NEA: Lesson Ideas

Holiday Lessons & Resources

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Holiday Lessons & Resources

Make the Best of the Holidays -- in the Classroom and at Home

Over the years we've been able to offer over a dozen lesson plans, activity ideas and other curriculum resources — plus some sound financial advice from NEA Member Benefits — in recognition of December's many holidays. Here, we present them in one, easy-to-find place.

Lesson Plans & Activities Ideas

NEA Today "Gif-A-Rama"
(November 2005)
The best — and worst! — holiday gifts from students. Plus stories from your colleagues.

Read More »

Colorful Stained-Glass Candleholder
Students create a colorful candleholder -- a bright gift for a family member, neighbor, or friend!
Make and Shake a Snow Globe
In this activity for all grade levels, students make a holiday or seasonal snow globe to give as a gift.
How Many Ways Can You Say Merry Christmas?
In this activity for all grade levels, students create a multicultural holiday bulletin board map.
Will There Be a White Christmas This Year?
Students use historical weather data to create a color contour map.
December Concentration Game
Build memory and attention-to-detail skills as students play this seasonal adaptation of the classic Concentration game.
Happy Holidays from A Class Full of Angels
This "Happy Holidays from a Class Full of Angels" bulletin board is sure to generate smiles!
Counting Christmas Trees
Students answer questions about a simple line graph that shows total Christmas tree sales from 1993 to 2000.
On the First Day of Christmas, My Teacher Gave to Me...
"On the first day of Christmas my teacher gave to me..." plus more "Twelve Days of Christmas" activities.
Moore vs. Livingston: Who Really Wrote "The Night Before Christmas"
Who was the real author of "The Night Before Christmas"? Students take a look at the facts and then decide.
History of Toys and Games
Students create a timeline to illustrate when popular toys were first introduced.
Unwrapping Reading
Guest readers rip off the holiday wrapping and read the book inside!
Deck the Halls With Literature Trees
"Deck-orate the halls" of the school with literature trees.
A World of Special Celebrations
Create a display of the world's religious and ethnic celebrations.
Re-Name That Tune: A Vocabulary Activity
Build students' vocabulary skills with this variation of the "Re-Name That Tune" activity that uses Christmas song titles.

Resources & Teaching Tips

Works4Me: Christmas Holiday
Works4Me Tips: practical classroom tips submitted by the real education experts -- your colleagues!
High Schoolers Pen Letters from Santa
How one teacher raised holiday spirits in her classroom.
Ten Holiday Web Sites You Won't Want to Miss!
Celebrate the holidays with ten Web sites that no elf could do without!

Holiday Shopping & Spending

Surviving the Holidays
Financial tips to help you get ready for — and survive — the holidays.
Problems With Holiday Purchases?
If a retailer didn't deliver as promised or if you feel you've been ripped off, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has some tips for you.
Holiday Shopping
Don't take a holiday from savvy online shopping.

Other

A Little Inspiration for Holiday Gifts for Teachers
What's the best way to thank teachers this holiday season? While the National Education Association (NEA) has no official policy on teacher gifts, we have some advice that might help you this holiday season.

Thanksgiving Lesson Ideas

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Thanksgiving Lesson Ideas

5 Interdisciplinary Activities Help Students Learn about & Celebrate Thanksgiving

from Education World®

Say "Thank You" in 100 Languages!
Put the "Thanks" back in Thanksgiving with this geography and language activity that teaches students to say "thank you" in many languages.
Thanksgiving Placemats: A Community Service Project
Work with your local shelter, food kitchen, or nursing home to brighten everybody's Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Feast
Grades 3-5 and 6-8 read charts and learn where Thanksgiving foods are grown.
Thanksgiving Science Experiment
This plant-growing experiment for grades preK-5 shows how Squanto helped the early settlers.
Popcorn History
Did the Pilgrims eat popcorn during the first Thanksgiving? Research/create a timeline of the history of popcorn.

Election Lesson Plans & Resources

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Election Lesson Plans & Resources

Six lessons for all ages cover a variety of subject while helping students understand the job of President, how elections work, and how campaigns are run.

Use Editorial Cartoons to Teach About Elections
Children are visual by nature, and the humor and empathy created in comic strips naturally lend themselves to a child's understanding of the world. Why not take advantage of that natural attraction to cartoons in your classroom?
Meet the Press
Grades 6-12 learn about the upcoming election by playing the roles of candidate, campaign manager, and journalist.
Stage a Debate: A Primer for Teachers
Adapt the standard Lincoln-Douglas debate format plus ten strategies for engaging students in debate!
Help Wanted: President of the United States
Students write help wanted ads that describe the position of president of the United States.
President for a Day
Students imagine they are president of the United States for one day! What would they do? What would their day be like?
Presidential Powers
Students study the section of the Constitution that refers to the executive branch and write a proposal for a new power for the president of the United States.

Related Resources

Access, Analyze, Act: A Blueprint for 21st Century Civic Engagement | PBS
Find dozens of lesson plans for elementary and secondary students, plus a curriculum guide to help you discover the power of social media while promoting your students' civic engagement, and web-based tools that invite your students to share their opinions, track candidates and explore issues.
Elections... the American Way | Library of Congress
This feature presentation for teachers provides an investigation of the election processes through use of primary sources from the American Memory collections. You'll find resources on the requirements for candidacy and how candidates sway voters; who is eligible to vote and how these qualifications have changed over time; the nature of political parties and how they play into the election process; how elections work; and, what role campaign issues play in elections and how they change over time.
Kids Voting USA
In addition to classroom activities about voting and elections, students also explore the right to vote, democracy and active citizenship. Students learn about democracy through a combination of classroom activities, an authentic voting experience and family dialogue.
National Student-Parent Mock Election
This national-voter education program for students and their parents gives young Americans the chance to make their voices heard in the electoral process. It will take place this year on October 30.
Elections Tools for Teachers | Google
Here are some great free tools you can use to engage your students in exploring the candidates and issues before they cast their votes in the Mock Election.
Project Vote Smart
This nonpartisan resource provides information about elections at the federal and state levels. Students will find background information on individual candidates, and their voting records and positions, plus information on interest group ratings of elected officials, state ballot measures in the upcoming elections, and links to information on campaign finances.
OpenSecrets.org
OpenSecrets.org is your nonpartisan guide to money’s influence on U.S. elections and public policy. Whether you’re a voter, journalist, activist, student or interested citizen, use our free site to shine light on your government. Count cash and make change.

