Core Values Literature Connection
Elementary
Quarter 3
The Core Values Literature Connection Guide will assist teachers in infusing Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Core Values throughout the ELA curriculum. The document is aligned to the District Pacing Guides for the 2015-2016 school year. It is designed to help teachers make connections between literature and the District’s Core Values.
KindergartenWeek/Dates / Text / Core Value / Connection
27
3/7-3/11 / Mischievous Goat / Responsibility / The baby goat gets scolded for the mischievous things he did.
28
3/14-3/18 / The Perfect Pet / Responsibility / After getting the perfect pet, the girls take turns caring for Racer.
Grade 1
Week/Dates / Text / Core Value / Connection
21
1/25-1/29 / A Tale of a Tail / Kindness / When a tree falls on Ray’s tail, it turned flat. Although he wasn’t happy at first, the sun reminds him of the benefits of having a flat tail and made Ray happy once again.
21
1/25-1/29 / How Bat Got Its Wings / Cooperation/Kindness / The birds do not let Gray Bat play because he doesn’t have wings. The birds build wings for Gray Bat and his new wings helped the birds win.
22
2/1-2/5 / A Team of Fish / Cooperation / Fish swim together, look for food together, and help each other. They swim close together in a school to keep big fish away.
22
2/1-2/5 / Animal Teams / Cooperation / Ants carry caterpillars to safety, while zebras and wildebeest help each other find food and warn of danger. Animal teams work together and help each other.
22
2/1-2/5 / Busy as a Bee / Cooperation / Bees in a hive all have jobs that help the hive. A big hive is a busy place!
24
2/15-2/19 / Hi! Fly Guy / Kindness / Boy and fly meet and so begins a beautiful friendship.
24
2/15-2/19 / Creep Low, Fly High / Pursuit of Excellence / Little caterpillar feels bad about himself because all of the other insects can hop, buzz, and zip around, while he can only creep. With time, caterpillar goes missing and returns as a beautiful butterfly and laughs with his friends.
25
2/22-2/6 / Koko and Penny / Cooperation/Kindness / Koko and Penny have laughed and played together.
25
2/22-2/6 / Saving Mountain Gorillas / Responsibility/ Cooperation/Kindness / Dr. Helen Gichohi of the African Wildlife Foundaiton works to save gorillas from hunters.
27
3/7-3/11 / A Lost Button / Kindness/Cooperation / When Toad notices a button has fallen off his jacket, Frog and Toad retrace their steps to the meadow, the woods, and the stream where they had walked. Frog, a sparrow, and a raccoon all find buttons, but none of them are Toad's missing button. Eventually, Toad gets so mad over not finding his button that he runs home...and discovers his missing button had fallen off before the walk. To make it up to Frog for the wild goose chase, Toad not only sews his button back on his jacket, but sews on the other buttons they'd found as well and gives it to Frog the next day.
29
3/28-4/1 / The Story of a Robot Inventor / Pursuit of Excellence / Mr. Takahashi uses his imagination to create special robots that can swim, ride bikes, and run.
29
3/28-4/1 / Thomas Edison, Inventor / Pursuit of Excellence / Thomas Edison invented many things that helped people. At that time, burning gas lights lit homes and streets and sometimes fire from the lights burned a home down. Thomas Edison made a safe electric light. Everyone wanted electric lights in their homes. He also invented the first machine that could record sounds and play them back and the first machine for viewing films.
30
4/4-4/8 / Whistle for Willie / Pursuit of Excellence / If Peter could only learn to whistle, then his dog, Willie would hear him and come running. But nothing Peter does seems to help. He tries spinning around and around but it only makes him dizzy. He draws a long line with colored chalk; he walks along a crack in the sidewalk. He even wears his father's hat and tries running away from his own shadow! It's not until Peter least expects it that his wish comes true, and he blows a whistle that brings Willie running!
Grade 2
Week/Dates / Text / Core Value / Connection
23-24
2/8-2/19 / Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin / Fairness / Two cousins, one in America and one in Mexico, exchange letters and share how their daily lives are different, yet similar.
25-26
2/22-3/4 / Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky / Kindness / Sun and Moon made their house bigger in order to accommodate for Water, their very large guest. Once Water arrived, Sun and Moon had to scramble onto the roof, where they still remain and shine down on Water.
25-26
2/22-3/4 / How the Beetle Got Her Colors / Kindness/Fairness / Agouti makes fun of Beetle for being plain and dull. When Parrot proposes a race with the prize of a beautiful new coat of any color for the winner, Beetle wins, because he used his wings.much to the surprise of Agouti.
The tale of Agouti and Beetle shows us the wisdom of not making fun of others and that even a plain little creature may have some hidden power.
25-26
2/22-3/4 / How the Finch Got Its Colors / Kindness/Fairness / Finch gets pushed aside by the other birds when he tries to get his color, so King Bird, a wise leader tells each of the other birds to give a colorful feather to Finch.
27-28
3/7-3/18 / A Difficult
Decision / Citizenship/Honesty/Integrity / When Wyatt finds a GameMaster, he debates whether or not to return it to the owner. Although he would love to keep it, Wyatt returns the GameMaster and promises to always try to do the right thing.
27-28
3/7-3/18 / Grace for President / Citizenship / When Grace's teacher reveals that the United States has never had a female president, Grace decides to be the first. And she immediately starts off her political career as a candidate the school's mock election!
27-28
3/7-3/18 / Helping to Make Smiles / Citizenship/Responsibility / Matthew, a young citizen attends Camp Smiles, a camp for children with disabilities are able to ride horses, play basketball, and swim. Since not all children can afford to go to this special camp, Matthew decided to get involved in his community and challenge people to give money. The money would pay for 30 children to attend Camp Smiles.
29-30
3/28-4/8 / Cesar Chavez / Respect/Integrity / Cesar worked on the family farm as a young boy.
Upon moving to California, Cesar learned that migrant farm workers were treated unfairly. They worked long hours for little pay and had difficult life.
Cesar Chavez took action and convinced migrant workers to strike. He spoke about treating workers fairly. Through his actions, Cesar Chavez improved the life of migrant workers and won the U.S. Medal of Freedom.
29-30
3/28-4/8 / Brave Bessie / Pursuit of Excellence / Bessie Coleman walked four miles to school and four miles back and never gave up on her dream to become a pilot. She became the first African-American women to earn a pilot’s license and opened a school for other African-Americans to learn to fly. By the time she died in 1929, she had earned the nickname “Brave Bessie”.
29-30
3/28-4/8 / The Legend of Kate Shelley / Integrity/Responsibility / When Kate Shelley learned that a crash caused the bridge to break, she knew she had to stop the midnight train because the engineer would not know the bridge was out. Kate Shelley risked her life in a storm to prevent a train disaster was able to stop to midnight train. Through her actions, she saved the lives of hundreds of people.
Grade 3
Week/Dates / Text / Core Value / Connection
22-23
2/1-2/12 / The Impossible Pet Show / Pursuit of Excellence / Daniel was nervous when he is chosen to be the announcer at his friend’s pet show. He not only conquers his fear of pets, but also of speaking in public. Suddenly, Daniel has discovered his talent and the pets actually listen to him as well.
22-23
2/1-2/12 / The Talented Clementine / Pursuit of Excellence / Clementine panics when she learns that there will be a talent show at school. She doesn't sing, dance, or play an instrument. And as if she didn't feel bad enough, her perfect best friend, Margaret, has so many talents.
As the night of the big "Talent-palooza" draws closer, Clementine is desperate for an act, any act. But the unexpected talent she demonstrates at the show surprises everyone — most of all herself.
22-23
2/1-2/12 / Clementine and the Family Meeting / Kindness / Clementine's having a nervous breakdown. The FAMILY MEETING! sign is up in her house, and she just knows she's in trouble for something.
Clementine is not content when she is told that she would have a baby brother. After all, four is the perfect number for a family. Clementine learns that life is “always moving fast and we’re never ready, but somehow that’s just perfect.”
24-25
2/15-2/26 / Little Half Chick / Kindness / Little Half Chick faces many challenges, one eye, one wing, and one leg. However, as he walks along Mexico City, he helps the stream, the fire, and the wind. When Little Half Chick was in trouble, the grateful wind carried him safely to the top of the highest tower in Mexico City. Always help someone is need because you don’t know when you’ll need help.
26
2/29-3/4 / The Giant / Pursuit of Excellence / The narrator shows that you do not need to be tall to be a great basketball player. The “giant” serves as an inspiration to the team.
26
2/29-3/4 / The Winningest Woman of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race / Pursuit of Excellence / Susan Butcher faces challenging conditions to run the race from Anchorage to Nome. People, can do things that seem difficult or impossible
27-28
3/7-3/18 / FSA Preparation
29-30
3/28-4/8 / The New Hoop / Cooperation/Respect / Marco and Kim reuse an old laundry basket and turned it into a basketball hoop, since the Parks Department was unable to buy a new hoop.
29-30
3/28-4/8 / Bravo Tavo! / Pursuit of Excellence/Kindness/ Responsibility / In a small Mexican village, Tavo dreams of being a basketball star. He feels handicapped by his duct-taped sneakers; however, with the whole summer to practice, he isn't discouraged. When his father needs him to help clear irrigation ditches to bring water to their parched crops, Tavo must forgo his basketball plans. After several weeks, the hard labor pays off, and the crops are saved. However, Tavo is now without sneakers, and he is unable to practice with the other kids. While Tavo is getting the people in the village to acknowledge that his father's idea could solve their water problems, his sneakers are beautifully repaired by an old woman and is the hero of the next game!
Grade 4
Week/Dates / Text / Core Value / Connection
21
1/18-1/29 / Judy’s Appalachia / Integrity / Judy Bonds takes a stand against coal mining companies. In protests, she faced anger and insults. Instead of boycotting, she pushed for changed to be made to the coal mining process. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her efforts as an activist.
