Category Archives: Education

Empathy Day

Society faces an empathy crisis. But research shows that 98% of us can improve our empathy skills and that in books we have a hugely practical tool. This collection can play a powerful role in helping raise a generation of empathic citizens, story by story.

Miranda McKearney, EmpathyLab’s founder

The 2020 #ReadforEmpathy Book Collections from @EmpathyLabUK are announced today and feature 50 superb books; 33 for 4-11 year olds and 17 for 12-16 year olds. 

All the books from both the primary and secondary collections

Some illuminate the experience of people from a range of cultures or life circumstances. Others help children explore emotions, so they can understand how other people feel. Several reflect stories of our time, such as the refugee experience, or coping with anxiety. All are engaging and thought provoking.

The collections are available to order from Peters via https://www.peters.co.uk/empathy2020 or can be purchased from your local independent bookshop. Click https://www.booksellers.org.uk/bookshopsearch to find your nearest shop.

Each collection has its own Read for Empathy Guide with a synopsis of all of the books, top tips for sharing stories and more information about #EmpathyDay which is on 9 June 2020. 

Teachers, librarians, parents – download your FREE guides by visiting https://www.empathylab.uk/2020-read-for-empathy-collections

It’s NOT only Christmas! Downloadable Display Resources

There is a perennial discussion amongst library workers around the world at this time of year about the appropriateness of Christmas Trees in Public Libraries. I am not here to further this discourse, rather I would like to share some of the resources I have created to recognize the festivals of those patrons that do not hold Christmas traditions.

I put together an introductory ‘zine that can be read with the display. It contains basic information about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Ōmisoka & Sol Invictus. This can be downloaded here:

US paper size:

Download (PDF, 741KB)

UK paper size: 

Download (PDF, 741KB)

Hanukkah

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is hanukkah.jpg

I have created a dreidel that can be printed out and used in a library as a way of selecting books – a d-read-l if you will. The idea is to match a genre with one of the four letters of the Hebrew alphabet on the sides of the dreidel – נ (nun), ג (gimel), ה (hei), ש (shin) then when a participant spins the dreidel they get to borrow a book from the genre that matches whichever letter comes up.

US paper size dreidel:

Download (PDF, 504KB)



UK paper size dreidel:

Download (PDF, 504KB)

I have also made a cardstock menorah, the image can be downloaded and cut out.

I glued three together to give it strength to stand without bending.

You can find out more about Hanakkah here: https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/default_cdo/jewish/Hanukkah.htm

Kwanzaa

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kwanzaa-1.jpg

I do not have templates for the Kwanzaa parts of the display but for the candles I used red, black and green card-stock that I rolled together to make candles and white card-stock that I folded into a triangular shape to make a candle-holder. I used strips of each of the three colours of card-stock woven together to make a small Mkeka mat.

You can find out more about Kwanzaa here: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/

Yule

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is yule.jpg

Yule or Yuletide (“Yule time” or “Yule season”) is a festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples. Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht.
Terms with an etymological equivalent to Yule are still used in Nordic countries and Estonia to describe Christmas and other festivals occurring during the winter holiday season. Today, Yule is celebrated in Heathenry and other forms of Neopaganism.

I created a Yule Reading Log, that, when rolled up resembles a log and has the dual purpose of being used to record one’s reading over the holiday season.

The log can be downloaded here:

US paper size:

Download (PDF, 591KB)

UK paper size:

Download (PDF, 591KB)

You can find out more about Yule and it’s traditions here: https://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/yule

These resources are very simple and can be supplemented by books held in most if not all public (& school) libraries. I hope to extend what I have done here in future years to make the displays more complete. This is just the beginning.

Children’s Rights to Read

To mark International Literacy Day an important campaign has been launched by the International Literacy Association. Learn more about ILA’s Children’s Rights to Read initiative on their website.

The 8th of September was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO at the 14th session of UNESCO’s General Conference on 26 October 1966 to remind the international community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies, and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies, and you will find lots of information about it on the UN website

The Moderately Large World Book Day Quiz 2018

[slideshare id=87632167&doc=thebigworldbookdayquiz2018-180209135501]
 
Answers

A number of colleagues have mentioned that they are not able to access the slideshare quiz so I have made the powerpoint downloadable below:

Download (PPTX, 4.55MB)

From Beowulf to Chaucer, the British Library makes 1,000 years of rich literary history freely available online

The British Library has made over 50 rare medieval manuscripts and early print editions, spanning 1,000 years of literary history, available for free on its Discovering Literature website.

Highlights include:

  • The single surviving manuscript of Beowulf, the longest epic poem in Old English
  • The earliest autobiography in English, The Book of Margery Kempe
  • The Wycliffite Bible, the first complete translation of the Bible in the English language
  • William Caxton’s pioneering illustrated print edition of The Canterbury Tales
  • The first work authored by a woman in English, Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love
  • The earliest work of theatre criticism in English, Tretise of Miraclis Pleyinge
  • One of the greatest collections of Scottish medieval verse, the Bannatyne Manuscript from the National Library of Scotland
  • Bringing together over 50 unique medieval manuscripts and early print editions from the 8th to 16th centuries, Discovering Literature: Medieval presents a new way to explore some of the earliest works and most influential figures of English literature. From the first complete translation of the Bible in the English language to the first work authored by a woman in English, the website showcases many rarities and ‘firsts’ in the history of English literature.

    Game Library Camp 17

    If, like me, you were not able to attend the Game Library Camp on the 12th then watching this padlet may be of interest to you:

    Made with Padlet

    International Women’s Day Display Materials

    March is Women’s History Month and Wednesday 8th March is International Women’s Day.

    To mark the day I have been working on a display and creating rosettes with the colours of the Women’s Sufferage Movement and utilising classic and contemporary slogans.
    c6ovkhlwcaaoik3

    I have created a blank .pdf rosette that students can use to create their own, downloadable here:

    Download (PDF, 164KB)

    To go with the display I have been adapting classic photos of Suffragettes but with modern slogans on their banners.

    These are downloadable here:

    for-women-equal-pay for-women-attacked-by-feminism

    Plagiarism Revisited

    In 2014 I created a powerpoint for my students on plagiarism, using the example of Shia LeBoeuf and Daniel Clowes. You can see it here:

    http://teenlibrarian.co.uk/2014/01/17/plagiarism/

    It has been on e of the most popular resources on my site.

    Since then there have been a number of other examples featuring people in the public eye that have come to light.

    The most recent being Melania Trump being accused of plagiarising Michelle Obama’s speech:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-36832095

    Beyonce has also faced several charges of plagiarism during her career:

    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/beyonce-sued-over-lemonade-trailer-singers-history-plagiarism-complaints-1564560

    Azealia Banks has also accused Zayn Malik of plagiarism as well as providing an example of how not to behave on social media, she has since also accused Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift of the same:

    https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/07/14/azealia-banks-causes-yet-another-stir-music-industry/

    Using people in the public eye is a good way of engaging with students who may otherwise not show much interest in library lessons. I will just say as a word of caution that Azealia Banks has has used racially charged language – particularly against Zayn Malik so it may be worth making sure that any links used will not cause a backlash against the library due to language.

    World Book Day 2016 Quiz

    Download the Quiz from Dropbox here

    Quiz Answers

    Library Lessons: What is a Word?

    A discussion on words and the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year leading into creating emoji book reviews