Cool Books for Hot Summer Reads!

YAY!! it's that time of year again! Wow, did that year go fast, too! ...the Media Center is trying to get back all of its books and you're already thinking of going "downy ocean" and reading a book on the beach! (ok, so maybe that's what *i'm* thinking of! LOL) anyway the Media Specialists in collaboration with the public Librarians of the Howard County Library system ....created the:
2008 Recommended Summer Reading List for Middle Schoolers!!!
See you, book in hand, at the beach! (or pool, or park, or deck, or boat...you can read ANYwhere!) Woo hoo!!
Download the PDF version of this list on our Wiki here!

Oh! and parents! there's also an adult book list for your reading

Museum of Underwater Archeology Visits!

MHMS Media was pleased to arrange a visit from the director of the Museum of Underwater Archeology. Mr. Kurt Knoerl visited and worked with 6th grade students for a hands on introduction to the investigation, scientific method, and the fun of submerged archaeology.

This interactive lesson show students how underwater archaeological sites are found, mapped, and plotted.

What kind of equipment is used in scuba diving. How scientists use their senses under black water to discover shipwrecks and artifacts.





Students also learned how to use mylar film and a pencil to write underwater!
For more pictures go to our school's Smugmug Digital Photo Gallery!

Thank you Mr. Knoerl for visiting our school and working with our AWEsome kids

Go On a Walkabout - a Multi-Lingual Virtual Tour of MHMS

Go on a virtual tour! A student written and produced video virtual tour of our school in English, Spanish, Korean, and Urdu using the Flip Video camera.


Virtual Tour in English




Virtual Tour in Spanish




Virtual Tour in Korean




Virtual Tour in Urdu


for supporting information about the grant project visit our MHMS Teacher Tech Wiki

a MICCA funded grant by

Beth Singleton, GT Resource Teacher & Gwyneth Jones, Media/Technology Specialist

Many Voices, Many Stories, & Many Lands

Storytelling & Folklore Unit for Grade 6 English

a Canadian storyteller & Author "virtually visits" our school....

From his Blog:
"Dale Gilbert Jarvis is the Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer for the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, a storyteller, author and performer. Dale sits on the Board of Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada, is the founder of the St. John's Storytelling Circle, and serves as president of the St. John's Storytelling Festival, Inc."

After meeting Mr. Jarvis through the Storytelling Guild I belong to in Second Life he agreed to collaborate with us for this unit, sharing folktales and stories from his recently published collection The Golden Leg and Other Ghostly Campfire Tales. The unit started with the usual background information about what things make a folktale, legend, and urban legend. After that introduction, the students came into the Media Center with the results of their story mining homework where they ask their family what stories they heard of as a kid or in the neighborhood where they grew up.

From TeacherTube: Storyteller and noted author Mr. Dale Jarvis adapated and retells folktale from India. In the story, Death creeps into Paradise, and steals away a boy from his sister.

"Gilbert Sapwood" aka Dale Jarvis tells an Irish folktale in the Dakota Playhouse in Second Life.

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Storytelling in Action!

Teachers & Media Specialists: for more information about this Unit see our Wiki for all the lesson plans, handouts, storytelling links and more!

Celebrate Pi Day! π

From GT Teacher Beth Singleton and her talented film crew: Learn about Pi from a class of rowdy kids who do not know their Pi from their pie.

Created by the MHMS Advanced Film Production Team.


'Cause c'mon...who doesn't like π?

Dinosaurs Alive! Maryland Science Center

i was fortunate and honored to represent MHMS & Howard County Schools at a day-long exploration of dinosaurs last saturday, including presentations from two scientists, a paleontologist-guided tour through our Dinosaur Mysteries exhibit, demonstrations of activities for the classroom, and a screening of the IMAX film Dinosaurs Alive 3D at the Maryland Science Center. i greatly enjoyed the speakers Tom Holtz and Alan Turner who provided some enlightening information on dinosaurs, their evolution and variety, along with reports on current research. Tom is from the University of Maryland and Alan from the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Tom advised the Maryland Science Center on the content for their dinosaur exhibit, which opened in 2004. He is also the author of the new book "The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaurs Lovers of All Ages" as well as a number of dinosaur books for children.
Alan is featured in the IMAX film Dinosaurs Alive 3D. As part of the production for the film, the science center followed Alan and his colleagues' expeditions in both New Mexico and Mongolia.

the Dinosuars Alive 3-D movie rocked!

i actually jumped a few times as dinosaurs came within inches of my face!!! (or it felt that way! i even did the silly thing where i just HAD to reach out and try and touch a dino!) the lunch that was provided was excellent, too!


the whole experience was WAY cool! you can check out my notes and links HERE on our WIKI for any fellow science enthusiasts, Media Specialists, or Science teachers...






Mr. Jim O'Leary of the Maryland Science Center who organized and coordinated this outstanding event!

To see ALL of the pictures i took at the Maryland Science Center please visit our MHMS Smugmug Digital Photo gallery!

NEW Books in the Media Center!

hey kids! stop by the library media/technology center today and check out the cool new books that *YOU* (mhms kids & teachers) suggested! all the books that you requested earlier this year are here and ready to check out *NOW!* if you don't see the book YOU wanted, let us know and we'll get it for you ASAP or add it onto next year's order.

REMEMBER: YOU are our customer! we want to have the books YOU want to read!
~ms. jones


btw, this is what $3000. buys....
Good quality hardback books are expensive!...but last LONGER!