Comparing & Contrasting Lesson Plan

I just posted on my website another lesson plan that teachers can use for the upcoming school year. This one focuses on helping teachers achieve common core standards for comparing and contrasting. It teaches students how to compare and contrast different items, compare and contrast different books, and compare and contrast text within a book. It accomplishes this is in a fun and unique way, using my picture books, COW CAN'T SLEEP and OLD MACDONALD HAD A DRAGON, which will both be available this coming September.

You can find the lesson plan at www.kenbakerbooks.com/lessonplancompare.html. Feel free to share it with others.

New Release Dates

The release dates for my books have changed to the following:

• Old MacDonald had a Dragon - Sept. 18, 2012
• Cow Can't Sleep - Sept. 25, 2012

Here's the trailer for my upcoming picture book, Old MacDonald had a Dragon (Available 9/4/2012). Enjoy!

Narrative Writing & Reading Lesson Plan

For interested teachers planning the upcoming school year, I just posted on my website a lesson plan that they can use to help them introduce and teach some core curriculum concepts of narrative writing (story creation) through the use of characters, setting, and plot. It also helps teachers teach the skills needed to meet language arts reading and writing core curriculum standards that require the ability to describe characters, settings, and major events in a story.

The lesson plan is called "Narrative Writing & Reading Core Skills Lesson Plan -Story Creation Magic: Character, Setting and Plot". Okay, I know that's a mouthful, but if you want you can just call it "Story Creation Magic"

You can find the lesson plan at www.kenbakerbooks.com/lessonplanwriting.htm. Feel free to share it with others.

Trailer for Cow Can't Sleep

Here's the trailer for my upcoming picture book, Cow Can't Sleep (Available 9/25/12). Enjoy and feel free to share.

Service in the Dominican Republic

This past week my family participated on the support crew of a week-long humanitarian trip in the Dominican Republic put on by a group of dentists and oral surgeons from Utah, Oregon, and Arizona. The dentists, oral surgeons, hygienist, and dental assistants did an awesome and selfless job of providing a variety of dental treatments to young children, teenagers and adults, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford such services. The family and friends of the dentists who made up the support crew also did a great job, doing a variety of different tasks such as teaching dental hygiene, sterilizing dental instruments, playing with the children who were waiting for their turns, managing the flow of patients, acting as interpreters, and an assortment of errands.

The highlight of the trip was interacting with the Dominican people. They’re so friendly and open, with a smile for everyone they meet. They are a humble, yet big-hearted and grateful people. They were a joy to get to know.

We were also able to spend a little time enjoying the beaches of the Dominican Republic. What a beautiful country.

Here are a few photos from the trip.

Werner Herzog Reads Curious George

Another tribute to Curious George-- kind of. A funny parody-reading of Curious George. Enjoy!