Machines, Traditional Lit Voting, and "Funny but Dark" Picture Books

PreK 3, 4, Kindergarten, Grade 1: Storytime Theme - Machines

I Stink, by Kate and Jim McMullan

A book about a garbage truck? What could be more fun for little boys? Everyone loves this one about a stinky garbage truck and all of the yucky trash he likes to "eat". We watch him get loaded up, then learn how the parts inside the truck compact all of the trash. The highlight is an alphabetical list of refuse that includes items like "Puppy Poop" and "Ugly Underwear" - good for giggles.

I'm Dirty, by Kate and Jim McMullan (DVD by Weston Woods)

The DVD version of this book adds lots of sound effects and movement. It's the story of a backhoe bucket loader and the work he does to clean up an empty lot. When he's done, he enjoys a mud bath...he loves being dirty!



Demolition, by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock

This is a brand-new book in our library, and it's beautiful! In this rhyming story, we watch a building get demolished by various types of machines, each with its own specialty. All along we're wondering why the building has to be destroyed, but there's a super positive outcome when it's all gone and the rubble is sorted, cleaned up, and used for other things. 

Double page, full bleed illustrations really bring us up close to the action. 

The text is packed with onomatopoeia to give us a sense of the noise involved.

Grade 2: Guiding Question - What is a fable? What were our favorite types of traditional literature and titles we read?

After reading today, students voted on their favorite genre within traditional literature and their favorite book in the unit. Add your vote below! It's set to see the results.

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, retold and illustrated by Helen Ward

Another new book to our collection, this retelling of the classic Aesop's fable has gorgeous pictures. 

Country Mouse becomes envious of the life Town Mouse describes - one of hustle and bustle and action. He decides to go visit Town Mouse to see what it's all about. While he's there, he experiences some of the fun of the city but also comes to appreciate aspects of his home that he truly misses. We have good discussion afterwards about taking risks and being happy with our choices.

Mouse & Lion, by Rand Burkert, illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert

This is another beautifully illustrated retelling of a classic fable. 

Mouse meets Lion and asks for his freedom and promises to help Lion someday. Lion laughs at the idea but lets him go. And wouldn't you know...he does end up needing Mouse's help. The African landscape features prominently in the pictures, done in finely detailed colored pencil and watercolor.

Grade 3: Guiding Question - Can a book be funny and also a little bit...dark?

I Want My Hat Back, by Jon Klassen

This is best read, not talked about. The surprise is so dramatic, I don't want to ruin it!

A bear is looking for his hat. He asks many animals but none have seen it. He does end up solving his problem, but that's all I can say. Just read it!


This is Not My Hat, by Jon Klassen

A companion to "I Want My Hat Back", this story is told from the thief's point of view. A fish readily admits to stealing a whale's hat. He's not planning to return it and justifies the reasons why he should keep it. We are included in his escape plan, but we are also privy to what's happening behind him. As events unfold, we feel complicit in what happens. We know what is bound to happen...but can't stop it. 
As in "I Want My Hat Back" this sparks lots of discussion about ethics. (Note: This the 2013 Caldecott winner for best picture book.)

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, by Mo Willems

Goldilocks is lured into the house of three dinosaurs (one of whom is just visiting from Norway). Love the dramatic irony as we watch to see what will happen. Fun surprise endings, as in all Mo Willems books, don't disappoint. This is a good read-aloud for grade 3 and up. Younger kids will enjoy it but may not appreciate the sardonic tone.

Grade 4: Check out

Grade 5: Guiding Question - What are some fast ways to create a list of citations?

Grade 5 is wrapping up its global issues research. Now that the outlining is done, they know which sources they're using in their paper, so it's time to create formal citations.

We use EasyBib and BibMe. These are both generators that allow us to plug in the site URL (carefully saved in a google doc as we gathered our information). The tool puts the elements of the site into the correct order, we add the date accessed and any other details the tool didn't find, and Voila! a citation in perfect format.

Detailed Deweying, Wordless Caldecotts, and more...

It was a snowy, icy week here. Hope everyone stayed safe and slip-free!

PreK 3 and 4: Guiding Question - What nursery rhymes feature "Jack"?