A Lesson in "Comma Sense"

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

A Lesson in "Comma Sense"

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

This lesson illustrates, in a fun way, how misplaced punctuation can transform the meaning of text.

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Subjects: Language Arts

Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

punctuate an unpunctuated letter to give it meaning, and
learn how misplaced and erroneous punctuation can result in giving text a completely different meaning than intended.

Keywords
grammar, comma, punctuation

Materials Needed

a worksheet with unpunctuated text of a love letter (text provided below)
pen or pencil and paper

Procedure
Introduce students to grammar expert and humorist Richard Lederer. Lederer is author of books such as "Comma Sense: A Fun-damental Guide to Punctuation" and "Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language." Share with students some of the sentences that Lederer shares with readers in his essay Looking at Language: A Little Bit of Comma Sense. Have students punctuate these sentences.

a clever dog knows its master
i saw a man eating lobster
the butler stood in the doorway and called the guests names
at summer camp I missed my dog my little brother the odor of my dads pipe and my boyfriend

The result can be quite humorous when any one of those sentences is incorrectly punctuated. Surely the correct punctuation of them is...

A clever dog knows its master. not A clever dog knows it's master.
I saw a man eating lobster. not I saw a man-eating lobster.
The butler stood in the doorway and called the guests' names. not The butler stood in the doorway and called the guests names.
At summer camp I missed my dog, my little brother, the odor of my dad's pipe, and my boyfriend. not At summer camp I missed my dog, my little brother, the odor of my dad's pipe and my boyfriend.

Lederer presents a few more instances where the correct punctuation makes a world of difference.

[a want ad] WANTED: piano to replace daughters lost in fire
[a newspaper headine] FATHER TO BE STABBED TO DEATH IN STREET
[a book dedication] to my parents the pope and mother teresa

Surely the intent was...

WANTED: piano to replace daughter's lost in fire not WANTED: piano to replace daughters lost in fire
FATHER-TO-BE STABBED TO DEATH IN STREET not FATHER TO BE STABBED TO DEATH IN STREET
To my parents, the Pope, and Mother Teresa not To my parents, the Pope and Mother Teresa

To conclude this lesson, provide students with the following text of a love letter set in all lower-case letters. Simply copy and paste the text below into a word document. Use your word processor's font and type size settings to make the text large enough to fill up a page.

my dear pat, the dinner we shared the other night -- it was absolutely lovely not in my wildest dreams could i ever imagine anyone as perfect as you are could you -- if only for a moment -- think of our being together forever what a cruel joke to have you come into my life only to leave again it would be heaven denied the possibility of seeing you again makes me giddy with joy i face the time we are apart with great sadness john p.s.: i would like to tell you that i love you i can't stop thinking that you are one of the prettiest women on earth

Challenge students to work on their own or in pairs to punctuate the text of the love letter so that it makes sense. Give students 10 or 15 minutes to complete the task (more if they are rewriting the text). Then correct the text as a class. Let students share their suggested corrections. The end result is that the love letter text probably looks like this:

My Dear Pat,
The dinner we shared the other night -- it was absolutely lovely! Not in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine anyone as perfect as you are. Could you -- if only for a moment - think of our being together forever? What a cruel joke to have you come into my life only to leave again; it would be heaven denied. The possibility of seeing you again makes me giddy with joy. I face the time we are apart with great sadness.
John
P.S.: I would like to tell you that I love you. I can't stop thinking that you are one of the prettiest women on earth.

Just for fun, share with students Lederer's other version of this punctuated love letter (scroll down to the second copy of it). As you can see... save for some misplaced punctuation, that love letter might have taken a very nasty turn!

You might end the lesson by sharing some of Lederer's observations about the English language. Especially fun are his Crazy English Essays.

Extra Challenge
Close the lesson with one additional humorous exercise in punctuation. Provide the following statement for students:

a woman without her man is nothing

Challenge students to punctuate that sentences in two ways so that it will have two quite different meanings. The results might be...

"A woman, without her man, is nothing."
"A woman: without her, man is nothing."

Assessment
Provide students with an unpunctuated paragraph. Challenge them to think critically and grammatically as they make corrections to the paragraph.

Going Nuts for a New Grade

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Going Nuts for a New Grade

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

An ideal source for an adorable bulletin board that features student work, this activity gets kids to consider "resolutions" for the new school year!

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Subjects: Language Arts

Grade Levels: preK-2, 3-5

Objectives
Students will:

describe the practices they follow to get ready for the school year, and
create a list of "resolutions" they will seek to achieve during the new school year.

Keywords
fall, writing, resolution, acorn, nut, autumn, September

Materials Needed

Going Nuts for a New Grade work sheet
pens

Procedure
With the giddy butterflies that come with a new school year also come hopes and plans for a successful learning adventure -- for both students and teachers! This lesson has students put on their thinking caps and consider how they will achieve these goals as the year gets underway.

