EVE BUNTING

One of our favorite displays/activites in our library is our author spotlight.  During the year, we spotlight different authors and share some of our favorite books written by the author.  Above is a display for Eve Bunting.  She is a wonderful author to spotlight because she has written picture books, fiction books, and non-fiction books.  We did a pair and share for grades 1-3 with her non-fiction book Whales and her realistic fiction picture book Whales Passing.   This activity allowed us to discuss different book genres and to reinforce the core standards that these grades are learning.  We shared a book talk on Is There Anybody There? with 4-6 grades.  It is a great mystery that students can relate to and enjoy.   We have found that author spotlights introduce students to new authors and more than just one book that they might be interested in reading.   Our students love learning about the authors and some of the secrets about the authors as well. 

 

Check out the Butler Elementary Library Newsletter!

Debbie & Ali
Butler Elementary

Butler Elementary Library Newsletter Spring 2013 

Big Hit at Bella Vista: Media Enhanced United States Book Collection

Introducing a new collection of United States books from Davidson Titles for the fifth grade core curriculum titled, A Guide to American States. These books are Media Enhanced so information will always be current. There are audio segments, videos, links to other websites, printable activity pages, quizzes and vocabulary words that correlate with the text, beautiful photographs and more.           

During the third through sixth grade class visits to the LMC, the new media enhanced state books were introduced.  I chose California as the state to introduce because many students have been there or heard of this gorgeous, diverse state in our union. The document camera and the laptop computer were used to teach the students how to use these books with the various media enhancements to increase their research capabilities with these books.

The teachers are thrilled with these books! I asked a third grade teacher if she would be interested in this state book lesson for her students and she said yes. After the introductory lesson was taught, one fifth grade teacher assigned each of her students to check out one state book during their class visit.  Another teacher knew of this teacher's assignment and let her students know they will be required to check these state books out for an assignment the following week. Students are not only checking them out because they are assigned to, but for their own interest as well.  They want to know more about the state they are going to visit, where a family member lives, or where they were born, etc.  Within four days the students checked out every state book from the collection and several were placed on hold. 

  

Midvalley News

This month we have been doing a Read & Share program with our students. Our goal behind this program was to encourage students to share what they have been reading with their classmates. We had students come up during their class story time and tell us about a book they have been reading. We also had them share their favorite part of the book and if they would recommend this book to others. We told the students it was optional to share but if they did they got to pick a prize. We feel this program has been a great success. We had a lot of participation from our students and the books they shared have been flying off the shelves. We have also had a great book display in our library this month. One of our 6th grade classes displayed their cereal box book reports. The students have loved looking at them and have wanted to check out the books that the reports were done on.

Oakdale Elementary

We are happy to announce that Oakdale Library has their own blog!!! Please visit this site at Oakdalelibrary.weebly.com!!!

Tour of Butler Elementary Media Center

Hi All-  Working on Module 7 Lesson 1: Making the library inviting and user friendly.

Welcome to the Butler Elementary Media Center.  One of the things we are most proud of is our inviting and fun library.  Students and parents are always stopping by to see what is new and talk about books.  It is easy to get stuck in the adult world of wanting conformity, with everything neat, organized and sterile looking.  A colorful, vibrant library is fun and inviting to our patrons- CHILDREN!  (who are definitely not neat, organized or sterile!)

We are lucky to have a large library to work with and a little budget from PTA and the school to fund a new project each year (they are always inexpensive).  Our library is dark (no windows) and dated, so these projects help with atmosphere.  These displays bring literature to life, ignite curiosity and interest in learning, provide information and cue students on how to utilize the library.  Some of them are time consuming and some are not, but every one has been worth it for the conversation and literary interest they encourage.  

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” 

                                                    --Dr. Seuss

Ali & Debbie

 Spiderman directs kids to graphic novels.  

 A great informational bulletin board with book suggestions for different genres.  The color copies of the book covers really make a difference in generating interest and then helping students locate the book.  

 Hanging objects to tell you where to find books. 

 A glass display case for things we don't want to walk off.  Legos are always a hit. 

Cozy reading areas.  PTA funds have helped purchase little chairs and bean bags.  The kids love this. 

Oakdale

Think Spring!

We are excited about Spring!

We brought in our butterfly collections to display with our butterfly and caterpillar books.

(Our favorite is " A Butterfly is Patient" by Dianna Hutts Aston.)

What is your favorite part of Spring?

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME (or at school!)

BUTLER ELEMENTARY'S AMAZING, WONDERFUL, EXCITING IGLOO -- PART II

We learned about The Arctic, the Inuit people, and snow houses. Kids got to read in the igloo. Basically, our igloo was the biggest hit of the year with students, teachers and parents stopping in to look at it.
 One such man stopped in also. Head of "Risk Management" for Canyons. Oh-oh. He said it had to come down immediately due to fire danger.

Good old Butler is 90+ years old and has yet to have a fire, but...

So after going clear to the top, the State Fire Marshall with extreme kindness told us the bad news. "It has to come down." REALLY SO SAD. It was only up for 1 1/2 weeks.

 

The teachers and students are mourning.

We did get permission, but learned a good lesson with this one. And yes, we DID recycle.

Goldilocks and three Dinosaurs

I had so much fun reading this great Goldilocks story.  The students at Copperview

really loved this story by Mo Willems.  He is one our favorite authors.

We even served Chocolate Pudding. 

Midvalley Elementary

                       This year the theme we chose for our library is "Reading is always in season".  
         As the seasons have changed we have focused on books and activities that pertain to the season.   
                       The idea behind this was to get the kids excited about reading all the time!