Madame Pince and the School Library

For libraries and librarians just west of Hogwarts

Every Picture Tells A Story

February13

Note: This week’s lesson can be found in:

  • Carrol, J.A., Gladhart, M.A., & Petersen, D.L. (1997). Character building: literature-based theme units. Carthage, IL: Teaching and Learning Company.
  • I have simply modified the authors’ lesson plan to fit my district’s SIOP lesson plan format. It’s a good source for books to teach core values and has plans to extend books in the bibliography with cross-curricular activities.

Grade/Class/Subject:

  • K-2/Harrison/Media Skills

Unit/Theme:

  • Responsibility

Standards (AASL):

  • 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.

Content Objectives (Dearborn Public Schools Department of Media Services, K-12 Information Literacy Media Curriculum, 2004):

  • Students can explain how or why they chose a particular book (p. 7).

Language Objectives (Michigan Department of Education, K-8 GLCE English Language Arts, v. 12.05, http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753_33232-103089–,00.html):

  • R.NT.[01].03 identify problem/solution, sequence of events, and sense of story (beginning, middle, and end).

Key Vocabulary:

  • Review:
    Listen
    Respond
    New:
    Responsibility

Supplementary Materials:

  • Brown, Marc Tolon. Arthur’s underwear. Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown, 1999. E/BRO
  • DePaola, Tomie. Strega Nona: an original tale. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1975. E/DEP
  • Rohmann, Eric. My friend Rabbit. Brookfield, Ct.: Roaring Brook Press, 2002. (Personal copy)
  • Rosenthal, Amy Krouse, and Tom Lichtenheld. Duck! Rabbit!. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2009. E/ROS

Preparation:

  • Adaptation of content
  • Links to background
  • Links to past learning
  • Strategies incorporated

Scaffolding:

  • Modeling
  • Guided practice
  • Comprehensible input

Group Options:

  • Whole class

Integration of Processes:

  • Reading
  • Speaking
  • Listening

Application:

  • Meaningful
  • Linked to objectives
  • Promotes engagement

Assessment:

  • Group
  • Oral

Lesson Sequence

Transition:

  • Discuss the responsibility that comes with a job.

Anticipatory Set:

  • What happens when someone doesn’t do their job well? Also, discuss the importance of following directions carefully.

Instruction/Check for Understanding:

  • Read to the part of the story in which Big Anthony discovers the magic spell.
  • Discuss why Strega Nona wants to keep her magic spell a secret.
  • What could happen is someone discovers the magic spell?
  • What will Big Anthony do?
  • What could happen if he does?
  • Read to the point in the story in which Big Anthony uses the magic spell and finds out what happens.
  • Why does Big Anthony want to try the magic spell?
  • What should he do when he does find out?
  • How does Big Anthony fell when the townspeople cheer him?
  • Finish the story.
  • What punishment does Strega Nona give Big Anthony?
  • What lesson does Big Anthony learn?

Checking for Understanding:

  • Media specialist will lead the class in discussing:
  • What values do students recognize in this story?
    • What other stories are similar to this one?
    • How are the stories different
    • What real-life incidents touch on the same issues?

If there’s time:

  • Read one or more of the other books listed. Depending on the length of the discussion, reading “Strega Nona” can take 20-25 minutes.

Preview for Next Week:

  • Tell students we will read books by Dr. Seuss next week.
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Stellaluna and Are You My Mother

February10

Note: This week’s lesson can be found in:

  • Carrol, J.A., Gladhart, M.A., & Petersen, D.L. (1997). Character building: literature-based theme units. Carthage, IL: Teaching and Learning Company, p.39.
  • I have simply modified the authors’ lesson plan to fit my district’s SIOP lesson plan format. It’s a good source for books to teach core values and has plans to extend books in the bibliography with cross-curricular activities.

Grade/Class/Subject:

  • K-3/Harrison/Media Skills

Unit/Theme:

  • Students will understand the district’s core values and describe their importance.

Standards (AASL):

  • 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.

Content Objectives (Dearborn Public Schools Department of Media Services, K-12 Information Literacy Media Curriculum, 2004):

  • Content Standard #5: A student who has been educated in library media information skills and who is an independent learner appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.

Language Objectives (Michigan Department of Education, K-8 GLCE English Language Arts, v. 12.05, http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753_33232—,00.html):

  • R.NT.[01].03 identify problem/solution, sequence of events, and sense of story (beginning, middle, and end).

Key Vocabulary:

  • Listen, respond (review), respect (new)

Supplementary Materials:

  • Cannon, Janell. Stellaluna. Orlando: Harcourt, 1993.
  • Eastman, P. D. Are you my mother?. New York: Beginner Books; distributed by Random House, 1960.

