Back in Business: An Overview

AFS students are starting the new year with new projects in the library. First graders are spending some time exploring how the library is laid out. Where are the fiction books? Where are the non-fiction books? In our ongoing effort to have students take one book they can read to their families and one book they can read with their families, students will be exploring the library. As we explore, students will star the areas that have books they might want to read.

Second grade is focusing heavily on the nonfiction section for the next two weeks. How are these books organized? What do those numbers mean? Who thought of this? Second graders are taking their library mapping a step beyond focusing exclusively on nonfiction. The goal is that students can begin to become more self sufficient library users and to introduce them to the concept of the Dewey Decimal System.

Third grade students are working on their story settings. Each student was challenged to pick a part in a favorite book and recreate the scene in a shoebox.  Because we really want students to read deeply and use their own imaginations, they are not allowed to use books that have been made into movies unless they haven't seen the movie. They also can't use books that have pictures already drawn of the setting. One of our students even discovered that the picture didn't really match the author's description.

Fourth graders are working in groups to create "Welcome to Pennsylvania" commercials. They are incorporating the facts they learned in class and their own imaginations to share what they have learned about early Pennsylvania. The students will record their voices in Garage Band and then export them to iMovie so sound effects can be added.

Coming back from winter break can be a challenge, but we have our amazing projects to keep life exciting and fun!