November/December in the Library
2016
Read With a Box of Tissues
The November focus was on tear tearjerkers - any book that makes you reach for the tissue box! I overheard a lot of students telling their friends, "I read that one, it was so sad!" and then encouraging them to read it.
But Wait...There's More!
In December, the spotlight was on series and sequels. Series are very popular at the DMS library!
December Makerspace: Squishy Circuits
December's Makerspace activity was Squishy Circuits. Students used play-doh (conductive) and modeling clay (inductive) to learn about circuitry! Students had a great time making creations out of play-doh and clay and figuring out how to get the LED lights to light up.
National Novel Writing Month
November was National Novel Writing Month, where students (and adults) take on the challenge of writing a whole novel in a month! The tricky is part is not being able to edit. 11 DMS students took on the novel writing challenge. Our writing club met each week in November. Each time we'd start with a writing exercise where students would be challenged to think about what makes a "good" or "bad" book? How do you create conflict? Do you really know everything about your character? Then students would focus on writing. 8 of these students reached their writing goal by the end of the month!
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Update
In October, Dedham Middle School participated in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, a program which helps kids around the world — children who need food, clean water or medicine, or who have been caught in natural disasters. Students collected change in their Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF boxes, along with their Halloween candy. Our goal for this year was $1,000, which we fell short of. But DMS did raise $720 to be donated to UNICEF. Newbury raised $234 all on their own, the most of any team. Congratulations to Newbury and thank you to everyone who participated.
Classes in the Library
6th Grade
In November, Ms. Unger's and Ms. Lyon's Reading classes came to the library for Term II book talks. Students will be writing book talks of their own once they read their new books!
7th Grade
In December, Ms. Randall's Social Studies classes began their Human Geography research project. Students chose one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals to research. After gathering information they will make an infographic using Piktochart. Students came to the library and learned how to use their LibGuide, and reviewed how to do research using a variety of sources - print, websites, and subscription databases. Students also set up an EasyBib EDU account to help them cite their sources.
Students were back in the library the following week to focus on their research.
8th Grade
After Thanksgiving, Ms. French's English classes came to the library for Term II book talks. Students heard about books in a variety of genres, and they also had the option to browse books, both fiction and nonfiction, related to World War II. Students are beginning to read The Diary of Anne Frank, and many students were interested in books that would further explore this time period.
In Inquiry research, students began their Term II research project. It began with students writing everything they knew about their family's immigration story. They then built background by using print sources to learn about what was happing in that country around the time their family immigrated. Students are now using subscription databases to find out what life was like for someone coming from their family's country of origin once they arrived in America. After Winter Vacation, the focus will turn to website evaluation.
November Acquisitions
What was added to the library collection in November?
December Acquisitions
What was added to the library collection in Decemer?
Book Reviews
A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier
For Cleo Berry, the people dying of the Spanish Influenza in cities like New York and Philadelphia may as well be in another country--that's how far away they feel from the safety of Portland, Oregon. And then cases start being reported in the Pacific Northwest. Schools, churches, and theaters shut down. The entire city is thrust into survival mode--and into a panic. Headstrong and foolish, seventeen-year-old Cleo is determined to ride out the pandemic in the comfort of her own home, rather than in her quarantined boarding school dorms. But when the Red Cross pleads for volunteers, she can't ignore the call. As Cleo struggles to navigate the world around her, she is surprised by how much she finds herself caring about near-strangers. Strangers like Edmund, a handsome medical student and war vet. Strangers who could be gone tomorrow. And as the bodies begin to pile up, Cleo can't help but wonder: when will her own luck run out? -From Goodreads.com
Climate Migrants: On the Move in a Warming World by Rebecca E. Hirsch
Relocation due to climate change is already a reality. By 2050, at least 25 million people will be driven from their homes. How people respond to these changes will set the stage for a future defined by a warming planet. - From Goodreads.com