Breaking in a New Year with Breakout Activities!

Like last year, students in Literacy Studies class welcomed a new year in the library with a Breakout activity that got them up and moving around, working together in teams to solve library- and reading-related riddles to open locks.

Sixth grade students used the same Library Orientation Breakout from last year--you can read about it here. With five different locks to open, students were problem solving to riddles related to finding books on shelves, to recognizing checkout procedures, and to locating the different sections in the library.

Seventh graders worked through a new library breakout, unofficially called "Get Reacquainted with the Library." Because (presumably) these students were already familiar with the library orientation elements from the sixth grade Breakout, this work--and opening four locks--focused on specific pieces of the library, such as state award nominees and winners and Public Lists on Destiny Quest. Students needed to spend time in the shelves to think through their clues and determine the combinations to their different locks.

So, were students successful? Yes! Both grade levels had groups that were able to break out, and many groups had just one lock remaining as the class period ended. 

As the year progresses, look for more breakout activities, both digital and blended. Students enjoy the process and solving the riddles, and in the process, they learn some valuable teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills!

ABCs of DCGMS Library: L is for Library Orientation Breakout

Today's ABCs of DCGMS Library post is brought to you by the letter L for Library Orientation Breakout.

As a former elementary librarian, I recognized the need for a library orientation activity, especially for our sixth graders, who are new to our building. What better way to get students up and moving around and looking at various sections of the library space than with a physical breakout! 

Over the course of two class periods, students read through an introductory letter (that also had clues and combinations included), as well as worked through solving all of the locks. You can read about students' work on an earlier library blog post. After a lot of problem solving, teamwork, and critical thinking, many groups were indeed able to break out.

Over the course of the school year, students participated in two additional breakouts--a completely digital breakout related to book series and MG/YA literature, and a poetry breakout that was a combination of physical and digital work. 

After successful breakouts last year, it's certain that 2019 - 2020 Literacy Studies students will be participating in more of them--stay tuned!