tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59089874552809009982024-03-12T23:20:00.974-07:00Substitutes, FTW!Teaching Tips, Classroom Experiences and Lesson Plan IdeasVeronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.comBlogger246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-56732894636714410952015-06-10T19:46:00.003-07:002015-06-10T19:47:16.768-07:00Providence<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hello to the lovely ladies from Providence. Thank you for visiting the site, and for meeting with me yesterday. I hope to hear from you soon. :-)</span></span>Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-47756872237652438232015-03-31T21:39:00.003-07:002015-03-31T21:39:57.768-07:00Help Your Students Become "Word Nerds"<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1571109544/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1571109544&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20&linkId=WQOF5EUFZ4LXXJQX"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1571109544&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=suft-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1571109544" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Wouldn't we want all of our students to not only build their vocabulary but LOVE to do so? An awesome book I saw recommended by <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2014/01/we-are-becoming-word-nerds.html"><b>4thGradeFrolics</b></a> and <a href="http://lookingfromthirdtofourth.blogspot.com/2013/11/interactive-thursday-word-nerd-board.html"><b>LookingfromThirdtoFourth</b></a> is called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1571109544/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1571109544&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20&linkId=TRH5SOGLMHS57IFA"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Word Nerds</b></span></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1571109544" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> , and it is teeming with ideas to accomplish this very thing. I've enjoyed gleaning ideas from the book!</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2014/01/we-are-becoming-word-nerds.html"><b>4thGradeFrolics</b></a> showcases how her students use the "vocabulary lanyards" activity to practice learning new words and definitions, discovering antonyms and synonyms, etc. The book has several activities for small groups and the whole class to practice using their words in order to commit them to memory. What I love is that most of the activities are engaging and require the students to think and talk to one another, making connections about what they're learning.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Check out <a href="http://www.allensteachingfiles.com/2013/07/active-vocabulary-practice-word-nerds.html"><b>AllensTeachingFiles</b></a> for a list of several small and whole group activities found within the book, everything from charades to board games to illustrations.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is an excellent Word Nerd <a href="http://lookingfromthirdtofourth.blogspot.com/2013/11/interactive-thursday-word-nerd-board.html"><b>classroom display</b></a> that helps students keep track of the new words they've come across in their reading.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Of course, there are tons of ideas in the book itself, like throwing a Pirate Party, A game of Deal or No Deal, creating vocabulary links, crystal ball words and much more.</span></li>
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-74797952828725065282015-03-30T14:22:00.000-07:002015-03-30T14:22:03.520-07:00Morning Meeting<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi, all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wanted to share what I've encountered recently, which I think is a FANTASTIC idea. It's called "morning meeting."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of you are probably familiar, especially if you teach PreK-2. I certainly led a lot of morning meetings when I subbed those grades. For some reason, it never dawned on me that, with a few modifications, a "morning meeting" routine would also be a great addition for upper-grade classrooms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Perusing </span><a href="http://amzn.to/1bKtJr3"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>The Morning Meeting Book</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and looking at some teachers discuss morning meeting have convinced me to look into adding the routine to my own classroom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>What is morning meeting?</strong> Good question. Responsive Classroom has a </span><a href="https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/morning-meeting-components"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">good description</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that explains morning meetings are daily (although some teachers, especially in middle grades, opt for less frequent meetings) gatherings in one section of the classroom where teachers lead students in an assortment of activities. The activities can range from team-building exercises, sharing, fun wordplay, brainteasers, journaling and curriculum review or preview. Another usual component at the beginning is a greeting exercise, which helps with social skills.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Why do I like it? </strong>As Edutopia <strong><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/morning-meeting-changing-classroom-culture-lisa-dabbs">explains</a></strong>, the morning meeting is designed to provide students with meaningful interactions to "set the tone for respectful learning, establish a climate of trust... and support social, emotional and academic learning." Isn't that awesome?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teachers of all grade levels use morning meeting and swear by it. Everyone I've heard who uses morning meeting says their class loves it, considers it an essential part of their procedures, and believes it fosters good will in the classroom. It promotes respect and builds a real sense of community, which I admire greatly. I checked out a lot of reviews of this routine on various blogs and message boards, and so many teachers talk about how it improved the atmosphere of the classroom so much that it's worth spending the few minutes of the day, no matter how the rest of the days' teaching has to be adjusted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the best testimonies about the efficacy of this routine is my own. I remember subbing for a fifth grade classroom years ago, and I remember how they knew to sit on a carpet. They performed a greeting, then went around and shared before we played a game of <strong><a href="http://substitutesftw.blogspot.com/2011/07/fun-math-game-buzz-practicing-multiples.html">Buzz</a></strong> (the first time I saw it done!) to practice common multiples. The thing I remember most was that the atmosphere in the class felt... insulated. The students seemed close and very committed to the idea of their fellow students as teammates and the classroom itself as a culture on its own. It's hard to explain but it's apparent when you're an outsider visiting a class like this. I was struck by it and thought, "Wow, this teacher must be doing something special to have her class behave this way!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It turns out this must have been my first experience with morning meeting in the upper-grades. That must have been the thing that made the classroom function in a way that impressed me. I remember one other teacher I subbed for over a few years also is one I could point to for having that "insulated" feeling in her classes and she, too, used morning meeting. Neither of the classes called the routine morning meeting, but I can identify it now by its practices. Just knowning that this is something I can use for my own students is really encouraging for me so that I can create a classroom culture of respect and community.</span>Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-32870418810325091422015-01-25T22:24:00.001-08:002015-01-25T22:24:56.766-08:00Weekly Homework Packets<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hi, everyone! I just wanted to discuss an interesting method of collecting homework that I think I may adopt. Instead of being swamped with papers and worksheets on a daily basis, some teachers have opted for what some consider a simpler choice: <b>weekly homework packets</b>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A few reasons I like the idea:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As mentioned, it decreases the amount of loose homework papers collected. The amount of homework doesn't change, but it's much easier to collect and keep track of one packet from each student once a week than several sheets each day. Homework packets are typically handed out on Monday and expected back by Friday, although there are variations of this.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Students can work at their own pace. If they want to work ahead, they can. If they skip a day, they can as long as it's all completed by the end of the week. If they want to not do homework all week until Thursday night before turning it in, they can but will hopefully soon realize this is not the best idea. This is a useful took for students to learn time management. When you think about it, upper-grade classes in middle school and high school often already operate this way. It's certainly the standard in college. Why not start teaching them this work management skill earlier?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Families often appreciate the freedom this method affords. Kids can have practice on Monday afternoons or Bible study on Wednesday evenings without having to stay up nightly to do homework due the next day. They can adjust how much homework they do to fit their schedules a little easier.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Of course, there are some drawbacks:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Students only get one shot to turn in their homework when it's due. If they forget it at home, they've left home a week's worth of work instead of just one day's work. That can lead to other complications when it comes to grading, consequences for missed work, etc.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">How do you feel about weekly homework packets? I think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks and will definitely be testing this method out! </span></span>Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-71379972454730316232014-10-21T17:14:00.001-07:002014-10-21T17:14:44.083-07:00Two Fun Classroom Review Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you're like me, you're always looking for fun games to review material with students. My favorites (like <a href="http://substitutesftw.blogspot.com/2011/01/scoot-game-teachers-swear-by-it.html"><b>Scoot</b></a>) are games that allow you to review almost any concept or subject, so they can be used again and again throughout each school year. Having an arsenal of games to keep things fresh for students is a good way to get them excited about preparing for assessment.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's why I liked these <b>two review games </b>that are both fun and simple to implement for all subjects and grade levels:</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://lawlerjoyinthejourney.blogspot.com/2014/03/sparking-student-motivation-silent-ball.html">Joy in the Journey</a> </b>discusses the creation and evolution of a classroom game called "<i>Silent Ball</i>." Yep, that's right. A <b>silent</b> review game. A ball is tossed between students who are seated on their desks. If they catch it, they are given a vocabulary word to define, math fact or history question to answer, etc. If they are correct, they toss to the next person. If they miss the answer, they sit down and are out. If the ball is tossed poorly so that the next person cannot possibly catch it, the tosser sits and is out. If the person being thrown the ball misses the catch, they are out. Also, if anyone speaks except when answering a question, they are out! Hence, the silent part of Silent Ball. This review game gets kids active and using kinesthetic learning while also exercising their mental muscles.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This game is one mentioned by some teachers who said their class loved it so much, it was a great motivation tool. I hadn't heard of it before and went to youtube to see it performed. It's called <i>Mind Soccer</i>. It appears to be associated with the Whole Brain Teaching method. All you need is a class split into two teams, and a board to keep score. You mimic Family Feud and soccer, basically, as you ask the teams review questions. Teams are penalized for missing answers or taking too long to respond, which gives the other team a chance to steal points. Watch these two classes (split in the time-honored rivalry of boys against girls) get loud and excited about reviewing their lessons with this game:</span></li>
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-4252530114971158912014-04-09T23:04:00.002-07:002014-04-10T07:09:57.638-07:00Best Games: Once Upon a Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First up in the Best Games for the Classroom Series, we have <b><a href="http://amzn.to/1i3IeWl">Once Upon a Time</a></b>, a card game that has been popular for a long time. In fact, it won awards for being such a great game,<span style="font-size: large;"> including a <a href="http://parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=31897&StepNum=1&award=aw"><b>Parent's Choice Award</b></a> last year</span>. It inspires the imagination and can be a great way to help students hone writing skills, understand story elements, and<i> </i>explore the fantasy genre.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The object of the game is to use a deck of cards, each showing a story element, to collaboratively tell a story with the rest of the players. You want to be the first to get rid of all your cards, but you have to do so by describing a story ele<span style="font-size: large;">ment</span> using the cards in your possession. At various times, other players can interrupt the narrative and continue it themselves, trying to get rid of their own cards. Players have to think fast and rely not only on their knowledge of storytelling and fairy tales, but also their own ingenuity to win. Each player has one card with a possible "ending" to the story, so each player is jostling to try to manipulate the story to their own end and get rid of their cards first. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">F<span style="font-size: large;">rom the Parents-Choice.org site:</span></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"</span>Once Upon a Time requires attention and problem solving abilities as the players try to figure out when they might be able to interrupt the current storyteller. It also draws upon players' creativity and imagination as they attempt to expand the plot and develop characters<span style="font-size: large;">."</span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Check out the publi<span style="font-size: large;">sher's</span> <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4MjqjMh1L8rV2hGZmpDN1U2U28/edit?usp=sharing"><b>list</b></a> of how the game can be useful for students.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The game can get silly and fun, as seen in the video below. There are also versions of the game where players can <a href="http://amzn.to/1hCUd8K"><b>make their own deck</b></a> with elements they choose and draw themselves. Students can add their own favorite characters, original characters or silly elements to that type of deck. </span></span></div>
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-46894705146067094042014-04-09T22:38:00.001-07:002014-04-09T22:38:09.762-07:00New Series: Best Games for the Classroom<br />
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It's no secret that I love games. I've posted about several throughout the blog, whether they are original games or adaptations of popular games. Either way, games are a great way to help students learn and practice skills.<br />
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Many students love the occasional opportunity to play games straight off the shelves. In a classroom setting, it's a good idea to use these games to reinforce what they're learning.<br />
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That's why the latest series on the blog will deal with games and ones I recommend to help students think, ponder, practice and use skills we want to see them show all the time. <a href="https://infospace.ischool.syr.edu/2013/06/27/games-as-educational-tools-teaching-skills-transforming-thoughts/">Games</a> are a great way for kids to show "the ability to think through and solve complex problems, or interact critically through language or media."<br />
