Week of May 4th

May the Forth Be With You...

Every year around this time, I just giggle when I hear that on May 4th!  "May the force be with you!"  I'm such a huge Star Wars fan (as are most adults born in the 70's)!  However, since the newer movies were released, the re-branding and now with the next film being filmed...I'm reminded how much my students and the younger audience are also huge fans!  If you search for "star wars" in our library catalog, we have over 18 titles just in our library!  How cool is that?  And, half of them, if not MORE are always checked out!

Fourth Grade:  
This week our Fourth Graders were testing in the morning, so I wanted to make sure we had a fun learning activity to help them experience movement throughout Library.  Thanks to my teaching partner, Ms. Arika, I taught my first lesson on Spine Poetry!  Wasn't sure if it would be chaotic (state testing + fourth grader = spicy), but what a pleasant surprise!  This lesson fit the bill perfectly, kids were engaged, on task and came up with some fantastic poetry.  Over the next few days, check out my library twitter account to view a quick snapshot of student work on Vine!

Mrs. Bethel's Library on Twitter

Third Graders focused on completing one more part of their digital citizenship lessons - Plagiarism!  It was fascinating to hear about personal experiences from these young voices and watch them realize that giving credit for others' work is vital when publishing.  We discussed different scenarios in which plagiarizing occurs, what to look for and how to avoid it!  Great conversations about which situations are acceptable, one that surprised many students was this:

Third Grade:

Many of my Third Graders could sympathize with these students.  Most were able to understand that sharing homework in such a way was some form of cheating.  I look forward to continuing the conversation about giving credit for work found and how to turn someone else's words into your own.  

First Grade:

First Graders were a delight this week in the Library.  We focused on one of the many lessons from the curriculum that is vital in helping kiddos locate books in each section.  Together we reviewed what an Everybody book is and where it's found in our Library.  I modeled how each book has the title and call number on the spine of the book, this is how Librarians know where to put the books away and students know how to find the books.  Kinds then worked independently to create their own "book covers and spines".  Next week, they will meet in small groups and organize their covers/spines as a librarian would.  We'll then trounce back to the Everybody section and they'll need to locate the exact spot their books would live.   

A Note From Mrs. Bethel:

Lastly, I wanted to thank all the students and families who were thoughtful and kind to think of me (and my fellow teaching peers) over the last few days.  It's always a joy to experience Teacher Appreciation Week, and I wanted to share my thanks and appreciation for all that parents do for our school and for their children!  

Thank you!!

Erin