Texts & Media, ‘Embracing Challenges’: 

Core Texts:

These are texts directly referenced and included in the lessons. 

• (>3rd Grade)’We’ll Paint the Octopus Red‘ by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen  & Pam Devito
• (< 3rd Grade) ‘Rules’ (a selection from) by Cynthia Lord 
• ‘The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art’ by Barb Rosenstock

Text Set:

Text Sets support all learners, especially those with background knowledge or vocabulary deficits, by building up these domains through a volume of reading on Science, Social Studies, and other high interest topics. You can learn more about building and using text sets here.

The texts listed below have been pulled from readworks.org, newsela.org, El Education modules, and resources referenced in text sets from achievethecore.org based on their connection to the topics addressed in this lesson.  In addition, we have partnered with Lee & Low, the largest multicultural children’s book publisher in the United States, to add to the text set and ensure that there are fiction and non-fiction selections that represent a diverse set of experiences.

Texts listed are at a variety of reading levels and could be read aloud or printed/provided for students to read, depending on the needs of the readers in your classroom. These texts are not integrated into the lessons; they are an optional extension, and listed here as a reference for educators interested in building their student’s background knowledge around the project’s core topic.

3rd Grade Text Set:

5th Grade Text Set: