"I loved this project. Can we do another one?"

The fourth graders presented their picture book biography projects today! 

The students did a fabulous job of practicing their presenting skills by speaking slowly, looking at their audience, and speaking in an engaging manner.

After the presentations, I asked the students to reflect on the process and share their feedback. I already know something that I would change next time: I would ask for evidence from the text as opposed to talking about quoting the text. Here's what they had to say:

Mrs. Reed, you should also know that...

I think we should use google docs more because it's fun!

Can we do this again?

We should have more time to work

You did a good job explaining the project and over all it was fun.

THIS WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

I think you should do these types of things more often!

I liked this project.

We need more time to do the project.

That you did a great job

It was a little complicated when you said something like command, shift, 4 and how to get the link to a website and stuff related to that. 

I wanted to do google slides but my partner said no.

I liked this project but I wish we had more time          

This was fun

I would like if we could do more presentations

I loved doing something different in Library 

You should make sure everything's clear

It was really fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved this project can we do another one?

I really enjoyed learning about how to create the presentation 

We didn't have time to do quotes in the book otherwise we would have done them.

You should make sure everything's clear

We need more freedom while making our biography slides. 

This was such a fun project, we should do it more!

I had too little time 

I liked this project

I think that this was a great learning experince and I hope to to it again

We should have more time to work on this and make it more complex.

We did not have enough time to finish

This project was really fun!

I wish we can choose partners.

We should do another google slides presentation

We should do it again

I love to read books about famous people

It was super fun!

I liked doing a google presentation

I want to do this more

That you should do this project forever

I like making this presentation and I would really like to do it again

This was fun

You should do this type of project more often.

Library should be 30 minutes longer. :D

This was awesome and so much fun! :D

I want to do this project again next year but with a different person to study so I could learn about them too.

I wish I could make a google presentation

I liked this presentation project

Lots for me to unpack here, but I think it was a hit!

Identifying Personality Traits and Finding Evidence: 4th Grade Biography Project

The fourth graders have been engaged in a biography project. 

The students started the project by choosing a subject from our biography collection. It had to be in picture book format as they had to be able to read it during one library class. This project was adapted from a project I did with last year's fifth graders. You can read about that project on this blog post.

I switched the project up a bit so it was in better keeping with the grade level curriculum -- the fourth graders focus on personality traits and finding evidence in the text to support their thinking.  

It has taken a bit longer than expected due to snow days and vacations, but they are in the home stretch! Here's an approximate schedule for this project:

Week One: 

Explain Project

Show Examples (see above) 

Students choose a biography

Week Two:

Students read biographies and begin to take notes/capture thinking

Week Three:

Students determine the personality traits, find evidence in text, identify achievements/accomplishment

Week Four: 

Students complete work from the week before and write the six word memoir

Week Five: 

Students choose either a poster or Google Slides presentation for the project and begin creating it

Model finding images and citing sources

Week Six: 

Students finish product (poster or presentation)

Week Seven: 

Present their projects to each other

Here's a look at some of their work thus far. These are WIP and will be edited to style, spelling, etc. We'll be talking about font choice, color, layout, and other digital citizenship tips.

Hour of Code: Unplugged: Every day Algorithms: Paper Airplanes

Today, third graders participated in Hour of Code, in an unplugged activity, which had them learning about ALGORITHMS. After watching a brief video, the students and I talked about the definition of algorithm: a list of steps you can follow to finish a task. They shared algorithms they use every day to get ready for school: getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, taking the bus, etc.  We focused on the tooth brushing algorithm because it is a universal activity, it is a tangible way to talk about the algorithms, and some of the steps can be switched around. For instance, one can wet the toothbrush and then add paste or add paste and then wet the toothbrush, but one cannot add the toothpaste after brushing.  

It was a fabulous activity and the reflections by the students were thoughtful. The complete lesson is here. Since we reflected on the learning as a group, I sent home the assessment as a tool for the students to share with parents what they learned today.  Have a look and a listen at the collaborative learning and coding happening in the library and today:

Wherein 5th graders impart their knowledge about browsing and borrowing routines

The fifth graders are taking on a leadership role by using their knowledge of browsing and borrowing routines to create videos for the lower grader students. The project has taken three weeks: brainstorming and planning, filming, and editing. Below are a few of the finished projects. I am incredibly impressed by their understanding of how to communicate a message. I have shown the these and the other videos to the second graders and they have been both engaged and informed. You can listen to their comments below as well.

Following the videos are examples of student work during the process as well as ways that the three classes of fifth grade work was organized. 

Recommending Books

Helping Out in the Library

Finding Books on Destiny

Putting Books Back Correctly

Looking for Books

Second graders share what they learned:

How did this project progress?

First: the students worked in table groups to share what they knew about browsing and borrowing. 

Second: They planned their skits

Third: They filmed their skits

Fourth: They created their iMovie projects

I used this table to keep track

The fifth graders will watch their videos and evaluate their own this week. Stay tuned!

Library Teacher friends, as always, if you see something here you want to replicate, please do, and let me know how you have improved any steps!