We had so much fun at this week's Mini Masters of Library Science program! I can't take all of the credit- I got a lot of my ideas from Tales for the Tiny (including the file for the fabulous diplomas), Hafuboti, and Miss Meg's Storytime. I borrowed ideas from each one, added a few elements, and tweeked until I thought it would work for our patrons. And it did! I set up six stations (pictures below) and each kid got a booklet to stamp at each station. After they collected all six stamps they could collect their diplomas! We had about 20 kids (PreK-4th grade) stay for 30-60 minutes depending on attention span and everybody finished. It was a little hectic (especially at our circulation station) so I could not have done it without three fabulous teen volunteers. I chose to hold the program during National Library week, but it could really be done any time of year. I think everybody had a lot of fun and left with a little more knowledge of the library and what the librarians do every day. Here's how it was set up: "Locating Items" was our scavenger hunt station. Kids could choose from green level (easy), yellow level (medium), or hard level (red) and find items throughout the children's section. Some easy items were things like a picture book or a block from the play room, but harder items were things like a new chapter book or a non fiction poetry book. This was a fan favorite, for sure! Programming was a lot of fun. Kids could sing a song, play a little mouse game, or read a story to their grown-ups or friends. Readers advisory had different levels of challenge, like the scavenger hunt. Easy questions were things like "Do you have any books about dogs?" or "I'd like a book with trains" and harder questions were things like "I want a scary chapter book" or "Do you have any books by the same author as Elephant & Piggie?" Sorting also had three levels- easy meant sorting early readers by the color of their spine stickers, medium meant putting picture books in alphabetical order, and hard meant organizing by Dewey number. The recommend a book station was also popular- kids could write or draw about their favorite books and their recommendations are currently displayed on one of our bookshelf end caps. I didn't manage to get a snapshot of the circulation station because it looked like a tornado hit it almost instantly. Easy challengers simply checked in books (which I had checked out on our department's library card), medium challengers' items had a few holds placed on them, and hard challengers' items may have had several things wrong- holds, missing DVDs, etc. This is the only station which required constant librarian supervision (and at one point, a second librarian & computer). Our diploma station (featuring fancy certificate paper from who knows when, whose partial pack actually inspired this whole program) Our teen volunteers participating in story time! Over all, this program went really well and I think it would be fun to do again for the families who couldn't make it this time. If anybody at all would like the files I made for the stations, diplomas, or stamp books, please just leave a comment. I would love to pass them along!
Library science teaches the organization and processing of information. And with digital information in the mix, library science is a complex, yet rewarding field. Prepared by Library Science Degre…
Researchers investigate the origin and evolution of one of the most famous neurobiology concepts, Penfield's homunculus.
Being a brand new school librarian is both exciting and scary. All summer, you’ve planned for your new position, but today, you're feeling pretty lost.
In this freebie, I included Parts of the Volcano poster with labels, a poster for inserting labels, and label cards. Blackline master can be used along with the three-part cards or with the poster. Parts of the Volcano three parts photographic cards feature a slightly different set of vocabulary but both resources - poster and cards - complement each other nicely.
Coding for kindergarten is actually much simpler than you think! Kids as young as five can already understand some of the basic coding concepts, even if they don’t know what they are specifically. So what
This oil resist Escher tessellation art is a great way to combine science, art, and math into one masterful STEAM activity for kids!
A career as a librarian has long been popular because of the job security and solid pay. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary today for librarians is $61,660. But the top 10%, most of whom have master's degrees in library science (or MLS), earn as much as $80,000.
