Dear Martin: HS Library Stations and Book Review

High school library stations are really exciting because they almost always revolve around a book, theme, or genre. Even with the older students, I still like to color code my stations, and I normally number them, so they know exactly where to go and subsequently rotate.  I also use the CREATE acronym because it helps me keep all of my activities straight. 
For this set of stations, we based the activities on the novel, Dear Martin. Click on the picture below to get the full book review.  

After the students have started reading the book in class (and before they finish it), we have them rotate stations to address major themes and concepts.  This helps to keep them engaged in the story. This is what it looks like for high school students: 

C - Computer/Construct
R - Reflect
E - Engineer
A - Art and Augment 
T - Think
E - Express 

**The link to all of these station materials is at the end of the blog article! (FREEBIE!) 

COMPUTER STATION: Construct

For our first station, we construct a meme, which has been really fun for students. Students can create a meme about diversity, social justice, a character, or an incident in the book. Our students really took off with this concept and created quite a few insightful memes. 

Here are a couple of student examples: 

Reflect 

OPTION 1: Students create a Bio poem that allows them to think of all the different sides of their character. This is easy to do when you read a book written by Nic Stone who does an amazing job of developing her characters. The bio poem has students thinking about the character's fears, dreams, and personality traits. It is a great way for students to process the most important qualities of the characters in the novel. 

OPTION 2: Justyce expresses all of his feelings through his letters to Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior. These letters allow him to process his experiences and the injustices that are leaving him feeling upset and angry. Students use the friendly letter format to write to any character in the story.

Engineer 

Students are never too old to use Lego bricks to explore themes and engineer designs. In this station, students put together a lego structure that reflected a theme from Dear Martin. Because this was the first time we did this activity with these students, we provided them with several themes. They were challenged to choose the theme, build a structure and then explain how the structure and the theme relate to the story. The students created several amazing thematic structures. 

Art

Our Quivervision art station involves students coloring a shoe for a character from Dear Martin. The shoe they create should represent an idea, theme, or important message. 

To get the full lesson plan and how to use the Quivervision app, check out my activity plan on the website with this link: Dear Martin: Characterization and Social Justice

Thinking Lab 

The Cult of Pedagogy gives an excellent overview of hexagonal thinking and how it can be utilized in the classroom.   For our students, we provide the hexagons with the names of characters, themes, symbols, and important quotes. Their job is to create the connections, discuss them, and then write about their connections to conclude the activity. I love this activity because we have had some amazing conversations about books! 

Here are some hexagons that my co-librarian created for this novel: 

Express (Music): 

High school students love music. This is a great activity that gets them thinking about the characters in their book and the song lyrics they listen to. We ask students to choose a character from the novel and create a playlist they think the character would listen to; this playlist should reflect the character's personality. The best part of this station? They are able to access their phone and their music for this activity. Once they create a playlist, they can dive deeper and choose a favorite song, write down the lyrics, and explain why they chose that song for their character. 

        

If you would like to do a novel study and complete these stations, you can access them through TPT. 

Dear Martin CREATE Stations (FREEBIE)

Writing Stations to Support 10th Grade Students and PERSUASIVE WRITING

 

The writing SOL is right around the corner! There is so much preparation throughout the month, and I love teaching writing! We have set up a variety of stations for students to write, evaluate and highlight. The acronym we use for our writing stations is CLEAR. Everyone needs to aim for a clear and concise essay. We turn the library into a writing lab for a few weeks in February and March to cycle through all of the 10th-grade English classes. 

Here are our stations: 

C - Create a HOOK

L - Lead with a THESIS and LAUNCH the VOCABULARY

E - Execute the PLAN for each paragraph: Transitions, Claim, Evidence, Reasoning 

A - Analyze the DRAFT, highlight the different parts, and ADD/ENHANCE the draft. 

R - Rate it! Using the 4, 3, 2, 1 system, the students will RATE several drafts using a rubric.

We wanted to start with a theme that could be appealing to students, and we wanted the stations to be as engaging as possible. I created this meme to get us started hoping to get a couple of laughs. 

To kick off the stations, we come together as a whole group and create the THESIS. This allows us to deconstruct the prompt together and then create a solid thesis the students can use for the other stations they will be visiting.  

First, we discuss the prompt and decide our stance. Which is best? School or Work? Students write down their opinion; then students are challenged with drafting three reasons for their opinion. Once they have their opinion and three main ideas, we work on putting the elements all together in ONE sentence making sure we have parallel ideas. We avoid using the pronoun, you (which students love to do in a thesis). This is all done on a worksheet that I collect for the teachers to grade. They will also need this thesis worksheet for some of the other stations. 

