Learning in the Library

Another excellent Edublogs.org blog

Have a penguin day!

When the kindergartners visited the library last week, they were treated to the picture book Turtle’s Penguin Day  by Valeri Gorbachev.  In this book, a young turtle hears a bedtime story about penguins and decides to pretend to be a penguin the next day.  After the story, the children were introduced to the animal database PebbleGo where they learned more about penguins.  As part of their exploration of penguins on PebbleGo, the children heard what the birds sound like and viewed a short video of some penguins hopping out of the water.  The children also made penguin masks so they, too, could have a penguin day!

In the future, the kindergartners will be able to learn about other animals at PebbleGo when they visit the computer lab.  They can log in to PebbleGo from home, too!  The user name is “carllamb” (all one word, no space between the names) and the password is our school’s initials.  Once you are logged in, you will see four databases to choose from. All four are designed for students in grades K-2, but they are appropriate for older children as well.  The four databases are PebbleGo Aniamls, PebbleGo Earth and Space, Biographies, and Social Studies.  They are all packed with educational fun. Explore and enjoy!

No Comments »

Pairing fiction and nonfiction

Mrs. Margoles’s class enjoyed a pair of related books.  The first was Big Mean Mike by Michelle Knudsen.  In this fictional story, a tough guy reluctantly befriends four cute, fuzzy rabbits.  They end up enjoying doing things together, including going to a Monster Truck show.  The second book is an informational book entitled Monster Trucks by Matt Doeden.  The book discusses some of the same equipment and stunts Big Mean Mike and his fuzzy friends saw at the Monster Truck show.

No Comments »

Three brown bears

Last week Mrs. McCall’s class enjoyed the tradition folktale The Three Bears.    The version they listened to is written and illustrated by Paul Galdone.  After the story, the children learned the song “Three Brown Bears” by Judith McNitt.  The song, sung to the tune of “Three Blind Mice,” summarized the story in just a few lines!

No Comments »

Acorn cap contest

Last week’s library competition was an estimation contest.  A jar was filled with 279 acorn caps.  No one guessed the exact amount, but sixth grader Ashley  was the closest with an estimate of 269 acorn caps.  She wins a stuffed animal. 

No Comments »

Fun with Pete the Cat

Storytimes for the kindergartners, Mrs. McCall’s class, and Mrs. Margoles’ class all featured the book character Pete the Cat.  Many students are familiar with this rock and roll hipster cat from classroom read-alouds while others were just introduced to him during the kindergarten Story Book Parade on October 31st.  The author, Eric Litwin, has written four books about Pete the Cat so far. Each book has a refrain that Pete sings throughout the story.  (By the way, you can download the songs for free at the publishers’ website!) The kindergartners listened to (and sang along with) Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, Rocking in My School Shoes, and Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons.  After the stories, the children participate in a Roll and Color activity in which they colored Pete the Cat.  Mrs. Margoles’ students listened to the same three books, but afterwards they sorted buttons by attributes (size, shape, color, and number of holes).  Mrs. McCall’s class focused on Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.  After hearing that story, they retold (and sang) the story using props.  They added to Pete’s story by having him step in oranges, grapes, and lemons in addition to strawberries, blueberries, and mud! 

No Comments »

Skip to toolbar