March Library Happenings

This month, third graders were introduced to the Dewey Decimal System in order to learn how the nonfiction section of the library is organized.  We learned all about the 10 Dewey classes and how this system makes it easy to find books about specific topics.  We compared this to how similar foods are shelved together at the supermarket!  Students then chose a Dewey category and created a super hero to represent and defend that section from the evil villain Mr. Chaos!  I was so impressed with their enthusiasm and creativity!  Stay tuned for some pics of the completed project. They are awesome!

Fourth graders read books about two sled dogs from the Great Serum Race of 1925; Balto and Togo.  We then used information from the books as well as from the Internet to complete a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two dogs.  This was a great exercise in integrating information obtained from multiple print and electronic resources.  To further connect to their study of the Western region of the United States, we also read The Salmon Princess: an Alaskan Cinderella.  To celebrate Women's History Month, we read You Forgot Your Skirt Amelia Bloomer!; a biography about a woman's rights advocate in the mid-1800s.  Ask your children how many pounds of clothing women were expected to wear in those days!

Fifth graders focused on nonfiction text features.  We had fun playing "Name That Text Feature;" a game where students were presented with certain information dilemmas and had to decide which nonfiction text feature would best help them get to the answer. To connect to their study of the American Revolution as well as to Women's History Month, we read Independent Dames: What You Never Knew About the Women and Girls of the American Revolution.

Sixth graders celebrated Pi day in the library by reading Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi.  This was a fun way to review circle vocabulary.  We also made some fortune tellers where students had to calculate the circumference of a circle given the diameter or radius.  In honor of Women's History Month, we read Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride;  a book about two strong, adventurous women in history:  Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt.  We then completed an online research activity utilizing mini-biographies about women in space and aviation history posted on the Smithsonian website.