by Sandra Hoyer, Head Editor, INALJ Washington Scholarships for Everyone! – Funding your MLIS or MLS Everyone knows how pricey a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) or Master of …
Each year, I teach a simple machines unit. Each year, I try to figure out ways to integrate STEM ideas into the mix. This year, I wanted to find ways to engage my learners right away. Sometimes the simplest thing to do is grab simple items to create the perfect STEM project! The best part...you just need 4 simple supplies or less for the each challenge. The first challenge is to create a way to get the cup of cubes to the top of the table. This is all I gave them: Toilet paper tubes, a cup of cubes, string, and tape. The best challenge The second challenge that we did was to make a way to move a cup of candy from one side of the room to another without using your hands to touch the cup. All I gave them for this challenge was spoons, rubber bands, and tubes. The best part about these two challenges is that each design was so uniquely different. Each team was able to work together to find a solution to each problem and after they completed the challenge they shared what they created! Now, this is the kicker...I was sick one of the days my classes did these challenges. Boy, did I realize that one of the integral components of setting up STEM challenges is to really SET...IT...UP. What they were able to accomplish when I was there, instead of the sub, was significant. It got me thinking... how can anyone make a STEM challenge the best EVER? What I learned about making this STEM challenge the best ever is that as the facilitator of a STEM challenge, you must get them engaged. You must set the stage with everything they will need to complete the challenge. Consider these components: 1. How will you give them supplies? I set out a table with the items they can use. Each team is numbered and I send a special number to get what is needed. 2. What are the constraints as well as expectations? The first challenge was about moving an object from the floor to the table. This could be done as a pulley system or in some cases groups made a lever. We were able to share and explain as we observed the final product. 3. How will you get them excited about the activity? This can be done with a picture book, a question, or even a problem that needs solving. In both challenges I posed a problem that needed solving. 4. How much time will you give for a challenge. Our first challenge was 10 minutes. The second challenge was a race! It is one thing to give your learners supplies and a challenge, it is another thing to remember to add the engineering process to each challenge you offer. We chose a simple machine challenge and it was perfect for learning several simple machines. They loved them so much that I have had to design a new challenge to show the other simple machines. Any STEM project can be your best STEM challenge ever! Setting it up for success is the key! I have included my Simple Machines Unit that I use to add even more STEM stations including our annual Cardboard Arcade! Find my Simple Machines Pack HERE! I challenge you to also make STEM challenges something your learners will say..."That was the best STEM challenge EVER!" More Amazing STEM Challenges Your Students Will LOVE Click on any of the images below to read about more STEM challenges from other STEM educators. Digital STEM Challenges Cargo Ship STEM Animal Adaptations STEM Roller Coaster STEM STEM Space Lander Paper Chain STEM Sammie STEAM Challenge Toothpick Tower STEM Simple Machines Challenges Graphics and Font Credits: KG Fonts and PhotoClipz
How to make a thaumatrope. Mix art and science to teach about the persistence of vision with this old fashioned DIY toy.
10 Leonardo Da Vinci Projects for kids - Leonardo Da Vinci was the original Renaissance Man - painter, inventor and scientist.Study his life and ideas
Master the art of building a REALLY tall spaghetti and marshmallow tower. Here’s some tips on how you can build a science prize winning spaghetti and marshmallow tower.
This Classification System Science Lesson includes printable activities to learn more about taxonomy, the orderly classification of plants and animals.
Part of the lesson on camouflage is for students to "hide" their creature. I let them choose from butterflies to zebras. I use scrapbook paper or sometimes old wallpaper books. We staple them on our classroom walls for a few weeks, then place them in our science journals. These are 2 examples.
The past few years I’ve had the opportunity to teach a course entirely through project based learning. Our local university approached a couple of schools in our district and asked us if we were interested in teaching a cross-curricular PBL program where our grade 12 students can earn college credits. Ummmm…. heck yeah! Basically, the ... Read more
I’m Wendy, aka “Elementary Library Mama” and I’m so glad you stopped by! I live in the Midwest and have been a certified elementary librarian for 20+ years. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Library Information Science. Prior to becoming a librarian, I taught second and […]
Teaching Light & Sound from the NGSS standard CAN be fun! Check out simple light and sound activities & worksheets for 1st grade here!
Enjoy making brightly colored or patterned paper feathers for an eye-catching craft that kids and adults can make with the free craft template.
D'Amsterdam à New York en passant par Alexandrie et Stuttgart... AD a sélectionné les plus belles bibliothèques autour du monde.
What kid doesn't love parachutes? My boys have gotten so many of those parachuting army men as party favors, I've lost count. And forget trying to untangle the strings. (Ain't nobody got time for that
Learn about displacement and salinity with this super simple floating egg experiment! This easy science experiment is great for kids who are learning at home!
Edible igneous rocks model science experiment! This science project is perfect for preschool, kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th grades...and older kids too!
These Parts of a Bean Seed Worksheets will help you to teach yours all about the main parts of a bean seed. Keep it simple!
The Comparison of Learning Theories Infographic presents behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism and the techniques that are known to promote learning.
This kangaroo craft is so much fun to make and even has a pouch for you to put things in. A free printable template makes crafting easy.
In this freebie, I included Parts of the Volcano poster with labels, a poster for inserting labels, and label cards. Blackline master can be used along with the three-part cards or with the poster. Parts of the Volcano three parts photographic cards feature a slightly different set of vocabulary but both resources - poster and cards - complement each other nicely.
A compilation of the Top 50 matplotlib plots most useful in data analysis and visualization. This list helps you to choose what visualization to show for what type of problem using python's matplotlib and seaborn library.
Thank you to April Larremore and Stephanie Pollard for this cute idea! The kids loved making these 3 dimensional flower diagrams. Green straws make the stems and cupcake papers make the flower. Sunflower seeds are glued in the middle of the cupcake paper. I also had the kids break apart one seed and put part of the shell down in the soil to represent where the plant sprouted from. Any kind of seed could be used.
A great lesson on pollination for elementary students from the Picture-Perfect Science series. This is an invaluable resource for any elementary science teacher or homeschool family. Perfect for spring and teaching the value of our pollinators! NGSS aligned STEM lesson.
There's so much more to do with kindergartners than finger painting.
Science is usually an easy subject to make exciting and interesting for students. However, there are some science topics that can be a little...shall we say...dry. Teaching rocks and minerals can most definitely be a dry science topic, but - it doesn't have to be!&am