Discuss the many things families do to prepare children for the first day of school. Ideas may include shopping for new clothes, shoes, and backpacks, or gathering items to pack in lunches, arranging for before and after school care, and more. Tell the students about your own preparations and the tasks that are done to make the school building ready for classes. The start of a new school year is much like the beginning of a new calendar year. Everything is new and there are exciting opportunities and things to explore. Talk about New Year's resolutions and how people often decide to begin new and healthier practices as they start a new year.

Hand out copies of the Going Nuts for a New Grade work sheet. Point out the cap on the top of the acorn and explain that you want the students to wear "thinking caps" just like the acorn. Invite the students to share some ways they want to grow and learn this school year. Create a sample list on the board with your class that reflects your "resolutions."

Example: Mrs. Jones, during this school year I will...

be ready to learn.
try my best every day.
be helpful.
read, read, read
make time for music.
share my favorite stories.
make new friends.

Give the students time to create their own lists and help them to record those ideas carefully on the acorns. As they finish, have the students lightly color their acorns and cut them out. Collect the work sheets. (Consider posting your list of resolutions on a tree trunk made of craft paper with the students' acorns attached and the title "We're Nuts About _____ Grade.")

Assessment
All satisfactory submissions will be complete and meet classroom writing standards. After display, place the acorns in the students' writing portfolios as an example from early in the school year. Then have the students reexamine their lists and evaluate their success in achieving their goals at the end of the year.

Recognizing Constitution Day

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Constitution Day

These lesson plans and online resources introduce students to the U.S. Constitution.

Constitution Day is observed on September 17, the day the United States Constitution was originally signed in 1787, and recognizes ratification of the document and celebrates citizenship. Although the holiday has been observed for decades (as far back as 1939, there were calls for a holiday to celebrate citizenship), it was not officially recognized as a federal holiday until 2004.

We offer these lesson plans and resources to help students learn more about the holiday and the history of the Constitution.

Lesson Plans

Interview with the Signers of the Constitution
Grades 6-8 work in small groups to write questions a newspaper reporter might pose to signers of the Constitution.
Create a New Amendment
Celebrate Constitution Day (Sept. 17) with this lesson in which grades 5-12 study amendments to the Constitution and propose a new one.
Presidential Powers
Students study the section of the Constitution that refers to the executive branch and write a proposal for a new power for the president of the United States.
Explaining the Bill of Rights
Grades 6-8 and 9-12 work in groups to rewrite the Bill of Rights in their own words.

Other Resources

Constitution of the United States (The National Archives)
Observing Constitution Day (The National Archives)
Constitution Day (National Endowment for the Humanities)
National Constitution Center
U.S. Constitution Day (Wikipedia)

You Can Count on Spelling

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

You Can Count on Spelling

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students use letter tiles from a Scrabble® game to calculate the spelling word with the highest mathematical value.

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Subjects: Language Arts, Math

Grade Levels: preK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

correctly spell words,
accurately calculate the mathematical value of each spelling word, and
figure out which spelling word has the highest value.

Keywords
Spelling, Scrabble, addition, game, value, mathematics

Materials Needed

Scrabble® letter tiles (Option: Print out, photocopy, and cut tiles from Scrabble Graphics, or create your own letter tiles work sheet.)
pencil and paper

Procedure
In this lesson, students use letter tiles from a Scrabble game (or other sources, see Materials Needed section above) to build their spelling words for the week. Challenge students to use tiles to create those words; then add up the value of the letters in each word to learn which of the week's spelling words has the highest mathematical value.

For example, if students' spelling words include forest and blank, the values are:

Note: Letter values appear in parentheses.
F (4) + O (1) + R (1) + E (1) + S (1) + T (1) = 9
B (3) + L (1) + A (1) + N (1) + K (5) = 11

So far, the word blank has the largest value. Students continue to figure the value for the other words on their weekly spelling lists to learn which word has the highest mathematical value.

Extension Activities

Older students might arrange their words to create a crossword puzzle on a Scrabble board game sheet. They use the DOUBLE and TRIPLE LETTER SCORE and DOUBLE and TRIPLE WORD SCORE squares on the board to figure the total for the entire spelling list. Who comes up with the highest score?
Play a game of Scrabulous.
Learn about creating a School Scrabble Club.

Assessment
Students spell and calculate with at least 85 percent accuracy.

Today in History

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

"And That's The Way It Is..." Today in History

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students create a nightly-news broadcast for a special time/date in history.

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Subjects: Language Arts, Social Studies, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

learn about a period/event in history by researching it from different perspectives,
analyze the elements of nightly-news broadcasts seen on local TV stations,
write and produce a news broadcast for a date/period in history, and
work cooperatively as a member of a group or broadcast team.

Keywords
news, broadcast, video, TV news, TV, Civil War, American Revolution, Roaring Twenties

Materials Needed

research materials (from the library and/or Internet)
video recorder
a list of significant periods or dates in history (if you choose to focus more broadly than on a single event/period)
art supplies
technology tools for creating graphics (optional)

Procedure
What period or events in history are you studying this year? The format of a nightly-news broadcast could be a fun way to get students excited about learning about a period in history. In addition, the news broadcast is an excellent format for

reviewing content taught;
creating a culminating activity to a unit of study; or
building the "core teaching" unit for any period in history.

The project might be approached in any number of ways. For example...

Small groups of students might work together to create a nightly-news broadcast for an "average" day during the Civil War or some other period in history. The broadcast will include both hard news and feature reports that present facts and interesting information about the period. All groups might work to create a news broadcasts from the same historic period, or each group might work on a broadcast from a different period such as...