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Stay tuned! Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-68187104270085465312014-04-03T16:30:00.000-07:002014-04-03T22:07:17.689-07:008 Ways to Get Students Excited About Reading<br />
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<b>Are you looking for some ways to envigorate your students' desire to read, and get them excited to crack open some books?</b></div>
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<b>I've come across several creative ways to get your class motivated to read. Take a look and see which would be the best fit for your class:</b></div>
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<li><a href="http://headoverheelsforteaching.blogspot.com/2013/10/spark-student-motivation-flashlight.html"><b>Flashlight Friday</b></a>, which is a great idea I saw on HeadOverHeels' blog. She has bought small flashlights and <a href="http://headoverheelsforteaching.blogspot.com/2014/03/spark-student-motivation-finger.html"><b>finger flashlights</b></a> at dollar stores and, as a treat, students may use them on Fridays with the lights turned off. The classroom is aglow with students silently reading with their little flashlights hovering over their books. How awesome!</li>
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<li>I absolutely love this idea for a <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2014/03/reading-motivation.html"><b>Book Raffle</b></a>! <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=2467116715&group=5553235&frame_type=b&blog=5553235&link=aHR0cDovL3RoZWJyb3duYmFndGVhY2hlci5ibG9nc3BvdC5jb20vMjAxNC8wMy9ib29rLXJhZmZsZXMuaHRtbA&frame=1&click=0&user=0"><b>The BrownBag</b></a> and <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2014/03/reading-motivation.html"><b>4thGradeFrolics</b></a> had an excellent idea to promote new books in the classroom library. They describe the new books to students, and then allow them to participate in a raffle to see who gets to read the books first. What a great contest to get students salivating over new books!</li>
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<li>Speaking of new books, <a href="http://2ndisoutofthisworld.blogspot.com/2014/03/bright-ideas-new-book-box.html"><b>2ndisoutofthisworld</b></a> has a "new book box" that showcases new books when they are introduced to the classroom. Once the kids to have a chance to read the books, they are added to the regular classroom library and replaced by newer books. Cool system! The kids will know right where to look to find something fresh to read.</li>
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<li>HeadOverHeels also has a great <a href="http://headoverheelsforteaching.blogspot.com/2013/10/spark-student-motivation-must-read-books.html"><b>printout</b></a> for having students sign books to recommend them to the rest of their classmates. Few things are more motivating for young readers than to have them open a book to see several of their classmates read and enjoyed the same book.</li>
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<li>Young students may really enjoy making a <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/09/building-excitement-and-engagement-young-readers"><b>book buddy</b></a> to read to during reading time. These cute creations can be made by students or the teacher. I've also seen teachers buy small, cheap stuffed dolls to use as book buddies.</li>
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<li>One final suggestion from HeadOverHeels (great blog, btw!): A <a href="http://headoverheelsforteaching.blogspot.com/2014/01/spark-student-motivation-read-to-win.html"><b>Reading Counts Contest</b></a> allows them to enter a drawing to win a great prize. They earn tickets for the contest by, you guessed it, reading books! The more books they read, the more they increase their chances to win.</li>
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<li>Lastly, Scholastic features a <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/04/book-every-reader"><b>helpful list</b></a> so that you can suggest book types based on students' interest, personalities and the genres they like.</li>
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Hopefully, this list helps you discover a few ways to make reading and finding new books a fun, rewarding experience for your class! :-)Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-19309538037926490592012-11-23T11:06:00.000-08:002012-11-23T11:06:59.818-08:00Three Math Activities for the Christmas Season<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can spread a little holiday cheer in your winter math lessons. There are a ton of ideas out there to enliven math class during the last few days of the semester, and get everyone in the mood for Christmas.</span></div>
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Create <strong><a href="http://7thgrademathteacherextraordinaire.blogspot.com/2011/11/deck-halls-with-coordinate-graphing.html">Christmas trees</a></strong> in the cute coordinate graphic activity. This teacher had a wonderful winter bulletin board full of these decorated Christmas trees and fireplaces. It's a good way to have them practice graphing as well as making their own artwork.</span></li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How acute is students' spatial intelligence? Test it out with this <strong><a href="http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=540">Snowflake Math Activity</a></strong>, which challenges them to anticipate which design will result from cuts on piece of paper. It's taking the handy old paper snowflake technique and making it much more complex.</span></li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Speaking of snowflakes, have you ever heard of a <strong><a href="http://mathcraft.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-6-sided-kirigami-snowflakes-0131796/">6-Sided Kirigami Snowflake</a></strong>? MathCraft shows you how to make one. They are signed to reflect the hexagonal symmetry of real snowflakes. Picture tutorial included.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you seen more math lessons that are great for this time of year?</span><br />
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-35342639279409694572012-11-23T10:37:00.001-08:002012-11-23T10:37:20.879-08:00Time-Telling Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few websites offer practice with telling time and reading clocks:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students can <strong><a href="http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/time/">Stop The Clock</a></strong> and record the time displayed. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can they tell the </span><a href="http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/timetables/index.htm"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">difference between two times</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">? Test their skills by playing another game on the same website. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They can also play <strong><a href="http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/BangOnTime/clockwordres.html">Bang on the Clock</a></strong> to stop the clock at the correct time. Adjust the clock hands' speed to make it more challenging.</span></li>
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-38173765835327342802012-11-23T09:28:00.001-08:002012-11-23T09:28:15.629-08:00Three Hands-On Geometry Activities<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turn geometry lessons into creative opportunities for students to learn while they build, manipulate and create. I found three cool resources for hands-on geometry activities that you might like to add to workstations, your classroom project roster, or enrichment lessons. </span><br />
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A great place to start for geometry activities is the <strong><a href="http://mathcraft.wonderhowto.com/">MathCraft Wiki Page</a></strong>, which has dozens of projects that explore geometric principles. Many of the suggestions there are eye-catching and complex, so this would be a good resource for gifted students. Help students strengthen their spatial intelligence by challenging them to create </span><a href="http://mathcraft.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-icosahedral-planet-ornaments-0132114/"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">icosahedral planet ornaments</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, these cool and colorful <strong><a href="http://mathcraft.wonderhowto.com/how-to/welcome-math-craft-world-bonus-make-your-own-paper-polyhedra-0130467/">paper polyhedra</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://mathcraft.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-fractal-cupcakes-0131610/">fractal cupcakes</a></strong> or any number of the ideas listed on the site. Each project contains a step-by-step tutorial.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Miss Calculate posted this <strong><a href="http://misscalculate.blogspot.com/2012/01/geometry-sort.html">geometry sort</a></strong> on her blog, which helped her students work with triangles, bisectors, medians, etc. I'm a big fan of sorting! She asked her students to take their cards and sort them into piles. Later, after they came up with a different number of piles, she explained that they should have five piles. She then had them place their cards under the correct labels. Geometry lesson with no paper and pencil required!</span></li>
