Library Super Bowl

Getting ready to motivate students, practice library skills and have a little fun! That's what I'll be doing next week. I've noticed lately my library patrons need practice with using the online catalog and/or just finding the books on the shelves.  I made "football" shaped cards with search queries and call numbers to get the kids practicing.  Just print the cards and get the practice started or spice it up by creating a fun "football" environment... football field made from flannel fabric, goal post and folded footballs for scoring field goals.  Wear a ref outfit (mine is a white shirt with black duck tape) and I made one for my teacher friend helping out.  Add a display of "Score With a Good Book".  Pictures to come... but wanted to share before next week's games begin!

Library Super Bowl

Author Bios on Display

A fun way to help students learn about authors in my library is placing mini-posters of author biographies on display.  Students gravitate towards the appealing display and then end up checking out their books.

You can find the author bios here.

Texas Bluebonnet Books

This next week I'm going to try out a new way to introduce this year's list... judging the book by its cover.  This will be how I introduce the books to the 4th grade students who are already familiar with the program, but perhaps not this year's list.

Instead of me going blah, blah, blah... and some listening and some not, about each book, they will get to spend quality time browsing book covers, book trailers and making up their own minds about which books they hope to read this year.

Can't wait to see how it turns out... cross your fingers technology will be working!

Get the handout here: Can we judge a book by its cover?  It's a freebie!

Update - loved this way to introduce the Texas Bluebonnets!  Here you can see my students digging in and really looking at the book trailers.  First we looked at the book covers and then I encouraged them to first view book trailers of the book covers that didn't appeal to them.  Many actually changed their minds after viewing the book trailers.  Can't wait to see if they keep up with this tool to help them with voting later on in January.

Mission Possible

As part of a project-based learning, I was invited to help 2nd graders research historical figures that showed good citizenship.  This is an important TEK in Texas Social Studies.  So I wanted to tie the lesson of learning about historical figures with a library skill aligned with AASL standards (American Association of School Libraries).

Find the lesson here: Historical Figures Teach Good Citizenship

For the lesson, students would be diving into a short (45 min.) research lesson, learning how to find biographies about specific historical figures in an online database, closely reading the short biography with a partner and drawing a conclusion of what character trait that person showed and giving evidence.

  

This was an undertaking, but well worth the time it took me to prepare the lesson and the effort both the teacher and myself had to give for the students to be successful.

Students were amazingly able to figure out the gist of what these historical people did and how it related to the good citizenship traits.  I won't lie, there was guidance... pointing to a specific paragraph, or showing read-aloud features, or trouble-shooting technology, but the kids really got the idea.

Each pair were able to complete a card, share what they learned with the group and conclude that learning about "old people" can help us learn to be good citizens.  The cards left over were sent back to the classroom to be added to a literacy center and blank cards were sent as well.  Students were encouraged to use the blank cards to add people they knew to the circle map in the classroom.  Of course evidence of the good character trait has to be included!

Be a Dewey Detective

Instead of telling, it's best to explore the answers for yourself.  That is how this lesson is designed.  Students are introduced to the organization of the nonfiction section with a picture of Melville Dewey, a poster and some books.  Then the majority of the lesson students explore and gather clues to how the section is organized.  Find the handouts and more specifics for this lesson by following this link, Be a Dewey Detective.

The carpet I have in my story area that I use starting in Kinder talking about the nonfiction section.  Worth the money!

I take the following image to Office Max and have it enlarged.  My students use it all the time to help them find books.

Writing a Fiction Story with the Littles

How many times do you have students get confused when reading a realistic story and think that it's nonfiction?  So often students think that for a book to be fiction it must have totally made up characters, silly settings or unrealistic things happening.

I created a lesson to help my Kindergarten and 1st grade students see that a real life situation can be made up.  The story can seem real, but if we wrote it about something that didn't really happen, it's fiction!

First we refer to book characters we've read together, talking about how we know it is a fiction.  Their responses include... ducks can't be president, cats don't drive tractors, etc.

Then we move into becoming authors as a class.  I present to them the story plan and basic story elements.  I have preselected character choices, setting choices and problem choices.  I find this allows for the focus to be on writing and not opening them up to so many possibilities.

After the story plan is complete, we move to the computer that is projected with a Keynote template already in place.  Again, I pre-created a 4 page slide show with a title/author page, beginning, middle and end pages.  There are already text boxes with questions like "Who is the main character? What is the problem?"  There are already preselected pictures to match what I had on the plan.

We write the story, very guided.  Then I record the story, turning it into an audio book.  After we discuss how we know it is fiction.  We wrote it!  We made it up even though it could really happen.

Think of the possibilities of how this lesson can then be taken into the classroom... more lessons, literacy centers!

Purchase this lesson here: Write a Story Lesson Plan and Printables

Voting on Favorite Book Character

With elections across the nation, I love to simulate meaningful voting with Kindergarteners in the library.  By this time of the year my Kindergarteners have been introduced to several favorite book characters.  So, after poling the teachers about which book characters all the kinder classes know, I create my ballot.

 Then, on kinder library lesson day, I set up the voting area with a voting booth, ballot box and books on display.

I read to them Duck for President by Doreen Cronin, to introduce them to yet another fun book character... and elections humor.

After the read aloud, students have the opportunity to take part in voting for their favorite book character... from the ballot. (Although write-in's would be fun!)  While students are taking their turn and then going to check out books, I spend time talking to them about the whole process of voting... right to a secret ballot, quiet in the voting area, etc.

Fun is had by all!  This year's winner... Pete the Cat!