Thanks everyone for all the great ideas! I appreciate not having to =
reinvent the wheel again. Here they are!
1. My curriculum (which I wrote based on other school
curricula that I researched) teaches Almanac and Atlas
skills in 4th grade. I created sets of questions that the
students work on with a partner or they can choose to create their
own questions within certain guidelines. It did take a lot of time
to create the worksheets, but now I have them. I keep them in
laminated 8x10 pockets. There are enough worksheets so that
each group has different questions to research.
2. For reviewing the almanac as a resource, I use "Who Wants to be a =
Millionaire" (well a version of it) with 4-6 grades as a culminating =
activity. It helps to show them all the many different types of =
information contained in the almanac. They love it!
3. This game is used after about three weeks of teaching using the =
index and learning to find information in different types of charts and =
tables. I make up questions for the game. I have used the World =
Alamanac and the Kid's Alamanac version. You can make up questions of =
varying degrees. Some are simple where they only have to find the =
information on the page or more difficult where they have to look within =
a chart or table. I remind them to use the indexes or table of =
contents. I have students with such a wide degree of abilities that I =
try to adapt for all the students. =20
=20
I have 6 tables, 3 on each side. I divide the class into two teams. =
That way the whole class is a part of the game at all times. I do limit =
the number of questions one student can answer. I am over 40 so I can't =
remember any cute team names so I call one team "this side" and the =
other "that side". They think it's funny.
I print the questions out in very large type and put it up on the board. =
Everyone sees the question to help them look up the words. This helps =
all the children hearing and seeing the question. I don't have any =
buzzers, I try to be fair as to who raised their hand first. Just so =
students don't try to guess the answer, I penalize the team if they give =
me a wrong answer and give the other side one minute to find the answer. =
This can go back and forth but it does stop guessing. =20
I use many subjects which reinforces all the great and varied =
information in the almanac. The million dollar question doesn't have to =
be tough. I had a lower ability student get the question and she was so =
proud. Students, mostly boys, love to check the almanacs out.=20
I give dollar amounts as we go along and depending how much time I have =
to finish I'll raise the amounts accordingly. We give out Positive =
Action Awards which are slips of paper they fill in their name and there =
are drawings weekly school-wide. The PAA are used throughout the school =
to reinforce positive behavior. The principal gives out all kinds of =
stuff. I give the winning team each a award for the game. It doesn't =
cost me anything. At the end of one game, the students cheered so loud =
the principal stopped a meeting across the hall to find out what was =
going on in the library.=20
4. The Dewey game evolved from a bingo type game the other librarian =
had and I think I have seen the game for sale in library magazines. I =
like to use it to reinforce an understanding of the Dewey system but it =
also is a great way to show students the wide variety of books in =
nonfiction. They sometimes don't know we have cookbooks or religious =
stories, etc. =20
It is called DECMO and for each letter there are 5 spaces below each =
letter on the card with some hundred Dewey catagory. I used to do a =
baseball type game, but that put individual students on the spot to get =
it right. I have a cart full of books I pulled from all the 10 =
sections. They have a card and some paper markers on the table. I put =
DECMO on the board so as each number is called I can record it on the =
board to check a bingo. I begin with D and hold up a book at random, =
they hav a general list of the types of books in each category (I don't =
expect them to memorize them) and someone just calls out the hundred =
category for the book. When I get to O I begin again with D making sure =
that I don't use the same number under that letter. I help with some =
clues. When a student has bingo, we check the numbers from the board. =
They again get the positive action award for winning. We play this for =
two class periods. I like it because they do enjoy it and they become =
interested in new books.
5. I just introduced my 5th grade students to the ALMANAC this morning =
and they want to check them out asap. We are studying Lewis and Clark, =
so we looked up Lewis & Clark Expedition...the timeline. Then we went to =
the perpetual calendar to see what DAY it was on May 14th 1804 when they =
left on the expedition and when they returned on September 23rd, 1806.
We then looked up what DAY they were born on and what DAY it will be =
when they turn 21. It was great.
