This year we launched our 2019 Illinois Nominees with Taco 'Bout Books sessions for interested classes in grades 3-6. I cannot wait to find out what titles are Congress Park's favorites. Read these selected titles with us!
It's the most wonderful time of the year.... Hour of Code! This year we were lucky enough to introduce our students to LaGrange Park's Dash and Dot and our new Osmo. Interested students We did it! First grade students have been working hard learning about maps and map features while reviewing how to login to one of our favorite subscription databases called BrainPop. After collaborating whole group to make a classroom map, students divided into teams to create their own map to include a title, compass rose, and legend/map key. As a added bonus, students integrated Congress Park's new Ozobots to "hide" and find a treasure. Fourth grade students are becoming experts at locating books and the Dewey Decimal system. Hoping they take these skills in any and every library they go to! I might add that we may have some future librarians at Congress Park! This fast paced unit included a scavenger hunt with Tagul word art project, life sized game board, an optional digital breakout or cootie catcher activity and a library edition version of Jenga. Kindergarten students in the Dual Language Program finished their family unit by coding an Ozobot around all the people they love. Ozobots are little devices that read color and color combinations. For their final project, students coded their Ozobot to do the tornado. ¡Yo Quiero A Mi Familia!Can you talk like a pirate? I'm pretty terrible at it even after studying pirate with Mango Languages at our public library. Our focus in the library this month wasn't speaking it, instead we incorporated this fun day to kick start our pirate themed unit where primary students learned about binary code and computer programing. We also practiced locating our subscription databases, reviewed where to find our login cards, basic computer skills, and learned a little pirate history and background. Aargh, these landlubbers are simply amazing! As we start to check out books, it's important that we learn how to take care of them. This year we introduced Congress Park's first uh-oh bag. Students brainstormed the many ways books get damaged and our top reasons books get destroyed here at Congress Parks. To expand the lesson on the importance of book care to the upper grades, students willingly participated in a cookie challenge. These fourth grade students may never look at an Oreo the same way twice. Kindergarten lessons are off to a great start. This week we read the book "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" and then extended our learning of the letters with choice letter stations which included an optional STEM challenge. Students had the opportunity to explore all the stations or focus on a few. Play-doh, letter transformer blocks, and LEGOs were a few of the choices. Watch out letters! We're going to learn all your names and your sounds this year! Last year we started an optional makerspace opportunity during lunch. Students could sign up if they were interested in participating. I would like to continue to grow and expand this year so I started a Donor's Choose page in hopes to add more supplies. If you are interested and have the funds to contribute, please consider a donation. These kids are so worth it!
Just looked at the numbers and over 1.2 million teachers are participating in this amazing program. Global Read Aloud was created by Pernille Ripp to show students that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Starting in October, participating teachers and schools will start reading that same book for six weeks and connect with each other using various technology methods. The selections are amazing this year and two of my personal favorites are featured!
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February 2024
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