Lewis and Clark Learns

4th graders giving catapults a first try.   Working toward building a catapult that will launch their pompom the farthest distance. More 4th graders using teamwork to learn and problem-solve while building their first catapult.  I was thrilled to have a parent come up to me at the high school football game and tell me that the best part of their child's day was building catapults! Kindergarten friends working with TinkerToys.  I learned something really important with my first class of kindergartners...not many of them had ever used TinkerToys.  So, I had to take a step back and just let them build and discover with them before moving on to what I had planned.  We will "practice" with them several times before we move on.  We also had to talk about how to take our creations apart.  Several pieces broke because they were bending the pieces down, rather than straight out.  Maybe that helpful hint will help someone else:) First and second graders &q

Quite by accident, I started last school year with the Cardboard Challenge.  As part of our introduction to Genius Hour, we watched Caine's Arcade. After viewing it, one of my fourth grade students mentioned that she thought that we should build our own cardboard arcade games.  After a bit of panic and doubt about such a big (wild and crazy) event, my parapro and I decided we could do it. So we started gathering boxes, sending notes home about what was happening, and asking for donations.  We got started, failed along the way, and ultimately succeeded in our efforts to plan, design, and create our games. This year, with our new MakerSpace in place, I knew that I wanted to start off the year again with a big event!  Plus, each grade level would need an introduction to the space and would need to learn what possibilities it held.  I decided that each grade level would begin the year with a maker project that would require them to use supplies from our space, work together to solve

A piece of brown roll paper and some Sharpies...that is all it takes to start a graffiti wall for kids to recommend or find a great book! What can a simple chess board (or 3) do in your library? 1.  Ignite a passion to learn something new. 2.  Bring kids together to teach and learn from each other. 3.  Get kids' brains working strategically. 4.  Help kids make new friends at the beginning of the school year. 5. Encourage kids to learn how to win or lose graciously. 6.  Help kids realize that you don't always get what you want right away...sometimes you have to wait your turn. 7.  Help kids understand that sometimes you are wrong and it is OK to admit it. 

Whew!  What a first day!  Six classes through the library doors to scope out what is new in our library space and to check out for the first time!  Most of our discussions were focused on our new MakerSpace and our genrified Fiction section...both were a big hit with the kids.  I am already looking forward to seeing them again so we can get down to some making and learning business...not just procedures. Our day in pictures: