RES Library Media Center News

As part of my work with third graders this year, I have been collaborating with their classroom teachers on their current writing unit. The scholars are writing fairy tales in their Writing Workshop. They began this unit by reading and listening to dozens of fairy tales, both in their classrooms and in the library. We held a day of special guest readers in the library (teachers, parents, and our principal). I had a chance to read my favorite fairy tale, Andersen's "The Wild Swans," to one class. I checked out dozens of the library's fairy tale books to the classrooms so students could have these mentor texts close at hand when they began writing their own. Once the writing began, I helped students in their classrooms as they reread, revised, and added details to their own fairy tales. It has been a privilege to work with these talented writers as they learn and develop their skills! I can't wait to read the published stories. - Mrs. Redford ...

Last week RES fourth grade scholars completed their participation in the annual Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) Award reading program. Every year, Vermont scholars in grades four through eight who participate in this program read titles from a list of new books. Each scholar who reads or listens to at least five titles on the list can vote on his or her favorite book. At RES, fourth graders who read at least five books on the current DCF list will also receive invitations to a lunchtime pizza party in the RES library. When RES fourth graders voted for their favorite DCF book, the winner was: The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon by S. S. Taylor Top DCF results at RES: The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon RES Winner Wonder tie The Boy on Cinnamon Street tie Chomp tie The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls tie I Funny tie Summer of the Gypsy Moths tie The One and Only Ivan tie The statewide DCF Book Award winner ...

All school year, RES scholars have been sharing the 10 excellent picture books on the 2013-2014 Red Clover Award reading list. Every year the Vermont Center for the Book puts together a new reading list of 10 fiction and nonfiction picture books for this award, which is named after our state flower. Vermont students in kindergarten through fourth grade read, listen to, discuss, and write about the books on the list. Then each student votes for his or her favorite. This year's Red Clover winner at RES, by a large margin, was The World's Greatest Lion by Ralph Helfer. Scholars were enthralled by this true story of a rescued lion cub named Zamba who went on to become a movie star. Zamba also saved many other animals' lives during a terrible storm at his California ranch home. In order of popularity at RES, this year's Red Clover books were: The World's Greatest Lion Brothers at Bat One Cool Friend Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs ...

RES fourth graders have continued to work in their Enrichment Library classes on presentations to explain the answers to their Capstone research questions. The scholar in the center above built a touchscreen with the assistance of a community volunteer. The touchscreen will help him answer his research question, "How do touchscreens work?" These scholars used the Explain Everything iPad app to create videos with text to answer the questions, "How do jellyfish survive in the wild," "What are the five deadliest diseases," and "What is the best kind of food for your dog?" And this scholar used the Tellagami iPad app to create a series of videos to answer his question, "How do you care for your bike?" One of the videos, about how to clean a bike, is included below. We are looking forward to seeing all the final presentations! - Mrs. Redford and Mrs. Rankin