Battle of the Books 2018

Even in only my short time at Iroquois, it was immediately evident that the middle school has a community of avid, enthusiastic readers.  From the student surveys gathered at the beginning of the year during library orientation, I received feedback that a reading competition would be well-received.

Luckily for me, a group of amazing WNY librarians already created the foundation for an incredible middle school book competition.  Donn Riggi, librarian at Alden Middle School, has hosted a Battle of the Books event for her students for the last eleven years.  Last year, the Alden Battle of the Books was expanded to a multi-district event including Orchard Park Middle School (with librarian Paul Kloster) and Hamburg Middle School (with librarian Megan Moelbert).  This dynamic librarian trio aimed to make the 2018 event bigger and better, and they certainly delivered!  Due to their legwork and outreach, the 2018 Battle of the Books competition garnered participation from ten area schools, including Iroquois.  Mrs. Riggi, Mr. Kloster, and Mrs. Moelbert provided the book battle newbie librarians with promotional materials, quiz questions, and support designed to get the Battle of the Books off the ground in other schools.

Flyer promoting the competition.

Mrs. Webb, sixth grade ELA teacher at Iroquois, was eager to take part in the Battle of the Books experience.  Having her as a co-advisor for the Iroquois event was tremendously valuable as she was able to promote the Battle in her classes.  Two heads are always better than one!

We began our Iroquois Battle of the Books in mid-February.  We held informational sessions for students which gave them details about the event and the books chosen for the competition.  Students were encouraged to form teams of 3-5 students.  Each team would test their knowledge against other Iroquois teams by answering trivia questions pertaining to the five books chosen for the competition.  There were two rounds of questions.  After the two rounds, the Iroquois team with the highest combined score would travel to Hamburg Middle School to compete with the other WNY teams.

Battle of the Books information distributed to students.

Page two of the Battle of the Books brochure.

Thirty-six students in grades 6-8 signed up to be a part of the competition!  The teams included: My Personal Favorite, Fat Cats, Three Musketeers, Budget Crusaders, Reader's Mind, The Chipmunks, Golden Girls, Rogue Squadron, and The Radical Readers.  Leading up to the competition, students were encouraged to visit the library during select lunch periods to meet with their teammates and ask questions of the advisors.  

"My Personal Favorite" meets over lunch to discuss books.

A lunchtime meeting for Battle of the Books.

Members of "The Chipmunks" meet with Mrs. Webb.

The two preliminary rounds at Iroquois took place in mid-April 2018.  During the first round, Kathryn Puehn, librarian at Elma Public Library, came to discuss the programming (specifically the public library's Battle of the Books) at Elma.  I'm hopeful that students will decide to participate in these great programs! 

The competition was fierce, as the final scores were very close!  It was clear that students really read the books carefully.

The Three Musketeers

The Golden Girls

Fat Cats!

Budget Crusaders

The Radical Readers

At the end of the Iroquois rounds, Rogue Squadron emerged victorious!  This team, comprised solely of sixth grade boys, scored 77 out of a possible 80 points.  On April 26th, 2018, Rogue Squadron traveled to Hamburg Middle School to battle against the other WNY teams.

Ready for the Book Battle!

I wouldn't mess with Rogue Squadron!

Rogue Squadron placed a respectable third out of the ten schools competing.  They were only one point behind the teams that had tied for first!  They were respectful, polite, and professional while at Hamburg Middle School. 

We returned to school after the WNY competition and held an after school pizza party for all Iroquois participants.  Students shared their suggestions for books they would like to read next year and received participation certificates.  A special thanks to all students who participated and to Mrs. Webb for being an awesome co-advisor!  We are already looking forward to next year.

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.

Spanish Pen Pals with Flipgrid

It's always wonderful to bring new teachers and subject areas into the library!  Ms. Marcinkowski, Iroquois Middle School's new seventh grade Spanish teacher, was eager to bring her students into the library for a special project.

The purpose of this project was to allow students to use their Spanish speaking and listening skills in an authentic context while appropriately using technology.  The objective of this project was met by crafting a pen pal project through the use of Flipgrid.  Flipgrid is a safe, educational platform which hosts audio and video.  Educators are able to post a prompt and then students are able to record video and audio responses. 

