How to Help Students Choose Books They’ll Actually Love
November 8, 2018December Reading Posters and Winter STEM Activity
November 24, 2018Holiday Gifts for our Librarians and Media Specialists!
Nearly 2 billion people in over 160 countries celebrate Christmas. A few countries like Uruguay refer to Christmas holiday as Family Day. Some countries like Jordan designate December 25th as an official holiday only for Christians. Regardless of what you celebrate, there is always something to look forward to during the winter holidays. And as cold as it may be during December, it's undeniable that this time of year is filled with warm celebrations!
We’d like to celebrate the last month of the year by gifting our librarians and media specialists with some fun library resources. We hope these books, lesson plans, and ideas will help you survive until the winter break!
We’d like to celebrate the last month of the year by gifting our librarians and media specialists with some fun library resources. We hope these books, lesson plans, and ideas will help you survive until the winter break!
Season of Sharing Books!
Did you know it is an Icelandic tradition to give books to friends and loved ones on Christmas Eve? It’s called Jolobokaflod, or “Christmas Book Flood". Starting in September, books in bookstores begin to disappear off shelves as people gear up for the season of giving. In the spirit of Iceland's traditions, we'd like to share a few holiday books with you. Check out these six picture books about different holiday traditions you can read with your students!
Get Students Involved!
Continue the Icelandic tradition by letting your students share their favorite books with their peers. You can create a library display with notecards of students' favorite books.
Another fun idea is to choose one of the books above to read to your students. You can use this opportunity to highlight different holiday cultures and traditions. Afterwards, you can let students share their holiday traditions with the class or by writing on notecards. Use students' notecards to display in the library throughout December.
Continue the Icelandic tradition by letting your students share their favorite books with their peers. You can create a library display with notecards of students' favorite books.
Another fun idea is to choose one of the books above to read to your students. You can use this opportunity to highlight different holiday cultures and traditions. Afterwards, you can let students share their holiday traditions with the class or by writing on notecards. Use students' notecards to display in the library throughout December.
Christmas Science Experiments
Looking for some Christmas STEM experiments? Check out Little Bins for Little Hands blog for the best Christmas Science Experiments. Our favorite from the list is the Christmas Science Erupting Ornaments.What you'll need for the experiment:
- Plastic globe ornaments with removable tops
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Food Coloring (optional)
- Glitter and Sequins
- Container to catch fizz
- Turkey baster or eye dropper
- Funnel for filling ornaments
- Plastic drop cloth or newspaper for controlling the mess
In this experiment, you'll get to conduct a chemical reaction between the baking soda and the vinegar. You'll begin by removing each ornament's caps and placing the ornaments in a tray. Fill the ornaments with two tablespoons of baking soda. Be sure to line the tray with baking soda too. You can add glitter and sequins for fun!
Next, mix up a big container of vinegar and food coloring. Use a turkey baster to transfer the vinegar to the ornaments. Don't be surprised when the vinegar makes contact with the baking soda– it'll shoot right out of the ornament!
If you have a full class you can conduct this activity alongside a station system with other Christmas activities. This way you can supervise a smaller group of students conducting the experiment. Check out how this librarian created a library station system that worked for her!
If you have a full class you can conduct this activity alongside a station system with other Christmas activities. This way you can supervise a smaller group of students conducting the experiment. Check out how this librarian created a library station system that worked for her!
Looking for more Holiday Inspiration?
Check out these other blog posts!
November 30, 2020
Something we all share at Alexandria is a love for books and reading, which means there’s no shortage of recommendations around here. Since Halloween is just around the corner, we’ve compiled a list of fun and eerie books with options for all ages.
November 29, 2019
It's offically that time of year again! As our favorite season, we love sharing holiday library-themed content. Download the newest reading posters below and check out the other holiday library resources we gathered.
