LM_NET: Library Media Networking
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Sandy Bucher, new LMS, Centerport, LI, NY, buchtrac@att.net
<mailto:buchtrac@att.net>
*****
I work in an elementary school in Yonkers and am completing my second year.
We also have 30 minute periods and I learned a few things over these two
years. One is not to do anything complicated in 30 minutes. I have
circulation for 15 minutes of the period. It usually takes the class about 5
minutes to come in and sit down (if they are on time). I read a fiction or
non-fiction book. My kids love non-fiction and I spend a few minutes asking
for prior knowledge, etc. Sometimes I will read one week and have an
activity sheet to go along with it the second week - a coloring activity or
a short writing exercise (what was your favorite part of the story, or
illustrate your favorite character and write 2-3 sentences about him.) I
also get reproducibles from Copycat magazine, which can be made into little
research booklets - they have very little copy on each page, kids can color
the pages,
and at the end there are questions to be answered about the story - great
for grades 2-4 in my school. I hope this helps.
******
Oh my yes. Many many of us have this setup. For K-2 I do mostly literature
appreciation/storytimes. I plan on about 20 minutes of stories, 10 for
checkout (we are automated). Sometimes we have a special activity, such as
having the Gr. 1 decorate a paper mitten to hang from the library ceiling
after reading Jan Brett's version of The Mitten. Gr. 2-5 we start the year
with practice on using the online catalog. Gr. 3 I work mainly with various
genres. Gr. 4 & 5 I do a lot of research tools etc. Encyclopedias,
almanacs, atlases etc. and recording of info and bibliographic info. so that
they are ready for Gr. 6 when they begin writing longer papers.
I read a 10 min. story, sometimes with a mini-lesson, to K and 1, then they
select books. I have dot-to-dots (ABC order), or bookmarks to make, etc. for
them to do if they have extra time. Gr. 2-3 have a 15-20 minute lesson, then
get out books. But you are right, it's hard to do something meaningful in 15
minutes. I usually have word searches for them to do if there is extra time.
This tends to keep them busy so you can help the ones still searching for
books. We are going to a flexible schedule next year, so I guess everything
will change.
30 min. isn't much! I am at 3 elem. schools, K-3, and we have 40 min. I am
still pressed for time. I try to allow 10
min. for book exchange. Because I am at 3 schools, I only see them once
every 3 weeks, so if you see them every week
that could help some. I try to tie the book I read in with the lesson. For
instance, the obvious talk about the title,
author, info. on the title page, etc. Compare fiction and nonfiction by
reading a story about a bear then a short nonfiction book about bears.
Appropriate uses of each, etc. I found that many children enjoy nonfiction
more than fiction anyway, especially boys. I liked to read a dinosaur story
then a nonfiction dinosaur book by Michael Berenstain because they were
always fooled by the illustrations in the Berenstain book into thinking that
it is fiction. Good lesson for looking at the spine label, introducing
Dewey,
etc. I used simple worksheets sometimes, although that might be hard with
your schedule. We usually went over them
together rather than leaving them on their own. There is a book by Eileen
Christelow called What Do Authors Do? that
is a good read plus informative about the writing process, editors, and
publishers. I found a recent author visit invaluable in teaching that lesson
because he talked about all the books he wrote that were never published.
Better start another paragraph! I'm not usually such a run-on writer, but
I'm in a hurry. Anyway, book talks can introduce a genre. Holidays honoring
people (Presidents' Day, MLK Day, etc.) can be used when talking about
biographies. I'm sure some of this you have tried. Teaching the card catalog
(if you still have one) probably could best be done on a needs basis as you
go along. Trying a
treasure hunt is time consuming, unless you did a couple of groups one week
and a couple more the next. The ones not
involved in the search could be involved in talking about the process, or
one group could pick books while the other is working on finding a book in
the catalog.
I usually use Libeary Skills for K-6. Some of the lessons are outdated,
butyou can work with them. With 30 minutes the best method I've found is:
15 min for story. 15 min for lesson. 15 min for book checkout
For the lower grades, I try to do something in which the class is doing i.e.
bugs, weather, seasons, etc. If that doesn't work, I look for holidays,
special days or special weeks. For these grades I read a story and then have
an activity to go with it.
