Expanding our Reading Palates

Just before the April break, we began preparations for our upcoming Hive book clubs with a surprise book tasting. Our book tasting event offered an opportunity to introduce students to a wide array of books from a variety of genres. These carefully curated book selections would become the choices that students could consider for their book clubs. 

The Hive classroom was transformed into a café, with waiters (aka teachers) serving up trays of scrumptious books for customers (aka students) at each table to sample. Customers were able to move about the café to sample each of the books - reflecting on the book covers, book jacket summaries, and tasting the author's writing style and character introductions by reading the first few pages of each book. They were later given time to reflect on their literary consumption and ranked their preferences according to their abilities and interest. The result was an individual list of just-right books for each student from which we used to unveil a widely anticipated book club announcement. The kids COULD NOT WAIT to start reading their new books.

This week's guest bloggers reflect on their book tasting experience. Enjoy!

I found the book tasting helpful in selecting the book I am reading because I am not the type of person that would just pick up a random book and start reading it for weeks. I am picky about the books I read and I need to sample them first. Also, when I have too many choices, I don't know where to start. The book tasting helped me to choose a book I would like and would actually read. Finally, I don't really like thick chapter books because they take a long time to read and I get bored, but the book tasting offered thin and thick books that I liked.    - @EarthySmurf

The book tasting experience will help me in the future choose my just-right book because I will know the steps to choosing a good book, like reading the back of the book and then sampling some pages. I could also show others how to choose a just-right book when they need help. It's great that we will get to connect with people that have similar book interests when we have our book club groups.  - @Lightning24

I usually don't have an interest in reading. I look at the covers of books, but don't end up reading them. Now that I have done the book tasting, I am really enjoying the book we chose for our book clubs and want to read more. Now I know what types of books I enjoy and what I want to read in the future. In the future, if I were standing in front of a big stack of books, I would use what I learned from the book tasting and read the backs of them and then read the first few pages to decide what catches my interest and which ones I would want to read.    - @PickleKitty

I found the right book from the book tasting which was great because I kept reading the same books over and over. I chose the book "A Song for a Whale" as my book club book because it reminded me of me. I am deaf and I know a lot of sign language, just like the main character in the story. Also, it is a really good book so far!     - @Polly

I think the book tasting experience was helpful because recently when I was picking out a book, I was able to find SO much better books. It also helps me find books that are a good reading level for me. How to sample books will be very useful when I'm choosing just-right books for me.    - @Noncat

I found the book tasting experience helpful to find a new book. One way I found it helpful was looking at the back and reading what it said as well as reading a little snip of the book so I could rate it and so that I know what the books are actually about.   - @Soccer101

The book tasting helped me choose a just-right book for my personal reading choice. If our teachers always picked out our books to read, I would be upset. I am picky with books and food. When we get to choose our own books, it's way better. There is really only one book I have liked and I still love it because I picked it out. I knew it was the right book because it had a good vocabulary and an addicting topic to read.    - @Ham

The book tasting experience will help me in the future to choose books because usually, it's hard for me to choose chapter books. Now I know how to sample a couple of pages of a book and then read the back. If I didn't know how to do that, I never would have chosen "A Boy Called Bat" for my book club group. It suits my reading level. I'm glad I didn't choose a book just by its cover.    - @Koala333

I think the book tasting experience will help me in many ways. First, I think it will teach me how to find books that are just right for me. Another reason is that I can maybe teach others how to find books just for them.   - @Wolverine12

The book tasting was really, really helpful because I have been reading too many graphic novels this year and I thought that I'd never find a chapter book that I could really get into. During the book tasting, we sampled many different kinds of books and one really stood out - "A Boy Called Bat". It caught my eye from the start and that book kind of changed my thinking about chapter books and now I love them. I really recommend this for people who aren't reading chapter books. The book tasting changed my whole future of reading.   - @Kiwi222

The Power of Productive Struggle

Students in The Hive are learning that math is not just about getting the right answers, it's about the process. 

As teachers, we know that not every math problem-solving method/strategy speaks to every learner. Introducing a variety of problem-solving strategies and tools, and allowing learners ample time to grapple with them is paramount to math success. It's this grappling or "productive struggle" that encourages learners to attack a problem in a way that makes sense to them; it allows them to build perseverance through trial and error and practice using a variety of strategies. As each learner attempts to solve a problem or learn a new strategy, they ask themselves questions like: What is the problem asking me to do? What information is provided? What part do I understand and what part is giving me trouble? It's these types of questions that engage learners and provide an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the structure of a problem because they're given the opportunity to attack it on their own. Productive struggle helps learners develop important learning habits, including but not limited to perseverance and flexible thinking. Teaching learners to embrace the process of working through a problem, thinking outside the box, and not getting discouraged when they initially fail is essential to their success as a math learner.

