Illustrating the Importance of Primary Resources

In 5th and 6th grade, we've been talking about point of view and how it can influence the telling of a story. That led to a lesson about first-hand, or primary, sources, and the importance of eyewitness accounts and original documents in research.

The students saw how a message can be distorted as it passes through different interpretations by playing a game:

• Step 1: Write an adjective and a noun at the top of a piece of paper. Pass it to the left.
  
• Step 2: Draw an illustration of the adjective and noun that your neighbor just handed to you.
  
• Step 3: Fold down the paper so that only your drawing is showing. Pass it to the left.
  
• Step 4: Write an adjective and noun to describe the drawing that your neighbor just handed to you.
  
• Step 5: Fold down the paper so that only your words are showing. Pass it to the left.

And so on.

Here are some of the results:

Book Recommendations from Maliyah

Do you have favorite books that you think other students should read too? You can be in charge of the recommendation shelf for a week! Just give Ms. Moore a list of 4-8 books that you love (and that we have at the Stadium library).

Here are some of Maliyah's picks ... I loved that she included The View from Saturday, one of my favorites:

AM K Loves Pete the Cat!

Some days you just really need Pete the Cat to come in and remind you, "It's all good." We read about his white shoes via the singalong video below, then did some Pete the Cat dot-to-dot coloring after checkout.

 

Guide Word Rags to Riches

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, the highest score in Mrs. Wall's class was 4,000, hit by J.R. Can you beat his score?

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

Common Core Standard addressed: RI.2.5 - Know and use various text features to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.

Summarizing Rumpelstiltskin - Grade 5

In fifth grade this week, we practiced the Somebody / Wanted / But / So / Then method of summarizing a story. Here is what the students came up with for Rumplestiltskin after I read them Paul O. Zelinsky's retelling:

Source: http://www.paulozelinsky.com/rumpelstiltskin.html

• The king wanted the girl to use the [straw] to make gold, but she didn't know how to do it. So a tiny man did it for her. Then he asked for stuff that she had. - MA



• The king wanted gold, but didn't have it. So he used a girl to make gold of straw, and then the king married the girl. - CS



• The queen wanted help making gold, but R. wanted her baby when she got married unless she figured out his name. So she sent a servant to find out his hame. Then she kept her baby because she found out his name was Rumpelstiltskin. - OG



• R. wanted the queen's baby, but she didn't want to give the baby away. So he said "Guess my name in three days." Then the servant snuck up on him and heard his name and told the queen, and she guessed his name and kept the baby. - MQ



• The queen wanted to keep her son, but she had to figure out the little man's name. So she looked for every name possible and sent her servant to find out the little man's name. Then the little man came back and the queen told [him] that his name was Rumpelstiltskin. - KV



• R. wanted the girl's baby, but she guessed his name. So she got to keep her baby; then she lived happily ever after. - HC



• R. wanted the miller's daughter's first child, but the girl refused to give it to him. So he gave her three days to guess his name and [be able to] keep her child. Then the miller's daughter guessed it right and got to keep her daughter. - MG

Common Core standard addressed: SL.5.2 - Summarize a written text read aloud

How to Log in to Your Library Account

Third graders are now experts in logging into their library accounts and ordering books. Follow the instructions below the photos to check what you have out and look for new items to bring home.

 

Log in

1. Go to http://ricat.net.
   
   
2. Under “Elementary Schools,” scroll down to the Stadium link. The school library page will open.
   
   
3. Click the “Login” button in the top right.


4. 
   Enter your User Name: CDS#####
   (fill in your lunch/shelf card number)
   
   
5. Enter your Password: MMDDYY
   (fill in your six-digit birthdate; for example, May 5, 2003 would be typed in as 050503)
   
   
6. You should now see your name in the top right corner of the screen.

Check your account

Click on the “My Info” tab to see what books you have checked out.

Place a Hold

1. Click the "Catalog" tab.
   
   
2. Before searching for your title or subject, choose “RICAT (all members)” from the Location drop-down. This will search all schools, so if Stadium doesn’t have what you’re looking for, you can still request your item. 
   
   
   
3. When find the item you want, click on the book’s title to go to the Details page.
   
   
4. Then click the “Hold It!” button on the right

Around the World with Grade 4

Fourth-graders have started a world geography unit. First step was choosing a country to look up in the almanac. Most kids went with a place their family calls or has called home at one point, including Cambodia, Haiti, and Pakistan.

PM K Loves Pete the Cat!

Some days you just really need Pete the Cat to come in and remind you, "It's all good." We read about his white shoes via the singalong video below, then did some Pete the Cat dot-to-dot coloring after checkout.

 

 

Lucky eeny-meeny-miney-mo winner and first
kindergartner to check out a new Pete the Cat book!