Fling Toward Spring

Well, this is a little embarrassing...

The weekly blog that I attempted to diligently update often...has fallen to the wayside.  Trying to balance a more hectic work schedule, more library classes, volunteering and beginning a Library Media Endorsement program meant something slipped through the cracks.  That something is this Blog.  So, in an attempt to start Spring Cleaning, I am also revamping and recommitting to blogging more often.  My goal is twice per month, in a perfect case scenario, once per week!

First Grade:

This week our friends enjoyed Catch That Cookie written by Hallie Durand, pictures by David Small.  Students reviewed the virtue DETERMINATION and how the main character Marshall demonstrated this trait throughout the story.  We then continued the work by creating our won WANTED posters of the gingerbread men!  This silly text that just happens to be a WCCPBA (Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award nominee) and our goal this year was to read as many of these titles as possible before voting the end of March.  Next week is our very last week to squeeze in as much of these amazing texts as we can.  Voting will commence on Friday, April 1st, we are very excited to see the results!  Ask your child which book is their favorite WCCPBA?

Third & Fourth Grade:
We don't often focus on the similar lessons or objectives for Third and Fourth Grade, but this week we lucked out and were able to work with both grade levels on a three week focus on fact finding, research and art!  This lesson has evolved over the past few weeks, and truly is a collaboration in progress.  Students begin the work by listening to a Read Aloud of CREATURE FEATURES, written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page.  These amazing authors and artists took their 16 years of work
together and created a non-fiction text that also included beautiful, non traditional art.  Using textiles, paper scraps of collage and a really amazing publishing program called InDesign, our authors created profile pictures of 25 different animals and their special features.  This week, students began research, fact finding and vetting information they'd dug up.

Next week, we will finish our work with the databases and move toward the second step of sketching our creatures and creating the driving questions that will result in a fun fact!  I found some new interesting research sites for animal facts, "Animal Corner" and "ARKive" were two that we deemed most useful.  While Animal Corner was a quick way to identify animals and characters, one negative attraction is the presence of advertisements.  ARKive was the popular choice for most students with the best updated information AND video feed of the creatures!

Tournament of Books
We are down to the Final Four for our big Battle of the Books!  Amulet-  Book 1 vs. The Day the Crayons Quit are head to head this week!  Vying for the big showdown also is A Boy and A Jaguar vs. Mr. Lemoncello's Library!  Next week, we'll vote one more time and have a winner!  Don't forget to vote and to SAVE a title if you believe it should have made the last week's battle!

Up Next Week
Sasquatch, WCCPBA and Battle of the Books Voting!!  Last week before Spring Break, don't forget to return AAAAAALLLLLLLLLLl your Overdue books!

Have a great start to your week!

-Mrs. Bethel