Lucy's Library Blast
April 17, 2017
BOOK CLUB MEETING!
LAST DAY FOR LIMITLESS LIBRARIES
Dartmouth College Student Creates A Mobile Directory Of Books That Prioritize Diversity
Looking for books about people of color, written by people of color? So was Kaya Thomas. Growing up, Thomas, an avid reader, was frustrated by the lack of books that highlighted diversity. The lack of representation in the literary world made Thomas feel invisible. So Thomas decided to do something about her sense of invisibility. Not only did she search the internet, compiling her own list of books written by authors of color that put characters of color in primary storylines, but as a Dartmouth computer science major, she learned to code so that she could share her database with other young readers. After taking part in a Black Girls Code hackathon, and learning the ins and outs of iOs during an internship, Thomas devised an iPhone app that functioned as a directory of 300 books showcasing characters of color.
Thomas is a volunteer mentor with Black Girls Code and a Made with Code role model. Widely recognized for her work to improve diversity in the tech industry, she was honored in 2015 by Michelle Obama at BET's Black Girls Rock! award show and was named one of Glamour magazine's 2016 College Women of the Year.
You can find her app on your App Store for free. For an article about Kaya to share with your students, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kaya-thomas-we-read-too-app_us_58dd1361e4b08194e3b7b05b.
Want a Part-Time Job for the Summer?
As you’ve probably heard, Mayor Barry’s Opportunity Now initiative is hoping to employ 10,000 Nashville teenagers this summer. Nashville Public Library is participating and will have between 40 and 50 student workers. Part of the program’s structure includes coordinators and coaches to work directly with the students on work practices and training. I have the job descriptions and will be happy to forward them to you. Just let me know.
If you are interested in working with NPL’s Opportunity Now student workers, please apply for these positions! Just email your resume and the positions you are interested in to Larry Price at larry.price@nashville.gov.
April is Poetry Month so.......here are some poetry ideas from teachers:
Spine Poetry
This is another found poetry idea that I first saw back in the 1990s. I have an extensive classroom library, and this is a fun use of the titles.
Students simply look through the shelves for titles that appeal to them, and then they arrange them into short poems. I take photos of all their stacks and display them on a bulletin board for all to read. Here is one of my favorite student examples: It reads “Nerd Girls, Far from Normal. The Misfits, Okay for Now.”
Sorry, Not Sorry Poetry
Shuffle Music Poetry
This is a fun game I first played when MP3 players came to market. The directions are that you set your player to “shuffle.” You write down the first line of the song that appears. Do this several times (say 8 or 10) and it becomes an interesting poem.
Because not many people have an MP3 player anymore, it can still be done in other music libraries or in other ways such as having all students think of a song and write the first line on a piece of paper. Then think of the first line of another song, etc. for 8 - 10 first lines. This could even be topical if all the songs are from a certain time period or on a designated topic.
Virtual Field Trips into American History
One alternative to packing snacks, loading the bus, and buying tickets is the virtual field trip. These online explorations can awaken your child’s love of American history. Besides supplementing your American history curriculum, virtual field trips also provide a way for your child to explore places that may be inaccessible.
If you want to spice up your study of American history, look at these 32 virtual trips and a list of easy ways to enhance them. http://www.bookshark.com/blog/american-history-virtual-field-trips/
Guardians of the Planet:
Below we share the stories of 12 women and explore their contributions to making a greener and healthier world. And, if you'd like to learn more about any of the featured women or introduce them to children and teens, after each profile we've shared several reading recommendations for different age groups, as well as other resources that celebrate these remarkable women. http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11863#
More on the fascinating world of the English rule about adjectives we all follow but were never taught.
Click on this short video to show students how they sometimes learn without even being taught. http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/topvideos/heres-why-my-greek-fat-big-wedding-looks-wrong-%e2%80%94-the-english-rule-we-all-follow-but-were-never-taught/vp-BBznnGp