We looked for the depth of Lake Michigan and then looked up a few more =
exciting things.
Using the index in the back was great and we also referenced the flags =
in the center. Then I gave them some time just to scan through it.
6. World Almanac sells a classroom set of almanacs along with black =
line
masters for class lessons on almanac use. I bought it 2 yrs ago when I
was teaching library skills to middle schoolers. I think they have the
same pkg for elementary grades as well. I had the kids work in pairs and
gave each pair a different skill sheet to work on. Some were hard and
some were easy. It also comes with a really goofy movie on how to use
the almanac. The kids groaned but they always love to watch a video.
7. Atlases usually come up
with our 4th grade and altho. in the past I've done some lessons on =
using an
atlas (using coordinates, keys, symbols, latitude and longitude, etc.) I
found I was often duplicating what was being done in the classroom (tho.
often the teachers were too polite to tell me, but I could tell by the
attentiveness and responses of the kids). So, instead, I'm thinking of
gathering the 10 or so atlases I have (both U.S. and world--of varying
publishers, copyright dates, use-ability levels, etc.). talking about =
their
location in the reference area and their dewey decimal number and having =
the
students work in teams of two examining as many atlases as time allows
writing down their observations about: publisher and copyright (always =
good
to get practice finding those--and then talking about the limitations of =
a
1970 atlas [yes! I have one!!]; whether the places in the index can be
located by letter and number or latitude and longitude coordinates,
interesting features at the front or back such as a glossary, flags, =
etc.,
It would probably be a 2-class lesson--one for gathering info, one for
sharing.
For almanacs, every few years I purchase a class set of the most =
recent
World Almanac for Kids which, for 4th graders, I do a 4-5 week unit =
using
the W.A.K video one week, looking how the almanac is set up =
(concentrating
on color-coding, T of C/Index, and skimming section headings) the second
week, having them find answers to questions I make the third week, =
coming up
with their own questions and answers the next week, and then playing a =
game
using the questions they came up with the last week.
For 5th graders, a few years ago I purchased a class set of the =
regular
World Almanac and, again, one class is spent watching the accompanying
video, the next week formulating key words and seeing which ones would =
more
likely be found in the Quick Thumb Index, the Quick Reference Index or =
the
General Index; third week practicing looking up the answers to questions =
and
writing down the key word(s) used and which index was most helpful; and
finally, a class "trivia" contest--answering as many questions as they =
can
in a specified time limit and the class with the highest average of =
correct
answers wins a new almanac for their class.=20
8. I have a fun activity (or "game" as I like to refer to these types =
of
activities) I do with my 4th and 5th graders to get them used to using =
the
world atlas. I introduce the index, abbreviations, coordinates, =
symbols,
etc. After finding and analyzing one country together, I give each =
student
a slip of paper with the name of a different country on it. They have =
to
use the index to find the country listing and the map references or
coordinates to find the map of the country. They must then study the =
map
enough to be able to find the country on a large wall map of the world. =
(I
remind them to pay close attention to the continent, how far it is from =
the
equator, latitude and longitude, bodies of water nearby, bordering
countries, whether in northern, southern, eastern, western part of
continent, etc. so they can find it easily on the wall map.) Using =
these
identifying features, they then have to take their slip of paper and =
tape it
to the country on the larger map. (I laminated each slip so that they =
can
be used over and over again by different classes.) Have more than one
country ready for each student or be ready to remove, shuffle and =
re-issue
the slips, because they love the activity and usually ask to do it again =
if
there is time. We have enough atlases for each student in one class. =
If
we use the atlases for two classes at one time, I have the students work
with partners.
They've already asked if they are going to be doing it again this year.
I do something similar for the almanac. I find certain items of =
information
that would be of interest to the students and, again, make a game of it. =
I
have them place the almanacs closed in front of them and tell them to =
wait
until I give the clue before opening them. Then I say something like, =
"who
won the Super Bowl in 1986?" Then I say, "Ready? Go!" and they have to =
find
the information, write it down and cover their answers. We give =
everyone
time to find it - it doesn't take long because they are rushing to find =
it
quickly - and then check to see if they all got the answer correctly. =
I
then say, "OK, close your books" and give them the next clue that is =
totally
unrelated. This gives them a sampling of what type of information is in =
an
almanac and reinforces the use of the index to find the information - =
and
makes it fun!
