Some of this, some of that

Teaching Pre K-8, Feb 1998 by Broderick, Patricia, Raymond, Allen

and all great additions to your professional life in the classroom. We've selected items to review we feel can really make your job easier. Hope you like them.

Don't skip this entry...

until you've read all about Cray-Pas Oil Pastels. Sure, we all think we know about oil pastels and about the company that invented the medium, (Sakura), but until you get up-closeand-personal as we did at the National School Supply & Equipment Convention, we think you don't reeeeeeally know about this wonderful medium. It's just for artists, right? No, no, a thousand times no. Cray-Pas Junior Artist Oil Pastels are designed for kids, but they're beyond the crayon...way beyond. The kinds of shading that can be achieved, with just a tissue, amazed us. This good company even has special "chubbies" size for little hands and assortments to meet every need.

Ask your local art supply or school supply store for a demonstration of Cray-Pas. If you have any questions, call Sakura of America at 800-776-6257 or write them at 30780 San Clemente St., Hayward, CA 94544. Your kids will love preparing the most beautiful reports ever once you make the introduction between them and CrayPas.

The perfect time...

to tell you about the new series from Blackbirch Press is now. The eightbook series (plus index) is entitled "Holocaust" and covers the rise of the Nazi party in 1933 to after World War II and the formation of the State of Israel in 1948. The 80-page, 71/2" x 9" books are in black and white and have incredible photos of the death camps and those war years. Readable and comprehensive, these books really get our vote. We feel they should be in every middle school.The month of the Presidents is a good time to have the kids read and discuss this chronicle. $18.95 each book. Blackbirch Press, Inc., 260 Amity Road, Woodbridge, CT 06525.

If Math'n Science is your game. . . you should really know this name: Curriculum Associates, Inc. They have lots of stuff for you to find out about, but we'd like to tell you about the 12 teacher resource books for grades K-6 that cover Math and Science activities. We saw Life Science Activities for the Elementary Classroom - Level 2-3, a 164-page, 81/2" x 11" collection of 36 in-depth activities ranging from classification and measurement through Ecology and everything in between. There's a standard format for each activity listing primary content, group size, materials, procedure, and some other need-to-know-information. The activities are unique, and although fun is built in, there's not a bit of froth in these books. The math book, Mathematics Activities for the Elementary Classroom: Level 2-3 follows the same format and the activities are just as great. Each of these books is $21.95 (plus slh). Just when we thought we'd seen it all, Curriculum Associates takes us several notches higher. Great job, Curriculum Associates! 153 Rangeway Road, North Bellerica, MA 01862.

VisuaL Math...

for Grades K-1 is a 64-page 81/2" x 11" book of reproducibles from Sniffen Court Books. Concrete explorations of shapes, patterns, etc. are included in fun activities. $7.95 plus slh. Sniffen Court Books, P.O. Box 339, West Bridgewater, MA 02379.

Poetry is a song from the heart, and A Poem A Dav provides 180 thematic poems and activities to keep K-3 classrooms sing All these poems were created (or selected) bs former classroom teacher, Helen Moore. $14.95 plus s 1. To order call

800-325-6149. To talk with someone

who can answer all your questions about this or other

Books titles. call Melissa Hilton at 343-6513. She knows everything.