Introducing Nim's Island

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Earlier this year a friend introduced me to Nim's Island by Wendy Orr. I was a bit surprised it had taken me so long to find it, but I couldn't be happier to dive into the world of Nim, her animal friends and Alex - the author she meets on the internet. It's a great book to explore with Grade 5 and 6 students - filled with lots of questions, activity possibilities and ideas to explore.

 
Introducing Nim's Island - A Galarious Goods blog post taking a look at the novel by Wendy Orr and why it's great to use in the classroom
 


Adventure

At its heart, Nim's Island is an adventure story. Nim and her father live on an island in the middle of the ocean, relying on their own growing and building skills and occasional supply ships to be self-sufficient. Nim finds herself alone on the island after her father runs into misfortune during a research trip away on his boat. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but a series of misadventures means that she has to dig deep into her skills and knowledge to keep things running and to sustain the lifestyle she and her father have so carefully created for themselves. 

While she's dealing with these issues she 'meets' the author Alex Rover through email - Alex is researching for her new book and Nim reaches out to a voice which might be able to help her. This leads to a whole new set of adventures - especially when Nim and Alex misunderstand each other.

Nim's Island would work great as part of a study of the adventure genre. Students can explore excerpts of classic books like Swiss Family Robinson, the Three Musketeers or The Jungle Book, look at more recent books to compare and contrast, examine how adventure can meet other genres like fantasy or science fiction and read (or try to write) choose your own adventure books. Adventure stories allow for interesting explorations of plot and character as well as creating suspense - interesting to explore in both reading and writing. 


Animals

From the beginning of the book, we meet Nim's friends - who are all animals. Nim's animal friends are obviously loved and part of her life, and she understands them thoroughly, but she admits that it would be nice to have some non-animal friends as well. The animals assist Nim and her father when they need them - especially with communication - which leads to questions about how animals have helped people with communication in the real world.

The animals in Nim's Island allow for some great, in-depth research. What are these animals? Where in the world do they live? What habitat do they need? What makes them special? Why would the author choose them for the book? 


Big Questions

Nim's Island is filled with some great ideas and questions to think over, discuss and write about. This allows for a more in-depth look at the book, allowing students to see the book from different perspectives. 

Some of the questions in the book include whether Nim's father should have left Nim on her own in the first place? Can animals be friends? Do authors owe information about themselves to their readers? Should we take more adventures? How can we be responsible tourists? 


The Movie

Nim's Island was turned into a movie which is always great for comparisons. Which one is better? What changes were made? Why were they made? What impact do the changes make? Looking at how stories can be told in different mediums is a great insight into why writers make the choices they make. Students can think about how they might have retold the story if they'd been asked to create a movie or even act out one of the important scenes from the book.


I highly recommend Nim's Island as a classroom resource - either as a whole class novel, a read-aloud, as a small group or as part of a reader's workshop program. It's a truly engaging and thought-provoking book - perfect for digging into deeper!

 
Introducing Nim's Island - A Galarious Goods blog post taking a look at the novel by Wendy Orr and why it's great to use in the classroom
 
 
 

Four Ways Students Can Find More Information And Get Involved

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Collecting information is an essential part of getting involved with issues which we care about. It's important to look around us to see where and how our students can get information which will help them get involved in creating a better world.

 
Four ways students can get information and get involved. A Galarious Goods blog post to support teachers of social studies, government and citizenship looking at how citizens get involved with their government and their local community. This blog po…
 

1. The Media

There are often criticisms about the media and how events are reported. However, the media - both small and large - is often essential in bringing our attention to what is happening in our communities. When our students look at the news they can see what politicians, officials and other residents are doing around them and they can search for ways they can step up or get involved to make a difference.

Students can also use the media to share their knowledge, responses and actions - they can write letters to the editor or even contact local media with their own news stories.


2. Organisations and Advocacy Groups

Almost every time we uncover an issue we're passionate about, there's already a group of committed individuals working on the same goal. These organisations often include a lot of information on their websites or they may have local representatives who are happy to be contacted. 