For the higher grades, I do a lot of reference activities.
The beginning of the year is taken up with the usual library stuff. (Dewey
numbers, fiction/nonfiction, etc.)
I, too, have 30 minute slots which include check-out. It is very limiting
and some subjects I never get around to teaching. I do alot of reading to
children with short extension activities, such as writing a poem, short
story or drawing a picture. When I want to do library instruction, I have
to spread it out over a few weeks. This doesn't work too well, but it's all
I can do. I just review briefly at beginning of next class and continue.
This coming year I'm going to try working with thematic units - one theme
each month. All lessons and activities will be related to this theme, so
maybe that will help students with making connections and retaining info.
I have had 35 minute periods for the last 2 years on a fixed schedule. It is
very hard to do much besides read a story and check out. I seem to talk a
lot in introducing the story and time seems to fly. I run out of time if I
try to do an art project following the story and students never seem to
remember what I am talking about if I try for a two-three week lesson. Check
out always takes 10-15 minutes.
I have tried to develop units such as the continents and read a story from
each for 6-7 weeks, and in this way do something that does not make each
book simply stand alone.
I am developing a matching game to be played on a bulletin board for older
grades, and the book Learning about Books and Libraries, a Gold Mine of
Games, by Carol Lee seems to be good. I just ordered it from Demco.
I do a 20 minute storytime (usually 2 stories, often 1 is acted out), with
10 minutes of check-out time. Our library curriculum for the Kinders is
"Classic stories", and includes acting out stories such as "3 billy goats
gruff", "Goldilocks", etc. The second story and the following week has
stories that are on the same theme as the acted out story. "Goldilocks"
means bear stories. "Gingerbread Girl" (same story, but "run, run, jump and
twirl, you can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Girl!") means cookie stories
(or something baked).
It's easier if you have a clerk to help out with the check-out, because then
you can help the kids find books while the clerk checks them out.
After check-out, the kids sit down at the tables until their teacher
arrives, then I like to have them line up in the following way. Same routine
every time, and they get to know it. "Okay everyone. Close your books and
your mouths. Stand up and push your chairs in. Look at the front cover of
your book. If the front cover of your book has the letter _____ on it, you
may quietly walk to the line." I choose letters that may go with the
teacher's name, or how the weather is..."If you have an 'F' on the front
cover of your book, 'F" for Fabulous Friday, you may go to the line." They
love to do this, and it reinforces the alphabet. Sometimes I'll do colors
instead, but that can get tricky with some covers - is it orange or is it
red?
Read aloud for twenty minutes. Ten minutes for book check out. I work my way
through the Easy section reading a different author each week for
Kindergarten. I do an author a month for 1st grade. I do Caldecott's for
second grade. Third through 6th you can read poetry, review a skill, check
out.
I teach thirty minute lessons all the time. You just concentrate on one or
two objectives for each class period and allow 5 to 7 minutes for book check
out at the end of class.
I use to have this set up, although it wasn't for prep periods. I would
begin each class with a lesson time. When work was completed the students
could choose books. I tried to make each lesson about 15-20 minutes long,
including any seat work that was required. Pick your curriculum topics for
each grade level, then break them down into very short lessons, one concept
or skill. Maybe an introduction one week then a how to the next. Some
topics it is easier to plan out the whole unit at one time, then break it
into short segments. If it goes faster than expected, move on to the next
segment, if longer postpone a portion to the next week. It gets easier
after you have done it one year, you learn how you pace your lessons. How
much the kids can
accomplish in each lesson varies from year to year with the student
abilities. When you have learned your pacing and your students you'll make
wiser decisions on the design of your lessons. I still do story times with
k-2 followed by book choosing time. I also include very short lesson with
some short books, like vocabulary and book care. During book choosing time
I also have various activities that they can do; usually coloring, free
choice as assigned, depending on what I'm doing. 3rd is (now scheduled
differently) - parts of books, book arrangement, basic reference books
4th -use to be card catalog, now we are automated, review of 3rd grade
5th -use to be review of 4th and reference books 6th - use to be review of
5th and research skills Occasionally, I would show a video, filmstrip, read
a story, or give them a half hour browsing time.
