In the Colorado Academy Lower School Library, Second Graders recently started a new unit called “Tales From Around the World.” We are reading fairy tales, folktales, legends, and tall tales from all of the seven continents. Well, six continents actually, because I have yet to find a book from Antarctica that I can read to Second Grade students. The Antarctica challenge has been under discussion with the students, and I told them that I would let them know how my research is going.
“Tales From Around the World” began close to home with two stories from North America, Coyote and the Laughing Butterflies, written and illustrated by Harriet Peck Taylor, and Davy Crockett Saves the World, by Rosalyn Schanzer. We’ll travel to a new continent next, and most likely stop back in North America soon. The old adage applies here: so many stories, so little time!
We are populating a map of the Earth with the book covers of each book we read. Soon, Second Grade students will dive into a subscription database called Culturegrams, so that they can research some of the places where we travel.
Let’s get back to the Antarctica challenge. This morning, I was stopped in the Lower School hallway by two Kindergarten students. One of them has a sibling in Second Grade, and he had heard from his sibling that “Ms. Allison is looking for a story from Antarctica.”
Here’s proof that Colorado Academy students are excellent problem solvers! The Kindergarten students are writing and illustrating an original story from Antarctica, so the Second Graders will not miss a continent. Amazing! I can’t wait to read it to the Second Grade classes.
This is just another reason why I love being a part of the curious, kind, courageous, and adventurous CA community and serving our students in the library.