Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The 2013 Newbery Award Winner is...


The American Library Association has announced its 2013 award winners!  They have selected the best children and young adult books of the year in a number of categories, including the winner of the John Newbery Medal for the best contribution to children's literature.  The winner and the honor books chosen are as follows:

Newbery Award Winner


The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
     When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.



Newbery Honor Books


Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
     When Clara vanishes after the puppeteer Grisini and two orphaned assistants were at her twelfth birthday party, suspicion of kidnapping chases the trio away from London and soon the two orphans are caught in a trap set by Grisini's ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it is too late.



Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
     Recounts the scientific discoveries that enabled atom splitting, the military intelligence operations that occurred in rival countries, and the work of brilliant scientists hidden at Los Alamos.




Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
     Washed ashore as a baby in tiny Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, Mo LoBeau, now eleven, and her best friend Dale turn detective when the amnesiac Colonel, owner of a cafĂ© and co-parent of Mo with his cook, Miss Lana, seems implicated in a murder.

Check these out at your library!











Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Advice to Next Semester Students Using Voki

The end of every semester is bittersweet for me.  I have to say good-bye to one class of Integrated Technology students, but I get ready to welcome a new group of excited fifth graders.  I love their enthusiasm and their willingness to experiment with my new ideas, tools, and toys.  Every semester is a new adventure!

My students are the best PR tools that I have.  They know best how to explain my class to their friends and what their friends need to know to ensure success.  To connect in a 21st century way, each student created a voki and then recorded him or herself giving information about Integrated Technology.  On the first day of our new semester, the new fifth graders will listen to their friends' advice.  Click play on the vokis below to learn more about Integrated Technology as shared by semester one students.

Thanks for a GREAT first semester!


Thursday, January 17, 2013

Skype with Author Dori Hillstead Butler


On Thursday, January 17, students in Lit Masters book club Skyped with author Dori Hillstead Butler following the reading of her book The Truth About Truman School. Students were able to ask her questions about the content of the book, which told the story of a school that experienced a huge problem with cyberbullying and the consequences that resulted for the students involved, and about her life as a writer. Everyone really enjoyed getting to meet the face behind the book and asking the questions about the book that readers don't often have the chance to ask the author. View our pictures from this experience.



 






Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Human Body Animoto Videos

Students in Mrs. Ruckdashel's science classes created Animoto videos to share what they have learned about the human body systems.  Each video included pictures to illustrate the different systems and facts about it.  Want to learn more about the human body from our  very smart sixth graders?  Watch their videos below.




Friday, January 11, 2013

Math Stories using GoAnimate

Math is such an important part of our everyday lives. When I was in school learning math, I rarely though saw the connection between the math that I was learning and life outside of the classroom. The sixth graders in Mr. Pompa's and Mrs. Zaddack's Math classes want to show everyone how math does connect to our lives through their math stories. Each student wrote a story with a math problem as the center. They used the website GoAnimate 4 Schools to animate their stories and bring them to life. They will be sharing their stories with a school in Alberta, Canada, where the students will view their stories and work to solve the math problems that our students created. Their work was not only creative, but also very impressive! Great job sixth graders! View some of the sixth grade examples below to see if you can solve their problems and relate to their real-world math examples.
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate for Schools.
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate for Schools.
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate for Schools.

Silent Movies on Early Humans

Mr. Prey's sixth grade Social Studies classes did an awesome job creating silent movies about early humans using the iPad app Silent Film Studio.  This app allows for the creation of old time silent films by recording your own video and adding your text.  Our sixth graders got very creative as they had to share their knowledge of early man with just their actions and a little text.  View some examples of their work below.