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Using Children’s Book Week to build community and learn in novel ways

At Columbus School for Girls, students benefit from a project-based approach that involves immersing themselves in real-world and personally meaningful projects. By connecting with the material in a hands-on way, students are able to more deeply understand and retain what they’ve learned.

CSG saw an opportunity to weave last school year’s Children’s Book Week (CBW) theme, “Wild About Reading,” into existing curricula to create unique projects that would have lasting impact. Students employed skills such as critical thinking, flexibility, collaboration, and technology literacy to investigate the amazing diversity of wild animals around the world. They also connected with each other across grade levels, building community in a meaningful way.

All three PYC classes studied ocean animals for CBW, reading nonfiction and fiction books about a variety of ocean animals—especially penguins, whales, and dolphins. Everyone worked together to paint two large ocean murals depicting toothed and baleen whales.

In Lower School, students created cross-disciplinary projects. For example, after Form II students learned about birds’ characteristics and adaptations in Science, they extended their study in Library class. While Form II

students investigated birds, Form VII students focused on aquatic life. Form VII students in Ann Marie McDonnell’s science classes built upon their trip to Stone Lab, The Ohio State University’s Lake Erie campus, transforming the windows of the Middle School Commons into Lake Erie, featuring 3D paper fish and QR codes that featured brief videos of students providing details about a specific marine animal.

The CBW theme lent itself to more than just science disciplines. Upper School students in Susan O’Connor’s Ceramics class, for example, made animal sculptures. And in their Principles of Engineering and Design class, Upper School students worked with Lower School students to design and manufacture 3D animal designs.

CBW helped students grow in knowledge and skills and also provided opportunities to build community within the school—crucial after the isolation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. During a February Big/Little Sister event, students teamed up to create paper vines, leaves, flowers, birds, and seahorses that were used throughout the school as decorations during CBW.

Big and Little Sisters also paired up during the culminating CBW event, a trip to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. PYC through Form XII spent a full day at the zoo, which included a morning Big/Little Sister animal scavenger hunt. The trip was a wonderful way to end a week celebrating student work and building community.

CBW has become a beloved addition to the CSG calendar. Our faculty will continue involving the entire school community in the event, which this school year has the theme Reading is Music to Our Ears. As we get further into the school year, students will incorporate the musical theme into various parts of curricula. Sound of Music, the spring musical from Middle- and Upper School students, will kick off Book Week itself.

At CSG, each year’s CBW is a celebration and culmination of literacy-related activities around a unifying, interdisciplinary theme. The ability to explore these themes through reading, research, writing, art, music, and hands-on projects allows students to delve joyfully and deeply into authentic, engaging learning. The work provides ways to build community while also building the students’ sense of pride and accomplishment in themselves.