week 26: ALIENS

                                      

The ALIENS theme came about solely due to the book Aliens love underpants.  I'd heard about the book and bought a copy and it was too good not to use for a class.  

We read Aliens love underpants in PreK and K and it was a blast.  The whole thing rhymed and we picked out so much from the pictures. Afterwards, the students had activity sheets from the book to work on while we did our usual check out one table at a time.





I had to find books with Aliens to continue with the theme and I chose Mrs. Watson wants your teeth for the first grade.  It is a semi graphic novel about a girl going into first grade who is told that the teacher is an alien that collects baby teeth.  This was not only good for the alien theme, but it was a great introduction to graphic novels. We discussed the different types of thought bubbles and if they meant the person was speaking the words or only thinking them.

The students loved what we did next.  Each student was given a small rectangle of card stock and markers.  They drew an alien on the paper and cut the alien out.  We had left over quarter page forms with space ships on them from a previous book fair, and the students cut those out and decorated the space ships.   We glued popsicle sticks to them to make stick puppets.  

examples of the two stick puppets the first grade created after reading Aliens love underpants

I discovered Baloney (Henry P) by Jon Scieszki and Lane Smith and read it to the 2nd grade.  This book was very interesting.  The author used words in other languages as the "alien" words Henry used and we guessed the meanings via the context and pictures. There was a list of these words in the back and we could see if we guessed correctly and 





  
   



The second graders were able to make a "girl" alien or a "boy" alien with pre-drawn forms.  After choosing body style, they also could choose what the alien looked like, what colors, how many eyes, how many arms and where the arms were....  There were some wonderful aliens but the kids definitely wanted to take them home, so I can only take a picture of the 2 examples I made and put on the door.

Check out ended during this 6 day period, as summer is here and the library has to be inventoried.   In 3rd, 4th, and 5th, I was keeping notes of which class skipped resource, which watched Pagemaster and where they were in the movie.

Bees and Bugs (and worms and spiders) and Mother's Day ("week" 25)

Bugs and Mother's Day sounds like a strange combination, but it worked very well. 


In PreK and Kindergarten,  I introduced the students to David Kirke and "Miss Spider".  We read (and watched an animated version afterward) Little Miss Spider because of Mother's Day.  This book is about Miss Spider when she was little.  After she was born, she went looking for her mother and ended up adopted by a beetle because this beetle "loved her the best".  The book is entirely rhyming and the last page says: 

For finding your mother,

There’s one certain test.

You must look for the creature

Who loves you the best. 

After reading Little Miss Spider, I handed out Mother's Day cards with this poem inside so that they could make cards to give their Moms.  They really liked being able to make something to give as a gift for Mother's Day.


The first grade watched a very funny reading of Eric Carle's The grouchy ladybug on youtube.  The constant refrain of, "Oh, you aren't big enough," was a real hit.  After this, we made Mother's Day cards shaped like lady bugs and attached wings with brads.

Tumblebooks (which I accessed via the Culpeper Public Library) had all three of Doreen Cronin's "Diary of a..." books.  Our library only has Diary of a Fly.  So, with tumblebooks, the 2nd grade "read"   Diary of a worm, Diary of a spider,  and Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Harry Bliss. The plan was to continue working on our book covers but there turned out not to be enough time for that and to do check out.

        

Due to SOLs and the lack of Miss Jennifer, plans for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade had to change.  I researched movies until I found one that met all of my requirements:  it had to be rated G and about libraries and books. The movie I chose was The Pagemaster with Macaulay Culkin. The movie starts and ends with live action but turns to animation in the middle. With the help of books named for genres (Fantasy, Horror, and Adventure), the main character delves into some literary classics like Moby Dick and Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  

"Dogs" Week 24

The theme this "week" (6 days) was all about dogs.  However, the PreK students were learning about butterflies and caterpillars this week, so I read Ten little caterpillars to them and then gave them die cut butterfly bookmarks to decorate.

Back to dogs - starting with Kindergarten, I showed a "big book" version of Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day.  I was surprised at how much they loved this book - and they laughed.  A lot.  I made a handout with a rottweiler on one side and another pencil drawing of a rottweiler on the other so they could make their own "picture book without words".  They had to draw in the baby and show Carl and the baby up to something on one side and then draw how Carl resolved the issue on the other side.  That was a hit, too.

            


I read another fun book to the first grade:  Officer Buckle and Gloria by  
Gloria Rathmann.  I had worksheets to do after the story, where the students drew a safety accident in progress and made up a safety rule to prevent it.

For 2nd  grade, I showed the classes Harry, the dirty dog, as read by Betty White on storyline online.  First we discussed the actual book and talked about what was on a "front cover", the spine, and the "back cover".  I made a template to give them so they could make their own covers for Harry, the dirty dog. Learning the ins and outs of book covers didn't come easily to the 2nd grade.  Another lesson on that would be helpful.

