History with dolls in Library

[Mim Bizic <BIZICM@CALVIN.CC.DUQ.EDU>]

        Since we're also focusing on math initiatives, I suggested
 that we allow the students to go back to the time that  doll would
 have been "born," to the time period given for each doll, and then, 9
years forward from there (eighteen year time spans).  This would
 give the kids some figuring to do, along with learning historical
facts.

        Well, the results are just overwhelming and the school is
ablaze with everybody (everybody but 2 of our 3 6th grade classes
which I still hope to motivate) participating. We have almost 500
facts.   Today alone, 172 facts came into the Library  History Box,
 doubling yesterday's entries.  Each class is trying to outdo the
other.  But we're ALL learning.

        The Teaching Interns as well as the seasoned teachers are all
  amazed at how the children love doing this.  They are truly learning
and "mentally marking" those places in history so important to
 Cultural Literacy.  It's just amazing, believe me, or I wouldn't be
taking up so much space here.  But I just had to share it with you.
 The teachers HAVE to tell some kids they have to go out for recess,
and not just be in the library.

        Every morning I select about 7 or 8 quick facts and the
students who wrote them to highlight on the morning
announcements.  And then I give the final score tallies for the day.
 All of these "facts" have been placed on sheets of butcher paper
lining the hallways.  They're divided into the 5 categories (Felicity,
Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, and Molly).  Under each name are all the
facts from that time period and it's just amazing to see all of the
 connections being made.

        Scientific discoveries and inventions join the names of
Presidents, or famous musicians and artists from around the world.
 The three special (art, music, phys. ed) teachers help the children,
too, by mentioning or writing a fact on the chalkboards...."Pablo Picasso was in
his Blue Period during Samantha's time......"   We
 all win!  We're having a great time and I just had to share it with
 you.  Teachers LOVE how the children are using all different kinds
of stratgies to come up with new ideas!

        Too, the children are using Clarisworks to graph results
using the CHART function to do homeroom scores as well as to
graphically see how many points each "Bookmark" in history got by
bar graph or pie chart.  I'm so thrilled at the learning going on.  It's
so contagious!

        Try it, you'll like it!  It really, really worked for us. :->

Mim Bizic, Library Media Specialist         bizicm@calvin.cc.duq.edu
Edgeworth Elementary School, Quaker Valley School District
200 Meadow Lane
Sewickley, PA  15143
(412) 749-3638  (work)