Thanks for all the great tips everyone!
-Diana Lawsky
Lincoln School
North Bergen, NJ
lawsky@optonline.net
I have never had a class that didn't enjoy a scavenger hunt. I do
them all the time - for just about anything! Starting with how to
find books in the library [talk about fiction vs non-fiction - I use
the word imagination vs information - and location of all the
different sections in the library.] don't talk very long - just give
the basics. Then let them loose with questions like: locate a fiction
book whose call number begins with the same letter as your last name;
List two books by Gary Paulsen; I always make them come meet me and
we introduce ourselves with a handshake ["Introduce yourself to your
Library Teacher"; "now introduce yourself to your Library Assistant.
Write their names down"]; the hardest questions are - what do red
dots mean [foreign language] and how are Biographies arranged on the
shelf [by name of the person who is the subject of the book].The rest
of the questions center on getting them to all the parts of the
library and locating specific books.
Next we move to the automated catalog. Again, a 15 minute [max] intro
to how to get around in it then lots of questions like: I need a book
about dogs, find me one information book, what is it's call number;
who wrote "One Fat Summer"; how many pages are in the book "hatchet",
who is the publisher of "Schooled". Let them work in partners.
Then I take 3x5 cards and put questions on them that can be answered
either by an almanac, a dictionary, an atlas or encyclopedia. They
pick cards, answer the questions and throw them back in the pile and
keep getting more until time is called. Again, this is after a 15 or
so minute explanation. This 'hunt' could be broken down into four
lessons with questions on each individually and then using all four
for the final one.
Depending on the class - special ed, GATE, ELL, whatever...these
activites work! I make up appropriate questions for each group and
make it harder and harder each time. I time them and I give prizes.
[when a class is particularly on task I give everyone a prize of some
sort and the 'winners' get one more of whatever I'm giving out that
day]. We cheer when we get it right and have fun with it.
This is fun, easy, and really, I swear, I've never had a bad class
when I've done this. For special ed be sure to let them work in
partners, give them plenty of time, and make the questions easy to
read. They need to be able to accomplish the task without help. Build
up to questions that get harder as time goes by - but don't assume
that they can't answer the harder questions- I've been mightily
surprised by many a special ed class that I was told were very low
ability. They could do it as well as anyone- just took longer.
The only time you need computers is when you use the automated
catalog. I'm currently working on one for Google Earth and will
include that in my 'grab bag'. All the tools we use in the library
can be investigated by hands-on activities of one sort or another.
Really, library work - and research in general - really is one big
scavenger hunt anyway.
other ideas:
databases,
library rules
alphabetical order
the list is endless!!.....
I hope this gives you some ideas!
Connie Williams
Connie Hamner Williams
Teacher Librarian / National Board Certified
Kenilworth Junior High
800 Riesling Road
Petaluma, CA 94954
707-778-4719 / 707-778-4710
chwms@mac.com / www.kenilworthjhs.org
We have just recently begun getting a weekly visit from one of the special ed
classes at our high school. My co-librarian set up an LCD projector and laptop and
had our assistant and me standby ready to pull the books based on the topics the
students requested. She then engaged the special ed teacher to help the students
figure out what kinds of books they might be interested in. The plan was to get
titles that had lots of good photos (the DK books and our cookbooks ended up being
a HUGE hit). The kids seemed to enjoy the chance to see the catalog in use on the
big screen and were tickled that we could find something for each of them. Now they
are coming in regularly and we don't use the LCD projector anymore, but the kids
are really enjoying getting to help check out--pointing out where the scanner light
needs to go, putting the cards in the pockets, that sort of thing. This class is
one of the lower functioning classes, but it is still enough of a mix that some are
able to read while some are really just getting the socialization--even so, they
are enjoying it enough that the teacher can now threaten NOT to bring them to the
library when there are behavior issues. We are looking to broaden our collection to
get more titles that will work for the list of topics this class has shared with
us. At any rate, best of luck to you. If you don't mind, I'd love to see a hit on
this topic.
Ronda Y. Foust
School Media Specialist
Karns High School
Knoxville, TN
foustr1@k12tn.net
http://thebookdragon.blogspot.com/
Diana,
I teach 5 classes of "library science" every day to 8th grade students,
some of whom are learning support kids. Do you teach skills or are you
supposed to be focused on reading? With my classes, we do lots of
research skill "stuff," including the Dewey Decimal System (Dewey
Decimal Bingo is always a big hit), scavenger hunts, research projects,
bibliography skills, and lots of other activities. If you'd like more
info, I can email you examples of my activities to try out with your
kids. My first year was a terrible trial, but now that I've been
teaching for a few years I think I've gotten the knack of keeping them
interested and sneaking in some worthwhile skills at the same time!
Erin L. Glover, Librarian
James Buchanan Middle School
Mercersburg, PA
erin.glover@tus.k12.pa.us
I show videos of classic literature that I don't think many of them will
ever read. I show Fahreheit 451, Call of the Wild, Shiloh, etc. I also
have videos that happen to be of short stories that the 7th grade reads. I
show those when the teacher tells me to.
Janet Perry, Prek-12 Librarian
Cerro Gordo CUSD 100, Cerro Gordo, IL
perrybros@hotmail.com
Don't know if these would apply, but some suggestions are: origami - model one
simple example and then let them try out some with some books you might have or
copies of pages from an origami book; magic - again, try to master one card trick
or such and then let them try different tricks (need to provide some materials -
playing cards and such and directions or books); scavenger game - find different
books, media, items in the library; reader's theater - an easy book (dePaola, for
example) and assign parts including a narrator - maybe they can perform for a
younger grade.
Good luck.
Patricia Menno-Coveney, LMS
Moriarty/Wequonnoc Schools
Norwich, CT
mennocoveney@yahoo.com
__________________________________________________
How about reading books about students who have disabilities to them?
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