With our flannels, we learned "Little Jack Horner" and "Jack and Jill." 

We were all pretty shocked with the idea that Little Jack Horner would actually stick his thumb into his food. Gross! And our reaction to "Jack and Jill"?...ouchie!



Kindergarten: Guiding Question - How do rebus rhymes help us learn new words?

We learned the poem "Sing a Song of Sixpence" and some new words like dainty and parlor, and we talked about sarcasm (was it really a dainty dish? no!). 

The emphasis in the unit is on repetition and the concept of nonsense, but of course nursery rhymes have quite deep and hidden meanings. 


Grade 1: Guiding Question - Who is Elmer?

Elmer loves hiding in our Christmas cactus!

Continuing with our "classic character" theme, we read the first Elmer story (Elmer, by David McGee) and another favorite, Elmer Takes Off. 

Both are popular because Elmer loves a good joke. 




Grade 2: Guiding Question - What's the difference between a concept book and a story? How do illustrators use layout to create certain effects?

Wordless Caldecotts: Stories

Wordless Caldecotts: Concepts

We used wordless Caldecotts to talk about the difference between a story (has a character and clear beginning, middle, end) and a concept book (about an idea with no required order). 

We also looked at layout choices an illustrator makes. 

We learned about double-page spreads, full-bleed vs. bordered pictures, and we talked about the effect of each. 

We decided that full-bleed pictures seem to spill off the page and give an effect of the image continuing. Bordered pictures narrow our focus. Double-page spreads are a favorite: we love that expansive feeling!

Grade 3: Guiding Question - How do we sort Dewey numbers that match?

For Dewey Part #2, we examined the problem of matching numbers and learned to use the author's last name for a final sort. Looking at one number at a time, we put numbers in order from small to big, and if numbers match, only then do we use ABC order. 

After some group practice, we rotated between two stations: Order in the Library computer game and laminated "book spines" with the correct answers on the back.

Grade 3 continued to work with their space research this week. Our empty shelf made an impromptu desk in front of the encyclopedia section. 

Stay tuned for the new IKEA couches that will go here instead!


Grades 4 and 5 began their Golden Dragon reading. Students have been busy telling me about the titles they've already finished during first recess.

Caldecott Challenge #2

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McClosky

Caldecott Honor, 1949

Little Sal and her mother set off to pick blueberries nearby their home in Maine. Each carries a pail for gathering berries: Mother plans to can her berries for the winter, and Sal comes along to help. Happily, Mother is not a task-master because Sal much prefers to eat her berries. When Sal digs into Mother's pail to sample a few, Mother reprimands her and Sal wanders off. 

At this point, we get a panoramic view of the hillside they're on - a large scrabbly landscape with lots to explore. When Sal realizes she's lost, she listens for sounds of her mother. But as she comes upon various woodland creatures she's surprised to find they are not her mother! We watch as she and a baby bear on the other side of the hill set a course of parallel adventures, each looking for their mothers and wandering closer to the other's mother.

The action is illustrated with detailed blue ink line drawings. As a child, my favorite pictures were the ones of Sal and her mother in the kitchen. I remember looking at those details, which even then created a scene of an old fashioned life, and feeling the satisfaction of canning blueberries. Reading it with my own children, the highlight was always the sound of the blueberries falling into the pail, "Kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk!"   This is one I've read about a thousand times. Just love it.

Wintery Books and Getting Embedded

Week 13

This week, a team of teachers employed me as an embedded librarian, really a first for our school. 

Similar to journalists embedded with troops in Iraq, the embedded librarian works alongside the teacher to teach research skills.

The back story:

Although we've had flex time for grades 4 and 5 for the past two years, this is the first year I've found a way to keep bigger blocks of time open to make true integration possible. The secret: schedule grades 4 and 5 checkout sessions at the same time I teach younger students. There's plenty of space for two classes to choose books, and when everyone is settled at the end with their books, we can do some cross-age reading.

The advantage of this double-booking is that 8 blocks are now open to go into classes to work with grade level teams to embed research skills into their existing units. 

Grade 4 project:

Teachers designed a project listing various topics related to the Middle Ages (inventions, people, weapons, events). Students will create a keynote presentation showing their understanding of either a cause or effect for their topic.

