The library was a central hub of activity during midterms. Tables were set up for diagraming ideas, doodling or relaxing with friends in between and after exams. Students studied together or decompressed with friends.
Chit Chatting about Books:
Sophomore English classes talked about books they are reading and heard about other books through a booktalk. Students keep a list of "on-deck" books to read in the future.
Juniors Read about Historical Periods:
Students in U.S. History classes are exploring books from different time periods and selecting one of interest. The book may serve as a springboard for digging deeper into a topic for the Junior Research Paper. Books about WWII, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War and the War on Terrorism are being highlighted in both fiction and nonfiction stories. Teacher librarians and the history teachers collaborated to plan out the booktalk, which included an array of diversified titles.
Climate, Countries, Databases and Correct Citations:
Students in Honors Earth Science conducted research to predict how climate change may impact a particular region or country. Students had to take into consideration how people, geography and economy will affect climate when they presented their research-based predictions. A librarian collaborated with the science teacher to guide students in accessing databases and other reliable sources. Students received feedback from a teacher librarian on their Works Cited and feedback about the content of the presentation from the science teacher before presenting their final projects.
Digging Deeper into Research:
Sophomores are learning strategies for moving beyond reference sources into more diversified scholarly sources as they embark on research on imperialism using the WISER Research Process (Wonder, Investigate, Synthesize, Express and Reflect). Librarians and history teachers are collaborating to further develop students' research skills.
Thinking in the Makerspace:
Freshmen are learning why civilizations collapse. They are exploring the following Essential Questions: Why do some societies collapse? What lessons can past civilizations teach us about collapse? Students are designing a Rube Goldberg machine to illustrate the causes and effects of the collapse of a particular civilization. The teacher and librarian are explaining how students will be using design thinking to plan their ideas that will be used during construction in the makerspace.
Punic War Comics:
Students in Global I created a comic strip to explain the Punic Wars. The graphic illustrations and text allowed students to demonstrate their learning and teach other about these historical events.
Gummy Bear Governments
Students in Civics used gummy bears and makerspace materials to create a model of different forms of government. Students could base their depiction on a nation that institutes that form of government.
