SLIME KIDS!

Yesterday, I received an email from a colleague suggesting an educational website to share with students and families. So...here it is! Slime Kids! Have fun exploring the wonders of the school library media center! This website contains fun games and excellent online resources for students and families to enjoy! http://www.slimekids.com/

Let's look it up in the ENCYCLOPEDIA!

As part of the ongoing Reference Books unit, Timberlake middle school students explored the wonders of the encyclopedia in library this week! Working within a set of encyclopedias, each student was assigned a topic. They were to locate the volume that their topic would appear in, find the page number(s), and take notes on their topic after reading the article. The students also learned to cite their source correctly by listing the name of the encylcopedia set, the volume number, page number, and title of the article. We discussed that when you are curious to find out more about a topic or are assigned a research paper and need a good starting point...the encyclopedia is an excellent place to go!

What's another word for...

During our unit on Reference Books, Timberlake 5th and 6th graders worked in pairs to explore the Thesaurus! Guided by worksheets, the students looked up a given word and then found two synonyms and listed them. The students also practiced replacing ordinary words like walk and run within a story with more creative alternatives like stroll or jog. Students mastered their Thesaurus skills and learned a few new vocabulary words along the way!

Jan Brett Author Study

We have all come to adore the artistic style and writings of our favorite author/illustrator, Jan Brett! The 2nd graders and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through a couple of winter-time favorites...The Mitten and The Hat by Jan Brett! The children have enjoyed coloring pictures from the author's website after the readings of the books. We especially love the peek-a-boo feature in Jan Brett's books that foreshadow events and characters to come!

The Cinderella story...Korean style

Timberlake First Graders listened to the story of the Korean Cinderella this week in library class. The illustrations in the book portrayed Asian landscapes and lifestyles. Many animals help the heroine of this story and ultimately she does end up with the prince! We enjoyed looking at the pictures and comparing and contrasting this story with the more traditional Cinderella version.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Timberlake Kindergarteners learned the importance of this special day by reading Martin's Big Words: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in the Library. I have included a synopsis of the book, according to Barnes and Noble, so that parents and teachers will realize what a fabulous book this is...

Synopsis
This picture-book biography is an excellent and accessible introduction for young readers to learn about one of the world’s most influential leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Doreen Rappaport weaves the immortal words of Dr. King into a captivating narrative to tell the story of his life. With stunning art by acclaimed illustrator Bryan Collier, Martin’s Big Words is an unforgettable portrait of a man whose dream changed America—and the world—forever.

Take note also, that the Kindergarten class immediately recognized Dr. King's face on the cover of the book and were eager to learn more about him!

Biography Study

Timberlake 3rd and 4th grade students continued their study of biographies by selecting a biography to read and taking notes. Information that they gathered included: name of famous person, birthdate, birthplace, date, place, and cause of death if applicable, important contributions to society, and details of the person's life. The students will complete their notes next week, and then create and present a project based on the person that they read about.