Learning is fun!
Posted in apps, nonfiction lesson, and reading skills
Third graders had fun creating talking nonfiction text features using the Chatterkid Pix app in the library before winter break. They were to explain the purpose of the text feature and to give concrete examples in a first person voice. They had so much fun! When they finished, they played Sara Malchow’s BeeBot Robot Nonfiction Text Features Game. (see link to her TPT store below)
First grade celebrated the new year in the Jackson Library with Gail Piernas-Davenport’s Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas. During the story, the kids matched the food eaten on New Year’s Day to the flag of the corresponding country in the story. We like how the people from whom Shanté asked to borrow peas were invited to dinner at the end. At the tables, the kids decorated their own fireworks and used the Quivervision app to pop virtual fireworks. Welcome, 2019!
Quivervision Fireworks – holiday pack
student activity
Before the break, Pre-K had fun with a classic tale in the Jackson Library. As we read There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, the kids put beanbag animals into the old lady’s mouth. She sure can eat!
Child’s Play Old Lady and Animals
Posted in picture book lesson
Right before the break, Jackson second graders analyzed story elements in Jan Brett’s The Three Snow Bears and created their own snow bear puppet. During the story, the kids used the pictures and poster to put the story elements in their places. Then during check out, the kids created their polar bear puppet. They used them to retell their favorite parts of the story. We watched the read-aloud video at the end of the lesson. The kids enjoyed this twist on Goldilocks!
snow bear puppet – white sacks
Posted in apps, and picture book lesson
Before the break, first graders had fun with the book, The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School. They sequenced events during the story and made predictions about how what Zoe’s hair would do next. Then at the tables, they created wild hair for Zoe on a bookmark they could take home. During check out, we rotated iPads so they could play a fun crazy salon/barbershop game.
Posted in fun events, and JagTube
Today live on JagTube, Principal Cockrell received a pie in the face from our student council president. She took on this dare when she challenged the students of Jackson Elementary to donate over 1,000 cans to Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano. The kids brought in 1,524 cans! Check out the video of her pie to the face! What bravery!
Posted in picture book lesson
We had loads of fun today with The Wonky Donkey and first graders! We read the story and discussed the meaning of vocabulary words within it: wonky, lanky, cranky, stinky, winky, hanky-panky, honky-tonky, etc. Then we read it through again while playing the song (Scholastic.com). Craig Smith won an Apra award (Apra New Zealand Best Children’s Song of the Year) in 2009. At the tables, the kids had to draw their own wonky donkey and we listened to an animated retelling/song version by Alina Celeste. What fun!
YouTube Sensations “The Scottish Granny” Visits NYC for “Wonky Donkey” Event
Today in the Jackson Library, kindergarteners enjoyed a narrative nonfiction story about a penguin with a problem. Since Pierre the Penguin is an adorable rhyming book that tells how a scientist helped a penguin solve a problem, I used this book to teach story elements. Then the kids created their own neoprene suit for Pierre like the one Pam made in the book. We did a penguin dance after check out!
Posted in nonfiction lesson, and TTESS 1819
Fourth graders analyze media by scrutinizing fake websites, identifying propaganda techniques in commercials, finding the purpose of print ads, differentiating between formal and informal language, explaining how design elements of advertising affect the viewer (pacing, sound), spotting scams and hoaxes and more in the Jackson Library. In this video, they are exploring the website Edumosis and discussing whether this app should be purchased or not and why. This involves critical reading and they find out something interesting when scrolling to the bottom to read the disclaimer!
This lesson is in the 12-10-18 portion of the 4th grade section of my media literacy minute Google Slides on my Media Literacy blog page link below.
4th TEK 14 Reading/Media Literacy – Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning.
A) explain positive and negative impacts of advertisement techniques genres of media to impact consumer behavior
B) explain how various design techniques (pacing, close-ups, sound effects) used in media influence the message
C) compare various written conventions used in digital media (language in formal e-mail vs language in a web-based article)
Lessons