I will work with the four sections of grade 4 for double blocks each morning for three weeks teaching lessons and being an extra support to teachers and students as they work through basic skills, note taking, organization of information, citations, use of images, and evaluation of the task.

Research Skills, week 1, Guiding Question: How do I begin a long-term research project?

Students had practice with...

- Defining a research question

- Understanding the difference between a search engine and websites (video)

- Learning how search terms and search tricks help get better results (video)

- Using questions to decide if a website is suitable for the task (Internet detectives)

- Using digital sticky notes to record information (lino.it)

All of the resources used are on the grade 4 tab of our library website as well as linked above.

The Upshot:

Students were fully engaged in the lesson because they knew they would be applying the skills right away and using them to learn about information they were already interested in. The combination of video clips, discussion, and group work kept everyone focused.

Grade 3 - Guiding Question: How can understanding text features help me find information about a topic?

Grade 3 began a mini-research project this week. It ties into their unit about Rights and Responsibilities. We examined various countries looking for how the basic rights of the citizens are met: Housing, Food, Transportation, Jobs, and 

Using a set of country books, we examined the structure of the text (Table of Contents, captions, charts, index, glossary) to get a sense of how we'd find the information. Students noted their facts on a digital board for their class, so all the information about all the countries will show there. 

Students will compare the information they gathered with facts about their home countries. We'll continue next week!

Grades PreK 3 - Grade 2 - Guiding Question: What happens in the animal world when winter comes?

When Winter Comes, by Nancy Van Laan, illustrated by Susan Gaber

A rhythmic pattern of repeating questions asks readers to guess where various creatures such as caterpillars, field mice, birds, and fish go in the winter time. We end with a cozy scene of a child a home to make the point: we adjust to nature's changes too! Simple text makes this good for grades PreK 3 - Kinder.

Under the Snow, by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Constance Bergum

This nonfiction picture book asks us to think about what's happening under the snow as we go about our winter fun. We see ladybugs huddled in a mass inside a stone wall, a sleeping woodchuck - heartbeats and breathing slowed, and a toad nestled into leaves - frozen solid but still able to survive. The combination of surprising facts, spare text, and realistic watercolors engaged students, grades 1-2.

50 Below Zero, by Robert Munsch

Some classes also read a funny winter story. It's about a boy who's constantly woken in the night by the sounds of his father sleepwalking. When Dad takes a spin outside on a super cold night, the boy has to go to extremes to get his stiffly frozen body inside the house. Finally, our hero solves the problem by tying his father's big toe to his bed. But will that really end the sleepwalking for good? 

(We make up silly motions for this one since there's lots of repetition. It's also found on Tumblebooks). This is a fun read for grades Kindergarten and up.

Our Teachers Love Picture Books!

Here's a movie that's playing around our school during Picture Book Month! Teachers in all divisions K-12 enjoyed sharing their favorite picture books.

Picture Book-a-Day: Week 3

It's been another great week in our library for picture books. Kiddos are checking out picture books like crazy, logging their titles on our google form, and filling in paper log sheets as well.  We'll celebrate our "PB Challenge" as a whole elementary school on November 30th!

Here are picture books for the themes last week from the Picture Book Month calendar. Each day also links to Page-in-Training for more titles on each theme.

Nov. 16 - Bedtime

Grandfather Twilight, written and illustrated by Barbara Berger

A magical story about the rise of the moon: Grandfather Twilight draws a single pearl off an endless string and it grows in his hand as he walks to the shore. He lifts it into the sky and night begins. A beautiful peaceful story illustrated with calming pastel shades to match the mood. 

Nov. 17 - Jungle

Jumanji, written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg

 

When brother and sister are home alone, they find a board game that looks like the typical "bored" game, but when they start to play they realize that everything that happens in the game happens in their living room as well!  Lions, monkeys, monsoons, what a mess!  Readers love the adventure, the sense of urgency to finish the game, and the fun twist at the end.  Good for showing dramatic irony!

Nov. 18 - School

The Junkyard Wonders, written and illustrated by Patricia Polocco

A genius teacher works with a group of marginalized students and creates pure magic: they find their tribes, their voice, and the confidence to go forth in the world knowing THEY MATTER. Each is a genius in his or her own way, and a note from the author shows us just how far their teacher's belief in them went: they reached for the stars and got there.

