As part of their research project on Ancient Civilizations, Mr. Bloom and Mrs. Brown’s fifth graders visited the library for a lesson in citing sources. First Mrs. Miliano discussed the importance of acknowledging one’s sources to avoid plagiarism. Next she introduced the five parts of a book citation (author, title, place of publication, publisher, and copyright date) and where to find them in a book. As a group, the students wrote a citation for a book about Ancient Egypt. Then they practiced writing another citation for a second book on their own.
Calling all library books!
As the school year draws to a close, it is time for students to return their library books. Kindergarten students are asked to return their books the week of May 24, 2010. All other students should return their books by June 1, 2010.
Pull tabs for the Ronald McDonald House!
Last week’s competition was an estimation contest. People tried to guess how many pull tabs were in the jar. There were 437 tabs. The closest estimate was 435 and it was made by fifth grader Alexander.
By the way, we collect aluminum pull tabs from soda and other beverage cans, pet food, etc. We donate the tabs to the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Portland. The RMH recycles the aluminum and uses the proceeds to help fund their programs for families with hospitalized children. Please donate your pull tabs to the RMH through us!
Responsible readers recognized
Three classes deserve recognition for responsible library behavior this week. They are Miss Stevens’ kindergartners (the Pink Room), Mrs. Bemis’ first graders, and Miss Kimball’s second graders. Each class filled their library chart with stickers by returning their books on time. Each student received a bookmark and a small prize. Good work, everyone!
Comparing notes about frogs
Mrs. McCall’s class has been observing some tadpoles. The tadpoles have grown back legs and now have front legs! They compared their observations with information about the life cycle of the frog in the nonfiction book Tadpole Diary by David Drew. Then the children enjoyed the story Jump, Frog, Jumpby Robert Kalan. They liked using props to sequence the events in the story.