Book Love
By:  Kelsey Ambrose

Project at a Glance :

This project is for a third grade classroom. It is meant to kick off the year with an emphasis on creating a strong community of readers and build excitement around reading.
​
Driving Question:

How can we create a classroom of enthusiastic readers?             

Standards:

• Build reading stamina
• Ability to find 'good fit' books.

Team / Culture Building:​​

• Hopes, Fears, & Norms protocol - specific for Language Arts instruction.​

• Students built 'Me Cubes' to introduce themselves to class mates.

Entry Event:

• The entry event involved answering questions about reading in order to open lock boxes containing bookmarks to decorate and use throughout the year.

Stakeholders:

• Visual learners
• Fast readers
• Slower readers
• Enthusiastic readers
• Reluctant readers

Empathy Building:

• Students created a Stakeholder Map.
  
• Empathy Map for stakeholders.​

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Interviews with former students and special guests asking -  What have they liked about reading (throughout their elementary school experience)?​

Incubation:

• Students used the Anti-Problem protocol to explore the opposite side of the DQ, What would make reading suck?
• Potentially invite Erika March, Adrienne Baker from Herrick Library, Scott Follett, and Julie Reynolds to talk about the value of all types of books. 
• Idea Quota protocol? Students worked to come up with as many ideas as possible in just a few minutes. They wrote their ideas on sticky notes. When the time was up, students made it 'rain ideas', and discussed how the ideas didn't belong to any one person - they all belonged to the group!​​

• Followed by Group & Saturate to organize ideas. This activity helped students visualize the top ideas that emerged and led us to the top 8 ideas. The kids were so proud that they came up with 164 ideas!​

---

Solution Building:

• After Saturate and Grouping solution ideas use the NUF Test to determine best ideas to move forward with.
• Share ideas using the Poster Session in teams.  Followed by Dot Voting to narrow ideas down even further.​

Critique and Revision: 

• Use the Critical Friends activity asking someone to come in and be a “critical friend,” asking questions and giving feedback on top ideas. 
• Pluses and Deltas for further feedback before presenting solution ideas.

Authentic Audience:

• Adrienne Baker - Herrick Public Library
• PTO 
• Parents
• Reading Specialist

Final Presentation:

• Students were divided into groups and worked on creating posters for the top 4 solution ideas:  1) Having puppies come into the classroom to read with us.  2) Improving the classroom library.  3) Making the classroom cozier for reading.  4) Having authors/guests come in to read to the class.

Click here for teacher's full plan.
Reflection and Feedback:

• Use the emoji feedback form. 
• Check in and check out circle.​
• Classroom Library: Students helped write two grant applications in hopes of receiving funds to improve both the classroom and school library.​
• The class was awarded the $10,000 MAISA Classroom Library Enhancement Grant. For each copy of a book purchased for the classroom, a copy will also be purchased for the school library. Students were SO excited and felt so much ownership!

Click here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:

Kelsey Ambrose teaches third grade Spanish Immersion at Lakeshore Elementary in West Ottawa. 

     "PBL/Design Thinking allows students to feel like a valued member of the classroom community."