Marcy+Steiner



(^Here is the attached file and below is a sub-par copy of my signature assignment)

Marcy Steiner Professor Dahlstrom ECD 418 February 27, 2014 Signature Assignment: Houses Laroche, Giles. 2011. __I__**f You Lived Here: Houses of the World.** Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. //If You Lived Here: Houses of the World// is an extremely detailed and up to date book on houses that can be found. The book introduces fifteen unique housing structures that people have lived in and many that are still used today. Each house is given a basic description as well as: the house type (historically, distinguishing features, etc.), the materials used throughout the house, the location where that house structure can be generally found, the date range that the house style was popular or even first introduced, and a fascinating fact. The books layout and color depictions of the houses, the people, and the locations makes the book great for kids. The detailed descriptions make the book a great resource for the teacher. .World Geography is an easy curriculum area to focus on with the book //If You Lived Here: Houses of the World//. The last page of the book is a world map with each of the houses marked on the map. Children can learn about the continents, the geography of various countries, and glimpse into numerous cultures as they read //If You Lived Here: Houses of the World.// This book is also a great way to expose children to some of the most unique architecture around the world. Photos of the houses could be used to help children explore more about comparing and contrasting. Each of these curricular applications can help children learn even more about the world around them!
 * __Teacher’s Resources__**

Ventura, Piero. 1993. **Houses: Structures, Methods, and Ways of Living.** Houghton Mifflin Company. 64 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. //Houses: Structures, Methods, and Ways of Living// is a culmination of houses throughout time, how they were built, what they were built with, how the house was built with a certain building material, the history surrounding the time, and some of the biggest technological advancements that changed the way houses looked, inside and out. Houses from each time period are represented. The house that was generally used was the most architecturally significant, advanced, or sometimes even the most functional, are included in the book. The book also follows the progression of the building materials used and why the society changed from the previous material to the new material. One of the most unique features of this book is the description of the technological advancements that changed the way homes were built. Some of these include items as simple as raised beds onto indoor plumbing and heating. At the end of the book, a glossary is provided in order to help create this book into one of the most informative juvenile nonfiction books that can be used as a teacher resource. History the curriculum area that is most prominent throughout //Houses: Structures, Methods, and Ways of Living.// The entire book follows the progression of eras and how each house reflected that era and the people’s way of living. The book does not skip around but seamlessly ties in the way of living, the technology, the geography, and the problems that people experienced during that time. Out of all the historical information included, the most unique topic in this book is the simple technological advancements that occurred and how inventions continued to improve. A fun activity would be to show the progression of some of these technologies (i.e. a bed, a chair, lights tools, toilets, etc.). Children can use these to learn more about how technology continues to advance.

Wood, Tim. 1995. **Houses and Homes.** Penguin Group. 48 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. The book //Houses and Homes// depicts the differences between the homes through time. The main differences focused on include the people who lived in them, the materials they were built with, their shapes, and how these homes worked together to create the community of that time. In this book, there are photographs of artifacts from that time period. Rather than the book being simply drawings, there are photos to help children grasp the concept that these people did exist at one point in time. //Houses and Homes// includes many homes that other books do not depict, including: houses in Catal Huyuk, Mohenjo-Daro, the Yayoi, and many more. More detail is given on the rooms, the safety hazards, and the building techniques. Every few pages, the book has clear pages that act as a cover of the picture to show the outside while flipping open to show the details of the inside. This feature is exciting and allowed the illustrator to include more detailed pictures. At the end of the book is a list of key dates that effected how humans built their homes. Most of the homes in this book are from small villages. Many of the homes are smaller units that make up a larger community. This book could be used to discuss communities and villages with students. By identifying many of the prominent landmarks and buildings in the various villages, the readers can identify essential landmarks and buildings in their community. Communities could be discussed further by branching out to the people in the community and how communities work together.

