Library Passports!

In the Brooklyn Friends School Lower School Library, orientation of the space is always part of our fall routine. Last year, we initiated a brand new way to show our first graders around the space: Library Passports!

We turned learning about how to navigate the library into a real journey. First, a large kraft paper map is drawn. We offer students a bird's eye view of our library space and talk about where the physical surroundings fall: bookcases, chairs, circulation, the front door. 

Then, we move into the books in the bookcases. Each week, we visit a new destination, and decorate a card (to be stamped, of course!) to our library passports!

For example, next week first grade will visit the picture book area. We will walk around the area, the listen to a story from the section. We will look at a handful of examples from this section. Then, students will take their passports and locate a book of their choice from the section to take a closer look. Upon completing their "journey" to that section, they will draw a representation of the picture book section into their passports and have it stamped. 

Journey complete! We will repeat this for the nonfiction, biography, folklore, and early reader sections.

We also choose 1 or 2 volunteers who would like to add color to our map! We take 2"X1" strips of white paper and students can illustrate a "cover" of a book to glue to the corresponding section on our kraft paper map. This adds to the visual appeal of the map, while also offering concrete examples of what can be found in the various sections of our LS Library.

If you are interested in hearing more, please do not hesitate to reach out to mef or more information at ckarvounis(at)brooklynfriends(dot)com.

- Christina Karvounis