Here are all the wonderful ideas I received concerning starting a
respect for books program:
Do you or your kids have access to video cameras? One thought is to
have the kids (with adult help if needed) make video segments about book
care. Over the years I have kept books that have not necessarily been
taken care of--roughly 75 books (Egads that is so many!!) and lay these
out for one of my Kindergarten lessons. I begin by talking up the
ability to soon check out books, and they may want to check out one of
these. Superficially they may look good, but once I begin the book-talk
for each book, we discover together that each book has problems. Some
of the books have obviously been wet and then dried, some have scribble
scrabble in them, some are just plain OLD, some have food smudges. But
I have enough to make the point that they would be in better condition
if they were better taken care of. For a video project, have your older
students make the point--it would be a authentic video they could make
for your lower grade students, and help make the older kids understand
and have reinforced the need to care as well. You could assign a type
of damage and ask them to make a 15 to 45 second segment of the final
product....
If you do not have any books available because of recent weeding, I'm
sure a neighboring library would gladly donate to the cause. We are all
looking for creative things to do with weeded books. You could make your
own books with issues, like paint, scissors, tor pages, food and candy,
the baby brother did it syndrome...I have taken a weeded book and glued
pages together just for that purpose before.
Anyway, it's a thought.
How about Judy Freeman's "No, no, never, never box"? See p. 79 of her
second book More Books Kids Will Sit Still For. Other ideas around
those pages also.
ah ha, another Sarah! yeah.
I have had some wonderful successes with our birthday book program.
While it is not a revolutionary idea, one of the spin offs has been
that the chidlren are very protective of 'their books' (the items with
their name emblazed on the book plate). Often they remind their
friends to handle that particualr book gently and with care.
They beam when I pull it our for a storytime and cite it as their
family's donation to the school. I always point out how good of a
condition it is and how that came to be.
Sarah,
I started the year by reading the Shelf Elf to my 2nd grade classes.
Each week, I would decide what class showed me the best "respect for
books" and I would award a shelf elf trophy to them to keep for the
week. I just used an old trophy and bought an extra shelf elf character
and adhered it to the side of the trophy. You would be surprised at how
excited the students were when I went to their classroom to award it. I
also considered behavior as part of the award. Sometimes, I would also
hand out bookmarks for exceptional work.
Kids are visual so I would suggest that you find some books that have
not been respected and either bring them or pictures of them with you to
classroom visits. (We all have a few in the book hospital right?)
I also think part of respecting a book is respecting the space in which
they 'live' so some photos of dis-respected shelves and library tables
wouldn't be too remiss. Last year when I dealt with elementary kids
regularly, I had a class that left the shelves an absolute disaster
area, so I took pictures of what it looked like before I straightened it
and then after so they could see what a shelf was supposed to look like.
Also, maybe a book mark or some other little thing that you could give
them will help them remember the ideas you present and that they can
also use in the library. Maybe a shelf-marker made of tag board with
the ideas on it? A rhyme or a mnemonic that helps them remember the key
points might also be good.
I believe the book Mr. Wiggles would work for book care and respecting
books.
I know a friend of mine was having a problem at his elementary school
library where many students were turning in books with torn pages and
written on and he decided to make a video demonstrating students how to
properly handle books. He showed this to each of his classes as one of
the introductory lessons at the beginning of the following school year.
He mentioned that it did work.
A suggestion that I have is to maybe buy or make a book puppet and write
a 1st person script on the feelings of the book when being happy and
being mistreated.
Well, that's something I just came up with and I will probably do it as
well this school year. This can probably help in making students more
conscious of the importance of respecting such an important piece of
information such as a book.
I hope it helps in something.
I have a lab coat with Mrs. Dennis, Book Doctor, on the pocket and I
have a stethoscope. I "listen" to the some damaged books that I have
collected and tell the students the stories I "hear". We then talk
about what could have prevented these illnesses. It creates great
discussions.
Throughout the year I take pictures of damaged books. The students'
reaction is so powerful when I show them at orientation. They can't
believe someone would destroy or hurt a book.
I also use ""Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book" by Lauren Child. It's
silly enough to keep the kids laughing, but it also talks about taking
care of books.