Colonial Times,
the Revolutionary War,
Westward Migration,
the Civil War,
the Industrial Revolution,
Immigration of the Late Nineteenth Century,
World War I,
the Roaring Twenties,
the Great Depression,
World War II, or
the Korean and Vietnam Wars

Alternatively, you might assign to individual students or small teams an important date or a specific decade in history. The students will create the nightly-news show that conveys the true significance of that date or decade in history.

Before setting students loose to create a news broadcast, you might first assign viewing the nightly TV news as homework. You might ask students to watch a different nightly-news broadcast at least three nights over a weeklong period. Challenge them to create a list of the kinds of news features (for example, hard news, opinion, consumer/economy features, up-close-and-personal features that focus on a single person, "style" features that examine a hot trend…) that they saw on the different news shows they viewed. At the end of the week, you might create a class list possible features that students can refer to as they "build" their broadcasts.

Of course this news-broadcast activity includes research. Strong research will be key to creating a broadcast that is accurate. Every student might be responsible for being a news editor; each will write one of the stories/features that comprise their broadcast.

Students might observe the credits at the end of a news broadcast to draw up a list of potential "jobs." They might assign roles to the members in their groups. Some of those roles might include

researcher,
on-air anchor,
on-camera feature reporters,
videographer,
graphics producer, and
director.

Beyond that, students will want to draw on the talents of the peers in their group as they create their broadcast. For example, the artist in the group might create the graphics, a person with strong geography skills might create a map, a person who plays a musical instrument might select (or compose) the broadcast's theme music...

When completed, students will share their news broadcasts with their classmates and lead a discussion afterward. The broadcasts can also be used at a parents' night event where parents are able to view all the broadcasts and maybe even talk with the reporters about what they learned from the activity.

Assessment
You will want to create a rubric that details your expectations for the project. You might use a cooperative group rubric too; you might use some elements of these cooperative-group rubrics as part of the one you create:

Candy Colors

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Candy Colors: Figuring the Mean, Median, and Mode

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students count candy by color and then calculate mean, median, and mode.

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Subjects: Educational Technology, Math

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

learn the difference between mean, median, and mode;
count candy and use the data to calculate mean, median, and mode (by color);
apply their learning to another collection of data.

Keywords
math, candy, color, mean, median, mode, average, data, statistics

Materials Needed

candy (see Before the Lesson below)
art supplies
access to graphing software or to the online Create-a-Graph tool (optional)
Counting Candy Colors work sheet

Procedure
Provide each student with a package of colorful candy. Gummy bears, M&Ms, Skittles, Neccos, or LifeSavers will work well for this activity. Provide commercially sold candy packs or buy large quantities of candy and create your own small packs.

Activities
In this activity, students work on their own, in pairs, in small groups, in larger groups and, finally, as a whole class to figure mean, median, and mode of collections of candy data. They fill in the data they collect on the Counting Candy Colors work sheet.

Begin this lesson by modeling the process students will use to calculate and record mean, median, and mode for their candy. Then students work on their own to do the following activities:

Count and graph the number of pieces of candy in their packs by color. Each student can graph his/her results or use the online Create-a-Graph tool to show their color-by-color tallies.
Use the above data to figure the mean, the average number of pieces of candy of each color. For example, if the data indicates 1 red candy, 2 green candies, 3 orange candies, 7 yellow candies, and 7 purple candies, the mean, or average number of pieces of each color is 4.
1 + 2 + 3 + 7 + 7 = 20 and 20 (total candies) divided by 5 (different colors) = 4 (the average number of pieces of each color)
Use the data to calculate the median, or middle number. For the example above (1, 2, 3, 7, 7), the median is 3.
Use the data to calculate the mode, or the number that occurs most frequently. For the example above (1, 2, 3, 7, 7), the mode is 7.

Next, each student fills in the data on the Counting Candy Colors work sheet in the row next to Student 1. Then each pairs up with a classmate and adds that classmate’s data to their charts next to Student 2. Then the two students work together to figure out mean, median, and mode of their combined data and record that information on the work sheet.

This might be a good time to review the students’ work to be sure they have grasped the concepts of mean, median, and mode. Students might share their work, one pair at a time, with their classmates.

Next, combine two pairs of students to form groups of four. Have each student add the work sheet data for the two new people in their group next to Student 3 and Student 4. Then have them work together to figure out mean, median, and mode for all four people in the group and record the information on the work sheet.

Next, combine two groups of four and have students add the data for the four new people in their groups next to Student 5, Student 6, Student 7, and Student 8 on the worksheet. Then students work together to figure out mean, median, and mode for their combined data and record the information on the work sheet.

Finally, collect data for the entire class and challenge students to use that data to calculate mean, median, and mode for the entire class.

Assessment
Provide students with the test data for five fictional students shown below. The data shows how many answers each student got correct on a quiz of 10 questions. Instruct students to find mean, median, and mode of this data collection.

NAME	SCORE
Chad	7
Karla	10
Maria	7
Steve	7
Tomas	9

ANSWERS
Mean: 7 + 10 + 7 + 7 + 9 = 40; 40 divided by 5 = 8
Median: the middle number in this collection of data (7, 7, 7, 9, 10) is 7
Mode: the most commonly represented number in this collection of data (7, 7, 7, 9, 10) is 7

The Symbolic Seed

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Symbolic Seed

Teaching Theme of the Week

from NEA member Eric Eisner

On the final day of the year, I usually throw one more literary life-lesson at my students. The following activity is my last gesture of hope to those students with whom I will part ways.

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Subjects: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Health & P.E.

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Time to Complete: 15-20 minutes.

Objectives
Students will:

practice discerning symbolism and metaphor;
draw a metaphorical connection between the classroom and the outside world; and,
see that what is learned in the classroom -- those invaluable lessons -- can be utilized beyond the walls of the classroom.

