Your Master POTUS Reading List: 100+ presidential book recommendations

(Thanks to Freddie Deboer for the link.)  I've actually been thinking for a while now about doing a reading project about the U.S. presidents.  This list may be just what I need to get started.  Bookmarking this here for possible later use.

Grassland Vocabulary

(TESOL Materials--Animals, Places)

Google Docs Folder HERE

* A Day in the Grassland--Created from this chat here (Made using Google Gemini Storybook)

* Slideshow: slides, pub

* Write the First Letter: docs, pub

* Coloring Sheet: docs, pub

* Lesson Plans: docs, pub

[Note: These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson The Grassland p.122-123 from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson.   But I believe this material could also be used independently for any lesson on animal vocabulary, so I'm posting it here.]

Target vocabulary: watering hole, grass, flamingo, lion, hyena, leopard, hippopotamus, zebra, elephant, giraffe, spots, stripes

Content objective: learn the names of the grassland objects

Language objective: practice spelling and letter sounds

Stage Name	Procedure
Lead-in	Slide 1 on the slideshow.  Elicit from students what the slide is.  (Or if necessary, give answer).  Ask students what animals they think live in the grassland.  Students talk briefly with a partner about grassland animals .  (If students have no ideas, you can use slide 2 to help.)  Then whole class feedback.
Present Vocabulary (language from a text)	Gemini Storybook.  Read through the storybook.  As the target vocabulary comes up, check with students to ensure they are noticing it.
Clarification and practice	Write the first letter.  Clarify the animals on the sheet with students, and sound out the first letter of each word.  Students write first letter on the sheet.
Time allowing	Display page 122-123 on the white board.  Get students to find and circle the target vocabulary.  (Students can circle on their photocopy as well.) Coloring sheet

Caledonia Lakeside Park, Caledonia: Guide to West Michigan

(Travelogues--West Michigan)

Caledonia Lakeside Park, Caledonia: Guide to West Michigan

Address: 370 N Lake St SE, Caledonia, MI 49316

This is part of my project to document places of interest in West Michigan.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see the bottom part of this blog post here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/01/guide-to-west-michigan.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

West Michigan Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4D-0HPmovcbB6cCqlVVGEL&si=IEFmZ3UMgJxI0F4F

Kent County Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5EOMa9ZWDBtdpQFwtlk_ev&si=t8952PnDfrJQTvBY

Caledonia Township Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPTCNSt3mbI&si=w-ovhmeg_CJucpCv

Caledonia Village Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBxx1EBs1kjY&si=5LVXkUIBQN8vzxF2

Starting: The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting (Since I'm reading the revised version with my kids, I thought I should check out the original so that I could compare them.  I'm using the version on Gutenberg.)

-og Word Family: 2 Word Combinations

(TESOL Worksheets-- -og Word Family)

Cards: docs, pub

Images were created on Google Gemini--original images here, the chat is here.

PowerPoint: slides, pub

	hog in fog
	hog on log
	hog in log
	dog jogs
	hog and dog jog
	dog in bog
	jog in fog
	hog and dog
	hog and dog and cog

Prehistoric Animal Vocabulary

(TESOL Materials--Animals)

Google Drive HERE

* Mateo and the Dinosaurs--created from this chat here (Made using Google Gemini Storybook)

* Pip and Koda's Big Discovery--created from this chat here

* Slideshow (partially completed): slides, pub

* Kahoot: prehistoric animals

[Note: This vocabulary is based on the vocabulary from pages 130 and 131 of Oxford Picture Dictionary for the Content Areas.  But I believe this material could also be used independently for any lesson on animal vocabulary, so I'm posting it here.]

Revisiting Grand River Riverfront Park in Summer: Guide to West Michigan

(Travelogues--West Michigan)

Revisiting Grand River Riverfront Park in Summer: Guide to West Michigan

Video of my previous trip: https://youtu.be/zMXJvPchCr4

Address: 12570 Grand River Dr SE, Lowell, MI 49331

Also includes: Lowell Timber Footbridge and Lowell Area Trailway

This is part of my project to document places of interest in West Michigan.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see the bottom part of this blog post here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2026/01/guide-to-west-michigan.html

Related Playlists:

Travelogues Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x71JnPJ1gs_uaswSALX-7V9

West Michigan Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4D-0HPmovcbB6cCqlVVGEL&si=IEFmZ3UMgJxI0F4F

Kent County Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5EOMa9ZWDBtdpQFwtlk_ev&si=t8952PnDfrJQTvBY

Lowell Township Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4EtIjQDNap8FOdiCWbmdDm&si=TXvlm31f1oeO_Jiq

Rainforest Vocabulary

(TESOL Materials--Animals, Places)

Google Docs Folder HERE

* The Hidden Treasures of the Green Forest--Created from this chat here (Made using Google Gemini Storybook)

* Slideshow: slides, pub

* Write the First Letter: docs, pub

* Coloring Sheet: docs, pub

* Lesson Plans: docs, pub

[Note: These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson The Rain Forest p.120-121 from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson.   But I believe this material could also be used independently for any lesson on animal vocabulary, so I'm posting it here.]

Target vocabulary: turtle, jaguar, bat, owl, parrot, dragonfly, moth, spider, ant, orchid, fern, moss.

Content objective: learn the names of the rainforest objects

Language objective: practice spelling and letter sounds

Stage Name	Procedure
Lead-in	Slide 1 on the slideshow.  Elicit from students what the slide is.  (Or if necessary, give answer).  Ask students what animals they think live in the rain forest.  Students talk briefly with a partner about rain forest animals .  (If students have no ideas, you can use slide 2 to help.)  Then whole class feedback.
Present Vocabulary (language from a text)	Gemini Storybook.  Read through the storybook.  As the target vocabulary comes up, check with students to ensure they are noticing it.
Clarification	Slides 14-25: elicit the name of the vocabulary from students.  Confirm by displaying name on the slide animation.  Drill pronunciation
practice	write the first letter: with students, sound out the first letter of each word.  Students write first letter on the sheet.
Time allowing	Display page 120-121 on the white board.  Get students to find and circle the target vocabulary.  (Students can circle on their photocopy as well.) Coloring sheet

Matching Cards for CVC words with -og

(TESOL Worksheets-- -og Word Patterns)

Worksheet: docs, pub

I use these cards in several stages.

I start out with some of the alphabet cards from this previous activity.  I take the "O" card, and ask students what sound it makes.  Then I take the "G" sound, and ask what sound it makes, and then put the two cards together, and try to get students to tell me the sound.

I then take out several consonants, and get the students to tell me the sound, and then put these consonants together with the -OG to make different words, helping students to sound them out.  

At this point I put out the picture cards, and as we do different CVC -at words, I get students to identify the pictures.  

Once all the words and pictures have been identified, then we play a memory card game to match the words and pictures.  

Lastly, I put away the word cards, and just show students the pictures.  The students have to write down the word on their mini-white boards.

bog
cog
dog
fog
hog
jog
log

-og Word Family (CVC words)

(TESOL Ideas and Worksheets Subdivisions)

* Matching Cards for CVC words with -og

* -og Word Family: 2 Word Combinations

See also: CVC Word Patterns