https://www.archives.gov/files/education/lessons/worksheets/cartoon_analysis_worksheet.pdf
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/resources/Analyzing_Political_Cartoons.pdf
Education
Even the Cat Likes Banned Books
I really like my new bag that I got, and so does Raven, the cat.
Want to Raise Test Scores? Then Honor Their Passions
This is so true. By creating interdisciplinary learning opportunities focused on students interest, we create pathways to deep, meaningful learning for students.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/want-to-raise-test-scores_1_b_9835528.html
Teaching Kindness to Reduce Bullying
Why Teaching Kindness in Schools Is Essential to Reduce Bullying
This morning, I came across this Edutopia blog post that ties nicely with our 6th grade class meeting from yesterday based on How Full Is Your Bucket and the children’s version, Have You Filled a Bucket Today. The lesson was a great success!
Here are the resources we used.
Kid President’s 20 Things We Should Say More Often
Fill Your Bucket-children’s song
Writing in the Middle School-Thoughts and Ideas
I tell parents every year at open house that the art of teaching is creating lessons that are so engaging for students that the students are willing to complete the task even if they don’t like what they are doing. Writing is a great example of this. Many students do not enjoy writing because it takes a long time, it requires them to think, it doesn’t have A right answer,there are many rules, etc. However, there aren’t many skills more important for them to learn, so I am always on the lookout for good writing prompts and for resources that can be turned into meaningful, engaging writing prompts.
Here are some my most recent finds and ideas.
What My Childhood Tasted Like informative using an article as a text companion–designed around a lesson from Write Like This by Kelly Gallagher
Two People Meet in Heaven practice writing dialogue
28 Writing Prompts for Middle School found on Twitter
Two Sentence Horror Stories Great for Halloween
Break Up Conversation Not a new lesson, but the kids enjoy practicing writing dialogue on this lesson.
Southern Journal The Quill and the Mule An article that provides Southern students with the reason they need to write a story that contains a dead mule. My students have a blast with this.
The Porch Article An article that provides the prompt, “The _____ is the soul of the ____.” The cafeteria is the soul of the school. Home plate is the home of the field.
Positive Phone Calls Home
This Edutopia piece is so right. We are often tired and bust, so we fail to take the time to let parents know when their children do what they are supposed to do. We also get frustrated with students and only call he with bad news. By starting with good news before the need to call with bad news, parents feel that we like their child and are will be quicker to help us out.
Interesting Lessons Fron an American Teacher in Finland
An interesting read. I wonder what other countries could learn from us.
Bibliotherapy-A Strategy to Address Students’ Affective Needs
Bibliotherapy is a strong strategy that addresses the affective needs of students.
Resources:
http://www.behavioradvisor.com/Biblio.html
http://bibliotherapy.ehs.cmich.edu/
STEM–interesting article
Interesting article on the job prospects for those seeking jobs in STEM fields.
Professional Learning: 5 Special Strategies for Teaching Tweens by Rick Wormeli
5 Special Strategies for Teaching Tweens
This short and easy to read article provides some simple things to remember about and to try with our tween students. I am really working on the idea of formative assessment this year. The transition to semester grades is a little daunting because the kids are going to have so many grades by the end of 18 weeks if I put a GRADE in the grade book for every assignment that they do. Today, I met with each child as he/she finished a short assignment to talk quickly about the errors on his/her paper. Even though many of the kids were making the same mistake, I wanted to see if the kids got more out of the one on one explanation of errors. We’ll see…
“Of all the states of matter in the known universe, tweens most closely resemble liquid.” This is a quotation from the article, and I love the metaphor.
A Teacher's Ponderings 