Make a Difference

Eleanor Roosevelt; People Who Made a Difference

Published by: Newbridge Educational Publishing

Written by: Don McLeese

This simple paperback book introduces students to one of the United States of America's leading first ladies: Eleanor Roosevelt.  Though she is specifically addressed in the Virginia SOLs for first grade, Eleanor Roosevelt is a famous American who can and should be studied at all levels.  This book simplifies her life works into twenty-four easy to decipher pages; however, it is only a jumping off point.  There are countless websites, books, and recorded video that focus on her early life, her marriage to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and her philanthropic expeditions; however, it is difficult to find a strong, condensed version that is appropriate for younger students.  

The People Who Make a Difference series from Newbridge Publishing has a wide range of biographical texts designed for students in grades 1-3.  These books focus on famous Americans that can be studied at any grade level and all feature a simple table of contents, glossary of important and unfamiliar terms, an index, recommendations for further reading, and websites to visit.  One of the sites listed at the end of the book is particularly useful for those who are interested in learning more about inspirational women (http://www.greatwomen.org).  Another useful resource that I found while searching the internet is this four-minute video that summarizes the life of Eleanor Roosevelt (http://www.5min.com/Video/Eleanor-Roosevelt-Biography-119820641). The site itself is very interesting and a good classroom find.  Some of it's videos are not appropriate for classroom use and must be previewed before they are shown to a class; however, it is incredibly practical to have access to video resources that are limited in length to five minutes or less.