Mr. McArdle- Dinosaur Research Project

Students will be researching information (physical characteristics, habitat, diet, etc.) about a specific dinosaur. The class will be given several periods in the library to allow time for their research. Internet and print resources may be utilized for the assignment. A works cited page is to be included. The school librarian, Mrs. Hatcher, will give a brief overview of resources available as well as instructions on work citation using Noodletools.

The following print resources are available in the school library:

• A field guide to dinosaurs- Call # 567.9 Dix
• How dinosaurs took flight- Call #567.9 Slo
• Stegosaurus and other Jurassic plant eaters- Call #567.912 Coh
• Tyrannosaurus Rex and other Cretaceous meat-eater- Call #567.912 Coh
• Peaceful plant-eating dinosaurs- Call #567.9 Hol
• Prehistoric North America: When life flourished in ancient seas- Call #563 Bla

Annual Book Fair

Gelinas held it's annual book fair in the library. The event was sponsored by the PTA.

This year's popular book selections were all part of best selling series:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (book 5 in the series) by Jeff Kinney
• The Lost Hero (book 1 of the Last Olympians) by Rick Riordan
• Sabotaged (book 3 of the Missing series) by Margaret Peterson Haddix

AP World History- Mr. Romero

This project is designed to engage students with the dynamics of continuity and change across the three great classical civilizations. Students will learn to analyze the processes and causes involved in these continuities and changes in preparation for the AP Exam of the same topic.

Classical civilizations for this project to be covered are: China, India and the Mediterranean (Greece and Rome).



The five overarching themes to be included are:

1. Interaction between humans and the environment.

2. Development and interaction of cultures.

3. State-building, expansion, and conflict.

4. Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems.

5. Development and transformation of social structures.

Students will be given class time to utilize reference books provided by school librarian, Mrs. Hatcher.

Speak Teen Issue Research- Mrs. Palmer

Students in this class have read the novel "Speak" in class. For this assignment, they will work on a research project/presentation about one of the following teen issues:

• Signs and Symptoms of Teen Depression/How to Help
• Bullying/Harrassment in school (Definition, Gelinas Code of Conduct, a positive message to increase awareness)
• Teens and Parents: Ways to increase communication
• Teen Safety: Online
• Teen Saftey: Offline
• Other topics that connect to novel in a relevant way

The project can be in the form of an oral presentation, pamphlet, video, Power-point, poster, skit (with screenplay), interview, or other. All projects must have MLA formated references with at least three reputable information sources listed.

Materials on online safety will be available in the school library.

Industrial Revolution Music, Art, & Lit- Mr. Worthington

The music, art and literature of a society often portray important values of a culture. They act as teaching guides for the people of the community. In this project, students were responsible for researching a specific aspect of the Industrial Revolution between the years 1865-1914. Students were asked to create one of the following projects: A musical piece, an artistic representation, a play or a short story.

Examples of student work from the project:


























Library materials available for research include the following items:

• The History of U.S. Immigration- call #304.8 Bye
• The Industrial Revolution- call #330.9 Ros
• Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America- call #331.7 Hop
• Immigrant Children- call #305.23 Whi
• You Wouldn't Want to be a Victorial Mill Worker- call #331.7 Mal
• VRC database- ABC/CLIO- American History- Explore an Era

Check the Gelinas library OPAC for additional research materials or speak to Mrs. Hatcher for assistance.

Professional Reading: 100 Paid Summer Adventures for Teachers

Looking for a summer adventure while getting paid?? Check out "100 Paid Summer Adventures for Teachers" by Jill Frankfort which is available in your school library.

Exerpt from book cover- Use the only summer resource guide for teachers to find the summer opportunity that is right for you. "100 Paid Summer Adventures for Teachers" has:

• Opportunities for teachers of all subjects and levels
• Detailed program descriptions that include requirements, application procedures, credit awards, financial support, and contact information.
• Indexes organized by geography, program duration, eligibility, and credit offered.

