Sam and Dave Dig a Hole and find...

I have been eager to read Sam & Dave Dig a Hole with my students. I have been a huge fan of Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett ever since I heard them talk about their writing and illustrating process for Extra Yarn. When they team up together, these two talented and successful people create well-wrought and thought-provoking books.  

I have waited for the proper time to read Sam & Dave Dig a Hole with students, one with ample time for discussion, luckily that occasion arose last week.  All I can say is, the experience was all that I hoped. I very much enjoyed watching the students faces and hearing them laugh as they followed Sam and Dave along on their quest for something spectacular. It's fascinating to see the reaction spread as they take in that Sam and Dave have not landed in the same place and then to watch and listen to the creative and critical thinking as the students try to piece together what might have happened. We also talked about how the journey is just as, if not more, important - because of the experiences and memories collected along the way.

After the discussion, the students used Storybird to share what they each thought happened next in the story. The ideas range from serious to silly, existential to theoretical. I should have had them write their idea first to see how much the art options in Storybird influenced their ideas. *next time*

November has been a busy and exciting month.

 

I was putting together a monthly "highlights" document for our library coordinator and realized a that November has been a fun and busy month. My students and I experienced and accomplished quite a bit! There were three volunteer projects outside of school this month that also added to the busy fun, which leads me to confess that I have not done any reading outside of school in the past thirty days. I plan to remedy this situation and take advantage of this long weekend - I am going to put together a bookstack, make a cup of tea, find a blanket and space on the couch -- and read!

Here are the highlights that I gathered, which are all blogposts from this month, so nothing new to those that follow the blog.

It was Picture Book Month, therefore many of the lessons and units connected to this theme.

Kindergarten:

The kindergarten students were engaged in an author/illustrator study of Denise Fleming. this study involved reading books and watching footage of Denise Fleming creating her art. The study also led us to recognizing those wondering questions that arise while reading and learning about our “wonder wall” (nonfiction neighborhood).

Denise Fleming gets my students wondering

Grade One:

The first grade students took on a nonfiction picture book month challenge, which connected to both my library curriculum and the classroom curriculum. We used a Steve Jenkins author/illustrator exploration to aid in this unit. The students are learning to consume (and later produce) information from multiple sources.

First grade information gatherers

Grade Two:

The second graders took on a nonfiction picture book month challenge, which connected to both the library and classroom curriculum where the students are learning about nonfiction conventions and distinguishing between nonfiction books that are good for research and those that are better for general reading. The students are shared cool facts that they were learning.

Reading nonfiction is good for their brains and mine.

Grade Three:

The third graders have been busy reading toward their picture book month challenges and reconnecting with their library pals in Minnesota.

Always, always learning and would not change a thing

Grade Four

After the philae lander hit the comet, the fourth grade students and I shared a lesson on passion-driven information gathering, which tied in nicely to a review of how to access library resources - at home and at school.

Sharing passion-driven exploration

Grade Five

The students continued to learn about our library during picture book month. They created Animoto videos to share their knowledge with the younger students.

Exploring new ways to teach location and access

Grade Four and Five:

Fourth and fifth graders used technology tools to communicate their thoughts and ideas. They practiced good digital citizenship.

The students take to padlet as a tool for communication

Once you know how to use a tool…

Assessment and Reflection:

“It has meant my family has read more together”

The circulation statistics say it all

What does a school library in the midst of PBM look like?

Project-Based Learning

the fifth grade teachers and i planned and executed a project-based learning experience related to our community’s behavior expectations.

Behavior expectations as explained by fifth graders

A museum bedecked for the holidays.

The Concord Museum understands that the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year can feel long and dark. They've got plenty to brighten your days. There's a sweet exhibit of children's illustrator art along with a room full of furniture and bedding styles dating back to the colonial period.

Not only is there this wonderful art exhibit celebrating bedtime routines, there are many trees decorated in the theme of children's literature. It is called the Family Tree's exhibit, which includes this tree that I created and decorated with three good friends:

Mice, illustrated by Lois Ehlert.

The circulation statistics say it all...Picture Book Month matters

 Picture Book Month 

has been a success.

Picture Book Month was a success on many levels. Many of the ways can't be easily measured and assessed, but that is okay, because the circulation statistics say it all.

I decided to run the circulation statistics this evening. There are still five more days left in Picture Book Month, but we break for Thanksgiving tomorrow at noon, so there won't be too much of a difference between now and then.

Really, just check out these numbers:

Circulation statistics for October 31 - November 26, 2014:

Nonfiction

Biography

Picture Books

All titles

Compare these to last year's circulation statistics for October 31 - November 26, 2013:

Nonfiction 

Biographies

Picture Books

All titles

Compare these to last month's circulation statistics, October 1 - October 30, 2014:

Nonfiction 

Biography

Picture Books

All titles

My students have been reading up a storm. The circulation statistics a year ago and a month ago are virtually the same. This tells me that students are reading more this year in general, and that the picture book month challenge helped get students into the stacks and borrowing books.  I hope this trend continues!