Why is Non-Fiction Important?

In today’s New York Times, an article entitled “The Times and the Common Core Standards” included some very interesting statistics regarding the importance of reading and understanding informational text in order to succeed in the academic world. According to the article, as a student progresses throughout his or her educational career, reading should include more and more non-fiction reading. The article summarizes, “While English classes will still include healthy amounts of fiction, the standards say that students should be reading more nonfiction texts as they get older, to prepare them for the kinds of material they will read in college and careers. In the fourth grade, students should be reading about the same amount from “literary” and “informational” texts, according to the standards; in the eighth grade, 45 percent should be literary and 55 percent informational, and by 12th grade, the split should be 30/70” (Schulten). As our library staff looks for ways to assist teachers and students in these areas, we have not only added a required non-fiction element to the A.R. goal, but also, have increased the amount of informational text that we use in the research process with students as young as 2nd grade while making sure that we read an equal amount of non-fiction and fiction during our early learner’s reading times. Additionally, we require all 1st graders to check out one non-fiction book each week. As we study the research and look for ways to put the findings into practice, we are seeing our students’ vocabulary and understanding of technical information increasing.


Schulten, K. “The Times and the Common Core Standards: Reading Strategies for Informational Text.” New York Times.

Literary Magazine

The library staff is currently accepting entries for the first ECS Literary Magazine.  A letter was sent to parents and teachers of students in 2nd through 8th grades.  We are seeking superior writing of prose and poetry, as well as artwork, and photography done by our students.  Entries are being accepted through March 1. If enough entries are submitted, the magazine will be published in the spring. 

Helpful Information

For the past year and a half, I have been compiling a wikispace with valuable research steps and links for projects.  I have passed this information along in the past, but wanted to remind you of this valuable tool.  The space can be accessed at www.ecsresearch.wikispaces.com.  Please consider using the steps in the Big 6 provided as a guide to teaching research and using the links as well.  Let me know if you have questions. 

Library T-Shirts

Orders are being taken for the newest library t-shirts.  Sign ups are in the workroom at the East Campus.  The shirts are pictured below.

Common Core: How's that Working for You?

There's a whole lot of informational text being decifered in the media center, and it's not just by 8th graders.  First grade students will begin a unit on non-fiction reading strategies using our ever popular dog series beginning this week.  Second grade students have been reading, discussing, and pulling apart solar system books in order to find facts that they will include in their fantasy stories about space, third grade students are currently finishing up their Evansville history unit by perusing a website that details the terms of each of Evansville's mayors. 4th graders are beginning a volcano unit where they will research volcanoes and develop lesson plans for Kindergarten and 1st grade students. 5th graders are beginning a research teaching unit on ecosystems, 6th graders will begin a space unit in January; 7th graders are doing research on Victorian England and how it affected the writing of Charles Dickens, and 8th graders just finished partner texts that showed the development of themes in the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien.  You don't have to read between the lines to understand that our media center is being used alot to help our students understand the research process while delving into informational text.  Come by sometimes; you might learn something. 

Living Wax Museum PSA:

Living Wax Museum

The library staff is so excited about our upcoming Living Wax Museum events. On Friday, Nov. 9, we will begin our festivities with our annual book character parade presented by Pre-K,K, 1st, and 2nd graders. The parade will signal the opening our of Living Wax Museum in the gymnasium. The 3rd grade exhibits will come to life from 1:00 p.m.to 1:35 p.m. followed by the 4th grade exhibits from 1:40-2:15 p.m. All exhibits will feature browsing and the historical "wax figures" will come to life when a crowd member pushes their button. Can't wait to see what great things we can learn at the ECS Living Wax Museum. See you there.

The Great Mystery Food Box Challenge

We wrapped up an interesting research unit on the Food Plate and nutrition by hosting our very own Mystery Food Box competition with our 2nd graders this week in library class. After studying what makes up the food plate, the different food groups, and servings needed in each group, students were placed in groups and given a mystery box. The box contained items from each food group. Students were given seven minutes to build a food robot with only one item per food group. After the competition, students were required to explain the robot while detailing the group each food belonged in. It was a messy, fun time of learning.

Research, Research, Research

With the shift to common core standards, we are using our library time even more this year for research projects. Currently, 2nd graders are studying nutrition, 3rd graders Evansville history, 4th graders energy, and 8th graders will begin the Holocaust next week. It is interesting and exciting for me to uncover new tools for these subjects. My favorite part of it all is watching students

as young as 2nd grade working together to learn new things while employing the very basics of research. It is never too early or too late to learn something new.

Here We Go Again!

Well, here we are again. The 2012-13 school year is underway and we are excited to begin the year with STAR testing all students in grades 1-8 to see how their reading has progressed throughout the past few months. Beginning of the year testing validates even more to those of us in the literacy community the value of summer reading. Students who spend time reading during the summer seem to have a bit of an edge over those who take a hiatus from books. The 2012-13 year brings with it some new and exciting plans for the library/media center. The year's first big event will be our fall book fair. The fair is Sept. 18-21 and will be held at both North and East Campuses in conjunction with our Grandparent's Day Celebration. In November, we will have our first ever Living Wax Museum. We look forward to our students learning about important figures in history while using their talents in reading, writing, and acting. The big event is scheduled for Nov. 9.

Currently, we are taking orders for our new ECS Library Shirts. The shirts are on sale between now and Sept. 1. Sign ups are located in the ECS copy room. Hope to see many people supporting our library by wearing these shirts.

Busy Times, Busy Times.....

April and May seem to pass in a blur for the media center staff. We host one of our two largest events in April, work hard to finish all research projects, and begin our yearly inventory. During it all, we find extremely cherishable moments as we see students having fun, families fellowshipping, and, in it all, God showing up. Our Spring Literacy Week came to a successful end with the raising of over $3,000.00 for the Henryville School Library Reconstruction fund, a book fair that brought in over $7,500.00 in sales, and a highly attended Family Literacy Reading Luau that had families doing everything from a fun photo booth to competitive A.R. testing. In the midst of these activities, we completed the fourth grades' second cooperative project where they wrote puppet scripts, learned the basic of puppeteering, and performed shows for Kindergarten and Pre-K students. Well, 2011-2012 has been quite a ride; and, hey, I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks for all your support of the media center.

Thoughts on The Hunger Games

Recently, the series The Hunger Games has been a hot item both in the theater and in our library. A few parents have asked our opinion and recently, Miss Foltz, an ECS teacher, read the first book and wrote the following review:

The Wages of Lying

I just finished reading "The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins. A student asked me, "What did you think of it?" I told her that I would need to think about it for a while. Any book that is thought provoking has value in deliberation, so I present this spoiler-free opinion below for discussion.
When someone asks me about a book, one of the first thoughts I have is how the book made me feel? I definitely felt adrenaline. The characters were emotionally gripping. Some scenes were strikingly horrific. At the end, I felt hopelessness for the future of the characters. Suddenly, I realized why.
Everyone lies and no one repents. Each of the named characters lies to others. The first eight characters that are named in the book lie to at least two others. (Well, we have no record of Prim or Madge lying, but they don't have much time to talk.)
Lies always lead to destruction. The fall of Panem is well foreshadowed. No society built on lies can survive. History has demonstrated this. The conscience craves truth. Governments should be designed for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. So, what will happen to those who believe the lies of the government. What will happen to those who don't believe, but have nowhere else to turn for truth. In one of history's most ancient epic poems, Iyyov said that those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. The second thing I think about is how I like the book. "Hunger Games" is a fantasy book because the few explanations given for the grand technologies are dubious. Several of the technologies have macabre implications. The gene puddle of the closed society has other disturbing potentialities.
Thirdly, I thought about a student reading the book. The book poses but does not answer questions about obedience to authorities, honoring parents, expectations of leaders, emotional responses, personal modesty, purposeless existence, rationale for killing, conformity to public opinion, and the consequences of lying. Students who have the discernment to strive to answer these questions could benefit from reading this book.
My final conclusion is that I will finish the series so that I can use it as a discussion starter. I will probably not reread it due to the lack of profound articulation of applicable truth. I think "Hunger Games" is a thought provoking, gruesome fantasy about the wages of lying on a personal and national level.

It's a Reading Luau

Spring is here and with that comes our annual spring book fair. The fair will be held April 17-19 with special family night activities on April 19. It will be a fun evening with competition A.R. testing, the book fair in the front foyer, tropical snacks, and crafts. The event runs from 6:30-8:00 p.m. and is drop in. The book fair itself will run from 8:15 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. daily. Check out information about the fair at: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/ecslibrary10

New Library T-Shirts

Teachers: Spring library t-shirt orders have now begun. Please sign up on the form in the teacher mailroom. Money is due to the school office no later than March 21. These are great for spirit wear on Fridays.

Sharing Stories

2nd grade authors came to Kindergarten and Pre-K library classes today to share their fantasy story books. It was a great way to learn the importance of writing, reading, and sharing.

Role Models

What can a 1st grader learn from a 4th grader, a lot! After much preparation and anticipation, 4th graders have begun their volcano teaching units with younger students. Today, Mrs. McCarty's 4th grade students presented their lessons to the 1st grade classes. I appreciate the immense preparation and the way in which the 4th graders shared both their knowledge and the importance of learning to the little ones. Way to go, guys!

What's Ahead

The library/media center is excited to share plans for two upcoming spring literacy events. First, we will celebrate the 107th birthday of Dr. Seuss Feb. 29-March 2. There will be fun dress days aligned with his books, daily contests, library book talks dedicated to his books and (hopefully) record breaking A.R. testing. Look for more info in upcoming weeks on this celebration.

In addition, in April, we will celebrate our semi-annual book fair and literacy night. This year's theme is: Surf on In to the Reading Luau. For family night, we are planning fun events like a photo booth, "surfing" the Internet, read alouds, and tropical games and snacks. This event will be April 19th. Hope to see you at both.

What's Going on in the Media Center

Fourth graders have been busy researching volcanoes and preparing lessons to share with Kindergarten and 1st grade students. After completing their online and print research, they began preparing essential questions and lesson plan packets that they will share with younger students in the near future. They are excited to switch roles and become the teacher for awhile. By the way, if anyone needs a lesson in how to write essential questions or layout lesson plans, I can refer you to quite a few fourth graders who can help you. Meanwhile, 2nd graders are completing their unit on writing fantasy stories. They will use these for read alouds during Kindergarten library classes. Third graders have finished up their Evansville History unit by developing an "Evansville Live" newcast. View an example below. Well, that's all for now. Shelly

New Non-Fiction Additions

With the educational movement to Common Core Standards, we find it all the more important to emphasize non-fiction reading via our A.R. program. Recently, we have added quite a lot of biographies and auto-biographies to our selection. Including those shown above: Through My Eyes; Unbroken; and Through My Eyes Young Readers Edition.