Learning is fun!
Posted in advocacy, grants, Pre-K, and reading skills
Both Pre-K classes were so excited to receive the new library books and stuffed animals from the Pre-K Zoo Buddies PISD Education Foundation grant! Each student will take his/her library book home to read to his/her new ‘zoo buddy’. The kids wrote and decorated thank you note cards in the library.
Posted in apps, holiday, picture book lesson, reading skills, technology, and third grade
Last week in the Jackson Library, third graders used Google’s Toontastic app to retell the story, The Monsterator by Keith Graves. This app is great because it is free, it allows them to draw their own setting and characters, it offers them options to customize their music and record their voice, and it even adds scrolling movie credits. Check out their creations!
The-Monsterator-Vocabulary-Quiz1
Posted in fourth grade, picture book lesson, and reading skills
Last week in the Jackson Library, fourth graders created character maps for the two main characters in the book, Me First! First, we looked at Pinkerton the pig’s actions and drew conclusions about his personality. Then we looked at the Sand Witch’s behavior and summarized her personality with a few words. The kids love this story!
This week in the Jackson Library, fifth graders explored the fascinating picture book, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. First, we discussed topiaries and looked at pictures. Then we discussed foreshadowing and prepared ourselves to find how Van Allsburg uses the literary technique in his book. During the story, we completed the puzzle and discussed the vocabulary words. During check out, the kids rotated on the computers to play a Quizdini game about the book. After the story, the kids had to decide if the magician tricked Alan or if he really knew magic. It looks like FOX/Disney might be adapting the book into a movie version soon!
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Posted in games, how to, picture book lesson, and reading skills
Did you know? You can assign a Kahoot game to be played when students have time during remote learning? Did you know? Astronauts provide read alouds in space! Here’s the info:
Here’s an astronaut reading the book: If I Were an Astronaut.
Here’s how to play the asynchronous Kahoot game:
6. Copy the URL to give to the kids.
Here’s the game I made for the kids to play to go with If I Were an Astronaut:
Posted in book clubs, fourth grade, games, and reading skills
The fourth grade Fenway and Hattie book club met today during lunch and played fun games about the book! First, we played a Quizizz game to review the middle chapters. Then the kids solved a crossword puzzle and played a fun computer mystery game created by the author, Victoria Coe! I’m setting up a fun Breakout EDU game for next week!
Try to figure out the password for the secret page
Posted in fourth grade, picture book lesson, reading skills, technology, and writing
Last week in the Jackson Library, fourth grade analyzed the actions, dialogue, and personalities of the characters in Helen Lester’s Me First! to pinpoint descriptive character traits of the main characters. They used a Seesaw bubble map I created and chose between Pinkerton the pig or the Sand Witch templates.
Me First!
Posted in apps, fifth grade, picture book lesson, reading skills, technology, and writing
Last week in the Jackson Library, fifth graders studied characters by their appearance, actions, and dialogue in the book, This is a Moose. After the story, they used a Seesaw activity I created to complete a bubble map describing the character(s) of their choice. They were allowed to use two physical attributes and the rest were to be personality traits. Check out their awesome work!
Character Trait Bubble Map Seesaw Activity
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!
Posted in fun events, and reading skills
Summer Reading S’more created by Jaime Edmondson, Harrington Elementary Librarian.
