April/May in the Library
2016
Spotlight on...
National Poetry Month
In April our focus was on poetry for National Poetry Month. Students were encouraged to take a poem from the display outside the library. Inside the library a wide variety of poetry books and novels in verse were available for check-out.
True Stories
In May, our main display was on true stories. Biographies of all kinds from, sports stars to high school students were on display.
Makerspace
3D Printing!
Dedham Middle School is now home of a brand new 3D printer! We are very excited to beginning using this cool new tool! In May, students used Tinkercad to design a bookmark. Students had to be careful about sizing and making sure all the piece attached together. This round was printed on the High School 3D printer, but our very own 3D printer is now up and running! Next time we'll be able to watch the printing!
Classes in the Library
6th Grade
See you soon for Summer Reading book talks!
7th Grade
See you soon for Summer Reading book talks!
8th Grade
In Library Research, the 8th grade has been hard at work on their final research projects. Students began by considering issues that were important to them and changes they felt were important to make. They researched the background of the issue, and dug deeper by considering questions they wanted to find the answer to. After finding their answers, students formed thesis statements on a change they would propose. They are in the process of making sure they have enough evidence to prove their theses. Students are also learning about parenthetical citation and how to give credit to another author's work in their text.
Book Reviews
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall
Jimmy McClean is a Lakota boy—though you would not guess it by his name: his father is a white man and his mother is Lakota. When he embarks on a journey with his grandfather, Nyles High Eagle, he learns more and more about his Lakota heritage—in particular, the story of Crazy Horse, one of the most important figures in Lakota history. Drawing inspiration from the oral stories of the Lakota tradition and the Lakota cultural mechanism of the “hero story,” Joseph Marshall provides readers with an insider’s perspective on the life of Tasunke Witko, better known as Crazy Horse. Through his grandfather’s tales about the famous warrior, Jimmy learns more about his Lakota heritage and, ultimately, himself.
Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter by Beth Fantaskey
It’s 1920s Chicago—the guns-and-gangster era of Al Capone—and it’s unusual for a girl to be selling the Tribune on the street corner. But ten-year-old Isabel Feeney is unusual . . . unusually obsessed with being a news reporter. She can’t believe her luck when she stumbles not only into a real-live murder scene, but also into her hero, the famous journalist Maude Collier. The story of how the smart, curious, loyal Isabel fights to defend the honor of her accused friend and latches on to the murder case like a dog on a pant leg makes for a winning, thoroughly entertaining middle grade mystery. - From Goodreads.com
Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad by Martin W. Sandler
In the 1850s, gold fever swept the West, but people had to walk, sail, or ride horses for months on end to seek their fortune. The question of faster, safer transportation was posed by national leaders. But with 1,800 miles of seemingly impenetrable mountains, searing deserts, and endless plains between the Missouri River and San Francisco, could a transcontinental railroad be built? It seemed impossible. Eventually, two railroad companies, the Central Pacific, which laid the tracks eastward, and the Union Pacific, which moved west, began the job. In one great race between iron men with iron wills, tens of thousands of workers blasted the longest tunnels that had ever been constructed, built the highest bridges that had ever been created, and finally linked the nation by two bands of steel, changing America forever.
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin
From Steve Sheinkin, the award-winning author of The Port Chicago 50 and Bomb comes a tense, exciting exploration of what the Times deemed "the greatest story of the century": how Daniel Ellsberg transformed from obscure government analyst into "the most dangerous man in America," and risked everything to expose the government's deceit. On June 13, 1971, the front page of the New York Times announced the existence of a 7,000-page collection of documents containing a secret history of the Vietnam War. Known as The Pentagon Papers, these documents had been commissioned by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Chronicling every action the government had taken in the Vietnam War, they revealed a pattern of deception spanning over twenty years and four presidencies, and forever changed the relationship between American citizens and the politicians claiming to represent their interests. - From Goodreads.com
Almost There!
It's almost Summer, but now the time to start thinking to the Fall! What are you starting the year with? How can I help? Please let me know!
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