys:
Tell me, Sacagawea.

Where have you been?
Girl Chorus 1: Ive sailed on rushing rivers.
Ive walked across the plain.
Girl Chorus 2: Ive hiked up rocky mountains,
in and out of pouring rain.
Boys:
Tell me, Sacagawea.

What have you seen?
Girl Chorus 3: Ive seen the mist of waterfalls.
30
Ive seen the stars at night.
Girl Chorus 4: Ive seen an ocean sparkling blue.
Ive seen the suns last light.
Boys:
Tell me Sacagawea.
What have you heard?
Girl Chorus 1: Ive heard the flap of eagles wings.
Ive heard the wolf that howls.
Girl Chorus 2: Ive heard the waves slap rocky cliffs.
Ive heard the call of owls.
Boys:
Tell me, Sacagawea.

Where have you walked?
Girl Chorus 3: Ive walked beside the five Great Falls.
Ive climbed the highest peaks.
Girl Chorus 4: Ive strolled beside a buffalo herd.
Ive splashed in cool, clear creeks.
Boys:
Tell me, Sacagawea.

What have you learned?
Girl Chorus 1: Ive learned that there are many paths,
no matter where you stray.
Girl Chorus 2: Ive learned that there are many sights
that take your breath away.
All:
Ive learned that there are many sights

that take your breath away!
The End
Tell Me, Sacagawea
31
Sacagawea
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
Landmarks Near Home

Sacagawea began to recognize landmarks when she got near her home.
Draw a landmark thats near your home. Write about it.
My home is near this landmark:
This is what I know about the landmark:
32
Squanto
Using the Mini-Book

Squanto, have them make the
mini-book (pages 3435). Then
class, encouraging children to
track the text with their finger.
(You might introduce any new
Later, invite children to reread
their books in small groups,
with partners, or individually.
(Circa 15851622)
f not for Squanto, the Thanksgiving holiday in November might never

have become one of Americas favorite celebrations. Squanto, a Patuxet
Indian, was captured on two separate occasions and taken to Europe. While
there, he learned to speak English. Squanto may have been taught the
language so he could be an interpreter and guide for explorers of the New
England coast. When he got back home, about a year before the Pilgrims
arrived, Squanto found that his people had been wiped out by a plague.
The Pilgrims met Squanto shortly after their arrival at Plymouth in
1620. They immediately benefited from his ability to speak English. For two
years, Squanto helped the newcomers survive in their new surroundings.
He taught the Pilgrims agricultural, hunting, and fishing skills. He served
as their guide and helped them form a peaceful bond with their native
neighbors, the Wampanoags. The harvest of 1621 was so bountiful that the
Pilgrims celebrated it with a large feast now known as the First Thanksgiving.
[Note: In spite of Squantos helpfulness, some historians believe he may have
used the communication barrier between the Pilgrims and Wampanoags to
his own advantage by leading the natives to believe the settlers could unleash
a plague and leading the Pilgrims to believe the Indians were conspiring
against them.]

Squanto was also known as Tisquantum.
He helped the Pilgrims and Massasoit, a Wampanoag leader, negotiate
a peace treaty and establish trading relations.
Related Reading
The First Thanksgiving by
Jean Craighead George
(Puffin, 2001)
Squanto and the Miracle of
Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas
(Thomas Nelson, 1999)
Squantos Journey: The Story
of the First Thanksgiving by
Joseph Bruchac (Sandpiper,
2007)
Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to plant corn seeds, then add fish
for fertilizer.
The governor of Plymouth called Squanto a special instrument sent
of God.
The cause of Squantos death in 1622 is unknown.

To set the stage for this play (pages 3637), have children place plastic plates,
cups, and utensils on a cloth-covered table. Invite them to add plastic foods
to represent entrees and side dishes at a Thanksgiving meal. Then have
children gather around the feast as they read the play.

Remind children that Squanto used his skills to help the Pilgrims survive,
as well as to communicate and get along with the Wampanoags. Ask
children to think of skills they have that can be used to help others. Then
have them complete the activity (page 38) by filling in ways they can be
helpful to others.
33
by
sick and died.
his people were gone! Most had gotten
When Squanto made his way back home,
Friend of the
Pilgrims
Squanto
homeland. The Pilgrims needed help.
In 1620, the Pilgrims came to Squantos
Europe. He learned to speak English there.
As a young man, Squanto was taken to
They were thankful to have plenty to eat.
That fall, the Pilgrims had a large harvest.
The new friends hoped to live in peace.
Squanto helped the Pilgrims make friends.
made this special feast possible!
their new friends. It was Squantos help that
The Pilgrims held a thanksgiving feast with
fish and find nuts.
corn and beans. He showed them how to
Squanto showed the Pilgrims how to plant
Squanto
Squanto, Friend of
the Pilgrims
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Girls
Boys
Children 15
Girls:
Gather around, one and all.

Let us give thanks today.
Boys:
We are glad that we have friends

who help us day to day.
Child 1:
I just love Thanksgiving, dont you?
Child 2:
I wish I had been at the first Thanksgiving.
Child 3:
I would like to have met Squanto.

He was the man!
Child 4:
What do you mean?
Child 3:
He showed the Pilgrims how to plant corn.

He told them to put fish in the ground with the seeds.
Child 1:
He knew it would make the corn grow

tall and strong.
36
Child 5:
He was the one to show the Pilgrims

where to find the best berries and nuts.
Child 2:
And he was the one who helped the Pilgrims

and natives become friends.
Child 4:
So let me see if I have this right.

Squanto helped the Pilgrims find food
and friendship.
Child 5:
No one knows if the Pilgrims could have

made it without Squantos help.
Child 4:
I see now. Without him, there might

not have been a feast.
Child 1:
Without him, there might not have been

a friendship.
Child 2:
Without him, there might not have been

so much to be thankful for!
All:
Squanto was the man!
Girls:
Gather around, one and all.

