Tuesday, May 31, 2016

3rd Grade Research

Our 3rd grade students have been working on their research skills. Students worked with small groups to do research on different Southwest and Great Basin Native American groups of the United States. Students used books to research the group they were studying.

Each student was responsible to research one or more aspects of their Native American group and then write a paragraph(s) and illustrate a page for their group eBook. We had a lesson on evaluating images and stereotypes before students created their images.

It is so much fun to see how much students grow in their note taking abilities over the years.

Please check out our eBooks. We made them in Flipsnack EDU. Click on the group to see the eBook.

PLANA
Comanche
Apache
Pueblo
Hopi
Ute
Shoshone
Navajo

BROS/SCHLEE
Comanche
Apache
Hopi
Navajo
Pueblo
Shoshone
Ute

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Sarah Mylnowski- Author Visit

On Monday, author Sarah Mylnowski came to talk with our 2nd-4th graders about her books and the writing process. Students got to brainstorm how a story could be made. She also told us how her love of fairy tales and writing stories about real kids helped her think of the ideas for her books. Our students got to ask questions and learn more about what it is like to be an author.
After the presentation Ms. Mylnowski signed over 100 books for our students! It was a great day!


Signing books!



Me and Sarah Mylnowski! I love author visits!

That's a lot of books!

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Kindergarten Research

Its Research Time!
Kindergartners at Brimhall have been working hard to learn about Minnesota animals for their
Minnesota Program. In library, we learned about the research process. We used our eBooks to practice taking notes together. I modeled to students how pictures (and words) can answer the questions we had about the animals we were going to research. Students decided they wanted to find out:
  • What the animal looks like?
  • What the animal eats?
  • Where the animal lives?

The following weeks, we took notes using Pebble Go and books about the animals. A few of our 6th grade helpers came over their recess and helped the kindergartners by asking them questions and sounding out words. After the research was completed in the library students wrote reports in their classrooms. That week in library-- students practiced using the app Little Bird Tales to learn how to create images.

Then, all classes came back to the library to create images of their animal. They are ADORABLE! Another BIG thank you to the TAs and Parent Volunteers that helped make this process easier for the kindergarten teachers and myself. Make sure to check out our work below. Once the pictures were done, the kindergarten TAs recorded the voices of the kiddos reading their work. Again-- ADORABLE! It is amazing how quickly kids voices change-- what a great keepsake. (THANK YOU Kindergarten TAs!!)

Enjoy our work! I have posted it by classroom!

Albert
Mohamed
Showalter
Tyrer
Vang



*Photos by Mrs. Showalter

Monday, March 28, 2016

Minnesota Youth Reading Awards Voting

It's time for Minnesota Kids to vote for their favorite book of the year.

If you have read at least three of the nominated books you may vote for the Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award.

Division One--click here to vote.

Division Two--click here to vote.
  




Friday, January 29, 2016

Book Clubs


One of the greatest pleasures of a good book is the opportunity to discuss it with fellow readers.
Students in 4th, 5th and 6th Grade are invited to read the same novel as an adult by March 31th. Come to Brimhall School to meet with a small group of students and parents to discuss the book!
Sign up online (by clicking the link) or sign up at conferences. Light refreshments will be served.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Infographics

Infographics

In 6th grade this year our students studied artists in their homerooms. In art class, the students learned about different styles of art and then researched an artist that interested them. They then created a piece of artwork in the style of the artist they studied. Students learned about sharing information through infographics in library time. Mr. Moore the art teacher taught the students some graphic art basic fundamentals. I then took the students to the labs and we learned how to tie everything together into making an infographic. Their classroom teachers helped students complete their projects.

Check out the awesome work we did: