K-12 Teacher Resource & Information Center | TeachHUB.com

K-12 Teacher Resource & Information Center | TeachHUB.com

Teacher Hub is giving away access to their Pop Culture Lesson Plans section until January 18th. They are not really lesson plans but good for use as writing prompts, as student work on sub days, or to supplement your lesson plans. There are math, science, and language arts ideas.

eChalk: multiplication tables cloud-click game

eChalk: multiplication tables cloud-click game

Another SMART Board activity. I can see using this to play Beat the Teacher. The teacher sets the time to beat. Then students work through independent time on regular math assignment while taking turns at the SMART Board trying to beat the teacher's time. Any other ideas?

Powerful free resource to support learning your times tables

Powerful free resource to support learning your times tables

This is an great activity to use on your SMART Board to have students practice with their multiplication tables. I am thinking using it as a center activity for students who need extra practice. Students love to use the SMART Board so they wouldn't look at this like it was work.

Regurgitated Alpha Bits: Listen, Think, then Do

Regurgitated Alpha Bits: Listen, Think, then Do

I know that this is not funny if you are the teacher who is in the mist of this conversation, but I laughed reading it because I can remember having these types of conversations with my students. I can also picture certain sixth and seventh graders with whom I would have this conversation with today. What do you think of the Listen, Think, Do approach?

Update: 1/12/2011
Going back and reading through the few posts I have managed in this blog, I though I had a group when I wrote this post to begin with that matched the students in Alpha Bits's post, but this year I really have a group that would fit right in.  Directions have to step by tiny step.  "Open your backpack.  Find your pencil pouch.  Take out a pencil.  Open your binder, etc."  I don't envy the teachers I work with who must teach these students every day, all day long.

The first time I modeled in one of the classrooms with these interesting students, I thought I may have  nervous breakdown afterwards. It was only a 50 minute class period, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.  The constant inability to talk one at a time or keep thoughts to themselves was unbelievable.  I love a classroom where students interact with the teacher and each other, but there must be procedures and routines in place to make it effective.

Genetics

Genetics

When it is time for Genetics in science, check out this website. I found it after reading Bluebird's Classroom blog on Pundett's Squares.

Literate Lives: Life-Size Zoo is Worth Visiting

Literate Lives: Life-Size Zoo is Worth Visiting

Literate Lives blogs about a great book to use in teaching nonfiction text characteristics. The kids will love to see the large fold-out life-size pictures of the animals. Boys especially like nonfiction and this will definitely catch their attention.

Preposition Boogie Language Arts Lesson Plan, Thematic Unit, Activity, Worksheet, or Reading or Writing Teaching Idea

Preposition Boogie Language Arts Lesson Plan, Thematic Unit, Activity, Worksheet, or Reading or Writing Teaching Idea

Interactive idea to get students moving and thinking about how prepositions are used to indicate a direction or location in space. I would add one aspect to this lesson though. Before having the students write their own paragraph, I would model writing my own paragraph.

Grammar Bytes! Grammar Instruction with Attitude

Grammar Bytes! Grammar Instruction with Attitude

Looking for great way to review grammar with your SMARTBoard, look at the interactive exercises on Grammar Bytes! Example: Fused sentences vs. Comma Splices - you are given a sentence and must determine which one it is; then you click on a door. If you are correct, you win a cybertrip to somewhere fabulous :). If you are incorrect, you get cyberprizes like a cow. There are also PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and Flash. Check it out!

Push-Pull Factors Social Studies lesson plan

AAME :

Great physical activity lesson plan to include when teaching push and pull factors. It also is a great place to incorporate reading strategies and the Double Diary Entry.

Mystery Message Motivates Students All Day Long. - Really Good Stuff!

Mystery Message Motivates Students All Day Long. - Really Good Stuff!

Check out this teacher's answer to Catch You Being Good with a mystery message twist. It would have to be modified for an eight period day, but you guys are creative. We are always looking for ways to motivate good behavior and I think this one has potential.

3 Quick Science Resources

3 Quick Science Resources

Reading a blog and found this post. I wanted to share. I know good science resources are not easy to find.