When learners understand the purpose behind the struggle and embrace the idea that their efforts must be focused and working toward achieving a goal, it can change feelings of hopelessness to empowerment. This week's guest bloggers reflect on the successes of their own productive struggles.

One of the math concepts I struggled with was long division. At first, I didn't get how to divide because it was a new concept and new concepts are really tricky for me. To overcome the struggle, I used tricks my teachers showed me and "the blur" of not understanding how to divide went away and now I know how to divide. Sometimes I make little mistakes but I find the mistakes and correct them. My advice to anyone who is struggling is to ask for help and ask for helpful tips from your peers and teachers.   - @Lonnie

One challenge I faced with math this year was double-digit multiplication. I was quarantined for a while when we were learning about this so I didn't really get to learn much about the concept in school. When I came back to school, I struggled with it and it took me a while for me to even slightly understand it. My dad tried to teach me easier methods, but I still couldn't understand it... YET. I wasn't ready to give up, and my struggles would come to an end shortly. When my dad taught me a method that I finally could understand, I was able to do it. If I had to give advice to someone struggling with the same concept, I would say to keep trying new strategies and never give up. It's worth it to lean into the struggle.   - @21Savage

Over the course of this year, I've struggled through some challenging math concepts. One of them was and still is knowing my multiplication facts. I have not overcome that challenge YET, but I'm determined to. I keep practicing my facts as much as I can and I know that I will get it soon. My advice to other people who are also struggling with this is to keep at it, practice, and don't give up. It will happen.   - @GoatLover

Something I struggled with in math is the process of long division. I overcame it by practicing my times tables more and it made it easier for me to work through the long division process. Some advice that I would give someone who is having the same struggle is to take the time to learn your times tables.   - @Lightning24

I have struggled with many things in math but one of them was two-by-two digit multiplication. I struggled with this until I kept practicing it in a small group during RTI with my teacher and some of my classmates. I got to hear how other classmates were thinking and I got some tips that really helped me. Now I can do two-by-two digit multiplication really well. If you are someone who is struggling with two-by-two digit multiplication, don't be afraid to ask for help and listen to other people's strategies. You will get through it.    - @G-Money

Project-Based Learning In the Mirror

"Reflection helps us to move students beyond focusing on the product of learning and instead, focus on the process and their growth."  - Define Learning

Over the last several weeks, students have been engaging in a project-based learning (PBL) experience related to the Early Civilizations of North America. Throughout the PBL experience, students moved through a hands-on investigative process that helped them to discover how geography shapes how and where people live. They thoughtfully and intentionally reflected on each stage of the learning process to help them construct meaning from their discoveries, correct any misunderstandings, and solidify new learning. It was a process enjoyed by all and one that produced deep and meaningful learning. 

At the end of this PBL experience, we asked students to engage in one final reflection of the learning experience in its entirety and how it helped them to understand the complex aspects of geography. Today's guest bloggers share their reflections. At the end of the guest blog statements are some examples of the creations that resulted from this experience. The first of which are some of the documentaries followed by a video montage of the reader's theater performances (screenplays written and performed by students). In both the documentaries and the reader's theater presentations, portrayals of daily life in the regions accurately reflected how the earliest native people utilized the land, water features, resources, adapted to their climates, and benefited from their soil (or not). These learners truly understood the answer to our PBL driving question: How does where you live shape how you live?

Enjoy!

During the research part of this PBL experience, I felt like I was in the zone and could do it independently and responsibly, and was able to move at my own pace. During the buffalo hide activity, I felt like hearing other people's ideas made my own ideas blossom. That was a good experience because everyone had "ah-ha!" moments by exchanging ideas with each other. When it was time for me to write and produce my documentary, it was HARD. I got writer's block at first and should have asked for help earlier on. Overall, it was a good lesson for me to stay focused and to manage my time better. I do feel like this experience gave me a deeper understanding of how geography affected how the earliest Native Americans lived.   - @PickleKitty

Each part of the PBL process helped to deepen my understanding of the idea that where you live affects how you live. Being able to do my research independently helped me be able to go back and review things that I had learned while taking notes. The buffalo hide activity helped me clarify misunderstandings. For example, I did not know how one could come across a prairie turnip, but then I learned that they naturally grow in groves. Writing the reader's theater script was a challenge, but we all collected research notes that were a little different so we all brought what we learned to the table. Our performance was definitely a team effort. The whole performance revolved around how well we acted out our roles to bring it to life. Overall, these activities gave me a deep and meaningful understanding of the idea that where you live affects how you live.  - @Pineapple

My whole experience with this was awesome. Researching took me a while and it was challenging, but I was able to finish it successfully. The buffalo hide activity was really fun and I got to see what others had learned about our region and how they were thinking about it. Sometimes it was challenging for us to decide who was drawing what, but we were able to work it out. When the teachers gave us choices about what type of final project we could produce, I knew I was going to do the reader's theater performance. It was a lot of work - funny at times and then really stressful. When we finished writing the script, it was fun to get to perform it in front of the class to show them what we learned.   - @Ham 

