TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

March 21, 2003

In this week’s issue:

Elementary/Secondary TACTics

(1) Annotated Reading List for the Evaporating Cloud, Cheryl A. Edwards

Connections

(2) Please Take Note!, Kathy Suerken

(3) 7 th International TOCFE Conference Information

Editor’s Notes

(4) Kay Buckner-Seal

ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY TACTics

(1) Annotated Reading List for the Evaporating Cloud

By Cheryl A. Edwards

My experience has been that you can’t pick up a fiction book without finding possibilities to help deepen students’ understanding of the characters and their problems by using the Cloud thinking process. Here are just a few titles I have discovered. I hope you will send in your favorites so that we can add them to the list. Many can be adapted for any reading level.

1. A House for Hermit Crab, Eric Carle

Picture Book Studio, 1991 ISBN 0-88708-056-1.

It's the nature of a hermit crab to move into bigger and bigger houses (shells) as it grows. This one, however, is particularly reluctant to leave the home his friends helped decorate. Leave/Don’t leave. Provides a nice bridge to focus on relevant ‘changes’ in their own lives.

2. The Island of the Skog, Stephen Kellogg

Dial Books ISBN 0-14-054649-9

A Story about how assumptions affect our behavior. Finding an inhabitant on their newly discovered island home creates havoc. Treat the Skog as a friend/Treat him as an enemy.

3. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, J. Scieszka

Viking, 1998.

A short story telling this traditional tale from the wolf’s perspective and showing that there are two sides to every story. Wolf’s motives are good/Wolf’s motives are not good.

4. Fables, Arnold Lobel

Harper Row, 1980

An anthology of contemporary fables each with an unexpected twist in the lesson to be learned. I like the “Bad Kangaroo,” -the reader learns that the parents are the cause of their child’s disruptive behavior by the example they set. Lots of cloud opportunities.

5. The Lorax, Dr. Seuss

Random House, 1971

A story with implications about the environment and the long-term effect of business decisions. Do what is good for the company/Do what is good for the environment.

6. The Kapok Tree, Lynne Cherry

ISBN 0-15-200520-X

This story provides the reader with an opportunity to think about all of the reasons for cutting down the great Kapok tree or not cutting down the tree. It opens up the possibilities for many good solutions.

7. Lon Po Po, Ed Young

This is a Chinese version of the Little Red Riding Hood tale fostering a discussion of safety. Don’t answer the door to strangers/Answer the door to strangers.

8. Ira Sleeps Over, Bernard Waber

ISBN 0-395-53431-3

Ira is going to have his first sleepover. Should he bring his teddy bear or not?

9. The Berenstain Bears and the Blame Game, Stan and Jan Berenstain

ISBN 0 679 98743-6

Place blame / Don’t place blame. Is it better to get to work and solve the problem? This is a series of books that are especially good for parents to use with their children. No Girls Allowed. —Allow girls into their clubhouse/Don’t allow girls into their clubhouse

10. And Then There Was One, Margery Facklam

ISBN 0-316-25982-9

One of my favorite nonfiction books about extinction. Lots of opportunities to use the TOC tools.

11. Peace Begins with You, Katherine Scholes

ISBN 0-316-77440-5.Discusses why individual wants and needs don’t always seem to fit together and how this becomes a source of conflict; then moves on to broader national and international issues.

12. The Orphan Boy, Tolowa M. Mollel

ISBN 0-89919-985-2

A tale that explains why the planet Venus is known to the Maasai as Kileken. It is also a story of strength and weaknesses, youth and age, and trust and forgiveness. The major conflict in the story centers around the old man’s curiosity and his desire to know the boy’s secret. Discover the boy’s secret/Don’t discover the boy’s secret.

13. Thank You, M’am, Langston Hughes

This short story about a boy attempting to steal a woman’s purse provides several opportunities to use the Cloud to help the reader understand why the woman did not punish the boy. It is a great bridge into authentic situations.

14. The Lemming Condition, Alan Arkin

ISBN 0-553-15016-2

This “old-timer” works beautifully in understanding issues of conformity and free will. Should Bubber do what the other lemmings are going to do or should he make his own decision on what to do? Great bridge into real life.

Some Other Titles to Think About

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank

What’s the Big Idea Ben Franklin?, Jean Fritz

Strega Nona, Tomie de Paola

The Breadwinner, Deborah Elles

Flossie and the Fox, Patricia McKissack

CONNECTIONS

(2) Please Take Note!

From Kathy Suerken

You can now download a printable conference registration form from our web

page at http://www.tocforeducation.com or email me at suerken@cox.net to

send you one..

(3) 7th International TOCFE Conference

May 16-19, 2003

Ramada Plaza Beach Resort

1500 Miracle Strip Parkway

Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, USA

Hotel:

• For reservations, USA toll free: 800.874.8962.

• Please reserve your room under the TOCFE Conference block of rooms.

• Boxed continental breakfast-up to two per room included.

• Blocked rooms will be held until April 24, 2003 (afterward, reservations only if space available).

• The following prices are for maximum of 2 people per room (additional person is $10/person per night up to maximum of 4 per room).

Standard: $120 (plus tax) per night.

Courtyard: $135 (plus tax) per night

Poolside: $155 (plus tax) per night

Beach Front: $175 (plus tax) per night

Airport:

• Fort Walton Beach, Florida (VPS is the airport code).

• Cab/shuttle service from airport to hotel is about $15.

• Driving information will be shared in a future TACTics.

Conference Fees:

• Daily Rate: $25 includes lunch, coffee breaks and all materials.

• Full conference rate: $125 includes 4 lunches, all coffee breaks, all materials and Special Dinner/Entertainment Event on Sunday, May 18. A Special Event is still being planned for Saturday, May 17!

• 10% discount if registration fees are paid by April 1, 2003

Conference Registration Form

You can download a printable conference registration form from our web site at <http://www.tocforeducation.com> or email Kathy Suerken at suerken@cox.net

EDITOR’S NOTES

(4) Kay Buckner-Seal

We hope that you will find this annotated booklist useful in your application of the thinking process induced by using the Cloud tool. Look forward to more annotated booklists from Cheryl in future editions of TACTics.

We would love to publish your ideas and applications of the thinking processes. Or, perhaps you would like to share a lesson, make an announcement, and/or etc. If so, send your responses by mail to: Cheryl A. Edwards, 2253 S. Hill Island Rd., Cedarville, Michigan 49719, USA. Or send hyperlink to cedwards@cedarville.net or bucknek@earthlink.net.

You may also view TACTics in its intended formatting, by visiting our web

site at www.tocforeducation.com. Click on “What’s New.”