As well as information about the issue, organisations and groups may have ideas about how students can get involved. They might be fundraising for a particular outcome or contacting political representatives to suggest a change or improvement in the community. Students can also be inspired by looking at what those organisations and groups have done in the past.

 
Four ways students can get information and get involved. A Galarious Goods blog post to support teachers of social studies, government and citizenship looking at how citizens get involved with their government and their local community. This blog po…
 


3. Interviewing Others

If students are looking to make a difference in their own community, they should begin by looking at what their own community wants the most. They can uncover this information by interviewing local residents, including people their own age, their parents and other adults. They can also talk to political representatives about what they'd like to see in their local community. 

Once they have collected information, they can sort it to see what ideas are most popular. It's important then to decide which of the popular ideas are viable - it might be nice to have more koalas in the local area, but if you don't live in a koala zone, it's not the most practical of ideas!


4. Learning More About Civics and Political Processes

If students are really looking to make a difference in the world around them, it is worthwhile to learn more about civics and political processes. It's important to know who your representatives are, what they are responsible for and what they are able to do to help you. It's also good to know about different ways of contacting representatives and other public figures, as well as other steps you can take as an involved citizen.

As well as researching the political process, as a teacher you may like to invite one of your local representatives to come and talk to students about the political process. They would be more likely to be able to give the 'behind the scenes' look at how laws are created and how decisions about public money are made. They can also offer more information about how citizens can work with representatives to make a difference in the community.


The more knowledge our students have the better prepared they are to make a real difference - now and into the future!


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Five Times Young People Got Involved and Took Action!

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If we look at the world around us, there are some great real-life examples of young people getting involved with causes and issues which matter to them. We can explore these examples with our students - using them to help our students make their own positive mark on the world!

 
Five times young people got involved and took action. A Galarious Goods teaching blog post exploring 5 real life examples of young people getting involved in the world around them. Great real life examples teachers can use to discuss with their stud…
 

1. The New York Newsboys Strike of 1899

In 1899, young boys - often orphans and runaways - used to sell newspapers on the streets of New York. They were required to buy these papers in advance, then hope that they sold enough to cover the costs. In 1899, two newspaper publishers were selling their papers to the newsboys for such a high price that it was nearly impossible to make money.

In July 1899, a large number of newsboys decided to go on strike and not to sell the papers of those two publishers. They used public demonstration and appeals to the public to disrupt newspaper sales. Finally the publishers agreed to buy back unsold papers, which meant the newsboys weren't out of pocket at the end of the day, and the strike ended. 

The newsboys were credited with inspiring other strikes in other parts of the United States.


2. Ruby Bridges

In the 1950s, schools in the southern United States were segregated, with white students and African-American students attending different schools. When the courts insisted that the schools be desegregated, New Orleans schools set a test to decide which African-American children would be allowed to attend 'white' schools. At 6 years old, Ruby Bridges was one of the few students who passed the exam and became the only African-American student enrolled in her local school. 

For her safety, Ruby was escorted to school by federal marshals, but she was still required to walk past protesters yelling at her. She was also the only student in her class, as parents refused to allow their children to be in class with her. Despite the insults which were yelled at her, Ruby continued to attend the school, following the advice of her mother to be strong.

Ruby's example allowed more schools to become desegregated across the United States and was a big part of the civil rights movement of the 1960s.


3. Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai was born in Pakistan, in a region which was increasingly coming under Taliban control as she was growing up. In 2008, at the age of 11, she gave a speech asking why the Taliban was taking away her right to education. In 2009 she began keeping a blog for the BBC, talking about the right to education for girls and women, as the Taliban continued to close girls schools in the region.

As Malala continued to speak out against the Taliban in Pakistan, they began to see her as a threat. In 2012, when she was 15, a gun man boarded her school bus and shot her. She was given medical treatment in Pakistan before being transported to the United Kingdom for further care. She was able to recover there and has been able to return back to school and to continue her advocacy for education for all girls and women.

Through the Malala Fund, she has been able to bring more attention to educational choices for girls, including opening a school for refugee girls near the Syrian border. 

