This week in the library

We are continuing our Google Search activities in 4th grade classes, using the laptop cart computers so students each have their own for searching themselves.  I used part of the Google Search Education lesson on Beginning Search, working on identifying keywords in questions, so students aren't typing entire questions into the search box.  My favorite example comes from the Google A Day website (where anyone can test their online searching skills), modified a bit for our use:

How long was Galloping Gertie in miles, and where was it located?

Students had a lot of fun finding out that Galloping Gertie was in the place where the current Tacoma Narrows Bridge is located.  They also learned that Google can do math for them, conversions and other calculations.  We also watch a few minutes of a YouTube video showing Galloping Gertie collapsing , so a little local history was included in the lesson.

The big news of the week is that kindergarten students get to check out this week!  They have been looking forward to this for a few weeks.  We have been learning about book care, what not to do (let your little sister color on a book or leave a book out in the rain), and how to turn pages carefully.  We will read "Walter's Magic Wand" on Thursday and Friday and students will color and take home their own magic wand.  Magic happens in the library, you just need your imagination!

In 3rd grade I read "The Library Dragon" by Carmen Agra Deedy and wore my own dragon tail to reveal at the end of storytime.  I just can't read enough books about libraries and librarians.

We are all still learning how to find books that are a good fit for us.  I talked with the older students about Lexile (word frequency and sentence length, what it is and what it isn't, and why it is not the only measurement they need to use to choose a good book.  I showed three examples of books that on the surface didn't match their Lexile levels, a picture book by Chris Van Allsburg that is 820L, and some fiction with over 200 pages that came in around 420L.  Don't judge a book by its cover was the message for the week.  Using all the things available to choose a good book is necessary: read the summaries, look at reviews, ask a friend, check the Lexile, and pick a book that interests or challenges you.  This is a lifelong skill, when I am at the library I am not looking for a book at my Lexile level, I'm looking for a book I want to read that will interest or challenge me.