The Kindness Booth Book, Activity Kit, and Kindness Card From Our Friends At Capstone For World Kindness Day On November 13, 2024.

 

It's World Kindness Day this week on November 13, 2024. The theme of World Kindness Day 2024 is to make kindness the norm, rather than the exception. The day is a global celebration that encourages people to perform acts of kindness and promote a culture of compassion and generosity

I have the perfect book and activities for you to share with your students and community, friends.

It's called The Kindness Booth from our friends at Capstone, by Laura K. Murray, and Illustrated by Andrea Boatta. 

I just LOVE the story and message in The Kindness Booth. As shared online, 

When Mya wakes up to a gloomy day, her grandpa asks her how she could make the day brighter. His simple question puts Mya into motion, and together with her little brother, Oliver, and neighbor Addie, she opens the Kindness Booth. Their plan is to spread some sunshine to the neighbors in her apartment complex by helping them throughout the day. But what happens when the booth gets rained out?

We have The Kindness Book, and also the Capstone Interactive eBook that all of the kids and teachers can read and share this week.  They can even read it with their families at home. 

In addition to the questions and resources in the back of the book, there is also....

...the wonderful The Kindness Booth Activity Kit filled with meaningful and fun activities.  

You will find it here.

And look at the Kindness Cards.  I will share these with our teachers as a special activity to do in their classrooms this week. 

You will find The Kindness Booth in all formats here on capstonepub.com.

Enjoy celebrating Kindness Day, friends. Thank you for being so kind too. 

The Recording and Slides Are Here For Our Latest Demco Webinar, Igniting a Passion For Nonfiction In Our Readers!

 

On October 29, Brianna and I hosted a special webinar with our friends from Demco, Igniting a Passion For Nonfiction In Our Readers. 

The recording, slides and resources are now available and you can find them here. 

Also, don't forget to register for our next webinar, 5 Ways To Make Nonfiction a STAR in Your School coming up on November 21, 2024 at 4:00pm CST. You can register here.

We hope to see you there, friends. 

You've Been Virtually Book'd With Books and Resources To Honor Native American Heritage Month

 

November is Native American Heritage Month. 

As shared on the US Department of the Interior Indian Affairs site, 

National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. This November and every month, we celebrate the culture and heritage of these remarkable Americans who deeply enrich the quality and character of our Nation. We celebrate Indian Country with its remarkable diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native cultures and peoples while remembering and honoring our veterans who have sacrificed so much to defend our Nation.

You will also find wonderful Native American Heritage Month resources here from Library of Congress and others. 

Our friends at Follett Content have also put together an amazing Titlewave® list with over 1000 books to introduce readers to Indigenous peoples and their contemporary descendants. There are so many I added to my Titlewave list full of books for Native American Heritage Month. I couldn't wait to share a few of my favorites with you on this choice board. 

You will find the entire list here where you can add explore and add titles to your own Titlewave list for your library and readers. 

Four Keys To Elevating the School Library Experience for Everyone...A New White Paper From Follett Software and School Library Journal

 

Our friends at Follett Software and School Library Journal have published a new white paper which explores four keys to elevating the school library experience for everyone. These include how innovative technology enhances school libraries, fostering collaboration, improving resource management, and empowering educators and students with seamless access to learning tools.

As they shared online, 

This white paper explores four key strategies for elevating library operations, enhancing collaboration, and improving resource management. Learn how seamless integrations and data-driven insights empower librarians, teachers, and students to create impactful learning environments across districts.

• Enhance Student Engagement
  Discover how modern technology makes it easier for students to find the resources they need, improving literacy and encouraging independent learning.
• Improve Your Library's Operations
  Gain actionable data insights that help you make informed decisions about your collection, save time, and increase your library’s impact on student outcomes.
• Strengthen Teacher-Librarian Collaboration
  Learn how to integrate library resources smoothly with classroom learning, enabling teachers and librarians to work together to support student success.
• Extend Learning Beyond the Classroom
  Explore how unified digital and physical collections give students 24/7 access to relevant materials, connecting learning from the library to the home.

You can download the white paper here. 

This is a wonderful resource for all librarians and educators, and a great one to share with our administrators and leaders too. 

Check Out All Of The Special LIVE Author Events Coming Up From Our Friends At Storyvoice!

Look at all of the special LIVE author events from our friends at Storyvoice coming up in November and December.  I can't wait to share these with our students and teachers. It will be so much fun to join them.

You can find all of the Storyvoice events here, friends. 

 

PebbleGo Veterans Day Lesson Plan, Origami Heart & Research Booklet To Do With Your Students!

We observe Veterans Day is on November 11. 

One of my favorite places to have our students visit is PebbleGo where they can read this special article about Veteran's Day.  They can visit this article, along with several Capstone Interactive eBooks in the Veterans Day Choice Boards I put together too. You will find them here in this post. 