 
Five times young people got involved and took action. A Galarious Goods teaching blog post exploring 5 real life examples of young people getting involved in the world around them. Great real life examples teachers can use to discuss with their stud…
 


4. Little Miss Flint

In 2014, officials decided to use the local river to provide water to the people of Flint, Michigan in the United States hoping to save money. Unfortunately, the officials didn't require safety regulations to be met and the water was contaminated with lead - a contamination which is particularly dangerous for children.

In 2016, 9 year old Mari Copeny decided to write to the President of the United States, Barack Obama, hoping to lift the spirits of her fellow Flint residents and to bring more attention to the lack of safe drinking water in Flint. Since then, Mari has met with President Obama as well as other politicians, and continues to point out through social media and speeches that water safety for children and other residents in her town still needs to be addressed. 


5. Campbell Remess

Campbell Remess really wanted to buy Christmas presents for the children at his local hospital. When his mother said that wasn't possible, he set out to learn how to sew and started making teddy bears to give away. 

At 12, Campbell had been making bears for three years and had pushed himself to make a bear everyday. He's also been involved in organising fundraisers for local charities. His hard work has encouraged other people to donate to his cause - providing him with the fabric and materials he needs to make his bears.

These stories of young people taking action allow our students to see some of the different ways they can take action - whether it's standing up for what's right, speaking out when something is wrong, looking for ways to take care of others or being strong in the face of adversity. They give our students examples to reflect on and inspiration to make the world a better and kinder place.

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What is a Teachers Pay Teachers Sale? (And how can you save?)

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Every now and again, you might see Facebook and Instagram posts advertising Teachers Pay Teachers sales. These pop up, with beautiful graphics and enticing promises, but you're not really sure what they're all about. What's the code? What is the discount? Why should you check it out? 

Well, we're here to hopefully demystify the process a bit, answer all your burning questions and to show you some of our favourites: perfect for you when the next sale comes around!

 
What is a Teachers Pay Teachers Sale? (And how can you save money?) A blog post examining what a TpT sale is and how teachers can make the most of them when they come around
 

What is a TpT Sale?

Teachers Pay Teachers (or TpT) is a one-stop place to find downloadable teaching resources created by teachers. It's the best place to search when you're looking for teaching materials - small or large. 

Several times a year, TpT hold a massive sales event. Many sellers take advantage of this event to put their shops on sale for up to 20% off. TpT also provides a code which takes 5% off the original price - which means you get up to 25% off!

How does this work with real-life money? If a product is usually $10, the seller may put it on sale for 20%, a discount of $2. The TpT code takes 5% off the original price - a discount of 50c - so you get a $2.50 discount and only pay $7.50 for a $10 product! (If the seller sets their shop at a 10% discount, you get 15% off with the code. If they set it at 5% off, you get 10% off with the code)


How Can You Save More?

The discounts for TpT sales are already great, but there is a way to save even more! TpT offers a wonderful incentive to leave feedback on products you love. Each time you leave  feedback, you are rewarded with credit points - and these credit points, allow you to get a further discount.

Leaving feedback is really easy - simply go to 'My Purchases' and click on the 'Provide Feedback' link. Remember to think about what kind of feedback would be useful to other buyers - tell them what you loved about the product!

 
What is a Teachers Pay Teachers Sale? (And how can you save money?) A blog post examining what a TpT sale is and how teachers can make the most of them when they come around
 


All My Friends Want to Save Too

Many products are licensed for single teacher use only, which means you can’t share, but there is a way you can help your friends save when they want to buy the same product. Many TpT sellers provide special 'additional license' prices - usually at a discounted rate. Simply go to your 'My Purchases' page and click on the 'Buy Additional Licenses' button. This allows you and your friends to save money while being safe in the knowledge that you are following copyright laws and helping a teacher-author.


How Do I Prepare For A TpT Sale?

The dates of TpT Sales are closely-held secrets - we all want the surprise! So what can you do to prepare? Follow your favourite sellers on TpT and through their preferred social media and look out for sale announcements. Make friends with your TpT wish list - it's a great place to keep track of those 'maybe one day' product. Think about what you'll be teaching later in the year - spend some time looking for the best products available. Give as much quality feedback as you can. And don't forget to use your code and your credits when sales time comes around.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the next Teachers Pay Teachers sale!

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