White, Sylvia. 1995. **Welcome Home!** Children’s Press, Inc. 32 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. //Welcome Home!// focuses on the features that can make a home’s structure unique. One of the ways a home can be unique is by the material from which it was built. Some homes are built using grass, mud, and rocks, while others are built using glass, steel, and concrete. Some houses are built really close together while others are far apart. The people that live inside the home, the design of the house, the decorations in the house, the social status of the house, and if the house is portable are all features that distinguish one house from another. Similarities and differences can be found all over the place! A curriculum area that can be focused on is comparing and contrasting. Learning vocabulary such as “the same as” or “different from” is an essential skill learned in early education. Students in older grades can learn more about using diagrams in order to compare and contrast two items.

Weiss, Harvey. 1988. **Shelters: From Tepee to Igloo.** Thomas Y. Crowell. 74 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. This teacher resource book called //Shelters: From Tepee to Igloo// provides plenty of basic, as well as detailed, information on various shelters throughout history. Unique to this book is a section focusing on houses in and under the ground as well as geodesic domes. The benefits and issues with each home is presented in this book. Black and white sketches are used throughout the book to help provide reference for the teacher. The most unique house in this book is the geodesic domes. By focusing on this home alone, a unit learning about geometric shapes can be done. Many of the other homes in this book also have very specific shapes that can be used to learn about geometric shapes (tepee/cone, igloo/half a sphere, etc.). Younger children can use blocks or drawn shapes to create their own houses. Building with blocks helps improve large motor development.

Steele, Philip. 1994. **House: Through the Ages.** Troll Associates. 32 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. The book //House: Through the Ages// follows the progressions of shelters for human throughout the ages. Each form of shelter is describe in detail as well as the history of the time period. The story begins with caves, which then progresses to tents, huts, villas, longhouses, all the way to present day homes and even how future homes might look. The book outlines how daily life changed for humans and how the structures were adapted to their needs, including the materials used to build the structures. The drawings and artwork throughout the book are beautiful and accurate. The visuals are enticing and support the text immensely. Science and history are the two curriculum areas that could be thoroughly explored with this book. Evolution, societies through the ages, technology, and architecture are all science subjects that are mentioned in the book that can be further explored as a class. The book starts exploring houses starting with cave dwellers in 8,000 B.C. By starting so early on, the book opens up a great curriculum progression starting from the beginning and the theory of evolution. As the book follows the progression of houses, various societies and empires are mentioned and briefly explained. Each of these societies and time periods can be a focus in class to help teach history. As the students learn about the societies, the architectural purposes behind the home designs will become evident. One of the main factors in how each house was built is the technology that was available at that time. As technology progressed, the houses had to be adapted. House locations, layouts, materials, and amenities were all directly tied to the technology that was available to be used to build and be included in the house.
 * __Children’s Nonfiction__**

Jeunesse, Gallimard and Delafosse, Claude. 1995. **Houses**__.__ Scholastic, Inc. 36 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. //Houses// is a short and precise introduction to house for young students. It begins by identifying the types of home most students in the class would most likely live in (home or apartment). The book then describes quickly how a house can be built and the history of houses. The book presents houses that are on land, on wheels, on water, and even in space. The last page in the book __Houses__ provides a fun craft for younger children to use their imagination. The book suggests having children build and decorate a house using a cardboard box. Using the scissors and art supplies will help the students improve fine motor skills. If the children are older or boxes are not readily available, students can apply the book to writing by writing what their house looks like and describing whether their house is on land, wheels, or water.

Bean, Jonathan. 2013. **Building Our House.** Farrar Straus Giroux. 48 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. The book //Building Our House// is a retelling of the author’s experience growing up of his parents building their own house. The book provides a detailed explanation of how a house is built and the various stages of building. The book begins with moving day, the planning stages, and the preparation and continues all the way until their first night in their new home. In between those two times, the boy tells of all the hard works and foundational preparation that needed to be done initially. The steps, tools, hard work, and momentous occasions of building a house are all included in this story. As the story progresses, so does the family. The pictures help depict detailed visuals of each step as well as showing how the family has changed (and grown) over the time that the house was being built. Explanatory writing and “How-To” writing is an area of curriculum that //Building Our House// would be beneficial. As the students read the book, the various steps could be recorded and discussed. The students can follow the progression of the steps and examine the details that had to be included in order for the house to be built properly. The teacher could then have the students create their own “How-To” book on any topic the child wants. If the children are older, the teacher could have this project become a mini research project for students who wish to create a “How-To” book on something they want to learn rather than something they already know. Many various subtopics can also be explored with this story including: the seasons and weather; construction; social study of moving houses and locations; and measuring.

