Week of September 19, 2022 | TK | Having Grit
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 19, 2022 | Kindergarten | Fall Leaves
A simple introduction to the life cycle and functions of a leaf.
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 Use the reverse of the Fall Leaves coloring sheet to transform ordinary leaves found in the yard into colorful nature collages. Directions
Week of September 19, 2022 | First Grade | Books and Reading
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 19, 2022 | Second Grade | Empathy
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 19, 2022 | Third Grade | Navigating the Stacks
Information Literacy Part 3
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.
Week of September 19, 2022 | Fourth Grade | Making Your Mark
The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds. A delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.
International Dot Day is September 15-ish.
Crafty Connection With crayons and/or markers, students will personalize a square sheet of paper containing the outline of a semi-circle for a bulletin board display. Though we are uniquely ourselves, we can join together in beauty and harmony.
Week of September 19, 2022 | Fifth Grade
Celebrate the Freedom to Read
A list of several titles that have been banned or challenged.
Video Puppet Book Banners
A brief discussion about why the American Library Association supports and celebrates the freedom to read.
Video "Parthenon" of banned books
Little Red Riding Hood, retold by Trina Schart Hyman
This adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood landed on the naughty list, though the illustrations merited a Caldecott Honor (1984).
Wolf in the Snow, by Matthew Cordell
When a wolf cub and a little girl are lost in a storm, kindness and cooperation save them. In the end, it's all about keeping an open mind.