Sample programs available:

• Teacher at Sea (multiple locations, travel stipend). Through the Teacher at Sea Program, educators learn firsthand how scientists conduct research at sea by spending between one week and a month aboard one of 15 ships run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. K-16 science teachers are eligible to apply.
• Presidential Academy for American History and Civics ($1,000 stipend PLUS). Participants in this program travel to Philadelphia, Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. to study the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. During the two-week program, esteemed scholars including Pulitzer Prize winners lead discussions about these critical moments in American history.....
• Fund for Teachers (multiple locations, Individual grants up to $5,000, Team grants up to $7,5000). The Fund for Teachers provides financial support for teachers to pursue summer learning opportunities of their own design. Past summer pursuits have included travel to Ghana to develop a more in-depth unit of study on the country, attendance at the Teaching of Reading Institute at Columbia University, and participation in an international literacy convention in Havana. Full-time pre-K12 teachers who have at least three years of teaching experience...

Site of the Month: English Language Learner (ELL) Reference Center

The English Language Learner Reference Center is designed to help students who are English language learners read article texts in English. The database has a read aloud feature that enables readers to highlight text and click to listen.

Articles are available in the following subject areas: History & Civics, Life Skills, Literature and Science. Other features include a dictionary, student worksheets, and a research guide.

VRC site of the month: Discovery Education Science

Discovery Education Streaming

On March 8th, Gelinas school librarian, A. Hatcher, presented the Discovery Education Science site to the Science department. Some highlights of the presentation were:

• An overview of Discovery Education Streaming


• Detailed review of Discovery Science Middle school

See your school librarian for school passcode.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

Mr. Mutter's Science Research- Prehistoric Life

Mr. Mutter's 7th grade science research class are doing research on prehistoric animals. The students have a list of animals to choose from (e.g. Trilobite, Diplodocus, Smilodon) from different prehistoric eras. They will be utilizing both print and electronic research resources for this assignment. A complete works cited page is expected. The LMS, Mrs Hatcher, will be assisting the class using the Big6 information skills format as well as noodletools for works citation.

Some available print resources:

• The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life by Tim Haines and Paul Chambers
• Guide to Dinosaurs by David Lambert
• The Consise Dinosaur Encyclopeida by David Burnie

Electronic resources:

• http://www.dinosaurlive.com/
• http://www.nationalgeographic/
• http://walkingwith.wikia.com/
• http://www.palaeos.org/

See Mrs. Hatcher and/or class handout for additional resources.

Learning Standards:

IL Essentials of Learning: C1.1a, C1.1b, C.1.2b, C2.2a, C.4.1a, C4.2a, C5.1a, C5.2b, C6.2b-c

NYS-MST: 2, 4

Big6 Skills: 1-6

Diversity Day- MLK Collage by the National Honor Society

Art teacher, Mike Sacco, holds a book about Martin Luther King as he poses in front of a mural created by his students. The artwork was designed as part of our school's Diversity Day celebration. Terrific!

World Religions- Mr. Worthington gr. 9

Students will work in groups of 4 to research a topic on world religions from the list below. Using resources available in the library and the classroom, students will create a 3-5 minute presentation that highlights the assigned religion. Highlights are to include the key aspects and historical influence of the religion.

Topics:
A. Hinduism & Buddhism
B. Confucianism & Taoism
C. Judaism
D. Christianity
E. Islam
F. Shinto & Animism

Some available library resources:

• The Encyclopedia of World Religions- Ref 200 Enc
• Historical Atlas of Religions- Ref 911 Far
• The Illustrated Guide to World Religions- Ref 291 Ill
• Religions of the Middle East- ebook
  
  VRC: ABC-CLIO World History/Ancient & Medieval Eras

Learning Standards:
IL Essentials of learning: A1.2a, A.1.2d, C.1.1a, C.1.2b, C2.2a-c, C3.1a,
NYS-Soc Stud. 2