February/March 2018 Highlights

With the February break followed by a quick spring break, the months of February and March seemed to both blend together and fly by!  It was a busy time with a variety of projects across subjects and grade levels.

February began with a seventh grade Spanish Flipgrid project with Ms. Marcinkowski, a sixth grade Greek mythology project with Mrs. Webb and Mrs. Whalen, and an attorney visit as part of The Outsiders unit with Ms. Beauchamp and Mrs. Gembka.  Click on the links in this paragraph to learn more about the students' work during these units!

There were a number of visits to the library during February 2018.

World War II/Holocaust Research Project
The largest event in the library, spanning both February and March, was the combined eighth grade ELA/Social Studies project with Mr. Baumgartner and Mrs. Maulucci.  A solid two weeks was booked in the library for the completion of this project.  Students were required to use reliable sources for research in order to develop a thesis statement about a topic pertaining to either World War II or the Holocaust.  Once a thesis was developed, students then crafted a 3-5 page paper, complete with an MLA-formatted Works Cited page and in-text citations.

Planning and preparation helped to make the project run as smoothly as possible.  Mr. Baumgartner, Mrs. Maulucci, myself, and sometimes Mrs. Mule were available during both ELA and Social Studies classes to help all students.  This ensured that students always had access to adults that could help with the history content, writing skills, and research techniques.  This also meant that students would have two full class periods a day devoted to the project, since they visited the library for both ELA and Social Studies.

When students entered the library for the first time, they received a mini lesson regarding the goals for the day.  This would include information on finding sources, citing sources, developing research questions, identifying strong thesis statements, paraphasing/summarizing, outlining, drafting, and using transitions.  After receiving the mini lesson, students were then able to work independently.

Incorporating technology in meaningful ways contributed to the success of the project.  Mrs. Maulucci is very familiar with the use of Microsoft OneNote and Class Notebook.  She was able to put all of the project requirements and resources into OneNote.  This meant that students were always able to access the project resources on their laptops and keep all of their notes in one place.  OneNote also allows teachers to look into individual student notebooks, which helped monitor student progress and areas of concern.  Throughout the project, we disseminated "Research Check Ins" to all students through the use of Google Forms.  This allowed us to collect data on where students needed extra help.  Students also submitted their thesis statements via Google Forms, which helped in setting up individual conferences before students began their draft.  Lastly, students used Microsoft Word to compose their essays.  The references features within Word are great!  They allowed students to easily add their Works Cited information, and the program also formatted in-text citations to use within the paper.  Becoming familiar with the Microsoft features will serve students well as they will continue to use these resources into high school and beyond.

A glimpse into the OneNote notebook where all project materials were housed.

Research Check Ins via Google Forms allowed teachers to
assist students with their specific project needs.

This project was a huge undertaking for the students and required the use of numerous high-level skills.  Students definitely rose to the challenge, and most made good use of their time in the library.  Due to the complexity of this project, mastery of the skills introduced does not happen overnight.  However, this project laid the foundation for the critical thinking, communication, and research skills that will be needed to succeed in high school and beyond.  Our students really rose to the occasion!  We are all proud of the way students dove into the process.

Music Class Visits
Another highlight from February and March was having multiple visits from the Iroquois Middle School music department.  Since music teachers see their general music students for a ten week period, music teachers are frequent visitors in the library for research projects.  Ms. Louttit, Mrs. Kloc, and Mrs. Fox visited with their seventh grade students to perform research on classical composers.  Mrs. Fox also returned with her eighth graders for a project on Rock and Roll history.

Science Class Visits
Seventh and eighth grade science classes visited the library for both research assistance and a station activity.  Students in Ms. Pici and Mrs. Robinson's eighth grade science classes visited for research help for their "Creative Element" project.  Databases such as Britannica and World Book were perfect for learning about the elements.  After learning the history and properties of specific elements, students then made a creative project inspired by their element.  These projects are now on display in the library.

A creative display about Nitrogen.

Many of the creative element projects are displayed in the library.

A huge box of french fries represents Potassium.

Mrs. Ferger and Mrs. Raczkowski brought their seventh grade science students into the library for a stations activity regarding genetics concepts.  Using QR codes and the QR reader app on the library iPads, students accessed a variety of videos and activities about genetics.  Students appreciated the ability to move around the library and work at their own pace.

Book Selection Visits
ELA and reading classes are all at different points with their free reading and reading challenges.  This resulted in many classroom visits to exchange books.  Mr. Marshall and Mrs. Maulucci's students are completing a genre tic tac toe board for their reading requirement.  Both teachers visited the library with their students in order to select new books.  Mrs. Gembka's seventh grade students also visited the library to select a book for their book report.  The sixth grade reading classes frequented the library for book selection.  Mrs. Nicosia's readers received an introduction on the 1990s prior to their all-class reading of Pay It Forward.

RtI Conspiracy Theory Project
Ms. Beauchamp's seventh grade RtI students visited the library in order to perform research on conspiracy theories.  This project was designed to build students' skills in tackling informational text, identifying the main idea and supporting details, citing sources, and writing.  Each student was assigned a specific theory.  After reading about the conspiracy theory, students then used credible sources to "debunk" the theory.  Students created a PowerPoint, then presented their findings to their classmates.  Each PowerPoint contained a slide with their Works Cited information.  It was clear that students really understood their material, as they were able to field difficult questions from their peers.

An example from the presentation about the moon landing.

Library statistics for March 2018.

It's amazing to think that we are already in the last three months of school!  April's schedule will be packed with more book visits, RtI projects, and research.

January 2018 Highlights

January 2018 in the Iroquois Middle School library welcomed new teachers, classes, and projects into the library space.  The larger projects for the month involved sixth grade mythology research and a seventh grade project based on The Outsiders (both of these projects will be discussed in separate blog entries).  Here are some of the other highlights from the month of January:

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.

Some of the students enjoyed the opportunity to use Flipgrid, but others were more hesitant.  Sometimes it is a little unnerving to see and hear yourself on video!  The completed Flipgrid recordings were excellent.  Students shared many important takeaways and insights concerning the Civil Rights Movement.

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.

Science Class Visits
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.