Let us give thanks today.
Boys:
We are glad that we have friends

who help us day to day.
The End
Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims
37
Squanto
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
Planting Seeds of Friendship

Squanto helped by bringing people together. He also helped by teaching
others. Write about ways you can help others.
I can help
learn
I can help
how to
I can help
get to know
learn
how to
38
They will make

good friends!
Clara Barton
Using the Mini-Book

to Clara Barton, have them
make the mini-book (pages
4041). Then read the
story together as a class,
Related Reading
Clara Barton: Angel of the
Battlefield by Rae Bains (Troll
Communications, 1997)
Clara Barton: Spirit of the
American Red Cross by Patricia
Lakin (Aladdin, 2004)
Time For Kids: Clara Barton:
Angel of the Battlefield by
the editors of Time For Kids
(Collins, 2008)
(18211912)
houghts of Clara Barton, born on December 25, bring images of

battlefield nursing to mind. Before going to the battlefields, however,
Barton taught and started the first free school in New Jersey. When the
school grew from six students to 600, a new school was built and a male
principal hired. Barton then moved to Washington, D.C. to become the
first female copyist at the U.S. Patent Office. When the Civil War began,
and wounded soldiers poured into Washington, she lobbied for and got
permission to take medical supplies directly to the battlefields. The sight of a
woman on the battlefield moving from one wounded man to another was so
unusual that Barton became referred to as the Angel of the Battlefield. After
the war ended in 1865, she worked tirelessly to determine what happened to
thousands of missing soldiers.
Later, during a trip to Europe, Barton worked with a relief organization
called the International Red Cross. When she returned home, she founded
the American Red Cross Society and served as its first president in 1881.
The new organization assisted victims of floods, fires, and earthquakes. After
Barton resigned from the Red Cross in 1904, she became a public speaker
and wrote booksincluding one titled The Story of My Childhood (1907),
which can be located on the Internet.

In 1997, the remnants of Bartons Missing Soldiers Office were
discovered in a building tagged for demolition. Among the finds were
lists of missing soldiers and the sign that had hung outside the building.
Once, a bullet had passed through Bartons sleeve hit and killed the man
she was helping. A carefully folded blouse with a torn sleevefound in
the remnants of her old officewas thought to be the legendary garment
worn by Barton on that day.
Barton never drew a salary from the American Red Cross.

Explain that this play (pages 4245) is about Bartons efforts to get food and
medical supplies to men on the battlefield. The trip was a long one for both
humans and animalsmore than 60 milesbut she insisted on continuing
without rest. When reading the play, invite the children that comprise
Choruses 1 and 2 to create the clip-clop sound of mules hooves. They might
continue the rhythm softly in the background throughout the choral chant.

Barton was a faithful humanitarian. Ask children to think of a person they
know who gives faithfully to others. After they complete the three sections
at the top of page 46, have children write a thank-you note at the bottom to
their chosen person.
39
by
She remembered her fathers war stories.
When Clara was older, the Civil War began.
Angel of the
Battlefield
Clara
Barton
She took them to the battlefield.
Clara got medicine and food.
He told of our fight to be free from England.
Claras father told her tales of war.
earthquakes, floods, and fires.
others just as Clara did.
Cross. Today, the American Red Cross helps
Everyone said she was an angel.
She helped people who had been in
At age 59, Clara started the American Red
Clara also helped take care of the hurt men.
After the war, Clara still helped others.
They thought she was brave.
They were glad she came to help.
The doctors there needed supplies.
Clara Barton
An Angel Named Clara
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Narrators 14
Clara
Choruses 1 & 2
Doctors 1 & 2
Driver
Narrator 1:
Men were fighting a battle in Maryland.
Narrator 2:
Clara knew it was time to get busy.
Narrator 3:
People helped her load a wagon.

They filled it with food and medicine.
Narrator 4:
They hitched up a mule team.

Then Miss Barton set out on the wagon.
Chorus 1:
Clip, clop. Clip, clop.

Chorus 2:
As wagon wheels creak and grind,

mules pull up a hill toward the top.
A battlefield waitsno changing her mind.
Miss Barton makes sure they do not stop.
Chorus 1:

Driver:
Miss Barton, should we stop here for the night?
42
Clara:
No. We must keep going.
Driver:
The mules are tired.

We have gone more than 20 miles already.
Clara:
Then we have more miles to go.

We must reach the battlefield.
Chorus 2:

Chorus 1:
As wagon wheels creak and grind,

mules pull up a hill toward the top.
A battlefield waitsno changing her mind.
Miss Barton makes sure they do not stop.
Chorus 2:

Driver:
Miss Barton, we cant get past the armys

wagons. They are in our way.
Clara:
We must find a way to get through.

Soldiers need the supplies we carry.
Hurry!
Chorus 1:

Chorus 2:
As wagon wheels grind and creak,

she arrives where the fight has begun.
Some are dead. Many are hurt and weak.
Miss Barton sees work to be done.
43
Chorus 1:

Whoa!
Narrator 2:
A quiet farm once stood here.

But that morning, shots were fired
across its cornfield.
Narrator 3:
Claras wagon reached the farm at noon.
Narrator 4:
By then, the cornfield was a battlefield.
Narrator 1:
Many men were hurt.

Others were dead.
Clara:
Doctor, Ive come with food and medicine!
Doctor 1:
I cant believe it.

You must be an angel!
Doctor 2:
Our supplies are all gone.

Weve been using cornhusks for bandages.
Clara:
Ive brought a wagon full of supplies.

Now tell me what I can do to help.
Narrator 3:
Bullets were flying all around.

But that didnt stop Clara.
Narrator 4:
She went from one man to the next.

She gave water to some.
She put bandages on others.
44
Narrator 2:
While giving one man a drink,

Clara felt her sleeve move.
She looked down.
Narrator 1:
A bullet had gone through her sleeve!

It killed the man she was helping.
Narrator 4:
Clara just kept on working.

Others needed her help.
Narrator 2:
People saw her helping all day and all night.

They thought she was an angel.
Narrator 1:
But this angel did not sleep for days.

She was getting sick, too.
Narrator 3:
At last, Clara laid down in her wagon.

She was too sick to sit up.
Slowly, the wagon carried her back home.
Chorus 2:

Chorus 1:
As wagon wheels creak and turn,

she doesnt want wealth or fame.
She just wants to help, to show concern.
Clara Barton is this angels name.
Chorus 2:

The End
45
Clara Barton
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
Always a Helper
Clara Barton helped people all her life.
Write the
name of a helper
you know.
Who does
this person help?
What does
this person do
to help?
Write a note to thank this person.
For All You Do . . .
46
Thanks!
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Using the Mini-Book

to Martin Luther King, Jr.,
class, encouraging children
to track the text with their
Related Reading
I Have a Dream by Martin
Luther King, Jr. (Scholastic,
1997)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
by Margaret McNamara
(Simon Spotlight, 2007)
Martins Big Words: The Life
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Doreen Rappaport
(Hyperion Book, 2007)
A Picture Book of Martin Luther
King, Jr. by David A. Adler
(Holiday House, 1990)
(19291968)
artin Luther King, Jr., born in January of 1929, was the son of a
Baptist minister. Often during his childhood, King questioned his
parents about the racial segregation and prejudices in his hometown of
Atlanta, Georgia. At age 15, he worked on a tobacco farm in Connecticut
where he found it refreshing that people of different races lived more
integrated lives. By 1955, King had become a minister, attended seminary,
and received a doctorate degree.
When Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat on
a Montgomery, Alabama bus, King led the bus boycott that resulted in the
desegregation of buses. In taking on other civil rights issues, he believed
the struggle for freedom would only come through peaceful resistance. He
was jailed in 1963 during a campaign to end segregation at lunch counters
and in hiring practices. To raise awareness of civil rights issues, King helped
organize the March on Washington during which he gave his famous I
Have a Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Under Kings
leadership, the civil rights movement eventually led to the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, which outlawed employment discrimination and desegregated
public facilities. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 while supporting a
sanitation worker strike in Memphis, Tennessee.

In his quest for civil rights, King received hate calls, his home was
bombed, and he was stabbed.
When awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, he was the youngest man
to have received it.
King was the first black American to be named Time magazines
Man of the Year.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has been a national holiday in the United
States since 1986.

Have children gather and arrange props to represent the three scenes in the
play (pages 5052): a baseball field, a general store, and a bus. To help boost
understanding of the events in the play, share stories about Martin Luther
King, Jr. (see Related Reading) and discuss racial segregation with children.
You might also show a video of Kings I Have a Dream speech, as well as
images of scenes and signs from the segregated 1950s and 1960s.

Remind children that King discouraged injustices with his actions, words,
and writings. Then have them complete the activity (page 53) by filling in
ideas about what they can do, say, and write to change one unfair thing for
the better.
47
by
had to ride in the back of buses.
go to school with white people. They
Black people could not sit, drink, or
Equality for All
Martin
Luther
King, Jr.
grew, he wanted to try to change things.
Martin did not think this was right. As he
All people should

be treated the
same.
were not like they are now.
boy in the 1930s. Things back then
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a young
way things were done.
helped all of us.
peaceful ways in making changes have
would be treated the same.
Martin did. They began to change the
Martins dream was coming true! His
He spoke of his dream that everyone
He gave a speech in Washington, D.C.
Many believed the same things that
asked others not to ride buses to work.
He wanted new rules for buses. He
Martin Luther
King, Jr.
One Day, Martin
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Martin
Narrators 15
Teacher
Boys 1 & 2
Mom
Driver
Scene 1: on a neighborhood ball field

Martin:
Hi! Lets pick teams and

play ball!
Boy 1:
We cant play ball with you today.
Martin:
Why not?
Boy 2:
Our parents say your skin color

is not like ours.
Boy 1:
They dont want us to play with you.
Martin:
But we are friends.
Boy 2:
Not any more.
Narrator 1: One day, Martin would give a speech in Washington.

Narrator 2: His speech would give hope to many.
Narrator 3: People would always remember.
Narrator 4: But on this day, Martin was six,
50
and he just wanted to play ball.
Narrator 5: He didnt know why skin color mattered.

All:
We shall overcome! We shall overcome!
Scene 2: outside a neighborhood market

Martin:
Mom, why dont we use the front door

of the store? Its this way.
Mom:
That door is not for us.
Martin:
Why not?
Mom:
Black people must use the back door.

White people use the front door.
Martin:
Why do people care about skin color?
Mom:
Thats just the way things are.

We use different water fountains.
We sit in different places.
Martin:
I think all people should be treated the same.
Mom:
I do, too, Martin. I do, too.
Narrator 1: One day, Martin would find a way to show
that laws about skin color were unfair.
Narrator 2: He would ask people to sit and wait
for service at lunch counters.
Narrator 3: People would use peaceful ways
to bring change.
Narrator 4: But on this day, he was a boy who
just wanted to shop with his mother.
One Day, Martin
51
Narrator 5: He didnt know why signs said Whites Only.

All:
Scene 3: on a crowded bus

Teacher:
I wish this bus would not keep stopping.
Martin:
Whats your hurry?
Teacher:
People will be so excited that you won.

You are only 14, but youre a great speaker.
Driver:
Get up! You have to move.

These white people need a place to sit.
Martin:
But there are no other seats for us.
Driver:
Then you will have to stand. Go on!
Martin:
Stand for ninety miles? I will never forget this!
Narrator 1: One day, Martin would lead a bus boycott.

Narrator 2: He would ask people not to ride buses.
Narrator 3: People would listen to Martin.
Things would change.
Narrator 4: But on this day, he was 14 years old,
and he just needed a ride.
Narrator 5: He didnt know why he had
52
to give up his seat.
All:
The End
One Day, Martin
Name:
Date:
Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Activity Page
Its Just Not Right

Martin Luther King, Jr. showed us that one
person can help make lives better.
I Can Make a Change

Look around your neighborhood.
Write about one unfair thing you can help change.
Heres what I can do:
This is what I can say:
Heres what I will write:
53
Abraham Lincoln
Using the Mini-Book

to Abraham Lincoln, have
(18091865)
residents Day in February is the perfect time to feature Abraham

Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States and one of our countrys
greatest leaders. Lincoln was born on February 12 in a backwoods cabin in
Kentucky. In 1816, his family moved to Indiana, where his mother died less
than two years later. Lincoln was nine years old at the time. When his father
remarried, Lincoln found in his new stepmother a source of encouragement
in his desire to read. Because his help was more importantly needed at home
for farming and wood splitting, he rarely had the chance to attend school as
a boy. Despite this, he often borrowed books to read and spent time writing
in the dirt or on a fireplace shovel. When Lincoln turned 21, he moved again
with his family, this time to Illinois. As a young man, he held a variety of
jobs including flatboatman, grocer, surveyor, postmaster, and lawyer.
When Lincoln became president in 1860, the country was in great
turmoil over slavery. The Civil War began and ended during his presidency.
During that time, Lincoln gave a speech known as the Emancipation
Proclamation, which freed slaves in the Confederate states. In 1865, just
months after being reelected, he was shot while attending a play in Fords
Theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died the following day.

Lincoln enjoyed telling stories and jokes. He often used humor as a way
to build relationships.
Lincoln was famous for always telling the truth. He was nicknamed
Honest Abe.
In 1909, he became the first real person and the first American president
to be featured on an American coin.
Related Reading
Abes Honest Words: The Life
of Abraham Lincoln by Doreen
Rappaport (Hyperion Book,
2008)
Abraham Lincoln Comes Home
by Robert Burleigh (Henry Holt
and Co., 2008)
When Abraham Talked to
the Trees by Elizabeth Van
Steenwyk (Eerdmans Books for
Young Readers, 2002)
54
The funeral train carrying Lincolns body passed through seven states and
made numerous stops along the way. Thousands of mourners lined the
route, many waiting for hours to pass by the coffin to pay their respects.

Provide rhythm instruments and small American flags for children in the
Marching Band to use as props in the play (pages 5759). Instruct them to
hold their items still and quiet when they are not performing their part.