Create a HOOK: 

Once the thesis is created, students start to rotate to the other stations in any order. We divide the students into groups of 4 or 5. The HOOK station gives students examples of hooks, and this station asks them to create three different hooks for their prompt. This will allow them to draft different versions and find the one they like the best. I normally tell students to have an idea of what type of hook they think they want to use before going into the test. 

 

Launch the Vocabulary: 

This station requires index cards, a hole punch, yarn, word banks, glue sticks, and pictures from a variety of magazines. To start, students receive word banks that are divided into 3 groups: adjectives, nouns, and verbs. Using the word banks, they choose 8 of their favorite words and create word flashcards. On the front of the index card, they write the word; on the back, they write the meaning. They choose a picture from the pile of magazines, and they glue a picture on the back of the index card that reflects what the word means.  If a student likes to draw, they can sketch the word's meaning. Once they have several of these completed, they punch a hole in the stack and tie them with some yarn. This becomes their own personal word bank for the rest of the year. They learn to read, spell, pronounce, and write the word

Execute the PLAN 📰

I always teach my students to follow these steps: 

✅write the thesis 

✅draft a paragraph plan

✅create draft one

✅edit the draft and add to it! 

✅check over the final draft 

Creating a paragraph plan as part of the planning process is always a recipe for success. It allows the students to get their ideas down in short sentences and thoughts. Filling in a paragraph plan can also ensure that they don't forget a transition or a main idea statement.  We do several of these with practice prompts just so they can have the paragraph plan memorized for the day of the test. Our paragraph plan has them create an outline for the three body paragraphs that include a transition, their claim, evidence, and reasoning. 

Analyze the DRAFT

This is a great station because we give the students an essay that has an SOL score of 4. They need to locate the different parts of the essay, highlight them, and even add to the essay if it is missing a part. For example, they are asked to locate the thesis and highlight the three main ideas in green. They find the transitions and highlight them in yellow.  They locate vivid vocabulary, and if there are no descriptive elevated vocabulary words, they find a place where they can add them. This is a great station that challenges students to read and analyze an essay that fulfills the persuasive writing rubric. 

Rate the FINAL COPY

We turn our students into the teacher with this station, and they have the opportunity to score writing samples that were submitted in previous years. We print off papers from our district that have received a variety of scores. Their job is to use a chart and rate the essays. They need to explain their rating and highlight the different parts of the essay that were either done well or have an element that needs to be fixed. 

FINAL STAGES

After we complete our stations and the students have collected all the writing tools for their writing toolkit, I give them a chart they can keep with the CLEAR writing steps they can apply to their essay writing.  Students also have the option to take their essay to the final stage and put all the parts together to complete the full 5 paragraphs.  Using the new writing tools they compiled through these stations, they can produce their final copy on the computer. 

1. Choose a favorite hook from the three that were drafted in station one.

2. After the hook, add the thesis from the thesis worksheet to complete paragraph one.

3. Use the paragraph plan that was drafted in station three and type it up adding several sentences and details to the body paragraphs fleshing it out and turning ideas into full sentences and details. 

4. Add a conclusion paragraph. 

5. Once the students have a draft, they analyze it for transitions, vocabulary, compound sentences, and figurative language similar to what they accomplished in station four. 

6. Finish up the essay by rating it and giving it a potential score. 

   If you would like our persuasive writing library  

   station information, worksheets, and signs, you can  

   purchase it HERE. 

Kindergarten and First Grade: A Winter Lesson - Community Helpers

 Kindergarten and First Grade Lessons: Community Helpers 

If I am being honest, kindergarten is the reason I created library stations. I have worked with the most talented kindergarten teachers on earth, and I could never do what they do from year to year. Whew! They have a true talent. 

When I was the elementary school librarian, the resource team had kindergarten every day for a 45-minute block normally in the afternoon and after lunch. They would sit for no more than 10 minutes to listen to a book, and then they were off. In order to provide something productive for them to do that related to their classroom content (this was always important to me), I decided to create stations that would occupy them and keep them engaged. 

You can check out the CREATE station structure and explanation HERE from one of my previous blog posts. Each station is color coded and students rotate through each activity once a week. 

READ-ALOUD OPTIONS: 

We read all kinds of community books. Books that build community, support community, show love in the community, and of course jobs in the community. There are so many aspects and amazing picture books that cover all community themes. Here is my list in progress with links...

