In Hard Gold, by Avi, Early Whittcomb lives a hard life in Wiota in 1858. When his brother runs away to Cherry Creek to pan for gold after an acusation that he robbed a bank, Early finds himself lying to get on a wagon train. He is catapulted into the role of a man as he attempts to find his brother and profit from the gold at Cherry Creek.

About the Contributors...

Developed by student, Jackson M.

Submitted by his teacher,  Holly Butora

5th Grade Reading Teacher

Presbyterian Day School

Memphis Tennessee

Holly Butora is a fifth-grade reading teacher at Presbyterian Day School, an all boys independent elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee.

Holly has always loved finding innovative technologies to draw her students into being active learners. After being shown Google Lit Trips by a colleague, she knew instantly that her students would love the challenge of creating their own. For their final reading project of the year, boys selected a book they had read during the year to create a Google Lit Trip. The boys rose to the challenge, going beyond Holly’s expectations and developing many great Lit Trips. The boys loved creating the Lit Trips and told Holly that she “HAD” to do this project with her classes again next year.

Holly attended the University of Alabama, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in both Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education as well as her Masters of Art in Elementary Education. She began her career in education sixteen years ago as a 6th grade history teacher and is currently teaching fifth grade reading at Presbyterian Day School. When not spending time with her boys at school, Holly loves to spend to time with her husband and daughter.

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