Illustrated in Polocco's signature pencil and watercolors, this longer personal narrative suits grades 3 and up.

Nov. 19 - Farm

Farmer Duck, written by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Poor duck has the bad luck to live on a farm with a lazy farmer. The lazy farmer makes duck do all of the work, calling out to check on him all day long: "How goes the work?" and duck answers, "Quack!" every time. 

This oft-repeated exchange gives me a chance to show variety in vocal expression and students love to anticipate it. The watercolor illustrations move the story forward, showing exactly what chores the duck must accomplish. Eventually, duck gets fed up with doing all of the work so cow, sheep, and hen come to his aid with a plan to get rid of the farmer. A simple fun story that engages young children.

Nov. 20 - Folk and Fairytales

The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

A young girl forced to work on Christmas Eve sells matches to make a bit of money for her family. Dreadfully cold, lonely, and unable to make any sales, she slumps into a corner on the street and lights a match to warm herself. Unable face the cold again, she lights another match and then another, each one comforting her with visions of warmth and love.

This is a profoundly sad story, best for grade 2 and older. It's wonderful for showing inference. There are several versions, but I like Pinkney's watercolor illustrations the best.

Nov. 21 - Monkeys

The Hatseller and the Monkeys, retold and illustrated by Baba Wague Diakite 

This West African folktale will be familiar to those who know the classic Caps for Sale. But this longer version includes African phrases and songs and lively wood block illustrations in earthy tones. It would make a great companion story for compare/contrast of cultures (African/European) and plot.

Nov. 22 - Travel ~ World

How I Learned Geography, written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz 

A boy and his family flee their war-torn home in Poland and live in poverty with little food. When the father brings home a map instead of bread, the boy can't imagine forgiving him, but the map ends up being a conduit to daydreams that take him out of his miserable existence and into the magical world of foreign lands. Although his travels happen in his imagination, we feel the power of "seeing" other places.

Picture Books!

Week 12

We're celebrating picture books all month, and this week students read some classics in their library classes.

During story time, we activate our prior knowledge to give context to the story. What do we notice about the cover? What can we guess about the story? What do we already know about the topic?

As we read, we tap our temples when we think of a connection between the story and ourselves. If we have a question, we raise our hands.

After the story, we ask questions, talk about the characters' actions, and decide what we liked about the story. (We almost always like the story, but WHY do we like it?)

PreK 3 and PreK 4

Quick as a Cricket, by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood

A young child (girl or boy?) describes a full range of feelings using similes: she's quick as a cricket, mean as a shark, small as an ant...and comes to the conclusion that all of these feelings combine to make her who she is. It's an affirming message for youngsters. We read this twice, talking through the feelings the second time: have we felt small as an ant before? When? Have we felt as lazy as a lizard? When? 

This is a good read aloud for older students who are studying similes or learning about common expressions (such as "strong as an ox" and "busy as a bee").

The illustrations also make this an appealing read aloud: they are large with rich colors and show the child's expression and the matching animal in perfect harmony. For example, on the "Sad as a basset" page, child and droopy dog both look suitably gloomy.

Kindergarten

Teeny Tiny, by Jill Bennett, illustrated by Tomie dePaola 

A "teeny tiny" woman takes a bone home to make a soup. But when she gets into bed, a haunting voice asks for it back. Yikes! 

A great story to show building tension and suspense, and also dramatic irony: we see the ghosts but the woman doesn't. It's also a funny story because everything is preceded by the adjectives "teeny tiny" so we develop a pattern throughout the story. Read in a "teeny tiny" voice and then an increasingly loud booming voice as we near the climax of the action. A big hit with kindergarteners!

There's a Nightmare in My Closet, written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer

Another classic dealing with fears, this story gives us a chance to talk about our nighttime worries and we admire the bravery of our main character. He invites his nightmare (a monster) out of the closet. We realize that the monster has been just as scares of the boy as he was of it! When the boy takes control of his fears, we imagine that we might be able to do the same.

