April 24 to 30 on ReadWriteThink

April 30 is El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day). Developed under the leadership of author Pat Mora, this celebration focuses on providing children with books in many languages and making reading an integral part of their lives.

El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros is supported by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, an ALA affiliate that provides library and information services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking community.

This week on ReadWriteThink, you can find activities for El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros as well as other lesson plans and resources for timely classroom activities. Have a great week!

New Resources

• Complete our 9-question survey by the end of the week to help improve our collection of resources in Spanish. The survey closes April 30.
   
• April is National Poetry Month. Find links to 30 different poetry-writing resources in the Thinkfinity Community. (For grades K–12)
   
• Read about the new National Geographic Education website and then explore the site’s features, which include activities rich with photography and video; interactive maps that can be customized for specific projects; and a growing reference library. (For grades K–12)
   
• Explore Thinkfinity’s classroom resources on baseball & spring fitness. There is something for every classroom!

From the Calendar

• April 24: Congress approved the purchase of books to start the Library of Congress in 1800. Celebrate America’s oldest cultural institution. Students practice and refine research skills by visiting the Library of Congress website and conducting a research project. (For grades 7–12)
   
• April 26: The Spanish town of Guernica was bombed on this date in 1937. After students view Picasso’s Guernica, they are provided with background information, share their impressions, and write about Picasso’s purpose in creating the painting. (For grades 3–12)
   
• April 27: Coretta Scott King was born on this day in 1927. Students complete a book report assignment based on a current or past winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Award. (For grades 3–12)
   
• April 27: Playwright August Wilson was born in 1945. Students use the Timeline Tool and Drama Map to create a decade-by-decade record and play of their community’s history. (For grades 9–12)
   
• April 28: Author Lois Duncan was born on this date in 1934. Solve and brainstorm the attributes of a good mystery. Small groups compose short mysteries using the Mystery Cube interactive. (For grades 3–12)
   
• April 29: Poet Yusef Komunyakaa was born in 1947. Read and analyze the language use in Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem “Camouflaging the Chimera.” (For grades 8–12)
   
• April 30: Celebrate El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day)! Using the Book Cover Creator, students write and share their own multilingual stories. (For grades 3–12)
   
• Look ahead to next week for literacy activities on Get Caught Reading Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Teacher Appreciation Week, the founding of National Public Radio (NPR), and Cinco de Mayo.

Connecting with Other Teachers

• Connect with teachers across the country and around the world in our Reading & Language Arts group in the Thinkfinity Community.
   
• How do you motivate the unmotivated? Share your ideas in the Thinkfinity Community forums.
   
• Keep students at the center of learning by registering today for the Supporting Students in a Time of Core Standards Virtual Conference Series.
   

If you have feedback or questions about ReadWriteThink, all you have to do is contact us. Have a great week!

—Traci Gardner