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of John Wolfgang
Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 12:53 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: HIT: Elem Multicultural lesson ideas
Thank you to everyone who helped jump start my sluggish summer brain
with these
ideas for how I might develop a multicultural lesson integrating (5)
multicultural books. I'm not sure what I will do yet, but I got some
nice ideas.
Thanks to all who helped.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++
Here are the ideas:
How about if you focus on the main characters and what obstacles, etc.
they have to overcome and then compare them to one another?
I had a similar assignment just last semester in my kiddie lit class.
What I did was wade through state standards and applied to books to
specific standards across the curriculum. My theme was butterflies and
the lessons included a book about a Japanese girl learning to make
origami butterflies
(I put together kits of instructions and origami papers and actually did
that lesson with a 3rd grade class.) That fulfilled an arts standard.
There were also non-fiction books that spoke to the painted lady
butterflies just released by the 3rd grade. Another book spoke to a
close relationship where a hispanic boy relates well to his grandfather
who can't speak due to a stroke.
How about a historical approach?
Just a qucik thought- why not have the students read the books-come up
with what they have learned about the culture through reading those
books-indidcating similarities or differences. Then have them read a
non- fiction book about that culture adn see what else they can come up
with and see what was accurate and what was not accurate in those
picture books.
Immigration comes to my mind, for example: Grandfather's Journey. You
can integrate map skills, social skills with reading, and writing
lessons using graphic organizers.
Could you suggest that the class divide into groups and each take one
book. The groups could make a list of the different cultural aspects
reflected in their books and then compare between groups. You could also
discuss what cultural aspects of _______ have become integrated into
the "American" culture.
Seems like you might be able to take some clues from the pictures in the
books. For example, do the pictures show the geographic setting, what
are the people doing in the pictures? If you could somehow tie the
books to the landscape, you might locate the settings on a world map,
talk about how climate, vegetation etc influence what people wear, kinds
of houses they live in, traditions, traditional food. I've been playing
with google maps. Maybe there is someway to incorporate the locations
on a google map - just depends on your targeted age.
I once had to do something similar. I created a lesson about children
who are deaf but in a very positive way.
A book like Dad and Me in the morning is a positive way of showing how
people live normal lives in spite of deafness or any challenge they
encounter. It is also about relationships so you could have young
students draw what they do in the morning with their family members
after you read the book to students. There are many story type books
that can be used for a lesson like this.
Another book is Can You Hear a Rainbow?: The Story of a Deaf Boy Named
Chris. In this book Chris explains how he meets his challenges.
Students could discuss challenges they face in their lives. (Everybody
has something.) These lessons would be for younger students.
You could tie the unit to a book about sign language and teach students
a few words or phrases they could use to communicate. I am adding this
link to explain that deaf people consider themselves to have a separate
culture from those who can hear. It lists tips for teachers and mirrors
the concepts on which a teaching unit can be based.
http://www.netac.rit.edu/publication/tipsheet/deafculture.html
Hmm...maybe one of the facets could be what each group has contributed
to America?
For example...foods and words and phrases and scientists from that
cultural background?
Why can't you just read them as book about people.
When I read "Tomas and the Librarian" I don't talk about him being
Hispanic I talk about him going to the library, sharing the book with
family and making friends with the librarian. In Ezra Jack Keats books
like "Googles" and "The Snowy Day" the point of the story isn't a black
boy's adventures but a boy's adventures.
How about taking Keats books about Peter:
The Snowy Day (enjoying a snowy day)
Whistle for Willie (learning to whistle)
Peter's Chair (a new sister, sibling rivalry)
Letter to Amy (inviting a girl to his birthday)
Goggles (dealing with bullies)
I am just thinking about angles to explore: geography, how the cultural
group is viewed, traditions that are featured
in one or all of the samples, how gender issues are portrayed, who
wrote/illustrated the books (are they members of that group or
outsiders? accurate portrayal?researched?).
What about websites connected to the literature? Guest speaker?
Using books of different cultures could be a way to ease into Social
Studies and mapping(Google Earth). Go to New York, one of the most
multicultural cities in America and tie it to immigration, Statute of
Liberty, American history.
What about Venn diagrams - or story mapping - or beggining/middle/end -
or 'story parts' (characters/problem/solution) - or examine how each
illustrator tells the story.
John Wolfgang, LMS
Gilbert Heights School (K-5)
David Douglas School District
Portland, Oregon
wolfgang@teleport.com
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