November 2017 in Review

November 2017 was another busy month in the Iroquois Middle School library!  We welcomed some new classes into the library and also received visits from some familiar faces.  Here are a few of the highlights from the month.

Early American Project
Probably the largest undertaking for the month of November was the Early American Research project with Mr. Smerka's seventh grade social studies students.  All of the research for the project and the actual group presentations took place in the library.  To read more about the project, visit this link.

Student groups presented their Early American research findings in the library.

Sixth Grade Reading Classes
Numerous reading classes came to the library to exchange books and learn about new titles of interest.  Mr. Frommann's students work diligently on their own book talks and are always eager to share those in the library.  The students in Mrs. Nicosia's and Mrs. Loveland's classes participated in a gallery walk where they viewed "comic strip book hooks" created by the cartoonists of the Unshelved comic strip.  These book hooks alerted students to some book titles they may be interested in reading.  Mrs. Reid's students worked on a genre graphic organizer and played a book genre game on Kahoot to test their knowledge.  All of these promotional efforts will help students to reach their 40 book challenge reading goals.

Seventh Grade RtI Project
Ms. Beauchamp was looking for creative ways for her seventh grade RtI students to use library resources in order to build skills.  We decided to use the webquests available on the World Book Student database with her RtI group.  The webquest used focused on the American Revolution, which students were just beginning to learn about in their Social Studies classes.  While working through the webquest, students identified the strategies they used in order to find the answers on the webquest.  We kept a running list of the strategies used so that students could reference available strategies in case they were stuck on a particular question.  Students were eager to complete the webquest and were excited to have some background knowledge they could bring to their Social Studies classes!

Eighth Grade Library Orientation
Mr. Marshall's eighth grade ELA classes visited the library in late November to participate in a library orientation utilizing a QR code scavenger hunt.  They also shared their ideas for future library purchases and special library events.  They were the last class in the middle school to visit for library orientation.  Now that all students have had a chance to weigh in on library purchases, new books will be ordered soon!

Iroquois MS Library Report for November 2017

Welcome to the Iroquois Middle School Library!

Welcome to our blog!  My name is Ms. Maria Muhlbauer and I am the new librarian at Iroquois Middle School.  I'm so thrilled to be teaching in the district where I reside!  Iroquois is definitely a very special place.  Be sure to visit the blog often to see what our students are learning in the library.

Fall 2017 was a very exciting and busy time.  Although I was not able to arrive until late September, we hit the ground running by organizing the library and hosting classes.

Over the summer, new lounge-style furniture arrived in the library.  This furniture has proven to be a big hit with students, as it allows them flexible and comfortable places to sit during their library visits.

The new seating area in the library.

The organization of the library was improved by adding additional library signage and displays.  Prior to my arrival, Miss Metz and Mrs. Jensen worked hard to get the library up and running!

A spooky book display near the library entrance.

Signage within the graphic novel area helps students find great books.

Fiction books were removed from the high shelves and replaced with displays.

Series fiction is grouped together.

Posters brighten up the reference area.

Mrs. Lasky, our fifth grade art teacher, had even more ideas to make the space inviting.  The nonfiction shelves now display some amazing works of art from fifth grade students!

Fifth grade artwork adorns the nonfiction area.

Students made Chiluly-inspired bowls out of old overhead projector sheets.

With the library ready for visitors, it was now time to host classes.  Here are some highlights from the past month:

Library Orientation and QR Code Scavenger Hunt
With all of the changes in the library, it was really necessary for students to have a library orientation.  In order for the orientation to be more interactive, we used the QR Reader app on the iPads to access videos about the sections of the library.  Students from grades 6-8 worked independently or in groups to complete the scavenger hunt.  Students then filled out a brief reflection.  The reflection asked students about what they like to read, what they would like to see purchased in the library, and if they had any ideas for special library events.  This feedback will help plan for future book purchases and library activities.  There were some amazing suggestions!

The scavenger hunt sheet was completed during library orientation.

Examples of the QR codes posted around the library.

Book Selection, Book Talks, and Free Reading
Many recent library visits have focused on selecting books for independent reading.  It is clear that Iroquois students love to read!  Sixth grade reading classes are participating in the 40 Book Challenge, inspired by "The Book Whisperer" Donalyn Miller.  Other grade levels also have reading goals and challenges.  For instance, eighth grade ELA students are challenged to complete a genre tic-tac-toe reading assignment this year.

The tic-tac-toe board used in eighth grade ELA.

Music Research
The seventh and eighth grade music classes of Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Kloc, and Ms. Louttit visited the library for research projects.  Seventh grade researched classical composers and eighth grade researched a rock and roll artist or group.  All students utilized books, encyclopedias, databases, and websites throughout the research process.  World Book Student and Kids InfoBits databases proved particularly helpful.  Useful websites were also organized on the library website through use of the Symbaloo tool.

The website organizer for the eighth grade music project.

All in all, it was a great start to the year in the library!  I'm looking forward to adding more library visits and special events in the coming months.

A snapshot of the last few weeks in the library.