Tag: teaching

Surviving (and Thriving in) My First Year of Junior High Library Class

Tech Fun In The Library

If you had told me at the beginning of this school year that a blended 7th and 8th-grade library class would become one of my favorite parts of my week, I might not have believed you.

Coming from an elementary background, the thought of staring down a classroom of junior high students for 90-minute blocks, two and three times a week, felt a little intimidating. How was I going to keep them engaged? How do you fill that much time without losing them to the abyss of middle school eye-rolls?

But as the year wrapped up, I looked back and realized it was an incredible success. Having those long blocks actually allowed us to dive into deep, meaningful research activities that you just can’t squeeze into a standard 45-minute elementary rotation.

My secret weapon? Mixing it up every single week. If you are starting a new junior high library class next year, here is a breakdown of some of the units, resources, and activities that kept my students engaged, talking, and learning.

Media Literacy & Big Discussions

Junior high students are drowning in digital media, but they don’t always know how to navigate it. We dived deep into digital citizenship and internet safety using Above the Noise (via KQED/PBS).

  • How I used it: These videos are sharp, fast-paced, and highly relevant to teens. I paired them with video guides for the students to fill out as they watched to keep them focused. I also used this as an opportunity to practice Google Slides and Canva. Students summarized what they learned by creating presentations in one of these.
  • The result: This completely unlocked the room. It led to some of the most insightful, honest discussions and discoveries about social media algorithms, fake news, and digital footprints.

Collaborative Research with a Retro Twist

To teach research skills without hearing the groaning and complaining, I used videos from Retro Report (an incredible resource that connects history to current events).

  • How I used it: We used their investigative videos to look at topics like invasive species and media frenzies. Students worked in groups to unpack the history, analyze the media’s role, and conduct their own deep-dive research based on the prompts.

Creative Writing & Author Deep Dives

With 90 minutes on the clock, we had the luxury of slowing down for multi-step creative projects. Two of our absolute favorite writing and research units were:

  • “Library After Dark” Creative Writing: I challenged the students to write a creative story about what happens in our library when the lights go out. Giving them the freedom to write ghost stories, fantasy adventures, or mysteries set in their actual school building sparked incredible creativity.
  • Author Deep Dives: Instead of a generic biography report, students chose an author and did a comprehensive research deep dive. They investigated the author’s background, their writing process, what inspired their most famous works, and how their style evolved over time. It was a fantastic way to blend database research with literary appreciation.

The Middle School Mock Caldecott

Think picture books are just for the younger grades? Think again. One of our major highlights was running a Mock Caldecott unit with my 7th and 8th graders.

  • How I used it: I chose books that were recommended on different Mock Caldecott blogs and sites, plus some of my own personal favorites. Then, we looked at the actual evaluation criteria used by the real-world ALA judges to grade the art, media, and storytelling. Finally, the students cast their official votes to see if they could successfully predict the real winners.
  • The result: The kids took this so seriously. It was a brilliant way to practice critical evaluation skills and analyze visual storytelling at a higher level.

Rethinking “Book Time” for Big Kids

You might think 8th graders are “too old” for certain library books, but I found that changing how we interacted with the collection changed everything. Some of the fun activities we did with books were:

  • Wordless Picture Books: We used these for visual literacy, storytelling, and sequencing activities. It forced them to slow down and look at detail, context clues, and subtext.
  • Ripley’s Believe It or Not Books: Never underestimate the power of weird trivia. These were fantastic for an end of the year news article writing assignment. They had to pick a bizarre event and then write a realistic sounding news article.
  • Fractured Fairy Tales: We spent time analyzing traditional fairy tales and breaking down how they are built. Then, I set the students loose to write and create their very own fractured versions. They had a blast spinning old classics on their heads.
  • Studying Point of View: I pulled various picture books specifically to study point of view. Because they are short and direct, they were a fast, visual, and really effective way to show students how a story changes drastically depending on who is telling it.

Keeping Catalog Skills Sharp

  • Destiny Scavenger Hunts: Destiny Scavenger Hunts: To make sure they didn’t lose their practical library skills amidst all the big projects, we periodically did Destiny Scavenger Hunts. It was a great way to keep them familiar with using the library catalog system so they can find the books they need.

Year One: In the Books!

Overall, it was a great first year with this course. I was definitely worried at the beginning, but it quickly became one of my absolute favorite classes. It turns out that when you give 7th and 8th graders the right mix of new activities, videos, and creative choices, a 90-minute block actually flies by. I’m so glad I got to try these new ideas with them, and I’m already looking forward to adding to the class year after year.

Fellow librarians: Do you teach a junior high or middle school block? What are your go-to resources for media literacy or creative writing? Let’s swap ideas in the comments!

Click the images below to find these activities on my TPT page.

Deep Thinking Over Hot Coffee

Tech Fun In The Library

This week in our Grade 7 and 8 library class we dove into Retro News articles, and it ended up being one of those lessons that went even better than I planned. Surprisingly my students were really engaged in this assignment, and you could actually see the deep thinking happening.

This lesson focused on the famous Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants case, better known to most people as the McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit. Some of the students thought they already knew the story while some had never heard of it which is not surprising since it did happen in the early 90s. “Someone spilled coffee and sued for millions.” That was the reaction at first. After talking about it a bit we watched a short video on Retro News that walked through what actually happened.

As they watched, students answered comprehension questions to show they were really paying attention. I always tell them that in library class we are not just reading books. We are learning how to read the world. The questions helped them slow down and notice details. What were the injuries? What did the company know? What information was left out of the headlines?

The discussion after the video is when some great discussions began. Students were genuinely surprised at how different the full story was from the version they had heard before. We talked about the power of media and how a story can be framed in a way that shapes public opinion. We looked at headlines, tone, and how quickly people form opinions without all the facts.

Then we moved into group work. I split the class into four teams and each one took a different deep dive angle.

*Product Safety and Corporate Response
*Legal Precedents and Consumer Protection
*Media Framing and Public Opinion
*Ethics, Fairness and Corporate Responsibility

Each group created a presentation to teach the rest of the class about their findings. I loved seeing them take ownership of their section. They were citing evidence, making connections between cases, and even challenging each other’s thinking in respectful ways. Several students said they were shocked at how many similar cases have happened and how often key details get left out when stories are retold.

What started as “that silly coffee lawsuit” turned into a powerful lesson in media literacy, critical thinking, and asking better questions. Watching students move from quick assumptions to thoughtful analysis reminded me exactly why I love teaching library.

Retro News for the win.

Big Impact, Small District: The Power of Our Read A Thon

Tech Fun In The Library

For the past five years, our annual Read A Thon has been one of the highlights of the school year. What started as something I wasn’t quite sure would take off in our small district has grown into a positive, exciting experience for both our students and our library.

Our Read A Thon serves two important purposes: it encourages daily reading and it raises funds to support our library. As a fundraiser, it has exceeded my expectations. Families truly jump onboard and enthusiastically sponsor their students to read. We use the Read A Thon website, which makes the entire process incredibly simple. They provide the flyers, host everything on their platform, and handle all payments online. Parents register their students and submit donations directly through the website, which means I don’t have to collect, track, or manage any money. That convenience alone has been a game changer.

I always select the 80% no-prize option, which allows us to keep more of the funds raised. Instead of spending money on pre-packaged prizes, I purchase books to use as rewards. The money we raise goes right back into our library—buying new books, funding reading contest prizes, and stocking our makerspace with supplies. For a small district, this fundraiser has made a big difference.

Beyond fundraising, the Read A Thon is a powerful reading incentive. Once students are registered, they record their reading minutes each day. We offer grand prizes that require a minimum number of minutes read to qualify, which motivates students to stay consistent and build strong reading habits. It’s amazing to see the focus and excitement around reading during this time.

We celebrate our readers in big ways. Each grade level has one grand prize winner who receives a family four-pack to the zoo, museum, or local waterpark. I also select 15 students in grades K–3 for a field trip to the science museum and 15 students in grades 4–6 for a second science museum trip. Last year, I added a special bonus: the top two readers and the top two money earners enjoyed a trip to the bookstore to spend $25 on books of their choice. Watching students pick out their own books was such a rewarding experience.

We also recognize classes as a whole. The class with the most minutes read and the class with the most money raised each earn an ice cream party and an extra activity day in the library. These celebrations build excitement and create a shared goal within classrooms.

Overall, our Read A Thon has become so much more than a fundraiser. It’s a joyful, community-supported event that strengthens our reading culture while providing meaningful financial support for our library. Five years in, I can confidently say it has been one of the best initiatives we’ve implemented—and I can’t wait to see it continue to grow.

Calm, Cozy, and Consistent: Managing December in the Library

Tech Fun In The Library

December in the library can feel magical… and a little chaotic. With excitement building for winter break, keeping routines consistent is key to helping students stay focused and successful. I’ve learned that sticking to our regular expectations, no matter the season, creates a calm, predictable environment for everyone.

After Thanksgiving break, I always start with a quick reteach of library rules and expectations. Even a 2–3 minute review helps students (especially the younger grades) remember what it looks like to listen to stories, stay in their seats, follow directions, and participate in our activities. A refresher sets the tone and helps prevent behavior issues before they start.

