What we did! 4th Quarter 2015

As usual we were very busy in the 4th quarter.  Scroll down to find out what each grade level did over the last 10 weeks.

Kindergarten  Mrs. Hawkes, Mrs. Kirkwood

• We talked about the ways that we choose books.  If we can't read the titles yet we discussed how looking at pictures on the covers can help us decide if we'd like to check out a book.  
• We discussed what authors do and what things they might need to help them in their work.
• We supported classroom learning by reading books about oviparous animals. We completed an activity to show what animals hatch from eggs.
• We discussed what illustrators do and what things they might need to help them in their work.
• We read Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judy Barrett.  Many of the students had seen the movie and we discussed how the book came first and how they differ.  We also drew our own weather report for the Town of Chewandswallow.
• We supported classroom learning by reading fiction and nonfiction books about worms.  We completed a 'Read It, write, build it' activity.
• We again supported classroom learning by completing an 'identifying shapes and position words' activity.
• And of course we read many other books and your children checked out many books to bring home.

1st Grade  Mrs. Wood, Mrs, Hufnagel, Mrs. Hanson

• We looked at many different book covers and talked about where we would find the title, author and illustrator names on the cover. 
• We discussed cause and effect in books.  We read If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff and identified four different causes and effects she uses in her book.
• We discussed the job of an illustrator and practiced being an illustrator ourselves.
• We read Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judy Barrett.  Many of the students had seen the movie and we discussed how the book came first and how they differ.  We also drew and wrote our own weather report for the Town of Chewandswallow.
• We discussed fact and opinion when we read Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin.  We completed a colorful spider web identifying fact or opinion statements in relation to the book.
• We worked towards mastery of ABC order and discussed why this is an important skill to know when in a library.
• We began talking about tables of contents in nonfiction books.  We discussed their usefulness and how to use them.
• And of course we read many other books and your children checked out many books to bring home.

2nd Grade  Mrs. Rehm, Mrs. Addington

• We discussed the difference between fiction and nonfiction books.  We brainstormed ideas to help us identify whether a book might be fiction or nonfiction. 
• We talked about the different kinds of Folktales (Fairy Tale, Legend, Tall Tale, Myth and Fable) and what the difference might be between the 5 different kinds.
• We supported classroom learning by reading the nonfiction book Monarch Butterfly of Aster Way by Elizabeth Ring.  We used this lesson to become familiar with map reading and as well as insect life cycles.
• We read the Caldicott winning book Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann and completed a sentence scramble activity while recalling key text details and working collaboratively with peers.
• We began talking about the structure of Fiction Call Numbers, what they are and how we use them to find books in the library.  W completed two activities so we can understand exactly what they are in preparation for using the library search engine next year.
• And of course we read many other books and your children checked out many books to bring home.

2/3 Combination Class  Mrs. Repenning, Mrs. Austin

• We discussed in detail the structure of nonfiction Call Numbers, what they are and how we use them to find books in the library.  We completed many activities so we can understand exactly what they are in preparation for using the OPAC next year.
• We supported classroom learning by reading the nonfiction book Monarch Butterfly of Aster Way by Elizabeth Ring.  We used this lesson to become familiar with map reading and as well as insect life cycles.
• We read the Caldicott winning book Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann and completed a sentence scramble activity while recalling key text details and working collaboratively with peers.
• And of course we read many other books and your children checked out many books to bring home.

3rd Grade  Mrs. Decker

• We discussed in detail the structure of nonfiction Call Numbers, what they are and how we use them to find books in the library.  We completed many activities so we can understand exactly what they are in preparation for using the OPAC next year.
• We supported classroom learning by reading the nonfiction book Monarch Butterfly of Aster Way by Elizabeth Ring.  We used this lesson to become familiar with map reading and as well as insect life cycles.
• We explored wordless picture books and completed an activity around the book June 29,1999 by David Wiesner.
• And of course we read many other books and your children checked out many books to bring home.

4th Grade  Mrs. Ayala, Ms. Beyrouty, Mrs. Engstrom

• We completed our detailed study of dictionaries by exploring guide words, syllables, parts of speech and definitions.
• We began exploring the many kinds of reference texts found in the library.
• We worked in detail on  encyclopedias, in particular using the index volume and 'see also' references.
• We worked toward mastery of identifying text features and discussed how useful they are in allowing us to be efficient researchers.
• And of course your children checked out many books to bring home.

5th Grade  Ms. Rasmussen, Ms. Sullivan

• We worked in detail on dictionaries, mastering the effective use of guide words and entry words.
• We continued our work in dictionaries by looking at parts of speech and syllables.
• We explored  encyclopedia texts and worked towards mastering efficient search techniques utilizing our knowledge of different text features. We looked at index volumes and 'see also' references and we ended our encyclopedia unit by taking a look at the types of specialized encyclopedias we have in our Media Center.
• And of course your children checked out many books to bring home.