Summer Reading Club

Just read a real good book* I could swear I saw one of our students reading, or at least carrying, the other day -- The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner -- but when I asked about it this morning, she denied everything. Maybe I got the girl wrong, there were several of them at the same table, all Filipinas with straight black hair, but I don't think so.  And it's not like I walked up to the Pink Ladies and mentioning the word "book" wiped out all her street cred in front of the cool kids, these are all good students and most are in a book club. I do know I got the title slightly wrong, I couldn't quite remember the "brilliant" or the "Gianna" parts, but it's not like I accused her of reading Mein Kampf....

Which got me wondering if I could set up a Book Club Blog** to get some 4th-6th grade students reading, discussing, and sharing books they read. I might not even be at that school next year, or might only be the PE Teacher again, but it might be a way to keep some reading going over the summer. And if I did get a classroom next year we could keep it going and use it for digital citizenship and internet writing lessons.  Even at a different school it would be a way to connect students/readers from around the county.  Hmmm...



* as opposed to a fake good book?
** obviously a catchy, cool name is needed. Any ideas?

Making It Up As I Go Along

I love History, enjoy the Founding Fathers/Birth of Our Nation period, and was looking forward to Social Studies with my new 5th graders. Except I was told S.S. is not on the State test, 5th grade has a Science benchmark, and besides, the students don't like it anyway...

My little red. white, and blue heart was crushed, from the jump.

So we did a lot of Science, took the test, and will keep doing Science cuz it's on the State test too, but I must get in some George Washington or I will feel like a failure as an American and a teacher.  Especially since we're studying archetypes in LangArts and there would be great connections to heroes, rebels, etc.

Then I looked at the textbook. Oy, several chapters still to go before 1776, and they don't look like the kind of chapters that keep 11 year old eyelids open. I suppose I could skip stuff, but they do need some background, right?  Then I started getting ideas, whether from the ghost of Ben Franklin or what I learned Education was really supposed to be like in my Credential classes I'm not sure, but I'm gonna go with it....

I'd love ideas, suggestions, warnings, project-based, um, projects, places to check out and things to do online, whatever ya got to help make this work. Call me naive and foolhardy, but I really do want my students to learn something AND not hate Social Studies!

So here's my Lesson "Plan":

Notes from a work in progress. The only part we've done in class so far is assign the groups and discuss where on the map we are (my Native American group wanted to be Hopi).

1. Gave each table group their assignment: Middle, Southern, New England Colonies, Great Britain, Native Americans, African Americans. Spent several minutes convincing them Great Britain, Britain, and England were one and the same. They didn't like this choice until I mentioned one of them could be King! The African American group probably has the least info in the text, so I gave it to a group of good researchers.
2. Each group of 4/5 students also will assume characters -- 1 or 2 children and a reporter, a politician/leader, and a farmer or businessperson.  They can find out how their characters would work, play, dress, live, etc and compare with same character in the other groups.We're voting on a class Postman (need to work Franklin in here somehow) and students will be able to write letters/questions to other characters, hopefully more or less in character. I'm also hoping we can use their blogs to post a diary/journal for each character so others can read and ask questions. Through all of that will each student learn about the other groups w/out having to read the entire text and do all worksheets?
3. Need some good historical fiction...
4. Students can build houses (Popsicle sticks?) to show the various ways people lived.
5. Each group's Reporter will create a newsletter to publish info and events from their area -- maybe discussing famous people from their area? Op ed and letters to editor as we get closer to shot heard 'round the world?
6. Art: pose as artwork from the period? Work up a script, what are these people doing, saying, and why?
7. Hmmm, King vs Colonist tax policy debate? Family Feud  game show?
8. Each group has a political figure, gov official, tribe leader. What power/responsibility does each have? How were they chosen? Why did they want position? Interesting to compare the various styles of gov. For AfrAmer need to find a Northern figure, or could they be represent a slave?
9. If there are 5 students in a group, do their characters all need to be connected? Same tribe, same town, etc? Will students have ability to research needed if all separate?
10. Time lines (or is it timelines?) -- I love timelines, and the kids love folding papers into cool shapes and gluing them into their journals, so we'll make a time line that expands out of their books and they can add events/dates as we go through unit. I'll start with them making a personal timeline and checking out something cool online, hopefully interactive -- any suggestions?
11. Maps. You know I love maps. Students can research cartography (right, like we have time for that) and create maps showing their groups area(s) and how connected to other groups areas -- follow that mail carrier! How would a letter get from one person/place to another? 
12. They also need help with paraphrasing, too much to use the Dec of Independence and have them reword it a little?
13. I need music! Need to start playing them colonial/British/spiritual music while they read and work... now what section if the record store will that be in?
14. Thanks to this awesome LiveBinder and a cool "foldable" I saved from my son's class got an idea for them to collect their key info (and anything involving folding and gluing they really get into).
15. I need to make a big puzzle where each group's puzzle piece fits together to make the map we've been looking at, Great Britain to the Adirondacks. On each piece they can illustrate key elements. I suppose each group's big piece could be broken into smaller pieces of puzzle, 1 for each group member to work on.  Now the question: How do I make a giant puzzle? Working out details of puzzle on google doc (link below)
16. The Domino Book! Liked this idea since Son #3 brought one home a few years ago, and now I know it's called a "Foldable" -- the tricky part will be getting the less hand-eye coordinated students to not end up with a big ball of paper. The facts for each category will be across the folded page from an example and/or illustration, when booklet is completely unfolded one side shows all facts and other side all examples.

