Happy teaching and learning for the 2016-17 school year! I spent two days in July at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston learning much more about Visual Thinking Strategies http://www.vtshome.org/training–2/for-schools. This discussion based teaching and learning strategy is so much fun and a fabulous pre-reading tool. I look forward to sharing what I learned when I visit schools this year!
I started this blog for teachers to let them know about my work and my school visits. I also share articles, lesson ideas and other books that relate to the themes of my books and my Who’s That Lady? project. If you want to know more about my work including school visits scroll down past recent posts and archives and look for categories Contact me at margyburnsknight@gmail.com
People have been using and building walls for years. Talking Walls Discover Your World introduces readers to places and cultures by 
exploring the stories of walls around the world.
Meet a loyal dog from Japan, a poet from Chile and an artist from Mexico. Visit the Great Wall of China, the Lascaux Caves of France and Great Zimbabwe.
Who Belongs Here? tells the story of Nary, a young boy fleeing war-torn Cambodia for the safety of the United States. To some of his new classmates, however, he is a “chink” who should go back where he belongs. But what if everyone whose family came from another place was forced to return to his or her homeland? Who would be left? This story teaches compassion for recent immigrants while sharing the history of immigration in America and some of the important contributions made by past immigrants.
Welcoming Babies is a vibrant and tender celebration of life and diversity. As children and adults explore the welcoming of babies from all over the world they can share stories of their own welcoming , traditions and culture.
Africa Is Not A Country enters into the daily life of children in many countries of modern Africa. Countering stereotypes the book celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the vibrant continent at experienced by children at home, at school, at work and at play.
http://www.bu.edu/africa/outreach/criteria
All about illustrator Anne Sibley O’Brien http://www.annesibleyobrien.com
Maria’s Shoes is a true and timeless story from a Roots of Empathy http://www.rootsofempathy.org/classroom. Maria is bullied about her shoes being “unfashionable,” and her friend desperately wants to help but doesn’t know how. When we see injustice, empathy — the ability to identify with another person’s feelings — can empower us to take action to help others. The friend’s empathy and moral courage result in a lesson that all of the children in the playground learn — we are all capable of standing up against injustice and helping people to feel less alone.
margyburnsknight@gmail.com
Many thanks to King Middle School teacher Kirsten Mc Williams for co-leading the two part afternoon teachers workshop with me. We introduced the 3 question VTS protocol and demonstrated how this very flexible and fun strategy can be implemented across the curriculum via listening, speaking, reading and writing. Teachers shared how VTS was a big hit with their preschool , elementary and high school students.
