Library Links

"Content that might be of interest to Teacher-Librarians..."


13.4.15

Printable Comic Strip Templates

A great selection of storyboards
"On this page you'll find free printable comic strip templates in various panel layouts. The files are provided by donnayoung.org, home to thousands of high quality free printables. (Typically the cartoonist will draw his own panels as needed, but for the budding cartoonist, some pre-drawn cartoon templates might be just the thing s/he needs to get started.)"

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Cool Text: Titles and signage made easy

Need a genre sign or promo text?
"Cool Text is a FREE graphics generator for web pages and anywhere else you need an impressive logo without a lot of design work.  Simply choose what kind of image you would like. Then fill out a form and you'll have your own custom image created on the fly."

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Create and Share Custom Reading Lists in NoveList

Share your lists
Are you using NoveList to create a title list to share with a teacher or other TL? It's easy to use NoveList folders to create custom book lists to share with anyone. View this Youtube tutorial for a quick overview.

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New Ways to Find "LibraryReads" in NoveList

The monthly top ten books that librarians love

These are primarily adult titles, but there is the occasional YA title. Good for your personal reading lists!
"[...] LibraryReads is a feature that highlights the "top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love". Back when LibraryReads first started, the NoveList team decided to make these monthly lists a priority, and provide read-alikes for every LibraryReads book suggested. [....]  It is now easier to find LibraryReads books in NoveList. Each book (going back to the first one in 2013) has been tagged as a "LibraryReads Favorite."

You'll find NoveList under the Visual Tab in your Destiny catalog.
Here is a link to all the 2015 Favourites so far: LINK
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L'écriture de la M à la 3e année

Guide d'enseignement efficace de l'écriture:
"Le Guide d'enseignement efficace de l'écriture, de la maternelle à la 3e année, 2005, propose des situations, des stratégies et des ressources pratiques qui permettront aux enseignants de la maternelle à la 3e année d'offrir un programme d'écriture équilibré et efficace."

Writing strategies and practical resources for K-3 teachers.

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Star Wars - Epic Yarns - Felt books

Needle felted versions of the 3 original Star Wars movies
"We've taken our felting talents to a galaxy far, far away! On April 14, 2015, Chronicle Books, in conjunction with Disney/Lucasfilm, will be releasing three volumes in a new series called Star War Epic Yarns, featuring 12-word, needle felted versions of each of the three original Star Wars movies. Take advantage of Chronicle Books' pre-order offer here."

Scroll down the page to see a "making of" video. In a bit of local colour, some of the scenes featured in the books where taken in Vancouver BC.

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10.4.15

25 Adult Books For Fans Of YA

Check out these titles
If you love YA, then these adult titles might just appeal to your reader sensibilities. While some of the themes might not work for every high school setting, there are some gems here.

Row 1:
2. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
3. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
 
Row 2:
6. Feed by Mira Grant
7. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
8. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
9. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
10. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
 
Row 3:
12. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
13. Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
14. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
15. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
 
Row 4:
16. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
17. The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell
18. The Stand by Stephen King
20. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
 
Row 5:
21. Golden Boy by Abigale Tarttelin
22. Dare Me by Megan Abbott
23. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
24. Goliath by Tom Gauld
25. Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith

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Battleship Template

"You sunk my battleship!"
Use the A-J, 1-10 coordinates to practice math, French vocab or chemical equations. Students play Battleship and rehearse concepts learned in class.

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9.4.15

Learn360 tip - this date in history

Tip of the Month "This Day in History" and "Daily Almanac"
Here's a fun way to incorporate Learn360 in your class and improve usage! Simply type today's date (without the year - ie April 9) into the search bar, and the search results will show short video clips (roughly a minute or so in length) detailing the historical events from that day in history. (Play these clips as students enter the classroom in the morning to increase their focus and get them ready to learn!) Events are often American, but are relevant to North American culture.

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8.4.15

Brick Books - Canadian Poetry Resources and Readings

Brick Books' students and educators resource page
Since 1975, Brick Books has been publishing new and established voices in Canadian poetry.

"We have created this new section for students and educators to showcase all the information about our authors in one place. Including author biographies, books published, reviews, interviews, audio recordings and more, we hope that this material can enhance learning experiences and both personal and professional development."


