window writing public library programming observation fayetteville public library lynsey moats
TRANSCRIPT
Window Writing
Public Library Programming
Observation Fayetteville Public Library
Lynsey Moats
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I chose to complete my public library observation at
the Fayetteville Public Library (FPL) located in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Location
FPL Program
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The program that I observed was a writing camp designed for students that will be in grades 4th
through 6th during the upcoming school year. The program was a four day event that lasted one hour
each day.
Caitlyn Walsh, Youth Services Librarian, coordinated the program.
Stephanie Cowan, 2nd grade teacher at Owl Creek Elementary,
taught the program.
http://wn.com/FayettevilleLibrary
Goals
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There were two primary goals of the writing camp.
1. Students will have the opportunity to “enjoy, enrich, and explore” their writing capabilities.
2. Students will produce a piece of writing to be published in the “Wanderer 2011” by Friday, June 24th.
C. Walsh, personal communication, June 27, 2011.
S. Cowan, personal communication, June 22, 2011.
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After the students and Ms. Cowan shared their writing pieces from the previous day, she began
building the students’ background knowledge about the writing theme of the day: “Hiding and Seeking.”
Background Knowledge
What items have you hidden?
Where have you hidden
items?
What is the purpose of
hiding items?
Read Aloud
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Next, Ms. Cowan read aloud a picture book by Colin Thompson titled Looking for Atlantis. She
used questioning strategies and different voices to represent the characters.
Visual Springboard
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Thompson’s book encouraged the use of imagination and illustrated a boy discovering a whole new world through a window. As a result, after the read aloud,
Ms. Cowan had the students draw a window with four panes and illustrate items that they have hidden or
sought. This activity was used as a visual springboard for the students’ writing activity.
“Words are the tools that thinkers use.”
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Students were hard at work creating their window illustrations to help generate their creative thoughts.
Photographs
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Writing AssignmentFinally, Ms. Cowan taught a mini-lesson about
informational writing. She demonstrated how the students can use their hands to recall the 5 W +H questions. She concluded the session by asking
students to write in their journals about an item they have hidden or sought while answering the 5 W + H
questions in their writing piece.