Jill Eisenberg, our Resident Literacy Expert, began her career teaching English as a Foreign Language to second through sixth graders in Yilan, Taiwan as a Fulbright Fellow. She went on to become a literacy teacher for third grade in San Jose, CA as a Teach for America corps member. She is certified in Project Glad instruction to promote English language acquisition and academic achievement. In her column she offers teaching and literacy tips for educators.
What to do…what to do…If you are like us, the summer is an exciting time to discover new books, break out the art project we’ve been promising ourselves to start since February, and try every popsicle flavor from the ice cream truck.
Summer is the time to beat the heat, right? Whether that means hunting for air conditioning or jumping into a pool, we are here to keep you and your family loving books while you keep cool.
Over the coming weeks, we are pairing Lee & Low titles to your favorite summer destinations with fun activities!
Your summer outing: the ZOO
Book recommendation: Parrots Over Puerto Rico
Parrots Over Puerto Rico
Questions during reading:
- How have humans affected Puerto Rican parrots and Puerto Rico?
- What physical and behavioral adaptions help the Puerto Rican parrots survive in their environment?
- How do the scientists demonstrate persistence and creativity?
- What are the purpose and activities of the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program?
- How has Puerto Rico changed over time?
- What does this book teach about sustainability?
- Do you think communities and governments should save endangered species? Why or why not?
Activities:
Recipe for Parrot Crackers!
Ingredients: avocado, lemon, raisins/dried cranberries, banana chips, round crackers
Parrot Crackers
- Peel half an avocado. In a small bowl, mash half the avocado with a fork until it is lump-free.
- Squeeze and mix in a little lemon juice into the mashed avocado to prevent it from turning brown.
- With a bread knife, spread the avocado over one side of each of the round crackers.
- Place two raisins or dried cranberries on top of the avocado side of each cracker for eyes.
- Cut or break a banana chip in half and place both below the eyes on the cracker to make the parrot’s beak. The two halves will stand off the cracker.
- Admire and eat!
Chef’s Note: We originally tried this with cream cheese and lime zest instead of avocado. We loved how the lime zest looked like real feathers and matched the collage work of illustrator, Susan L. Roth, but the lime zest had a wacky flavor so we went for the milder avocado!
Create a Food Web!
- Use Parrots Over Puerto Rico to make a list of all the plants and animals important to the Puerto Rican parrots existence in the book. The list should include: red-tailed hawks, humans, black rats, honeybees, Puerto Rican parrots, pearly-eyed thrashers, and sierra palm trees.
- Label which of these is a predator of, competitor to, and food source for the Puerto Rican parrot.
More resources for Parrots Over Puerto Rico and ideas for your summer adventures:
- Lesson plan using Parrots Over Puerto Rico and Puffling Patrol
- Interview with authors, Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore, on the making of Parrots Over Puerto Rico
- Outdoor concerts!
- National and state parks!
- Ballparks!
- Beaches!
- Help Your Students & Families Find the Best Summer Learning Opportunities
