November in the Library
2015
Spotlight on: National Novel Writing Month!
On display for the month of November were books, both fiction and nonfiction, that celebrated writers, writing, and the difficulty writing can bring! Outside the library, a bulletin board of inspiring quotes from authors greeted potential writers.
Young Writer's NaNoWriMo
November was National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Each year, during the month of November, both adults and students try to put their inner editor aside and just write. This year, 26 DMS students participated in National Novel Writing Month. Students joined the official Young Writer's Program, where they set a word goal and verified their word count daily. Writer's Club met weekly during November to talk about character development, subplot, and to talk through dumps and writer's block.
Sharing Work
At our last meeting students read aloud sections of their finished novels.
Novelists!
The winners! These students managed to complete their novels in the month of November.
Onward
They may not have finished their novels in November, but they're close and will continue writing!
Makerspace
Origami!
Our Makerspace program continues! For November students tried out origami. Using both books in the library and looking up videos on their Chromebooks, students came up with a variety of creations from stars to cats to boxes.
Coming up in December - Mousebots!
Meet The Teacher - Arianna Lechan
Ms. Lechan on Dedham TV
Ms. Lechan was interviewed for Dedham Television's Meet the Teacher segment. You can take a look at all the interviews and staff profiles of Dedham Public School teachers and staff here.
Classes in the Library
6th Grade
We missed you this month!
7th Grade
Ms. Randall's and Ms. LeClair's Social Studies classes were working on their Human Geography projects this month. Students researched poverty, the minimum wage, or food waste and created an infographic. All classes came to the library to learn how to use Piktochart, which was used to create their infographics. Students learned the difference between a poster and an infographic, as well as reviewing their research skills and learning how to use EasyBib to create citations.
8th Grade
Ms. Butter's English came to the library to learn some research skills before starting a project on Muhammad and Islam. Students learned how to access various sources through the LibGuide, the difference between subscription databases and websites, and how to cite sources using EasyBib.
In Library research this month, students concluded their research on The Boston Molasses Flood. Students used Haiku Deck to create a presentation on an individual from the flood, and then edited their annotations and submitted their final annotated bibliographies.
Book Reviews
The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall
It was a bitterly cold day when Arthur T. Owens grabbed a brick and hurled it at the trash picker. Arthur had his reasons, and the brick hit the Junk Man in the arm, not the head. But none of that matters to the judge—he is ready to send Arthur to juvie for the foreseeable future. Amazingly, it’s the Junk Man himself who offers an alternative: 120 hours of community service . . . working for him.
Arthur is given a rickety shopping cart and a list of the Seven Most Important Things: glass bottles, foil, cardboard, pieces of wood, lightbulbs, coffee cans, and mirrors. He can’t believe it—is he really supposed to rummage through people’s trash? But it isn’t long before Arthur realizes there’s more to the Junk Man than meets the eye, and the “trash” he’s collecting is being transformed into something more precious than anyone could imagine. . . .
Inspired by the work of American folk artist James Hampton. -From Goodreads.com
Arthur is given a rickety shopping cart and a list of the Seven Most Important Things: glass bottles, foil, cardboard, pieces of wood, lightbulbs, coffee cans, and mirrors. He can’t believe it—is he really supposed to rummage through people’s trash? But it isn’t long before Arthur realizes there’s more to the Junk Man than meets the eye, and the “trash” he’s collecting is being transformed into something more precious than anyone could imagine. . . .
Inspired by the work of American folk artist James Hampton. -From Goodreads.com
Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights by Ann Bausum
That’s the Stonewall.
The Stonewall Inn.
Pay attention.
History walks through that door.
In 1969 being gay in the United States was a criminal offense. It meant living a closeted life or surviving on the fringes of society. People went to jail, lost jobs, and were disowned by their families for being gay. Most doctors considered homosexuality a mental illness. There were few safe havens. The Stonewall Inn, a Mafia-run, filthy, overpriced bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, was one of them.
Police raids on gay bars happened regularly in this era. But one hot June night, when cops pounded on the door of the Stonewall, almost nothing went as planned. Tensions were high. The crowd refused to go away. Anger and frustration boiled over.
The raid became a riot.
The riot became a catalyst.
The catalyst triggered an explosive demand for gay rights.
Ann Bausum’s riveting exploration of the Stonewall Riots and the national Gay Rights movement that followed is eye-opening, unflinching, and inspiring. -From Goodreads.com
The Stonewall Inn.
Pay attention.
History walks through that door.
In 1969 being gay in the United States was a criminal offense. It meant living a closeted life or surviving on the fringes of society. People went to jail, lost jobs, and were disowned by their families for being gay. Most doctors considered homosexuality a mental illness. There were few safe havens. The Stonewall Inn, a Mafia-run, filthy, overpriced bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, was one of them.
Police raids on gay bars happened regularly in this era. But one hot June night, when cops pounded on the door of the Stonewall, almost nothing went as planned. Tensions were high. The crowd refused to go away. Anger and frustration boiled over.
The raid became a riot.
The riot became a catalyst.
The catalyst triggered an explosive demand for gay rights.
Ann Bausum’s riveting exploration of the Stonewall Riots and the national Gay Rights movement that followed is eye-opening, unflinching, and inspiring. -From Goodreads.com
Winter Vacation is Coming Up!
It's time to start thinking about your post-break research! What can I help you with?
Email: alechan@dedham.k12.ma.us
Website: http://dms.dedham.k12.ma.us/pages/Dedham_Middle_School/academics/Library
Location: 70 Whiting Avenue, Dedham, MA, United States
Phone: 781-310-7413