Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students learn how to choose “just right” books.  Many kids are easily swayed by what they see on TV, what their older siblings are reading, or what their classmates are choosing.  Children need to be prepared to make the right choices for themselves according to their interests and, to a certain degree, their abilities.  Using the famous ‘Five Finger Rule,” kids can be taught to choose books that are just right for them!

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

2-4

Objective:

Use the “Five Finger Rule” to independently choose suitable library books.  (Supports AASL  4.4.1 “Identify own areas of interest” and AASL 4.4.2  “Recognize the limits of own personal knowledge.”)

Suggested Time:

40-50 minutes

Success Criteria:

Each child will be able to explain the “Five Finger Rule” in his or her own words.  Each child will also be able to apply the “Five Finger Rule” when choosing library books.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Open the lesson with provocative questions such as, “Have you ever noticed how many thousands of books there are in the library?  How can we be sure we are making good choices?  Will the best books for me be the same as the best books for my friend?  What strategies can we use to guide our choices? “

Today’s lesson will teach you how to choose great library books!  Let’s get started!

2. Main:

First, assess the kids’ current understanding.  Ask, “If we went to the library right this minute, how would you choose your books?”

Find out what they already know.  Record the students’ ideas on a white board or flip chart.   Some of them may know a lot about making good book choices.   This part of the lesson is important because you will use their ideas to check what they already know against a Brain Pop video (if available.)

If they seem stuck, prompt them by asking “Whom could you ask?”  or “Where could you look on the book itself?”  Make sure the class gives you at least ten ideas before moving on.

Next, show the Brain Pop Jr. movie, “Choosing a Book.”  (if available).  As you watch, check off ideas that the kids have already mentioned.  Make a note of any new ideas from the video.  Briefly discuss the video, then explain that the remainder of the lesson will focus on the “Five Finger Rule.”

Teach the Five Finger Rule:

1. Pass out Five Finger Rule Bookmarks.  (See attached file.)
2. Together, review the steps in using the Rule.
3. Give each student a book and ask them to use the rule. Be fair, be honest!
4. When the student has finished the first book, switch it for a second book for a bit more practice.

3. Conclusion:

Encourage students to write their names on their bookmarks, take the bookmarks with them, and use the Five Finger Rule when browsing for books today.  Tell the kids that they should use the “Five Finger Rule” each time they browse for books!

Resources:

1. Copies of the “Five Finger Rule” bookmarks, copied onto colorful cardstock.  (See attached file.)
2. Flipchart or whiteboard
3. Markers
4. 40 books of varying difficulty for practice using the “Five Finger Rule.”
5. Access to the Brain Pop Video “Choosing a Book.” (optional).
6. Ability to play the Brain Pop Video “Choosing a Book.” (optional).

Notes:

Teach this lesson every year, without fail, to students in Grades 2-4.  Children are very young and easily swayed.  Over the years, my colleagues and I have observed more and more kids trending towards comics or illustrated novels and choosing fewer books with words!  They seem reluctant to try anything new or anything they don’t already know.  More and more, the “Five Finger Rule” is becoming essential to counter these trends!

Be sure to refer to the Five Finger Rule in future lessons.  Make the “Five Finger Rule” part of your school and library culture.  Always have bookmarks on hand and encourage the children to use the “Five Finger Rule” every time they come to the library.

Recommended books for this lesson:

A selection of 40+ library books with varying levels of difficulty and taken from various genres.

Key Terms:

Book Choice, Browsing, Just Right Books, Five Finger Rule

Five Finger Bookmarks

Lesson Overview:

Most school libraries change from year to year.  And, most students do not take time to look carefully at the complexity of the learning spaces around them.  In this Treasure Hunt challenge, get your kids moving and looking carefully at the library.  They will explore, make notes, and perhaps make a few sketches.  They will find out where the bathrooms are, saving you lots of time later.  And, they will learn where the emergency exit is, potentially saving precious seconds in an emergency.  Use this lesson to get your kids oriented to the physical facilities, and they will become more independent library users.

