Hatchet VoiceThread

  Mrs. Eddy’s class has just finished their first VoiceThread for the Newbery Honor book, Hatchet.  This survival book by Gary Paulsen is perfect for library research.  Each student was randomly assigned a research topic that related to the book.  They used the World Book Encylcopedia, Searchasaurus, links on the library webpage and Google SafeSearch to find information about their topic.  Students learned to ignore irrelevant information and to narrow their focus to what a boy would need to know about their topic to survive in the Canadian wilderness.  After typing their scripts in Word they logged into KidPix to create an avatar for their voice narration.  Bit by bit in small groups they visited the library office to record their narrations.  I hope you enjoy their show.  They worked hard at a busy time of the year.

Mrs. Neddo

ELA Test with VoiceThread

Our fourth graders have been busy creating VoiceThread, too.  As they practiced for the ELA test, their teacher borrowed the camera from the computer lab and snapped some photos.  After Mrs. Civiok downloaded the pictures for us, we uploaded them to our VoiceThread.  The students then visited the library numerous times throughout the week to record their voice narrating a few lines from a play about what to do and not to do during the ELA test.  They were so surprised to here their voices!  We had a great time creating our avatars and getting our voices to sound just right.

Leaf Man, Leaf Man

  Second graders have created Pashley’s first VoiceThread.  After reading Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert with their teacher they hiked the woods in search of leaves and other pieces of nature.  Inspired by Lois Ehlert’s artwork second graders created leaf people or leaf art with tape and glue.  Their teacher and I are always looking for new experiences for the students and decided to make a VoiceThread with their art.  Since the students were continuing a social studies unit about community we drafted a simple fill in the blank script for students to write and narrate about a place the leaf man might visit in our community. 

Fourth Grade Art

I have been busy climbing a ladder and looping tape these past two nights hanging nocturnal creatures in our library.  They look fantastic!   Check out our BubbleShare Show below.  A nice display can be found on a ceiling arch over the nonfiction books.  The emergency lights cast a soft glow on the chalk washed art.  Stay tuned for a VoiceThread about our artwork.  This kind of artwork would be the perfect background for a voice narration of animal facts.

In September our fourth graders visited the library to research the habitat and physical characteristics of a nocturnal animal in New York State.  Not only did their notes help them create an accurate drawing to scale, but they learned about the wild animals living in their backyards, at Indian Meadows, or just a short drive away in the Adirondack Mountains.  

Bravo Fourth Graders!

[bubbleshare 282339.aff49a4711a]

Keiko Kasza

We love Keiko Kasza!  She is our favorite author/illustrator in Kindergarten this month.  We have read Badger’s Fancy Meal and My Lucky Day.  The children loved saying “Now that’s what I call a fancy meal” and “It must be my lucky day!”  We raised our eyebrows up and down or smiled to give our words some extra meaning, too.  The tricky characters in her stories remind us to be thankful and generous.  Most importantly, though, her stories make us giggle and smile through storytime. We can’t wait to read Ms. Kasza’s other books after we get back from the December break!

Browsing for a Good Book

This past month kindergartners began browsing for their favorite subjects in the nonfiction books. Kindergartners are now allowed to check out two fiction stories or one fiction and one nonfiction.  This is the first year in quite a while, however, that more students prefer to borrow only picture books.   

I booktalk nonfiction titles that are at their reading and interest level, but sometimes they are set on “just cobras” or “just the Yankees”.  As a parent who has read many dinosaur, motorcycle, and sport team books, I understand if you would like to send in a special request for books you would like your child to bring home.  You may use our library catalog to search for titles to place in a BookBag to print out and send to school.  I will do my best to get them checked out to your child that day or at their next library visit. 

Many thanks to our library volunteers (Melisaa C., Vivian P., Laura S., Beth M., Darcy B., Carol S., Paula S. and Lynn K.) who have shelved books, passed out library cards, helped students find books, and so much more. 

Breathe: Part III

I finished the book last night.  The Colts game was great and I wasn’t worried about the final score. 
The book rated 3 1/2 /5 stars for me.  In an earlier post I said the characters were not trapped as in Coraline.  Well,  I was wrong!  Yikes! The ending answered all my questions even though everyone doesn’t meets a perfect ending.   If you like ghost stories or a grade four and up chiller, put this on your list.   

Happy Reading,
Mrs. Neddo

Mock Caldecott

In January after careful consideration of the illustrations of thousands of picture books, the American Library Association will announce the winners of the Caldecott Award for 2008.   Here at Pashley we have our own Caldecott judges entering voting booths to mark their ballots with sparkly silver and gold markers.  As they visit the library each week our second graders evaluate the illustrations in a picture book on their Mock Caldecott ballot.  We discuss how the pictures help tell the story or how the illustrator might have used a different art technique.  Lastly, we check the copyright date.  Only books made in 2007 can be eligible for the ballot.    A picture slideshow below shows our voters in action. [bubbleshare 280828.caeefb959c5]

Breathe: Part II

I am almost done reading this book, but want to watch the Colts win a game tonight. 

I hope to finish Monday night.  Every time I am ready to put this book down for the night the author has added a new twist to keep me reading.  I want to know what happens to the poor ghost children if they lose all their energy and get swept into the Nightmare Passage.  I also want the new ghost Isabela to visit again and tell me what happened all those years ago.  What happened to make the Ghost Mother so greedy and miserable?  She has truly gone around the bend, so to speak. 

Breathe: a Ghost Story

I just started this book last night.  Not sure I want to pick it up again tonight.  I like it so far, but it just creeps me out.  Reminds me of the time I read Coraline, but this time the character in the book is a twelve-year old boy and ghosts are in his new farmhouse in England.  The mother of ghosts is terribly scary for me, but I do believe I am a wimp when it comes to scary books.  This book is set up to slowly scare you with anticipation not gore and violence.  The boy isn’t trapped like in Coraline.  He just decides to keep it a secret from his mom all the conversations he’s having with the ghosts.  I just know he’s going to regret that!  Stay tuned to hear more… I promise I won’t give the ending away.  So far…. 3/5 stars.