Lessons and Activities

KINDERGARTEN- Students learn about what an author and an illustrator does, the difference between fiction and nonfiction, and looking for rhyming and pattern in texts.  Students also begin to understand how a library operates and how books are organized. Book care and responsibility are emphasized. Students are exposed to literature by Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Mo Willems, and Jonathan London to name a few.

1ST GRADE- The focus of first grade is to continue to encourage literature appreciation and to foster an appreciation for libraries.  Students are exposed to a variety of fiction and nonfiction literature, and they learn to compare and contrast texts.  We also work on developing decoding skills such as comprehension and prediction.  Students learn to recognize the parts of a book.  The goal of first grade is to have kids recognize several authors or types of books that they enjoy reading and realize where to locate them in the library.  Basic shelf order and subject areas are introduced.

2ND GRADE- Students begin to use strategies to locate favorite authors and topics of interest independently.  They are exposed to various genres and stories for compare and contrast activities and recognize that there are different types of genres in the library collection. They are instructed ion how to find a book that is right for their reading level and interests. Students are oriented to the basics of nonfiction library arrangement

3RD GRADE- Students continue to find books that meet their interests and reading level. Genre identification is a major component of the third-grade curriculum. The Caldecott Medal is introduced, and the unit ends with an art activity celebrating the art of illustration.  Students begin to use reference materials to find information and use nonfiction book features to help locate information within the book.  Kids recognize the availability of online encyclopedias as a reference tool.

4TH GRADE -Students refine their appreciation for favorite books, topics, genres and authors.  They read nonfiction books for knowledge and personal interest.  They learn to apply strategies to locate and access desired materials and understand how to access information from the library catalog.  They begin to choose appropriate reference resources and can recognize the need for multiple sources in research.  The Internet as a tool to locate information is discussed, and the importance if Internet safety is stressed.  Activities include scavenger hunts, research challenges and readers' theater performances.

5TH GRADE- Students continue to delve into the Dewey Decimal System through fun activities such as relay races and scavenger hunts.  They learn more about online research tools, Web safety, and the issue of cyberbullying.  5th grade will also learn about the concept of censorship and how it directly may impact them.  Other activities include reader's theater, solving a mystery in the library, making movie posters to promote reading and creating video booktalks.  At the end of 5th grade "General Potter" will lead her student troops through a rigorous "research bootcamp" to ensure that her cadets are ready to graduate to JFS.