Macaulay, David. 1977, 2010. **Castle.** Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 80 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. //Castle// is a culmination of everything that a young child might want to know about castles. The book describes the work, effort, and technology that had to be used in order to create a castle. The story tells of a “Lord Kevin,” a fictional Lord of Aberwyvren, and his efforts to create a castle in order to protect his newly acquired land. The book begins by providing a slight history to familiarize the reader with the time period. The planning process is explained in great detail as it presents all of the problems and issues that the castle must address in order for it to remain standing, provide strategic protection, and meet all of the other needs of the Lord and his people. The layers of the walls, the people necessary to build the castle, and the defense mechanisms that had to be designed into the castle are explained in great depth, but at a level that a younger child could understand. All of time and effort that would go into building a castle is described in this book as it follows the adventurous story of Lord Kevin’s castle. Castles required a lot of engineering in order to be built and in order to stay protected. Levers, pulleys, and wheels were used everywhere. The teacher can use this book as an opportunity to each about basic engineering. Children can experiment with miniature versions of some of the equipment described in the videos as well as create their own basic forms of technology. Every page provides a different topic that could be discussed further from the various jobs needed to build a castle to gravity. In addition, at the end of the book, there is a glossary page that includes a lot of interesting words that could make a fun spelling list for children.

Munro, Roxie. 1987. **The Inside-Outside Book of Washington D.C.** E.P. Dutton. 48 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. Washington D.C. is the home of our nation’s capital. //The Inside-Outside Book of Washington D.C.// explores Washington D.C. and the buildings that make up our nation’s capital. The book has detailed drawings of the buildings in Washington D.C. including: the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Organization of American States, the National Air and Space Museum, the Washington Post, Robert F Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and the main house of the United States, The book provides great details as a reference for teachers in the back of the book. There are several curriculum areas that can be taught through this book. The foremost topic is the various buildings in Washington D.C. This book would help build interest through the detailed pictures throughout the book. Each of the buildings, and their roles, are all possible topics. The history of architecture and buildings is another topic that could be taught. Another curriculum area that can tie into this book is government. Students can learn more about the government, how it works, the history of government, and the social aspect.

Huntington, Lee Pennock. 1979**. Simple Shelters.** Coward, McCann, & Geoghegan, Inc. 63 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. //Simple Shelters// focuses on the shelters that are simpler in nature. These simple shelters include igloos, tipis, yurt, Bushmen huts, desert tents, and many more. These shelters focused on three basic questions during the building process: ‘Will this shelter protect from the climate?’ ‘Are the materials needed to build this shelter readily available?’ and ‘How will the house be used?’ As the builders considered these questions, they then could create a shelter that met their needs. Geology and plant life are two curricular areas that could be focused on by reading this book. Since one of the main requirements for a simple shelter is to have readily accessible materials, children can learn about various plants and rocks. Students can be taught about the materials that would be accessible in the wilderness. Simple matching games could also be used to help children understand the materials that were used to build some of the early shelters.

Komatsu, Yoshio. 2004. **Wonderful Houses: Around the World.** Shelter Publications, Inc. 43 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. //Wonderful Houses: Around the World// is a compilation of photos and information gathered by Yoshio Komatsu’s journey around the world visiting and photographing various houses and lifestyles. This book is unique because of the locations visited and the multiple forms of information provided. Each location that was visited has not only information on the house and location, but also the story of Yoshio’s visit, a photograph of a house, a picture to depict more details of the home, and facts about how the people live. The houses are unique and they are modern-day homes that can be seen. World geography is built upon immensely in this book. Most books that teach about houses around the world, focus on civilized locations or historical houses. Since these homes are from such low socio-economic countries, this book could teach more specifically about third world countries. Many people are unaware of the living situations of others around the world, especially children. This book is a fun way to introduce children to this knowledge. This book can also be used to teach gratitude. Social skills are important to learn and often hard to teach. //Wonderful Houses: Around the World// could expose children to why they should be grateful for their home and their possessions in a positive and interesting manner.