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Construct a <strong><a href="http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/tetrakite/tetra.html">tetrahedral kite</a></strong> using little more than straws, a string and some tape. This includes a step-by-step guide with photos.</span></li>
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-83898494662699969072012-11-21T17:52:00.002-08:002012-11-23T09:28:36.785-08:003 Algebra Activities for Beginners<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turning algebra practice into engaging activities is sometimes a hard task. Thankfully, a few places offer work your students can do to enhance their math skills without staring at a math textbook or worksheet.</span><br />
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<a href="http://mrswsmathconnection.blogspot.com/2012/10/lifes-little-better-with-edible.html"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mrs. W's Math Connection</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> showed her students that they can make "edible equations" by solving their equations in the form of burgers. She displayed their yummy-looking algebra sandwiches as a classroom display. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Her class also <a href="http://mrswsmathconnection.blogspot.com/2012/03/water-park-project.html"><strong>created their own water parks</strong></a><strong> </strong>as a means of working with slope and linear equations. Check out her class working on their ideas and their finished projects, which look awesome! The project is available for <strong><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Linear-Equations-Water-Park-Project">free</a></strong> on a TeachersPayTeachers site!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is also Vector Kids' Online <strong><a href="http://www.vectorkids.com/vkvariable.htm">Variable Game</a></strong>, which challenges students with basic algebraic questions to solve for "x." They can choose which operation to use and how high their problems can go. How many can they solve in one minute?</span><br />
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-62114088761980808292012-10-28T16:30:00.004-07:002012-10-28T16:30:46.407-07:00Math Activities with Pattern Blocks<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pattern blocks are helpful tools to create a plethora of hands-on math activities. As I've noticed as a sub, pattern blocks are not just for students in first grade and below (as I previously assumed). Activities with pattern blocks can be adapted to fit a wide range of skills and difficulty, strengthening geometric reasoning and spatial awareness. Here are some activities and games students can enjoy:</span><br />
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<li><a href="http://www.hand2mind.com/pdf/supersource/patternblocks/SS_The%20Last%20Block%20p62-65.pdf"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Last Block</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> is a 2-4 player game that challenges students to be the last player to place a block on the gameboard. You can use <strong><a href="http://lrt.ednet.ns.ca/PD/BLM/pdf_files/pattern_blocks/triangles.pdf">this</a></strong> as a board for the pattern block game.</span></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://firstgradefabulosity.blogspot.com/2012/01/patterning-musical-chairs.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">FirstGradeParade</span></a></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> adapted Musical Chairs into a game where students added blocks to the patterns created by other students. This is a great way to get students up and moving while practicing with patterns!</span></li>
<li><strong><a href="http://catalog.mathlearningcenter.org/files/pdfs/PBLCCSSK2-0412w.pdf"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MathLearningCenter</span></a></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> has free pattern block lesson plans to download and use in class. Activities are suited for K-2 students.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://marcialmiller.com/wordpress/2011/01/playing-with-pattern-blocks/"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MarcialMiller</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> lists several games and activities using pattern blocks. Ideas include everything from working with tessalations, fractions, and making pictures of animals and flowers.</span></li>
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-68589413164247837712012-10-28T12:31:00.000-07:002012-10-28T12:32:59.726-07:003 Books for Read-Alouds and Activities<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take a look at these terrific, tried-and-true children's books that are perfect for read-alouds and centers. These 3 books are ones I have either read to classes or seen kids enjoy independently, and I've found websites that also recommend the same books and include activities you can complete after reading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312561229/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312561229&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><strong>Dodger and Me</strong></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0312561229" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> by Jordan Sonnenblick is a nice chapter book to devote to read-alouds, and <strong><a href="http://yearn4learning.blogspot.com/2011/10/blue-chimp-called-dodger.html">Yearn4Learning</a></strong>'s class considers it a favorite. She has posted a chapter-by-chapter reading response packet to go along with the book.</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439598389/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_3?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0439598389&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0545254175&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=suft-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439598389" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439598389/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_3?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0439598389&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><strong>A Bad Case Of Stripes</strong></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439598389" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> by David Shannon, one of my favorite picture book writer/illustrators, is one I definitely have enjoyed reading to students. <strong><a href="http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/bad-case-of-stripes.html">StepIntoSecondGrade</a></strong> turned the book into a coloring and writing activity for her students, and she's shared it on her site! Your class can color their own stripes on Camilla, the main character, and write about the cause and effect of events in the story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3314015445/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=3314015445&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=3314015445&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=suft-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=3314015445" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3314015445/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=3314015445&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><strong>The Rainbow Fish</strong></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=3314015445" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> by Marcus Pfister is one of the most popular books I see in school libraries. Kids love the cool illustrations, and I must admit that I love seeing the glittery images on the covers of the <em>Rainbow Fish</em> series. That's why it was so exciting to see <strong><a href="http://learningparade.typepad.co.uk/learning_parade/2010/07/rainbow-fish-tissue-lantern.html">LearningParade</a></strong>'s eye-catching craft activity designed around this book. Students create a tissue paper lantern that closely resemble the colors associated with the popular book covers. Students can also work on a cut/paste activity and color their own rainbow fish in this <strong><a href="http://learningparade.typepad.co.uk/.a/6a011570196a4c970c014e89e38bc2970d-pi">printable sheet</a></strong> from the site.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As an added bonus, check out <strong><a href="http://mrsrojasteaches.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-pinterest-inspired-project-freebie.html">MrsRojas's story maps</a></strong> made with post-it notes! They are just the right size for a little story analysis for students. She's even included a printable sheet to include information about different story elements.</span></div>