Materials

a couple of hundred fruit seeds
"Symbolic Seed" Letter handout
"Symbolic Seed" Instructions handout

Procedure

Distribute letters and seeds.
Students first read letter, then open the packaged seed. (I use tinfoil.)
Teacher may hold a brief, or extended discussion of the topic, if necessary.

National Teaching Standards: This lesson requires students to understand the concept of symbolism (i.e., the seed represents opportunity), as well as metaphor (i.e., the seed figuratively is an opportunity to be nurtured -- like one's education).

Getting-to-Know-You Crossword Puzzle

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Getting-to-Know-You Crossword Puzzle

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

A class crossword puzzle makes a great back-to-school activity or bulletin board.

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Subjects: Language Arts

Grade Levels: preK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

share unique information about themselves,
listen as others share information about themselves, and
solve a crossword puzzle based on clues that come from the information they shared.

Keywords
crossword puzzle, puzzle, icebreaker, back to school, back-to-school, bulletin board

Materials Needed

information about each of your students
an online crossword-puzzle tool (find links below) or crossword-puzzle making software

Procedure
This is a fun activity for the second day of school, or anytime. Students solve a crossword puzzle that includes clues about the students in the class.

At the start of the year, you often do icebreaker activities that help you and your students get to know one another. As you do those activities this year, take notes about some of the unique things you learn about each student. You will use those unique characteristics as clues for creating a crossword puzzle that has each student's name in it.

Once you have compiled a list a clues -- one clue per student -- you are ready to create the crossword puzzle grid. Use one of the following online tools to create a crossword puzzle that includes the first names of each of your students.

In each of the puzzle makers above, you will type in the student's name followed by the clue that relates to that student. If you have two or more students with the same name, you might include their last initials (for example, JenniferB, JenniferM…). In order to fit all of your students' names in a puzzle, you might need to submit the puzzle clues more than once or expand the dimensions of the puzzle.

Share the puzzle you have created with students. If you use it on the second day of school (based on information students shared on the first day), the students' abilities to solve the puzzle will be a good indicator of the level of their listening comprehension skills.

Extension Activity
Transform the crossword puzzle you created into a giant crossword puzzle bulletin board under a clever heading such as Our Class Has a Clue, We Fit Together, or Working Together to Solve Problems.

Assessment
How well did students listen when their classmates shared information about themselves? Which students successfully completed the crossword puzzle?

Olympic Trivia Challenge

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Olympic Trivia Challenge

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students work in small groups to find fascinating facts about the Summer Olympic Games and Olympic history.

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Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

define the word trivia,
research information about the Olympics, and
work together in cooperative groups.

Keywords
Olympics, trivia, game, history, summer

Materials Needed

Olympics Trivia Challenge ( PDF, 92K,1pg.) student printable work sheet and Answer Key
writing paper
pens or pencils
computers with Internet access or printouts from the Web sites listed in the Lesson Plan, or library resources about the Olympics

Procedure
Ask students to define the word trivia. Tell students they are going to compete in a trivia challenge game about the Olympics. Divide the class into small groups. Distribute the Olympics Trivia Challenge ( PDF, 92K,1pg.) work sheets. Tell students they have a specific amount of time to find the answers to the questions on their game sheets. Students may use library resources or the following Web sites:

Assessment
Check answers with students. The first group to complete the challenge with all correct answers is the winner.

Comparing the Ancient and Modern Olympics

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Comparing the Ancient and Modern Olympics

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students create Venn diagrams comparing and contrasting today's Olympic Games with games held during the days of the ancient Greeks.

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Subjects: Educational Technology, Language Arts, Social Studies

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

research the history of the ancient Olympic Games,
read current news reports and watch TV coverage of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games,
use a graphic organizer (Venn diagram) to show how history has changed the Games, and
write a brief essay that compares the Games of today to the Games of the ancient Greeks.

Keywords
ancient, essay, graphic organizer, Greece, Olympic Games, Venn diagram, winter, writing

Materials Needed

Venn diagram forms
library and/or Internet resources about the Olympic Games

Procedure
Students can complete this activity in the classroom, the library or media center, or the computer lab.

Provide students with a simple Venn diagram form. If you wish to integrate technology, provide students with Education World's editable Venn diagram ( MS Word, 71K, 1pg.). Copy this diagrma onto a disk so students will have a personal copy. They can type into each of the diagram's three fields, then save their completed diagrams to the disk. When they are finished students can print out their comparative diagrams.

Alternative Venn diagram sources:

Laura Candler's File Cabinet: Graphic Organizers

abc-teach's Graphic Organizers

In this activity, students work in the library or online to learn about the Olympic Games of ancient and modern times. How are the games similar? How are they different? What do they have in common? Students use a Venn format to create a diagram showing the similarities and differences. The students write information specific to the ancient Olympic Games in Section A of the diagram (the part of the left circle that does not intersect with the other circle). They write information specific to today's games Section B of the diagram (the part of the right circle that does not intersect with the other circle). They write information that is common to both in the area where the two circles intersect/overlap.

Following are some online resources students might use as they learn about the Olympic Games:

Assessment
Students use the Venn diagrams as a reference as they write brief essays comparing and contrasting the games of ancient Greece with those of modern times.

Just a Minute!

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Just a Minute!

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Help students put the standard measure of clock time -- the minute -- in perspective.

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Subjects: Mathematics

Grade Levels: preK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

put the length of time one minute in perspective,
write about what they learned about a minute as a result of the activities.