Lesson Plan:

Objective:

To have the children move with confidence around the library physical facilities.  (Information Literacy Lesson: May tie to a Learning Continuum on the elements of Independence and Enthusiasm.  Independently moving around the library; enthusiasm when participating in the activity – kids love treasure hunts!)

Suggested Grades:

1-3

Suggested Time:

45 – 60 minutes

Success Criteria:

Children will be able to find each of twelve treasure hunt “stations” and return to the correct locations for story time, check-out, and quiet reading.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Welcome and review of last week’s lesson.  Today at check-out time we will use a browser card!  However, before we check-out, we need to become familiar with the layout of the library.  A few things might have changed from last year!  Watch carefully!  Introduce the idea of a treasure hunt and note that this is not a race, but a search to see who can find each of the important library landmarks.  You will be working with a partner for today’s treasure hunt.

2. Main:

Pass out Treasure Hunt game cards, clipboards, and pencils.   Instruct the children to find #1-#12 and draw a quick picture (Grade 1) or make a short note (Grade 2) of what they find there.  Emphasize that this is not a race and that the children should not run in the library!  “Please walk!”

3. Conclusion:

Review activity, what the kids found.  Have children report on their experiences.

Resources

• Treasure Hunt game cards.  (See below for a sample handout.)
• Large, printed numbers from #1-#12. (See attached handout)

Notes

Be sure to have at least one “trick” in the treasure hunt.

• Example: Using a large sheet of paper, make a well-known city landmark such as a stadium, skyscraper, or river.  In Dubai we made a Metro Stop with the iconic blue train.  Place this landmark in a prominent place and tell the kids that there is one very tricky part on the hunt!

You will need to modify the treasure hunt to fit your particular library.  It is important that every treasure hunt include the bathrooms, circulation desk, and librarian desk so that the children know where to go for help.

I have included two sample treasure hunts:

• The first is set up as a checklist and asks that the children check off numbers and write a few words. (See attachment)
• The second is set up more for drawing/sketching answers. (See attachment)

Please select and adapt the format that is best suited for your students.

Key Terms:

Treasure Hunt, Libraries, Library Games

Treasure Hunt Large Printed Numbers

Treasure Hunt Template, Writing

Treasure Hunt Template, Drawing

Lesson Overview:

Browser cards are the key to students working independently and responsibly in the library throughout the year.  Be sure to teach this Browser Card lesson before beginning circulation.  Making browser cards will also buy you a week of start-up time, during which you can collect summer borrowing materials, wrap up the summer reading program, and confirm that your patron database is up to date and coded correctly according to homerooms.  Making browser cards is the first lesson I teach every year, without fail!

Lesson Plan:

Objective:

To make a colorful, visually appealing browser card.

Suggested Grades:

Kindergarten – 5

Suggested Time:

45 -60 minutes

Success Criteria:

Each student will complete a browser card to serve as both a library card and shelf marker throughout the school year.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Teach these main points in the introduction while giving instructions:

• Show the students a completed browser card. (See photo and also notes on how to prepare a sample).
• Review how we browse and treat the collection respectfully. Because students need to be able to check out and put books back into their correct shelf locations, a browser card is very helpful.
• Show a browser card and demonstrate how a browser card can help us use the library wisely. Emphasize that browser cards will be used when searching for books and also when checking out.  Students should always bring their browser cards when visiting the library with their classes – it’s a key to unlocking the treasures found here!
• Browser cards are colorful and fill the space on the card. Fill one side of the card with designs, words, symbols, logos, or pictures.  Be careful, you will have to use this card all year!
• Leave a bit of room for pasting the barcode on the card! It can fit in anywhere, just don’t color over it.

2. Main:

Brainstorm ideas for filling the card.  Or, do the group activity for generating ideas (see “Notes” below).

Seat students at tables with the paper card, barcode, glue sticks, and pens/pencils/markers.  Allow them to create a browser card for this year.

