Animal Adaptations Research

Fourth grade students are visiting the library this week to learn about animal adaptations.  The students really seem to enjoy this research because they are able to choose which animals they would like to learn about.  They research four animals, finding the habitat and four adaptations for each animal.  This is fourth grade's fourth time to visit the library for research this year.  Together we have completed units on Native American tribes, scientists, poetry, and now animal adaptations.  Once again this year, animal adaptations seems to be their favorite of all!

Fun Times with Poetry

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month? At Taylor we are celebrating by having students recite poetry at GMT. We are also exploring wonderful poetry in the library this week with fun activities that combine technology and poetry. Mrs. Sonkin and I have worked together to create these fun lessons:
Kindergarten and first grade are listening to a poem called "What I Love About Spring" by Douglas Florian using the iPod Nanos. The students listen to the poem three times, and let the words create pictures in their minds. Then they illustrate the poem.

Second and third grade are browsing through poetry books to find a poem that they like. Then they practice reading the poem aloud several times, with expression. Next, they record themselves using Voice Memo on an iPod Touch. After they have all finished recording themselves, they can enjoy listening to their classmates' poems.

Fourth and fifth grade are using the MacBooks and library PC's to view a fun haiku website, and compose haiku of their very own. They then copy down their poem, and illustrate it. We are using some of these to make a beautiful display in the library. Here is the link to the website if you would like to write your own haiku: www.pbs.org/parents/creativity/ideas//haiku.html

Poetry

This week fourth grade students are visiting the library and exploring wonderful poetry books. They are looking for examples of five types of poetry: concrete, free verse, haiku, clerihew, and limerick. They are then copying down the poems that they find and illustrating them. They will be adding to these poems by writing five original poems. We are also learning to use the term "poet" instead of "author" when referring to poetry.

Bluebonnet Parties

On Tuesday we held our Bluebonnet parties to celebrate the book that was the overall winner for the state of Texas. One hundred students who had read at least five Bluebonnet books were invited to attend. Students entering the party were able to tell which book was the winner (it was top secret until that morning): We had so much fun celebrating The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. We began the party by watching a video message from the author. Then it was time for making Origami Yodas, enjoying blue donuts and Yoda soda (lime sherbet and Sprite), and face painting. We ended with a game: Escape the Death Star. On their way out every student was able to choose a paperback book, bookmark, and a pencil to keep. What a great day it was!

Scientist Research

This week in library fourth grade conducted research on famous scientists. Each student had a scientist that they were researching. They used books as well as online databases to conduct their research. They will use the information that they have gathered to create a timeline of their scientist's life on the computer, complete a writing assignment, and make a presentation to their class.

Book Reviews

This week in library fourth grade students are learning how to do quick book reviews. They come and sit at the tables where there are book review forms along with a stack of fiction books. They are practicing looking at a book's front cover, and quickly reading the book's back cover or inside flap to see if the book interests them. Then they jot down the book's title, author, and call number, along with a couple of notes on their form and give the book a 1-5 rating. Each student has the chance to review five or six books. At the end of the lesson the students are able to check out any of the books that they would like to. There are many books that multiple students wish to check out, and all dilemmas are solved with a rock-paper-scissors war. Students take their forms with them so that they can refer to them at a later date to help them find the books that they liked.

Taylor Spelling Bee Coming in January

Mrs. Tarpley's Classroom Bee

Our third annual Taylor Spelling Bee will be held on Tuesday, January 10 at 8:00 a.m. in the cafeteria. This week class spelling bees are being held in each fourth and fifth grade class. Interested students received lists of word to study last month. Each class will determine the top two spellers from their classroom bee, and these spellers will advance to the Taylor Spelling Bee. The winner of this Bee will advance to the Collin County Bee which takes place in February. Good luck to all of our class winners as you begin to study for the Taylor Spelling Bee!