Lincoln often copied things he read to keep for future reference. Even the
night he died, his pockets contained newspaper clippings he had chosen to
keep and carry. Have children complete page 60 by writing (or copying) a
short poem, a few of their favorite words, and a joke. Later, you might bind
the pages and place them in the reading center for everyone to enjoy.
by
He also liked to write.
When his work was done, he read books.
United States
of America
of the
16th President
Abraham
Lincoln
Once, he helped a pig stuck in the mud.
He was kind to animals.
in the garden.
As a boy, he chopped wood and worked
Abraham Lincoln lived long ago.
His words helped save our country.
Lincoln made speeches about freedom.
to see hurt soldiers.
When he was president, he went
Lincoln cared about people, too.
what he did for us.
country better. We will never forget
Abraham Lincoln helped make our
He worked to set slaves free.
He was sad to see people in slavery.
Abraham Lincoln
Honest Abe
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Children 16
Marching Band (small group of children)
Child 1:
The parade is coming! Hurry!
Child 2:
Why is there a parade today?
Child 3:
Its for Presidents Day.

Theres the band. Look!
Marching
Band:
(playing instruments, marching, and chanting)

Presidents Day is here today!
Come on kids, lets say Hooray!
U. S., U. S.U.S.A.!
Child 4:
Our country has had some great presidents.
Child 5:
Abraham Lincoln is my favorite.
Child 6:
What made him so special?
Child 4:
He worked hard all his life.
Child 3:
I read that he helped his dad in the garden

when he was a boy.
57
Child 2:
He also split wood and made fences.
Child 1:
What did he do for fun?
Child 5:
He loved to read.
He read poems and fables.
Child 4:
One of his favorite books

was about George Washington.
Child 6:
Washington was our first president!
Child 5:
Thats right!
Abe really wanted to learn
about our first president.
Child 4:
He read about how Washington

helped the U.S. fight to be free.
Child 2:
One night, he read the book in bed.
Child 3:
After he fell asleep, it rained.

The cabin leaked and the book got wet.
Child 6:
Did Abe get in trouble?
Child 3:
Abe was an honest boy.

He told his friend about it.
Child 2:
His friend told him he could work

to pay for the book.
Child 1:
Did Abe do it?
58
Honest Abe
Child 5:
He sure did!
He worked three days.
After that, he got to keep the book.
Child 6:
A wet book!
What would he do with a wet book?
Child 3:
He dried the pages and kept it.

It was the first book he ever owned.
Child 2:
I learned that Abe grew up to be an honest man.

He was an honest shopkeeper and lawyer.
Child 1:
He must have been an honest president, too.
Child 4:
Thats why they call him Honest Abe!
Child 6:
It looks like the parade is moving on.

Lets march to the library for a book.
Child 5:
Yes, I want to read some poems.
Child 3:
I want to read some fables.
Child 1:
And I want to read a book about Abraham Lincoln!
Marching
Band:
(playing instruments, marching, and chanting)

Presidents Day is here today!
Come on kids, lets say Hooray!
U. S., U. S.U.S.A.!
The End
Honest Abe
59
Abraham Lincoln
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
Words to Remember
Abraham Lincoln wrote down things he wanted to remember.
Write some things that you want to remember.
Words
Abraham Lincoln
16th President of the USA
A Poem
60
A Joke
Susan B. Anthony
Using the Mini-Book

to Susan B. Anthony, have
Related Reading
Susan B. Anthony by Martha
E. H. Rustad (Capstone Press,
2006)
Susan B. Anthony: Champion of
Womens Rights by Helen Albee
Monsell (Aladdin, 1986)
Susan B. Anthony: Fighter for
Womens Rights by Deborah
Hopkinson (Aladdin, 2005)
(18201906)
omens History Month, recognized in March, offers a perfect

occasion to highlight Susan B. Anthony and her tireless efforts to
gain voting rights for women. Anthony was born into a Quaker family in
Adams, Massachusetts. She learned to read and write by the age of five and
was able to get a good education despite growing up during a time when
women were considered subordinate to men. Anthony became a teacher and
taught school in New York for more than ten years. When she spoke out
about her teaching salary being one-fifth that of her male colleagues, she
was fired.
Anthony worked most of her lifetime to elevate women to equal
status with men. She was also active in the temperance and anti-slavery
movements. Anthonys goals for womens rights included giving women the
right to own property, providing equal pay to that of men for the same job,
and allowing women to speak publicly. In 1872, she and 14 other women
voted in the presidential election. All 15 were arrested for voting illegally,
but only Anthony was tried, convicted, and fined for breaking the law. In
1920fourteen years after Anthonys deaththe 19th Amendment of the
U.S. Constitution was passed, giving women the right to vote.

Anthony and her lifelong friend, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, published a
weekly newspaper called the Revolution, in which they wrote articles
urging women to vote.
Because she was a woman, Anthony was not permitted to speak on her
own behalf in court when she was brought to trial in 1872.
Anthony was fined $100 for voting. She declared that she would never
pay the fineand she never did!
In 1979, Anthony was featured on a one-dollar coin to honor her work
for womens rights.

Invite children to make four signs, each labeled in large print with V, O, T,
or E. Have them write the corresponding key word or phrase from the play
(pages 6466) on the back of each sign: voting rights, opinions, trust, and equal.
When reading the play, children can hold up each letter as it is named in the
chant and then turn the sign to reveal its key word or phrase.

Anthony worked to change things for the better for women and others.
Challenge children to brainstorm things that need to be changed for the
better in their neighborhood, school, and classroom. You might list their
responses on chart paper. Then invite children to complete the activity on
page 67.
61
by
girls were.
They were taught more things than
In the 1840s, boys sat up front in school.
Working for
Womens Rights
Susan B.
Anthony
Susan thought this was unfair.
Men were paid more than women.
were not the same for everyone.
When Susan B. Anthony was little, things
for womens rights!
right to vote! Thank you, Susan, for working
She asked people to treat women the
same as men.
After many years, women finally won the
She spoke out everywhere she went.
Only men could vote.
She voted! People said she broke the law.
Susan believed things would get better
if women could vote.
One day, Susan did a brave thing.
Mens ideas were respected more.
Susan B. Anthony
A Crime at the Time
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Susan
Judge Hunt
Girls
Lawyer
Narrators 1 & 2
Boys
Susan:
Come on, ladies!

Lets go vote.
Girls:
Women cant vote.

Its against the law!
Susan:
Judge Selden says women can vote.

Im voting for president. Whos with me?
Girls:
Well go! Well vote, too!
Narrator 1:
Susan and her friends voted.

A few days later they were arrested.
Narrator 2:
In the 1800s, women didnt vote.

They could go to jail for voting.
But Susan was not one to give up.
Narrator 1: She gave speeches about womens
right to vote. She led rallies to

get the law changed.
Narrator 2: Susan had to go to court because she voted.
64
A Crime at the Time
Judge Hunt: Order in the court!
Lawyer:
Would the court please come to order?