Keywords
Time, measurement, telling time, clock, hours, minutes, seconds, watch

Materials Needed

clock with a second hand, watch with a second hand, or a stopwatch
list of spelling words (optional)
a math facts speed-test sheet with basic addition facts (optional)
a Dr. Seuss book such as The Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham (optional)
a list of ten grade-appropriate words (optional)
an index card with a letter of the alphabet written on it [common letters only], one card per student (optional)
Internet access to the Industrious Clock (optional)

Procedure
This lesson helps students put the minute in perspective.

Start the lesson by asking students to identify words that tell how we measure time. Write the words on the board or a chart. Students might mention such words as day, month, year, hour, second, minute, decade, and century. Focus on the words day, hour, minute, and second. Explain to students that the concept of the 24-hour day dates back to the time of the ancient Egyptians. Make sure students understand that

a day = 24 hours,
an hour = 60 minutes, and
a minute = 60 seconds.

Write those equivalencies for students to see.

When we think of a minute today, we might think of a TV commercial or a common expression, such as Got a minute?, Just a minute!, or In a minute. But when we say Just a minute, do we mean exactly 60 seconds?

We all know that a minute is equal to 60 seconds, but do we really know how long a minute is? The following activities will quickly demonstrate how good a judge of a minute your students are:

Have students place their heads on their desks. Say "Go" and then use a clock, watch, or stopwatch to measure exactly one minute. When students think one minute is up, they should quietly raise their hands without looking up. At the end of the activity, identify those students who raised their hands closest to the 60-second mark.
Try the activity again. Have students place their heads on their desks. This time, ask them to quietly sit up when they think exactly one minute has passed.
Have students repeat the activity in pairs or groups of three, timing one another. Have each student take several turns and record the results. (How many actual seconds had passed when each student indicated a minute was up?) Which students seem to have the best concept of a minute?

If you have in your classroom Internet access and a projector that allows you to project a computer image on a screen, you can use a fun Web site as the timer for the above activities. Students will be mesmerized by the Industrious Clock! Time your "Go!" direction in the above activities to start when the "seconds" area of the Industrious Clock registers 00.

Following are more fun activities about time to share with students:

How many of their spelling words can students write/copy in exactly one minute?
Given a sheet of simple addition math facts problems (for example, 4 + 3 and 6+5), how many problems can students solve in exactly one minute? (You might try subtraction or multiplication facts to see how students do with those compared to addition facts.)
Have students read aloud a section of familiar text as fast as they can. (One of the popular Dr. Seuss books might be a good book for this activity.) Who can read the most words in exactly 60 seconds?
Write ten grade-appropriate words on a chart. Give students one minute to look over the words. Then cover the chart. Give them one minute to write down as many of the words as they can remember. Which student(s) remembered the most words?
Give students a list of ten grade-appropriate words to alphabetize. (You might use the same list as used in the previous activity.) When the time begins, they write a 1 next to the word that comes first in alphabetical order, a 2 next to the word that comes second, and so on. How many students accomplished the task in one minute? (For younger students, you might provide a pack of 26 cards with the letters of the alphabet written on them. Have students spread the cards across their desks and, when time begins, arrange those cards in ABC order.)

One-Minute PE Test
The activities above might open students' eyes to how quickly a minute can pass, however, a minute can seem to pass slowly during a test of physical endurance. For example, have students stand on one foot with both hands raised above their heads for exactly one minute, or have them remain in the up position of a push-up for exactly one minute. Does a minute feel longer during some activities than it does during others?

Follow-Up Activity
At the end of the one-minute activities, repeat the heads-down test to see if students now have a better concept of the length of a minute.

Challenge Activities

We know that a day is made up of 24 hours and an hour is made up of 60 minutes. But how many minutes are in a day? Have students work in pairs to calculate the total number of minutes in a day. When they are done, see which pairs got the correct answer. (24 x 60 = 1440 minutes) Have those teams explain how they got the answer.
If that was too easy, have students calculate the number of seconds in a day. (1440 x 60 = 86,400 seconds)
Have students write their birth dates (month, day, and year) on a piece of paper. Challenge them to calculate how many days or minutes old they are. [Since most students will not know exactly what time of day they were born, for this activity you can count the current day and their birthdays as a full day.]

One More Fun Activity: A Verb a Minute
Write a letter of the alphabet on each of 30 index cards. Have students sit in a circle, and then randomly distribute a card to each student. Give students one minute to write on the card a verb that begins with the letter on the card. Then have students pass their cards to the student on their left (clockwise!). Give that student a minute to write a different verb for the letter. When students are stumped, repeat verbs, or write words that are not verbs, they must leave the game.

Assessment
Have students write a couple of statements describing what they learned from the activities about the length of a minute. Give them -- you guessed it! -- one minute to think of a reply and one minute to write it down. Some students might point out that a minute seems to go quickly some times (when racing to complete a math facts test, for example) and more slowly at other times (when standing on one foot, for example). Others might note that they learned that a lot can be accomplished in a minute; that a minute can be a valuable unit of time; or that they were amazed to learn how many minutes they already have lived.

Alternative Assessment
Have students write a haiku to explain what a minute is. (This activity breaks slightly from the haiku pattern. Haiku are usually about nature. A "minute" is not a natural phenomena; the nations of the world have agreed on what a minute is.)

Digging for Gold!

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Digging for Gold!

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students complete a tutorial on Web literacy and use what they learn to successfully find information in an online scavenger hunt.

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Subjects: Educational Technology

Grade Levels: 6-8

Objectives
Students will:

learn to evaluate Web site content.

Keywords
technology, Internet, literacy, content evaluation, critical thinking, media literacy

Materials Needed

computer with Internet access
Website Content Basics
Critical Evaluation of a Web Site: Middle School Level, ten copies for each group
printed copies of five to ten questions from the Internet Scavenger Hunt, one copy for each group

Procedure
Depending on the number of computers available, students can do this activity in a group or independently.

