IMC+Updates

August, 2013
=Welcome Back Red Oak Students!! =

The winner of the 2013 Illinois Bluestem Award was: //Out of My Mind// by Sharon Draper.

Fifth graders are returning to the Poetry WebQuest which was put on hold for their Top Ten Research project. The WebQuest lets them explore the works of famous poets and define and find examples of the poetic devices they use to create imagery. Creating book trailers in iMovie of a favorite book they read will be their next tech project.



Fourth graders are finishing their Poetry WebQuest with a cross curricular project with Mrs. Donelan and Mrs. Strong. it is called Free-Verse Weaving and the students wrote an original poem about themselves in library and created original strips of art that they will weave together for the final project. Up next for fourth graders is the National Parks Research Project. Students work in teams of Park Rangers to research and create an iMovie about one of our National Parks. They will be using World Book and Britannica Online, books, and National Park Service websites to do their research.

Students in kindergarten through third grade were excited that the book that won the Monarch Award at Red Oak also won the Monarch Award from the State of Illinois: Pete the Cat: Dancing In My School Shoes by Eric Litwin. Third graders are conducting a Pioneer WebQuest to discover how they lived. Research on the City of Highland Park follows. In May we will be presenting folktales in puppet shows to the younger grades.

Second graders are researching habitats initially with World Book Kids, and then conducting a WebQuest.

First graders are doing research too! They will begin by learning about different animals in World Book Kids, choosing an animal, and conducting additional research in books.

Kindergarten and first grade students started the month a mini author/illustrator study of Phillip and Erin Stead. The Steads are a husband and wife team who worked together on the 2011 Caldecott winning book: [|A Sick Day for Amos McGhee]. We also read their latest collaborative effort: Bear Has a Story to Tell.

March, 2013
March began with a visit from author Candace Fleming on Read Across America Day! Fleming is a wonderful presenter and gifted writer in many genres. With the fifth grade students, she discussed the importance of research and citing sources when writing non-fiction, such as her biographies on Amelia Earhart, Abraham and Mary Lincoln, P. T. Barnum, and Ben Franklin. Fleming implored students to be nosy when they do research, ask unexpected questions, and to think in terms of stories. She implored them to use reliable sources, such as World Book and Britannica online, reaffirming what we discuss in class.

With younger students, she discussed the elements of a good story with her "CLAPS" formula: C - Characters L - Location (put characters where you would least expect them to be) A - Action P - Problem (something the characters struggle with and solve) S - Solution (what about the characters' personality traits allowed them to succeed or fail in the end)

Fleming reminded students that it is important to let characters change and grow in a story.

On March 15, students in grades kindergarten through third voted for their favorite Monarch book. The Monarch Award is a wonderful way for students to learn more about different authors and genres in both fiction and nonfiction while having a voice with their votes! Not surprisingly, //Pete the Cat: Rockin 'In My School Shoes// was the winner at Red Oak. The winner for Illinois will be announced on March 22 ...

Third graders have completed their Solar System Research Web and were able to use a free trial of PebbleGo, District 112's subscription to World Book Online, websites and books from our library.

Students in fourth grade are completing their study of poetry and poets [|WebQuest]. We are ending the poetry unit with a interdisciplinary assignment with art and Mrs. Donelan. Students will be writing a free verse poem about themselves and weaving the five lines of the stanza with strips of art work. They should be frame-worthy!

Fifth graders have completed their Top Ten Research Websites including bibliographies. This was a very in-depth research project chosen by the students. I am sure you will all enjoy viewing them.

February, 2013
As February comes to a close, students in kindergarten through third grade enjoyed learning about the Caldecott Medal. We read this year's winner, //This Is Not My Hat//, and discussed the literary elements of this work of fiction. We continue to read Monarch nominated books together, along with books by visiting authors.

The District had a free trial of Pebble Go!, an online nonfiction resource and students loved doing research. First and Third graders researched The Solar System, while second graders conducted research about the weather. Third grade research was more in-depth, including using World Book and Britannica online and books as they completed a web of information and bibliographies.



Students enjoyed the visit of author & illustrator Matthew Cordell this month. This wonderful experience was funded by the Red Oak PTA.

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Fourth graders have completed their poetry WebQuest and are enjoying reading and sharing poetry. This unit ends with each student writing their own original poem about their favorite pet or sports.
Fifth graders continue to dig deeper in their Top Ten research, a project that will culminate in student creation of websites on their topics to share with the class.

January, 2013


Bibliography Work: Fifth grade students are hard at work documenting sources for their Top Ten Research Project.

We have 38 iRead Club Members meeting in the IMC weekly between January 11 and February 11 to experience sixty minutes of reading.

Hope to see you there!
iRead After School Club All Readers Welcome!! When: from 3:25-4:25 Wednesday, January 16, 23, 30 and February 6 Where: The Red Oak IMC with Mrs. Strong Why: Accomplish 60 minutes of reading to put on your iRead log! Who: All students ready to do some serious reading and keep the iRead trophy at Red Oak School!! Bring your book of choice or check one out from the library.