We are here for a trial.
Judge Hunt: How does Miss Anthony plead?

Lawyer:
Not guilty, your honor.
Boys:
Not guilty?
Judge Hunt: Is it true that she voted for president
Lawyer:
on November 5, 1872?
Yes, your honor.
Judge Hunt: Isnt she a woman?

Lawyer:
Yes, your honor.
Judge Hunt: Its a crime for women to vote!
Lawyer:
She must go to jail.
If her brother had voted, it would have been

a good thing. Right?
Judge Hunt: Youre right. That would be good.

Lawyer:
Then why is it a crime for a woman to vote?
Judge Hunt: The law does not let women vote.
Boys:
The jury must find Miss Anthony guilty.

They must find her guilty.
Judge Hunt: Miss Anthony, you must pay a $100 fine.
You broke the law by voting.
A Crime at the Time
65
Susan:
I will never pay even a dollar.
Judge Hunt: Miss Anthony, go home.
Narrator 1:
Susan worked all her life to help women

get the same rights as men.
Narrator 2:
Her ideas were new at that time.

Sometimes people were mean to her.
Narrator 1:
In her old age, people asked Susan

why she worked so hard and so long.
Narrator 2:
She just said, I had to do my part.
Narrator 1:
When Susan died in 1906, only four states

let women vote.
Narrator 2:
But in 1920, Congress gave all women

the right to vote.
Girls:
Thank you, Miss Anthony!

Were glad you took a stand.
Boys:
V is for the voting rights

All citizens are due.
Girls:
O is for opinions
They differ, it is true.
Boys:
T is for the trust we place

in leaders that we choose.
Girls:
E means we are equal

Come on! Get out the news!
The End
66
I will not put you in jail, but you cannot vote.
A Crime at the Time
Susan B. Anthony
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
Changing for the Better

Write about three problems you know of.
How would you make things better?
In My
m
Classroo
see is
I
m
ble
A pro
In My
School
A problem
I see is
to
e
t
o
Iv
In My
rhood
Neighbo
I vote to
see is
I
m
e
l
prob
o
t
e
t
o
Iv
67
Rachel Carson
Using the Mini-Book

to Rachel Carson, have
Related Reading
Rachel: The Story of Rachel
Carson by Amy Ehrlich
(Sandpiper, 2008)
Rachel Carson: Preserving a
Sense of Wonder by Joseph
Bruchac (Fulcrum Publishing,
2004)
(19071964)
he April observance of Earth Day is an ideal time to recognize Rachel

Carson and her work in raising awareness of environmental issues.
From childhood, Carson was a nature lover and poet. In college, she studied
marine biology, zoology, and genetics. Later, as an employee of the U.S.
Bureau of Fisheriesnow known as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
she wrote materials about natural resources and conservation. But it was
Carsons other writing that brought her national attention. She wrote The
Sea Around Us with a blend of information and eloquent prose that revealed
her enchantment with marine biology. People had never read anything quite
like Carsons work, and the success of the book opened the door for her to
become a full-time writer.
Later, Carson developed concern over the unintended effects of
pesticide use. She and other scientists began to research and document the
harm that pesticide chemicals caused to fish, birds, and other animals. In her
book, Silent Spring, Carson wove a tale so compelling that many people began
to consider the potential consequences of pesticide use for the very first
time. Although her conclusions were challenged, Carson was credited with
sparking a national debate and laying a foundation on which environmental
protections in the United States would later be built.

Fifteen publishers rejected The Sea Around Us. After being published,
the book sold more than 200,000 copies in its first year.
Carsons work raised ecological awareness and eventually led to the
establishment, in 1970, of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
A 1972 ban on the pesticide DDT was credited with helping to increase
the population of endangered brown pelicans and bald eagles.
In 1980, years after Carsons death, President Jimmy Carter awarded
her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Invite children to prepare Earth Day banners or signs as a backdrop for the
opening scene of the play (pages 7173). In addition, you might have them
create artwork that corresponds to each verse of the poem in the play.

Carson continually observed nature and documented her observations and
reflections. Encourage children to do the same by taking a nature walk and
completing the activity on page 74. (If desired, provide them with several
copies of the activity page to complete). Afterward, you might bind the pages
into a class book, then place it in your class library for children to read and
share with each other.
68
by
scientist and writer.
When she grew up, Rachel became a
U.S. Bureau
of Fisheries
Writer
Scientist
Ecologist
Rachel
Carson
loved the way she wrote about nature.
Rachel wrote about ocean animals. People
She loved to write, too.
Rachel Carson always loved nature.
could cause.
protecting our planet.
Today, Earth Day reminds us to keep
think more about the harm bug sprays
to get sick and die.
Rachel spent her life caring for nature.
Rachel wrote a book. It made people
always good. They caused some animals
sprays. Farmers used these to kill the
bugs on their crops.
Rachel noticed that bug sprays werent
Rachel also wrote about the use of bug
Rachel Carson
Lives All Around Us
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Children 16
Groups 16
Child 1: Its almost Earth Day!

Child 2: What on earth is Earth Day?
Child 3: Is it a time to be glad we dont live on Mars?
Child 1: No, silly.
Its a time to think about protecting the plants

and animals that share our planet.
Child 6: Earth Day is a great time to do something
good for the planet.
Child 5: Havent we always done things
that are good for the planet?
Child 1: No, Im afraid not.
Have you ever heard of Rachel Carson?
Child 5: Who is she?

Child 1: She wrote about taking care of our planet.
71
Child 2: Ive heard of her. As a child, she loved
the plants and animals where she lived.
Child 6: She grew up to became a scientist.

Child 2: She saw that people wanted to get rid of bugs.
They used spray on crops to kill insects.
Child 3: Did the spray work?

Child 1: It did. But it also made birds and fish sick.
Many of them died.
Child 6: People also ate the crops that had been sprayed.
Child 4: Yuck! Ive never eaten a crop.
Child 2: Of course you have!
Crops are things like apples and beans

and corn and strawberries.
Child 4: Oh, then I really like crops.

Child 6: Well, Rachel and other scientists thought
the crop sprays could make people sick, too.
Child 2: She spread the word.
Some people believed her. Some did not.
Child 6: But people became more careful with bug sprays.

Child 3: So Earth Day is a time to remember
72
there are lives all around us.
Lives All Around Us
Child 5: What we do to the earth affects
plants and animals.
Child 4: And what we do to the earth affects us, too.
We should get others to think about protecting the earth!
Child 6: Well, Rachel loved poetry as much
as she loved nature.
Child 3: We could share a poem to give others
things to think about!
Child 1: Here come some people! Get ready.

Group 1: Stroll beneath the tall, straight pines.
The wind whispers, and they sway.
Group 2: Wade into a silver stream.
A leaf floats along its way.
Group 3: Roam beside the ocean dunes.
Birds are feeding in the tide.
Group 4: Hike across a golden field.
Rabbits dart across to hide.
Group 5: See the wonders Rachel saw.
Think about them, if you would.
Group 6: Lets be more mindful everyday
like Miss Carson said we should.
The End
Lives All Around Us
73
Rachel Carson
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
Nature Notes
Rachel Carson studied nature. Take a walk outdoors. Choose a natural
object to study. Then complete this page.
Im Studying
(name of object)
Date
Location
Weather
Draw the object.
Ob
I see that . . .
ser
vat
ion
Ob
I wonder if . . .
74
va
ser
tio
I think that . . .
Sally Ride
Using the Mini-Book

Sally Ride, have them make
individually.
Related Reading
Sally Ride by Elizabeth Raum
(Heinemann-Raintree, 2005)
(1951present)
ocus childrens attention skyward in May by featuring Sally Ride, the first
American woman in space, who was born on the 26th day of this month.
In 1977, NASA put out the word that it was looking for young scientists
not just pilotsto become mission specialists and, for the first time, it
would accept female applicants. Athletic astrophysicist Sally Ride applied
and was selected, along with five other women, from more than 1,000
female competitors, to train as an astronaut. As a mission specialist on the
1983 flight of Challenger, Ride not only became the first American woman to
go into space, but she also became the youngest person, at 31 years old, ever
sent into orbit. Ride returned to space on Challenger a second time in 1984,
and was scheduled for a third trip, however Challenger tragically exploded
after takeoff in January 1986. Ride was appointed to the commission that
investigated the Challenger accident.
After her time in the space program, Ride worked with NASA in
Washington, D.C. She went on to become a Professor of Physics and
Director of the California Space Institute at the University of California
in San Diego. In 1994, she launched EarthKAM, a program that makes it
possible for middle school students to photograph Earth from space and
study those images.

Ride has been inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame and the National
Aviation Hall of Fame.
She received the NCAAs Theodore Roosevelt Teddy Award, the highest
honor presented to a former student-athlete.
To this day, Ride still holds the record for being the youngest person sent
into space.
In 2001 she started her own company, called Sally Ride Science, aimed at
inspiring girls to pursue studies in science and math.
Sally Ride: The First American

Woman in Space by Tom
Riddolls (Crabtree Publishing
Company, 2010)
To Space and Back by Sally

Ride (HarperCollins, 1989)
Provide a picnic blanket and an imitation laptop for children to as props

when reading the play (pages 7881). If desired, you might take children
outdoors on a clear, warm day to read the play.
Tell children that Sally Rides goal is to get kids excited about science.
Invite them to share about science topics they find exciting. After sharing,
have children complete the activity (page 82) by filling in each section
with a science topic that interests them and a question they would like
to ask. Follow up by providing books and experiences that relate to
childrens interests.
75
by
She was traveling through space!
3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Blastoff!
more. She studied how objects move
in space.
In 1983, Sallys dream came true.
ride would be like.
dream. She often wondered what a rocket
When she was child, Sally Ride liked to
Sally loved sports. She loved science even
First American Woman

in Space
Sally Ride
Now, we can see our planet from space!
After her trip, she started EarthKam.
What a beautiful sight our planet was!
Sally saw Earth from space for the first time.
studying and caring for our planet.
scientists. She knows they can have fun
Sally hopes lots of kids will become
things too.
from space. She wanted others to see these
Sally could also see coral reefs and storms
Sally Ride
Read-Aloud Play
In Search of
Star Scientists
Characters
Children 17
Child 1:
Hey! What are you doing?
Child 2:
Hi, gang! Im just lying here on the ground.
Child 3:
What are you looking up at?
Child 2:
Outer space.
Child 1:
Outer space?
What are you talking about?
Child 2:
Well, if you go up really high

and really fast, you reach outer space!
Child 3:
Youre not going to try to leap

into outer space from Sams
trampoline again, are you?
Children 47: Are you?

Child 2:
Of course not! Im just

thinking about Sally Ride.
Child 1:
Sally Ride? Who is that?
78
Child 2:
She was the first American woman

to go into space.
Child 5:
Sally Ride, is it?

Just one minute while I look her up
on my laptop.
Child 4:
Ill look, too.

Oh, here she is.
This says that she was an athlete.
Child 5:
You have to be in good shape

to be an astronaut.
Child 6:
She is an as-tro-phys-i-cist, too.
Child 3:
Bless you!
Child 6:
I didnt sneeze.
An as-tro-phys-i-cist is a scientist.
Child 4:
Thats right.
Sally Ride is a scientist.
She studies things in space.
Child 7:
Did you know that scientists ask questions?

Then they find answers by doing tests.
Child 3:
That sounds like what were doing

in science class!
Child 7:
Yes, thats called the scientific method.
In Search of Star Scientists
79
Child 5:
Heres more about Sally Ride.

At first, only pilots went on space missions.
Then NASA wanted to start sending scientists.
Child 6:
Thats when Sally Ride signed up.
Child 1:
What did they want scientists for?
Child 4:
They wanted scientists to do experiments in space.
Child 7:
This also says that Sally Ride

had to train to be an astronaut.
It took her more than a year to get ready.
Children 13: A year?

Child 1:
What was that like?
Child 7:
She had to get in shape. She had to study.
Child 4:
She also had to get used to zero gravity.

Theres no gravity in outer space.
Child 5:
A year of that? I would have quit.
Child 7:
Many people would have.
Child 6:
But Sally Ride kept on going.

She went all the way to outer space!
Child 4:
These days she works hard for something else.
Child 2:
Whats that?
80
Child 5:
She helps kids see how much fun

being a scientist can be.
Child 3:
Oh, yeah? Name one kind of scientist who has a cool job.
Child 7:
How about marine biologists?

Some get to tag and track sea turtles.
They help us learn about animals.
Child 5:
How about geologists?

Some get to make maps of places that flood.
They help people build homes in safe places.
Child 6:
How about astrophysicists?

Some get to study Earths blanket of air.
They tell us how its changing.
Child 3:
Really?
I thought scientists only worked with test tubes.
Child 1:
I thought they just worked in labs.
Child 2:
No, not at all!

Scientists work in all kinds of places.
All:
No lab coats needed!
Child 6:
We could all become scientists one day.
Child 4:
Hey! Lets look up different kinds of

scientists on my laptop.
Then we can decide what kind wed like to be!
The End
81
Sally Ride
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
What Would You Like to Learn?

