By: Ms. Kugel
Some wonderful learning has been happening in the library this fall!
Kindergarten students did an author study on Margaret Wise Brown. We learned that Margaret Wise Brown was an author, but she had different illustrators make the pictures for her books. We read
The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown by Mac Barnett and learned some interesting things about her life. Did you know that Margaret Wise Brown had pet rabbits as a child? Did you know that
Good Night Moon was not popular when it was first written?
First Graders have been comparing features of different holidays using a graphic organizer. We have learned about Día de los Muertos, Diwali, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, and New Years Celebrations. We have been using books and Pebble Go to get our information, and we have been comparing common features found in holidays. So far all of the holidays we’ve learned about include a family meal!
Second graders have been learning how to log into chromebooks and access the library’s online resources. We have been using Tumblebooks, Pebble Go, World Book, Britannica and the library catalog. Students know the steps for accessing these resources and are using them to explore their personal interests.
Third graders made amazing slideshows showcasing different fiction genres. They worked in pairs and triplets and shared their final projects with their classmates. They are now working on doing some basic research on some of their favorite Cambridge locations and will be using Google Maps and Scratch to create interactive maps.
Fourth graders have just about completed their space colony research and design.They worked extremely hard to carefully choose their location in our solar system and come up with solutions for energy, water, food sources, and temperature control. They designed their colonies using Tinkercad, a 3D design software. The 3D printer is hard at work printing their final projects, and we hope to be able to invite families to come in and see them soon.
Fifth Graders had a wonderful visit with Julie Roach from Cambridge Public Library where they learned all about the online resources their library card gives them access to. We were able to get new and replacement library cards for many students. We have also been working on becoming critical media consumers. Ms. Sweeney led fifth graders in a discussion about reading diversely. We also helped students think about their media use, the importance of balance, and create a media plan that felt healthy to them. We’ve been learning about click bait and ways to avoid it. We will continue this work with examining advertisements critically and creating some of our own media.
I wish you and families a peaceful and joyful winter break.