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-14125304202806102602012-10-27T10:19:00.000-07:002012-10-27T10:19:05.571-07:00Teaching with Task Cards<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you use task cards for teaching activities? You may want to consider doing so when you observe all their benefits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Task cards are pretty self-explanatory: they are cards which contain tasks, or activities for students to complete. Teachers usually create a deck of these task cards for students to practice skills. They are good worksheet alternatives, can be adapted in to games, easy to make and readily accessible since so many teachers make and share them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are some resources about task cards, if you're thinking about utilizing them:</span><br />
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<li><strong><a href="http://task-cards.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Task-Cards.com</span></a></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, which gives a thorough explanation for various ways to use task cards, including for individual, small group and whole class activities. The site also provides details on several types of task cards and gives examples of each. There are also <strong><a href="http://www.task-cards.com/try-for-free.html">four sets of free task cards</a></strong> as a sample of the type of material sold on the site. Visit here for a one-stop shop for info on task cards! </span></li>
<li><a href="http://talbottsteachingtrove.weebly.com/freebies.html"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Talbott's Teaching Trove</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> contains a few sets of free task cards, including working with antonyms and rounding numbers. My favorite are the "7-Up" cards, which encourage students to turn short, lifeless sentences into descriptive ones.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://thinkingabout3rd.blogspot.com/2011/07/due-to-popular-demandmath-task-cards.html"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Third Wheel</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> posted free math task cards to sharpen students' problem solving skills.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.proteacher.net/"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pro-Teacher.net</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> forums have many awesome members who create and share task cards for all subjects and grade levels. Sign up and join to share and contribute.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH1e5TEYdKKXCToH2LKx6rOtKRMTXBnfq_hyphenhyphen6-Bcy7QDc8v8PvvuS_3z6MGoLcZgAj45DoElWqc3lJgHE4f2u4WYXJiJZZbqXrJOj0RikW-JQEGKs8Dhw7FeAMObw3wmqN0dW7f7WB0yB/s1600/good+teachers+are+efficient.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" oea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBH1e5TEYdKKXCToH2LKx6rOtKRMTXBnfq_hyphenhyphen6-Bcy7QDc8v8PvvuS_3z6MGoLcZgAj45DoElWqc3lJgHE4f2u4WYXJiJZZbqXrJOj0RikW-JQEGKs8Dhw7FeAMObw3wmqN0dW7f7WB0yB/s320/good+teachers+are+efficient.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-12846062081351488972012-10-26T09:18:00.001-07:002014-10-21T15:43:14.663-07:00Halloween ActivitiesAre you ready for Halloween yet? It's just around the corner. Check out a few neat ideas for Halloween crafts and activities:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.craftsbyamanda.com/2010/10/halloween-monster-yard-lights.html"><strong>Monster Yard Lights</strong></a> are cool art projects to work on after reading a spooky story starring monsters. Using little more than paint and a milk jug, you can help students design monsters that they can use for Halloween decorations. Stick them around the room for fun, or allow them to mount them on sticks to make glow-in-the-dark yard lights.</li>
<li>LewisLearningLibrary allowed her class to do<a href="http://lewislearninglibrary.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-projects-diary-of-bat-bat.html"><strong> several fun Halloween activities</strong></a>, including analyzing a story in invisible ink and learning some cool things about bats through crafts. Students learned everything from how many bugs bats can eat in an hour to how long their wingspan is.</li>
<li>Play <a href="http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/Ghostblasters1/gbcd.html"><strong>Ghost Blasters</strong></a>, an online game where you blast the ghosts that contain multiples of a chosen number. It's a good way for students to practice their multiplication.</li>
<li>Make cute little <a href="http://www.momendeavors.com/2010/10/spider-web-snacks.html"><strong>spider web snacks</strong></a> as a treat for students. </li>
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And here is a list of some read-alouds you may consider for Halloween:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058M6UPY/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0058M6UPY&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0058M6UPY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=suft-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0058M6UPY" height="1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></div>
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<strong>Halloween Night</strong> by Marjorie Dennis Murray <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618809082/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618809082&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0618809082&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=suft-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0618809082" height="1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
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<strong>Bone Soup</strong> by Cambria Evans <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00181YFOC/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00181YFOC&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00181YFOC&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=suft-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00181YFOC" height="1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
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<strong>Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich </strong>by Adam Rex <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/061899923X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=061899923X&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=061899923X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=suft-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=061899923X" height="1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
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<strong>Bats at the Library</strong> by Brian Lies (check out the other bat books in the series!) <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439584019/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0439584019&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0439584019&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=suft-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439584019" height="1" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> <br />
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<strong>Sipping Spiders</strong> <strong>through a Straw</strong> by Kelly Dipucchio</div>
