Lewis and Clark Learns

Lewis and Clark Christmas lists look a little different this year thanks to our MakerSpace.  So many kids have shared with me what they are asking for this year for Christmas and upcoming birthdays.  My students are asking for littlebits, MaKeyMaKeys, snap circuits, knitting needles, OSMO and of course Sphero robotic balls.  I can't wait to see what shows up under their trees and in their stockings.   This never would have happened if I hadn't received the LSDF Grant! My students would not have known what most of those materials were if they had not experienced them in our MakerSpace.  So thank you LSDF for helping me show my students what is possible!

Our early release schedule means that I have kids for just 30 minutes and will see them the next day we are in school for their entire 50 minutes.  Last Friday (12/19) we used our early release schedule to account for our school sing along and the winter parties.  So kids in library specials had a day of choice and they loved it! Through our Genius Hour philosophy the kids always have a choice but they still really love an extra choice day.   I try to set out different experiences each time, so this time the kids could...use the Sphero robotic balls, learn with OSMO, build with Legos, K'Nex, or TinkerToys, play a variety of games of logic, coding on the ipads, or play chess with a friend.   The kids tell me those 30 minutes are the fastest minutes ever!

There is no better feeling than seeing your students take what they have learned and independently go about their learning!  The Wednesday before our winter break was one of those great days.  My third and fourth graders were totally focused on their Genius Hour topic and they made so much progress in such a short amount of time. I was so happy for them as I watched them problem-solve, help one another, fail and carry on from that failure.   As I walked around the library I saw 2 kids figuring out how to make an origami ninja star together, one student watching a video to learn the basics of knitting, 4 girls making their first cheer bow, kids figuring out how to use 2 Sphero robotic balls among 6 people, 4 boys not moving from their spot because they were so engrossed in planning their video games, girls tinkering to figure out how things work, 2 girls deciding to learn to crochet first because they read that it would make knitting easier, kids deciding they still n...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a slave?  The book All Different Now is about a girl and her family who are all slaves, they pick cotton. One June morning changed their life forever. The girl and her family were out in the field when the big announcement came, it spread from the port, to the town, to the countryside, and into the field...things were going to be All Different Now . Read the book All Different Now  to find out more about this wonderful event.  Reviewed by Jane G.        

      Have you ever wondered that a kid might go to juvenile jail? Well, a kid named Teddy gets bullied by somebody named Vance Jessup. He forces Teddy to put a fake arm and a fake foot in Shark Oddesey in Fun Jungle...it freaks people out! Then Teddy gets framed for stealing a koala. Large Marge tries to catch him to handcuff him and take him to juvenile jail but Teddy's parents won't let them.  Marge thinks she has enough evidence to get him in trouble.     Read more to find out about the case!   Reviewed by Klaire P.

Nate's luck is out. Getting yelled at left and right, 3 detentions in one day, looking like a fool at the assembly and-oh no *gulp*... REPORT CARDS CAME HOME! But that's not even the worst part, the school became a fitness zone. That might not sound bad to you, but it's a DISASTER for Nate! The vending-machine Nate gets cheez doodlez (that's the actual name) from, doesn't have them any more!! But then something happens, I don't know what. (OK I do, but what fun would it be if I TOLD you?) Things start taking a turn for the better. From sinking a miracle shot, to getting out of science, and replacing Arthur as Mr. Lucky! But how long will it last? Read Big Nate In The Zone to find out! Reviewed by Andrew A.