Moore, Max. 2009. **Homes Around the World.** DK Publishing. 31 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. //Homes Around the World// is a great book for students to read that shows them different types of interesting houses. Rather than simply focusing on location, this book focuses on the structures of homes. Tree houses, homes built from mud (adobe), houses shaped like beehives, homes formed from reeds, houses on stilts, houses in caves, and houses shaped like spaceships are just some of the interesting shaped houses that will catch the reader’s attention. For younger children, a fun writing and creativity project for this book would be to have children draw what shape they would want their home to be. After the students add detail and use their imagination to create a unique home, they can practice writing descriptive sentences about the home. For older students, a research project can be utilized to allow them to become familiar with using technology to research a topic. The students can research other homes that are in interesting locations or are in interesting shapes ten write a report on the home and why they think it is interesting. This book is a great book to help children use their imagination.

Seltzer, Isadore. 1992**. The House I Live In: At Home In America.** Macmillan Publishing Company. 32 pages. Juvenile Nonfiction. At the beginning of the book //The House I Live In: At Home In America//__,__ the author gives an introduction, explaining the roots of American history and how our diverse the culture began and has continued to be across the nation. Just as the people in our nation are diverse, so are our houses. The houses across the United States are explored as well as the history behind them, the purpose behind their design, the time period they were built in, and their cultural ties. The book describes homes from an adobe home in New Mexico, a house along the Hudson River, a Californian houseboat, mobile homes, all the way to a skyscraper apartment. An applicable curriculum area unique to this book on houses is geography of the United States of America. The book is focused on homes in the United States and several locations and landmarks are mentioned throughout the book. The teacher can use various maps of the U.S. to teach students more about the geography of the U.S. and familiarize them with key locations. The book also introduces major historical events that occurred in the United States. Time periods such as the gold rush and the roaring 20’s can be used to introduce some of America’s most important historical events.

Seuss, Dr. 1972. **In a People House**. Random House, Inc. 26 pages. Juvenile Reader. The book //In a People House// is about a bird and a mouse that go inside a “people house.” The two characters discuss things that are found in a regular house. These items are most things that kids in the class will have in their house throughout the various rooms. The story is a fun and creative rhyming story discussing houses. The book //In a People House// would be great book to initiate an author discussion on Dr. Seuss. The book is also a great example of rhyming, like most Dr. Seuss books//. In a People House// could be used to introduce or further explore rhyming. The book is also an easy way to introduce students to some unique vocabulary. Since the story was written in the early 1970’s, a few of the items mentioned in the house included some old vocabulary with which many students might not be familiar.
 * __Children’s Fiction__**

Taback, Simms. 2002. **This is the House That Jack Built**. G.P. Putnam's Sons. 22 pages. Easy/Picture Book. The book //This is the House That Jack Built// is about a house and a crazy progression of events that occur inside of it. The book is based off of a rhyme first published in 1755. The story tells of a man named Jack who built a house with cheese in it. From there, it’s the classic progression story. A rat eats the cheese, a cat kills the rat, and so on and so forth. The pictures are fun and interesting. The book ends with an artist who drew a picture of everything that happened in the house that Jack built. This book could be used to explore rhymes, especially old fashioned rhymes and nursery tales since it predates 1755. The book also opens up room for some random and interesting discussions, such as cheese. Sequencing is another great topic that can be explored in this book. As the story progresses, each previous item that jack put in his house attracted something else (i.e. cheese à mouse à cat). Cause and effect is another topic that can be discussed with this book. This book also would be good to do an illustrator discussion on the artist that is hinted at on the last page, Randolph Caldecott.

