Tag / Book Week

by School Library Owl

Imagine if you could step inside the character in a picture book!

At the start of Term 3, Year 1 were introduced to the Children’s Book Week shortlist. Over the next few weeks we read, discussed and responded to the Early Childhood shortlist picture books.

Read, discuss the main character and record ideas 

step-inside-2

Year 1 Step Inside the Character sample

The books were housed in an old suitcase which created anticipation each lesson on what book would be the focus. The aim was to gather information about the main character following the ‘Step Inside’ Visible Thinking Routine what the main character Perceives, Knows about, Cares about. The questions after each book were as follows, as the children shared their responses, the ideas were recorded. 

  • Who is the main character? Are they human, an animal or an imagined character? 
  • What can the character see?
  • What might the character think?
  • What might the character care about?

I was inspired by A Culture of Thinking as they have clear definitions and examples of different ages for using Thinking Routines.

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by School Library Owl

Exploring the CSI Thinking Routine through Picture Books

The Children’s Book Council Shortlist of books provided many possibilities to introduce and explore Thinking Routines. This term I introduced the Harvard Project Zero Visible Thinking  Colour, Symbol, Image Routine CSI to Year 3. The CSI routine was introduced and each week after we had read one of the Shortlist books the students were given a sticky note to write or draw a Colour, Symbol and Image related to the story. After a few goes the activity became easier and the students were able to dig a little deeper. The CBCA Shortlist Picture books led to deep thinking as they covered themes and ideas that were real and at times confronting.

Once we had completed the activity for the six books the students selected one book to examine and respond using the CSI routine in greater detail. A selection of work can be found in this post. Overall I was impressed with the students understanding and their response to the CSI routine, it enabled students to share aspects of the book and touched on the theme, mood and at times character emotions.

This unit of work links to the NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum English and has been used successfully with Year 3. It combines literacy and critical and creative thinking. Students explore the six CBCA Short List Picture Books and apply the Visible Thinking Routine – CSI to each book. For the final piece of work students select one book to extend on.

Key Focus:
Colour – Symbol – Image

  • List ideas (thoughts) that you found interesting or important from the story.
  • Choose one idea, what colour best represents this idea? Why?
  • Choose a symbol to represent this idea or connects with the story. Explain your reason.
  • What image would best represent this idea or connects with the story? What would the image include?

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Updated Links:
CBCA Short List 2018 https://www.cbca.org.au/short-list-2018
Visible Thinking: Colour – Symbol – Image http://www.rcsthinkfromthemiddle.com/csi-color-symbol-image.html

by School Library Owl

K-2 Voted for their favourite shortlist book

K-2 Votes

K-2 Votes for their favourite CBCA Shortlist Book

Over the past five weeks I have read one of the CBCA Early Childhood Shortlist books to classes in K-2. The excitement increased as the weeks moved on and a new story was shared. I loved watching the children’s expressions when I took out the next book from the Story Suitcase that was carried around the Library and down some very long corridors for lessons in classrooms. Early on I explained to the classes that when we have finished all the books everyone will be able to vote for their favourite book and we will learn what book becomes the Book of the Year and which books are special at our school. A student commented that ‘Book Week is like the Olympics for books as the books get a Gold, Silver or Bronze award’ this is true and the children related well to this observation. It quickly became obvious which book was the favourite at school and the children made many comments on the number of stars Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas received.

All classes K-2 will be doing creative activities for the shortlist books. I am sure that the experiences and memories will stay with the children as we have devoted time and attention to an amazing selection of Australian picture books.

Story Suitcase

Story Suitcase

Look Inside!

 

by School Library Owl

Year 2 – Book Week Shortlist Story Elements

Early Childhood Books

Early Childhood Shortlist 2016

Over the past weeks, Year 2 has been exploring the Early Childhood Shortlist Picture Books during their Library lesson.
It has been wonderful reading the six shortlist books to Year 2, in fact I read so many books in one week (23 classes a week K-5) that my voice stopped working. Lucky for me and the children we were able to enjoy Mr Huff by Anna Walker on Story Box Library.

Using the first book Perfect by Danny Parker, the children reflected as a whole class to the following questions and their responses were recorded.

Story Element Questions:

  • Who is the main character? Are they human, an animal or an imagined character?
  • Are there supporting characters? Are they human, an animal or imagined characters?
  • Where is the story set? Is the setting realistic, magical, set in the past, present time or future?
  • The message or a lesson from the story is…
  • A symbol (object, action, or expression) in the story is…
  • The story made me think about…

For the additional shortlist books, once the story had been shared the children worked in small groups, each group being allocated one question. The responses were shared and then complied onto one page for later use. What became evident was that as the children revised the routine and became familiar with the questions they were able to reflect and reposed more thoroughly.

Samples of work for the Early Childhood Shortlist Picture Books:

Perferct Yr 2 sample

Perfect by Danny Parker Year 2 whole class responses

Mr Huff by Anna Walker Small group responses to questions.

Mr Huff by Anna Walker
Small group responses to questions.

Once the six books were read each student voted for their favourite book by placing a star on the Years K-2 2016 Book Week voting chart.

In the coming lessons the students will work in small groups to create dioramas of the shortlist books. I am really looking forward to the creative designs and displaying the story dioramas in the Library.

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by School Library Owl

Year 1 Book Week – Step Inside the Character

Book Week Voting Chart

Book Week Voting Chart

From the start of Term 3, Year 1 has had one of the Early Childhood Picture Books read to them during their Library lesson. As a class group we have been thinking about the main character in each book and doing the Thinking Routine Step Inside – what does the main character see, what does the main character know, what does the main character care about? Once the six books have been read each student will vote for their favourite book by placing a star on the Years K-2 Book Week voting chart.

For the activity, each student will choose a favourite main character from one of the books and illustrate them using a crayon resist art technique. Reflecting on the Step Inside activity students will also write about the character. Art work will be displayed for all to enjoy.

For more about The Step Inside: Perceive, Know about, Care about routine visit Visible Thinking.

by School Library Owl

Kindergarten Book Week Bunting

Kindergarten – Early Childhood Shortlistimage.php?hash=51d4660098139a6375c3e46cc

From the start of Term 3, Kindergarten has had one of the Early Childhood Picture Books read to them during their Library visit. Once the six books have been read each student will vote for their favourite book by placing a star on the K-2 2016 Book Week voting chart.

For the activity each student will choose a favourite main character from one of the books and illustrate them. All drawings will be assembled into Book Week Bunting to hang in the Library for all to enjoy.

EC Shortlist 2016

Early Childhood Shortlist

by School Library Owl

Book Week 2016 – Early Childhood Shortlist Books

Book Week Suitcase

Book Week 2016 Suitcase Australia! Story Country

Looking forward to using this special suitcase to lock away the Early Childhood Shortlist books for K-2 classes. Each time the case opens a new book to read. A big thanks to my partner who sourced the case for me, I only had to say ‘I wish I had an old suitcase to use for Book Week’ and my wish was granted 2 days later – excellent!

Book Week Book Case open

Look Inside!

by School Library Owl

Getting ready for Children’s Book Week 2016

Australia! Story Country

I have been busy planning lessons and activities to explore the shortlist books and celebrate Children’s Book Week in the coming weeks of Term 3.

As a starting point a display has been created to engage students as they enter the Library, it was not hard to find stimulating illustrations from picture books that connected with the theme Australia! Story Country. The focus here is about the land and and vast spaces, the collection of books and stories fill the Library – they are tucked away on the Library shelves ready to be discovered.

Australia Story Country