Preparation:

  • Adaptation of content
  • Links to background
  • Links to past learning
  • Strategies incorporated

Scaffolding:

  • Modeling
  • Guided practice
  • Comprehensible input

Group Options:

  • Whole class

Integration of Processes:

  • Reading
  • Speaking
  • Listening

Application:

  • Meaningful
  • Linked to objectives
  • Promotes engagement

Assessment:

  • Group
  • Oral

Lesson Sequence

Transition:

  • Tell students we will read the book and talk about respect. Review with students what the word means. Ask how they show respect when listening and responding to stories.

Anticipatory Set:

Before reading, show the cover of the book, “Stellaluna:”

Read the Bat Notes at the end of the book:

  • Do bats really fly?
  • What do bats eat?
  • Where do bats live?
  • Should people be afraid of bats?
  • How do bats help people?

Instruction/Check for Understanding:

Read to the part of the story in which Stellaluna is separated from her mother.

  • How are bats similar to birds?
  • What will the birds’ reactions be to Stellaluna?
  • What should the birds do?

Read to the point in the story in which the Mama Bird orders Stellaluna to obey her rules.

  • What habits does Stellaluna learn from the birds?
  • Why is the Mama Bird upset with Stellaluna when she teaches the birds to hang upside down? Do different people have different rules? What rules do children have that adults don’t have?

Finish the story. Discuss ways people can be very different, yet be good friends.

  • What would happen if everyone were alike?
  • How can being different make a person special to others?

If there’s time:

  • Read “Are You My Mother?”

Closure/Summary:

  • Ask students what values they recognize in the stories.

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Valentine’s Day On The OPAC

February6

Grade/Class/Subject:

  • K-2/Harrison/Media Skills

Unit/Theme:

  • Literary Devices/Holidays

Standards (AASL):

  • 4.1.2. Read widely and fluently to make connections with self, the world and previous reading.

Content Objectives (Dearborn Public Schools Department of Media Services, K-12 Information Literacy Media Curriculum, 2004):

  • Content Standard #1, A student who has been educated in library media information skills accesses information efficiently and effectively.

Language Objectives (Michigan Department of Education, K-8 GLCE English Language Arts, v. 12.05, http://www.michigan.gov/documents/ELAGLCE_140483_7.pdf):

Students will:

  • R.NT.[00].04 identify how authors/illustrators use literary devices including pictures and illustrations to support the understanding of settings and characters.

Key Vocabulary:

  • Listen
  • Respond

Supplementary Materials:

  • Groat, D. (1996). Roses are pink, your feet really stink. New York: Morrow Junior Books.
  • Koscielniak, B. (1995). Geoffrey Groundhog predicts the weather. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
  • London, J., & Remkiewicz, F. (1998). Froggy’s first kiss. New York: Viking.

Preparation:

  • Adaptation of content
  • Links to background
  • Links to past learning
  • Strategies incorporated

Scaffolding:

  • Modeling
  • Guided practice
  • Comprehensible input

Group Options:

  • Whole class

Integration of Processes:

  • Reading
  • Speaking
  • Listening

Application:

  • Meaningful
  • Linked to objectives
  • Promotes engagement

Assessment:

  • Group
  • Oral

Lesson Sequence

Transition:

  • Review what they know about patterns from their math assignments and from the lesson on “The Hat” by Jan Brett and the clues the illustrator uses to help make predictions in the story.

Anticipatory Set:

  • Show students the cover of “Froggy’s first kiss.” Discuss the clues the illustrator uses on the cover to give readers an idea of the story.

Instruction/Check for Understanding:

  • What can they predict about this story based on “Arthur’s First Kiss” from last week? Read the story and engage students in active listening.

Preview for Next Week:

  • Tell students we will watch Valentine’s Day videos next week.
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Online Searching and Valentine’s Day

February1

3rd Grade:

I had an instructor in my library program who was a big proponent of instructional design and for the class we were required to develop a lesson plan that taught lower elementary students a simple task.  We were told that we should repeat the lesson plan until students understood the task; one of the students asked how we would know that.  The instructor replied, “They’ll tell you that they’re bored.”

I’ve used the Bored Paradigm as I plan the OPAC Face-Off Game.  So far this year, I haven’t heard the I’m Bored Song, so I’ll repeat the game again this week.

Grades K – 2:

This is one of my favorite read aloud weeks of the year because this is the week I read “Froggy’s First Kiss,” a very popular book with the younger set. The lesson plan can be found here.

K-2: Froggy valentine’s

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