One of my absolute favorite units to teach is the Mock Caldecott, and this year with my 4th through 6th graders was so much fun.
I picked out 12 books that I thought were strong contenders, and the students got to act like real judges. They read through them and reviewed each one based on the same criteria the real Caldecott committee uses. It was such a great way to get the older kids reading picture books again. They really loved looking at all the beautiful illustrations.
The best part was seeing how close we were to the real thing. This year, our winner was Fireworks, and you should have seen how excited the kids were when they found out it actually won the real medal! It was such a cool moment for them to see their picks match up with the experts.
I also had my formal observation during one of these classes. You would think that after 33 years of teaching I wouldn’t get the jitters anymore, but I still get a bit nervous for an observation! Luckily, the kids were so into the activity and the books that it went great. I just love this unit because it brings together library skills and a real love for reading. I am already thinking about what books to use for next year!
Tech Fun In The Library 