Learning is fun!
Posted in bilingual, displays and deco, fifth grade, fourth grade, poetry, third grade, and writing
April is National Poetry Month! Third through fifth grades had fun in the Jackson Library writing Spring poems! Some wrote diamante poems about the atmosphere layers, some wrote acrostics in English, and some wrote Spanish acrostics. We used kite templates (see TPT links below) so we could post them on the library windows. The kids had fun writing the poems!
Posted in bilingual, first grade, and picture book lesson
Last week in the Jackson Library, first graders had fun reading a silly story. During the video of the read aloud It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny (No es facil ser un conejito), the kids actively listen for why the bunny did not like being a bear, pig, etc. and drew a picture about what was bad about being that animal. There is no snake in the story, so they had to imagine what would be bad about being a snake and draw the bunny doing that in the last box.
English
Spanish
Posted in bilingual, and books online
Kate Messner secured permission from these authors to share videos of their books read aloud as a resource for kids at home.
Also don’t forget about…
SPANISH – J Lerner
Posted in bilingual, holiday, Pre-K, and Social Studies
Pre-K created an African American musician “quilt” in the Jackson Library! As they worked, we talked about Nina Simone and played her “I’m Feeling Good” song. Then we used Liz Buchanan‘s primary version of the song as a chant for the kids to sing the “I’m Feeling Good” lyric at the end of each line while they worked. Fun! Thanks to Liz for adapting the song (linked below) to make it choral for Pre-K! They sang ‘I’m feeling good’ for the second part of each verse. The kids loved it. I found a Spanish version of the original song for the bilingual Pre-K class to sing. I have a note to purchase the Nina Simone: Jazz Legend and Civil-Rights Activist book for next year!
Spanish -Y me siento bien
Quilt Square Pattern for Musicians Quilt
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Posted in bilingual, fifth grade, picture book lesson, Seesaw, and writing
Today in the Jackson Library, fifth graders practiced using active voice during writing. First, we read Chall’s Up North at the Cabin. During the story, I pointed out the author’s use of active voice, personification, and imagery. I used Jeff Anderson’s Patterns of Power book, lesson 6.5. Then the kids used a Seesaw template I created to sort sentences from the story by active or passive voice. After that, I gave them dry erase boards and they wrote an active voice sentence about the school camping trip. As you can see, it rained during most of camp this year!
Jeff Anderson – Patterns of Power- 6.5 What Do Verbs Do? Finding Your Active Voice
“The sunshine sits in my lap…”
“The river spills over rocks and whispers to me…”
“The [boat’s] motor sputters softly, waiting…”
“The boat roars forward…”
“blood thumps through my head…”
“when frosted windows cloud the sun”
Puddles of ink stained the blank paper.
Little dots of paint sketch a beautiful dog.
I just ordered the bilingual edition of the book but it hasn’t shipped yet, so I talked to our bilingual team leader and we guessed at how to translate this lesson for the bilingual kids:
El libro fue liedo por Juan.
Juan lee el libro.
Posted in bilingual, kindergarten, nonfiction lesson, picture book lesson, and technology
Last week in the Jackson Library, kindergarten learned facts about the bumblebee bat and used a Seesaw template I created to label the bat. The bilingual students used the Spanish words. This book won the Theodor Seuss Geisel award.
Posted in bilingual, first grade, picture book lesson, technology, and TTESS 1819
Last week, I created my first Seesaw activity! (link below) After reading The Wonky Donkey and singing the song, the first graders had to think of a NEW flaw for the donkey. They used Seesaw in pairs to draw their wonkier donkey and they used the microphone to tell about its new flaw. They had a blast!
Posted in bilingual, picture book lesson, reading skills, second grade, social-emotional learning, and writing
One book we are reading to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the Jackson Library is Lucia la Luchadora by Cynthia Leonor Garza. Last week, the second graders identified causes and effects in the story. Since the boys teased Lucia, she asked her abuela for help. When she wore the luchadora costume and mask, she had the courage to rescue Coco from the top of the slide. We discussed stereotypes and assumptions people make about appearances and how to overcome those with inner confidence and strength. After the story, the kids wrote a sentence about what some people perceive as a limitation, and then wrote what they CAN do despite that perception. This great idea is from Ms. Rodrigo’s Twitter feed! Finally, they colored their own Nino (from Yuyi Morales’ Nino Wrestles the World book) or Lucia la Luchadora (mask drawn by me) to take home to finish.
Hou Chronicle Author Interview
Lucia luchadora mask – drawing attempt by AK
Lesson idea from Ms. Rodrigo’s Twitter Feed
Check out Cynthia Leonor Garza’s new book about Lucia!
Stop by the Jackson Library to get your Hispanic Heritage Month books! They are on the cart at the front of the library!
Posted in apps, bilingual, nonfiction lesson, and Pre-K
Before STAAR week, Pre-K had fun guessing Whose Feet? in the Jackson Library. After reading My Eyes are Big and Red, the kids guessed what animal on which the story was based. Then they had to guess what animals were on the poster just based on the feet. At the tables, they played the Whose Feet? game on the app, colored the feet of Jan Brett animals, and listened to the fun Maple Leaf songs.
