Happy Halloween!

Go to AskRI.org for Homework Help

Fifth- and sixth-graders have been exploring the features available on AskRI.org, an AWESOME, FREE site provided by the state's Office of Library and Information Services that gives you access to a ton of reference resources.

For example, Homework Help lets you chat with a tutor between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. every day. That is FREE tutoring available eight hours a day. You don't even have to create an account to use the service. And if you need help outside of tutoring hours, nthere are lots of study resources available.

Go ahead and try Homework Help now

Creepy Carrots with K

simonandschuster.com

Just two years old, Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds has become an instant classic. It won a 2013 Caldecott Honor medal and a place in my curriculum. We read it at this time of year, when the students are getting psyched up for Halloween.

In the story, Jasper is being haunted by creeeeeeepy carrots ...or is he? Opinions varied during our discussion.

Here are the kids' versions of creepy carrots:

Room 4 Sorting - Books

Before checkout this week, second graders had to sort a pile of books on their tables (our theme for the year is arranging information). Nearly every group came up with a different set of categories, which made my day ... they were using their brains and teamwork! Category examples included:

• Cover materials: Hardcover and paperback 
• Size: Big and small 
• Text: Author's first initial 
• Topics: Animals and people 
• Genre: Fiction and nonfiction 
• Call number: E and BD (which was the big takeaway from the activity) 

Here are the kids from Room 4 with their books:

Grade 1 E Book Covers

First graders are learning about call numbers, which work like addresses for books. Although they're called "numbers," most only have letters ... kind of confusing. We're starting with the E (for Everyone) section. Every picture book call number has "E" as the first line, and then the first letter of the author's last name as the second line.

For example, if I wrote a book, the call number would be

E
M

What would YOUR call number be?

Students figured out theirs and created an E book they "wrote." Here are some of their book covers: