STEAM Storytime Surprise -- Youth Services Forum Oct. 29, 2018 Presentation

See the slides from the presentation

Rebranding storytime as a S.T.E.A.M. Storytime Surprise allows librarians to use the ECRR2 format for early literacy and combine that with the interest and excitement that STEAM brings – not just elements of Science and Technology and Engineering, but also Arts and Mathematics. This format emphasizes process during craft and play times; examples of successful programs for children ages 3-10 years will be shared. 

Info from other programs at the presentation is here: https://www.njstatelib.org/services_for_libraries/consulting_services/youth_services/2018-youth-services-forum/

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Previous Workshops for Librarians & Educators:

Slides & Resources at: Storytime Shake Up -- Jazzing Up Storytime Programs

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Slides: Books Alive! Storytelling Workshop

Around the year thematic bibliography: Using Storytelling Skills and Interactive Books to Create Excitement and Empathy in Your Students 

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Slides here: UnCommon Core -- Youth Services Forum 2014 –Slides

Bibliography:  “UnCommon-Core” -- Outstanding Informational Read-Alouds for PreSchool & Primary Students

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Picture This: Adventures in Art & Imagination
Interested in taking your school-age programing in another direction? Want some ideas for this summer’s Summer Reading Club “Be Creative @ Your Library?” Carol Simon Levin (Somerset County Library - Bridgewater) will share ideas from a program she created that merges literature, art, and creativity. She'll present her program plans for everything from prehistoric cave paintings to Pointillism, Cubism to Chagall, Escher, O'Keefe, Matisse, and many more. It is a program suitable for both public libraries and school settings.

NJLA 2009 “Picture This” Slides and  Program Notes 
(a revised version of my 2007 Youth Services Forum program)

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Carol Simon Levin is a retired youth services librarian, author, storyteller and program presenter for audiences of all ages based in Somerset County, NJ. Whether she is impersonating the woman who helped to build the Brooklyn Bridge, engaging families in a rousing Halloween Hootenanny of songs and stories, expanding on the mathematical and artistic possibilities of a simple square, or sharing the story of a dolphin who learned to swim with an artificial tail (along with activities to help children understand what it is like to live with a disability), Carol always strives to create exciting programs that engage her audience’s interests and expand their horizons.  Librarians are welcome to replicate or use portions of any of these programs. If you have questions or need more details (including providing song tunes), contact her at cslevin59 (at) gmail.com or 908-361-6519.

Maker Program: Emily Roebling Builds a Bridge–A Hands-On Program for Exploring Bridge Building and Encouraging Women in Engineering

"Emily Roebling" tells the story of her role in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge then assists children & tweens as they experiment with bridge designs & construction.

 

Carol Simon Levin portraying “Emily Warren Roebling”

Matheny School–Program Plans

Asian American History Month

Read: Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say.  Caldecott-medal winning story of Allen Say’s grandfather who immigrated to the US, then returned to Japan and Say’s own conflicted feelings about home in both countries. Gorgeous illustrations, many of places in the US – great lead-in to singing “This Land is Your Land” – used https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y49N-N11AxE

Read: The Race for the Chinese Zodiac by Gabrielle Wang. Let each student choose several puppets so we could act out the story.

 

Followed with “He’s Got the Whole World in Our Hands” with sign language video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-xK8ArLEP0  then with the puppets we’d used.  Also did Q&A with puppets asking two-choice questions.

(second group only) Shared selections from A is for Asia  by Cynthia Chin-Lee (915 CHI).  We found pictures and more info. on the Internet for some of the concepts mentioned.
No time for these but left these books for the class:

Gypsy’s a.m. classes 5/11/18, More ideas here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Chinese%20New%20Year

School Age Storytime & Craft: Earth Day

 

Earth Day Heroes: A non-fiction “un-common core”  K-2nd grade storytime featuring inspiring stories of diverse people who have made a difference to our planet. Introduces American and global environmental history and issues, non-violent change agents, along with a book about photosynthesis and the interdependence of all life on earth. Also includes songs, sign language and gorgeous images (visual and literary) of our planet. Not all items used with all groups.

Spring finally arriving – flowers outside – opened with poem  “Spring Is” by Bobbi Katz from Sunflakes: Poems for Children.

Book: The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our National Parks by Barb Rosenstock (The true story of how a camping trip in California with John Muir inspired Teddy Roosevelt to preserve America’s natural wilderness – long but the kids enjoyed.)  Could also booktalk John Muir: America’s Naturalist by Thomas Locker (gorgeous illustrations)  Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers by Kathi Appelt (President’s wife’s advocacy led to the beautification of America’s highways.)  and  Redwoods by Jason Chin (A boy is transported through the pages of a book into a forest of these magnificent trees.)  (Mentioned they can see a sequoia/redwood tree in nearby Buck Gardens.)


Book/Song: This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie
or Song: “We’ve Got the Whole World in Our Hands” (traditional – optional props/puppets: world globe ball, brothers/sisters, bird, fish – lyrics http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2015/04/sing-springhappy-earthday.html.)

Book: Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life by Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm (572.46 BANG) -- this creative and memorable explanation of photosynthesis will stick with kids for a long time.

And the Green Grass Grew all Around (flannel) – lyrics here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2015/04/sing-springhappy-earthday.html Song on Rachel Buchman’s “Sing a Song of Seasons” (Children echo words in italics)

 

Take a Walk Outside (from Pick Me Up, Fun Songs for Learning Signs – played the song from the album as we “danced with our hands”)

Book: Wangari’s Tree’s of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter (The inspiring story of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner who spear-headed the reforestation of Kenya despite threats and jail time.)  (Mentioned “biography” – non-fiction about a person)

Action Book: Earth Dance by Joanne Ryder (Kids stood up and acted out this poetic tribute to our earth. Touches on the ideas of earth science, gravity, seasons, and planetary rotation)

Finished with:

(Younger classes) Book: I Love Our Earth by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson (Dan Lipow’s photographs are “eye candy” – a splendid look at the earth’s gorgeous diversity.)

(Older classes) Book: Mother Earth by Nancy Luenn ( personification of the earth “The ground is her skin, Mountains her bones, Trees and plants her living hair, Birds are her songs, And the listening stones her ears…”  remind listeners that we must use her gifts well, and return them with respect and love. Gentle watercolor illustrations by Neil Waldman)
Sign Language Song: “Walk the World Now Children” from Tom Chapin’s Album Some Assembly Required. Find signs here: http://www.signingsavvy.com/ – skipped at Bedminster 2018 because didn’t get album in time.  Used at Milltown.

 

Milltown afterschool program:

Book: The Camping Trip that Changed America

Book/Song: This Land is Your Land

Book: Wangari’s Tree’s of Peace: A True Story from Africa

Sign Language Song: “Walk the World Now Children”

Booktalked and read selections from other titles.

Craft – torn construction paper collage – earth, environmental, spring scenes (some kids asked, could they use “random”? – I responded “Sure” and introduced the concept “abstract art”)

(Played music from Tom Chapin’s album This Pretty Planet playing as kids made crafts.)  Didn’t remember to use Earth Ball with song “We’ve got the whole world in our hands. Could use next time.)

More Earth Day programs here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Earth%20Day%20%26%20Environment

Bedminster K-2, Milltown Afterschool 4/2018

Book Day!–Celebrating Books and Reading

Ages 3-6 and 7-12 in two groups: Children (and some adults) wore costumes celebrating characters from their favorite books

Opened by asking kids to tell what character/book they came from. Then said we were going to read a book about a superhero Librarian --

 

Read: Library Lil – Suzanne Williams (a librarian with superhero strength revitalizes the towns library even convincing the head of the town’s motorcycle gang to become an avid reader)

 

Sing: R.E.A.D. (lyrics here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2015/04/celebrating-libraries-books-and.html) (did the letters in sign language alphabet – could also do with full bodies – similar to Y.M.C.A.)

(Age 7-12 only): The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak – read by the author here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cREyQJO9EPs (kids love this silly silly book!)

Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook by Michael Garland  When the teacher is late for school one day, all the storybook characters escape from their book!

Booktalked the sequel: Miss Smith Reads Again

(3-6 only) Flannel: Just Use Imagination (lyrics here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2015/04/celebrating-libraries-books-and.html)

or Throw it Out the Window -- an action riff on nursery rhymes (lyrics here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2017/07/hands-across-world.html)

followed with:
Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall eating black bananas
Where do you think he put the skins? – Down the king’s pajamas!