Sally Ride thinks science is fun. What kind of science
would you like to learn about?
ics
phys my
ono
r
t
s
a
istr y
m
e
ch
I want to learn about
Heres my question:
insects spiders habitat crops human body plants reptiles amphibians fish

Heres my question:
botany
biolog
y
zoolog
y
ecolog
y
metamorphosis germs health nutrition organisms birds extinction diseases
mammals hibernation
mammals hibernation
semiconductors lasers satellite communications energy planetarium
space flight moon
space flight moon
gravity atoms electricity motion energy universe moon stars planets
geology
oceanography
climatology

Heres my question:
natural resources pollution glaciers water cycle hurricanes landforms
82
currents minerals
pollution glaciers
rocks volcanoes fossils earthquakes weather climate oceans atmosphere
Helen Keller
Using the Mini-Book

Helen Keller, have them make
individually.
Related Reading
Helen Keller by Jane Sutcliffe
(Lerner Publishing Group, 2002)
Helen Keller by Sean Dolan
(Childrens Press, 2006)
Helen Keller: Courage in the
Dark by Johanna Hurwitz
(Perfection Learning, 2001)
Helen Keller: The World in Her
Heart by Lesa Cline-Ransome
(Collins, 2008)
(18801968)
elen Keller was born a healthy baby on June 27, 1880, but lost her sight
and hearing to an illness before she turned two. By six years of age,
Keller was so frustrated by her inability to communicate that she often lashed
out in bursts of anger. When her parents sought help from the Perkins School
for the Blind, the school assigned Anne Sullivana visually impaired Perkins
graduateto teach Keller. Sullivan made the first of many breakthroughs with
Keller, teaching her to communicate with others using the manual alphabet.
When Keller left home to attend college, Sullivan went with her. In fact,
Sullivan remained by Kellers side almost everywhere she went.
Keller went on to write books, magazine articles, and speeches. For
25 years, she worked on learning to speak clearly. She and Sullivan toured
the nation lecturing and performing a vaudeville act, which gave Keller a
platform for sharing her views about blindness, deafness, politics, and social
issues. Never one to be sidelined by her differences, Keller led an active
lifestyle riding horses and bicycles, swimming, and boating. As a lifetime
advocate for the blind and deaf-blind, she helped raise funds from both
government and private donors and pushed for the rehabilitation of blind
veterans and the blind abroad.

The first word for which Keller connected meaning to the finger-spelling
was water.
Keller learned to read French, German, Greek, and Latinall in Braille!
When Anne Sullivan died in 1936, Polly Thompson became
Kellers assistant.
Keller supported both workers rights and womens rights.
Alexander Graham Bell and Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) were lifelong
friends and mentors of Keller.
President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Keller the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the highest honor an American civilian can receive.

Prior to reading the play (pages 8688), teach children how to make the
hand sign for each of these letters: W, A, T, E, and R. Invite them to sign the
letters along with the speakers as they read the section of the play in which
water is spelled out.

In The Story of My Life, Keller describes how the encouragement of friends
and acquaintances propelled her onward and upward. Ask children to think
about people who encourage them. Then have them complete each sentence
in the activity (page 89) and draw themselves as helpers in the box.
83
by
After that, Helen could not see or hear.
While she was still a baby, she got sick.
Helen
Keller
The teacher taught Helen many things.
Helens parents sent for a teacher.
She was healthy and happy.
Helen Keller was born in 1880.
gave speeches.
different could not hold her back.
important people. She proved that being
Her teacher went with her.
she worked. She wrote books. She
Helen traveled the world and met many
Later, Helen went away to school.
The more Helen learned, the harder
hungry for words.
hands. Helen learned quickly. She was
The teacher spelled words into Helens
Helen Keller
The Girl With Amazing

Differences
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Children 16
Child 1:
I was just thinking about what life

might be like if I couldnt see.
Child 2:
I know about a blind girl who helped

the whole world see things in a new way.
Child 3:
How can someone who is blind

help others see?
Child 1:
Have you ever heard of Helen Keller?

She was blind, but all her life she helped
others see that they were wrong.
Child 4:
Wrong? About what?
Child 5:
About what people who are blind can do.
Child 2:
You see, Helen lost her sight

and hearing when she was a baby.
Child 4:
You mean she couldnt see at all?
Child 6:
Thats right. No colors. No shapes.
86
The Girl With Amazing Differences
Child 3:
And she couldnt hear?
Child 5:
Thats right. Think about what it would

be like not to hear at all.
Child 3:
You wouldnt know your moms voice.
Child 4:
You couldnt hear a bird sing.
Child 3:
I would hate that!
Child 1:
I think Helen did, too.

She lashed out at her family.
When she was six, her parents sent for a teacher.
Child 6:
Anne Sullivan was the teacher.

She began to spell words using her hands.
Child 2:
She would form each letter into Helens hands.

One day, she spelled out water.
Child 1:
W! Clear and cool it trickled from the pump.
Child 2:
A! Helen cupped her hand under the stream.
Child 5:
T! It made puddles around her feet.
Child 6:
E! How her teacher wanted Helen to know
Child 1:
R! That these cool wet trails were called water.
Child 4:
W-A-T-E-R was what splashed into her hands!
Child 3:
W-A-T-E-R was what puddled around her feet!
87
Child 2:
Yes, and Helen finally understood.

She had learned her first wordwater!
Child 1:
By the end of that day,

Helen had learned 30 words!
Child 2:
And she spent the rest of her life learning.
Child 6:
Helen became the first blind person

to get a college degree.
Child 3:
But how did she help the whole world see?
Child 5:
Many thought that blind people

couldnt do what the rest of us do.
Child 6:
Helen showed them this was not true.
Child 4:
Oh, I get it! Helen Keller was blind and deaf.

But she worked hard to do what sighted people do.
Child 5:
That and a whole lot more!

She traveled around the world.
Child 1:
She gave speeches and helped others.

And she met lots of important people.
Child 4:
Lets give a cheer for Helen Keller!
All:
Hip-hip-hooray!
The End
88
Helen Keller
Name:
Date:
Activity Page
A Little Lift
Helen Keller was thankful for people who helped her.
Write about people who help you.
Then write about how you can help someone.
(name)
helps me by telling me
(name)
helps me by giving me
I can help
by
Heres a picture of me helping.
(name)
helps me by
E n c o urage
someone
today!
89
Alexander Graham Bell
Using the Mini-Book

to Alexander Graham Bell,
class, encouraging children
to track the text with their
(18471922)
uly, the month in which the Bell Telephone Company was formed in
1877, is the perfect time to turn the spotlight on the inventor of the
telephoneAlexander Graham Bell. The second of three sons, Bell was
raised by a deaf mother and a father who taught speech. After his two
brothers died of tuberculosis, the family moved from Scotland to Canada,
hoping that the new climate would benefit Bells health. By that time, he had
served as his fathers assistant helping deaf students learn to speak using a
system of visible speech. In the 1870s, Bell built a reputation in Boston as a
lecturer, teacher, and professor. While attempting to develop a new type of
telegraph, he invented the telephone with the assistance of Thomas Watson.
Never one to rest for long, Bell invented a dozen other devices, such as the
photophone, which transmitted sounds on beams of light. Today, Bell is
considered one of the greatest inventors of all time.
Despite his huge success as an inventor, Bells passion was to improve
the lives of the hearing impaired. He played a major role in Helen Kellers
life, making it possible for her to be paired with Anne Sullivan, financing her
education, and remaining her lifelong friend.