Grade 1

Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban

One of my favorites of all time, this is the story of Frances, a picky eater with creative parents. She refuses to eat what everyone else in the family eats at mealtime, choosing bread and jam instead. After a couple of days of this, her mother employs some reverse psychology and only allows her to eat bread and jam. That certainly takes the fun out of the argument for Frances!

I love the little songs Frances sings to herself that reveal how she's feeling about her food choices, and I love the supporting characters. Her father is such a lovely fellow - so positive and sensible.  And the final scene, of Frances unpacking her lunch is one of my favorites in all of literature - it would make a great passage for looking at detail.

Grade 2

Dr. De Soto, by William Steig

The mouse dentist, Dr. De Soto, and his wife agree to help a fox with an aching tooth. They suspect he will try to eat them as soon as he feels better, however. They whisper together, forming a plan, and keep the reader in suspense and the fox a drooling mess.

Grade 3

Who Needs Donuts?, written and illustrated by Mark Alan Stamaty

More picture book brilliance! A young boy craves donuts and wants to collect as many as he can. He travels to "a big city" to find them and soon meets just the man to help: a fellow donut collector! Along the way, they meet an old woman who asks, "Who needs donuts when you've got love?" Great point! 

Through a series of bizarre events, both the man and the boy discover the wisdom of her question. But the powerful message is only part of this book's appeal. The highlight is the style of illustration: tightly detailed pictures we can get completely lost in. 

Grade 4 & 5: Book check-out and Reading time

Picture Book Month: Week 2

As we finish up our second week of celebrating Picture Book Month, our school has logged over 300 titles on the PB Challenge google doc, and many more titles have been recorded on the paper forms. We're LOVING all of the increased circulation the collection is getting!

Here are some favorite picture books for each theme on the Picture Book month calendar. I have linked up to Page in Training for more book ideas for each theme.

Nov 8: Monsters
Monsters Eat Whiny Children, by Bruce Eric Caplan 

Not for the little ones, but great fun for grade 2 and up, this is the story of a monster who takes whiny children and tries to decide how to eat them. 

A hilarious cautionary tale. Line drawings in ink on mainly white backgrounds with watercolor highlights.

Nov 9: Gardens
Westlandia, by Paul Fleischman 

In an effort to create a new civilization, a boy who's bullied at school grows a crop of a fantastic new fruit. He discovers it has many purposes beyond just being delicious, and soon his classmates become part of his new community, Westlandia, and part of his new life as a social outcast-no-longer.

Nov 10: Mice

Dr. DeSoto, by William Steig 

The dentist, Dr. deSoto, and his wife agree to help a fox with an aching tooth. They suspect he will try to eat them as soon as he feels better, however. They whisper together, forming a plan, and keep the reader in suspense and the fox a drooling mess.

Nov 11: Chickens

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, by Kate Smith Milway 

This is the true story of a boy from Ghana who turned a few coins into a successful business and brought prosperity to his family and community. The large format and bright watercolors make it an engaging read-aloud despite its length. This is a great way to show how small fundraisers can have a big impact.

Nov 12: The Sea

Wave, by Suzy Lee

This panoramic wordless book captures the expanse of the ocean and the thrill of playing in the waves at the shore using a palette of charcoal, light blue water color, and salt.

Nov 13: Pirates

Tough Boris, by Mem Fox 

Pirates are tough and mean and greedy, and Tough Boris is no exception. But when his pet parrot dies, even this pirate cries and cries. Finally a pirate we can relate to! Animated watercolor and pencil illustrations show us the action of life on a pirate ship.

Nov 14: Dragons

Pet Dragon: A Story about Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters, by Christoph Neimann 

This story is designed to introduce readers to how Chinese characters build on each other to create words and how their shapes are tied in to their meanings. For example, when Lin and her pet dragon play hide-and-seek, we learn the character for "tree" and see how that multiplies to create "woods" and then "forest." A beautifully crafted book, this opens up the world of Chinese calligraphy for young readers.

Nov 15: Pets
Children Make Terrible Pets, by Peter Reynolds 

A hilarious twist on the usual "I want a  pet" story. Bear sees an adorable creature in the woods, takes it home, and discovers that what his mother said was true: Children make terrible pets! This is just plain fun for young children, but older ones could use this to spark a discussion of point of view and perspective. Cartoony illustrations in muted tones with the text in speech bubbles.