Our "haiku" wall

A haiku about how haikus are worthless!

Dogku by Andrew Clements is a book about a lost dog who finds a home - and it is written entirely in haikus.  (A haiku is a three line poem with 5 syllables in the first and third line and seven syllables in the second line.)  In addition to being a really neat concept, the pictures are awesome, too.  After reading this, the third graders wrote haikus.  They were reluctant at first, but in each class I sat down and composed a haiku (showing it via projector) and I got quite a few hilarious ones.  In the first class, my "example" haiku was about Captain Underpants.

      

In 4th and 5th grades, at least 13 students used the computers to play "Order in the Library."  This game is the perfect hands-on game that lets the students practice what we've been learning.  The students complete levels by dragging books into the proper place on the "shelf". They can complete levels like "Genius" and "Master of the Universe".

Cats, Bats, and Owls (week 23)

 Somehow, I always need a "theme" for the week to help me decide what to do, even though I am making lesson plans for six different grades. I had some stories that I really wanted to read, like Stellaluna, and this week ended up covering cats, bats, and owls.

PreK (and K)   -  I am new to Tumblebooks and when I checked it out through CC's public library, I found some great stuff. I showed Little Hoot and Little Pea and Little Oink by Amy Krause Rosenthal. We only have Little Pea in our library, so it was great to be able to "read" all three with tumblebooks. I made a worksheet with a circle in a box on one side, so the students could draw in Little Pea's face and a baby owl in another box, so they could dress him and draw what he liked more than anything.  If you haven't read these books, you should. I have to admit, the "adorable" factor is what roped me in.

    

I ended up doing these books with Kindergarten as well. I originally intended to do Stellaluna, but the first K class I tried it on didn't seem engaged at all.  So, it was on to Plan B (I have had to go to Plan B quite a few times this year.)

First graders watched Stellaluna being read on storylineonline.net. 




 I intended to read Owl at home by Arnold Lobel for the 2nd graders, but they had play practice and I ended up not seeing the 2nd grade this week at all.



Cats came into play with the 3rd grade.   Elijiah Wood (from Lord of the Rings) read Me and my cat on storylineonline and he did a wonderful job.  I didn't mind seeing it more than once and I think the children liked the book, too.



I showed the 4th and 5th graders a "computer game" called Order in the Library.  (Thanks, Heather, for telling me about this awesome game).  We had to do 2 shifts to get everyone on the computers after I did a brief review of what we have learned about call numbers and the dewey decimal system.  There wasn't much time to work on achieving "level 11", the level that makes you "Master of the Universe" -- at least in the Library Universe.

wk 22 - IF YOU GIVE A.... Laura Numeroff week

If you give a ... books by Laura Numeroff week:

During a first grade class before Easter, a first grader asked if she could pick out the book we read "next time."  She chose If you give a cat a cupcake.  We didn't do that during the 21st 6-day "week" but we are doing it now and it has opened up so many things to do.  In Kindergarten, we looked at all of the If you give a... books and voted on whether to read If you give a pig a pancake or If you give a pig a party. Afterwards, we made the cutest pig hand puppets with paper bags.


I read If you give a cat a cupcake to PreK and 1st and then they decorate a big paper cupcake with "sprinkles" (made out of paper and sequins) and cut out a little picture of the cat from the book and pasted it somewhere on the cupcake.            

For 2nd grade, I found a reading comprehension board game with the If you give a cat a cupcake theme, so after reading (and seeing) the book via a youtube video, the 2nd graders played the game in groups of three.  We used plastic gems for markers and took turns reading and answering the cards.

In keeping with the "pig" part of this week, I showed the 3rd grade the database available to all SPES students.  We have eLibrary - a database with over 2,000 full text sources.  We looked up the artists Matisse and Picasso and looked at what the database could offer on those two topics. Then we watched  a reading of When Pigasso met Mootise.  I think the students really enjoyed hearing/seeing the book with their new knowledge of the artists.

  

In the 4th and 5th grades, we are still working on our "video game" - passing "levels" by completing worksheets on the library catalog, call numbers and locating resources in the library.  In order to advance a level, the worksheets for that level have to be 100% correct.  

EASTER ("week 21")

Rabbits and Eggs in the Library

This 6-day week was right before Spring Break - so finding books engaging and interesting enough to hold the students' attention was no easy task.  Here are some of the books I started out this "week" using, but quickly realized they weren't going to do the trick - not this week, at least:





         



  Thank you, Beatrix Potter!  You are the BOMB!

This is Peter Rabbit and his mother.  He hasn't lost his jacket yet and his mother is asking him NOT to go to Mr. McGregor's garden.