I am Enough 

Written by Grace Byers, the link will take you to activity guides and teaching guides. This is a beautiful book that focuses on how we are all here for a purpose. 

The Branch  

The community comes together to fix the town after an ice storm. The young girl refuses to let a branch from her favorite tree get hauled away. She is able to repurpose it into something really special with the help of a neighbor. 

Strictly No Elephants

This is a heartwarming story about friendship and acceptance. 

Can I be Your Dog 

The sweet dog in this picture book goes around town looking for a new owner. He tries the baker, the fire station, and other places around the community until at last, he finds a home. 

Curious Garden 

The young boy in this beautiful picture by Peter Brown discovers an old train track in the city that has become overgrown. He decides to create an urban garden and tends it throughout the year. A great story about beauty that can grow in the most unique places. 

Snowmen at Work

Snowmen have busy lives at night. They have careers as dentists, grocers, and mechanics to name a few. They are each responsible for taking care of and being part of their community. This is a fun book with great illustrations. 

COMPUTER STATION: 

A computer station is a great option because students can work independently on various coding activities, reading activities, and digital escape rooms. For kindergarten and first grade, I normally find a choice board with books they can listen to. I found this great one on the bitmoji Facebook group. 

Click to VIEW the COMMUNITY Choice Board.  

Click to MAKE A COPY and EDIT the COMMUNITY Choice Board.

I love the various bitmoji Facebook groups! There are so many resources that people share! 

ROBOTS:

We have two options for robots in kindergarten and first grade: alpha robots and Bee-Bots. Bee-Bots are awesome if you have the community map. Learners can code Bee-Bot and have Bee-Bot visit different parts of town. For more detailed information, here is a blog post about our Bee-Bot robots.  This is a great robot for our community helper thematic unit. 

ENGINEERING: 

 

Garden gears are not only great for engineering hands, but they also work well to show the importance of the community working together. This station relates back to the book, The Curious Garden and students are excited to create their own gardens with butterflies, bugs, and interlocking gears that all need to work together. 

ART: 

After reading Snowmen at Work, we discuss the different jobs the snowmen have in the community. 

Some of these jobs include dentist, mechanic, teacher, grocer, baker, firefighter, and librarian. 

Discussion questions we reviewed as a class in order to summarize the story and check for understanding: 

What is a dentist's job? How does he help us? 

What is something a mechanic fixes?

Where does a grocer work and what do they do

The complete lesson plan I created with activities and the Quivervision coloring page can be found on the Quivervision website here. Students color the snowman and decorate his hat to reveal what type of job in the community he fulfills. Once they have finished, they can turn the image into augmented reality and discuss their snowman's community job with their group. 

Looking to use Quivervision as an art library station? Here is a tutorial on how you can get started: watch the video. There is also a great slideshow to get you started that you can access here.

THINKING LAB:

For the kindergarten and first-grade thinking lab station during our community helpers unit, it is great fun to have students put together different challenges from the Lakeshore fairy tale steam bucket kids. In my elementary library, we purchased: 

Little Red Riding Hood (create a basket)
Three Little Pigs (create a house) 
Three Billy Goats Gruff (create a bridge) 
Goldilocks and the Three Bears (create chairs that support the weight of the bears). 

Students have to think, plan, design, and build. This is a great station and an excellent use of the money we raised through our book fair. 

LEGOS: 

We love building lego storyboards. Students can create a lego community with minifigures and discuss their community creation with their group. There are so many opportunities for creativity. For some classes, we have the legos divided up in bins and for others, we created lego binders that had a lego board and a pencil pouch filled with legos. This was a one-stop lego station that had everything organized and ready to go for the students. 

 

Fifth Grade Thematic Unit and CREATE Stations: Survival Stories

 CREATE stations have been a great way to integrate our stations with the curriculum in elementary school. Each letter in the acronym stands for a different activity. Students rotate through their activities once a week when they visit the library. 

Here is what CREATE stands for: 

C - Computer Choice Board 
R - Robots 
E - Engineering
A - Art
T - Thinking Lab
E - Explore and Research 

You can check out the CREATE station structure and explanation HERE from one of my previous blog posts. Each station is color coded and students rotate through each activity once a week. 

In fact, in previous blog articles, I have focused on one letter of the CREATE acronym and explained that letter and the corresponding activity for each individual grade level K-5. 

In the next series of posts, I will change things up and focus on the grade level and break down the stations and activities that can be done for each letter in the CREATE acronym for that grade. 

