Maria Alfaro
Chronicle Reporter
Hollywood High School had their first Book Tasting at the library on Sept. 28. According to the graphic organizer, “A book tasting is a chance to sample different books to see if you might like to read them.” The books that were used touched on one of the STEM subjects. In this exercise, Ms. Whitham told the students that they would, “read informational texts that give them background information and a foundation of knowledge.”
Book Tasting can be done with any subject, but on this occasion it was done with science, more specifically chemistry and physics. Students were to read five books, each for seven minutes and complete a graphic organizer for each book they read. In the graphic organizer, they would write their impression of the book and rate it. After reading the first book, they would rotate and repeat the same process until they reached the fifth book.
The librarian, Ms. Whitham, had thought about doing this and when she shared her idea, the principal, Mr. Colacion, helped make it happen. They decided to do it with books touching on one of the subjects of STEM to expose students to this knowledge. The number of students interested in STEM is low and they want to increase it. The point of this exercise was for students to think about joining STEM.