ConnectEd for Educators

PEOPLE OF THE SALISH SEA CURRICULUM KITS

Designed for classroom use, our People of the Salish Sea Curriculum Kits introduce students to the Coast Salish People, past and present, with a special focus on Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe. Each kit contains a full curriculum with lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, and links to online resources, along with a set of physical artifacts.

SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL

Since Time Immemorial Kits (for ages 2-8) were created specifically for residents of Whatcom County to improve knowledge and understanding of the local tribal nations.

The kit themes are modeled around and expand upon the early learning section of the “Since Time Immemorial” (STI) Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State curriculum developed through the Office of Native Education/Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).  They include many books to read aloud as well as teaching resources, videos, cds, puppets and locally produced stories and photos.

What is ConnectED?
For Students

• Time: 30-45 minutes per group
• Format: In-person

WCLS staff will teach students how to log into their ConnectED accounts, find books, place holds, and download ebooks and eaudiobooks. Library staff work closely with school librarians and teachers to tailor a ConnectED presentation to meet specific grade-level or learning interests and needs, including ELL and special needs classes. For most presentations, we ask that students have access to a laptop or computer so they can practice the skills as they are presented. Additional presentation topics include using library apps and databases, digital resources for academic research, ACT/SAT test preparation tools, resume builders, and career and college planning.

What is ConnectED?
For Teachers

• Time: 15-60 minutes
• Format: In-person or virtual

What is ConnectED and how can it help support student learning?  Library staff explain the nuts and bolts of this innovative program and how it can be integrated into class curriculum and create a culture of reading and support academic success at your school.  Library staff are available to meet with individual teachers, small groups, departments, or all-staff meetings. Presentations can be brief overviews or more in depth to allow teachers the time to learn about how to find and use the full range of resources provided through ConnectED.

Booktalks

• Time: 30-60 minutes
• Format: In-person

Build enthusiasm for reading and facilitate access to public library materials with a booktalk presentation for a class, grade, or whole school. WCLS staff will share new and trending titles or focus on specific themes or subjects upon request.  We’ll highlight a diverse selection of age-appropriate books including fiction, nonfiction, picture books, and graphic novels, with wide appeal to a variety of readers.  In some cases, we can also assist with placing holds or make titles available at the booktalk for immediate checkout.

Digital Content

• Audience: All grades
• Time:  30 – 60 minutes
• Format: In person

ConnectED accounts allow students to access digital resources that are always available through our library website. WCLS staff can walk your class through how to check out and download ebooks and eaudio as well as use encyclopedias, research databases, and test prep resources. Also available are language-learning programs, music and video streaming services, resume builders, and much, much more.

Information Literacy

• Time: 45-60 minutes
• Format: In-person

Library staff present information literacy skills through a single presentation or a series of lessons adapted to fit grade-level and subject-area focus. These presentations engage students with hands-on learning activities where they will be asked to think critically about how to sort fact from fiction, recognize what to share, and how to identify credible news sources.  While not designed to be a comprehensive program, the investigation provides a foundation from which to encourage students to ask important questions and become digitally literate readers, researchers, and content creators.

Book Club

• Time: 45-60 minutes, weekly or once per month
• Format: In-person or virtual

Have a group of students who love to read? WCLS staff will host a book club at your school. We’ll bring a selection of titles tailored to their grade and interests, provide copies of the books for each student, and facilitate the discussion.  Books groups not only help students hone their critical thinking and communication skills but also provides an opportunity to create friend groups around a shared love of books and stories. 

Summer Reading Promotion

• Time: 15-30 minutes
• Format: In-person, virtual, prerecorded

WCLS staff will come to your school to encourage students to participate in our annual Summer Reading program. Reading during the summer helps students maintain skills while they are out of school, and celebrates reading as an entertaining, lifetime pursuit. We can move from class to class with brief presentations, talk to a whole-school assembly, or combine with a booktalk. We can also arrange to visit you virtually or deliver a prerecorded video you can present yourself.

Storytime

• Time: 20-30 minutes, individually or monthly
• Format: In-person, virtual, pre-recorded

Share a library Storytime with the young children you teach! Storytime support early literacy, social-emotional development, and a love of books through songs, rhymes and other participatory activities.  Contact us to schedule a visit to your local library or we will bring the program to your classroom. We are happy to provide one-time events or regular, ongoing visits, and can expand the experience with books checked out to your students’ ConnectED accounts.

Library Field Trip

• Time: 60-90 minutes
• Format: In-person

Bring your students to the public library for a field trip. We’ll give them a tour of the building including a behind-the-scenes glimpse at library operations (and the staff who make it all happen), introduce them to the wealth of resources they can check out from the library, show them how to use their own ConnectED accounts, and set them loose to choose and check out books. We are always happy to tailor your visit to a particular project.

Author/Illustrator Visit

• Time: 45-60 minutes
• Format: In-person or virtual

Hosting an author or illustrator at your school is an incredibly memorable experience for a young person. We can help coordinate an author or illustrator to visit your classroom or school, either in-person or virtually. If you are looking to provide an “all-school read” experience, talk to us about partnering as well. While speaking and travel fees can sometimes be a barrier, there are often ways to make author visits affordable and partnering with us makes them do-able!