Explaining The Card Catalog

Today's writing assignment was how to use reference material as a source for writing.  In the lesson discussion it introduced the card catalog. I remember spending days on this in elementary school and being bored out of my mind.  We spent a whole week looking through the cards labeling each section over and over again.  I was NOT looking forward to sharing this experience with my digital kiddo.

Thankful I did not have to worry.  The K12 program introduces the card catalog as point of history and moves on to a digital exercise of how to search in the library.  But in the interest of due diligence I wanted to actually show my child an actual card catalog.  Easy?  No.  There is not one in the whole county.  Even the historical small libraries are digital. They only place we can find one is downtown at the Library of Congress.
Field Trip!!!!!

We did find a movie on Brain Pop Jr. and YouTube about the card catalog.  Enjoy!

WE LOVE SID THE SCIENCE KID

We got a flyer from the library about a new show on PBS called Sid the Science Kid. TS though it looked cool and wanted to check it out. Since TV is limited at our house I knew he was serious we he traded his 30 minute block of TV normally reserved for Super Why or FETCH!

So, we catch the first show and are blown away. TS was impressed that:

1. This kid asks as many questions as he does.
2. This kid has the coolest songs. (Such as “My Mom is Cool” rap or the “Science Kid is in the House.”)
3. Sid’s class only has FOUR kids in the class that are in TS “Are special, different and not trying to be like each other.”
4. The coolest teacher on the planet Ms. Susie.
5. Sid’s friend Gerald is very much like TS. They describe him as “The perfect run-on sentence to describe Gerald would be: "Total instant gratification - boundless boy energy - raises his hand on every question even if he doesn't know the answer - gotta do it right now!"”

Today we learned for Sid about observing using our hands, eyes, ears and nose. TS spent the day writing observation in his journal.

That is right folks TS voluntarily wrote in his daily journal and drew pictures! Before Sid, this was a fight that I had given up on and just let him dictate his entries. Today he picked up his journal by himself and drew and wrote his “observations.” Then he asked if he could decorate his journal with his picture and some of Sid and team. You have never seen a mom run for the printer and glue so fast.

I am writing a big “Thank You” to PBS and The Jim Henson Company tonight.

Giveaway #6-Used Explode The Code 1

Most of the book is unused and there are 5 pages with ink writing. If you are interested in this giveaway item please leave a comment at this post.

Giveaway #4-Skyline Handwriting Paper 20 sheets

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Giveaway #1 -Leapfrog Writing Workbooks

These books wipe clean for repeated use and feature the Leapfrog characters. The writing book was used but the other was never touched.

To be entered for this item please leave a comment at this post.