21
1/18-1/29 / Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights / Integrity / W.W. Law assisted blacks in registering to vote, joined the NAACP and trained protestors in the use of nonviolent civil disobedience, and, in 1961, and orchestrated the Great Savannah Boycott and was instrumental in bringing equality to his Georgia community. Savannah eventually became the first city in the south to end racial discrimination due to the work of W.W. Law.
21
1/18-1/29 / Keeping Freedom in the Family:
Coming of Age in the Civil Rights Movement / Integrity / Nora Davis’ parents used their lives as actors to make a difference. They got their children involved in protesting injustice.
22-23
2/1-2/12 / Words for Change / Integrity/Citizenship / Together with Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was committed to helping women gain the right to vote. Her passion for equal rights paved the way for future women’s lives to be changed forever.
22-23
2/1-2/12 / Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln / Honesty/Integrity/Citizenship / Abraham Lincoln used his wartime powers as president to free enslaved people. He spoke honestly against slavery and later convinced lawmakers to outlaw the practice throughout the United States. Lincoln used his words to remind Americans why they were fighting and helped unite the country.
22-23
2/1-2/12 / A New Birth of Freedom / Citizenship/Respect / Through the Gettysburg Address in 1863,
Abraham Lincoln honored the American soldiers who had died in the Battle of Gettysburg and asked Americans to honor them by working toward a “new birth of freedom”, in which a “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
25
2/22-2/26 / A World Without Rules / Citizenship / This story explores the consequences of a world without rules or laws. It explains that we need our government to maintain order and preserve our democracy.
25
2/22-2/26 / See How They Run / Citizenship / A presidential election is coming up and everyone is talking about it – on TV, in class, over the dinner table. This comical book explains our country’s elective process— from the birth of our democracy and the Electoral College to front porch campaigning and hanging chads. It may encourage students to involved and have their own voices heard.
25
2/22-2/26 / The Birth of American Democracy / Citizenship / The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, which formed our new nation. They decided on three branches of government, and added the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights guarantees important personal rights such as freedom of speech and religion.
Politicians continually revisit this founding document to ensure that all people are treated equally in our democracy.
27
3/7-3/11 / Sing to Me / Pursuit of Excellence / A young boy practices playing the piano for months while telling himself “I can do this.” He eventually is able to blend the sounds and make the keys “sing to him.”
27
3/7-3/11 / The Climb / Pursuit of Excellence / The narrator in this poem has repeatedly tried to climb a tree, but she loses her grip and slides down. One day, she is finally able to climb, pull herself up, and experience success.
27
3/7-3/11 / Swimming to the Rock / Pursuit of Excellence / The novice swimmer learns that you can conquer your fears if you believe you can.
27
3/7-3/11 / The Moondust Footprint / Pursuit of Excellence / The narrator watches TV as Neil Armstrong steps on the moon, marking a moment in human history.
27
3/7-3/11 / Genius / Pursuit of Excellence / The speaker is worried about whether or not his sister will approve of the poem he has written. After hearing it, she approves!
27
3/7-3/11 / Winner / Pursuit of Excellence / The young baseball player is worried about whether or not he will get a hit after two missed swings and two foul balls. With his father cheering him on, he experiences personal triumph and makes his father smile as he makes the winning run.
28
3/14-3/18 / My Name is Ivy / Pursuit of Excellence / The narrator’s mother tells why she named her daughter Ivy. She expressed that ivy vines hold on to anything, ad that it will go wherever it wants, even up to the stars. The mother is saying that she wants her child to adapt to any situation and go where she wants to go in life. She doesn’t want anything to hold the child back from reaching her dreams.
28
3/14-3/18 / Birdfoot’sGrampa / Respect/Kindness / Grandpa steps out of the car to pick up toads and move them out of the road. The old man shows respect for living things by taking them out of harm’s way.
28
3/14-3/18 / From My Chinatown / Responsibility / The young girl watches her mother work for long hours every day sewing pants and dresses. She learns that hard work is a part of life and tradition.
28
3/14-3/18 / Growing Up / Respect/ Pursuit of Excellence / The young speaker in the poem looks forward to one day being like her mom, loving, wise, and a good cook!
29-30
3/28-4/8 / FSA Preparation
Grade 5
Week/Dates / Text / Core Value / Connection
24-25
2/15-2/26 / Frederick Douglass: Freedom’s Voice / Integrity/Citizenship / Living in slavery until the age of 20, Frederick Douglass escaped to the North where he met abolitionists whose ideas inspired him. Shortly after, he began speaking against slavery throughout New England and the Midwest. Frederick Douglass also started an abolitionist newspaper that spoke about the unequal status of women. Frederick became a great civil rights leader in spite of his difficult beginning in life.
24-25
2/15-2/26 / Rosa / Integrity/Citizenship / By refusing to give up her seat on a crowded bus, Rosa Parks changed our nation by forcing the Supreme Court to acknowledge that segregation was wrong. The reader learns that people can bring about a positive change by not giving in to what is wrong.
24-25
2/15-2/26 / Our Voices, Our Votes / Integrity/Citizenship / Women fought hard for the right to vote. They protested, rallied, signed petitions, hired lobbyists to speak to politicians for them, and broke the law by voting. These movements led to new laws that granted equal rights for women in 1920.