You Wouldn't Want to Be-Must Read Mentor Text

I hope you all enjoyed your Saturday as much as I did! It was so nice to relax, and it is even better knowing I have today and tomorrow off!

It is Sunday, and that means it is time to link up with Collaboration Cuties for their Must Read Mentor Text linky. This week's topic is social studies.

 

The book I want to share with you is a favorite of my students and I. You Wouldn't Want to Be an American Colonist! This book is one book in a larger series called, "You Wouldn't Want to Be.."

 

I love these books because they present information in a fun and exciting way.  This book specifically looks at the Jamestown Colony. It shares what it would be like if you were a settler in Jamestown, what the battles were like against Native Americans, and also talks about Capt. John Smith. The students love the "weird-random facts" that the book shares. Students who enjoy social studies love this book, but more importantly students that generally don't enjoy social studies love the book. I like to share it as a read aloud with my class when I introduce Jamestown.

After I have shared the book with the students, I have them play this game on the computers. The Jamestown game allows students to be the leader of Jamestown. They get to pick how to treat the Native Americans, where to settle, what to plant etc. They are then graded on how their settlement would have survived. My students will play this game over and over to try to get different scores. It is another fun way for the students to learn about the Jamestown colony.

What are your favorite social studies mentor texts? Be sure to head over to Collaboration Cuties to check out other fantastic mentor texts!