Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

Week of September 20, 2021 | TK | Having Grit

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, by Eric Litwin
​Pete the cat loves the buttons on his shirt so much that he makes up a song about them, and even as the buttons pop off, one by one, he still finds a reason to sing.
Video Pete sings his song 
Crafty Connection Print this Pete the Cat color by number 

Week of September 20, 2021 | Kindergarten | Fall Leaves

Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall
When fall comes, two brothers enjoy catching the falling leaves, stomping on them, kicking them, jumping in piles of them, and using them to make pictures. Includes a description of how leaves change through the year.
Fall Is Not Easy, by Marty Kelley
​With new expectations to be met, fall can be a tough season for a lot of us.
Crafty Connection Transform ordinary leaves found in the yard into colorful nature collages. Directions.

Week of September 20, 2021 | First Grade | Books and Reading

​I Am a Story, by Dan Yaccarino
A celebration of the art of storytelling traces how it has evolved from cave paintings and the invention of the printing press to the digital technologies that inform and unite today's diverse world. Sharp eyes will take note of the starry transition from cave people to contemporary folk as astrological signs reappear as constellations, with a tiny red bird on each page to remind us that stories give flight to our imagination.
Crafty Connection Tiny Birds coloring sheet ​
I Don't Like to Read, by Nancy Carlson
Henry the mouse likes everything about first grade except reading, but with some extra help at school and home, he is delightfully surprised.
Connection Read a book, of course :)
Nibbles the Book Monster, by Emma Yarlett
​Nibbles the Monster enjoys books a little too much!
Crafty Connection Make a book-nibbling bookmark. Directions.

Week of September 20, 2021 | Second Grade | Empathy

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand the thoughts, feelings, or emotions of someone else. An example of empathy is feeling the same amount of excitement as a friend, when they tell you they are getting a puppy or a kitten.
Video Sesame Street: actor Mark Ruffalo and Murray help explain the feeling of empathy.
A Letter to My Teacher, by Deborah Hopkinson
Written as a thank you note to a cherished teacher, the ending brings the love of learning and teaching full circle. 
Discuss Do you think the new teacher will be able to feel empathy for her students when things don't go quite right for them? How might having empathy affect our relationships at home or at school?
Draw and Write Students draw a picture of themselves with their teacher and write a note including a personality trait that they know their teacher will enjoy, and a behavior that they hope to improve during second grade.

Week of September 20, 2021 | Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade
Information Literacy Part 3 | Navigating the Stacks

Due to disruption in usual library programming during distance learning last year, all three grades will experience the standard third grade unit in information literacy.

1: Website & Map -- 2: Dewey Decimal System -- 3: Video "The Lure of the Library" -- 4: Catalog Demonstration and Scavenger Hunt -- 5: Quiz Show What You Know Part 1 of 2 and Scavenger Hunt -- 6. Quiz Show What You Know Part 2 of 2 and Scavenger Hunt.
Students will earn the privilege of using the library computers by part 4 of the 6-part practicum designed to allow them to demonstrate their awareness of library procedures and their ability to execute simple catalog searches.
DVD The Lure of the Library
Students learn the conceptual structure of the Dewey Decimal System and the content of the ten major sections. Supports students in developing research skills by showing the functions of the catalog and call numbers.​
Activity Dewey Decimal Scavenger Hunt.
Library Map Show the map. Demonstrate finding one of the E area call numbers from one of the cards.