This PBL experience helped me better understand my learning because I got to work at my own pace and really take in all of the important information I needed to know and understand. There were so many fun activities in this experience. I liked drawing on the buffalo hides too because I learn better when I can draw my ideas. My favorite part of this experience was the writing our reader's theater script and performing it because it was really fun and I loved working together and sharing ideas with my group. I also loved teaching the class about what I learned about the Plains region.    - @G-Money

This learning experience helped me better understand how geography affects how you live. First, the independent research was helpful because I would rewatch, reread, and pause videos and text at my own pace. Second, when we did the buffalo hide activity, I could see how others were thinking, which helped me understand my region better. Finally, writing the script helped me to put all of my thoughts together.   - @Strawberry

Well, when I started doing my independent research, I realized that people in my region were lucky! The longhouse was bigger than a wetu or wigwam (wetus and wigwams don't have room to do anything). Wehen we did the buffalo hide activity, I got to draw about my ideas and share them with my group. When we started working on our reader's theater script, we got to work collaboratively and were able to make some cool props. It was really fun presenting. Overall, I think future 4th grade Hive members should do this PBL experience.   - @Swagger_25

I liked this PBL experience and the fact that we were able to choose the region that we wanted to investigate. I like the format of this PBL for two reasons. One, I was able to go at my own pace (which, admittedly, is quite slow). Another reason is because I got my questions answered. I was not here for the buffalo hide activity, but when it came time to choose between writing a screenplay or a documentary, I chose the screenplay production. I liked this part for a couple of reasons. First, I got to understand the southeast Native Americans a bit better. Second, I could kind of go back in time to write that script. I liked performing the screenplay for, you guessed it, two reasons. One is because I could put myself in their mocassins (ha!). Lastly, I had fun. You won't find that in a worksheet.   - @M&M

The independent research taught me almost everything I know about the southeast region, save for other people's thinking, which I learned about during the buffalo hive activity. The WeVideo documentary project helped me learn how to compile my ideas together and writing my script helped me practice my organization and grammar. This was a really amazing experience and I hope the Hivers next year have as much fun as I did.   - @WaterBottle1

This PBL experience deepened my understanding of my cultural region. During the independent research phase, I learned a lot about my region. When we got to the buffalo hide visible thinking activity, our group spilled all of their ideas onto paper and others picked them up. Writing the reader's theater script gave us all a chance to put our ideas together. Some of my group members even decided to continue working on it after school. The performance part was nerve-wracking but fun. This was one fun month.    - @Chickadee

This experience was different and helped me develop a deep understanding of Native American regions. The independent research was a little hard for me, but I liked that I could look back at my resources and didn't have to rush. During the buffalo hide activity, I like working in a group and it was helpful to put my ideas on paper and see what others thought of them. Writing the reader's theater script helped me have a deeper appreciation for what it might have been like living in North America all those years ago.   - @GoatLover

I had many meaningful experiences during this PBL experience. To begin, the independent research went slow, but for the better. I needed peaceful research time to help me understand what I was learning. Also, the buffalo skin activity helped me understand my region even more. When we got to the reader's theater screenplay, it was hard and went super slow, but again it was for the better. It was a good collaboration. The performance was maybe the most meaningful of all for me because it was fun, cool, collaborative, and organized.   - @21Savage

The independent research was a good introduction to my cultural region. Visual learning helps me learn better and so the research boards that our teachers gave us made a lot of sense. The buffalo skin activity helped me see how other classmates learned the information. I originally planned to do a reader's theater presentation with some people, but I realized how their learning style was different from mine, so I decided to work on my own documentary instead. Writing the narrative for my documentary helped me put together everything that I learned in an organized way. The actual making of my documentary using WeVideo was the best part. This PBL was a very fun experience.    - @WowWriter

The activities in this PBL experience helped me deepen my understanding of my Native American region in many ways. The independent research helped because there was a ton of information and we were able to pause and rewind the videos or reread the text when we needed to. The buffalo skin activity was helpful because we got to see other people's ideas. Writing the script was helpful because we got to work together and merge our ideas and then share them with the whole class during our performance.  All in all, these activities helped me learn a lot.   - @Cheeto111 

I think overall, things went well in the independent research stage. I took my time and went at my own pace and even rewatched some videos and reread some text. It was harder at the beginning, but it got easier toward the end. The buffalo hide activity was super fun and I got to understand more of my region's culture and other things I had not yet learned. Writing the reader's theater script was hard at first, but my partner and I shared what we each learned and we got through it. It was fun making props and presenting to the class was super fun. I want to do it again! It was really cool acting out the parts and feeling what it felt like to live in the Plains many years ago.   - @Soccer101