**For more details, please download the permission slip below.**

November/December 2012



 * Students in kindergarten, first, second, and third grades have been exploring different genres while reading various Monarch books. [|The Monarch Readers' Choice Award], created by the Illinois School Library Association (ISLMA), has students in kindergarten through third grade read from a list of twenty nominated books. They are asked to rate each book on a graduated scale of quality from 1 to 5. In February, students from all over Illinois vote for their favorite book. Voting results are sent to ISLMA and the winner of the prestigious Monarch Award is determined. Students have enjoyed: Walkin' In My School Shoes by Eric Litwin, Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic by Robert Burleigh, and Circus Ship by Chis Van Dusen. The Monarch Award is also an opportunity for students to learn about different authors and illustrators. **


 * Fourth graders have been doing research on Ellis Island for their simulation on December 21. They took notes not only on immigration, but also: ethnic communities, culture, and the naturalization process. They are currently conducting in an interactive WebQuest of [|Ellis Island] which allows them to increase their skills in navigating a website to find information. Students pre-read their research questions, highlighting keywords that help them find information more quickly. **


 * Fifth graders are researching poetic devices via a [|WebQuest]I created this summer. It is a great opportunity for them to work on their research and note-taking skills while learning more about figurative language and poets! **

October, 2012
Red Oak students have enjoyed two author visits this month thanks to the Red Oak PTA and the 112 Education Foundation: Mary Amato and Margaret Peterson Haddix! Both authors inspired the children with their discussions about how they come up with their ideas for books, and the writing process itself. The students wanted to know how they became authors, and both explained that they jumped right in and started writing when they were very young and continued throughout their lives, never giving up. [|Mary Amato]

[|Margaret Peterson Haddix] Kindergarteners have been enjoying picture books and looking for literary elements as they listen. Some of the books we have read this month include: //Chicken of the Family, The Library Mouse, How Rocket Learned to Read, How Rocket Learned to Write, Bats in the Library, and Bats at the Beach//. They improve each week at taking on the responsibility of checking out books, caring for them, and returning them on time.

First graders ended their author/illustrator study of Mo Willems with readings of: //Big Frog Can't Fit In,// //City Dog, Country Frog,// and //We Are Going for a Drive//.

Second graders are studying features of non-fiction. They used their knowledge and did research to create their own mini book about bats that included a table of contents and bibliography.

Third graders have completed their research on pumpkins and apples, using //Britannic// and //World Book// online. They have also begun their reviews of Monarch nominated books for their final vote in the 2013 childrens' choice award. The Monarch Award invites students in grades kindergarten, first, second, and third grades to review 20 nominated books from different genres and then vote for their favorite.

Fourth Graders have begun their owl research project practicing note taking skills using a Google Spreadsheet with //The World Book Student Discovery Encyclopedia//, //Britannica// and //World Book// online, nonfiction books, and websites.

Fifth graders are also working on their note taking skills and researching Native Americans and their cultural regions, determining how their natural environments effected the way they adapted and lived. Their research process includes books, websites, and online encyclopedias. Their final project will be a Google Presentation which they will share with their classmates.

Specials Teachers On Halloween!

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===The Red Oak IMC is once again humming with the presence of students eager to learn and find a book that is just right for each one of them! Children feel so empowered when they experience the freedom of choosing their own books from Red Oak's wonderful collection. Kindergarten students have been learning about book care, checking out books and enjoying story time with titles including: //We're Going On a Book Hunt//, //The Best Book To Read//, //Otto the Book Bear// and //Dog Loves Books//. ===

===The first and second graders have been enjoying learning about and reviewing the Dewey Decimal System with read-a-louds including: //The Gingerbread Man in the Library// and //The Shelf Elf Helps Out//. //Karl and Carolina: The Parts of A Book// is a fun read that explains how books are organized and why. They are excited to be once again checking out their favorite books and revisiting favorite authors while becoming acquainted with new ones. ===

===Along with book checkout, third graders have been preparing for some mini research projects by watching the BrainPop movie about research and taking a quiz with the ActivExpressions on the Promethean Board. Students love this interactive approach to assessment. Additionally, we have reviewed how to research topics on our online encyclopedias: Britannica and World Book. Their first mini research project puts students on a deserted island! With only their laptops and World Book online, they must do research to find key words to determine if the plants on the island are safe to eat or poisonous. There was no room for error! ===

===Fourth and fifth graders have been learning about Internet safety with BrainPop movies and interactive quizzes using the ActivExpressions on the Promethean board. Fourth grade is working on a [|WebQuest] about poetry that I created this summer. Fifth graders are learning about note taking and plagiarism prior to beginning their research of Native American Nations. ===

===Additionally, I presented a PowerPoint about MAP testing to students in second through fifth grades prior to testing to inform and best prepare them for a successful experience. ===


 * What's coming up in October? Author visits from [|Mary Amato] and [|Margaret Peterson Haddix] thanks to the Red Oak PTA and the 112 Education Foundation!! So stay tuned to Red Oak's IMC Updates! **