There is also a wonderful PebbleGo lesson plan to go along with the article. 

You will find the Veterans Day Origami Heart lesson plan here. 

Just like all of the terrific PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next Lesson Plans from Capstone, this one includes everything you need from the Instructional Goals, Integrated Content Standards, Materials and Resources and the Procedures and Lesson Activities. 

The lesson plan contains not only this easy to follow direction guide in making a Veterans Day Origami Heart, but also...

 ...a Veteran's Day Research Notes booklet you can print off for your students to fill out as they are reading and learning all about Veterans Day in PebbleGo.  I love how this includes places for them to write and draw what they are learning.  

You will find the Veterans Day lesson plan and lots of others on the PebbleGo Resources page here, 

along with lots of other resources under topics like Lesson Plans & Activities, Video Tutorials, Content Maps and more. 

Create Veterans Day PebbleGo Cerate Cards With Your Students Too!

Our students at Van Meter make special cards and messages for the veterans within our community and throughout Iowa.  

This year, our students are creating them using PebbleGo Create too.  

For this project, I put together the Create a Veterans Day Buncee Card slide with the three steps they will take and words that will help them with their search and writing. 

You will find a copy of this Google Slide here where you can copy and make changes.

I included the image and link to an example that I created in Buncee.

Let me show you the steps in creating Veterans Day PebbleGo Create Cards so you can do it with your students and community too. 

When you login to PebbleGo Create and click on Create, and search Veterans Day, you will see several new templates for Veterans Day including...

...the three of these that make such special Veterans Day cards like...

..this one here. 

As they take the templates, or use others, they can add...

...several new Veterans Day stickers too. 

Our students loved using these...

...as they create beautiful cards for the veterans. 

As our students create and finish their Veterans Day Cards, they are adding them to one big Buncee Board we will share with the veterans. 

The veterans will be able to read and listen to all of the amazing cards our students and teachers are creating. 

They can even add comments and mark them with emojis which our kids will love to see. 

We wish we could honor them in person but by creating the Veterans Day PebbleGo Create Cards, our community was able to say thank you to veterans in a very creative, interactive and special way. 

Veterans Day Choice Boards With PebbleGo, Capstone eBooks, a Collection by Destiny and a PebbleGo Create Project Idea!

               

Next week, on November 11, we recognize our veterans on Veterans Day. This is always a very special day for us as our students learn, read and create thanks for our veterans here in Iowa and across the country.

As we prepare with activities we have planned for our students, we are bringing together resources to learn about this day too. 

I have created two Veterans Day Choice Boards.  One for our preschool to 2nd grade and...

...one for our 3rd grade and up.  

The Veterans Day Choice Boards include PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next articles about Veterans Day and U.S. Symbols. 

They also include several Capstone Interactive eBooks we have within our library collection at Van Meter. 

Veteran's Day, the Cantata Learning story and song, is always a favorite.  You will find it here on YouTube. 

Even though the Veterans Day Choice Boards hold links and resources specific to our school and library collection, you can make a copy and add links to your PebbleGo and even images that link to other resources you may have access to as well. 

If you need some ideas for what eBooks and eResources to add, check out this collection in EPIC! Books here.

You can make a copy of the Veterans Day Choice Board for preschool to 2nd grade here. 

You can make a copy of the Veterans Day Choice Board for 3rd grade on up here.

And a little tip when sharing choice boards with littles and those students who are using hand held devices.  

You can take the published link from the choice board and use a tool like QR Code Monkey to create a QR code.  Then share this with the students within the classroom, library and even online through their Google Classroom, Seesaw and other platforms. 

We do this a lot with our littles and their iPads. It's super helpful. 

I have included both of our Veterans Day Choice Boards in our newly updated Veterans Day Collection by Destiny, along with several wonderful resources for students, teachers and families. 

You will find the Veterans Day Collection here. This is public and there for you to use and share with your school community.  Please let me know if there are other resources we should add to the Collection. 

One of my favorite projects to do for Veteran's Day is when they create a Veterans Day PebbleGo Create Card. You will find this project here in this post. 

One other activity for Veterans Day I added to the Collection is the Veterans Day Origami Heart from our friends at PebbleGo. 

You will find it here on their site. 

I hope you find these resources and project idea helpful as you teach your students about Veterans Day and commemorate this special day and all of the veterans that have served together.  

Together, let's thank them for their service and commitment to our country.  

Join Us For Our Upcoming Demco Webinar, 5 Ways To Make Nonfiction a STAR in Your School! You Can Register Here, Friends.

 

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Demco webinar on November 21, 2024 at 4:00pm CST.

This one is the third in our special series and is called 5 Ways To Make Nonfiction a STAR in Your School. 

