Whether it be the arts, activism, politics, or the food industry, women have been making American history long before March was named Women’s History Month. Women have set records and won awards in nearly every industry. Therefore, March is the perfect time to look back and recognize the individual contributions women have made to our country’s historical accomplishments.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. This is a difficult subject to talk about for adults as well as youth. Stories can help!
During a time when public libraries are closed and access to the school media center is limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my senior has taken on a contact-free volunteer project to update and restock Little Free Libraries for his Community Involvement class.
Identifying untruthful information and avoiding sharing fake news is an essential 21-century skill. By tapping into students’ creativity and imagination, maker education can be a helpful tool in teaching how to recognize fake news.
It is widely known that books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating conversations when discussing a sensitive topic. Stories can illustrate historical events as well as model what it means to be a member of a race. The more we know about the experiences of people in our communities, the more we will have empathy and understanding for each other. The recent national and global protests against police violence have put an even greater importance on having meaningful conversations about race, racism and anti-racism. My blog article highlights books that may be helpful resources to educators, students, and community members.
This April 22 will be the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, an annual event celebrated around the world that gives people an opportunity to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Not unlike the environmental scientists of 1970, the young self-starters of the Youth Climate Lawsuit are celebrating Earth Day every day. They are reminding the world that Government is required by our Constitution to protect the rights of young people and children, including their fundamental rights to life and liberty. There have been several new books published that ignite a call to action for change, encourage young people to be part of the change, and celebrate our Earth’s beauty. These three new books can help students celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and get inspired to be part of the fight for everyone’s future.
Now, more than ever, we are connected to people through our social media interchange rather than in-person interactions. Most of us have become citizens of the digital world, including our children and students. Have you thought about your role in social media? What is a child’s role?
Fostering a love of reading is one of our goals as educators. All students benefit from having a variety of different types of texts available, especially reluctant readers. When building your collection, be sure to include a wide variety of titles in different formats to meet the diverse needs of all students.
[originally published on MackinCommunity.com] Having students engaged and motivated in reading is one of our goals as educators. Therefore, it is important to develop a positive and supportive reading culture throughout your school. In addition to the librarian being excited about reading, it is essential to have the commitment of the principal and staff to … Continue reading Talk About It: Three Important Steps in Creating Interesting Book Talks
It’s the dog days of summer and it’s getting more difficult to get my kids interested in reading. Thankfully, three Minnesota-based publishers are releasing books my teenagers are interested in. These three nonfiction series books are filled with colorful pictures, intriguing sidebars with fun-facts, as well as lists of sources for further learning and discovery.
KATY TESSMAN 