Week of October 11, 2010

What a great time of year! In the media center we have enjoyed several book selections that have to with fall.
Fifth graders enjoyed a trip outside to choose a leaf specimen to scientifically sketch. Many of the students were quite detailed with their drawings. We also discussed how to use a compass and how Lewis and Clark collected 239 different specimens while on their expedition. Many new species were collected and classified during the course of exploring for a water route to the Pacific. The students enjoyed this new scientific addition to the media curriculum. The other fifth grade completed viewing the Lewis and Clark video this week.

Fourth and Third graders visited the eInstruction room at Highcroft this week to utilize the Elmo and explore the dictionary. We discussed how Noah Webster begin the first dictionary at the ripe old age of 43 and completed his task after 27 years. Many of the words were changed over the course of time, words were added, deleted, etc. We discussed how the dictionary was arranged (alphabetically) as well as what entry words are and how guide words are helpful in locating entry words. We reviewed compound words, word origins, parts of speech, definitions, and how to use the pronunciation symbols. We followed up with a game of placing words in alphabetical order. Afterwards we visited the media center and chose different books for the week.

Two second grade classes enjoyed how to make pysanky eggs. This was demonstrated by Patricia Polacco based on her book Rechenka's Eggs. At the fair this weekend I was able to watch a demonstration of pysanky eggs being made in the building, "Village of Yesteryear." Many pysanky eggs were available for sale.
First Graders were treated to Dav Pilkey's, Dragon's Halloween. Before reading the story we discussed the sequence of events each time the students came to the library. The students placed the events in order: 1. Check in books 2. Place books on cart 3. Sit on comfy carpet 4. Read a story....
Dragon's Halloween consisted of three chapters which included Six Small Pumpkins, The Costume Party, and the Deep, Deep Woods. After each chapter we discussed what came first, next, then, and finally, just as we had done in our previous example. The students loved it...and it was a lesson with a purpose!

Kindergarten classes learned a new fingerplay for October called Creep them... We followed up with a few fun books for fall which included the text set of both fiction and nonfiction. The first book was a nonfiction book titled, It's Pumpkin Time. This is a story of how a pumpkin seed is planted and how it grows from a seed, to a shoot, with leaves, a flower bud, into a small green ball to a big orange pumpkin! After discussing pumpkin growing and going to a pumpkin patch (everyone wants to share a story) we begin our next book (fiction) titled, Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman. This is a story of a little witch who always plants pumpkin seeds for pumpkin pie to be made on Halloween. However, she has such a difficult time pulling the pumpkin off the vine. A mummy comes along, then a vampire to help the witch but they still cannot pull the pumpkin off the vine. Who shows up next? A little bat....they all laugh, but he comes up with a plan (teamwork) and at last the pumpkin snaps off the vine, the witch makes pumpkin pie and they all enjoy! What a great sequencing lesson for the students. Kindergarteners were then able to choose a fiction, nonfiction, or fall book on display for checkout.

Happy reading,

Mrs. Wetherell

Fall Book Displays!

What a great time to choose books. It's all about fall, pumpkins, leaves, bats, owls,

scarecrows, and a few scary books.
Each year I love to pull the fall books for students to enjoy. I thought I would post our main display shelves for you to view. Students at Highcroft have over 15,000 books to choose from each week. I am hopeful our Fall Bookfair will be successful so we can choose more reads for our students to enjoy.

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Wetherell

Vrrrrrroooommmmm!

Lots of wheels were present
in the media center this past week. Mrs. Butler's kindergarteners constructed community vehicles for their community helper unit and displayed them in the library for all to see. Many students commented on how creative the kinders were. We really enjoyed looking at all their ideas and how they constructed their trucks.


Thanks to all the kindergarten students who made our media center look
so "geared" up!

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Wetherell

Week of October 4, 2010

Peace, Love & Books!

That's the theme of our 2010 Scholastic Bookfair.

This past week students at Highcroft were informed of our upcoming book fair which will take place beginning November 12th. Our 2010 flyer introduced several titles that were highlighted for students to choose from, including the newest title, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth.

On my school website I shared the Scholastic web address below:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classroombooks/browse_level.asp
This site can help parents choose "good fit" books for their children. It is very important for students to choose books that are just right; at their individual reading level. (See earlier post about "Good Fit" books: August 15, 2010)

Please take a look at my site for more information about our upcoming bookfair. http://highcroftes.wcpss.net/media_center.htm Click on the library doors to enter! Also more information will be posted on this blog...stay tuned....

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Wetherell

Week of September 27, 2010

This is my daughter and her husband on their wedding day 9/25/10. I posted this photo since most of the students knew where I was this past week and wanted to see a picture...so here it is!

What a happy, but exhausting week. I was out two days this week but I will share with you what the students did in the media center.

