New Releases by Jill Norris

Our Building Vocabulary Series introduces students to important vocabulary concepts and language skills in an innovative way. Our Grammar & Punctuation Series presents fundamental language rules and provides worksheets with which students learn to apply the rules. Both series utilize an easy-to-see 11" x 17" chart format. Charts are ready to display and can introduce or review concepts. Engaging line art illustrations capture attention as they help teach. For use with whole class, small groups, or in a center. Rules include: sentences, nouns, past-tense verbs, comparative and superlative endings, sentence-end punctuation, abbreviations, capitalization, commas in lists/dates/addresses.

Our most popular, best-selling series -- recently updated and expanded! Make these titles the cornerstone of your classroom''s writing program. Step-by-step directions for book-making projects and reproducible forms and patterns included. Students read a book, then create a class or individual book in response. Featuring 38 projects: picture books such as Stellaluna; chapter books such as How to Eat Fried Worms; and classics such as Mr. Popper''s Penguins. Fiction and nonfiction selections. Each project includes "After You Read" ideas for discussing the book, which serve as a prewriting lesson to the "Now Write!" activity. Each project is accompanied by an original poem.

Our most popular, best-selling series -- recently updated and expanded! Make these titles the cornerstone of your classroom''s writing program. Step-by-step directions for book-making projects and reproducible forms and patterns included. Provides 39 book-making projects, each with a list of literary references and several writing suggestions (more than 100 in all). Each project also includes an original poem or "Something More to Do...", an extension activity that may bring in other curriculum areas, such as science, art, or dramatic play. More than 200 references to selections from fiction and nonfiction, spanning grade levels whenever possible.

This hands-on resource book contains 23 reproducible stories and practice materials for a wide spectrum of reading skills. The stories vary in reading difficulty to be appropriate to meet the needs of emerging readers in the average first grade classroom. Each story is followed by four or five pages of activities for practicing reading skills. Each story consists of four half-page sheets, suitable for cutting apart to make little individual fully illustrated books. Page one contains a picture dictionary, illustrating words featured in the story.

These craft books have complete, illustrated step-by-step directions.29 projects from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Cultural background and literature references with each project.

This resource book is designed to help educators answer basic questions about the place of portfolios in their instructional program and to provide practical forms that will help them get started.

The four seasons each have something to teach your young students and this unit is designed to help. It begins with ideas for a classroom environment that maintains some connection to the "Changing Seasons" theme throughout the year. Topics and activities include: What Causes the Seasons? (utilizing a globe, a lamp and a flashlight), Changing Seasons, The Seasons Where I Live, follow-up activities for the book, The Mare on the Hill by Thomas Locke, Poetry for All Seasons, Seasonal Paper Dolls, What is Autumn?, Autumn Where I Live, Autumn Math, Autumn Sorting and Patterning, Autumn Patterns, Once Upon a Leaf, Tasting Autumn (featuring follow-up activities for the poem, A Bowl of October by Helen Bevington), More Autumn Fun, What Is Winter?, Winter Where I Live, Mitten Math, Mitten Patterns, Mittens in Literature (featuring follow-up activities for two different mitten stories), Lost Mittens, Snow, Ice Pictures, What Is Spring?, My Recipe for Mud, Spring Where I Live, Seed Center Math, Spring Gardens, Flowers,for Patterning (with a variety of cut-out flower patterns), Parents and Babies, What Is Summer?, Summer Where I Live, Melon Math, Watermelon Patterns, The Shining Sun (an art activity), Fun in the Sun (finger play), and the Colors of the Year. Along with cut-out paper dolls with clothes and props for all four seasons, there is a full-color, two-sided pullout poster about Seasons Through the Year and Dressing for the Season. Teaching suggestions provided. Includes bibliography, and complete step-by-step instructions for all activities. All pages are reproducible and perforated for easy removal.