Bell was born in Scotland. He became an American citizen in 1882.
Both his mother and his wife were deaf.
Bells other inventions included the gramophone, hydrofoil
speedboat, and a kite that carried a person aloft.
The year after the Bell Telephone Company was established, more
than 150,000 people in the United States had phones.
Related Reading
Alexander Graham Bell by
Elizabeth MacLeod (Kids Can
Press, 2007)
Alexander Graham Bell by
Victoria Sherrow (Carolrhoda
Books, 2001)
Time For Kids: Alexander
Graham Bell by the editors of
Time For Kids (HarperCollins,
2006)
The first transcontinental callfrom New York to

San Franciscowas made by Bell in 1915.
When Bell died in 1922, all telephones in the United States
fell silent as a tribute to him.

Many of Bells inventions were machines with long, unfamiliar names.
Teach the following multi-syllabic nouns to children before reading the play
(pages 9395): telegraph, telephone, graphophone, photophone, and audiometer.
Talk about how the parts of these words are similar and different.

Bell was a student of sound from childhood. For one day, provide several
opportunities for children to comment on sounds around themparticularly
those they enjoy. Then have them complete the activity (page 96) by writing
about the sounds that most appeal to them.
90
speech from his father.
Alexander learned about sounds and
His father was a speech teacher.
by
Inventor Teacher
Alexander
Graham
Bell
children. It was the work he loved best.
When Alexander grew up, he taught deaf
They used their hands to talk to each other.
Alexander Graham Bells mother was deaf.
He had invented the telephone!
Finally, Alexander found the answer.

6
He enjoyed doing experiments with sound. 4
Alexander was also a scientist and inventor.
kind are used around the world.
communicate. Today, phones of every
Alexander changed the way people
this happen.
a wire. He wanted to find a way to make
He believed that voice could travel along
Whats That, Mr. Bell?
Alexander
Graham Bell
Read-Aloud Play
Characters
Children 14
Chorus
Child 1: Today we learned about a great inventor.
His name was Alexander Graham Bell.
Child 2: He and his helper were trying
to invent a new kind of telegraph.
Chorus: A tel-e-graph? Whats that?

Child 3: In the 1800s, people used telegraphs
to send messages.
Child 4: Its sort of like sending text messages.

Child 1: Only telegraphs didnt use letters.
Messages were sent in Morse Code.
Chorus: Morse Code? Whats that?

Child 3: Its a way to send a note in code.
The sender taps out dots and dashes that stand for letters.
Child 2: Far, far away someone else hears the taps.
That person decodes the message to

find out what it says.
93
Child 4: But Bell never did invent that new telegraph.

Child 1: He came up with something much better!
Child 3: His new machine could send spoken words.
Child 4: He invented the first telephone!
Chorus: Tel-e-phone? Ring, Ring!
Child 2: Yes! With a phone, people who were
far apart could talk to each other.
Child 3: Then Bell decided to make another new machine.
He made a graphophone.
Chorus: A graph-o-phone? Whats that?

Child 1: It records sounds.
Child 2: Bell came up with still another invention.
He made a photophone.
Chorus: A pho-to-phone? Whats that?

Child 3: It sends out sounds on a beam of light.
Child 4: Thats not all! Bell made something else.
Child 1: He made an audiometer.
Chorus:: An au-di-om-e-ter? Whats that?
94
Child 2: It shows how strong or weak someones hearing is.

Child 3: But Bell was not just an inventor.
He was a teacher, too!
Chorus: A teacher? Who were his students?

Child 4: He taught deaf students to speak.
It was his favorite work.
Child 3: Look! I wrote a rhyme about Mr. Bell!
Come help me read it.
Chorus: Ring, Ring!

Child 2: Mr. Bell sent a sound on down the wire.
Chorus: Ring, Ring!
Child 1: Mr. Bell worked and never seemed to tire.
Chorus: Ring, Ring!
Child 4: Mr. Bell kept the great ideas flowing.
Chorus: Ring, Ring!
Child 3: Mr. Bell just kept learning,
and his inventions just kept growing!
The End
95
Name:
Date:
Wired for Sound
Alexander
Graham Bell
Activity Page
Alexander Graham Bell spent his life learning and thinking about sounds.
What are your favorite sounds? Write about a few of them.
Musical Sounds
Nature Sounds
Words
96
Mr. Watson,
come here. I
want to see you.

Person of The Month: Famous Americans

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Grades K2

Ready-to-Go Units That Include Mini-Books, Read-Aloud Plays, Graphic

In memory of countless unsung Americans

elcome to Person of the Month: Famous Americans, a literacy-rich collection of

About This Book

Mini-Book: This easy-to-read mini-book is filled with interesting and factual

Read-Aloud Play: Each ready-to-use play reinforces childrens

How to Make the

The mini-books require very few materials, and children can

1. Cut each reproducible

2. Repeat the folding

3. Staple the pages

Teaching Tips and Extensions

Play Props and Productions

All-in-One Activity Pages

Draw the person.

Draw the person.

One thing this person did:

One special thing this person

Another thing this person did:

How this person

1. Choose a famous person

2. Read and talk about

3. Complete this page.

4. Glue this page to an

5. Put pictures and things

about who the person is.

Connections to the Standards

summarizes information found in text (retells in

uses basic elements of phonetic analysis (letter-sound

understands the ways in which people in a variety

understands level-appropriate sight words and

understands the reasons that Americans celebrate

reads aloud with fluency and expression (rhythm, flow,

knows the accomplishments of major scientists and

uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety

knows the ways people communicate with each other

Common Core State Standards

Draw the person.

One thing this person did:

Another thing this person did:

One Special American

Draw the person.

One special thing this person

How this person

1. Choose a famous person

George Washington Carver

Using the Mini-Book

eorge Washington Carver, with his ingenuity and creativity, is a

More Interesting Facts

Preparing for the Read-Aloud Play

Using the Activity Page

He made his own brushes and paint.

George liked to paint pictures.

The Plant Doctor

The Plant Doctor.

sick plants well. His friends called him

George also liked plants. He could make

brother lived with Moses and Susan Carver.

George was the son of a slave. He and his

to use them, too.

soybeans. George showed others how

He found many ways to use peanuts and