Many of the classes continued what they were doing from last week. The fifth graders continued work on their lotus diagrams, the fourth graders finished reading Danny/helpful writing tips. One class read about Roald Dahl's first trip in their motor car with his ancient sister of 21 years at the wheel. (Roald actually had his nose almost cut off when she wrecked! Sad, but hilarious as he told it.) Third grade finished with their Esio Trot by Roald Dahl.

Three second grades each had a different lesson. However, all included books written by Patricia Polacco. One class had last weeks lesson about Rotten Richie and the ultimate dare (see last post). Another class had the lesson with the book, Thunder Cake, complete with recipe (see previous posting). Finally, another class had a lesson about how sometimes things do not go according as planned by reading, Rechenka's eggs. This beautifully written story was about a babushka who lived near Moskva (Moscow) who enjoys creating pysanky eggs. She plans to take the eggs that she has worked so diligently on to the village and enter them for a prize. However, all does not go as planned. This is our focus about how sometimes we must change what we plan to do.....which leads to a discussion about our character traits. We finish the book which is very heartwarming. I will follow up with the video (Reading Rainbow) when the students are learning to write "how to" stories.

First grade continued with their homophone stories/Good night, good knight and Dear Deer.

Kindergarteners continued their fiction/nonfiction text set by reading:

Green Snake by David Schwartz(nonfiction) and Small green snake by Libba Moore Gray (fiction). After reviewing the differences, students were divided up between 5 tables with both fiction and nonfiction books laid out so the covers were showing. We sang a song I made up sang to the tune "Here we go 'round the mulberry bush" except we sing....This is the way we choose a book, choose a book, choose a book, this is the way we choose a book, I want a _____. This is where I sing either "fiction" or "non fiction" and the students must choose that type of book. It is immediate observation as to which students understand and which students need more instruction.

Goodbye track 4!

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Wetherell

Week of September 20, 2010

Welcome Fall!

This week I left plans for a substitute since I was helping plan my daughter's wedding. New sod was laid in the front, new blinds were installed, house cleaners and carpet shampooers were scheduled before the out of towners came to stay. We had a bridal shower and rehersal dinner to attend before the big day on Saturday. Such a busy week! Anyway, enough about me....

My plans included the following...

Fifth graders completed the Lewis and Clark DVD, listed problems and benefit of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and now we are organizing our information into a Lotus Diagram. This takes time and is a process which is very beneficial for students to discuss and then decide in which sub topic the information should be located. We will continue this lesson throughout October.

Fourth graders have completed Roald Dahl's, Danny, the Champion of the World excerpt from the Roald Dahl Treasury Book. We are following up with the last chapter of the actual book. The purpose of this lesson was to listen to the great detail and word selection Roald Dahl uses in his writing to describe locations, situations, and characters. Two of the classes were able to listen to some tips Roald Dahl used himself to come up with ideas for stories and to hold the reader's attention. The students were interested in hearing that Roald Dahl's hardest story to write was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He became so caught up in describing over 15 characters in the beginning of his rough draft. He asked his nephew to read it and his nephew said it was "horrible." Roald rewrote the script and it became what is now in the book. This led us to discuss peer editing....and how we need to offer gentle suggestions to our friends in the writing process.

Third graders continued to read Esio Trot, written by Roald Dahl. We also read the tips for holding your reader's attention by Roald Dahl. Two classes also wrote a sentence to their friend backwards just like Mr. Hoppy did for Alfie in the book. We decided to use a nonfiction book about a tortoise and hippo friendship as a follow up titled, Owen and Mzee. This book was written by the father and daughter team of Craig and Isabella Hatkoff. You can visit the website at
http://www.owenandmzee.com/ to find out more.

Second graders continued their Patricia Polacco book quest by reading Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare. Students discussed what sibling rivalry was, their participation in sports, and ways to solve problems in family situations involving daring someone to do something. My substitute shared with me this was an interesting discussion to say the least.

(sorry...i posted first and kinders twice and each time the postings were lost)

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Wetherell

Week of September 13, 2010

The display case was changed this week to include books about bats and owls. Since fall is basically here I wanted to fill the case with non fiction books. The kindergarteners are in the process of learning the differences between fiction and nonfiction and I am just as excited as they are when they are discovering information about different subjects. We have paired text sets about snakes, goldfish, and dinosaurs.

First graders are continuing to choose beginning chapter books since we have been reading about Dragon by Dave Pilkey. We are moving on to the dragon books by Shelly Moore Thomas, paired with homophones. We all agreen this was much harder than opposites! We followed up with a book called, Dear Deer after reading Good Night, Good Knight.

Second graders continued with Patricia Polacco's Meteor and Thundercake (depending on their track).

Third grade is enjoying Esio Trot by Roald Dahl. ew lla evol ti (we all love it).

Fourth graders are completing Roald Dahl's, Danny the Champion of the World.

Fifth Graders are finishing up the Lewis and Clark DVD. From their we will complete a KWL chart which includes the Corps of Discovery, Seaman, problems encountered, and benefits of the expedition.

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Wetherell