Ringgold, Faith. 1991. **Tar Beach.** Crown Publishers. 32 pages. Easy/Picture Book. //Tar Beach// is the story of a girl that flies over her city in her dreams. It makes a lot of references to various types of houses in the city. On the third page, Cassie, the little girl, sees her parents playing cards on the rooftop of their apartment building. She tells what it feels like to spend time on the rooftop of her home. During the story, Cassie depicts the dreams she has for her family. She references some of the problems that her family has and what she wish things could be like instead. The story is an imaginative story with interesting images. //Tar Beach// would be a great book to use to explore quilts. At the end of the book, the author has an image of a story quilt that was made based on the story. There are a lot of art projects and crafts that can be done with this book. Along with quilting, patterns can be explored in the form of math patterns, art patterns, and other pattern projects. Homes, cities, and buildings can also be researched because of this book. The book references union building, skyscrapers, bridges, and apartment buildings with rooftops. For a class from the suburbs, this book could help introduce topics related to the city. The art in the book would also make a great addition to any art study done in class.

Vainio, Pirkko. 1997. **The Dream House.** North-South House. 26 pages. Juvenile Reader. //The Dream House// is a story about a man named Lucas and his cat. They move to an island and build their dream house. As he builds the house, he talks about the process he goes through, why he builds certain parts of the house in certain ways, He keeps building his house taller and taller. One day a huge storm comes and blows the house over. When it blows over, the house turns into a bridge. The children who had been watching as the house was built, crossed the bridge. Lucas asks the kids to help him finish building the bridge and together they turn his house (that turned into a tower) into a bridge. One of the curriculum areas that this book could help explore is sharing. This would be a great social studies book that helps students learn that sharing is more fun! This book is also a great book to explore creativity and imagination. The students could use this as a writing and drawing prompt to design their own dream house. Topics such as islands, dreams or goals, and the ocean can also be built upon through this book.

Walt Disney Company. 1973. **Walt Disney’s Story of the Three Little Pigs.** Random House/Grolier Book Club. 40 pages. Easy/Picture Book. The story of the three little pigs is a classic story that has been told over and over. //Walt Disney’s Story of the Three Little Pigs// is a retelling of the classic three little pig. The story begins with three little pigs who are leaving to live on their own and seek their fortunes in life. The first little pig is lazy and decides to quickly build a house made of straw to live in. The second pig also hated to work. So he built a quick and easy house of sticks. The pig knew his house wasn’t very strong, but he wanted to do other things, like play his fiddle. The two little pigs danced and played their instruments. They decided to visit the third brother. The third little pig did not mind working so he built a strong house of bricks. The two little pigs made fun of their third brother, but the brother kept building. He told the brothers that he would be safe if the big bad wolf who likes to eat little pigs came out of the forest. The two pigs left and as soon as the first pig got home, the wolf came out and blew his house in. He ran to the second pigs and they hid inside. However, the wolf tricked them into thinking he was gone. He then came back disguised as a little sheep who needed somewhere to sleep, but the pigs were not fooled. So the wolf blew the twig house to pieces. The two pigs ran to the third pig’s house. The wolf could not blow down the house so he tried to go down the chimney, but fell into a boiling pot of water. The wolf ran away and never bothered the three little pigs again. The three little pigs is a great story to teach sequencing. Most children have heard one version or another of the three little pigs so the process of sequencing can be focused on rather what is actually being sequenced. The book is also a great tool to teach children why it’s always best to do their best work and not be lazy. //Walt Disney’s Story of the Three Little Pigs// could also be used to put on a simple children’s theater to help teach children about acting, costumes, and how to tell a story. The teacher can also use this book to help children explore what materials are strongest.

Hoberman, Mary Ann. 1978. **A House is a House for Me.** Puffin Books. 48 pages. Easy/Picture Book. //A House is a House for Me// teaches about the various houses that in the world, both literal and figurative. The book begins by discussing houses for animals, including humans. Next, the book talks about how different people live in different types of houses. Eventually, the book progresses to show figurative homes (a husk is a house for a corn ear, a teapot a house for tea, etc.). Throughout the book, the boy explores houses for him as well. By the end of the book, the boy has determined that almost everything that can be seen is a house for someone or something! Animal habitats are the main topic that can be introduced through this book. As habitats are explored, animals, animal classification, world geography, and so many other topics can be explored. Houses from around the world are referenced in the book and can be used to discuss social studies and the homes people used to live in around the world. The book also uses a lot of rhyming which opens it up as a book that can be used to learn about rhyming and word endings. //A House is a House for Me// is a great book to help students to think complexly and to encourage them to look at the world in a different view— with everything as a house for something.