Pirate Treasure Hunt by Jan Peck -- pajama-wearing pirates follow their captain in this rollicking action book

Action Song: I'm Being Swallowed by a Boa Constrictor (or Big Alligator) <– I had a green scarf so did the former

 

 

(Ages 7-12 only) Asked whether the first book we read was true or fiction – then showed the following title and asked the same question – kids astonished, this one is true!

Read: Librarian on the Roof: a TRUE story – M. G. King (librarian spends a week on the roof of the library to raise funds for a children’s room - now that is my kind of hero!)

 

 

Sing: Joe Scrugg’s “Read a Book” (lyrics here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2015/04/celebrating-libraries-books-and.html)

 

 

(Ages 3-6 only) Read: Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr

(Ages 7-12 only) Book: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore -- William Joyce (story that inspired this Academy Award-winning short film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJvSXQwBBQg, also any iPad Ap)

Then taught silly Humpty Dumpty variant:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Eating black bananas.
Where do you think he put the skins? Down the king’s pajamas!

(refreshments inspired by books were served afterwards)

Muslim Homeschooling Co-op 3/29/2018

More ideas here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Books%20%26%20Reading

 

Bedm SRC 2018 – K-2, selections differed. Found giving them two selections for each book & having them vote worked well!  Librarian on the Roof, Flying Books, Throw it Out the Window (action + Humpty Dumpty black bananas) and Book with No Pictures did well. 

School Age Storytime: Women’s History Month

 

Girls Can! Determination Succeeds.

A storytime for grades K-3 encouraging girls and boys to go beyond their comfort zones,
to take risks and make history!
Featuring women who overcame gender, racial, and religious prejudice and even powered through disability to do things that they were told they couldn’t.

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman 
(Grace loves acting out stories. Told by her classmates that she can’t play the part of Peter Pan because she’s a girl & black, she learns that she can do anything she puts her mind to.)

“Grace is a fictional character (book in Picture Book/Easy Fiction section) but many real women overcame prejudice…(the next books all in the Biography section – non-fiction (true))”

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone

(Elizabeth Blackwell gets 28 rejection letters but perseveres and when a medical school accepts her,  overcomes the teasing of her classmates and hostility of the townspeople, studies hard and graduates first in her class -- becoming the first female physician in America!)

Asked how many have a woman doctor? (about 1/2)
“next book is about a girl who would have to have many encounters with doctors…”

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull

(Splendidly written inspiring story of a tiny, sickly black girl stricken by polio who overcame her disability and ended up winning 3 gold medals in track at the 1960 Olympics!) 

“Wlima made her mark on the race course. Ruth has made it in the court house…”

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy

(Debbie Levy’s wonderfully-written new biography of America’s first Jewish woman Supreme Court Justice vividly shows young readers how Ruth’s early exposure to racial, religious, ethnic and gender prejudice made her decide to become a lawyer and become a lifelong trailblazer and leader in the courts to fight for those rights. It also notably includes Ruth’s lifelong friendship with Antonio Scalia and how their deep disagreements over legal issues did not keep them from talking about these issues and traveling together around the world. It is a message of talking tolerance deeply needed in these divided times.)

My Name is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream? – Jennifer Fosberry

(Over the course of a day, a little girl pretends to be Sally Ride, Annie Oakley, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Elizabeth Blackwell, and her own Mommy – concluding “It’s me Isabella, the kindest, smartest, bravest, fastest, toughest, greatest girl that ever was”…dreaming about who she would be…tomorrow.)  
Great book to use to see which of these women the kids recognize – and as a lead in to a show and tell of other biographies for them to read themselves.

More ideas for Women’s History Month: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Women%27s%20History%20Month

3.2018 Bedm.

Mock Caldecott 2018 Results

I conducted 7 Mock Caldecott elections this year with a total of about 300 K-4th graders.  I used the basic procedure outlined here (using Snowflake Bentley illustrated by Mary Azarian  and Snow by Uri Shulevitz as samples of previous winners and mentioning how the Caldecott Committee is meeting in secret and no one knows which books they are considering – we are all guessing!). I read aloud the 6-7 books that had received the most preliminary votes in each class, and had the kids give me feedback on the illustrations between each.  I also made a change with a couple of the later groups: after the “gold” was chosen, I had the kids who had chosen it disperse to their second choice, and then to their third. This got us past The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors and Claymates to have the kids consider some of the other titles.