For this project, Spanish 7 students at Pioneer Middle School in Yorkshire, NY would be viewing the Iroquois students' videos.  Iroquois students would also have the opportunity to view videos created by the Pioneer students.  The Flipgrid resource provided a great way to facilitate a digital pen pal project!

The Flipgrid prompt was created by Ms. Marcinkowski.  The requirements of the prompt allowed students to showcase their knowledge of vocabulary from previous units.  Students used their vocabulary packets in order to prepare a written script as a response to the prompt.

Students prepared a script to use for the Flipgrid prompt.

Once students had their scripts approved by Ms. Marcinkowski, it was nearly time to begin the recording on Flipgrid.  However, before students began recording, this was a perfect time to review some internet safety and overall privacy tips.  Although Flipgrid is a safe platform due to its use of passwords and unique URL links, there are many instances where students may be in an unsafe environment online.  Through utilizing digital safety flyers I had created, we held class discussions on internet safety concerns.  It is important that students understand how to protect their personal information while online.

One of the tech tip flyers used to facilitate a digital safety conversation.

It was now time to begin recording.  At this point in the project, there was some level of differentiation.  A handful of students did not receive permission to use Flipgrid, so they instead created postcards using their script.  Other students were allowed to record audio, but not a video of their face.  These students either covered their laptop's camera or pointed it to another object.  It took students a few tries to get the hang of using Flipgrid.  Seeing and hearing yourself on video can be a little unnerving, but they powered through the awkwardness and recorded some outstanding videos.

Students found a quiet space in the library to record their Flipgrid videos.

Listening to yourself on video led to some giggles!

Ms. Marcinkowski helps a student troubleshoot some recording issues.

After students were satisfied with their recordings and saved them to Flipgrid, they moved on to Part 2 of the project.  For Part 2, students visited the Pioneer Middle School Flipgrid page to view the recordings from the Pioneer students.  As a test of their listening skills, the Iroquois students wrote down (in English) what they believed the Pioneer students said in their videos.

Students recorded their interpretation of what the Pioneer students expressed in their videos.

There were many positive outcomes from this project.  Students gained a familiarity with the Flipgrid platform, which will allow them a safe space on the internet to record their thoughts.  They also had a chance to practice their vocabulary in a way that was interactive and fun.  The Iroquois students loved viewing the videos posted by the Pioneer students.

Ms. Marcinkowski and I would like to thank Ms. McKenzie and Mrs. Racitano, the Spanish teacher and librarian at Pioneer Middle School, for their willingness to partner with us for this project.  We're looking forward to creating more opportunities for the Iroquois and Pioneer students to communicate as pen pals!

Sixth Grade Mythology Project

During January and February 2018, many class periods were devoted to visits from Mrs. Webb, Mrs. Whalen, and their fantastic sixth grade ELA students.  The purpose of the library visits was to perform research on a variety of figures from Greek Mythology.   An in-class reading of The Lightning Thief, a fictional story rooted in mythology, led to many students having a keen interest in the subject matter.  I have even overheard sixth grade students debate about the gods' powers during their library study hall periods!  This degree of personal interest made the research process all the more fascinating for the sixth grade students.

Upon entering the library, students were assigned a specific god or goddess from Greek Mythology that would serve as the focus of their research.  Some students did not receive their first choice for research, but this provided an opportunity for students to learn about figures they may not have knowledge about.  Mrs. Whalen and Mrs. Webb provided their students with a project overview, deadlines for specific portions of the project, and a folder in which to organize their resources.

Each student needed to find information about their god or goddess, including family structure, symbols, and specific myths where their figure was mentioned.  When in the library, the classes would begin with a mini-lesson on research resources and strategies.  For the first three days, we focused on using a single type of resource.  Day 1 was devoted to books, day 2 was devoted to online databases, and day 3 was reserved for website research.  By breaking the research process down by type of resource, it helped the students to understand the benefits and challenges of each specific type of resource.

Research sources helped students to complete their graphic organizer.

As students moved through the research process, they were required to use MLA-formatted Note Sheets in order to keep track of the sources used.  These Note Sheets helped students to organize their research and avoid plagiarism.