3. Conclusion

Share with a partner, then pass the cards to the teacher to be laminated.  Collect the finished cards and make sure they are laminated and ready before the next visit.

Resources

1. A few sample browser cards to show. (See photos.)
2. Paper stock for browser cards, cut to approximately 27 cm (length) by 10 cm (width). (See photo.)
3. Patron barcodes.
4. Colored pencils, pens, markers. Also, if desired, magazines or newspapers and glue for a “collage” kind of card.

Notes

Browser cards are the key to students working independently and responsibly in the library throughout the year.  Be sure to teach this Browser Card lesson before beginning circulation.  The browser card activity will also buy you a week of start-up time during which you should collect summer borrowed materials, wrap up the summer reading program, and confirm that your patron database is up to date and coded correctly according to homerooms.

I typically use group routines to generate ideas with the kids before sitting them down with paper and pens.    For example, ask the children to make a big circle.  One person jumps, turns to the person on the left, and says the name of a favorite animal (food, holiday spot, game, fantasy location, sport, etc.)  Go around the circle as quickly as you can.  Next, instead of jumping with a quarter turn to the left, jump and raise both hands and shout out the answer to the next question.  If you asked for a favorite food the first time, ask for a favorite animal in the second round.  Remember to go quickly as possible.  The idea is to incorporate movement with the thinking.  Finally, in the last round of the game, as kids give their answers they can leave the circle and pick up a piece of card on their way to their work space.  They will have plenty of ideas to use when making their cards.

Key Terms:

Browser Cards, Self Check-Out, Browsing, Shelf Markers

Browser Card Samples, Front

Browser Card Samples, Back

Browser Card Blanks

Lesson Overview:

This is a heavily disguised lesson on book care.  I teach it every year to every grade level simply because young children are so hard on print materials!  To make it more appealing, I’ve worked to make the lesson tactile and, in places, silly.  I find that even first graders can “take notes” on the capture sheet.  The little ones are so proud to use their notes to recall their learning!  If you have a picture of yourself as a child that is helpful in giving the lesson a convincing start.

Lesson Plan:

Objective:

To identify at least four items or practices to think about when caring for books.

Suggested Grades:

1-3

Suggested Time:

35-45 minutes

Success Criteria:

Students will capture the information on a note sheet, thereby enabling them to recall the relevant content.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Show “Little Betty’s Backpack” or “Little (your name) Backpack.”  Explain that several items in the backpack can damage books.  Pass out clipboards, handouts, and pencils.  Explain that items will be pulled out of the backpack, and the class must figure out how that item could damage a book.

2. Main:

Ask six children to pull out the items one at a time.  Discuss how that item could damage a book.  Then, show examples of books damaged in each of the categories.  Ask children what can be done to keep books safe from that situation.  Example: How can we keep books safe from pets?  Scribe the results of the discussion.

Although a dropped book will not fit in the backpack, be sure to show a dropped book with the pages separated from the front and back covers.

Take notes together.  Drawings or notes should be extremely simple.  Do not let the kids get carried away with drawings, only jot down enough to capture the ideas.

3. Conclusion:

Emphasize what we can do to keep books safe.

Resources:

Small backpack with the following items:

1. Juice Box or Water Bottle (spills).
2. Apple or Sandwich. Could use plastic food (food stains).
3. Doll (babies who like to tear paper and crumble paper).
4. Scissors (cut pages).
5. Markers or Pencils (marked up pages).
6. Picture of a dog or hamster (chewed/nibbled pages).

Damaged Books:

1. Water damage (wavy pages, mold or mildew)
2. Food stained book
3. Book with torn pages
4. Book with cut pages
5. Book with “scribble scrabble” pages
6. Book with chewed cover/binding
7. Book which has been repeatedly dropped

Handout (attached below)

Video Clip (baby tearing paper):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4abiHdQpc

Notes:

Students enjoy the “skit” nature of this lesson.

Damaged Books Photo

Little Betty’s Backpack, Student Handout