To keep engagement high, I fill our time with plenty of winter-themed read-alouds featuring snowmen, snowy adventures, and cozy seasonal stories. I also make sure our displays reflect the many ways people celebrate this time of year. Along with Christmas, I feature books on Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Las Posadas, St. Lucia Day, and Winter Solstice/Yule.

I always keep inclusivity in mind. I know I have students in a few classes who do not celebrate holidays, so for those groups, I skip holiday-themed read-alouds completely. Instead, I focus on snowmen, winter animals, and other neutral seasonal stories. This ensures that every student feels comfortable, included, and respected.

I’ve also created a variety of lesson activities that connect directly to the books we read, which helps maintain structure and purpose during a busy month. If you’re looking for low-prep resources to use in your own library or classroom, you can find many of these activities in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Keeping routines steady doesn’t take away the fun—it helps students enjoy the season even more. With clear expectations, engaging stories, and a welcoming space for all, December becomes one of the most joyful months in the library.

You can find these and more on my TPT store. Click here to see my entire store.

Gobbling Up Learning: Our Thanksgiving Library Activities

Tech Fun In The Library

This time of year, our library isn’t just about reading Thanksgiving books, though we definitely enjoy those too! We also mix in some fun Thanksgiving-themed activities that help students practice library skills and basic tech skills. By this point in November, students (and staff!) are definitely ready for a break, so these hands-on activities keep things fun and engaging.

One activity my students love is our Thanksgiving shelf-order practice. This is a Google Slides activity I created where students drag and drop little “pie pieces” into alphabetical and numerical order. It sounds simple, but it really helps them understand how books are arranged on the shelves. This is an important skill when they start looking for books on their own. This is also available as a Fall shelf order practice activity for students who do not celebrate the holiday season. I add both to the Google classroom and they can choose.

Students also have fun doing coding activities with a Thanksgiving twist. For my younger students, especially 2nd grade, we do unplugged coding where they learn the basics without devices. For 3rd and 4th graders, we use a digital coding activity in Google Slides with fun Thanksgiving-themed drag-and-drop tasks. They always enjoy it, and it’s a great way to ease into Hour of Code next month.

Another favorite is Thanksgiving Sudoku. I created a drag-and-drop Sudoku game in Google Slides where students move Thanksgiving pictures into the right spots to solve the puzzles. It’s great practice for using a trackpad or mouse, and it builds critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Grades 4–6 especially love this one. I have also offered a Fall Sudoku for my students who don’t celebrate holidays or for students who would just rather do a Fall themed activity. I put both into the Google classroom and they can choose.

These are just a few of the fun things we do in the library during November when we are learning, thinking, creating, and of course, having fun while celebrating the Thanksgiving season!

All of these activities are also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store for anyone who wants to use them in their own library or classroom. Click the images below to go directly to the items.

Fall Into Reading: Fun & Easy Activities for Your Favorite Autumn Books

Tech Fun In The Library

Fall is such a fun time in the library! There are so many great books to choose from, and every year I pull out some of my favorites to read with students. These fall-themed books aren’t just fun — they help students build important reading skills too.

Some of my go-to titles include:

🍂 Fletcher and the Falling Leaves – We talk about how Fletcher feels as the seasons change and do a character traits activity. I also have a sequencing printable where students put the events of the story in order.

🍁 The Leaf Thief – This one is great for discussion on cause and effect! The activities we do cover character traits, sequencing, retelling the story, connecting to self by writing words they connect with fall and a fun word search.

🍃 The Very Last Leaf – Perfect for discussing character growth. We talk about being brave and making connections to times students felt nervous about something new. The activities cover a range of skills but kids enjoy comparing deciduous trees and evergreen trees.

🌾 The Scarecrow – This book gets a little deeper. We compare and contrast characters and talk about kindness. These activities cover basic story elements but also cause and effect, rhyming words, and counting syllables. Students are then asked to think about how the Scarecrow was feeling each season of the year.

🎃 Pete the Cat: Falling for Autumn – Always a hit! I use this with my younger grades and they love it! Students learn to put words in alphabetical order, pute events in sequential order, and do a fun class survey. It is great watching them walk around the room asking classmates for their favorite Fall activity/item. A fun way to get them interacting with others while still learning drag and drop skills on the computer.

🍁 It’s Fall! – Great for nonfiction tie-ins. We use it to talk about signs of fall and then do either the digital or printable activities that go with this book. With this students practice graphing skills, connection to self, alphabetical order, and then the fun of drawing their own Jack-O-Lantern.