Self-reliance, helping others, responsibility, good manners, getting to know community helpers -- these are the things this unit will help young students learn. It begins with ideas on developing an "If I were" Center and a "Helper" Center in the classroom, to help students learn to take on new roles and think about what each role might require. It''s a perfect opportunity to invite parents and members of your community to your classroom to talk about how they help the community. A seven-page section is devoted to Kenny''s Story, a story about helpers, with accompanying activities for your kids. Other topics and activities include: Cooperating with Others, Working Together as a Family, A Helping Family Fingerplay, I Can Do it Myself, Cooperation at School, I Can Help, Be a Helper, Helping Hand (paper) Quilt, Helping Hand Math, School Helpers, Manners Are Important (featuring follow-up activities to the book, The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners), Please and Thank You Tokens, My Good Neighbor -- a dialogue to act out, Helpers in Your Neighborhood, and People Who Help, accompanied by Picture Cards (fireman, bus driver, mail carrier, dentist, construction worker, sanitation worker, doctor, mechanic, police officer and others). In addition to a Pop-Up "Helper" Book with lots of Helper Riddles to solve, and follow-up activities for the book, Wanda''s Roses, by Pat Brisson, there is a full-color, two-sided pull-out poster with a Who Will Help? Poem on one side and Helpers in My Neighborhood on the other. Teaching suggestions provided. Includes bibliography, and complete step-by-step instructions for all activities. All pages are reproducible and perforated for easy removal.

Explores our interdependence with all the peoples of the world.

Long before Columbus came, they lived and thrived throughout the land. This cross-curricular unit teaches that the term Native Americans represents a diverse group. There are many different tribes and nations and each has its own unique traditions. It also shows that Native Americans are members of our modern, contemporary society. We study their past to understand their rich traditions. The unit begins with the classroom environment, providing a chart for learning the traditions of Native Americans from six different geographic regions of North America. Topics and activities explored include: The First Americans (a history), Map of Native American Groups, North Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands, Northeastern Natives (writing exercise), Wampum Math, My Wampum Patterns, An Iroquois False Face Mask (craft project), The Bowl Game, Native Americans of the Southeastern Woodlands, Southeastern Natives (writing exercise), Making a Gorget (craft project), The Hand Game, Making a Pouch, Pouch Pattern, Native Americans of the Plains, Plains Natives (writing exercise), The Talking Stick (craft project), Using Your Class Talking Stick, A Sioux Lunch Bag, Sioux Parfleche Pattern, Traveling with a Travois, Picture Writing, Native Americans of the Southwest, Southwest Natives (writing exercise), Good Luck Charms (craft project), Navajo Skin Bags, Coil Pots (make your own kitchen clay), a Corn Husk Shuttle, Native Americans of the Northwest Caost, Northwest Natives (writing exercise), a Whale Rattle (craft project), Whale Rattle Pattern, Totem Poles, Burden Baskets, Native Americans of the Far North, Natives of the Far North (writing exercise), Dream Catchers (craft project), Shinny (an outdoorgame), the Story Tellers, My Story Planner, and Depending on Natural Resources (writing exercise). Also features a full-color, two-sided pull-out poster about The Beginnings of Stories on one side and Recipes on the other. Teaching suggestions provided. Includes bibliography, and complete step-by-step instructions for all activities. All pages are reproducible and perforated for easy removal.

Introduces students to the various people and the roles they play in a community.

Reproducible pages for students to use in practicing reading various types of material at the shopping center.

Reproducible pages focus reading instruction on reading real things.

Reproducible pages for students to use in practicing reading various types of material in the mailbox (envelopes, letters, invitations, postcards, and packages)

Reproducible pages for students to use in practicing reading various types of material from the supermarket (the store directory, shopping lists, coupons, advertising, etc.)

Graphic Organizers are blueprints for success. They are scientifically proven to help students recall and understand facts, make connections between new concepts and their experiences, analyze and evaluate information, and document processes and concepts.