Fourth Grade Visits the Storytelling Festival

Fourth graders visited the Frisco Storytelling Festival last week. Storytellers Bill Lepp and Bill Harley amazed us with their wonderful stories. If you would like to be a student storyteller for next year, tell me and I'll let you know about the audition process in the spring.

Stand Straight, Ella Kate

In library we have been reading Stand Straight, Ella Kate in preparation for Kate Klise's visit. Here the students are measuring themselves to see how they measured up to Ella Kate. She was a real life giantess who was 8 foot 4 inches tall.

Author: Kate Klise

Call Number: E KLI

A fictionalized biography of Ella Kate Ewing, born in 1872, who was eight feet tall by the age of seventeen and who became financially independent by traveling the country for nearly twenty years appearing at museums, exhibitions, and in circus shows.

Native American Research

Fourth grade spent last week in the library doing research on Texas Native American tribes. They learned about the Karankawa, Caddo, Comanche, and Jumano tribes. I can't wait to see the reports they are creating using their research notes!

Library Learning With Technology

Taylor will be hosting author Kate Klise this year on October 6. She will speak to all grade levels. Students are using technology in the library to learn about Kate Klise. Using iPod Touches, students scan QR codes that take them directly to Ms. Klise's website. They then explore her website and find an interesting fact about her. Next they go into Notes and record their interesting fact. It is a fun way for them to learn about the amazing author who we are privileged to have coming soon to our school.

Mornings in the Library

Wow! Every morning as soon as I open the library I have 3rd - 5th graders pouring in to check out new books. This is the sort of sight that truly makes a librarian's day! Remember, the library is open before school (almost) every day. 3rd - 5th graders may obtain a library pass in the gym to come down to the library and get new books. I can't wait to see you!!

Fourth Grade Fun

In library this week, fourth graders created a fun foldable. They each wrote about one of their favorite books and then folded up their paper into the creations shown above. They then shared these with each other to learn about each other's favorite books. I felt this was the perfect activity for this origami crazed grade!

Poetry Unit

Fourth grade is visiting the library this week to work on a poetry unit. They are using library books to locate examples of haiku, clerihew, free verse, concrete, and limerick poems. They choose the poem they like best, and then copy it exactly and illustrate it. Of course, they are using their citation skills and recording the author, title, publisher, and copyright date for each book that they use.

President Research

Every year at Taylor third grade comes to the library to research U.S. presidents the week we have the President's Day holiday. Each students chooses a different president to research. They learn many interesting facts about their presidents and so do I!

Bluebonnet Voting

Taylor has voted and our favorite bluebonnet book this year was 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. The Uglified Ducky by Willy Claflin was in second place, and Squirrel's World by Lisa Moser was in third place. Now we can't wait to find out which book will win for the state of Texas once all the votes across the state have been counted.

Taylor Spelling Bee

Our second annual Taylor Spelling Bee was held on January 11, 1022. I am so proud of all of the spellers who worked so hard studying for the bee. Here are just a few of the words that were spelled correctly by students at the bee: thespian, versatile, exoskeleton, enzyme, liberation.

A special thanks to our pronouncer and judges!

Congratulations to our winner Jake! He will advance to the Collin County Bee in February.

Scientist Research

I have enjoyed having fourth grade in the library this week learning about scientists. Each student was assigned a scientist to research. They are completing a project over the weekend and we will have some of their products on display in the library soon. Great job fourth grade!

Bluebonnet Book Club

Our Bluebonnet Book Club had our last meeting today. We read five bluebonnet books together and now every student who attended all of our meetings will be a bluebonnet reader! Congratulations!! I had a lot of fun meeting with you over the past five weeks.

Vocabulary Parade Coming Soon!

Taylor's fifth annual Vocabulary Parade will be taking place on Thursday, November 11. Parents are welcome to join us in the cafeteria to view the parade. Every Taylor student and staff member will be dressed as a word for the parade. Look for information that will begin coming home in this week's Thursday folders. When you decide on the word you want to portray, don't forget to turn in your word form to your teacher.