December Library Happenings!

I'm a little late in posting but we had a blast in the library in December.  We had our annual Winter Wonderland week complete with all types of great activities.  Here's a highlight of my two FAVORITE activities from the week.

How to Catch Santa 

If you did not discover this book during the Christmas Holidays this year, then you are truly missing out on some great fun!!  From the same author as How to Babysit and Grandpa and How to Babysit a Grandma, this book gives you a hilarious Holiday How-To.  After we read the book, we talked about procedural text and how it is organized step by step.  The students then created their own guide telling how they would catch Santa. 

Flying Elves 

Can you create an elf that will fly when attached to a balloon?  What do you need to take into account so that your elf is aerodynamic?  How do you account for friction?  Does weight make a difference?  These are all questions that our students had to think about while creating their flying elves.   They had minimal supplies and 8 minutes to create an original elf and name it.  Here are a few of our creations.  

Next, cam the fun.  We had a track set up across the library that was made from string.  We used a straw attached to a balloon so that the straw would travel down the track.  The elf was taped to the top of the balloon before we began.  As we allowed air to release from the balloon, the elf was thrust forward across the library.  Students timed each elf as it traveled.