Poets read from their works

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7.4.15

Spring 2015 Young Adults and Children's Services Magazine

New YAACING mag is ready to read!

The Spring 2015 issue of YAACING is now available. (Click on the first link to read it on issuu, or the second to download the PDF.)

Highlights include details for the Red Cedar Gala, putting on your own Harry Potter Book Night, and STEAM resources from Jbrary.







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1.4.15

"Use, Understand & Create": A Digital Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools

A road map for teaching digital literacy skills.
"Young Canadians need to be able to make good choices about privacy, ethics, safety and verifying information when they're using digital media, and they need to be prepared to be active and engaged digital citizens.

"The 'Use, Understand & Create' framework includes over 50 lessons and interactive games, organized by grade level from K to Gr 8, that are aligned with these six key aspects of digital literacy: Finding and Verifying, Ethics and Empathy, Privacy and Security, Digital Health, Consumer Awareness, Community Engagement.


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"Close Reading" and What It Means for Media Literacy

Devlop the habit of questioning media texts
"Getting students in the habit of questioning media texts helps them begin to become critical thinkers and viewers. Oftentimes one question leads to another and another. Unanswered questions often lead to research which can also be revealing (and skill-building)."

See also:

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Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Reading samples for English practice
You'll find a number of reading samples on this site which you can access by scrolling halfway down the page. (This page also links to ReadTheoryWorkbooks, a site for downloading paid grade-level reading passages.) Worksheets include answers and explanations.

  • Short Story Reading Comprehension: Readers are tested on their ability to perform interpretations, make deductions, and infer the meaning of vocabulary words.
  • Informational Passages Reading Comprehension: Each passage reads similar to a newspaper of journal article, and provides interesting information about some aspect of history, nature, mechanics, science, art, and more.
  • Technical Reading Comprehension: Each passage reads like an encyclopedic or technical journal article.
  • Role Play Reading Comprehension: Students increase their understanding of colloquial and idiomatic expressions and get a feel for conversational English.
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Sites éducatifs pour le préscolaire

French games and activities for the lab
Some fun French animations and games. (Explore first before turning your students loose on them!)

"Sur cette page du site lasouris-web, nous vous suggérons des sites proposant des jeux ludo-éducatifs (jeux de mémoire, casse-têtes, etc.), des activités d'éveil variées (éveil à l'écrit, à la lecture, etc.) et plus... pour les enfants du préscolaire (maternelle)."

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30.3.15

Digital Bytes - from Common Sense Media

Teaching teens digital citizenship
"Digital Bytes teaches teens digital citizenship through student-directed, media-rich activities that tackle real-world dilemmas. Teens learn from the experiences of their peers then create collaborative projects that voice their ideas for making smart, safe choices online.

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Digital Literacy & Citizenship Classroom Curriculum

Empower students to think critically

"Our FREE materials are designed to empower students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in our digital world. You now can access our K-12 curriculum in two ways:

1) iBooks Textbooks
Media-rich Teacher Editions and Student Workbooks include videos, interactive lessons, assessments, and more!

2) Printable Curriculum
Use our interactive SCOPE & SEQUENCE to find the downloadable and printable lesson plans (PDFs) that are just right for your classroom.


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10.3.15

Learn360 Dr. Seuss videos

Animated film adaptations of Dr. Seuss books
"There's nothing like the pleasure of curling up with a good book, and Dr. Seuss's zany rhymes have inspired generations of young children to discover just how much fun reading can be. Read children's favorite Seuss books in class, and then bring them to life with these classic animated film adaptations:"

(Use your school ID and password to log in)
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9.3.15

Rhythm in a box: The story of the cajon drum - Paul Jennings | TED-Ed

A versatile and popular percussion instrument
"Many modern musical instruments are complicated pieces of machinery with many moving parts. But the cajon is simply a drum and a stand and a seat all in one box. Paul Jennings explains the history behind the cajon and how it has become one of the most versatile and popular percussion instruments in the world today."

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▶ Tides: Crash Course Astronomy #8 - YouTube

A quick overview of tides, and how they work!

Explore the world of tides! What is the relationship between tides and gravity? How do planets and their moons become tidally locked? This fast-paced clip reviews what you need to know to explain the tides!

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