Collaboration can take many forms. It does not always have to be a co-taught lesson or one with many parts. It just needs to be one where the school librarian and classroom teacher support each other’s curriculum to help extend learning for their students. The project below is an example of that!
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Overview:
Currently, our first-grade students are learning about the continents and countries of the world as part of their social studies curriculum. This is a large unit that already involves a collaborative research project. When planning for my fixed library classes I wanted to connect to this unit but did not want to repeat what we were already doing. In talking with the classroom teachers they mentioned that their students were very interested in the flags of the various countries. Their curriculum objectives did not allow them to explore this interest with their students, but mine did!
For this project, most students were learning in person, but we do still have some remote learners who were joining virtually. This project allowed both sets of students to complete the activity successfully. Each of these lessons was 30 minutes in length and taught by the school librarian with suggestions from the classroom teachers.
Lesson 1: Collect the Facts
Objectives:
- Inquire/Create I.B.2 – Devise and implement a plan to fill knowledge gaps.
- Inquire/Grow I.D.2 – Engaging in sustained inquiry
- Engage/Think IV.A.3 – Evaluating information for accuracy, validity, social and cultural context, and appropriateness for need.
Materials:
Activities:
- 5 min: Provide the “Flags of the World” page to each student. Have them share what they know about flags already.
- 25 min: Using a book or online resource to fill in the front side of the “Flags of the World” page. We used the information on flags in World Book Kids to collect our facts since this is a resource we have available. It also gave the opportunity to discuss online encyclopedias as a reliable source.
Assessment:
- Students will have a completed fact page to reference for the second step.
Tips & Tricks:
- Make sure that students understand that a flag represents something and includes symbols. This will be important during the second lesson when they plan their own flag.
- I turned this page into a Google Slide. This allowed me to share it with students both in person and online. I was able to share my screen and type my responses so students could follow along.
Lesson 2: Plan Your Flag and Start to Create
Objectives:
- Inquire/Create I.B.3 – Generating products that illustrate learning
- Explore/Create V.B.2 – Persisting through self-directed pursuits by tinkering and making.
Materials:
Activities:
- 5 min: Review the “Flags of the World” page that students completed in the last lesson. Remind students that flags have symbols.
- 3 min: Show students this video from the QuiverVision app. This will give them an idea of what their final project will look like.
- 10 min: Have students complete their flag planning page. Have them decide what symbols, shapes, and colors they plan to include in their flags.
- 12 min: Have them start creating their own flag using the “Create Your Own Flag” page from QuiverVision.
Assessment:
- Students will have a completed planning page that they will use to create their flag.
Tips & Tricks:
- It helped to have students think about the things that are most important to them or that they enjoyed doing when coming up with what symbols they wanted to include.
- Although you can use any coloring materials we found that markers seemed to work best.
- You must use the QuiverVision page in order to use the app. Make sure they color only on the flag portion of the coloring page and not around the outside so that it can be scanned properly.
Lesson 3: Finish Your Flag
Objectives:
- Engage/Grow IV.D.1 – Personalizing their use of information and information technologies.
- Inquire/Share I.C.4 – Sharing products with an authentic audience.
Materials:
- “Create Your Own Flag” Page
- QuiverVision App on a device
Activities:
- 5 min: Model how to use the QuiverVision app to make their flag come to life. Make sure to show them how to take a picture and save it to their photos.
- 10 min: Have them finish the flags and then use the app. Have them take a picture of their flag.
- 10 min: Share their flags with others in the class.
- 5 min: If time allows they can explore the other flags that are available through the app.
Assessment:
- Students will share a completed flag and picture with others.
Tips & Tricks:
- Have fun!
Resources:
AASL. 2018. AASL Standards Framework for Learners. https://standards.aasl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/180206-AASL-framework-for-learners-2.pdf
Author: Kelly Hincks
I am the librarian at Detroit Country Day Lower School in Bloomfield Hills, MI. I have worked as a school librarian for the past eleven years. I was a classroom teacher for four years prior to that. I have worked in charter, public, and private schools. My favorite thing about being a school librarian is the opportunities I have to work both with students and teachers. I love the co-teaching opportunities and connections I have been able to make! I have served on AASL committees as a member and chair. I currently serve as secretary of my state association, Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL).
Categories: Advocacy/Leadership, Blog Topics, Community/Teacher Collaboration, Technology
Kelly – What a great, engaging lesson!
We did something similar with our middle school students at the beginning of this year. I shared the directions, templates, examples, and professional rationale on Twitter back in September (for the interested, here’s the link: https://twitter.com/DrTLovesBooks/status/1294995404623314947?s=20)