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-75530682451704907062012-10-08T07:04:00.000-07:002012-10-08T07:05:46.496-07:00Using Popcorn in the Classroom<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi, guys!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did you know that </span><a href="http://www.popcorn.org/AboutUs/PopcornPoppinMonth/tabid/72/Default.aspx"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">October is National Popcorn Poppin' Month</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">? I'm going to celebrate by making popcorn my go-to snack this month. You can help your students celebrate by integrating popcorn into many classroom activities during October. Here are a few ideas for inspiration:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Use kernels for an<strong> </strong></span><a href="http://thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/2010/11/few-more-math-ideas-before-holidays.html"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">estimation activity</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. FirstGradeParade posted this and included cute little autumn-themed, printable cards for students to estimate how many popcorn kernels will fit on it. After they estimate, they count the kernels to see how close their guess was.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have students describe popcorn using as many adjectives that come to mind. </span><a href="http://room-mom101.blogspot.com/2011/04/inspired-by-blogland.html"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> is Room-Mom101's take on BabblingAbby's adjective activity.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Challenge students to </span><a href="http://fawnnguyen.com/2012/05/19/20120518.aspx"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">create a box</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> that holds the most popcorn. Fawnnguyen did this activity for sixth-graders studying volume.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make a </span><a href="http://thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/2011/01/brown-bag-book-club.html"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">popcorn book club discussion</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. This is also an idea from FirstGradeParade, complete with printable discussion-starters. Students discuss their books and eat popcorn.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Create </span><a href="http://applestoapplique.blogspot.com/2012/01/popcorn-writing.html"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">popcorn writing</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> by crumpling up popcorn-shaped papers with characters and settings written on them. Students randomly choose the papers and write a story using the elements written on their papers. This comes from ApplestoApplique and is similar to my </span><a href="http://substitutesftw.blogspot.com/2010/09/lifesaver-1-class-build-story.html"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Build-A-Story activity</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, but with a popcorn theme!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How else can you add popcorn to your October activities?</span><br />
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-30287382516771143572012-09-24T21:25:00.001-07:002012-09-24T21:25:09.313-07:00Soap and Milk Can Make a Cool, Colorful Science Activity <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I saw a video of a science experiment I thought I'd share. This is a simple activity requiring few resources (milk, plates, food coloring, soap and cotton swabs) that you can perform with your students. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you place a bit of milk in a plate with a few drops of food coloring in different hues, adding a bit of soap ignites a spectacle of swirls and spinning colors. Kids would love to see the colors mixing together in a really surprising visual effect. Explain the science behind it (involving the molecules in the soap "chasing" the molecules in the milk). The video below explains the concept and shows you how the colors look once the soap is introduced. You can also turn it into an experiment for students to record how the colors react in different types of milk and other liquids. I've included a <b><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4MjqjMh1L8rcW15V2pZaUdlaVU">printable sheet</a></b> for students to record their data during the activity.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Hr6dZ6aWpF4" width="470"></iframe>Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-15799165360965157142012-09-24T21:00:00.000-07:002012-09-24T21:00:55.884-07:00Cool Things To Come on Substitutes, FTW!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi, guys! Sorry I haven't been posting as much lately. It's been crazy around here!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have made progress with some longstanding plans I have for the blog. I always wanted to offer "freebie" printables to include with some of the activities and books I post. Well, that's exactly what I'm working on doing. Nothing fancy yet, as I'm only starting to get the hang of it. I just wanted easy, convenient tools for teachers to use in the classroom. So, look forward to lots of worksheets, printable forms and activities created by me! I'm already working on a set of activity sheets for a GREAT book I read recently that I will review soon. Stay tuned!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-48332654895661591822012-09-11T19:42:00.000-07:002012-09-22T01:47:10.079-07:00Video: Students Creating Video Games<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Check out this post from <b><a href="http://www.edweek.org/dd/collections/videos/index.html?bclid=275356295001&bcpid=1201125302001&bctid=1686101760001">Education Week</a></b>'s site. They show a teacher discussing the benefits of teaching students to design their own video games, an activity that is engaging, helps them practice material, and familiarizes them with skills that may help them in their career.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Check out <b><a href="http://gamestarmechanic.com/teachers/using_gamestar">GameStar Mechanic</a></b> if you're interested in showing kids how to design their own video games.</span><br />
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<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="270" id="flashObj" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=1686101760001&playerID=1537807853001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAD5nd3uE~,qqYiMH7TgT9ZYfpycMhrU3K-aC9dqb9L&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=1686101760001&playerID=1537807853001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAD5nd3uE~,qqYiMH7TgT9ZYfpycMhrU3K-aC9dqb9L&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="480" height="270" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object>Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-82898234048468717892012-09-08T09:10:00.000-07:002012-09-08T09:10:47.658-07:00The Chaos Walking Series<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763645761/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763645761&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0763645761&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=suft-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0763645761" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you know, I like to keep abreast of my popular YA lit. The <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763645761/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763645761&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20">Chaos Walking: Book One</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0763645761" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </em>series is one of the most popular series right now, and it is on its way to a <strong><a href="http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/charlie-kaufman-to-adapt-chaos-walking-lionsgates-next-franchise-play/">big film franchise adaptation</a></strong>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I read the first book in the series a few days ago, and I can see why readers enjoy it so much. The pacing of the story and the nonstop action make it such an exciting read, your eager readers will tear through it pretty quickly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The story (due to language and violence, I think it's appropriate for teenagers and adults) involves a young boy, Todd, who is on the cusp of manhood living in a world where everyone's thoughts are audible. And I mean <em>everyone</em>, including animals (such as his lovable dog Manchee). The character describes what it's like to always know everyone's thoughts; whether awake or asleep, intentional or not, people's minds are bombarded with images and words from others' minds. No one's thoughts are private. Not a single thought can be held in isolation. Even the most private desires and fears are as public as shouting them from the rooftops. The book calls this phenomenon, the outpouring of thoughts everywhere, as Noise. The way it is described throughout the book is really a fascinating analysis of how the mind works. Even animals have a voice because their thoughts are audible as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Todd was born into a world like this but, soon after the book begins, his whole world is tossed in an upheaval that destroys everything he has ever known, including the way he understands the world and the people he trusts. He sets out on an adventure that causes him to question the strange society of his origin, the outside world, and what it truly means to be a man.