#multiple days

Family Heritage BIG6 Lesson-Multiple Days

By Tara Hargrove

 Planning

The goal of this particular lesson is for students to learn a bit more about their heritage and background while using the BIG6. The students will go through the BIG6 research model (see attached power point) with their task definition being to learn more about their heritage. Their final product for step 5 (synthesis) is to create a float of one of the countries their ancestors are from that they researched. Great to do with 4th-6th grade. This is a collaborative type of lesson. The librarian’s contribution is to supply the resources (read aloud, sources used for searching and supplies for miniature parade floats). 

 Promotion

You will begin by reading the book, Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet to introduce to them how the Macy’s Day Parade begin and how the props showed off different countries that the immigrants who lived in New York were from. This will hook the students as well as help them understand what immigrants are and how we all came to be in America and be called Americans. The fun part about this is the creating of the floats (which is the promotion part).

Preparations

You will need to have pages created for students to possibly interview family members on. Questions such as Who was the first to travel to America in the family? When did they come? Why did they choose to leave their home country of ________?  Students can also draw a family tree and fill in the gaps they know with the help from their parents and grandparents. A pathfinder or student source sheet (see attached example) should be created to help students find informational sites on different cultures and customs. Once students have found a couple of countries their family originates from, they will answer some basic questions about these countries. Once students have done this, they are ready to pick ONE country to make their float over. Supplies will be needed (art supplies) for students to be creative with. Once students have created their small floats (small, not life size) they can parade through the school with their floats, showing off their heritage. 

Procedures

Students will first interview one or more family member.

Then students will draw a family tree. 

Next students will find out some facts about one to two of the countries their family is from.

They will then narrow it down to one country to create a small parade float over. 

Students will create their floats. 

Either display floats for others to see or do a parade through the school or cafeteria with their floats in hand. 

This may take a week total with spending 30-45 minutes a day on it.

Payoff

This is a fun way to get students excited about their heritage. The book itself really opens students up to how biographies aren’t always thick books with lots of words and how biographies can be fun and exciting and can apply to their own lives. When students see how much fun reading and learning about something that relates to them by a simple and interesting picture book biography, they will want to read more!

  ***Modifications to make it simpler due to time restraints or younger students:

By Tara Hargrove

 Planning

Poetry seems to be a subject that is feared by both students and teachers. We learn at an early age that there is a rhyme and reason to it, and as we get older, we are taught opposite of that. Sometimes rules apply, and sometimes it feels like there are no rules. This makes it difficult for students to understand and even get in to enjoying it. Teachers often hesitate when teaching poetry and save it for last in their curriculum. This doesn’t take a lot of planning or thinking, it uses a lot of emotion and feeling and lets the students go with the flow of what they can find on a page from a random book. It makes poetry fun and can be used as an intro into the unit to ease the students in, or something fun to display and wrap up a poetry unit. 

  Promotion

You will start by promoting some free verse books such as Booked by Kwame Alexander or Love That Dog by Sharron Creech. Read a little from each book and discuss how the books are telling a story but through poems. Tell the students that there are lots of different kinds of poetry, and free-verse is one where you can do just about anything! Give a few more examples (Hate That Cat, Rebound, Solo, etc.). You can even visit Kwame Alexander’s website and let the students listen to him rap a mixtape of his free verse jazz style https://kwamealexander.com/product/f/Kwame-squo-s_Mixtape. Then show students an example of blackout poetry and explain that they are going to create some themselves using pages from old books and sharpies. 

  Preparations

This is a simple prep, but it will take a couple of days to complete and share out (like a beatnik reading with a spotlight). You will need copies of the books and poems picked out ahead of time to share. A projector and computer to share Kwame’s website and mixtape (if you want) and to share pictures of blackout poetry (check out Pinterest and create some of your own, see mine attached). You will need to tear out pages from old books to use. I use two chapter books for 100 kids and it was plenty for each student to make at least two poems. You will need lots of black sharpies too (at least one per student). 

  Procedures

Discuss what free verse means and share some free-verse excerpts from the books listed above. 

Share Kwame Alexander’s mixtape on his website and discuss.

Talk about black out poetry and what it is. Show examples and explain how it works (you create a free verse poem by finding words on the page that mesh together to create a poem and blackout the rest).