Celebrating Picture Book Month: Book-a-Day

For Book Talk Tuesdays during November I'll feature picture books from the themes on the Picture Book Month website's calendar.

For a list of books on each theme, click the links to Page in Training, a great blog written by a twitter friend.

Nov 1: Alphabet

The Absolutely Awful Alphabet, by Mordicai Gerstein

There are lots of things to love about this inventive alphabet book. First, it's one big long sentence with each creature eager to take action against the next. For example, "E, is extremely evil and eager to exterminate...F..." 

Second, each letter is illustrated to show the characteristics of the monster (or wacko, or ignoramous) with hilarious expressions. I particularly like the rude and rotten ruffian, who has an untrustworthy glint in his eye. 

Third, the word choice will keep writing workshop flowing for lessons upon lessons. There's no dumbing-down for the child audience here; Gerstien flaunts words like bumpkin, cantankerous, and oaf - an open invitation to break out a dictionary. (Recommended for grades 2+)

Nov 2: Outer Space

Goldilocks and the Three Martians, by Stu Smith

Goldilocks is sick of her mom's overly strict expectations, so she jets off to find herself a new planet to live on. Well, sure enough, none of the planets is "just right" - except for Mars.

This silly story told in rhyme with vivid painted illustrations is a fun example of a twisted folk tale and a good text for teaching about "just right" books.

(Recommended for grades 2+)

Nov 3: Seasons

City Dog, Country Frog, by Mo Willems

This is a beautiful book about the friendship between an unlikely pair: a dog and a frog. Large-size watercolors document their antics together through three seasons, but when winter comes we need to use our inference skills to understand why frog doesn't show up to play one day. Tender and bittersweet. (Recommended for grades 1+)

Nov 4: Bears

The Biggest Bear, by Lynd Ward

This Caldecott winner is one of my all-time favorite books. The theme of boy and his doomed pet gets me every time. (The Yearling, A Day No Pigs Would Die...)

Johnny Orchard wants to shoot a bear.  Everyone else in his town has done it, and he's tired of being the only one who doesn't have a bearskin on the side of his barn.  But when he goes into the forest looking for a bear to shoot, instead he finds a bear to love.  He adopts the cub, brings it home, and everything goes fine until the bear begins to look for more food. He drinks all the maple syrup in the sugar shack, ransacks Ma's pantry, and ruins the neighbor's corn field.  

Johnny may end up shooting a bear after all, but not the way he wanted to.

(Recommended for grade 1+)

Nov 5: Colors

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, by Joyce Sidman

This Caldecott Honor book looks at the tones of different colors through the seasons. Red in spring is not the same as red in the fall. The same is true of yellow and all the other colors. 

They take on different hues depending on what is happening around them. In the spring, green is "new and shy", but in the fall it's "tired, dusty, crisp around the edges".

The accompanying mixed-media illustrations support the concept; we see how tones of the colors change with the seasons, just as the free verse describes.

(Recommended for all ages, especially for use at higher grades as part of color study.)

Nov 6: Transportation

I'm Mighty!, by Kate and Jim McMullan

I Stink!, by Kate and Jim McMullan

These two books, one about a big garbage truck and the other about a plucky tug boat, are written in a fun conversational tone. Both are great for talking about active verbs and for introducing transportation words: push, pull, shove, ram. 

The  illustrations put us right in the action as the machines do their jobs. We get a good sense of the scale of each one, sometimes zooming in close and other times getting a wide angle view to see them at work with others.

(Recommended for grades PreK+)

Nov 7: Birds

Sparrow Girl, by Sara Pennypacker

Set in communist China, 'Sparrow' girl refuses to stand by and watch as thousands of birds drop from the sky after being blasted by farmers in an effort to save crops. She secretly saves a few of the sparrows in the family's barn. 

When Mao's plan is foiled by a plague of insects that ruins the harvest, the sparrows she rescued end up saving the day. 

Folk-style paintings emphasize the historical content. This would make a good introduction for older students to the Communist Era in China or for younger students as an example of taking the moral high ground and of personal integrity.