Updated 2013-2014 Plans

I'm still working my bootie off on these plans for next year.  I'll share my latest.  You'll notice there are links to all the lessons.  There are some that will be SmartBoard activities.  For these I linked to the actual activity.  And there's a week in which my K-2 kids will be studying authors/illustrators.  I'll introduce with a story by the person I plan to spotlight (David Shannon for the Kinders, for example) and then I'll show them a video interview they have on Scholastic, so I have a link to that.

I've also been recreating the materials to go with the lessons.  Those are also included with, or linked into, my plans for each week.

Updated 2013-2014 Lesson Plans with Links

The last week of December simply says "Christmas Stories."  I'll most likely use stories online at the website We Give Books so the kids can "give back" as they enjoy the stories.  I love using this website.  

I brought home about 10 books with me (2 copies -- mine and the school's -- of some, smh!!) and have been pulling plans from them.  I did, however, plan on using some activities from my Library Brain set, which I didn't bother to bring home with me.  I'll update those weeks in August when I go back to school.  

Anyway, you're welcome to these if they'll help with your library plans.  :)   Enjoy!

Maps are Magic Jeopardy

I've spent the ENTIRE day (holy cow!) working on lesson planning for next year.  I'm about halfway done with all of it.  Whew!

I just spent about an hour (blah!) working on a jeopardy game to go with my Maurader's Map unit I've got planned for my 3rd graders.  Here's what it looks like at the moment:

I was hoping to put it on my Google Drive so I could easily share it, but it doesn't work right on there.  I also think I want to go back and change out the money for points, but we'll see.  The template plays backwards...  It gives a question and the kids just have to give an answer -- where Jeopardy usually gives the answer and you come up with the question.  I wasn't sure if it would confuse the kids so I left it the way it was, but it's not actually a problem to switch the links so it plays the "right" way.  We'll see...  I'll find out before then if the kids are familiar with Jeopardy or not.  I just imagine spending a lot of time saying, "Good, now say it in the form of a question so you can get the points!"  LOL

I've also determined all of my research projects for next year...

K - Author Study of Faith Ringgold (to tie in with Women's History Month)

1 - Weather

2 - Harriet Tubman (African American History Month)

3 - Native American Games (in November, which is when they do a Native American Unit every year).  They will also be researching American Pioneers in April.

4 - Pilgrim Children (in November), and NC in February.

I love love love my Library Sparks book!  This is where I've gotten so many of the great units I plan to try with my kids this year.  I've got a mock Caldecott Unit for 2nd Grade, a mystery unit for 4th grade, and lots of other fun things planned!  I'm so excited about this year.  Fingers crossed that my new principal will actually allow me the time to make it all happen!!

Still plugging away....

I've been working on writing questions for Dan Gutman's The Homework Machine, and I've finished reading Julie of the Wolves.  I was dreading it -- I remember reading it FOREVER ago and not liking it.  I actually enjoyed it this time, though the end was disheartening...  Anyway, I'll post my Homework Machine questions soon.

I've also been working on my plan for the school  year.  A few posts back I posted a link to the .pdf of the plan.  I've been going back through it, adding links to the activities now to make it more "user friendly."  I started off filling in a template with the applicable common core standards, but I'm thinking it's better to just get the plans done for now, and then I can worry about the templates later.  We're supposed to be getting  new computer program at school this year (PowerSchool) and I think we're expected to put our lesson plans on there.  It has a database of the standards I'll be able to just click on, so I'll just wait and see if I have to do those before spending too much time with formatting now.  Otherwise, I'll go back and stick them in whenever -- the files are on my Google Drive account with clickable links, so when I update them there, it's updated for all to see.

So anyway...  That's another "coming soon."  I've got Kindergarten almost done for the year, and 1st grade's done for the first half.  I'll try to get the worksheets put in (or make some of my own to go with the lessons), too.

If this is helpful to anyone, then it's worth sharing.  I've had new media coordinators ask me what they should be doing.  And I know a lot of them just do story time and checkout.  It's hard to teach if the teachers won't collaborate, but the kids need to learn this stuff.

Wonder if I can link it to the calendar on my webpage....  Hmmmmm....  Now there's an idea... I'll just have to add that to me ever-growing to-do list...

Alrighty...  Back to work!  :)

The Year of the Dog

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin is a beautiful story about a young Taiwanese girl as she spends a year finding herself, as she explores her culture, her interests, and her place in a cross-section of America.

It was a quick read that I hope my students will enjoy.  And there's a movie!  I'll need to add that to my collection in hopes of getting the TEACHERS to help me get the kids to read it.  Plus it's such a great multicultural addition.

Here is a Book Trailer:

And...  Here are the EBOB questions I compiled:  The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin

Tuesdays at the Castle

Today's book is Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George.

When I first started reading this book, I honestly thought...  "Oh, man...  I'm not going to like this."  But, as it turns out, I actually did.  It was a cute story.  Hard to write questions on, though.  When one of the main characters is an actual castle, how do you not give away which book you're talking about?  Here's a book trailer to give you a better idea.

The girls at NDE are infatuated with princesses lately, so they'll (hopefully) enjoy this book.  The boys like mysteries, but I just can't foresee many of them getting into this book unfortunately.  But we'll see.  *fingers crossed*   I'll booktalk and encourage them.

So anyway...  Here are the Battle of the Books questions I wrote for this.  Enjoy!

EBOB Questions for Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Inside Out and Back Again

Today I'll share the EBOB questions I wrote for Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai.

This was a very quick read.  The entire book is written in prose -- so beautiful.  It's the story of a young girl whose family leaves their war-torn home in Vietnam and find themselves in Alabama.

Here are the questions I wrote:  Inside Out and Back Again Questions

Now I need to get busy.  I'm out of school for the summer, but I'm still working 3 days/week at Lowes.  I had Monday and Tuesday off this week, so I refloored my living room.  I thought it would be a "fun" way to spend a rainy day (or two).  Yeah....  Not so fun.  But my floor looks beautiful!  I can't wait to do the family room and game room!

I've also finished reading Tuesdays at the Castle, Greetings from Nowhere, and Year of the Dog.  Unfortunately, I haven't been sitting at my computer while reading so I haven't written any questions for them.  I don't think it'll take me long to go back through them though, to find questions.

Today is the 4th of July and I'm off from work.  For some reason they had me work yesterday instead of today.  But yay!  I'm taking my daughter into town to watch the firework tonight.  She's excited.  We haven't gone to watch fireworks in years.  Personally, I couldn't care less, but she's thrilled.  Hopefully it won't rain!  Wish us luck and Happy 4th!