With rabbits in mind, I thought of Beatrix Potter and found the best youtube 2 part version of The tale of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny.  In addition to exposing the PreK, K, and 1st graders to the world of Beatrix Potter, this video (which went exactly by the book, illustrations and all) really kept their attention.  There is nothing like being on the edge of your seat waiting to see if mean Mr. McGregor catches Peter and puts him in a pie.

The videos only took 20 minutes, so the students colored worksheets with an Easter them (rabbits, eggs) while we did check out.

I started out doing "stained glass egg frames" with the second grade and rabbit "baskets" with third, but I ended up switching that around and the timing worked much better. I am still trying to get a handle on the abilities of each grade level.  

When time allowed, particularly in 2nd grade, I showed a quick video about Humpty Dumpty on youtube.  Humpty, of course, is the most famous egg of all time and Easter is about eggs....this video was great.  It was a cartoonish rock version of Humpty Dumpty and they made up lyrics:  

"Do you like scrambled, do you like fried?   

Do you like boiled? Toast is on the side.

Eggs taste nice, they're good for you.

Poor old Humpty! What we gonna do?"

The 2nd graders who did get to hear the 2 minute video loved it.  Many of them were singing it as they left the library. This video was by RockstarLittle at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpkgoDv6FFk 

One book that was very well-received was Dav Pilkey's Dumb Bunnies' Easter.  We have read a lot of Dav Pilkey this year and he never fails to disappoint.  All I have to do is ask what else he has written and as soon as I say, "Captain Underpants," I have everyone's attention.  The third grade loved this book, and after switching crafts, I started reading this to 2nd grade as well.

Rabbit baskets or masks, an egg and one of the "keys" for the Easter Egg Hunt.

The 4th and 5th grades seemed very excited to do an Easter Egg hunt in the library before check out.  After I tried it with my first 5th grade class of the week, I realized that only 2 different versions of the egg hunt weren't going to cut it.  Too many kids were charging after the same books and it was chaotic.  Even after I made more eggs and more worksheets to alleviate the problem, it was still chaotic but a little less so.  BUT I think this worked...I think it finally clicked with many of the students that weren't getting it before:  "I need the call number to find this book and I can get that from the catalog."  I was so happy.

Dr. Seuss week (week 20)

   

This session of Library resource was all about Dr. Seuss.  I remember watching the best "cartoons" made from Dr. Seuss books (this was way back in my childhood).  I was looking these up on youtube - especially the one about the Sneetches with the "stars upon thars" and the silly Zax who wouldn't step out of each other's way when I discovered the Library had a copy of these "cartoons" already.  The best thing about these cartoons are that Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss himself) was part of the production team and the cartoons ARE the books, just in moving form and with songs added.  They are wonderful.

I let the classes have a say in what they watched but Green Eggs and Ham was overwhelmingly the most requested.  I think the Sneetches made some die hard fans this week.  That is probably my favorite of the cartoons. 

Youtube had some finds, as well.  I didn't know Justin Bieber read The Cat in the Hat for Read Across America.  And I found a bunch of authors who read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.  That story, though, was too long to comfortably fit into the resource time.

The younger grades had the opportunity to practice the Wednesday word, analyze, with a Dr. Seuss handout I made from internet finds.  One side had a "find the difference" set of the Cat in the Hat and I found a page of fish that I put on the back so they could practice making patterns.

Green Eggs and Ham
    The older grades (2-5), of course, don't have as much time to do handouts because they are all allowed to check out books at the same time for the last 15 or 20 minutes of class.  The 2nd and 3rd grades celebrated Dr. Seuss by watching one or more of the cartoons (depending on length) while the 4th and 5th grade classes were either absent due to testing or worked on their cataloging worksheets. 

And, thanks to the fabulous Heather Wehmeyer (another elementary school librarian here in Culpeper), I have a game to show the 4th and 5th graders that will help them with the concept of "where do I find this book in the library"....I am really excited about showing them this game and letting them try it out.  Thanks, Heather, for telling me about this game.

(week 19) PIRATES

Last week, the fifth grade students performed in a musical about pirates.  In honor of that, the library is doing all things "pirate" for this 6-day week. 

Pre-K, K, and 1st:  As far as I can tell, every student is familiar with  Dora the Explorer and the library just happens to have a print version of Dora's Pirate Adventure.  These younger students had a blast treating the book just like the TV show - calling for the "MAP" and the "BACKPACK" and singing with the Singing Bridge and then singing "Row Row Row Your Boat" the right way to teach the Bridge what the words really are.

Dora asks the audience to count to seven in Spanish at one point, and I was amazed at how many students raised their hands to do so.  And they could say their numbers in Spanish!  And they sounded like they had the best accents  - much better than mine. I was impressed.

  2nd and 3rd grade classes were introduced to the Melinda Long/David Shannon collaboration of How I became a pirate and Pirates don't change diapers.  We read How I became a pirate together. It was a wonderful book to read and we analyzed the pictures to figure out everything that was going on.  Afterwards, the students worked on a worksheet that was about the letter P and Pirates.  The "Wednesday Word" was "trace" and the students traced the letter P over and over on their worksheet.