WritingFix: a 6-Trait Writing Lesson inspired by Ben Harper's "With My Own Two Hands"

WritingFix: a 6-Trait Writing Lesson inspired by Ben Harper's "With My Own Two Hands"

As I read this month's featured lesson on WritingFix, I couldn't help but think of character education. This would be a great lesson to incorporate the writing process and character ed. The lesson is definitely multiple days to complete the project, but I believe it would be a project the students would be interested in creating. Getting students to think about how they could change the world, even just a little bit, would help them find their place in the world. The lesson is also good because it incorporates music and technology. Check it out and give it a try.

The Weighty Word Book | Great Pageturners | ReadKiddoRead.com

The Weighty Word Book | Great Pageturners | ReadKiddoRead.com

I just found this great sight of recommended books by James Patterson. One of the books sounds very interesting for explicit read-aloud vocabulary lessons. In The Weighty Word Book Paul Levitt, Douglas Burger, and Elissa Gurainick tell twenty-six pun-filled stories in order to teach 26 multi-syllabic words.

Angela Bunyi: Reader's Workshop: Taking a Closer Look at Nonfiction | Teaching Matters

Angela Bunyi: Reader's Workshop: Taking a Closer Look at Nonfiction | Teaching Matters

I wanted to share this website with all of you. I thought the author shared lots of great information on teaching nonfiction.

Double Entry Diary

In Cris Tovani's book Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?, we have been reading about the 'so what' of reading comprehension.  The major question she asked herself was "How had strategy instruction helped these students understand...?"  She goes on to say that strategy instruction is a process where the teacher adapts lessons/activities to the NEEDS of the students and the content you want them to comprehend.  She talks modeling, giving students a purpose to read, and showing them different ways to hold their thinking as they read.  As I read this, I thought back to when I was teaching social studies and how I didn't do these things when I taught, nor did I even think about these things as I planned my lessons.  When I started teaching reading, I modeled my thinking for the students because I realized that they didn't know that they were supposed to be having conversations with themselves about what they were reading.  I then thought how I wished I could have used this when I taught social studies.  I feel sorry for my students who I had before I learned about how to teach reading comprehension.  Social studies could have been more engaging for the students if I had only thought "So What"!!

In this same chapter Tovani shares her Double Entry diary in relation to the "So What" strategy.  What have been your successes and challenges with incorporating the diary into your instruction?  How have the students responded?

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I started Hunger Games last night on the recommendation of Angela. I could not put it down!! I stayed up until midnight so I could finish it.

The Capitol stopped the rebellion of the 13 districts by completely irridicating District 13. As a reminder of their treason, the remaining 12 districts must send two children to the Hunger Games each year. Everyone must attend the chosing and watch the subsequent events.

The main character in the book, Katniss, is placed in the Hunger Games as one of the representatives of her district. There are two reps chosen from each district, one boy and one girl from the ages of 12 to 18. The goal of the Games is to be the last one alive. There are no rules and it is survival of the fittest and most cunning. Who will survive? Who will die?

Find out in Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

August Book of the Month

The August book of the month is DREAM by Susan Bosak, illustrated by 15 artists. DREAM showcases the dreams of each of us as we progress along life’s journey. The author reminds us that everyone has a dream, and that dreams help give us direction and hope. Dreams are for the young and old. Pursuing our dreams helps to make the world a better place.

This year we are charged with dreaming BIG for our students and then working hard to help those dreams become reality.  Our students can do or be anything; we just have to equip them with the courage and determination to reach for the stars.  The ending activity for this book will have students decorate stars to illustrate their personality and write three dreams/goals on smaller stars.  Each mobile will hang from the ceiling in the hallway so students can see that their dreams are important to us and that we will help them reach for the stars and achieve those dreams.

Beginning the Year Right!!!

We have had an awesome start to the school year!!  I want to personally thank all of you for all of your hard work and dedication to our students.  I have started this blog in an effort to find different ways to communicate ideas with each other and use the technology that our students are using.  I will be posting two to three times a week:  what's new, book of the month and book study information, reminders, team meetings, ideas/information found that may be useful to you.  I hope that you add posts and comments yourselves.