December 2017 Library Visits

Happy New Year!  It's always tough to get back into the swing of school after a break, but it is nice to return to familiar faces and a more structured routine.  December 2017 welcomed class visits as well as special events within the Iroquois Middle School Library.

Book Bistro
On December 7th, the annual Book Bistro for Iroquois Middle School staff members took place.  It was a great day of food and fun!  Click here to read more about the Book Bistro event.

The Omnivore's Dilemma Project
The largest research project of December was done with the eighth grade students in Mrs. Maulucci and Mrs. Mule's classes.  After reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, students gained knowledge about the health, environmental, and economic issues surrounding the food we all eat.  This led to more questions about food issues and a desire to explore these questions in greater depth.

The project required students to develop a claim based on topics within the book, then find credible sources that supported the claim.  Students were introduced to library resources, in particular the Opposing Viewpoints in Context and Teen Health and Wellness databases, in order to find evidence for their claim.

This was the first project in the library that was completed via Microsoft Office 365 Class Notebook.  The online notebook provided a digital way for students to stay organized.  Within the notebook, students found the project requirements, grading rubric, passwords for library resources, and a space to record their notes.  This digital organization also gave Mrs. Maulucci and Mrs. Mule the ability to check in on students' progress throughout the project.

Once a claim was formulated and supporting evidence was solidified, students were able to choose how to present their findings to the class.  Although the majority of the students used PowerPoint, some chose to make posters, record videos, or use digital services such as Sway, Screencast-o-Matic.

A presentation discussed food poisoning.

Claims about a vegan diet was the focus of another presentation.

Overall, students' presentations were well-organized and informative!  Some students struggled with the idea of a claim, and instead presented about a topic.  This is a high-level skill that will be continually developed through ELA classes and research.

Reading Conferences and Book Selection
Many classes continue to frequent the library for book selection.  The sixth grade reading classes are well underway with their 40 Book Challenge, meaning they are often seen in the library selecting new titles.  Mrs. Whalen's reading class has also been using the library space to host small group meetings about their classroom book, Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin.  The flexible seating allows for each group to find a place where they can comfortably hold a book discussion.  During the short month of December, 383 books were checked out or renewed.

Genre/Book Tasting
Mrs. Nicosia was excited to try a book/genre tasting with the sixth grade students in her reading class.  Although I had previously worked on speedbooking activities, I had never hosted a book tasting.  In order to prepare for the experience, I was able to draw upon other tastings conducted by educators.  I found the blog entries from Bubble Up Classroom by Corey Thornblad and Gretchen Hazlin and The Unquiet Librarian by Buffy Hamilton to be particularly helpful.  Using ideas and resources presented from both blogs, I now felt like I had a good foundation to host a book/genre tasting.  It was very helpful that these educators graciously shared their resources and insights.

Taking Mrs. Nicosia's students into account, I chose to focus on some of the genres where students were having difficulties finding engaging titles.  This class is particularly adept at reading graphic novels, so that category was not included.  The genres featured included historical fiction, poetry/novels in verse, mystery fiction, nonfiction/biographies, science fiction/fantasy, and realistic fiction.  Canva was used to create beautiful signage for our library (which was turned into the Genre Cafe for the event!).

The featured selections for Mrs. Nicosia's genre tasting.

When students entered the library, they were greeted by tables full of selections from the featured genres.  Each table also included a place setting, candle, and description of the genre.  As students moved through each table, they recorded their impressions of the books they chose to "taste" during the activity.

The science fiction/fantasy table for the genre tasting.

The nonfiction/biography selections.

Students "tasted" their books and recorded their impressions.

There were many positives associated with conducting this type of activity.  Most importantly, it exposed students to a variety of books that they may not have have previously viewed.  Students also seemed to really enjoy pretending that they were at a fancy restaurant!

If I were to host another book/genre tasting in the future, I would make some changes.  The activity took place right before winter break, so behaviors were a bit of an issue--students were excited to leave for break, so some needed extra prompts to get on track!  Also, this event requires lots of setup time.  I thought the early morning time before school would be sufficient for setting up, but time was tight.  It would make more sense to set this activity up the night before.  Mrs. Whalen's students will be coming in during January to have their own genre tasting.  Hopefully it goes just as well!

American Revolution Day
On the final day before winter break, all seventh grade students participated in American Revolution Day.  This coincided with the content they were learning about in their Social Studies classes.  There were many stations located around the school where students took part in activities pertaining to colonial times.  The library housed the problem solving station.  While in the library, students cracked a code, worked on a logic puzzle, and attempted to guess the uses of some colonial artifacts (and replicas).

Since my mom is a history buff and a generous person, I was able to borrow sixteen different items to use for the activity.  Student groups took their best guesses as to what all of the items were used for.  Although some of the items were obvious, there were definitely some tricky items as well.  The winning groups guessed thirteen out of sixteen items correctly.

Student groups guessed the uses of colonial items.

This item is a patten, which is a primitive form of ice skate.

This is a type of lantern that could be hung outdoors.

Although December was a short month, there was still lots of activity within the library.  Looking forward to more projects in 2018!

Iroquois Middle School December Report

Book Bistro 2017

One of the most exciting aspects about working in a new school is getting to know all of the staff members in the building.  A perfect way to meet them is to hold an "adults only" event in the library.