By the way, my dictionary game is fun too if you're interested! I =
write a
word on the board that would be unfamiliar to the students such as
"inquisitive" or "onomatopoeia." Again, I have the students sit with =
the
dictionary closed in front of them and tell them they need to look up =
the
word but DO NOT give me the definition. I tell them they must ONLY =
answer
my question. (This also reinforces listening skills as well as =
following
directions.) Then I say something like (for inquisitive for example), =
"If
I were this type of person, what might be the first word out of my =
mouth?"
Then I tell them they may open their dictionaries now to find the =
answer.
Of course, the students should answer, who, what, why, how, when, etc.
After the first time, they'll catch on and realize the type of answer =
you
are looking for.
For onomatopoeia, I ask them to give me an example of this type of word
other than the one given in the book. They have a lot of fun with that
one. Other examples: Bicuspid: "What type of person would you be if =
you
worked on this type of material?" Menagerie: "Name something that =
might
belong to this type of collection." Before beginning this activity, =
you'll
have to first look through the dictionary you are using for the activity =
to
be sure the words are in it.
This is a great activity to reinforce quickly finding words in =
alphabetical
order and, particularly, the use of guide words, because they soon learn
that if they don't use the guide words, they won't find the answers as =
quick
as those who do. Also, by making them pronounce the word before they =
give
you an answer, you are also reinforcing pronunciation and the =
pronunciation
key if necessary. (Sometimes, I ask them to offer pronounciations of =
the
word before they look it up. It's very enlightening for them to see =
how
much different many words end up actually being pronounced than how they =
had
guessed they would be pronounced.)
9. For atlas lessons, we play a fun game that the kids really enjoy. I =
split the class into 2 teams. I give each team a list of 4 places, and =
they have to guess whether or not there is such a place. They write =
down their answer, then switch lists with the other team, who looks them =
up in the atlas, and the teams get 10 points for every one they guessed =
correctly. The bonus is worth 25 points, and it is something =
like..."How many Springfields are listed for US states?" If they guessed =
within 3, they get the points. I choose names of places that the kids =
have probably never heard of but do exist. (if you can find one that =
sounds funny you'll have them in stitches...and they'll be POSITIVE that =
there's no such place!) The strange thing is that they haven't caught on =
(even after playing for 3 years) that I've never given them a place that =
didn't exist.
I find that lessons for the almanac can be very confusing to them, so I =
usually do a scavenger hunt, and have them work in pairs to find =
information.
10. =20
When I talk about atlases with my 4th graders, I get out a variety to =
show them - explorer atlas, satellite atlas, world atlas etc. Then we =
look at student atlases and review what a key is, the compass rose etc. =
I love my Rand McNally atlas set. It comes with worksheets if there are =
specific skills that you want to work on(although I have not used them). =
I made a map of my library, and I put a grid on it. I set up a =
scavenger hunt with clues so that they have to go to various locations =
on the map to get the next clue. The final clue leads them to a =
treasure chest with a prize (sticker) inside. They love it and are =
practicing their map reading skills.=20
For almanacs - After going over the features of the almanac, I made a =
game like jeopardy. I wrote up questions with point values and hung =
them on a board. Each table of students was a team. They each had =
their own almanac, but only one person from a team could stand up to say =
the answer. I kept track of their scores to see which table got the =
most points. The winners got a round of applause. It was really fun. =
I made sure that the answers could be located by using the index.
11. I do a lesson using How to Make and Apple Pie and See the World =
(Priceman.)
We look over various atlases and then using a class set we see how it is =
set up,
the index, table of contents, map key, etc. I have them sit on the floor =
holding their atlases as I read the story. They try to find each place =
the character visits as we
go along. I do this with 4th grade and they love it. There is also a =
video of the book
but I never have the time to use it.
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