Inspiring Future Educators: 
Utilize Michael Schwartz Library’s Curriculum Resources for Engaging Lesson Planning


Whether you are a first-year Education major or about to start student teaching, the Michael Schwartz Library’s Curriculum Resources are here for you! From lesson plans to teaching activities, these materials are easily applicable in your classroom and designed to help you create engaging, inclusive, and creative lessons.

Dive into the treasure trove of materials we have to offer and get inspired to create your own unique teaching style. Find your favorite picture books for story time, or the most effective play activity to teach adding and subtracting. You’ll find a fantastic selection of textbooks, activity guides, teaching strategies, and subject specific resources here for you, all for free! Whether you're after resources for math, science, language arts, or social studies, you can count on the library to have exactly what you need.

Check Out Our Favorite Picture Books!

Need some inspiration for your next story time? Check these out and our display on the first floor of the Michael Schwartz Library. Books for the young and young at heart!
 

I wnt my hat back - cover artI Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9780763655983
Publication Date: September 27, 2011
 
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2011, this picture-book delight by a rising talent tells a cumulative tale with a mischievous twist. The bear's hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no, some more elaborately than others. But just as the bear begins to despond, a deer comes by and asks a simple question that sparks the bear's memory and renews his search with a vengeance. Told completely in dialogue, this delicious take on the classic repetitive tale plays out in sly illustrations laced with visual humor -- and winks at the reader with a wry irreverence that will have kids of all ages thrilled to be in on the joke.

 

Cover ArtBrown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin; Eric Carle (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9780805017441
Publication Date: April 15th, 1992
 
With more than two million copies sold, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? has opened up a world of learning to a generation of children. For this edition, created for the twenty-fifth anniversary in 1992, Bill Martin, Jr., restored his text to its original wording. And Eric Carle created all new pictures--based on the originals, but clearer, brighter, and truer to the colors they represent. Bill Martin has been devoted to writing children's books for more than thirty years. He has a Ph.D. in early childhood education and he has long been a proponent of using rhyme and rhythm to teach young children how to read. Eric Carle, illustrator of many beloved children's books, was born in the United States, but spent his early years in Stuttgart, Germany, where he studied art and design at the Academy of Applied Art. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was the first book he illustrated. This title has Common Core connections.
 

Cover ArtS Is for Save the Planet by Brad Herzog

ISBN: 1585364282
Publication Date: February 9, 2009

Did you know Americans generate nearly 250 million tons of trash each year? Or that it takes hundreds of years for a polystyrene cup to decompose? Mankind's negative impact on Mother Earth is tremendous and daily bad news can make it feel overwhelming. But all is not lost! S is for Save the Planet: A How-to-Be-Green Alphabet details the many environmental issues we face and then suggests easy-to-take actions that anyone can do. From the particulars of vermicomposting and xeriscaping, to the three R's of responsible waste management, young readers learn how they can be a force of nature in protecting the earth for generations to come. Brad Herzog spends two months every summer traveling across the country with his wife and two young sons and celebrating America's natural wonders. Together, they have visited more than 30 national parks and seashores. This is Brad's eighth alphabet book for Sleeping Bear Press. He lives on California's Monterey Peninsula. Linda Holt Ayriss is the recipient of a silver medal from the Best in the West Society of Illustrators, and has been recognized in the Communication Arts Annual. She is also the author of Sleeping Bear's E is for Evergreen: A Washington Alphabet. Linda lives in Washington State.
 

Cover ArtCreepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds; Peter Brown (Illustrator); Peter Brown (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9781442453098
Publication Date: August 21, 2012
 
In this Caldecott Honor-winning picture book, The Twilight Zone comes to the carrot patch as a rabbit fears his favorite treats are out to get him. Includes audio! Jasper Rabbit loves carrots--especially Crackenhopper Field carrots. He eats them on the way to school. He eats them going to Little League. He eats them walking home. Until the day the carrots start following him...or are they?  Celebrated artist Peter Brown's stylish illustrations pair perfectly with Aaron Reynold's text in this hilarious picture book that shows it's all fun and games...until you get too greedy.
 