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The story has all the works: evil villains, a boy and his dog facing a rugged terrain through the wilderness, alien wars and crashing spaceships, hints of romance and the strong bonds of friendship. It's a really moving story and sets the tone for what I'm sure will be an engrossing series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recommend it to your older readers!</span>Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-33225444151073163472012-09-08T08:00:00.000-07:002012-09-08T08:00:04.104-07:00Celebrate Reading with Class Book Awards<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How is the school year going for everyone? Hopefully, you're in the full swing of things and enjoying the new semester. I know I am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I came across this awesome idea on Scholastic, courtesy of the always helpful Beth Newingham. She came up with a fun way for students to get into reading and recommend books not only to their classmates, but students who will be in the class many years later. Get students involved in reading, rating, voting and selecting their favorite books year after year in a Class Book Awards ceremony.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Inspired by awards bestowed on notable books (like Newbery, Caldecott, etc), she had her class come up with their own categories and vote on books to give awards each month. The categories can be changed from month to month. October? How about <em>Book with the Best Villain</em> or <em>Spookiest Story</em>? Let students' imaginations run wild with categories; <em>Most Likely to Be An Awesome Movie</em>, <em>Best Laugh-Out Loud Funny</em>, and <em>Book with the Character You Most Want to Be Your Friend</em> could be some ideas to suggest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Check out the </span><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/collateral_resources/pdf/o/Oct_06_Sample_ballot.pdf"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">sample ballot</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> she used for her class' "Newiberry Awards." As you can see, the categories the class generated are a bit more flexible and interesting than what you see in most awards. Students can make their choice from among books they've read for school or recreational reading. She even set up a special podium and special "awards ceremony" envelopes to pull out the winning books for each monthly occasion, giving the whole activity an air of authenticity. She also recommends designing a special medal (<strong>cool art contest for the class?</strong>) just for the class award. Once the ceremony is complete, a copy of the award-winning covers are displayed on a big bulletin board, and a special "medal" is placed on the cover of the books in the classroom library. She includes the year on the medal that allows students to see recommended books from years past, voted and awarded by students who were once in their shoes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How cool is that? I love the idea and Beth Newingham's post walks you through the whole process of how she does it. The activity is divided into two posts on her Scholastic blog, found <strong><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/class-book-awards">here</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top_teaching/2010/02/class-book-awards">here</a></strong>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It would be great to start off the school year with this fun activity that really promotes reading and sharing amongst your students. Check out her blog and start your own Book Awards!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJITxHUOY2tvXUIBsOTePsOu0cbhFtUuM4lmwtOi_Hf8I6gHzkpknIUyL-ZMo5iyWw1EqkIFoI-8Nja_xpDut17T-pF7eSMa3fXUBQphGO-3VVmxBPa77raDV-DaO37q6YiMvNjM-Z3pT/s1600/88i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJITxHUOY2tvXUIBsOTePsOu0cbhFtUuM4lmwtOi_Hf8I6gHzkpknIUyL-ZMo5iyWw1EqkIFoI-8Nja_xpDut17T-pF7eSMa3fXUBQphGO-3VVmxBPa77raDV-DaO37q6YiMvNjM-Z3pT/s400/88i.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-87957694142062556022012-08-24T17:16:00.000-07:002012-08-24T17:16:32.494-07:00Using Anticipation Guides as a Pre-Reading Activity<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Several months back, I posted some <b><a href="http://substitutesftw.blogspot.com/2012/01/enders-game-activities.html">activities</a></b> used with the novel <i>Ender's Game</i>. One of the activities listed is an "anticipation guide," and I always wanted to follow-up with more details on this particular pre-reading strategy.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I first heard about anticipation guides when I was reading Kylene Beers' excellent Resource <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0867095199/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0867095199&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><b>When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do</b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0867095199" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, which gives details about what anticipation guides are and the best way to use them. They work best as a pre-reading activity to help students activate prior knowledge before reading a text, and engage with some themes and issues they will deal with in the reading (which builds anticipation).</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To make an anticipation guide, you start with a set of generalizations based on themes found in the reading (you can use fiction or nonfiction). Before reading the text, students decide whether they agree or disagree with those generalizations. The class can then discuss their reasonings, read the text, and then revisit the anticipation guide to see whether or not their thinking has changed.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beers explains that the point is not to change the students' minds, but to encourage them to think deeply about their beliefs. Good anticipation guide statements should provoke thought and discussion amongst students. In her example, the students reading a sample guide called the statements "tough" because it was hard to know what contexts in which the statement was agreeable or not. They responded to a lot of the statements by saying, "It depends." That's what you want to hear! It's not about right or wrong answers; it's about students beliefs and their explanations for them.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's what I like about the activity. You get students' minds involved and engaged before they even approach the text. When I looked online for examples of guides to go with stories, I think a lot of people make the mistake of having their generalizations and statements be too cut and dry, not challenging enough to provoke deep thought. For instance, if you're about to read <i>The Outsiders</i> and one of your statements reads, "<i>Having good friends can help you endure tough situations</i>," how can that be challenged? Who would disagree with that? Though it tells you something about a theme in the story, it doesn't really work well in an anticipation guide. How can your generalizations challenge students' thoughts, preconceptions and expectations in the story? The answers shouldn't be clear-cut, black-and-white responses. If yours are, go back and see how you can reword the statement to better build anticipation. </span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beers recommends using words like "always," "never" and other nonnegotiable words in your statements. Play on students' usual line of thinking. Examples I wrote:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>Murder is never right</i>." (How would reading <i>To Kill A Mockingbird</i> or <i>Julius Caesar</i> challenge this idea?)