NEWBERY BOOKS: GUARANTEED GOOD READING, Author(s):Carole Ashbridge,+ Subject Area: ELA, MST - Students gain the understanding that by reading this literature they are reading the best of the best books. They have a chance to react to the books as critics and readers.

Carole Ashbridge, Library Media Specialist

Sackets Harbor Central School

Title of Learning Experience: NEWBERY BOOKS: GUARANTEED GOOD READING

1. Learning Context

Each February the American Library Association selects one book that is considered to be the outstanding example of children's literature published in the previous year. Students gain the understanding that by reading this literature they are reading the best of the best books. They have a chance to react to the books as critics and readers. As a library media specialist I prepare book talks throughout the year for classes. These talks can center on a particular genre or theme. For this learning experience we decided to concentrate on the Newbery Medal books. The timing of the experience coincides with the announcement of the new Newbery Award.

ELA Learning Standards:

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.

Listening and Reading:

Students read and view texts and performances from a wide range of authors, subjects, and genres.
Students understand and identify the distinguishing features of the major genres and use them to aid their interpretation and discussion of literature.
Students identify significant literary elements and use those elements to interpret the work.
Students read aloud with expression, conveying the meaning and mood of a work.
Students evaluate literary merit based on an understanding of the genre and the literary elements.

Speaking and Writing:

Students present responses to and interpretations of literature making reference to the literary elements found in the text and connections with their personal knowledge and experience
Students produce interpretations of literary works that identify different levels of meaning and comment on their significance and effect.
Students use standard English effectively.

MST Standards:

Information technology is used to retrieve, process, and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning.

Students use a range of equipment and software to integrate several forms of information in order to create good quality audio, video, graphic, and text-based presentations.

Procedure:

The sixth grade teacher collaborated with the library media specialist on this learning experience. Introductions to the books and aid in selection of books to meet the interests and reading level of the students were done by the library media specialist. Time tables for completion of the books and the final project were determined by the classroom teacher. Both library media specialist and the teacher assisted the students in completing the projects.

Students came to the library for a computer generated book talk. The library media specialist selected Newbery Medal books that the students will be checking out. These books were displayed on shelves in the library media center. The library media specialist prepared a PowerPoint presentation on the selection of the Newbery Medal books that also included a synopsis of the book. After the completion of the presentation students drew numbers and in turn selected a Newbery book to read.

Upon completion of reading the book, the students composed a Hyperstudio presentation in which they briefly provided a synopsis of the book, their reaction to the book, and recommendation for future readers. The presentation served as an oral and visual book report. The Hyperstudio presentations were shown to the class using the computer and LCD projector and students entertained questions about their books.

Instructional/Environmental Modifications

Prior to their checking out of a book, students conferred with the classroom teacher or the library media specialist to assure the appropriateness of the reading level of the book. Suggestions were made to guide students to books that would be of interest to them, but on their reading level. Extension of deadlines was given to the students who had difficulty finishing the book within the given time period. These were students who had been identified as learning disabled. The classroom teacher and resource room teacher aided the students with understanding of the book by checking their comprehension on a regular basis.

Time Required

The library media specialist planned for the learning project with the classroom teacher in a forty-five minute planning period. The library media specialist spent about six hours developing the PowerPoint presentation that was shown to the class. The presentation and discussion took forty minutes. Students selected and checked out books for the remaining twenty minutes of the hour that they were in the library.

Students were given two weeks to read their books.

Because most students have used Hyperstudio before, there was not a formal instruction time used to teach the software. Individual students received help and suggestions from the teacher, fellow students, and library media specialist on a needs basis. Students were given two weeks to develop their presentations.

The students presented their Hyperstudio projects over a four-day period in literature class time.

Materials and Supplies

Microsoft PowerPoint

Hyperstudio

Internet Access

Newbery Award Books

Newbery Award Poster

Scanner

LCD projector/Interactive whiteboard

Assessment Tools and Techniques

Techniques used to collect evidence of student progress toward meeting the learning standards were

Observation: the teacher and the library media specialist observed the students during silent reading time in the classroom and library to make sure students were on task and not daydreaming.
Conferencing: throughout the two week period allowed for reading the Newbery book the teacher chatted informally about the plot, characters, and interest in the book. Students were encouraged to share their reactions to the books with the teacher and library media specialist.
Writing: students wrote in their journals reactions to the book on a regular basis.
Rubric:

HyperStudio Rubric

		YES	NO
CONTENT	Appropriate amount of information Accurate information Complete sentences Relates story without giving away the ending
STORYBOARD	Complete Followed closely
GRAPHICS	Related to content Pleasing to the eye Good use of space
BUTTONS	Consistent placement Work properly Appropriate icons Appropriate names Variety of transitions
TEXT	Font, size, color make it easy to read Good use of space
TITLE CARD	Includes a title Includes name of student Includes appropriate button
ORAL PRESENTATION	Well rehearsed Engages audience Good use of delivery techniques

SCORING
Your score___________________
Excellent	18-22	Number of items marked yes
Satisfactory	11-17
More work needed	0-9

Reflection

This unit was one of the most gratifying units I have presented in recent years. The students were enthusiastic about the books which they read and shared that enthusiasm with the class. The HyperStudio projects were for the most part well constructed. The students love the animation effects and at times tended to insert them without regard to the storyline. The classroom teacher and I agreed that part of the project was to hone skills on HyperStudio so this experimentation was understandable. The discussion held after each of the HyperStudio presentations on the books engaged students in some literary critiquing and expression of opinions on books since a number of students had already read some of the popular books.

An unexpected outcome of the unit was the desire of the class to come back to the library to choose another Newbery Medal or Honor book. This led to a very teachable moment in how to find those books using our OPAC.