Wisconsin School for the Deaf - The Wisconsin Times Vol. 127 No. 3 Spring 2006 | Page 9

Middle School Home Economics

Reading Captions Across America

Students from the 7th grade middle school home
economics class were busy last quarter improving their
sewing skills by making embroidered pillows and aprons
to use in the kitchen. Students practiced using a pattern
to cut-out their material. This year they used a zig-zag
stitch to finish off the seams around their aprons. They
also added one or two pockets. Student creativity ran wild
while cutting out letters and words to embroider on their
furry pillows.
The students are using a new cook book based on
“Grandma’s home cooking.” Pictured is a recipe called
Chewy Pizza Bread. Students use a picture recipe text in
6th grade, however, in 7th grade students are challenged to
use a cook book either with a few pictures or without any
pictures. The recipes are written in a simple style with
ingredients listed and directions numbered. New cooking
terms are learned, such as sauté, shred, cube, and knead.
Students work in small groups of two to three when
cooking and are graded not only on following the recipe,
but on tasting new foods, cooperating in a group, and
cleaning up.

Library manager Shelly McDowell holds the book while Joshua
Novak reads the story to three elementary children.

Tonya displays her book for all to see.

Tonya Dumpprope reads the story with expression.

The Captioned Media Program (CMP) has joined forces with the National Education Association (NEA).
The NEA has sponsored the Reading Across America event for several years. For the first time, the CMP is
sponsoring a new event, “Reading Captions Across America.” The kick off date for both events was March
2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). In honor of this, the WSD school library and the CMP joined
forces too. Shelly McDowell and Maryann Barnett contacted the high school language arts/reading teacher
to encourage the students to read to the elementary classes. For the month of March, rather than Shelly
McDowell having classes come to the library for a story she reads, a high school student did the reading.
This has been a huge success! The high school students enjoyed telling the stories, the elementary classes
enjoyed the new storytellers, and all enjoyed the books, the activities, and the CMP movie for each title.
Promoting this wonderful new event has been a fun, exciting, and rewarding experience. We continue to
break new ground in literacy and promote an interest in reading. For more information on the CMP and a list
of children’s captioned media, go to: www.captionedmedia.org

8 - The Wisconsin Times

Spring 2006 - 9