Joyce Caldwell, Library Media Specialist
Baltimore County Public Schools
Perry Hall Middle School 
   
   Objective    
  To "dip into" a set of new books in order to find books to read for pleasure or to explore a variety of books that may be used as resources for research
       
 1. Sign up for a library classroom.
Let the library media specialist know what type of books you want the students to explore. The library media specialist will pull the books and prepare a list of books answering your request.
       
 2. Arrange students at tables with five to a table. Allow at least three extra books at each table. Place the books in the center of each table before the students arrive. Distribute the book lists to students.
       
 3. Introduce the activity by using a tea bag and discussing the way many people just dig the teabag up and down to get the "flavor." Continue on with the idea that there are many new books in the library that will answer our need to find new authors, research materials, and find interesting books to read - - whatever is their purpose. 
       
  Teabag Reading Lesson    
 

Ask, "What do you do when you have a new book in your hands? (all that good prereading "stuff") "today we are going to 'dip into' a set of books to catch their flavor & scent. We're going to 'taste' them to determine if these books are ones we would like to savor in their entirety." (Use your personality -- I', a food person) "As we carry out this activity, we will record our likes and dislikes on a list I have made up for us."

Model the following procedure as it is explained.

Find the book you have been given on the list and place a check by it. You will evaluate the book at the end of 6-8 minutes using your own ranking system.. If you have been given a book that has absolutely no appeal to you, you may, at the teacher's signal exchange it for another book in the center. No exchanges can be made before the teacher's signal, and you will only be allowed one exchange per rotation.

Begin reading for 6-8 minutes. Allow a few minutes for evaluation at the end of the "tasting." Signal for rotation exchange to the right. The second phase will be 5-8 minutes. Repeat the process 3 times. Restack the books and rotate the stack of books to the next table.

       
  Evaluation    
 

Ten minutes before the end of class, ask "How many of you have found at least one book you would like to read?" Have students share books and reasons they appeal to them.  

Let the students know where the books will be placed at the end of your classes for the day. They now have a list of new materials, some of which hopefully they will check out of the library to read.

Note: The first time I did this I allowed some free library time. This didn't work well for the "unmotivated." I found I had a better flow if we did teabag reading for the entire class time.

The next time the students came in, we followed the same system; however, I had the student identify the reasons for the activity at the beginning of class. Perhaps you can "piggy-back" on this idea as a way of letting students know about and use all of the new book.