Homeschool Afternoon: Space Exploration

Homeschool Afternoon is a new assignment for me this semester, so for the first one, I knew that I wanted to do something that I really, really love.  My dad teaches industrial arts and space technology, so I have grown up hearing about the space shuttle and table saws.  Since it wasn't very feasible to have K-6 students build a wood project, I decided to go with space exploration  :)   In my initial research for the program, I was overwhelmed with all the directions we could go.  In the end, I decided to focus specifically on Apollo 11 and the Saturn V rocket.

We started off by reading from a few picture books about the astronauts involved in the Apollo 11 mission.  "One Giant Leap" was where we got the majority of our information.

After reading, I had a "2 Truths and a Lie" game prepared for them.  All the information in the game could be remembered from the picture book material that we read together.

Originally, I had a Saturn V launch video embedded in my Powerpoint, but the video wasn't working, so I didn't get to show that.

The following infographic was the inspiration for a human Saturn V demonstration:



I assigned 20 people to different parts of the rocket, as follows:
5 F-1 rocket engines
Stage 1
5 J-2 rocket engines
Stage 2
1 J-2 rocket engine
Stage 4
Lunar Module
Escape rocket
Lunar module
3 astronauts
(If your attendance is lower, you can use less people for the rocket engines and the astronauts can also be the lunar module)

Using the steps from the infographic, I instructed the students to fire up and fall into the Atlantic Ocean (a large trap) at the appropriate time.  The rocket engines got to eat fruit snacks for fuel before they launched their stage.  I wish I would have snapped some pictures of this, but I was too busy trying to get everyone organized and doing their part.

As referenced here, we try and do a collaborative project for each Homeschool Afternoon, so we ended up with an "orbiting challenge." I divided the students into 2 groups, making sure to have littles in each group and the oldest kids in each group.  Each group had a bucket, a rolling stool, and 5 wadded-up paper balls. They started by putting the youngest kid on the team on the stool, trying to make as many of the 5 balls into the bucket as they could.  Then we spun them on the stool in a circular "orbit," again challenging them to make the balls in the bucket.  There are many variations of this activity that you could do, challenging the older kids to try more difficult orbits or faster orbits, etc.

How did it go?
I believe we had 35-40 students in attendance, which was unexpected, but worked out really well.  I wish I would have scanned the books into the Powerpoint, because they had trouble seeing the illustrations.  The Saturn V rocket demonstration was difficult to navigate, but really paid off.  They loooooved the orbiting challenge.

Homeschool Afternoon

I am of the opinion that libraries should do their best to connect with families in their community practicing home education.  There are so many resources available to them that we can provide, whether it be through brochures, parent courses or student programming.  I also agree with Abby the Librarian that homeschool programs constantly need to be reevaluated and revamped.

Right now, at my library, we do a monthly program called Homeschool Afternoon.  We offer this program to grades K-6 and it takes place on the second Thursday of the month from 2-3pm.  Each month, we choose a topic to discuss such as the Titanic, Apollo 11 or rain forests.  The methods to distribute the information about the topic vary each month, but we always include a collaborative activity.

The attendance at this program has varied quite a bit in the past.  We figured out that the day of the week was just not working well with a lot of our larger families, so this fall we switched days, and the attendance has been up significantly.  I will be posting our monthly plans here on the blog, as well as how the plans went.

Top 10 (Actually 5) Characters I'd Love to Dress Up As For Halloween

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and is a weekly meme featuring a top 10 list of their choosing.  This week's list topic is "Top 10 Characters I'd Love to Dress Up as for Halloween."  I came up with 5.  Lame, I know.
Here goes:

Hermione Granger: I'd like to think that because I would dress up like her, I would also have all of her wit and amazingness.  I mean, seriously, does it get much better than this intelligent, risk-taking, emotional witch?

Gerald the Elephant:  Gerald is the carbon copy of myself.  Always worried and freaking out about something, I would feel right at home as Gerald.