Let's get started with 5th grade and our first fun thematic unit!

READ-ALOUD OPTIONS: 

I sometimes find it difficult to discover that perfect read-aloud for 5th graders. I like to read short impactful stories that will keep their attention as well as keep them actively engaged. I have had a lot of success with the Capstone series, YOU CHOOSE. There are several Can You Survive? books and they are all interactive history adventure books. I read one of the story threads and have students choose which path they want to take throughout the book with a class vote. We read until the storyline is finished; we either survive or (insert ominous music) we don't.  Afterward, the books fly off the shelves!  Students will read these books multiple times making sure they explore each and every storyline adventure.

I also rely on another series that most people are familiar with: Laura Tarshis' I Survived series. These are incredible read-alouds because they are short, impactful, and engaging. 

After a great 10-15 minute read-aloud, it is time for the CREATE stations to begin! It all starts with the computer station. If you are wondering how I put students in the different stations, here is my explanation as well as google slide templates you can use: Create Stations...the Mechanics.

COMPUTER STATION: 

A computer station is a great option because students can work independently on various coding activities, reading activities, and digital escape rooms. 

Click to VIEW the Survival Computer Choice Board.  

Click to MAKE A COPY and EDIT the Survival Computer Choice Board.

ROBOTS: 

Sphero robots are a great option for a survival theme unit. As an introduction to the Sphero robot, students can use these task cards. Once students become well versed in the mechanics of the sphero, they can start more challenging "survival tasks". I love when students create a maze and direct Sphero to the finish line. This can be done with an app on the Ipad; students can either use block coding or simply use the drive feature to navigate the Sphero around the sharp turns and corners.  

ENGINEERING: 

Those of us who grew up watching MacGyver in the 80s can really appreciate the engineering station. Who didn't love watching MacGyver find the most basic tools to create a device that helped him get out of his latest stressful life-or-death situation? Even though this station doesn't require students to use duct tape and paperclips to create life-saving machines, the circuits give us the same feeling of putting together items that provide, light, sound, and other life-saving functions. 

In 5th grade, we use Little Bits, and we love Mrs. J's in the Library Little Bits task cards. We print the cards in color and laminate them for students to use repeatedly.  Here is a great article and tutorial to get your students started on the Little Bits station.

We also use Snap Circuits in 4th and 5th grade. These circuits are very sturdy, and there are hundreds of challenges for students to complete. They will almost never run out of projects during this station no matter how many times they visit! Students love to put together the light police station, the water alarm, the space war siren, the alarm circuit and so many more projects that can help them survive! 

ART: 

Quivervision remains my absolute favorite activity to do during our art station. It is so incredibly interactive, and it always provides students with that wow factor. 

A great Quivervision activity for students to complete is the volcano coloring page. This page goes along perfectly with the survival theme and Lauren Tarshis' novel, I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, 79 AD. 

Another good read-aloud is I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helen's, 1980. They are both awesome survival stories and engaging read-alouds that go perfectly with the Quivervision art station. 

Most students love sharks and any type of fiction or nonfiction book that relates to sharks, the ocean, and shark attacks. The SHARK Quivervision sheet coloring sheet is a perfect supplement to the book I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916.

No matter what you and your students read, I know you can find a sheet that will supplement your reading themes. 

Looking to use Quivervision as an art library station? Here is a tutorial on how you can get started: watch the video. There is also a great slideshow to get you started that you can access here.

THINKING LAB:

There are several choices for our Thinking Lab stations. The first that comes to mind is the game, Chocolate Fix (can you survive the Chocolate Touch?). Other options would be Hoppers (for those of us who remember the Frogger video game) and of course, an all-time favorite, Rush Hour! 

          

To get more information on each of the games, just click the picture, and it will direct you to the ThinkFun website! These are great strategy games with several challenges, so your learners will not run out of games to play. 

EXPLORE:

For the explore station, I have a couple different activities. Sometimes we go to the databases and complete short research lessons and other times we take our legos and create storyboards. Our survival unit is perfect for our lego storyboards. Students create characters, setting, and plot. After they create their story, they narrate it and share it with their station group. This fulfills several of our AASL standards all while the student is engaged.  

Looking for a 5th-grade survival theme unit with stations? Hopefully, this will help. Here is an overview chart with standards that you can incorporate into your lesson plans. 

I have created a 5th-grade CREATE chart that is available in a couple of different formats: 

Google slide 

PDF Chart

Create Chart by Thannon