I was fortunate enough to befriend Todd online, and his energy and enthusiasm were always a ray of sunshine on my day! Here, the 2016 SLJ School Librarian of the Year shares a great lesson that ticks so many boxes! While Todd does this with his upper elementary students, this could easily become a great lesson for upper grades as well!

Guest: Todd Burleson, School Librarian 

Grade(s) Taught: 5, 6

Resources: 

• Bookprints: An Exploration of Our Reading Journey Lesson: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vEf27cCsul1C7osvf3KyF85zsU--DNBX?usp=drive_link 

• Add’l Links: Rhonda Jenkins twitter.com/@luv2teachtech

Book Break: 

• Heroes and others by Alan Gratz

• Hatchet and others by Gary Paulsen

• The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America's 16th President--and Why It Failed by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch

• The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon

Where to find Todd Burleson, School Librarian: 

• Instagram: instagram.com/burlesot

• Twitter: twitter.com/todd_burleson and twitter.com/SkokieSchoolRC 

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Texas high school librarian Kaitlyn Carpenter shares this great lesson that connects her students' academic work to their yearbooks! 

Guest: Kaitlyn Carpenter (aka Carpe_Librarian)

Grade(s) Taught: 9, 10, 11, 12

Resources: 

• Sociology - School Culture Case Study Lesson:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15czk9bmM4vPI3MWsKbD5ughYFeZAt-mN?usp=sharing

Book Break: 

• Thrillers:

  • Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

  • That's Not My Name by Megan Lally

• Realistic/Romance:

  • Exactly Where you Need to Be by Amelia Diane Coombs

  • This Might get Awkward by Kara McDowell 

 Where to find Kaitlyn Carpenter (aka Carpe_Librarian): 

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/kaitlynrcarpenter/ 

• Handle: @carpe_librarian

 Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

I'm back - this time, with an actual lesson! Check out how you can build your own custom search engines that will only search within the sources you select - handy for you, handy for students, handy for staff! 

Guest: Steve Tetreault

Grade(s) Taught: 7, 8

Resources: 

• Build Your Own Search Engine! Lesson: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQgq3iy0Hiiq8JU6Vr3m8jrH7dzxQYaIAB0SxwEHtdlyBGfWoVw-eey3vpFNmFJ5GX45wEoP88tbPMb/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000 

Book Break: 

• The Meister of Decimen City by Brenna Raley

Where to find Steve Tetreault: 

• Website: SchoolLibLearning.Net

• Handle: @DrTLovesBooks

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/drtlovesbooks.bsky.social 

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrTLovesBooks

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

This week is a special episode of the podcast. I’ve been travelling, and haven’t been able to record one of our usual episodes with a guest. But I didn’t want to leave you hanging, either, so we’re doing something different this week. We’re going to start with the book break, followed by a special surprise.

This week, the SLLN Podcast goes international as Canadian school librarian Christopher Hunt joins us to share his science-focused "Makery Bakery" lesson, where second graders make bread and butter! 

Guest: Christopher Hunt, Chris (he/him)

Grade(s) Taught: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Resources: 

• #MakeryBakery : States of Matter via Bread- and Butter-Making Lesson: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QdhbK-wNfBeOZTvlPWeUGH-L5Ib-cA7Zlz5pypF9-x0/edit 

• Add’l Links: 

• 3 Links with pictures of the whole process of baking bread in the library: 

• https://x.com/exlibrismrhunt/status/1579576580837629952?s=61&t=Tv9BKUdb0H2orkq59euXgw 

• https://x.com/exlibrismrhunt/status/1061003182879338496?s=61&t=Tv9BKUdb0H2orkq59euXgw 

• https://bsky.app/profile/exlibrismrhunt.bsky.social/post/3kkp7t5ojlc2s 

• Bread & Butter Recipes without the lesson plans:

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QhdyDHiz2feI4eGzPlWThWG4cGMUT--fBwC1nvtMz84/edit

Book Break: 

• The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity by Nicholas Day and Brett Helquist (Illustrator)

Where to find Christopher Hunt, Chris (he/him): 

• Handle: @ExLibrisMrHunt on Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Miss Jean Darnell, known online as Awaken Librarian, is a careful thinker and diligent researcher. In this episode, she shares some lessons and thoughts about AI in education. 

