I've been having fun finding different types of information on World Book Online for KIDS. Click on the link to World Book under my bookshelf. Once you've logged on scroll all the way to the bottom and click on "KIDS". Click away. Let me know the best information you find.
The American Library Association has announced the 2011 winners. Students in grades 1-4 will be exposed to one of the awards- its history and winners- during their library classes this month.
Titles are listed below. There covers and summaries can be seen on my bookshelf to the right.
The Geisel Award (for easy readers): Grade 1
Blink and Gollie
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same (honor)
We are in a Book! (honor- I've read this book and it is fabulous.)
The Caldecott Award (for illustrations): Grade 2
A Sick Dday for Amos McGee (I've read this too. It's adorable.)
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave (honor)
Interrupting Chickens (honor)
Coretta Scott King Award (for African American writer/illustrator):Grade 3
One Crazy Summer (author)
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave (illustrator)
Newberry Award (for most distinguished American children's literature):Grade 4
Moon over Manifest
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night (honor)
Heart of a Samurai (honor)
One Crazy Summer (honor)
Turtle in Paradise (honor)
Robert Sibert Award (for nonfiction)
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot
(Disclaimer: In order for the covers to appear on the shelf, I had to rate them. I have only read a few of them so far but decided that they each deserved 5 stars.)
Help tweens ‘own their space’ online. Keep up with the latest computer and online safety issues and help kids learn to avoid them. In partnership with security expert and author, Linda McCarthy, Microsoft offers a free downloadable version of this new book written for Internet savvy “tweens” and teens specifically. It is also a useful resource for the adults they rely on. Topics covered in the book include Cyberbullying, Social networking, Phishing, and Spam.
To download the entire book or chapter by chapter click here:
Own Your Space--Keep Yourself and Your Stuff Safe Online" Digital Book for Teens by Linda McCarthy
4th graders researched seven topics related to Martin Luther King jr. and the Civil Rights movement during their library time last week. Cooperatively they used books and encyclopedias to answer questions about Civil Rights, Women's Right to Vote, Gandhi, Lyndon Johnson, Thurgood Marshall, Ruby Bridges, and Cesar Chavez. Students used the index and table of contents to help them zero in on the information needed. Many needed reminders that a print encyclopedia and an index list people by their last names.
This week in library each group will have a chance to present its information. The classes will have an opportunity to see how each groups' topic connects to the rest giving them a greater understanding of the struggle of for civil rights in our country and non-violent action.
After discussing these topics, students will be read Kid Blink Beats The World. A true story that "details the events in the summer of 1899, during which hundreds of young news vendors stood up to two of the most powerful men in the U.S.--William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer." (Booklist review)
"A July 2010 survey found that 37% of U.S. 10-to-12-year olds were on Facebook, which means that every one of these children had to lie about their age to get on the service." This quotation was taken from the report linked below.
A Parents' Guide to Facebook, by Anne Collier and Larry Magid, the Co-Directors of ConnectSafely.org, is a 34-page resource available online as a printable PDF file. It begins with an introduction to Facebook's features and uses, addressing topics such as "How do we parent Facebook users?" and "Digital footprints & good reputations," along with sensible suggestions. For example, "...the No. 1 safety tip is 'Talk with your child.'"
There is also an interactive feature, "Recommended Facebook Privacy Settings for Teens," available at ConnectSafely.org to help you and your teens choose the privacy levels that suit them best.
Happy New Year. As students visit the library this week, they are being introduced to different databases to which the Bellevue School District subscribes. All of these databases are linked on this blog and on the Bennett PTSA website, and all need log-ins and passwords. Your child will bring home a lime green information card this week with a link to the library catalog on one side and password information on the other. Primary students will enjoy PebbleGo and TumbleBooks- both sites that will read aloud while highlighting the text. PebbleGo has all nonfiction books while TumbleBooks has picture books.
Worldbook Online has translation and read aloud features that make researching easier for struggling readers or English language Learners.
CultureGrams is loaded with information on the countries of the world, the US states, and Canadian provinces. I'm a big fan of the recipe index.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you'd like help with any of our databases.
Third graders are using their library time to research about different countries. Ms. Bowman's students are researching a variety of countries in order to write letters that compare the U.S. to their chosen country. Ms. Stedman's and Ms. McClanahan's classes are researching Ethiopia. All classes are using books and CultureGrams to answer specific questions the students have generated. These projects allows students to narrow their research to answer specific questions by using the index in books and the sidebar topics in CultureGrams. While it is fun to discover random interesting facts while researching, effective and efficient users of information know what data they are looking for and maintain their focus while searching.
CultureGrams is a subscription online database with "concise, reliable, and up-to-date reports on more than 200 countries, each U.S. state, and all 13 Canadian provinces and territories". Contact me for log-in and password information.
