Civil Rights Stations
Because Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is right in the middle of January, Mrs. Reid wanted her sixth grade reading students to become aware of the events and key figures of the Civil Rights Movement. We decided it would be powerful to introduce students to other children and teens that made an impact within the Civil Rights Movement. Students moved through a series of stations in order to learn about Claudette Colvin, Ruby Bridges, The Little Rock Nine, and the Birmingham Children's Marches of 1963. At each station, students used the QR reader app on an iPad to access a video of the station's subject. The station also contained photos, articles, and books for further context on the individual or event. Students discussed the stations in small groups, then wrote their own responses about each station.
 |
| Sixth grade students watch a video about the 1963 Children's Marches. |
 |
| Students learn about Ruby Bridges' contributions to civil rights efforts. |
After the students had visited each station, they then had time to reflect upon the stations as a whole. Students were instructed to think about the following questions:
1. What station inspired you? Why?
2. What station surprised you? Why?
3. Why was it so powerful for children to participate in the Civil Rights movement?
4. Is there such a thing as "good trouble"? What are some examples of good trouble?
5. What can students in 2018 do to make a positive influence in the world?
Instead of answering these questions as a written response, students were instructed to record a video using the Flipgrid educational video platform. When using Flipgrid, students can record a video response on a secure website that isn't visible to the public. The Flipgrid responses can then be viewed by the other students in the class.
 |
| Preparing to record a video response on Flipgrid. |
Music Projects
Mrs. Fox visited the library with both her sixth grade and eighth grade general music classes. The sixth graders were researching a specific orchestral instrument and the eighth grade students were researching a Rock and Roll musical artist. Students used books, websites, and databases (specifically World Book, Britannica, and Kids InfoBits) in order to find their information. These projects also gave students a chance to practice filling out MLA citation note sheets for each resource.
Genre Tasting
The sixth grade reading classes frequented the library to exchange books. A handful of students have already reached their 40 book goal for the year! One of the most memorable sixth grade reading class visits from January was a "genre tasting" event with Mrs. Whalen and Mrs. Govenettio's students. During this genre tasting, students sampled the library's best selections from a variety of genres. Students were on their best "restaurant behavior" and many left the library with a new and interesting book to read.
 |
| Students sample books from the mystery genre. |
 |
| Nonfiction and biographies appeared as part of the Genre Tasting. |
It was exciting to welcome two science teachers to the library! Ms. Pici's eighth grade science class visited the library to perform research for their Atomic Theory project. They used databases and websites in order to find information about scientists that contributed to what we now know about atoms. Mrs. Ferger's seventh grade science students came to the library to complete a biodiversity webquest in preparation for their Skype visit from a Yellowstone National Park ranger. Once students completed the webquest, they used the Wonderopolis website to learn a little more about Yellowstone.
RtI Inquiry Project
Ms. Beauchamp's seventh grade RtI students visited the library to embark on an inquiry project. We began the unit with a YouTube compilation video called "Cats vs. Cucumbers" where it was observed that a number of cats seemed to be genuinely afraid of cucumbers. In order to find out why this was the case, students utilized the Wonderopolis website in order to read scientific theories as to why cats might be frightened by cucumbers. After reading through the Wonderopolis article, students then shared the main idea of the article with their classmates.
On a subsequent visit, students went back to Wonderopolis to research a question of personal interest and then share their findings. Over the next several class sessions, students posed questions for their classmates that could not be answered simply through the use of Wonderopolis. To find the answers to their questions, students employed a variety of strategies such as keyword searching, website evaluation, finding the main idea, and reading for supporting evidence. Students returned to the library in early February to present their research findings.