Completed Note Sheets for research sources used.

Once students had completed their research in the library, they spent their ELA classes working on writing their essays.  The graphic organizer also served as the outline for their essay!  Students were able to directly apply their research into the essay, since their organizer served as the overall structure for the essay.

When the essays were completed, the students returned to the library for two final activities: a mythology gallery walk and presentation.  For the gallery walk, students brought in their finished essay (complete with beautifully illustrated cover) and an object with symbolized their god or goddess.  Students were exceptionally creative when it came to choosing a symbolic object.  One student even used a 3D printer to make a model of his god's helmet.

Essay covers and objects from sixth grade mythology projects.

A 3D-printed helmet was especially awesome!

More artifacts and covers from the mythology gallery walk.

Students were able to walk through the area containing the artifacts and covers.  This allowed the students to see their peers' hard work and the creativity used when finding a symbolic object for their god or goddess.

After the gallery walk, students then gave a brief presentation about their god or goddess.  They explained the basics of their figure, retold an associated myth, and explained why they brought in the object they chose.  These presentations made it clear that students had learned from their research!

A homemade sword and shield to represent Ares!

Hades' homemade helmet.

A homemade, winged cap.

Homemade ax (don't worry, it wasn't sharp).

Zeus costume!

Bow and arrow.

Testing a bow and arrow in the library!

Overall, the goals of this project were met.  Students were introduced to the different research offerings available through the library.  This will help students as they move up through the grade levels, as books, databases, and websites will continually be used for research.  The MLA Note Sheets also introduced students to the fundamentals of note taking, citing sources, and avoiding plagiarism.  The structured outline provided by Mrs. Webb and Mrs. Whalen helped guide students' note taking and set them up for success when they began writing their essays.

The best part of the project by far was the gallery walk with accompanying presentations!  It was such a treat to witness the students' creativity and hard work. 

The Outsiders Project

During January and February 2018, Mrs. Gembka and Ms. Beauchamp's seventh grade ELA students visited the library to work on their final project regarding The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.  Written in the 1960's by a teenager, The Outsiders is a classic story about gangs, social issues, friendship, and family.  Although an older work, The Outsiders contains timeless themes that still resonate with today's youth.

The Outsiders describes an incident where Johnny Cade, a member of the "Greaser" gang, stabs a rival gang member.  The rival gang member later dies.  As the basis for the ELA research project, students were assigned one of two claims: either Johnny acted in self-defense or he should be found guilty of manslaughter.

While visiting the library, students used a variety of online sources to find supporting evidence for their claim.  The students first utilized the "FindLaw Legal Dictionary" web page to learn basic legal terminology.  Students then took notes about other legal cases involving manslaughter and self-defense verdicts.

Links to a legal dictionary and past court cases were provided via the library website.

On their final research day in the library, students created MLA-formatted bibliography pages using Microsoft Word.  This built upon skills previously taught by Mrs. Walkowiak in technology class.  Students demonstrated their ability to locate the necessary components for citations and their knowledge as to why citations are needed to avoid plagiarism.

When the students returned to the classroom, they spent time locating and analyzing textual evidence within The Outsiders book that would lend support to their claim.  With all of their research in place, students worked on creating an evidence-based essay surrounding their claim.

On February 5th, 2018, seventh grade ELA students returned to the library for a visit from a guest speaker.  Mrs. Ashley Lowry, an Assistant District Attorney for Erie County, provided an informative presentation designed to help students with their project.  She explained her own educational background, what it takes to work in the legal profession, aspects of the legal process, and tips for formulating claims regarding The Outsiders.  The visit was well-received.  The students asked great questions and left the session with key takeaways to improve the quality of their own projects.

ADA Ashley Lowry shares legal information, as well as
insights for The Outsiders project.

With their essays complete, students returned to their classrooms for the final component of the project: a debate!  This was a highly-anticipated portion of the project.  Students enjoyed using their debate skills to try to convince their classmates of which verdict is appropriate.  During the debate, students judged each other on the quality of evidence, the clarity of the argument, and respect/overall demeanor demonstrated.

Seventh grade ELA students will return to the library during April and May to complete an in-depth research assignment on environmental issues.  Looking forward to having this great group in again!

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.

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