Treasure Hunt

Over Christmas vacation, my kids needed something a little more creative to do.  Today began the treasure hunt.  They found one treasure today, but the possibilities are as endless as the treasures I can hide and the quatrains I can write.

First, I created a map of our home by crinkling packing paper.  It was the biggest piece of paper I had and worked great.  I used marker to draw the items and water color.  No, we don't actually live in a castle.  However, as the saying goes, "A man's home is his castle."  (Or something like that.)  Some map items are figurative.  I had to explain that to my kids.  This seemed to be an education experience.

Learning Objectives:
1. Read cursive handwriting.
2. Decode strange clues.  (figurative language)
3. Read a map.
4. Use a compass.

I used the compass on my iphone to help with the directions.
It isn't perfect, but it works fine.
Next time I will draw the map with the traditional North at the top.
Live and Learn.  

Here are my clues if you want to borrow my poetry.  

And the end result!  It was too cold to spend much time outside anyway. 

And the treasure today was a new movie.  My girls loved it when we went to the theater.  Now they can watch it any time they want.  

Click below and order a copy from Amazon.com.  Enjoy!  

Facebook Templates for Education

Facebook Templates for Education

Facebook Lesson Plan for short stories or novels

Templates for facebook worksheets:
http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/facebook-templatefor-education/



Directions:
1. Student will pick a character and fill out a profile page including a profile icon picture.
2. Students will form a group with two or three other characters. 
3. Students will participate in a home page discussion.
    a. Each person is responsible for a minimum of four substantive comments:
        1 - Present the conflict from the story.
        2 - Comment on the conflict from another story by offering a statement based on the personality of  the character.
        3 - In a response or a new status update, reflect on the theme from the story.
        4 - Make a status update based on the events from the story.
    b. all comments should remain in character based on the story.
4. Students will turn in:
   a. a profile page for each person
   b. the home page discussion from the group

"I Have a Dream" and Sneetches?

I love this lesson that I get to teach each year!  In the unit on Genre, our department talks about the message of both "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King Jr. and The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss because they are the same. 

MLK's speech focuses on the past, present, and future of discrimination and segregation in 1963.  He addresses everyone in the crowd charging them with what they must do to make a difference in our country.  He says there can be no satisfaction until changes are made.  However, he has faith that his dream for our country will happen to give everyone full citizenship rights. 


Dr. Seuss shared a similar message published first in 1961 for a completely different audience: children.  Dr. Seuss created a fictional race of Sneetches that were either Plain Bellied or Star Bellied.  As the story goes, one race thinks they are better than the other, but by the end both realize that it matters not whether you have a star or a plain belly.  Sneetches are Sneetches. 

The fun in this lesson and comparison when teaching Genre is that the message of both pieces is the same but presented differently to different audiences.  The point?  Audience must be considered if the author's point is going to be effective, and an appropriate genre must be picked that will catch the attention of the particular audience.

Back to School

Heading back to school is a very exciting time!  Parents and students are busy searching for deals on school supplies and new clothes.  And teachers are busy trying to prepare engaging activities that will keep kids interested in subjects which are sometimes perceived as boring.  Here are some pictures of things my students are doing for our unit in Genre.  The idea is that genre is a way to organize something - specifically literature.  We talk about poetry, prose, and drama as well as many subcategories of each.  To help kids relate to organization options, I bring in a few interesting items: children's books, shoes, and hair accessories.  Unfortunately, I can't show you the pictures of all the boys with bows in their hair, but trust me that they were hilarious!  The kids really enjoyed organizing these silly items and discussing how it related to organizing literature into different categories. 

What Do Students Want?

What Students Want - from http://www.mangrum-strichart.com/teaching-strategies/

8/8/2011

You look for certain characteristics when you buy a product. Students don`t "buy" their teachers. But there are certain characteristics they would like their teachers to have.

Students would like their teachers to:

• listen to them
• treat everyone fairly
• respect them
• be enthusiastic
• be understanding

Most importantly, students would like their teachers to:

• know their subject matter
• help them learn
• make learning enjoyable

Teachers who have these characteristics are successful teachers.

Tiered Lessons

Are all kids the same? Absolutely not. My own children are different from one another. Each person enjoys or thrives doing different types of activities. Then again, there are some kids that teachers must work just to keep them above C level.

Today's thoughts take me to options for students. Particularly tiered lessons as I consider preparing for inclusion classes that include special education students, regular level students, and PreAP who need a push.

In tiered lessons, there is a basic learning goal presented with several levels of learning available. One level is foundational for all students. It is the minimum required for everyone. The middle level will ask a bit more and most students should be able to handle these activities. The third level is for students who need a challenge or are not satisfied with anything less than an A+!

Personal challenge - review a lesson that can be tiered and incorporate it into a performance task for one of the units this year.

Engine-Uity has great ideas that I can even use in high school. 
Engine-uity's Whole Language Prima Kit for Grades 1-3