These activities are available in both printable and digital — easy to grab and go, and flexible for different grade levels. Each book gives us the chance to work on skills like story recall, character traits, sequencing, compare and contrast, and even some simple graphing! With these activities students stay engaged, and admin is always happy to see meaningful work that supports reading comprehension.

The best part? Kids have fun while learning. That’s what the library is all about this time of year!

Click on images to see product.

Shop for these and more on my TPT store!

Making 90 Minutes Count in Junior High Library

Tech Fun In The Library

This is my first year teaching a junior high library class, and I’ll be honest—I’m only about one step ahead of the students most days when it comes to planning. One of the biggest challenges has been filling a full 90-minute class block, especially with new classes still getting used to the routine.

Today, though, I pulled together an educational, engaging activity that filled the whole time and actually went really well, so I wanted to share in case it helps someone else.

I knew I wanted to cover a digital citizenship lesson and found a great one on PBS Learning Media called “When Is Your Brain Ready for Social Media?” It includes a short video and a viewing guide with questions. We watched the video once and answered the questions together. Then we watched it again so students could take notes to use for writing a claim.

After that, they wrote their own claim using evidence from the video to back it up. This part only took about 30 minutes. So… I had 60 minutes left and needed to come up with something fast!

Last week I had them do a research activity in which they created Google Slides to present their information. While grading I noticed a lot of students were struggling with how to make their slides look polished. So I saw a chance to squeeze in a quick Google Slides lesson using the same video content.

I showed them how to:

  • Add background color or themes
  • Use simple animations
  • Add images to support their points and make their slides more professional

They each made a short slideshow using the information from the video. They practiced their digital skills and reviewed the video info again—win win! Best part? It took up the full 90 minutes and everyone stayed engaged.

Just a reminder that sometimes we have to turn on a dime and be flexible. Those quick thinking moments can turn into great lessons!

Here’s the link to the PBS lesson if you want to check it out:
When Is Your Brain Ready for Social Media? – PBS LearningMedia

Library Scavenger Hunt with Middle Schoolers

Tech Fun In The Library

This year, I was asked to teach a library class for our 7th and 8th graders. I’ve been teaching elementary library (K–6) for a while now, but middle school is new territory for me. We’re all on the same campus, but once kids hit middle school, they kind of disappear from the library. So I was actually really excited to have a reason to bring them back in.

I spent a good chunk of my summer coming up with ideas and lessons that would get them moving and keep things interesting. For our first class this week, I did a QR code scavenger hunt, and it ended up being a total hit.

I made 30 QR codes, and when scanned, each one shows a word related to books and a few that connect to something in the library — like “pencil sharpener,” “Chromecart,” “circulation desk,” stuff like that. The students had an answer sheet with clues, and they had to scan the codes and write the correct word in the right spot.

I wasn’t sure how they’d react — middle schoolers can be a tough crowd sometimes — but they were all over it. Everyone was up out of their seat, looking around, scanning codes, finding books, and talking about what they were discovering. Not one single student said, “This is dumb” or “I don’t want to do this.” That’s a win in my book!

One group did put a book back in the wrong place, and I’m still hunting it down… but hey, small price to pay.

I’m planning to make a few more versions of this activity to use throughout the year. If you’re interested in trying it with your students, I added it to my TPT store. It’s fully editable so you can change the titles to fit your own library setup. Link is below!

Click here to go to my TPT store.

Arnie the Doughnut Lesson and More…

Tech Fun In The Library

There is much more to being a library teacher than simply reading a book. With all the duties we have in the library, on top of lesson planning, there are times when it can seem overwhelming trying to figure out what to teach next. Yesterday was one of those days for me. So, I went back to my planner (I use Planboard Chalk because it is free and easy to use) and looked at what I did last year in January. I found this easy lesson for Arnie the Doughnut that the kids loved. Remember lessons don’t always need to be a complex dog and pony show. It is okay to share a good book and then give students something fun to do that ties into it that doesn’t take a lot of prep work.

Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller

I love this book and so do the kids. I use it with my first grade classes and they are always asking if we can read it again. For this one I simply went and found a free coloring sheet online. I typed in “Arnie the Doughnut coloring sheet” and found this one by Scholastic. It was perfect.

Since my admin wants the library to be “a class” I try to add more to their lesson than just a coloring sheet. Since we were reading about a doughnut I chose to use a worksheet that started with the letter D. Again I searched for free letter D worksheets and found one I liked. Then I simply printed the coloring sheet and the letter D worksheet back to back. And just like that I had a fun lesson (and educational) to go with the book.