And the winners are… 
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex (4 Gold, 2 Honors)
Claymates by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge (2 Gold, 3 Honors)
Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (1 Gold, 2 Honors)

Grand Canyon by Jason Chin (4 Honors)
After the Fall by Dan Santat (3 Honors)
La La La by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Jaime Kim (3 Honors)
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers (2 Honors)
A Greyhound, a Groundhog by Emily Jenkins,  illustrated by Chris Appelhans (2 Honors)
The Boy and the Whale by Mordicai Gerstein (1 Honor)
Egg by Kevin Henkes (1 Honor)
Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin (1 Honor)
The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken (1 Honor)
Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper (1 Honor)

Mentioned during some of the programs:

• relating to The Boy and the Whale http://www.radiolab.org/story/149761-whale-saying-thank-you/ (this event was not photographed or video recorded) https://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/whalethanks.asp) but another rescue was http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/humpback-whale-saved-tangled-net-14195095 
• relating to After the Fall – a silly rhyme about Humpty Dumpty:
  Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall
  Eating black bananas.
  Where do you think he put the skins?
  Down the king’s pajamas!

 

Specific results:

Bradley Gardens Afterschool:

Gold: Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Honors:
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex
Claymates by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge
La La La by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Jaime Kim

Bedminster School:

Isello/Rosnell/Wysocki:
Gold: Claymates by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge
Honors: 
Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers
A Greyhound, a Groundhog by Emily Jenkins,  illustrated by Chris Appelhans

Lewis/Deegan/Oliveri/Resotka:
Gold: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex
Honors:
Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
A Greyhound, a Groundhog by Emily Jenkins,  illustrated by Chris Appelhans
After the Fall by Dan Santat

Roth/Tarulli:
Gold: Claymates by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge
Honors: 
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex
La La La by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Jaime Kim
Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
close behind:
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
After the Fall by Dan Santat

Valentine/McFarland/Hogan (2nd Grade):
Gold: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex
Honors: (very close second) Claymates by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge

Lovejoy/Spero/Skiba/Hofman:
Gold: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex
Honors:
Claymates by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
The Boy and the Whale by Mordicai Gerstein
La La La by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Jaime Kim
After the Fall by Dan Santat
Egg by Kevin Henkes

 

Milltown Afterschool:
Gold: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex
Honors:
Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers

Books included and preliminary ballot results (Note, I kept the bookmark ballots from 5 classes but some went missing. *indicates one of the ballots was missing in the final count so I extrapolated preliminary votes):
After the Fall by Dan Santat -- 61
Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper -- 48
Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, illustrated by Kadir Nelson – 99* (79/4)
The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken – 37
The Boy and the Whale by Mordicai Gerstein – 86*  (70/4)
Claymates by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge – 89* (72/4)
A Different Pond by Bao Phi – 40* (32/4)
Egg by Kevin Henkes --  85* (69/4)
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin – 97* (77/4)
A Greyhound, a Groundhog by Emily Jenkins,  illustrated by Chris Appelhans – 60
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers -- 37
La La La by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Jaime Kim – 74* (59/4)
Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin –  62* (50/4)
Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Adam Rex – 119* (95/4)
Muddy by Michael James Mahin –  39* (23/3)
A Perfect Day by Lane Smith  -- 66* (51/4)
Robinson by Peter Sis --  44
This House Once by Deborah Freedman –  71* (43/3)

 

2/18

“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.” ~ Helen Keller

Photographic Permissions and Farewell Party

As many of you are aware, I am no longer working for the Somerset County Library System Bridgewater Library.

This week I was sent a “cease and desist” letter from the library attorney informing me that all pictures that were taken by library personnel and downloaded on library computers were copyright the library and ordering me to remove them immediately. Accordingly, I am in the process of taking down many of my older pictures that were taken with library cameras -- so if you want access, you will need to make copies quickly. The photos that will remain were taken with my cell phone camera or the cell phones belonging to some of you. If there are any pictures of your children that you do not want me to continue to display on this site, please email me at cslevin59 (at) gmail.com with photo details & the date of the post(s) and I will remove them forthwith.

I also want to invite all of you to my retirement party at the Bridgewater Library on Sunday February 11th. You and your children are welcome to drop into the program rooms anytime between 2 and 4 p.m. to say goodbye.

All the best,  Carol Simon Levin