Explore with students, or ask students to independently explore, the Website Content Basics tutorial.
Organize students in groups of five.
Choose five to ten questions from the Internet Scavenger Hunt and provide a copy of the questions to each group.
Distribute five to ten copies of the form for Critical Evaluation of a Web Site: Middle School Level to each group. Provide one evaluation form for each question used from the scavenger hunt.
Ask groups to search online for the answers to the scavenger hunt questions. Have students complete a Web evaluation form for each site at which they obtain answers.
Encourage students to compare their answers and the sites they use. Discuss any discrepancies in the answers and review the evaluation forms for the sites. Ask students to predict which answer is correct, based on the site evaluation forms.
Have students find additional sites that verify the correct answers.

Assessment
Evaluate students on their answers to the scavenger hunt questions and the information they provide on the Web site evaluation forms.

Where Does the Money Go?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Where Does the Money Go?

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

After reading short biographies of the men who signed of the Declaration of Independence, students write letters to some of the signers.

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Subject: Economics

Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

identify sources of income,
distinguish between fixed and variable expenses,
distinguish between needs and wants, and
develop a personal budget.

Keywords
budget, income, expenses, needs and wants, consumer, money

Materials Needed

an overhead projector
a transparency of the Sample Budget
My Spending Plan (one copy for each student)
computers with Internet access (optional)
Jumpstart's Reality Check (optional)
Calculate Income (optional)

Procedure

Use a projector to display this Sample Budget to the entire class, or copy the budget onto the chalkboard. Have students take a few minutes to look over the budget and discuss the items listed.
Ask students to rank the budget items in order of importance and then determine whether each item is a "want" or a "need." Have students figure out what percentage of the total income each item represents and determine whether there is a relationship between the importance of an item and the percentage of the budget it represents.
Provide a copy of My Spending Plan to each student, and ask students to complete a personal budget.

Extension: Invite students to go to Jumpstart's Jumpstart's Reality Check or The Mint's Calculate Income to determine how much money they will need to earn to support their desired adult lifestyles.

Assessment
Evaluate students on their participation in class discussion and on the appropriateness of their personal budgets.

Dear Founders

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Dear Founders

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

After reading short biographies of the men who signed of the Declaration of Independence, students write letters to some of the signers.

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Subject: Social Studies, Language Arts, Education Technology

Grade Levels: 6-8

Objectives
Students will:

learn about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence,
demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills, and
write letters.

Keywords
Founders, biography, Declaration of Independence, letter, signer

Materials Needed

paper
pens or pencils
computers with Internet access or printouts of biographies from Biographies of the Founding Fathers

Procedure

Review with students some of the important points about the Declaration of Independence. Have students view the document at the site The Declaration of Independence or on an overhead projector. Ask students to closely view the signature section. Tell students that 56 men signed this document.
Have students look up the site noted in the Materials Needed section, or if Internet access is not available to everyone, print out the main page and distribute copies to students.
Assign each student one name from the list. Have students look up that person via the hyperlinks on the site, or print out the biographies you choose.
Have students read the biographies and then write letters to their assigned signers. Tell students to include questions and/or comments about the individual's life or his work on the Declaration of Independence.

Assessment
Group the class into pairs. Have students exchange letters with their partners; they can offer comments and gentle critique about the letters.

Editorial Cartoons

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Editorial Cartoons

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students work in small groups to create editorial cartoons about topics in the news.

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Subjects: Language Arts, Education Technology

Grade Levels: 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

study and develop editorial cartoons, and
work together in cooperative groups.

Keywords
newspaper, editorial, cartoon

Materials Needed

examples of editorial cartoons from various newspapers or from PoliticalCartoons.com
current news topics written on 3-in. by 5-in. index cards
a paper bag
drawing paper
crayons, colored pencils, or markers
a computer drawing program, such as HyperStudio (optional)

Procedure

Show students examples of political cartoons from different sources. Discuss the cartoons. Ask students what they think the cartoonist's intent or main point was in each one.
Divide the class into small groups. Have each group choose a card from the bag..
Tell students that each group must work together to create an editorial cartoon on the topic noted on the card..
When the cartoons are complete, have each group present and explain its cartoon to the class.

Variation
Have each group create a cartoon using HyperStudio or another computer-drawing program.

Assessment
Evaluate students' cartoons and presentations.

Flag Day

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Flag Day

Curriculum Resources for Flag Day, June 14

The first recognized formal observance of Flag Day took place in a Wisconsin school house in 1885 (we have grade school teacher Bernard J. Cigrand to thank for that). But it wasn’t until 1916 that Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day. Not until 1949 did it become National Flag Day through an Act of Congress.

Today, we help you continue the Flag Day tradition in your classroom with these lesson ideas and curriculum resources.

Our Flag Throughout History
Students create a timeline of the history of the flag, which serves as a quick visual reference point for discussions of history as well as an interactive learning tool.
Hang a Flag Mural
What better way to greet visitors to your school (or to your Town Hall) than with a student-created flag mural?
A Flag Divided
Students learn about the flags of the Union and Confederacy, explore the symbolism of those flags, and create flags of their own.
This Is America! Flag Collage
Students cut up magazines and newspapers to create an American flag collage -- a visual essay of their thoughts about "What America Means to Me."
Flags of Nations
Students illustrate flags of countries where Spanish is the official language.

More Activity Ideas

Citizenship. Begin your celebration by taking a look at The Pledge of Allegiance in English, Spanish, French, or German. Then discuss the meaning of the words.