Potato Pants by Laurie Keller

Once you find a good book it is then easy to find other books by the same author to use in your library lessons. Laurie Keller has written so many good books it is easy to keep going with her books and add more fun lessons to your classes.

Potato Pants is always a hit. I also use this one with my first grade classes but it could easily be used with younger or older students. There are tons of fun ideas you can use with this book to have kids decorate and make potato pants. Some people use actual potatoes and put fabric on them. Some use pictures of a potato and add fabric clothes. I choose to use an activity where kids color the clothes on their potato and other fruits and vegetables in a coloring page format.

The activity I like to do for this one takes a couple visits but the students have a blast working on it. I found this lesson idea on Facebook from the Clever Librarian. No cost other than your time to draw some fun looking fruits and vegetables. Don’t worry if you are not an artist, I definitely am not, but found it easy to draw these funny looking pictures from the students to color. It does take a bit of prep work to make the little Potato Pants coloring pages but once you do it one year, save the template and then you have it for years to come.

Once you have drawn your different fruits and vegetables on the coloring pages. Staple the edges along the long side of the paper to make a book. Cut the pages in half but not all the way across. This way the top and bottom can fold open and then the outfits are interchangeable for the different fruits and vegetables. My classes love showing each other how they colored their pants for the different pages. It is definitely an activity worth adding to your lessons.

Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller

Do Unto Otters is a wonderful book to use for an SEL lesson. We can never give students too many reminders about how to treat others kindly and with respect. After we read and discuss this book I use my Google Slides reading Companion activity. Prep time for this lesson is super easy. All you have to do is add it to their Google classroom, make a copy for each student, and assign.

This lesson is a tech related lesson so students get to practice library skills and some basic tech skills at the same time. As students go through the lesson they will do predictions, story elements, and write three ways they can be friendly, considerate, kind, honest. Then at the end they can use the scribble line tool to solve a maze. This is just another way to keep students engaged and learning in the library.

Shop for your copy of Do Unto Otters here.

I have give you three books by Laurie Keller to use but you can find more and use some simple ways to add fun and learning to your library lessons. I hope these ideas were helpful to you as you continue your journey to make your library a special place of learning and fun.

Same Same But Different: Kindergarten Lesson

Tech Fun In The Library

I have been doing this lesson with kindergarten for a few years and thought I would share. Because…who can’t use some new ideas? I like this lesson because it gives me the chance to use a great SEL book about how we are all different and discuss how it is okay to be different. For this lesson you need to use the books Same Same But Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw and Different? Same? by Heather Tekavec. If you don’t have the books in your library yet you can always borrow from the public library for the lesson. I have also had great success with using EPIC at times and projecting the book to read to them. Sometimes we have to be creative in finding books when budgets are small for school libraries.

Different? Same?

I read this one to the students first to get them thinking about how animals are different. As I read each page I give them time to guess what they think the animals will have in common before I read the last sentence. Kinders love to be involved in the story so this is a perfect chance to let them share their ideas. I also use this as a time to encourage hand raising and not yelling out. They will come up with lots of different ideas and some they get the same answer as the story right away and others it takes a bit of prodding. I love it because they are learning to think outside the box and realizing that there can be more than one right answer.

Same Same But Different

After we finish the first book we move on to read the book Same Same But Different. I like to start by asking how people could be the same, how people could be different, and is it okay to be different? It is also a good time to let them make predictions. Show the cover and ask them what they think the book will be about. Anything to get them thinking about the book before you start.

As you read you can stop and ask how the boys are the same and different in the story. After the story you can discuss how we might all be the same and different. You could start a discussion about where they live, what they eat, etc. then compare to one another. EXAMPLE: “My favorite ice cream is chocolate ice cream.” you could let each one tell their favorites. After they share you can reinforce the idea that it is okay that we all like different kinds…there is no wrong or right kind of ice cream. There are lots of things you can do to get them thinking about how it is okay to be different.

Activity After the Story

I like to always have some type of lesson for them to do that ties to the book. My admin wants library to be “like a class” so I try to combine fun and learning whenever possible. I know they like to draw and color so some days we do that but I feel that adding some type of learning worksheet gives it just a bit more “class” feel. For these books I chose to have them do a couple worksheets finding things that were the same and different. They can use crayons and then color the pages after they circle their answer. I have created 4 different worksheets that my students use and you can get a copy of them for FREE by clicking the link below.

Get your FREE Same or Different? worksheets here.

I have had great success with this lesson. It keeps students engaged, it gives the chance to share 2 fun books, and there are learning activities at the end. If you are looking for lesson ideas for your kindergarten class give it a try and let me know what you think. See you next time!