Lowell Library Newsletter

March is a busy month at the Lowell Library! K-2 students focus on storytelling and fairy tales. K-1 learned to identify the elements of fairy tales and we read many examples of tales classic and fractured. Second grade participated in a new unit examining the history of story telling through the oral tradition including song, dance. We read about Meso American written stories and thought about why we tell and share our own stories. Our other readings centered on tales told across many cultures and how they are alike and different.

Third grade did a different form of storytelling learning about computational thinking and the concepts of decomposition and abstraction. Students then drew an abstracted version of a scientific process (seed to plant) and converted the drawing into an animated gif.

Fourth grade became historical detectives examining and identifying primary source objects. While fifth grade brought the HEAT (hook, energy, audience, time) planning out their 30 second book talks.

Kindergarten: We learned about:

• Fairy Tales:
• Beginnings and endings
• Good and Not So Good characters
• Fantasy Details
• Book Creator

First Grade: We learned about:

• Fairy Tales:
• Plot Problems
• Rule of Three
• Character Values
• Book Creator

Second Grade: Learned about:

• Storytelling:
• Oral tradition
• Compare and Contrast Versions
• Why we tell Stories: Think and Respond

Third: We learned about:

• Citation Writing
• Decomposition
• Abstraction
• Brush Ninja: Abstracting a scientific process into an animated gif

Fourth Grade: Learned about:

• Primary Sources:
• Historical Detective Project

Fifth Grade: We learned about:

• Web Page Evaluation
• News Online (Digital Citizenship)
• 30 second Book Talk Project

Fourth grade classes took on the role of historical detectives in our primary source project analyzing historical artifacts from the Lowell School archives. Students were broken in to groups and given a mystery object. Using their new primary source analysis tools, students examine and think about their object and it's use. A gallery walk provides groups with input from classmates who may notice different things or have an idea about the object. Groups then devise keyword searches using all their analysis and they try to identify their object through research, what the purpose of the object was, and who in a school would have used it and why. Students LOVED this project from exploration, to analysis, to research.

For adults, items included filmstrips, photo slides, an early generation music player, card catalog cards, and parts of an overhead projector.

Want an author/ illustrator who does it all and creates books kids LOVE? Look no further than Jarrett Lerner! Jarrett authors chapter books, early readers, graphic novels, graphic chapter books, and early reader chapter books in addition to illustrating all his work. A tireless advocate for reading, literacy, libraries and art, Jarrett joins our school, in person, Thursday, April 27th to share writing, drawing and fun at both Phillips and Lowell West. This event is for in school students only and provided through a generous grant from The Watertown Community Foundation.

Literacy Week at Lowell is coming up April 24- 28, 2023

Events include:

• Author in Residence Jarrett Lerner
• Book Fair at the Watertown Free Public Library
• Poem in Your Pocket Day
• Dress as your favorite character day
• Bookmobile Visits
• DEAR: Drop Everything And Read

More information to come!

• My child has a library book from before quarantine. What should I do with it? Please bring it back! There is no penalty for pre-quarantine books and I would love to have them back in the library so other kids can enjoy them.
• Will kids check out books this year? No, our library is still in storage and the number of books is limited. Kids will have a chance to enjoy books during library class this year which will, hopefully, inspire some ideas for outside reading.
• Where can we access the databases and encyclopedias? Use the Lowell Library website and under SEARCH find a list of the databases students have access to through the school.
• What will students learn without the library? Don't worry! I selected a lot of books to continue our read alouds each week. We will also take this time to explore more aspects of our digital learning curriculum such as digital citizenship and computers as tools.

Email: kelly.mccollum@watertown.k12.ma.us
Website: http://lowelllibrary.com
Location: 175 Orchard Street, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: 617.926.7770
Twitter: @jrlowellreads