From Hoaxes to Human Books: What Happens When Librarians & Teachers Get Together
by EMSB Librarians
Librarians and ELA teachers from the English Montreal School Board frequently collaborate to create initiatives that engage students and boost ELA competencies. Here are a few examples from the 2017-18 school year.
Summer Reading Podcasts
Secondary II students explored podcasts for both listening to and producing fictional and documentary storytelling. To begin, students sampled podcast episodes from a curated list for younger teens. Popular choices included: The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel, a serial mystery made by middle school students; and This American Life’s Ask a Grown-Up, in which celebrities give heartfelt and humorous advice to teenagers.
Then, after choosing a book from the summer reading list, students worked in small groups to create episodes for a classroom podcast called The Book Files. Students got into character and wrote interview scripts, then recorded their podcasts using GarageBand and Audacity on library computers. The podcasts were entertaining, evidenced close reading, and allowed students to develop skills in multiple literacies.
- Stephanie Germain (Librarian) and Samira Chawki (ELA Teacher), Royal West Academy
Summer Reading Podcasts
Secondary II students explored podcasts for both listening to and producing fictional and documentary storytelling. To begin, students sampled podcast episodes from a curated list for younger teens. Popular choices included: The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel, a serial mystery made by middle school students; and This American Life’s Ask a Grown-Up, in which celebrities give heartfelt and humorous advice to teenagers.
Then, after choosing a book from the summer reading list, students worked in small groups to create episodes for a classroom podcast called The Book Files. Students got into character and wrote interview scripts, then recorded their podcasts using GarageBand and Audacity on library computers. The podcasts were entertaining, evidenced close reading, and allowed students to develop skills in multiple literacies.
- Stephanie Germain (Librarian) and Samira Chawki (ELA Teacher), Royal West Academy
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Human Library
The Human Library is held in libraries worldwide and brings together diverse people to engage in conversations to promote tolerance and respect. At this event, members of the community were invited to be Human Books for a day and included a person with a disability, a female politician, a person speaking from an LGBTQ+ perspective, and a drug addiction survivor. Sec III and Sec V ELA students came to the library and “borrowed” a Human Book in small groups. The Human Books then shared their life stories and had informal conversations with the students. The goal was to foster respectful discussions and to challenge students’ assumptions and prejudices. This event was also supported by the Community Learning Centre whose mandate is to expose students to different learning opportunities outside of the classroom. A Toolkit and more information is available on the Human Library website. -Paul Grewal (Librarian), Cathy Chevrier, (ELA Teacher) and Bobbie Variantzas (Community Learning Centre Coordinator), Laurier Macdonald High School |
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Fake News Detection
Teens tackled fake news in this series of interactive workshops. Students were given two articles, and told that one, none, or both were fake. Stories included a woman who dies from fear while watching It, the arrest of an elderly burglar-ninja, flu vaccines that actually spread the flu, and a pair of dirty undies that help a researcher test Tennessee soil.
In each workshop, students learned how to detect hoaxes by reading the articles and using a checklist to determine veracity. The truth was revealed after a dramatic hand-to-desk drum-roll. Results were surprising, exciting, and full of teachable moments. Links to fake news resources are available on the librarian’s website.
- Nicholas Warren (Librarian) and Matt Shapiro (ELA Teacher) Focus High School
Le Combat des Livres NDG Reads
Modelled on CBC’s “Canada Reads” Le Combat des Livres NDG Reads was a community initiative in Notre-Dame-de-Grace that brought together five (5) local celebrities who each defended one book of their own choice. The books shared the broad theme of neighbourhood life in Montreal. Titles were: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz defended by Mariam Pal; Clutch defended by Monique Polak; Cockroach defended by Mariel Rosenblum; Griffintown defended by Daniel Weinstock; and My October defended by Clarence Bayne. One of the debates took place in the school auditorium before an audience of students and teachers. Students were encouraged to read and vote for the books, which were available in the library in print and e-book format. Sec IV English classes also received two creative writing workshops by Monique Polak.
- Audrey Roussel (Librarian) Royal Vale High School, with the NDG Community Council