Show students where the old book pages are and hand everyone a sharpie. Students need to box the words with a pencil first and see if they like the way it flows before using the Sharpie. 

Students will need at least a couple of class periods for this (the first one being the discussion and getting started, the second period with them only working on the poetry). Teacher can assess if a third day is necessary.

The third day (or fourth if you decide to spend one more day on the poems themselves) will entail the students sharing their poems with the class. This is fun! You can black out the library and use an old overhead projector to use as a spotlight on the reader. My kids enjoyed this part. We also had coke floats (which is a fun added celebration if you wish). 

Hang some of the blackout poetry on display for the rest of the school to see! 

  Payoff

Planning

Meet with (email is ok) teachers of grades 1 and 4 or 5 and discuss possibility of a Paired Reader Program with young fledgling readers, (who may not get adequate reading time at home) and older but struggling readers who need extra practice

Discuss the possibility of a reading fluency test immediately prior to starting the program and immediately after completion

Discuss the longevity of the program

All year? Semester?

Promotion

Prepare permission/invitation forms for parents

Explain program to kids in a way that doesn’t mention reading ability

Preparations

Pair students and create schedule

Designate a place in the library where paired reading can take place

Prepare a reading log for each child to track time spent practicing

Procedures

Welcome kids to the program and introduce them to their buddy

A quick ice breaker activity to help ease any anxiety

Direct pairs to their spots and let them begin reading the book of their choice to their buddy

Encourage discussion of the book and retelling in their own words

Assist in pronunciation when needed

Periodically re-assess and track reading fluency

Payoff

Some students make new friends

Reading is practiced in a low stakes situation

Fledgling readers are still hearing/seeing written and spoken words

Struggling readers are getting practice time in

Planning

Have various poetry anthologies and short story collections available

Create sign-up online and at the circulation desk, or work with a teacher to bring whole class group in

Promotion

Email teacher(s) to see if they are interested in a whole group, multi session lesson about poetry and short stories

OR Advertise around the campus regarding a poetry “camp” that will last 3-4 sessions and include a book of the poems & art made

Preparations

Locate a printing company that will print small quantities

https://www.thebookpatch.com/

Create page on website to advertise for the poetry writing camp

Set a particular theme for the unit

Seasons

Hispanic Heritage

Christmas etc.

Procedure

Introduce students to the writing anthologies and talk about what poetry is (and is not), what make a short story

Ask them to find a poem that appeals to them and try to mimic the style

Concrete poem, haiku, specific rhyme scheme, etc.

Short story, micro fiction

Spend day one researching and trying out styles

Day two & 3, drafting a writing and editing with peers to develop ideas and make best use of figurative language

Students who choose, can add a created image to go along with their work

Day 4, (possibly final day) Final drafts to be submitted, printed on appropriate paper to be sent in to publishing company

Take book orders, order extra for sale in the library 

When books come in, have a party to celebrate the published authors (like a showcase)

Payoff

The end result would be a brief anthology of poetry and art created by the students involved

Students would be exposed to various types of poetry

Possible revenue from published books being sold

Planning

Discuss timing of event with teachers

Consider creating a webpage with research links just for this

Promotion

Email teacher(s) to see if they are interested in a whole group, multi session lesson about the research process

Preparations

Build research “homepage” on library website

Links to GALE, EBSCO etc

Set up a research section in the library near the nonfiction

Create research process chart that students will fill in with their step by step process

Have COW prepared and at the ready for digital research

Procedure

Day 1:

Introduce students to research process

Allow them to partner up and identify common interests

Narrow common interests down to one and develop research question

Begin generally research to develop more questions about the topic using search engines like google or yahoo

Day 2:

Students will take opposing sides on research question (for and against)

Walk through the steps of accessing articles via the databases

Walk through (and physically identify) nonfiction section and how it is organized & labeled

They will begin researching their sides of the argument together

Day 3:

Students continue to research with less and less need for assistance

They develop persuasive arguments on their topic and type using word processor

Day 4 (or 5 if more time is needed to research)

Students will present their opposing arguments to the class

Class will vote for who argued their side the best using Plickers

Winner receives bonus points for good research

Payoff

Students will learn to use the library effectively for research

Teachers will learn how they can utilize the library more effectively