Many Ways to Concord

Using GoogleMaps, third graders tracked many different routes to get from New Hampton to Concord - down Route 4 to 89,  into Bristol and then out route 3 or straight through Bristol to 93S. One student even knew how to go over Murray Hill Road to get to Hill and then on to Concord!

We discussed how the internet is a lot like the roads to Concord. There are so many different ways to get from the student to the information he or she seeks! We learned about effective searching and choosing keywords that will lead to the correct information. We learned about directories and saw how they're set up in categories and subcategories.

We tried out the search engine and directory features for YahooKids, KidsClick, AskKids, and Quintara for Kids. We looked at the number of hits for a keyword using KidsClick and compared it to the same search using Google. Kids' search engines usually only show results that are readable and useful for students, making finding what we want a LOT easier!

The Goldilocks Rules

First grade is working on a Powerpoint presentation called "The Goldilocks Rules: How to Choose a Book That's Just Right!" Children have shared and typed up their personal strategies for finding a book (read a page or two, ask a friend if they've read it, read a review) and have illustrated their thoughts using TuxPaint. We'll combine the pictures and the text in Powerpoint slides to make the presentation. It will be shared as a class, then will become a permanent part of the ICT curriculum to help other students make good book choices. Thanks, First Grade!

Thank You!

Through the generosity of two set of individuals, the DES Library has new books for the children to borrow. Fred and MaryJane Ogmundson, through the Carol Ogmundson Foundation, have donated new picture and poetry books as well as several nonfiction works. Ann and John Johnson have donated animal and character education books in the name of James and Esther Patterson. Thank you to these thoughtful folks for supporting literacy at DES!

2010 Caldecott

Here's the winner of this year's Caldecott Award - The Lion & The Mouse, a wordless picture book illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. DES students looked at the book this week in ICT classes. Through it, children saw that pictures really can tell a story!

If you're interested in reading the story, which is an Aesop's Fable, there are a few online versions here and here!

Answers From Experts

In ICT class last week, first graders had many questions about the Caldecott Medal. How big is it? How heavy? Is it made of paper like the ones pasted on the covers of the award-winning books in the DES Library? We decided to email Beth Krommes, illustrator of the 2009 Caldecott Award-winning book The House in the Night. She had a Caldecott Medal and she would know.

Ms. Krommes wrote back within the hour and included a picture of the Caldecott Medal so the children could see it. Here is a section of her response:

HELLO FRIENDS! I am working on some pictures in my office, and heard your e-mail arrive. Thank you for your kind words about "The House in the Night". I still can't believe I won the Caldecott award...the medal measures 2 1/4" across. I can fit it in my pocket. It is heavier than I thought it would be. I am sending a picture of me holding the medal in its special box. I keep it in the box on a table in my office. When I visit schools, I like to have the students pass it around so everyone can see it up close. Happy reading you all, and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Your friend, Beth

I am continually amazed that experts in their fields are so willing to share with children when asked. Today's students are so fortunate to have readily available the tools they need to find timely answers to their questions.

Awards Month

January is a big month in the world of children's literature. Two of the most well-known book awards are given out this month - the Caldecott Award for the best picture book of the year and the Newbery Award for the best children's book. This year, the winners will be announced at 7:45 next Monday morning. I will try to order the winning books from Borders as soon as I know them - but I am reading that the winning books sell out of stores within minutes of the announcement!

In ICT class this week, some of us looked at a movie of a book that had won the Caldecott Award in years past. To see more, click right here!

A Gift for You!

Christmas week both second and third graders used TuxPaint, a free painting program, to draw a seasonal picture and make a label or a sentence about their work. You can have TuxPaint on your computer at home, too - download it here. Happy Holidays!!