Ladybug Girl:  Because I love ladybugs.  Who doesn't?

Alana from Saga:  Alana is the tainted version of Hermione.  She is seriously attractive, not ashamed to be deeply in love, a warrior, and has wings.  

Fancy Nancy:  I'm not a very fancy person by nature.  I don't like to wear jewelry or makeup very often, if at all.  The idea of being fancy for one day out of the year is super appealing to me.  Also, everyone could use a boost in vocabulary, even just for one day.  

If You Like Mercy Watson

Mercy Watson is hilarious, there is no doubt about that.  A silly pig that always seems to be getting in trouble, she is unpredictable and lovable.  Here are a few series and titles to try out if you have already worked your way through the Mercy Watson series:

• Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

Penned by the same author as Mercy Watson, these stories about friends Bink and Gollie are full of silly stories and the challenges of friendship and overcoming obstacles.

• Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa by Erica Silverman

          Cocoa is Cowgirl Kate's horse and he is a rascal.  She loves him so much and is willing to do anything for him, all while keeping him in line.

• Amelia Bedelia by Herman Parish

           The classic silly character, Amelia Bedelia is full of laughs and misunderstandings.  The people in her life are patient with her, just like Mr. and Mrs. Watson are with Mercy.

• Judy Moody and Friends series by Megan McDonald

          Judy Moody is back, only her friends are being brought to the forefront of these stories.  As is true when Judy is around, crazy things seem to happen, but the community around her sticks close to each other.

• Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant

          Henry doesn't go anywhere without his dog, Mudge, and they enjoy adventure after adventure, even when it seems like life has gotten a bit boring.

Dirty/Yucky Storytime - Baby Rhyme Time

Baby Rhyme Time basics

Opening song: Hi Ho the Dairy-O

When the children arrive, we write down their name and after everyone has arrived, we sing the names into the song, like this

Emily is here and Amy is here, hi ho the dairy-o and Avery is here. 

We continue singing the song until everyone has been greeted.  We ask the parents to lift their child up or have them wave as we sing their name, to familiarize ourselves with the child and to help them understand that their name is important.

Bobo's Backpack song

We have a cute monkey puppet who wears a small backpack.  He always has something hiding in his backpack, which introduces the theme of the storytime.  His song goes like this:

There is something in my backpack

Something hiding in my backpack

What's that something in my backpack?

Open your eyes for a big surprise

Book: Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd

This story is a bit long for babies, but we used it as a choral reader.  Each child and parent get a copy of the book to read aloud together during storytime. 

Song: Mudcakes

(to the tune of Frere Jacques)

       Make a mud cake, make a mud cake

       In the mud, in the mud

       Digging, scooping, patting, digging, scooping, patting

       Just feels fun, just feel fun

     

Parents can demonstrate making mudcakes with their own hands or manipulate their babies hands to make mudcakes.  I made the mistake of starting this off too fast, so when we got to the "digging, scooping, patting" part, it was hard to keep with the rhythm.

Flannelboard: Five Garbage Trucks

Book: I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont

This is a fun one because it has a lot of colors and talks about painting different body parts!

Recorded Music: I Love Trash from Songs From the Street (Sesame Street)

Each child got a maraca to shake while we sang and danced to this song. 

Song: Grand Old Duke of York

The grand old duke of York

He had ten thousand men

He marched them up to the top of the hill

And he marched them down again

And when they were up they were up

And when they were down they were down

And when they were only halfway up

They were neither up nor down

He marched them to the left

He marched them to the right

He even marched them upside down

Now wasn't that a sight?

The parents hold the kids during this song and swing them up and down and left and right, according to the song's lyrics.  The kids just go crazy with them; they love it so much.