Does a link to google docs work here? "Soc Studies Colonial..."

Cereal Box Volume Activity

I'm pretty sure the idea came from... dang, can't think of the site now. I saw it here as "Juice Box Geometry" as well. Students had juice, cereal, and tissue boxes and measured with partners to find surface area and calculate volume. Next they used their measurements to design a net for the box, labeling the parts and dimensions. Then the boxes were carefully opened and pulled apart (juice boxes over the sink, please!), remeasured, and matched up to the nets. Volume was recalculated and compared to original figures -- how/why different? Why was the package designed the way it was? Could you improve on the design or increase the volume?

If I kept my Math students (they come from all three 5th grade classrooms) I thought it would be cool to transfer their nets and measurements into an Art lesson -- design your own product and packaging!

Cereal Box Volume Activity

Crossword Puzzles: Evil Incarnate?

Almost got this one first time through...

Yes, the NY Times one right next to it is is completely blank, but I'll take my victories where I can get 'em.

My sons have all brought home crossword puzzles in their homework packets, and as a Sub I've seen plenty of them left for me to copy and pass out. I have never understood how those were supposed to be educational since 99% of the kids just filled in one word, listed for them at the top of the page, then looked over at their neighbors' papers to fill in the rest.

I haven't worked one into a lesson yet but I see them as building and reinforcing the vocab while also sneaking in some new words. Plus there is the THINK factor, reading the clue for context and understanding -- why did the puzzle author choose that word? -- and having to actually try a word then erase and try again. Or in my case write over the error with a black pen and hope you don't notice.

Have you used word puzzles that actually challenge your students? When, how, etc?

.

and while I'm here, I love my desk. Just sayin'.

Learning is Messy

Great blog, this guy seems like just what I want to be when I grow up. His students are skyping, blogging, publishing, etc. Watch the Digital Learning post video -- very inspiring!

Learning is Messy
 

Education needs a soundtrack

Books with soundtracks -- love this idea. Historical novels with period music, character/mood/motivation expressed and enhanced with appropriate background music? Think of the possibilities for informational text: new terms and concepts can be introduced with a video, historical events accompanied by primary source images, etc, etc.

This is exactly what I think of when I envision not only text books in the future, but My Classroom tomorrow!  At the very least I want Google search constantly hooked up so no student ever has to say "what is that?" and not get immediate visual and/or aural support to the text explanation. And my ipod will be constantly present -- Civil War studies needs fifes and drums, Civil Rights Era needs Sam Cooke, Earth Science neeeeeds cool video of oozing lava and exploding volcanoes!

ReadWriteThink

great ideas and calendar of historical events at Read Write Think

March Madness

By the time my SDSU Aztecs defeat those damn Dukies this weekend, I should have this figured out: a bracket/tournament of children's books to mirror the college basketball "March Madness" -- here are a few ideas so far...

• kick it off with Dr Seuss birthday celebration and students presenting and talking about favorite books
• need a simple, expedient voting process (higher grades could be online)
• each round (sweet 16, elite 8, etc) can focus on a specific aspect, such as characters or theme

any ideas? seen it done anywhere?

Drowning in Scraps and Doodles

Funny thing is, I've started this post/project umpteen times lately and never quite finished. And so the pile grows...