Guest: Ms. Jean Darnell

Grade(s) Taught: 6, 7, 8

Resources: 

• Using AI for Literacy Lesson: https://www.awakenlibrarian.com/2023/04/using-ai-for-literacy-exciting-prompts.html 

• Add’l Links: https://ditchthattextbook.com/about/ 

Book Break: 

• Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine by Uché Blackstock

Where to find Ms. Jean Darnell: 

• Website: https://awakenlibrarian.com

• Handle: @AwakenLibrarian

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Kelly Hincks has been sharing wonderful lessons over on the Knowledge Quest blog for years - if you've been missing them, be sure to check them out! In this episode, she shares how she has students use hexagonal thinking to get to know each other in a fun and creative way. This lesson can be adapted in many ways to get students thinking creatively across the curriculum - and you can be the hero who brings this into collaborations with your staff! 

Guest: Kelly Hincks

Grade(s) Taught: K, 1, 2, 3, Preschool age 3 and age 4

Resources: 

• Learn About Each Other Using Hexagonal Thinking Lesson: https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/my-favorite-collaborative-lesson-learn-about-each-other-using-hexagonal-thinking/ 

• https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/hexagonal-thinking/

• https://engagetheirminds.com/2022/07/15/getting-to-know-you-hexagons-for-back-to-school/ 

Book Break: 

• Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You by Suneel Gupta

• The Very True Legend of the Mongolian Death Worms by Sandra Fay

• The Three Little Tardigrades by Sandra Fay 

Where to find Kelly Hincks: 

• Website: https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/author/khincks/ 

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kellyhincks.bsky.social 

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/kelly.hincks 

• Twitter: https://kellyhincks1 

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

"Everything's bigger in Texas" is not just a saying, as school librarian Deb Zeman will prove in this episode! The lesson is big, the resources are big, the Book Break is big - and the implications for our students are big! 

Guest: Deb Zeman/MS Librarian

Grades taught: 6-8

Resources: 

• Wakelet Student Ambassador Program: https://wakelet.com/wake/z7FWzla_1fiAlwlJ7p-hG (this also includes the links to the Certified Student Course and the Portfolio Course.)

• Final Wakelet Student Ambassador Certificates: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF_nHaxmfM/79K5TssTbsxbNFSZKdx3zA/view?utm_content=DAF_nHaxmfM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview

• Wakelet Raceboard: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFq9kRdcLI/7wqSxbzjzuB9tIm07Rmvxg/view?utm_content=DAFq9kRdcLI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview

• Parent Letter and information graphic about the course, etc template: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFq9sLREGQ/Cb6UOjGkRk5TwYgzxG_OJg/view?utm_content=DAFq9sLREGQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview

Book Break: 

• Starfish by Lisa Fipps 

• Aniana del Mar Jumps In by Jasmine Mendez

• Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers edited by Rose Brock

• Shine On, Luz Veliz by Rebecca Balcarcel

• Four Eyes and Pizza Face by Rex Ogle

• Plan A by Deb Caletti

• In the Orbit of You and Amelia Unabridged by Ashely Schumcher

• “Go look at my goodreads and ask me again at the end of the year! LOL”

Where to find Deb Zeman

• Website: bit.ly/DZLinkTree 

• Handle: @Z_Brarian for all social media platforms!

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Tennessee school librarian (and generally wonderful human) Laurie Stansbury shares the lesson she does with the book The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil and Anait Semirdzhyan  (Illustrator) - and both the book and the lesson are lovely! 

Guest: Laurie Stansbury

Grades: K-5

Resources: 

• "The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story" (same name as the book) Lesson: https://docs.google.com/document/d/188aT4KP9US_HfqLvl610PUWJ6TqAoaU_l9yO5JQvLJU/edit?usp=sharing 

• Add’l Links: Youtube link of book being recorded: https://youtu.be/JLxFioeUcjo?si=77BuDRmHZlFOMwT0 

Book Break: 

• The Partition Project by Saadia Faruqi

Where to find Laurie Stansbury: 

• Facebook: CBES Library ; Laurie Stansbury

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lauriestansbury.bsky.social 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriestansburylibrarian/

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurieStansbury

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

The ever-delightful Katie McNamara shares how she uses "Game of Quotes" as a lesson in collaboration with her teachers, and gets requests from both students and staff for more! 

Guest: Katie McNamara, High School Teacher Librarian & Fresno Pacific University Program Director, Teacher Librarian Program

Resources: 

• Game of Quotes Lesson: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF9EWHvGw0/6I1M71IhOI_Y4BCJdYcDyA/edit?utm_content=DAF9EWHvGw0&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

Book Break: 

• Your Lonely Nights are Over by Adam Sass
• You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

• Your Plantation Prom is Not Okay by Kelly McWilliams 

Where to find Katie McNamara, High School Teacher Librarian & Fresno Pacific University Program Director, Teacher Librarian Program: 

• Website: https://linktr.ee/katiejmcnamara 

• Handle: @KatieJMcNamra

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org