Goodbye Song: Clap Your Hands

Clap, clap, clap your hands

Clap your hands together

Clap, clap, clap your hands

Clap your hands together

Give, give, give a hug

Give a hug to baby

Give, give, give a hug

Give a hug to mommy or daddy

Wave, wave, wave goodbye

Wave goodbye to me

Wave, wave, wave goodbye

Wave goodbye to me

6 x 6 Early Literacy Skills

At my library, as a guide, we use the 6 by 6 Early Literacy Program, adapted by the State Library of Kansas.  The program is based off of the national Every Child Ready to Read program.  The 6x6 idea comes from six major skills that a preschooler should have in order to be reading independently by six years old.  The six skills are as follows:

• Have fun with books
• Notice print all around you
• Talk, talk, talk
• Look for letters everywhere
• Tell stories about everything
• Take time to rhyme

We often highlight these skills in storytimes as well as in passive programming activities throughout the children's library.  When the opportunity arises, we will offer a quick tip in storytime to get parents thinking about early literacy skills for their child.  Here on this blog, I will be highlighting ideas that you can use in your library or at home with your children in order to move them on their way to independent reading.

Review: Always by Emma Dodd

From the author of wonderful books such as Dog's Colorful Day and I Am Small, Always by Emma Dodd shares the story of a baby elephant and his mother's unconditional love for him.  No matter if he is muddy or clean, kind or mean, his mama loves him so much.

Hardback, paperback or borrow from the library: Hardback.  A sweet story to be cherished and held dear for a long time.

Snuggle, move and groove, or read on your own: Snuggle.  Any story of unconditional love should be read within the arms of a child's caregiver, giving deeper meaning to the words of the story.  This short story also offers simple text that a preschooler could likely read to their mom, dad, or other loved one.

Highlights: Calm color scheme in the illustrations, complemented by hints of glossy silver throughout the pages.  On the page that illustrates the rain making the baby elephant sad, the streaks of rain are silver and bring life to the pages.
Unconditional love.  And baby elephants.  So adorable.

Bedtime Storytime - Toddler Move & Groove

Every semester, we do a bedtime themed week, where the kiddos can wear their jammies to storytime.  We also wear our pajamas as the storytellers.  Unfortunately, I forgot this fact until 2 days before, so I had the pleasure of wearing my friend's cat-print adult onesie.  The kids were so confused.  And some parents as well.  :)  Anyway, here's what we did:

Opening song: Hi Ho the Dairy-O

When the children arrive, we write down their name and after everyone has arrived, we sing the names into the song, like this

Emily is here and Amy is here, hi ho the dairy-o and Avery is here. 

We continue singing the song until everyone has been greeted.  We ask the parents to lift their child up or have them wave as we sing their name, to familiarize ourselves with the child and to help them understand that their name is important.

Charlie's Doghouse song

We have a cute black and white dog puppet who has a cardboard "doghouse" that he hangs out in at the beginning and end of storytime.  He always has something hiding in his doghouse, which introduces the theme of the storytime.  His song goes like this:

There is something in my doghouse

Something hiding in my doghouse

What's that something in my doghouse?

Open your eyes for a big surprise

Book: How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen

These books are always a hit because they are AMAZING FOR TODDLERS.  I had them roar with me and stomp our feet on the floor.

Song: This is the Way We Get Ready for Bed

This is the way we wash our face, wash our face, wash our face.

This is the way we wash our face, when we get ready for bed.

This is the way we wash our toes, wash our toes, wash our toes

This is the way we wash our toes, when we get ready for bed.

This is the way we wash our knees, wash our knees, wash our knees

This is the way we wash our knees, when we get ready for bed.

This is the way we wash our tummy, wash our tummy, wash our tummy

This is the way we wash our tummy, when we get ready for bed.

This is the way we snuggle our blanket, snuggle our blanket, snuggle our blanket.

This is the way we snuggle our blanket, when we get ready for bed.

For this song, we passed out a scarf to each child, to use as their "washcloth" and their "blanket."  

Choral Reader: Dinosaur's Binkit

Each child got one of these and we read it aloud together.  

Recorded Music: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Each child got a maraca to shake while we sang and danced to this song. 