Mrs. Griffin, Iroquois Middle School's previous librarian, held an annual Book Bistro.  This was a day where all staff members were invited to the library to preview the new books, eat some delicious treats, enter raffles, and get a jump on holiday shopping.  When I began at Iroquois, staff members were quick to tell me about how fun it was to have the Book Bistro in the library.  This was clearly a tradition that I needed to carry on!

The Book Bistro took place on Thursday, December 7th, 2017.  Upon entering the library, teachers were presented with library resource folders (complete with candy!).  The front of the folder displayed an infographic by Tiffany Whitehead, librarian extraordinaire, which outlined different ways that teachers could collaborate with a school librarian.  Inside the packet were database/streaming video service passwords, as well as MLA 8th edition citation guidelines.

Staff members were encouraged to take a library resource packet.

Each resource packet displayed Tiffany Whitehead's infographic about library collaboration.

Another prominent display that greeted Book Bistro attendees was the display of new books.  Although there hasn't been a large order placed yet, there have been some new titles added to the library.  Many of the titles purchased were student or staff recommendations.

Iroquois Middle's new books for December 2017.

Due to the generosity of Sue Bartle, the Erie 2 BOCES School Library System Director, and many other individuals, there were dozens of raffle items available for staff members to win.  Many of the raffle items included autographed books!

A selection of raffle items.

Games and activity sets were popular raffle items.

Autographed books are always a hit!

There were dozens of raffle items for Book Bistro attendees.

Speaking of Sue Bartle, she brought a fun "make and take" craft for staff members attending the Book Bistro.  Inspired by the holiday season, the completed craft contained the saying "you can't spell gingerbread without READ!"  These crafts were eagerly picked up by teachers who would later share the crafts with their students.

Fun "make and take" crafts from Sue Bartle.

"You can't spell gingerbread without READ!"

Another big draw for the Book Bistro was a chance to get started on some holiday shopping.  An area of the library was set up with wares from Iroquois teachers as well as local vendors.  This was a great way to shop local for the holidays.

There were fun gifts available for purchase at the Book Bistro.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the delicious food that was brought in by the Iroquois Middle School staff members.  I wish I had a picture of the food, but it was GONE!  It's possible that I ate my weight in chicken wing dip during the Book Bistro, but that's a story for another day.

Thank you to everyone (especially Sue Bartle) that helped to make the Book Bistro a great event.  If you're looking for a fun way to relax, get to know other staff members, and promote librarian/teacher collaboration, I highly suggest holding an event like this!  It made for a fun and memorable day.

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

Early American Research

During November 2017, the students in Mr. Smerka's seventh grade Social Studies classes spent multiple days in the library for a research project.  During this project, groups of 3-4 students researched Early American topics and presented their findings to their classmates.

Student groups chose from topics such as: Haudenosaunee, Moundbuilders, Mesoamerican Civilizations, Southwestern Civilizations, Spanish Conquistadors, and Early English Colonies.  These topics were very broad and open-ended, meaning that the groups had the flexibility to take their research in many directions.

The first few days of the project were devoted to introducing students to the various resources available for research.  Students spent time using nonfiction and reference books available in the library.  They recorded their research on MLA note sheets, which helped them to stay organized and avoid plagiarism.

Note Sheets help students to stay organized during the research process.

Enjoying the flexible seating in the library while completing some research.

Students used nonfiction books to learn more about their topic.

Once students exhausted the information found in the books, we moved on to using online databases to gather more facts.  Online databases are helpful choices for research because they provided reliable information written by experts.  The World Book Student and Britannica databases proved to be very useful for the project.  Students again used the Note Sheets to collect their facts and citation information.

The Note Sheets gave students practice with finding citation information.

Britannica and World Book were particularly helpful databases.

At the end of the third day of research, the students completed an online "Research Check In" form that was posted on the library website.  This check in allowed Mr. Smerka and I to see if students understood the importance of using reliable sources and if anyone was experiencing issues with the research process.  The data gathered from this was extremely helpful.  Students that might not have been comfortable telling us that they were having problems researching felt comfortable letting us know on the form.  Over the next few days, we were able to provide targeted assistance to those students.

A Google Form was utilized to create the check in document.

As students neared the end of the research process, only a few groups utilized Internet sources found using a search engine.  These students were directed to again cite these sources, and looked into evaluating the validity of the source prior to its use.

The groups then worked on PowerPoint slides in order to provide a visual for their presentation.  The majority of these projects were well organized and utilized advanced features such as hyperlinks and transitions.

The last few days in the library were devoted to presenting the group projects.  Students received a grading rubric prior to presenting, so they had a clear idea of the assessment for criteria.  The presentations were wonderful!  Many student groups displayed tremendous creativity (and the groups that brought snacks were much appreciated!).

Some groups used the "PERSIA" acronym to focus on different cultural aspects.

Students explaining the governmental structure of the Haudenosaunee.

A group chose to display a learning goal at the beginning of the presentation.

A group researched jewelry making of Mesoamerican groups, then created their own pieces!

An informative presentation on the Moundbuilder societies.

Having Mr. Smerka's students in the library made for a very enjoyable week and a half.  Additionally, students were able to practice their research, teamwork, and presentation skills.  The seventh grade teams will return to the library for an ELA project in January where they will continue to hone their skills.

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.