ELEM. ORIENTATION IDEAS

[Val Nielson <vnielson@MINET.GOV.MB.CA>]

Dear Netters:
Many people were interested in new orientation ideas.  Thanks to the
people who replied.  I hope this hit is not too late to be useful.
HIT:  Orientation Ideas for Grades 4,5 and 6

Hi,
I had a very successful "original" game last year.

I placed different reference books on five or six tables...Bartlett's Famous
Quotations,(I have 5 copies)
American Proverbs Book, Modern Quotations, etc.,

Then the tables in groups of five/six had to find at least two poems, quotes,
etc., that could be read aloud.  We first talked what would not be
appropriate materials for a school situation (vocabulary) and then I set them
free to choose (and I said a silent prayer inside myself)...no fear...they
were great!!!  Everyone enjoyed it...I did not
down any choice...I respected their picks...Interesting some groups from
different classes picked the same verses...They talked about different people
leading to want to take out biographies or books...Shakespeare became very
popular.

Thanks for having me recall this...we start Sept. 4th and I think I will use
it again as many asked to do so through the year.

Louise M. Schwarzchild
School Librarian-Teacher
John Lewis Childs Elem. School (PreK-6)
Floral Park, LI, NY 11001

Keep in touch and let me know how it goes if you use it. Lu


Dear Val,
We had our first day back today and this is what I did with the fourth
graders:
After a brief! discussion of conduct/consequences and library circ
proceedures, I gave each student a small sheet of paper and a pencil.
Then I had the students write a question about the library on the papers.
Next they counted off into twos. The Ones formed a large circle. Then the
twos found a partner on the inside of the circle. Students were
instructed to bring their papers with them. Ones asked and twos answered.
Then the twos asked their questions and the ones answered. I walked
around listening, nodding, and generally just happy that they all knew so
much about the library. Most frequently asked: Can we check out tapes
from the listening center overnight (I had just told them they could &
much about the library. Most frequently asked: Can we check out tapes
from the listening center overnight (I had just told them they could &
they were excited by the newness of this addition). Also, where are the
Goosebumps!
This seemed to be an enjoyable, informative activity and it got them on
their feet in an orderly way. It also demonstrated an appropriate library
voice because they were discussing questions in groups of two, which is
much better than a shouted question (or reply) across the room.
Claudia Stephens
Ozark North Elementary
Ozark, MO


Subject: Re: TARGET: GR.4,5,6 ORIENTATION


   This will be the first year, I am doing either of these.  The global
grocery-is a great tie into 6th grade math, geography, and economics.  I
don't know if your sixth graders have access to unique foods, mostly students
are sent out to look at prices of foods, compare food prices, pick a country
or make up your own currenency and country and develope t he unit from there.
 The  sixth grade social studies teacher is having the 6's create their own
country so this is a nice tie in.

For the 4's I am going to have them keep a running list of expressions and
their meanings. I am goiing to try to get them to choose some expressions
each week, I know I  could be asking for trouble, and have one student type
up a general Alamac.
      4th graders here do local history and insects.  I know by January
most of
them will be on the internet so I have to work on research topics that will
get them thinking before they go head over heels and fall into chat rooms...I
hope not.

It sounds like you have some unique ideas. Can you share them with me.

A couple of Orientation ideas which worked well:

1. After tour of library, have children complete a map by marking in
areas and colour coding them.
2. Make up a Jeopardy game providing the answers (Eg. "In the Vertical File"
 "The first three letters of the author's last name" etc); divide the
class into teams and play after mapping and coding have been done.
3.  Make up a "Genresearch" after discussion about fiction.  Have
students complete 10 or more questions in pairs (Eg. Write down the title
of a mystery novel, a book by Bill Peet, a book which has an animal as a
main character, a book set in the past etc.)
4.  Ask students to construct an "interest questionnaire" for reading
administer it to another student.

Good luck and have fun. A note of advice which I have received and am
going to work on harder is to talk to the students less and have them
talk (and move and practice) more.
Val Nielsen
vnielson@minet.gov.mb.ca