Cover ArtPaddington Treasury by Michael Bond; Peggy Fortnum (Illustrator); Caroline Nuttall-Smith (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9780395905074
Publication Date: October 25, 1999
 
This treasury marks Paddington's 40th year in America, with a comprehensive collection of Sir Michael Bond's beloved stories. Peggy Fortnum's line drawings have been watercolored by her step-granddaughter Caroline Nuttall-Smith, who was not yet born when the books were first published. Since the Browns first discovered him at London's Paddington Station wearing a tag that read "Please look after this bear," Paddington's popularity has grown and his books have sold 25 million copies worldwide in 22 languages. The enduring appeal of this small bear from Darkest Peru ensures that he will be discovered by generations to come. Those well versed in Paddington's antics know that he does tend to make ordinary occasions more exciting. While readers of all ages may laugh as he bumbles from one near disaster to another, it is always a relief to find a happy ending.
 

Cover ArtPete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses by James Dean (Illustrator); Kimberly Dean

ISBN: 9780062275561
Publication Date: October 1, 2013
 
From the bestselling Pete the Cat series, Pete's magic sunglasses help him turn his mood from grumpy to awesome! In this hardcover picture book, Pete the Cat wakes up feeling grumpy--nothing seems to be going his way. But with the help of some magic sunglasses, Pete learns that a good mood has been inside him all along. Fans of Pete the Cat will love watching him take his positive outlook and transform a grumpy day into an awesome day! The fun never stops--download the free groovin' song. Time for magic fun in the sun! Don't miss Pete's other adventures!
 

Cover ArtGreen Is a Chile Pepper by Roseanne Greenfield Thong; John Parra (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9781452102030
Publication Date: February 18, 2014
 
Green is a chile pepper, spicy and hot. Green is cilantro inside our pot. In this lively picture book, children discover a world of colors all around them: red is spices and swirling skirts, yellow is masa, tortillas, and sweet corn cake. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary, this playful concept book will reinforce the colors found in every child's day.
 

Cover ArtYummy by Lucy Cousins (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9780763644741
Publication Date: August 11, 2009
 
Beware -- these fairy tales are not for the faint of heart! Maisy creator Lucy Cousins shifts gears to retell her favorites with vivid, rousing illustrations. Eight classic stories take on new energy as Lucy Cousins ramps up her artwork. In this bold, funny, and unflinching collection, the beloved author-illustrator retains all the emotion and humor of the original fairy tales: the heroes are courageous, the villains are horrible, and the children are tasty. With her sly, simple language and vibrant illustrations, even the scariest fiends become the stuff of shared hilarity and shivery thrills.


 Cover ArtThe Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf; Robert Lawson (Illustrator)

ISBN: 0140502343
Publication Date: June 30, 1977
 
A true classic with a timeless message!   All the other bulls run, jump, and butt their heads together in fights. Ferdinand, on the other hand, would rather sit and smell the flowers. So what will happen when Ferdinand is picked for the bullfights in Madrid?   The Story of Ferdinand has inspired, enchanted, and provoked readers ever since it was first published in 1936 for its message of nonviolence and pacifism. In WWII times, Adolf Hitler ordered the book burned in Nazi Germany, while Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, granted it privileged status as the only non-communist children's book allowed in Poland.   The preeminent leader of Indian nationalism and civil rights, Mahatma Gandhi--whose nonviolent and pacifistic practices went on to inspire Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.--even called it his favorite book.   The story was adapted by Walt Disney into a short animated film entitled Ferdinand the Bull in 1938. Ferdinand the Bull won the 1938 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).
 

Cover ArtWhere the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (Illustrator)

ISBN: 0060254939
Publication Date: November 29, 1988
 
Where the Wild Things Are is fifty years old! Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. A must for every child's bookshelf. Introduce a new generation to Max's imaginative journey with this special anniversary edition. Let the wild rumpus continue as this classic comes to life like never before with new reproductions of Maurice Sendak's artwork. Astonishing state-of-the-art technology faithfully captures the color and detail of the original illustrations. Sendak himself enthusiastically endorsed this impressive new interpretation of his art before his death in 2012. This iconic story has inspired a movie, an opera, and the imagination of generations.

 

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