Song: Grand Old Duke of York

The grand old duke of York

He had ten thousand men

He marched them up to the top of the hill

And he marched them down again

And when they were up they were up

And when they were down they were down

And when they were only halfway up

They were neither up nor down

He marched them to the left

He marched them to the right

He even marched them upside down

Now wasn't that a sight?

The parents hold the kids during this song and swing them up and down and left and right, according to the song's lyrics.  The kids just go crazy with them; they love it so much.

Goodbye Song: Clap Your Hands

Clap, clap, clap your hands

Clap your hands together

Clap, clap, clap your hands

Clap your hands together

Give, give, give a hug

Give a hug to baby

Give, give, give a hug

Give a hug to mommy or daddy

Wave, wave, wave goodbye

Wave goodbye to me

Wave, wave, wave goodbye

Wave goodbye to me

How it went: One dad said, "Amber, you nailed it today! That was spot on!"  So, I think it went well.

Baby Rhyme Time

Presented: 2 times a week

Attendance: 15-30 babies

Time: 20-25 minutes

Age group: birth to 18 months

During Baby Rhyme Time, we focus on the babies interacting with the stories that we are reading, as well as interacting with their caregivers.  Early literacy skills that we try to emphasize are having fun with books, saying rhymes and singing songs.

General outline:

• Welcome song
• Introduce theme by singing "What's that something in my backpack?" song
• Book read by storytime presenter
• Rhyme or bouncy, cuddly song
• Choral reader - each baby and caregiver get a board book that we read aloud together
• Flannel board rhyme or another bouncy song
• Recorded music song with a maraca for each child to use
• Grand Old Duke of York
• Goodbye song

We have A LOT of babies in our small community, so Baby Rhyme Time is an ever-growing program that we find very valuable.  It gives them socializing time with other babies, a chance to feel comfortable in the library, and starts them on early literacy skills.  

Review: Sebastian and the Balloon by Philip C. Stead

Sebastian is bored with the view from his roof, so he decides to make a patchwork balloon and sail off to see new sights.  He meets a bear, a very tall bird and three sisters along the way.  They discover a broken down roller coaster and work together to rebuild it.  Spoiler: they ride the roller coaster together into the night.

Hardback, paperback or borrow from the library: Definitely hardback.  This is a sweet, endearing story that would be a perfect addition to your child's personal collection.

Snuggle, move and groove, or read on your own: Snuggle.  The quiet nature of this story and the emphasis on cooperation among friends will make for a great discussion among readers and listeners.

Highlights: Caldecott winner Philip C. Stead does not disappoint with these colorful but soft illustrations.  Similar to his other picture books, there are very few harsh lines and the color scheme is fluid throughout the story.

There sure are a lot of picture books on cooperation out there.  But books that are subtly about cooperation?  Not so much.  Even as an adult reader, I was surprised by the realization that not only had Sebastian made new friends, but they had achieved something great together in such a short time!

Sebastian loves pickle sandwiches and offers them to his new friends.  Quirky and yet, awesome.

Toddler Move & Groove

Presented: 2 times a week

Attendance: 20-40 toddlers

Time: 25-30 minutes

Age group: 18 months to 3 years

During Toddler Move & Groove, we focus on shorter stories requiring less comprehension, active rhymes and songs, and teaching a basic understanding of books and reading.  Children are not required to sit in their caregiver's lap or even sit down at all, as we are focusing on a love of books and a beginning interaction with them.

General outline:

• Welcome song
• Introduce theme by singing Charlie the dog's "What's that something in my doghouse?" song
• Book read by storytime presenter
• Flannelboard rhyme or story
• Choral reader-each toddler and caregiver get a board book that we all read aloud together
• Wiggly rhyme or song
• Recorded music with maracas for each child
• Grand Old Duke of York
• Goodbye song

I love this program because it goes against a lot of old library programming ideas, in that children must sit still all the time to listen to stories.  One great early literacy skill is having fun with books, which is a huge emphasis of this program.