Library Tri2 Update

This was sent to all Sockeye families on Sunday, March 15, 2020.

Dear Sockeye Readers,

To keep this shorter & more readable, this message is in list form.

I will miss your student. A lot. They - and you - are in the forefront of my mind as we embark on these weeks of uncharted territory.

1: So that you know what we’ve been up to prior to this break: grade 1 learned about the Geisel Award (awarded to the best beginner reader), participated in a Mock Geisel Award, and most classes began a new unit of study on identifying character traits of children’s lit characters. They will ultimately decide what character(s) will join our Character Wall of Fame in the library (it’s the big blue wall). I’m expecting that we’ll continue this unit when we return to campus.

K: So that you know what we’ve been up to prior to this break: kindergarten finished up our fourth author/illustrator study of the year. We’ve studied Arthur Howard, Ezra Jack Keats, Christian Robinson, and Deborah Freeman. Each unit had an embedded extension, including identifying social-emotional learning techniques for characters & learning to code using BeeBots. We began our newest study, looking at Candace Fleming’s books and thinking critically how the characters could solve their problem in a multitude of ways. I’m expecting to continue this work when we return to campus.

2/3: So that you know what we’ve been up to prior to this break: grade 2 / 3 completed a Mock Caldecott unit, applying criteria to analyze art in top. 2019 titles. We discussed Black History Month, reading the biography of Katherine Johnson (NASA scientist) and the autobiography of Trombone Shorty (jazz musician). Embedded in lessons were age-level appropriate strategies to analyze websites (check the address & date of publication!) as well as my top search tip: putting phrases in quotation marks to ensure it is searched as a whole & not separated by search engines. In March, as part of National Day of Unplugging, we discussed screen time & brainstormed 20+ ideas to do that do not require screens. We continued this theme by breaking out our Ozobots (small robots) to create coded paths for the bot to travel. I expect to continue with Ozobots when we return to campus.

4/5: So that you know what we’ve been up to prior to this break: grade 4/5 engaged in media literacy lessons related to how students get news and how they know what they see/read is true. Using current events, we discovered that triangulating the source, date, and author leads to more accurate information, especially when reported in numerous, trustworthy sources. I discovered that in most classes, students got news from TikTok & Instagram. This enriched our discussion, with guidance given to always check for themselves before reposting & potentially sharing misinformation. We explored Black History Month, discussing search analytics & data gathering related to Google’s “The Most Searched” video. We used our media literacy lessons in searching for news on Katherine Johnson’s life (and recent death) and found videos of Trombone Shorty performing after reading his autobiography. In March, as part of National Day of Unplugging, we discussed screen time, creating vs consuming, & how students knew when they’d been on a screen/device for too long. We began creating with unplugged tech, using our Ozobots (small robots) to create coded paths for the bot to travel. I expect to continue with Ozobots when we return to campus.

On Thursday, I hope students received a copy of School Break Reading BINGO. On the front is a challenge: complete a column (or more!) while at home on this extended break. If you didn’t receive one, digital copies will be on the library blog in the next few days. Paper copies can be found outside the exterior library door (located behind the garden) starting Tuesday. Participation is optional but encouraged.

On the back of the BINGO paper is access information to our library catalog (http://bit.ly/sockeyelibrary), with all usernames & passwords for our purchased databases. If you have a K-2 student, try PebbleGo & BrianPop Jr. Upper grades may enjoy exploring PebbleGo, PebbleGo Plus, BrianPop, and CultureGrams. Access is available through Clever as well.

Also on Thursday, many students came in for an extra check out in anticipation of a school closure. It was fabulous to see hundreds of kids walking out with stacks of books in their hands! Toward the end of this closure, I’ll send an update with all titles currently checked out to each student. If you’d like the list earlier, please let me know.

Engaging & inspiring all children to read, think, and explore is why I teach library. Please know I am working hard to find ways to reach them as readers and learners as we experience closures & practice social distancing.

All best,

Ms. Arika