               

             

 

 

It seems like the 4th and 5th graders haven't been having many library times in the past two weeks due to play practice and testing, among other things. When we do get together, we are moving on with "Library Wars" and learning about the catalog and locating books.  With the classes I do have, we go over the information and work on the worksheets before we check out books.



 



"week 18" BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND NAME TAGS

Once again, I am finding it difficult to decide what I should do with the time I have for my library classes.  Each class is only 45 minutes long, and the last 15 to 20 minutes are spent "checking out books".  That leaves, at most, 25 minutes to get everyone situated to read or work on something.  That is not a lot of time when you have so much you can do, like reading books, watching book trailers or doing an activity.... I have to make decisions about what I can do with my classes and what I sadly have to put aside.

Black History Month brings up a big topic and one that is not easy to address with a story.  I discovered that the library has some fantastic titles and I found some truly wonderful readings of stories on storylineonline.net.  But I have promised for the past several "weeks" that we would make new name tags - it couldn't be put off any longer. 

For Pre-K, I read A color of his own by Leo Lionni.  This book is just an introduction to the many different colors that even the same species can have.  I found a great worksheet for them to work on while we do check out.  It is a page of chameleons from the book with the color printed in the chameleon.  They should recognize the words and color that chameleon that color. 

   


There is only time to read one book in the younger grades (K and 1) because of the time needed to work on the name tags.  I chose The colors of us by karen Katz (also the author of My First Chinese New Year.)

 I love the illustrations in this book and I love all of the beautiful words used for the color "brown":  cinnamon, coffee, toffee, butterscotch, golden brown like pizza crust, peanut butter colored, chocolate.....it makes me hungry to read this! 

The name tags are a big hit, as I expected.  The students loved making the first name tags we used and reminded me that I promised they could take them home when we were done with them.  The old name tags had some problems, though, like the yarn being "itchy" on necks and the yarn tearing out of the index card (requiring repairs), and not helping if the students were seated in front of me in the story pit.

The new name tags are paper plates - divided in half with names written on both halves.  After decorating them, the students cut them in half on the line provided. We are going to laminate these halves and then punch holes and add string so that a half hangs on the chest and another half hangs on the back....sort of like an Egyptian collar.  The students seemed to really like the idea.

We worked on name tags up to the third grade.  Fourth and Fifth graders returned to our ongoing project:  Library Wars.  We are on a quest to learn what the library catalog is, what it can do for a person, and how to locate information and books in the library after we get the "address" (call number) of the book from the catalog.  This quest is set up like a video game - the students work at their own pace to answer a series of worksheets that have them locating information, using the catalog, and learning how books are sorted in the library.  After completing a worksheet with 100% accuracy, they win a prize and can call that section "completed" and move on.  We have two "sections" and then a "boss level" so far.  I will be the boss monster and they have to prove to me that they have learned sufficiently before they complete the game and win the final prize.

Valentine's Day and the Chinese New Year (week 17)

There are so many things to read and learn about in February.  In addition to Groundhog Day, we have Valentine's Day and the Chinese New year and it is Black History Month and Library Lovers Month....

This 6-day week we celebrated Valentine's day by reading a book about the holiday for each grade level. 

         

The 3rd and 4th gradesrs loved Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio. The illustrations by Scott Campbell were amazing - everytime I read the book, I discovered something new. I ended up really liking How Spider saved Valentine's Day. The illustrations were simple but perfect for younger grades. Olive, my love was a wonderful book.  It provided so many clever ways to discuss things such as, "What does it mean if someone has a big heart? If someone gives their heart to someone else, what does that mean?" 

Zim2 donated a large box of "valentines/trading cards" advertising the video game "Luigi's Dark Mansion 2."  The students loved receiving these sheets.  I can't thank them enough for their generous donation. 

For the Chinese New Year, we read My First Chinese New Year in most of the younger classes. That little book had great pictures of Chinatown New Year parades and those illustrations were a great way to show Chinese Lion Dancers and the Dragon that ends the parade.


Chinese lion dancers - clip art
 

Chinese lion dancers on pedestals

 

 

All classes discussed the Chinese zodiac and learned that this was The Year of the Snake. 

Miss Jennifer and I discovered we were both born in years of the Snake.  

After figuring out in what year the classes were born we tried to determine the "animal" sign the class was born under.  Kindergarteners, for example, discovered  they were born in the Year of the Pig.  This was not a popular idea with them.  

I found the best youtube video of a Chinese Lion Dancing competition in Hawai'i in 2007.  This 9 minute video was a huge hit with every grade level. 

                    Gung Hay Fat Choy  (Happy New Year!)