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>It is never justifiable to break the law</i>." (Would <i>The Diary of Anne Frank</i> or <i>The Hunger Games</i> add a twist to this idea?)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>There is always a better way to solve problems than using violence</i>." (What about in <i>Ender's Game</i>?)</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Again, the concept is not for students to eventually change their mind; each statement should at least make students think, "It depends." After reading the story, their minds could change or be even more convinced of their original belief, but they've now been able to consider different contexts and viewpoints.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beers also recommends students analyzing characters post-reading by having them respond to the guide statements from the point of view of different characters. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can read more about anticipation guides <b><a href="http://www.adlit.org/strategies/19712/">here</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/anticipation_guide/">here</a></b> (which also includes templates and a video).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are some good anticipation guides I found online:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for <i><b><a href="http://novelinks.org/uploads/Novels/ManiacMagee/Anticipation%20Guide%20Worksheet.pdf">Maniac Magee</a></b></i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for <b><i><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:3-gu7L-JS8kJ:lauralouis.edublogs.org/files/2011/08/Anticipation-Guide-Things-Fall-Apart-1d497bq.doc+Anticipation+Guide+Things+Fall+Apart+1d497bq+doc&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShJIFtuqc40FR-QvNRZGxqz5rRpt_46gQFsFh7eT73tGUoycK_8hjLeMea8otGKnp6a-QK0CzaVZrcPoqEJoG_s7p4aq4y8gC34LBqJfTWr5IFLqNfm7yEz6IdsIvKntUB6D_B2&sig=AHIEtbSJv2k5G59FQqUh2AiSvAYdY0w73g">Things Fall Apart</a></i></b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for <b><a href="https://derapsliteracy.wikispaces.com/file/view/hunger+games+anticipation+guide.pdf">the first chapter of <i>The Hunger Games</i></a></b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for <b><i><a href="http://mrsfollis.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/gatsby-anticipation-guide.pdf">The Great Gatsby</a></i></b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for <b><i><a href="http://slcharlton.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/lord_of_flies_anticipation_guide.pdf">Lord of the Flies</a></i></b></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for <b><i><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:t1YUs_4MZXIJ:bshsenglishclassroom.homestead.com/The_Crucible_Anticipation_Guide.doc+http://www.cvsd.org/university/classes/eng/wwatson/documents/The_Crucible_Anticipation_Guide.doc&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiAGyRl5OLJyfaVX2_FxOJoVI9Wn3Unxu4rHR2c8r6G-7kxQMedqXOpE6DJ-hLVJbBdb4J0CtUHc9WjMo_xup1u8A2h7TlVyTK62zzAKGfZsw2ZnvN3S8LohzbPh54hxKzkqEHv&sig=AHIEtbQwrLjam2OGe90PqyE-LU93AP53Eg">The Crucible</a></i></b></span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The activity also works for different grade levels and subjects. Check out this video from <b><a href="http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/anticipation_guide/">ReadingRockets</a></b>.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The "Animal Fact Files" she enjoyed as a kid are full of info about different species around the world. They include vivid pictures as well as text features to help kids learn all about each creature.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She decided to compile these pages for the class and use them when they finish their work early. She posts one sheet a week for students to read when they get a chance, and they fill out a pre-made questionnaire to show their newfound knowledge. The student who does the best job gets their picture posted as "Zoologist of the Week."</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought this was an inventive way to both make use of discarded magazines and give curious readers something to do when they finish their work early. Even if you don't have the "Animal Fact File" sheets she used, you can still mimic this same idea with any magazines with animal features, like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003I7HS4I/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003I7HS4I&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><b>Ranger Rick</b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003I7HS4I" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006FXOV/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00006FXOV&linkCode=as2&tag=suft-20"><b>Ask</b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=suft-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00006FXOV" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (click <b><a href="http://substitutesftw.blogspot.com/2011/07/magazine-match-up-which-are-best-for.html">here</a></b> for a full list of recommended classroom magazines). Ask the school and public libraries for any old copies of magazines you can use. Click on <b><a href="http://teachingdugout.blogspot.com/2012/07/90s-wildlife-fact-file-and-science.html">TheDugout's</a></b> link to use her questionnaire in your version of this activity.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can likely even adapt this to fit whatever kind of magazine features you want. Students could become "Scientist of the Week" for science articles, "Historian of the Week" for articles on historical figures, etc.</span><br />
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</span>Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5908987455280900998.post-58275233600349180882012-08-15T13:13:00.000-07:002012-08-15T13:13:30.889-07:00Write Stories Using Kerpoof!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turn your next creative writing activity into a fantastic publishing opportunity for your students. All that's needed is <b><a href="http://www.kerpoof.com/">Kerpoof</a></b>, which allows them to create <b><a href="http://www.kerpoof.com/#/activity/storybook">virtual storybooks</a></b>.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peruse the site to see how easy the navigation is. All students have to do is choose a genre, characters and setting. They have a wide variety of enjoyable options, like science fiction with aliens, fantasy with wizards and princesse, or rock stars in concerts. Students can get pretty creative with all the selections available.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once they make their choices, they click and drag them to the digital storybook pages, where they can add text and dialogue. You can encourage your students to include story elements or specific topics of study. Once finished, students can save and print their stories, or publish them on the site for other readers to view.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kerpoof helpfully provided a <b><a href="http://www.kerpoof.com/edu/plans/Tell_a_Story/Tell_a_Story.pdf">step-by-step guide</a></b> to using their storybook feature. Their site also includes good activity suggestions, such as having students create the story pages with empty dialogue bubbles so that other students can fill in the words. </span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kerpoof has many other cool aspects of their site, but the digital stories are my favorite. Consider this as a computer/writing center option, or a fun writing project. Check out the <b><a href="http://www.kerpoof.com/teach?c=lesson_plans">lesson plan page</a></b> for more suggestions. It's free!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS-bCx_LfPYlgIRgU42VvHdS_ptjDg6ld4LLDijYtiSgasnBd7ayf07CGDVsGyb4MJUbToXR9Q37nklkzKKGJcj5bcdDt4gUHswiiPhCbpKFrAGNFF09EFXIFRjIG6u1se1FbOXLCDkXh/s1600/kerploof+storybook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS-bCx_LfPYlgIRgU42VvHdS_ptjDg6ld4LLDijYtiSgasnBd7ayf07CGDVsGyb4MJUbToXR9Q37nklkzKKGJcj5bcdDt4gUHswiiPhCbpKFrAGNFF09EFXIFRjIG6u1se1FbOXLCDkXh/s400/kerploof+storybook.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Myriad, Arial, 'Times New Roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>Used With the Permission of Disney/Kerpoof</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Veronica Chasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09847315278859040483noreply@blogger.com0