Textbooks and Academic Texts

Investigations Math Textbook - Fractions

Investigations is the Math textbook and Curriculum that PAS uses for third grade math. During
the two week takeover, we are going to use the Fractions unit for our primary math instruction.
Investigations includes math warm-ups, number talks, and specific problem sets connected to
the daily lessons. We will most likely use Investigations as the primary math text.

Math Matters - Art Johnson and Suzanne Chapin

Math Matters, a mathematics textbook that supports teacher understanding of foundational
concepts across math, will serve as a resource for us to better assess student understanding of
fractions.

Changing the World: Persuasive Speeches, Petitions and Editorials by Lucy Calkins and
Being a Writer- Persuasive Writing
Penn Alexander School uses the Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop model in addition to a new
curriculum called Being a Writer that uses specific mentor texts and grammar lessons to support
writing. Anne plans on using pieces of Lucy Calkins and Being a Writer to guide the persuasive
writing lessons, with an emphasis on letter writing.

Garden Mosaics: Science, People, Cultures, Action by Marianne Krasny

Plant-based education book that provides resources for outdoor exploration lessons, community
garden projects and land use action projects. The books approach to “neighborhood
exploration” project would be adjusted to be more of a focus on “PAS school yard exploration.”

SHARED READING: Sleuth ReadyGEN Grade 3

- “Backyard Safari” (pg. 14-17)
- Sets up the use of observation to gather evidence, ask questions, make a case
and prove it -- use for shared reading prior to outdoor observation.

Picture Books (all used for read alouds)

● The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

The Little House follows the transition of the land around a house from open country space and
fields, to a crowded city. The book would start the conversation of rural vs. urban areas and how
there is less land available in urban spaces. This would allow us to discuss the benefits of land
within urban spaces, and begin to connect the theme of land use and community spaces in
cities to students and PAS community. Potential to tie in the history of Philadelphia - William
Penn’s “Green Country Towne.”
 ● Roberto the Insect Architect by Nina Laden (Get students thinking more about
architecture in an imaginative way)
This picture book is about a termite that wants to be an architect - building with the wood that he
is supposed to be eating. He ends up pursuing his dream in the “big city,” and despite failed
interviews he builds homes for people he meets along the way and showcases his
extraordinary, original design of buildings. This book would introduce the concept of being an
“architect” and emphasizes how architecture and outdoor design does not have to be identical
to what they see every day, encouraging students to use their creativity and imagination when
brainstorming how the outdoor space at PAS can be transformed.

● What Do You Do With an Problem? by Kobi Yamada (previously read in class, but
refer back to at the start of design challenge lesson)
A young boy is faced with a big problem. He tries to avoid it, but it only follows him around,
growing bigger and bigger. It isn’t until he gathers up the courage to face it that he realized that
his problem held an opportunity to learn and grow. Using this story as a reference point,
students can extrapolate and think about design “problems” as an opportunity to improve
something and make it much better.

● Wangari’s Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter (Introducing the idea of persuading

others through actions)
This picture book tells the story of Wangari Maathai, a young woman from Kenya who, after
attending college in the United States, returns home to find that the land of her home country
was barren. She sets about fighting the deforestation first by planting trees in her own yard, and
then employed many women to help her plant trees around the country. Despite great
opposition, and even being put in jail, she persisted in her work and became the first African
women to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

● I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufmann-Orloff (persuasive)

A son tries to convince his mother via letters that he should have an iguana, and his mother
responds with a letter that often poses a counterargument. This will serve as a mentor text for
writing opinion-based letters that predict and respond to potential counterarguments.

● Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai (Persuasion using strong imagery)

Malala Yousafzai wrote this picture book describing how she wished as a young girl to have a
magic pencil so that she could make nice things for people to make them happy. As she grew
older, the things she wished for changed. She now wished that people in her country would
value education for girls as well. However, she realized that hoping that people in her country
would change their minds about educating girls wasn’t enough, someone had to do something
about it. And she decided that someone might as well be her. This inspiring picture book tells
about how Malala made a tremendous impact for girls not only in her own country, but around
the world.
Physical/Human Resources/Other resources:
- PAS Outdoor Area - field, playground, school garden
- Landscape Architect presentation (parent of a student from last year) from Ground
ReConsidered
- Google Earth- Students used Google Earth to explore their neighborhood and answer
some observation related questions.

Videos:

Nature Works Everywhere Urban Habitat - Nature Conservancy (showcases Tilden MS in

Philadelphia)
The video is a short, 3.5 minute clip about how nature is in cities, and needs to be nurtured in
order to help people, animals and other plants thrive. The video showcases the transformation
of a blacktop into an outdoor urban garden at Tilden Middle School in Philadelphia, and shows a

Wangari Maathai BrainPop video: This short video gives more information about Wangari and
the important work that she did.

Malala Yousafzai BrainPop video: This short video gives more information about who Malala
was, and how she was treated.