Archive for the ‘Library Lessons’ Category

3-5 Library Lessons

Monday, September 22, 2014

I am so excited for my students to visit the LMC this week!

5th grade classes will be introduced to Grolier Online, which includes eight encyclopedia databases: Encyclopedia Americana, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, The New Book of Knowledge, La Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre, America the Beautiful, Lands and Peoples, Amazing Animals of the World, and The New Book of Popular Science.

It’s a wonderful resource for them to use as it helps to…

    • Build vocabulary and analytical skills
    • Strive to comprehend increasing levels of text complexity
    • Identify and articulate point of view
    • Master analysis of evidence-based learning
    • Build digital reading stamina
    • Acquire content-area knowledge
    • Closely read informational and authentic texts

Students will be given an assignment to use Grolier Online to create a coat of arms (to be displayed at Sir Readalot’s Castle Book Fair!!!).  The coat of arms must include symbols that represent their heritage as well as what they would like to accomplish in the future.

4th grade students will continue to review how to use the Alexandria Online library catalog to search for books they would like to read. They will be given a TOP SECRET “Mission Possible” challenge to accomplish during class.

3rd grade teachers have asked me to help their students find “just right” books, so we will begin reading Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians (see last week’s post for more information).

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K-2 Library Lessons

Thursday, September 18, 2014

This week has been a busy one in the Library-Media Center.

Kindergarten students were introduced to the world of book care with our friend, Marion the Hedgehog, in the story What Happened to Marion’s Book? by Brook Berg. In the story, Marion learns that she needs to take good care of her things – especially her library books!

They were also given special P.E.T. (Protect Every Title) Patrol book bags to keep their library books safe and dry.

 

First Grade classes reviewed how to use shelf markers by singing the “Shelf Marker Song” (to the tune of Hokey Pokey).  Ask them to sing it for you!

Second Grade students began listening to the story Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Mims Hopkins.  In the story, Goldie finds books that are too hard and too easy.  She uses the 5 Finger Rule to locate books that are “JUST RIGHT.”  After reading the beginning of the story, we practiced this rule and made book marks to remember it!

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Top Secret Projects Underway

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Students in grades 3-5 are working on some TOP SECRET projects this week.  I’m sorry I can’t post more at this time, but you will know about them soon enough!

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Caldecott Lessons Continue

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

This week, students in grades K-2 are continuing to learn about and explore the world of Caldecott award-winning books.  Kindergarten and first graders have been listening to the sweet tale of Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes, while second graders are enjoying the thrilling tale of Jumanji  by Chris Van Allsburg.  Both tales this week feature black and white illustrations!

 

 

 

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Introduction to Caldecott

Thursday, January 9, 2014

This week, students are being introduced to the world of children’s book illustrators!

According to the ALSC website, the Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.

Every January, only one Caldecott Medal is awarded to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book for children.  Caldecott Honor Medals are also given out if a need is seen.

In Library classes, we are going to be exploring Caldecott Award-winning titles and creating a mini booklet to share what we loved about each story.  The first story we shared was the amazing wordless tale of Tuesday by David Wiesner.  Check out the student reactions to this story!

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Over and Under the Snow

Sunday, December 1, 2013

This week, students will be exploring two worlds in the book Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner.  This is one of the 10 titles on the primary 2013-14 Virginia Readers’ Choice list.

In this story, students will learn about animals that live under the snow during the cold winter months.

This book comes highly recommended…

Messner packs much information into the serene wintry landscape, beautifully captured in Neal’s stunning retro-style illustrations. Calm, lovely and richly informative. ~New York Times

After students read the story, we will watch a National Geographic video clip about a fox searching for food beneath the snow.  Then we will begin a two-part art project to show what we learned.

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Now that’s a Tall Tale!

Friday, November 22, 2013

This week, students learned about the exaggerated world of tall tales!  Paul Bunyan has become one of the most well-known book characters at RES thanks to a week devoted to his stories for all students – from Kindergarten to 5th grade!

Next week, 3rd-5th graders will be creating STEM projects based on a problem that Paul Bunyan has in one of his tales.  Kindergarten & 1st graders will be making a Paul Bunyan character that’s sure to be very tall!  Second graders will finish constructing an activity to review the important elements of tall tales.

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Scaredy Cat is a real CHARACTER!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Book Character Day is nearly here!  Who will you be?

There are so many amazing characters in the books we read.  One of second grade’s favorite is Splat from the book Scaredy-Cat, Splat! by Rob Scotton.

In Library class, the second graders talked about character traits – and Splat is definitely a real “character”!  They described him as silly, funny, entertaining, goofy, crazy, and friendly.

Students made Splat the Cat crafts to display in the Library during Book Character Week.

Students described Splat as a real scaredy-cat!

Be sure to check out the display in the Library!

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Mummies in the Media Center!

Friday, October 25, 2013

First grade students enjoyed Steve Metzger’s Skeleton Meets the Mummy during Library time this week.

 

Madison’s mummy (from Mrs. Pechan’s 1st grade class)

The first grade mummies will be on display in the Library during the Ancient Egyptian Book Fair (November 1-7).

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Bookmark Week in the LMC

Friday, September 27, 2013

This week is Bookmark Week in the Library!

Kindergarten and 1st grade classes are listening to the beginning of the story, Penelope Popper, Book Doctor by Toni Buzzeo.  In this week’s part of the story, students learn three important rules for taking care of books:

  1. Always wash your hands before you read.
  2. Turn the pages carefully and slowly.
  3. Never dog-ear a page. Always use a bookmark.

After reading, students visited the RES Book Hospital, where books go when they are “sick” and need to visit the Book Doctor (me!).  They explored what happens to books when the three rules (above) are not followed.  At the end of class, students earned a NEW bookmark to keep and use in the books they borrow.

 

3rd-5th grade classes had a “maintenance week” with bookmarks in the library.  They learned how to edit their bookmarks bar in Safari, a web-browser.  They deleted bookmarks that they wouldn’t use in school and added bookmarks that were important to them (like links to Accelerated Reader, their teacher’s blog, the RES website, and more).  These students also learned how to set their homepage in Safari to the RES website, making it easier to access the information they need and avoid taking extra steps to get to where they want to go when using the Internet.

Posted in Book Care, Library Lessons, Technology | No Comments »

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