Blue Room: Famous Transportation Stories

Week 1 in the Blue Room is focused on the amazing story of the Pony Express. Students will follow a man named Johnny Fry on the first Pony Express ride in history! We introduce the Pony Express through the story  Off Like the Wind! The First Ride of the Pony Express, by Michael P. Spradlin. The story takes students through the eleven day journey from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, to deliver eighty-five pieces of mail by way of horse. The story is not only full of intriguing details about the journey, but has beautiful, full-color pictures on every page.

Week 1 Sub Theme Objectives

1. Be familiar with the story of the Pony Express through the reading of the story, Off Like the Wind! The First Ride of the Pony Express, by Michael P. Spradlin (i.e. what was its’ purpose, what was its’ route, etc.).
2. Be able to recollect parts of a story read from a previous day.
3. Experience Expressive Reading.

Week 2 in the Blue Room will be focused on one of the greatest ships ever built, the Titanic. Students will be introduced to the story of the Titanic through two books: Inside the Titanic by Ken Marschall and Finding the Titanic by Robert Ballard. Since the story of the Titanic can be overwhelming, it will be spread out over two weeks. Week 2 will be spent learning about the ship and all of its’ wonder, while wee 3 will be spent discovering the Titanic with Robert Ballard two and a half miles down on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

Week 2 Sub Theme Objectives

1. Be familiar with the story of the Titanic through a partial reading of the story, Finding the Titanic, by Robert Ballard (i.e. when it was built, why it was built, who the passengers were, etc.) and the book, Inside the Titanic, by Ken Marschall.
2. Be able to recollect parts of a story read from a previous day.
3. Experience Expressive Reading.

Week 3 will take students on an adventure around the world on one of the very first bicycles ever manufactured in the United States with Thomas Stevens as their guide.

Week 3 Sub Theme Objectives

1. Be familiar with the Thomas Stevens and the amazing journey he took around the world.
2. Know the difference between a traditional book and a graphic novel.
3. Have had the opportunity to create a graphic novel of their own exciting adventure around the world (individual or group).

Week 4 will be focused on an American heroine, Amelia Earhart. Amelia Earhart was a woman far beyond her time. She wanted to make a difference in the world and do things that no one else had ever done. She achieved her goal many times over when she became the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. She accomplished many firsts in the world of flying. She was the first to fly alone across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as the first to fly alone from Los Angeles to Mexico City. It was on June 1, 1937 that Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, began a trip to fly around the world. The last time they were seen or heard from was on July 2, 1937 and it is believed that they disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, never to be found.

Week 4 Sub Theme Objectives

1. Be familiar with the story of Amelia Earhart through the reading of the story, A Picture Book of Amelia Earhart, by David Adler (i.e. who she was, what she is famous for, what happened to her, etc.).
2. Be able to recollect parts of a story read from a previous day.
3. Experience Expressive Reading.

Reading:

1.2 Follow words from left to right and from top to bottom on the printed page (level k)

1.9 Blend vowel-consonant sounds orally to make words or syllables (level k)

Written and Oral English Language Conventions:

1.2 Spell independently by using pre-phonetic knowledge, sounds of the alphabet, and knowledge of letter names (level k)

Listening and Speaking:

1.1 Listen attentively (1st grade level)

Letters:

Recognition, Sounds and Writing