As shared on the Demco site,

Join us to find out how to make nonfiction books a standout attraction in your learning spaces. Teachers, librarians, and educational professionals will walk away with impactful strategies that will help transform how students engage with nonfiction.

In this webinar, participants will discover:

1. 5 ways to make nonfiction a STAR in your library and classroom  
2. How to bring these ideas to your broader school community 
3. Shannon’s NEW nonfiction book selections

All webinars are archived and available for viewing within a week of the original presentation date. 

You can register today for our webinar, friends. We hope to see you there. 

Friends, Join Us For The Future Ready Librarians App Smash Extravaganza On November 20, 2024! Sign Up Today.

             

Get ready for a high-energy, fast-paced hour of inspiration and innovation at the 5th Annual Future Ready Librarian App Smash Webinar on November 20, 2024 at 5:00pm EST.

Led by Shannon McClintock Miller, this event brings together 25 visionary librarians and educators to showcase the latest and greatest in digital tools for the classroom and library.

In true Future Ready style, this app smash  isn’t just a tech demo—it’s a live exploration of how cutting-edge digital tools are transforming teaching and learning. Each of the presenters will dive deep into the practical applications of their chosen tool, sharing strategies that will empower educators to immediately incorporate these resources into their classrooms. Whether you’re looking to personalize learning, foster creativity, or boost student engagement**, you’ll leave this webinar armed with ideas and ready to implement!

Throughout the webinar, you’ll also gain insight into how each tool aligns with the Future Ready Schools® Framework, ensuring that these tools not only support technology integration but also promote equity, personalized instruction, and future-ready skills. You’ll learn how to design student-centered learning experiences that are interactive, dynamic, and deeply impactful.

You can register for the event here. 

10 Amazing Decoration Ideas To Make Your Literati Book Fairs Extra Special, Exciting and Fun!

I love hosting Literati Book Fairs in our school library.  We make our book fairs big, special events for our entire school community, that include our students, teachers, families and community. It's a wonderful event for everyone and we always want to make it super fun and memorable. 

As we get ready to host book fairs, we dream up and plan all kinds of ways to decorate the library and school.  In fact, we just hosted our fall Literati Book Fair with the theme of Galactic Adventures and had so many great decorating ideas. 

And Literati just announced the spring theme of Story Arcade!  We can't even wait for that one. I can already see our library decorated as a giant video game!  The kids will love it and it will definitely bring them to the book fair. 

In this post, Id love to share 5 decorating ideas for each book fair.  These will get the ball rolling as you put your own twist on these ideas, and dream up your own too. 

5 Decorating Ideas For Your Galactic Adventures Literati Book Fair

1. Use holiday lights to create twinkling stars around your book fair space.

2. Have students make their own planets using styrofoam balls, old CD's, markers, etc.  For a bonus STEM exercise, have them write down the name of their planet, who lives there, what the atmosphere is made of, etc. 

3. Make a constellation bulletin board.  Cover with dark blue or black and use silver paint to map out stars and create the phrase, Blast Off To Our Book Fair. 

4. Use paper plates and recycled paper to make comics and asteroids. Cut the paper into strips to make the tail. Last year, a librarian shared this idea with the Literati team.  She even used extra book fair catalogs to create lion manes. 

5. Get the school community involved by having a classroom door decorating challenge.  Have the teachers and students decorate their doors with the Galactic Adventures theme. 

You will also find lots of ideas on the Galactic Adventures Pinterest Board from Literati. 

5 Decorating Ideas For Your Galactic Adventures Literati Book Fair

1. Create a giant video game controller to go around the entrance of the door into your book fair.  

2. Gather up old video games console and games.  Use them throughout the book fair display within your library.  You can find these at Goodwill stores and ask around to see if you can borrow from your school community. 

3. Have students dream up a new video game around their favorite stories to go along with the Story Arcade theme.  They can use Scratch at scratch.mit.edu to create their story based game.  Create a Story Arcade of their games that can be shared so they can play each others. 

4. Play video game music during the book fair to make them feel like they are in a video game.  You can find lists of Spotify and other places online. Just search up “8-bit” versions or covers of songs. You will also find them available on YouTube.

5. Use these ideas from The Adventures of Ms. Smith's blog to create a glow in the dark look and give it a video game feeling.  A disco ball can also be used to create light effects around the library during the book fair.

There are lots of ideas for the Story Aracde Pinterest Board from Literati too. 

As you can see, there are so many ways to make your Literati Book Fairs extra special, exciting and fun.  I can't wait to see what you do at your Literati Book Fair too. 

Sign up here today to host your very own Literati Book Fair. 

I know you will love hosting a Literati Book Fair just as much as I do, friends. With the amazing selection of books, easy set-up, incredible customer support, and so much more, you will love bringing Literati Book Fairs to your library and school community too.