Making the Library FUN

[Susan H]

What do you do to make library class fun while still meeting the standards and teaching?

[Nancy Meglio]

Susan, I allow my students (grades K-6) to play library games once in a while (perhaps twice a year); my second grade students played Library Tic Toe the other day - of course I asked only library skills questions (one example: true/false: a fiction book provides real information..). The students really enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. Another way to make the library class fun is to give students a choice as to what a finished product may look like: write a paper, sing a song, make up a skit; in this way you appeal to multiple intelligences. It's more work for you but in the long run, I think it pays off. I hope this info is helpful. Nancy Meglio, Media Specialist, Brookdale School, Bloomfield, NJ

[Cynthia Alvarado]

I have a Promethean board, which allows me to do all sorts of fun, interesting activities. I use online games, flash interactive activities and even the tests are not so bad. I give them using the votes, instead of paper. I use Jeopardy of various types, as well. I particularly like Almania, which is available from World Almanac.I also use many video based activities.

[Nicole Waskie]

I agree with giving choices for the finished product, and I adore my SMART Board--I also try to infuse as much new technology as I can and add authenticity/real-life application whenever possible. My K kids are starting a collaborative project on plants--they took digital photos in the classroom, and we're creating a narrated slide show of the planting process using Photo Story in the library. To reinforce ABC order, I'm using BigUniverse.com with my first-graders to make alphabet books--they LOVE it. My second graders are doing research on community places and creating a MS Publisher brochure--a group of administrators and librarians will pick "the best of the best" and the brochures will be hosted on our school website's community page. For my third graders, they're sharing their knowledge of library procedures and skills by creating "how to videos" in Photo Story for future classes to utilize. Oh, I should mention that I'm on a fixed schedule, so these projects can quickly turn into scheduling nightmares....but they are so worth it! I had a second grader doing research the other day say to me, "Is this supposed to be fun?" to which I responded "OF COURSE research is fun!" :)

[Jennifer Sturge]

Wow! Thanks for some great end of the year ideas. My third graders are now researching mummies and going to produce a newscast on what they learned from World Book and books in the library on mummies. To take it a step further, each group will use the FLIP camera to video tape their newscast!

Ever wonder what to do with book jackets you don't need? We're in the process of creating a mural for the library wall. The kids are cutting out shapes from the old jackets and letters! Every kid in the school is getting a turn. They seem to be enjoying it!

[Tommie Jean Kelly]

I ordered Almania but havent used it yet. Do you have a lesson plan that you could share for using Almania?

[Sue Piorkowski]

What grade do you plan on using it in? I have used the Alamania for the World Almanac for Kids. For the past 3-years, I have used it with 4th grade students, after several weeks of searching for information in the almanac. I use some worksheets from the kit 'as is', I adapt some of the worksheets to expand with a web site or additional information on some topics (health, sports, animals) and also share the almanac on line in POWER Library, as part of an almanac unit. Each week, I point out that questions 'like these' will be in our end of the year game. I have used World Almanac for Kids in 4th grade and the traditional World Almanac for 6th grade. It has been an enjoyable end of the year activity, and a display of research skills.

[Sue Piorkowski]

I do enjoy Alamania at the end of the year -- to celebrate a good unit on the World Almanac for Kids in 4th grade. I do like Newbery Bingo -- it becomes more of a book talk/discussion when we play this. This is a twice/year event. The second time, students have read more Newbery books to share.

I love the idea of the mural -- we have lots of book covers -- and a big wall in need of something great -- I was going to do it, but why not share it!

[Beth Kiger]

By searching the internet you can find a great template for Jeopardy. We play almanac Jeopardy using this, with little bells that you ring. Each table is a team. You can add your own questions, but everything else is set up for you.