Recently @ Hills Library
November 2013
Library Learning
Kindergarten students have continued to listen to folktales from around the world while focusing on recognizing story structure - the beginning, middle, and end of a story - and on characters. Students chose a villain, or bad guy, from a folktale they know and created "wanted" posters with a picture and the villain's crime.
First and Second grade students have been working hard on their alphabetical order skills. One class period students put books in order using the SMART board, another class period, the students magically became books themselves, and yet another class period they practiced with an online game called Mrs. Lodge's Library Shelver game! Some brave students even tried the hardest levels using the Dewey Decimal system!
Third and Fourth grade students were introduced to an awesome reading website called Biblionasium - similar to Good Reads, student can use Biblionasium to keep track of what books they have read, review books, and even send recommendations to their classmates. Teachers can add challenges for students to complete, earning them badges as they achieve their reading goals! Students have also been reviewing how our library is organized, and this week got a crash course in Microsoft Word - learning the essential tips and tricks for typing and saving a school paper.
Fifth and Sixth grade students have continued to learn about what sources of information we can trust. In addition to learning about sources our school and AEA provide, we practiced being critical of what see in advertisements and in the media. Using the PBSkids website "Don't Buy It", students practiced identifying the tricks advertisers use to persuade us to buy or use their products. Being able to evaluate information for the author's purpose is a key skill for determining if a source is trustworthy or not.
Reading Promotion
Vote Cat! Vote Dog!
Reading Oasis!
New Diary of a Wimpy Kid!
Two copies of Hard Luck will be available for checkout soon!
Technology Supporting the Curriculum
Teachers have been finding apps that help students learn letter sounds, practice handwriting, develop addition and subtraction skills, and more. Additionally, the Nooks can be used as internet browsers, making access to educational websites like Bookflix and databases like EBSCOhost even simpler than using the computer. In the library, students have loved using the Nooks to access the catalog - and instead of writing down a call number, they can just carry the tablet with them to the shelf!
Having these tablets available not only gives students and teachers more access to current technology, but gives us another tool to engage students in learning that is relevant to their lives and their futures.
What do 3rd and 4th students like about Biblionasium?
Thanks for supporting our students and their library programs!
Website: http://www.edline.net/pages/Hills_ES/Library
Twitter: @MsSimsICCSD