Love post it notes. I go into panic attack mode if there is not one near by when needed.  Even without a pen handy, I can carry around several blank sticky notes just to remind me of what I'll forget as soon as I find that pen. Let's see what I can uncover and decipher this morning...

"Kurt SAT" -- oh lordy, is my oldest really that old? No, 16 is not really old, but next comes 18, then 21, then 28, it just doesn't stop, does it? Dang, another hair just went gray.

"Hula hops w/ strings" -- probably "hoops" for a lesson on planetary orbits; tie strings to hoops to demonstrate orbits, earth hoop connects to sun hoop, moon hoop to earth hoop, student holds/stands in center of hoop... hmm, might be one I need to try out w/ my lab rats (sons).  Also, strings/cords of varying thicknesses to show level of gravitational pull? I love doing the moon rotation lessons, and props plus student movement seems to help.

"Crawdaddy Simone" -- song title?

"sardonic" -- word of the day/week up on a poster with room for students to write what they think is the definition/use it in a sentence, points or prizes given at end of week, extra credit for defining root words, etc.

 "show me 5" -- heard a teacher say this when getting class attention; I think the five were eyes, ears, smile, hands in lap and legs criss cross.

"Time Line" -- I love time lines, and I know students have issues conceptualizing the When of events, eras, etc. My son lumps the Revolutionary War, King Arthur, Ancient Egypt all into "way back when" so I want him to raw out his own timeline and fill in what he is interested in at the appropriate space on a long roll of paper (calculator/receipt paper?). Could be done as whole class project and add people/events as the year goes on. Works with across all subjects -- fractions/measurement, science, literature...

"Connections" -- I'm all about the connections, I want students to be able to access as much different information in that computer on their shoulders as possible. Just like the word bat (it's a noun! a verb! a creature with fangs!) I want them to see all the possibilities in a lesson -- how can this Math be used in Science, the "real world", and what is the who and when behind it? How does this book connect to our Social Studies lesson? I think even younger grades can learn how to take notes, writing down everything they think of when I say a certain word or phrase so they expand the "search" and bring more connections, more background knowledge/prior experience, more opportunities for new information to stick.  Isn't there a board game where you list everything related to a word or phrase?

"46 across, 5 letters, Submarine" -- I like crossword puzzles.  I want to use them in my class, and not as time filler for students who finish early. They're connected to making connections -- could "submarine" be a noun, a verb, a...?

"boys (swords, wool) girls (emot, love triangle)"  -- not sure what this one means

"Reading First" -- free.ed.gov

Cool, that was a good sized stack reviewed, sorted, crumpled and tossed!

There Are No Shortcuts

page 51: Coach Wooden: "The four laws of learning are explanation, demonstration, imitation, and repetition... To make sure this goal was achieved I created eight laws of learning, namely: explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, and repetition."

pg 91: "It's not the job of the teacher to save a child's soul; it is the teacher's job to provide an opportunity for the child to save his own soul."

pg 156: Teacher Marva Collins: " 'I Will' is more important than IQ."

I didn't like this book as much as Teach ...on Fire, a little too whiny and bitter for my taste, but Esquith outlines some schedules and lesson ideas/plans, and there's always his high standards to inspire...

Superheroes = Super Readers

Comic Book Literacy *

I like comic books, my kids like comic books, and I want my students to read/like/appreciate/create/etc. comic books.  Oops, I forgot I'm supposed to call them "graphic novels" or "illustrated classics" now, especially if trying to use them in a classroom.  Reading is about enjoying to read, wanting to read, cooperating eagerly with reading time instead of grudgingly flipping through whatever book happens to be nearby.  I've seen middle school classes turn the pages of tired, over-perused National Geographics without so much as a courtesy glance at the text (and barely allowing the images to register in their turned-off minds) during "Independent Reading" -- and I'd much rather they were reading a comic book!

On the other hand, I also see (mostly boys, mostly struggling readers) the "reading" of comics as simply a picture walk.  I'll allow comics, even strip collections like the inimitable Calvin and Hobbes , but I want to verify comprehension, I want vocabulary, questions, and predictions -- proof you actually read the words inside those balloons!  Would this work to check comprehension: white out some of the text, entire balloons or panels, and have the student fill in his/her own words, phrases, descriptions of action. Comics could also be used as a voice-over type of Reader's Theater, almost like classic radio shows or silent movies with the images up on the screen?

* Probably going to miss ComicCon this year, but checking out this site now...