Media Enhanced United States Book Collection

Introducing a new collection of United States books from Davidson Titles for the fifth grade core curriculum titled, A Guide to American States. These books are Media Enhanced so information will always be current. There are audio segments, videos, links to other websites, printable activity pages, quizzes and vocabulary words that correlate with the text, beautiful photographs and more.           

During the third through sixth grade class visits to the LMC, the new media enhanced state books were introduced.  I chose California as the state to introduce because many students have been there or heard of this beautiful, diverse state in our union. The document camera and the laptop computer were used to teach the students how to use these books with the various media enhancements to increase their research capabilities with these books.

The teachers are thrilled with these books! I asked a third grade teacher if she would be interested in this state book lesson for her students and she said yes. One fifth grade teacher assigned her students to each check out one state book during their class visit.  Another teacher knew of this teacher's assignment and let her students know they will be required to check these state books out for an assignment the following week. Students are not only checking them out because they are assigned to but  for their own interest as well. They want to know more about a state they are going to visit, where a family member lives, or where they were born, etc. Within four days all the state books were checked out and several holds were placed on these books as well.
   

Black History Month in February

February was a busy month in the Library.  We celebrated Valentines day, Presidents day, and Black History month.   For grades K-2 we read  a book about civil rights called "This is the Dream" by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander, Illustrated by James Ransome.  For Grades 3-6 we read a book about the civil war  "Abraham's Battle" by Sara Harrell banks.

"With courage they rallied and answered the call . . . dreaming of freedom and justice for all."

The United States of America was founded on the declaration that all men are created equal. But nearly two hundred years after that proclamation, America was still deeply segregated.

Slowly but surely, powerful leaders as well as everyday citizens spoke up for their dreams and beliefs. Soon, a people proud and strong stood up as one for their rights, and a new America came to be.

barnesandnoble.com

In 1863, as the Civil War approaches his home in Gettysburg and he realizes that a big battle is about to begin, a freed slave named Abraham decides to join the ambulance corps of the Union Army. 

Abraham, tries his best to prepare himself and the little girl in his charge for the Confederate soldiers who have begun filing into Gettysburg. When he comes face-to-face with a young Southern soldier, he's suspicious -- Lamar is, after all, the enemy. Once they begin discussing the war and the general state of events, though, the two find some common ground. They might be friends -- if Lamar wasn't from Georgia, and in Gettysburg to fight.

When Lamar falls in battle, it is not one of his fellow soldiers who helps him off the battlefield -- it is Abraham. One friend helps another. Few had seen such courage and honesty in the Civil War, however, and Abraham's deed does not go unnoticed or unrewarded. He in fact receives the highest honor imaginable...

 barnesandnoble.com

Dr. Seuss Mania

Oh the places you go when it is Dr. Seuss week in the library! 

Dr. Seuss mania is here! We are exploring the Dr. Seuss website www.seussville.com to learn more about Dr. Seuss, his books and enjoy playing games, activities and more!  There is another website, www.sporcle.com that has a fun "Green Eggs and Ham" activity that the students have enjoyed playing every year in the library when celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday, which is on March 2.  Parents/Guardians may go online with their children to enjoy these delightful websites together at home.

When it is time to read Dr. Seuss books to the students in the library, Mrs. Allison warns the students that when she reads Dr. Seuss books she can't help but get quite, ok, VERY expressive and silly.  She may even make your head spin like she did with Mrs. Cicero's class when reading "Fox in Socks," a favorite Dr. Seuss book for many of her students!

  

Mrs. Allison's favorite Dr. Seuss stories to read to students are "What was I Scared Of?" (found in The Sneetches and Other Stories), "The Sneetches," and "The Lorax."