Around the Grades in the Library

It is hard to believe that we are already finished our third week of school. The library has been very busy with students getting out their books and sharing their summer adventures. We eased back into the school year with a simple sharing of our names. Through both oral presentation and art,
students shared a little about their names and presented their names through paper, marker, scissors and glue to share more about their own identities.

First grade then began our first unit, which is monster themed as we talk about characters. Students shared everything they knew about monsters, and then we began reading stories. The books, such as Marilyn's Monster by Michelle Knudsen gave us an opportunity to rethink what we know about monsters. We returned to our list to see what proved to be "true" and what wasn't. We talked about where our ideas come from, and introduced the idea of stereotype. Students are now creating their own monster characters.


Second grade is preparing for their first tech project, a podcast. Students are working to create short poems which they will record, edit and add sound effects. Starting with rhyming words, the second graders worked their way in groups to four different charts brainstorming for two minutes at each station. The words were given back to the students who were then challenged to create short rhymes. Once the students have poems they like, they will be paired and given the opportunity to record their poem.

Third and fourth graders are also working on their first tech project of the year. Students have been investigating questions and how to find information. Students are asked to come up with two types of questions, we call these questions, red dot and green dot questions. The red dot questions elicit simple responses, such as yes, no or a favorite color, etc. A green dot question gets the person talking, or requires a more prolonged response. Fourth graders interviewed each other and will create short videos about their partner. Third graders will interview members of the Abington Friends Community and will share their interviews with the whole school at assembly. Look for the videos to be shared right here in the near future.