Craig, Paula.
Mr. Wiggle's book. -- Sweet Home, OR : Audio bid inc, 1974.
tp/bk.
1. Library skills--Orientation.
(newer version from DEMCO)
Developing an information literacy program k-12/developed by the Iowa City
Community School District/edited by Mary Jo Langhome. -- NY : Neal-Schuman
Publishers, 1998.
xii, 294p., charts and drawings.
Includes: developing a program; model lessons for elem.; model lessons
for secondary; additional instructional resources. plus cd. and index.
ISBN 1555703321
1. Information retrieval--study and teaching. 2. Library orientation for
school children.
try Linworth Publishing
http://www.linworth.com/
I've used many of their Skills for Life books. Also, their magazine Library
Talk has lots of short lessons.
I have just finished my second year in a similar situation. I have operated
on a fixed schedule, seeing 8 classes a day, including Kdg. My first year I
felt I was doing good to just get kids in the library to check out books.
Being a newbie and walking into a sadly neglected program, I focused most of
my attention on extensive weeding and collection development, reading aloud
(mainly from award winners and state book list nominees), and lots of
booktalking. This past year, I shifted my focus to some basic library
skills instruction at all grade levels. Next year, I have been given
permission to use one day of the week on a flexible schedule. I'm
still working on the details of that but my plan is to use one 30 minute
session each week for booktalk/share and checkout and the second weekly
session for skills instruction/practice and research. My flex day will at
first be open library time and then hopfully work into scheduled time for
collaboration with classroom teachers. Although I haven't used any "canned"
lesson plans in the past, I have had success (and fun) using Judy Freeman's
"Hi Ho Librario" book and CD in skill lessons.
this is what I have and I mostly read to the kids. Or do trivia quizzes.
Anything else they learn is from working on a project with a
teacher. I have only 22 classes which leaves clerical time and extra time
for research.
I am just finishing up my first year here and have a similar problem. I
have students for 25 minutes (K-3) and that includes book check-out. Seems
about all I had time for was to do a brief introduction or review (what
kinds of books are we talking about,
etc.) and read a story (10 min.) and book check-out (10 min.). The
remaining five minutes was to cover for late classes or to get kids lined up
and to their next "special", gym or art (way down the hall -- in a different
wing). I did do some "fun" activities and computer Catalog Plus lessons but
it was really tough fitting everything in. I couldn't even do any
art/hands-on projects with books that we read due to lack of time.
I have a K-5 school with 30 minute library period. I plan mini lessons for
about 20 minutes of the period. Class size is about 23-25 so 10 minutes
usually is sufficient for locating books (I also have a clerk who manages
the circulation desk) We don't have alot of writing activities except for
reference materials lessons. Since most of the core of library instruction
builds from year to year the children don't need alot of introduction to the
lesson.
I do 30 minute prep periods for three classes, grades 1 -3. I have the
students in for a story and book exchange. I teach things like title page,
author, illustrator and book parts incidently. I often have a colouring page
or library related page for the students that have left their books at home
to do while the others sign out books. I enjoy sharing my favorite stories
with these classes. The grade 4-6 are on a flex schedule. I try and have
them in for book talks and different research project. I have colleagues in
larger schools who don't have time to share stories with the primary grades.
I'm glad I do, even if it's prep time.
Do you have everyone 2 times a week for 30 minutes or just once a week. I
worked in a PK-7 where everyone had library 2 times for 30 minutes. I made
one day solely a lesson day and the other was a backup to that lesson with
20 minutes of book exchange time. It worked fairly well. Especially if you
are teaching things like call letter and call number. You can reinforce the
lessons on the second day while they are browsing for a new book. You can
also reinforce lessons on the OPAC to encourage its use on the exchange day.
Hope this helps. Good Luck and make it fun for yourself and the students,
you won't regret it.
You thank your lucky stars that the lessons are 30 minutes and not more.
Trying to keep their attention for 45 minutes and come up with relevant,
interesting lessons for that long a time is a nightmare.
--
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