Our 4th Grade #BookBento Project!

I have seen people post about #BookBentos a lot this year. I love following all of the libraries and classrooms posting....

...on Twitter and Instagram using #bookbento.  They are all super inspiring and fun to see and share. 

I also love following the #bookbento Instagram account, 

which has amazing examples and inspiration like this one.  

Today, my friend and 4th grade teacher, Kate Lamoureux, and I, 

kicked off #BookBentos at Van Meter with her students. 

We were so excited to not only do this project together, but to learn more about #BookBento too. 

We put together these slides to share with our students.  Feel free to use these for bringing #BentoBoxes to your library and school community too! 

First, we talked to them about what a Bento Box was and shared stories of eating sushi and other things out of these amazing little boxes that originate from Japan and other Asian countries.  We discussed how Bento Boxes were set up and arranged, offering separate sections for different portions of food and treats. 

We explained to our students this is what we would be doing with our #BookBento project, but focusing on books we have read and the elements wrapped around the book and our feelings and reflections as readers. 

We then showed the 4th graders lots of examples from ones we found online and the @BookBento Instagram.

Kate and I went over the requirements...

....for building a #BookBento, which we got from...

...Jennie Bales blog post, Book Bento Boxes.  

Next, it was time to build our own #BentoBox!  

Kate used Amal Unbound, which her class read earlier this year for Global Read Aloud.  She brought a few things from home to build her #BentoBox, 

 while the 4th graders watched, thought and talked about objects they would also include.

 Together we can up with a beautiful composition and #BookBento to represent Amal Unbound. 

Since we will be uploading these into Buncee and sharing on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #BookBento, we decided it would be best for Kate and I to take the pictures using our iPhones in the Square setting and uploading them into a Google Folder for the students to grab their images while creating their #BookBento.

Today, we only had time for them to gather their books together and brainstorm what objects they would need for their #BookBento.  

They will be bringing these objects to school tomorrow, so we will be able to create and photograph their #BookBentos. And as I mentioned, I will upload them into a Google Folder for the 4th graders to use for their creations. 

Here are a few from the first day and we can't wait to share more next week.  

Kate and I can't wait to see how these #BookBento projects turn out and we can't wait to share them with others. 

We hope you follow along too! 

We Can't Wait For Global Read Aloud 2019! Look How You Can Get Ready Too!

One of our favorite reading and book celebrations each year is The Global Read Aloud, which uses one book to connect our world of readers. 

This year it starts on September 30, 2019 and runs for 6 weeks.  And this year....it is the 10th Anniversary of Global Read Aloud, which is something to celebrate in itself! 

I have participated in Global Read Aloud from the beginning.  I love how GRA brings all of us together through books, reading and celebrating the wonderful authors and illustrators that bring our readers these special reading experiences. 

One of my favorite GRA memories is when the 5th graders at Van Meter teamed up with 5th graders in New Hampshire to read Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind.  Every week they all came to the library where we Skyped with the class in New Hampshire. We used Edmodo for discussion as we read and to keep the conversation going throughout the week.  It was an amazing experience for all of us.  

I am especially excited about Global Read Aloud this year as we get ready to celebrate it at Van Meter.  I ordered the books last week and can't wait to share these with all of our students and teachers.  This is an amazing year of books, authors and illustrators!  

My amazing friend and educator Pernille Ripp, who founded Global Read Aloud, stated this on her blog about the 2019 wonderful selections, 

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Global Read Aloud.  It is hard to believe that what started as such a small idea has grown into a truly global literacy initiative that has connected millions of kids throughout the year.  It is hard to believe that it has been ten years already.

Yesterday, I was asked what the Global Read Aloud means to me and I will admit, it was hard to answer the question.  Because in its truest form, the GRA is an invitation into a world that we can share together.  An invitation into a story that will shape our experience, that will help us speak books with one another in order for us to understand each other better.  Every year I see the connections being made and think of each of them as a small chip in the many walls that seem to surround us around the world, I see it as one more step toward a more empathetic, understanding, and activist society.

And so the books are at the center of it all which puts a lot of pressure on the selection of the texts.  Hitting publish on this post will once again mean me holding my breath, waiting for the reaction to unfold worldwide.  And yet, it also means that perhaps these books will change the way we think, the way we teach.  That these books and the creators behind them will become part of the language of books that we speak with our students.  I cannot wait for that to happen.

If you haven't already signed up you can visit the...

...2019 Global Read Aloud Sign Up online.  This is how we will receive all of the details about GRA. 

You can also find lots of great information on The Global Read Aloud Facebook Page and there is a Facebook Group for each GRA group too. 

You will find them here: 

Main GRA Facebook group

Picture Book Study Group

Early Reader Book Group

Upper Elementary/Middle Grade Book Group

Middle School Book Group

YA Book Group

I have started a Global Read Aloud 2019 Collection by Destiny.  I will keep adding things as they come up including project ideas, all of the Facebook Groups, ways to connect and more!  You will find it here. 

Here is a Wakelet Global Read Aloud 2019 Collection! I am excited about this because I have been adding tweets and other social media posts too! 

Please feel free to follow or become a collaborator to help me with this Collection too.  I would love to have you. 

Our students and teachers look forward to connecting with the illustrators, authors and all of you as we read these amazing books and celebrate Global Read Aloud 2019!  

Don't Miss Getting Your Free TCEA Membership To Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week!

One of my favorite organizations is TCEA. I have participated in the TCEA Annual Conference and other events with them for several years.  The knowledge, connections, and friendships I have made through TCEA, is amazing.  This week, I get to share some news from them with all of you! 

As shared on their site, 

During Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6–10, 2019), TCEA will offer all current and retired educators, administrators, and librarians free, one-year TCEA memberships, regularly priced at $49. It’s one way we show our gratitude for your hard work and celebrate the advancement of digital learning.

TCEA members strengthen their professional learning network, gain valuable professional development, and discuss ideas, trends, tips, and techniques with their peers and experts. And this week, you can secure those benefits for an entire year, all for free. If you’re already a TCEA member, you can renew your membership for another year at no cost.

What a special way to get even more educators to be part of this wonderful community.  Thank you TCEA for everything. We all really appreciate everything you do for us throughout the year.