 |
| Osmar and his penguino. |
As the school begins to wind down and with the TAKS testing behind us, Moye students S p r I n G into research. As a finale' to their polar animal research, my sweet second graders made penguin pencil holders from painted soup cans. The final product was adorable!
 |
| Ms. Navarette and 2C |
For the next six weeks, second grade continued with research on various animals and famous people. The wonderful second grade teachers handled most of the information seeking in the classroom with resources Lorena and I gathered in the library and using graphic organizers I created for them. Most recently, they read biographies on Helen Keller both in the library and in the classroom. They came to the library and used EbscoHost and Britannica Online to find additional information on this incredible woman. They completed worksheets about Helen's life and learned how to write their names in Braille.
Third grade students researched Dr. Seuss during the month of March using some wonderful articles on Ebsco and Britannica. The children used a sketching technique to take 'notes' about Theodore Seuss Geisel's life. In early April, we transformed their sketches into complete sentences that we transcribed onto red and white striped construction paper Cat in the Hats. They turned out very well!! And the kids loved the sketch-note-taking technique and were very good at it!!
 |
| Rodolfo created a perfect drinking gourd. |
 |
| Lezley and her delicious quilt. |
The subject of their final research experience was Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. We began by reading a brief biography and the historical fiction picture book Aunt Harriet and the Underground Railroad. The children completed a graphic organizer using print and online information then created quilts squares using graham crackers, icing and a combination of mini-marshmallows, gumdrops, Nerds, and sprinkles. The edible quilts were symbolic of the quilts sometimes used as maps for runaway slaves or the quilts used to signal a safe house along the path of the Underground Railroad.
 |
| Carmen appears to be captivated with database information. |
 |
| Using print resources to learn about Native Americans. |
In April, the fourth grade did a quick research activity on Native Americans that combined writing with drawing information on a graphic organizer I created. We used online databases to find pictures to further illustrate the various Native American tribes. The children have become very adept at using the computers and online databases to locate information and to expand their subject searches.
 |
| Cranes at the base of Sadako's statue. |
 |
| Fourth grade girls using the databases. |
Fourth grade's final research revolved around learning about Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died in Hiroshima, Japan after exposure to radiation left by the atomic bomb dropped on that city. The kiddos used information available on Britannica Online to learn about the Peace Memorial Park dedicated to those whose lives were taken or forever changed by the explosion of the bomb. They even learned how to write in Japanese! We saw pictures of origami cranes created by children around the world and lain to rest at the base of the statue memorializing Sadako's short life. I have been searching for a simple step-by-step set of directions for making origami cranes and hope that we can each make one before the school year's end.
Finally, my sweet fifth graders! I have seen so little of these babies this year because so much of their school experience revolves around preparing for the blessed TAKS test. But at long last, late this spring they have been able to come to the library! As a part of the college readiness curriculum, the children came to the library and used reference materials, books on the various states, and a wonderful website - collegeboard.com - to find information about a number of colleges and universities across the country. They completed a worksheet about the state and school assigned them and created a visual product - poster, banner, foldable to present the information to students throughout the school.
