Top Secret! Online Privacy Game

Do you know how to protect your (and others') private information online?

Test your judgment.

Edited to add that I just discovered May 1 is the first day of "Choose Privacy Week." Here's a word search with terms to be aware of:

http://chooseprivacyweek.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/WordSearch_May2011.pdf

The Z Was Zapped!

After we read The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg, first graders came up with some of their own less-than-ideal situations for the letters of the alphabet.

Crying C

Melting M

O getting attacked by an octopus

P getting punched

S getting splashed

Z getting zapped

A B C D E F G redux

Before second graders start using the dictionary, they need to know how to use guide words. So they've been practicing via an online game. So far, two students in Mrs. Lynch's class -  N.C. and Z.F. - have hit one million. Can you match their score?

See how well you know your alphabet by taking this quiz.

Click, Clack, Moo!

I read Click, Clack, Moo! by Denise Cronin (call number E C) to first graders and kindergartners this week. We learned a few vocabulary words, including "furious," "on strike," and "neutral." Don't worry, it's a fun book!

Then the kids found the letters of their name on a printout of a Mac keyboard (thanks to my predecessor Sue Evje for this idea) while we watched two videos. Did you know that Leroy Anderson used a typewriter as an orchestral instrument??

 

 

Some students had fun doing a little bit of air-typing themselves.

Finally, the kids took turns typing their name into a document that I turned into a Wordle:

School Library Month Love from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

School Library Month Love from Graeme Base

School Library Month Love from Margaret Peterson Haddix

School Library Month Love from Mo Willems

Tour the World with Culturegrams

After using the atlas last month to locate countries on a world map, fourth-graders are learning more about the history and culture of their countries. For example:

- Japan gets more than 1,000 earthquakes each year.
- The Chinese invented paper.
- Denmark chose to remain neutral during World War I and World War II.
- Nguyen is one of the most common last names in Vietnam.

How did they find this information? By using CultureGrams! This online resource is written and reviewed by natives and updated every year to ensure that it reflects the most accurate information. It includes slideshows, interviews, national anthems, and all kinds of charts and tools like currency converters.

To use CultureGrams at home, you can follow the link under "Reference/Resources" on the Garden City RICAT page, or just click here.

See Ms. Moore for the user name and password if you forgot it.

Have fun exploring the world! If you find out something especially fascinating, feel free to share in the comments below.