History -- create a timeline. Ask students to read The History of the American Flag, It's a Grand Ol' Flag, or the Evolution of the United States Flag, or History of the Flag. Then have them create a timeline of the ten dates they consider most important in our flag's history. Discuss with students the dates they chose and why they are important. Adjust the number of dates used according to the age and ability of your students.

Math -- explore proportion. Explain to students that United States flags may be different sizes, but all flags must be the same shape and corresponding parts of the flag must be in specific proportion to one another. Have students study the flag proportions determined by the United States government. Then ask them to use those specifications to determine the fly, star diameter, and stripe width of flags of different hoists. For example, you might ask what the fly of a flag should be if the hoist is 2 feet.

Current events -- stage a debate. Older students can stage a debate about the Constitutional Amendment Issue regarding flag burning. Encourage students to explore online and library resources to learn more about the issue and then ask for volunteers to present each side of the debate. Following the debate, discuss the issue and the points raised with students. Online, students can learn more about the issue at Citizens Flag Alliance, Inc. and The Flag-Burning Page. Some might consider those pages controversial, so please preview them to determine their suitability for your students and community.

Art -- draw a flag. Invite students to draw a picture of their country's flag, write a brief description of the flag's symbolism and history, and send the drawings along with photographs of themselves, to the Kidlink Flag Project. Students can visit the site to view previously submitted drawings of flags of many countries and see photographs of the artists.

Language -- write a speech. Encourage older students to read Flag Makers, a speech delivered by then Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane on Flag Day, 1914. Discuss the meaning of the speech. Invite students to also visit Inspiring speeches to read additional examples of historic speeches. Then have students write a speech about what their country's flag symbolizes for them. Ask volunteers to read their speeches to their classmates.

Extend the Celebration

Extend your Flag Day activities to include the study of state, tribal, maritime, and international flags.

Geography -- explore latitude and longitude. Provide students with a list of latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates and ask them to find the country at each location. Then have them explore Flags of All Countries. Here students can learn more about the geography, economy, government, and people of many countries. You might ask students to find a specific piece of information about each country you've highlighted in the activity. (For example, the "Geography" page connected to many flags offers information about the size of the country, including total land area and a simple comparison to the size of a U.S. state.)

Explore symbolism. Encourage your youngest students to visit Maritime Signal Flags Page, type in their name, and see it displayed in maritime flags. Older students can use International Signal Flags to write or translate signal flag messages.

Play a game. Invite students to play Flag Trivia and identify state flags.

Social studies -- make a map of Native American tribes. Invite students to go to Flags of the Native Peoples of the United States, scroll down to the section beneath the teepee, and choose a Native American tribe. Have students click the name of that tribe and read about the tribe's flag, history, and culture. Ask students to note the present locations of tribal lands. Then have students create one or more facsimiles of their chosen tribe's flag. On a classroom bulletin board, display or create a large map of the United States and have students attach their flags to the correct locations on the map. Repeat the activity until the locations of all the tribes are identified on the map. Encourage students to explore additional links and resources to learn more about each Native American group.

More art -- design a flag. Encourage students to visit the home page of flag designer Dave Martucci to learn about Vexillology. Ask them to scroll down the page until they find the link to Vexillology, where they can read about the basic tenets of flag design and click and explore many different flag designs. Then invite students to design a personal or family flag. You might also want to arrange students into groups, have each group design a classroom flag, and vote for the winning design.

Language arts/spelling -- make a word list. Ask students to create words using the letters in Vexillology. Words could include vex, lily, loll, lox, golly, ox, yell, gel, gill, ill, go, logy, and log. Older students might use their words to create a word search and then challenge other students to solve it.

Social studies -- learn about your state. Encourage students to locate and learn about their state flag. Then ask them to explore library and online resources to learn about the history of their state and its flag and to discover the symbolism behind its design.

Play another game. Invite students to play Flagtag and match U.N. member countries with their flags. Encourage students to click the name of each member state whose flag they identify correctly to learn more about that country.

Flag Day Resources

Education World Flag Day Holiday Archive

The Flag of the United States
Extensive information about topics such as the evolution of the flag, the history of Flag Day, and historic and current U.S. flags. This site also provides links to information about the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Federal Judiciary. Here, visitors can locate their Congressperson, read every Inaugural Address from George Washington's to George Bush's, read the Constitution of the United States, locate resources in the Federal Government, find Congressional email listings, take a virtual tour of the Library of Congress, view sights in Washington, D.C, and visit Mount Vernon.

Purchase a U.S. Flag
Learn how to purchase a flag that's flown over the Capitol, find members of Congress by name and by state, and visit congressional offices' home pages.

Flags of the World
Choose to view flags of countries by country name, on a clickable world map, or through a map index.

Flags and Anthems
Contains flags and anthems of many countries, including the United States.

Our Flag Throughout History

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Our Flag Throughout History

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students create a timeline of the history of the flag, which serves as a quick visual reference point for discussions of history as well as an interactive learning tool.

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Subjects: Language Arts, Visual Arts, Math, Social Studies, U.S. History

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

create a timeline,
properly document on the timeline important dates in the history of our flag, and
attach images of presidents, flags, and other important historical visual references.

Keywords
timeline, president, flag, state, graphic organizer, symbol

Materials Needed

red, white, and blue construction paper
glue
images of the presidents and of the U.S. flag throughout history; sources provided in the Lesson Plan section below

Procedure

In this activity, which students can do as a whole class or in smaller groups, challenge students to use library and/or Internet sources to create a timeline(s) illustrating the history of the U.S. flag. Tell students they should include on the timeline important events in the history of the flag and images of the flag throughout history. Have students particularly note the new states represented by each change in the flag. To provide additional historic reference points on the timeline, students might also include the names and/or photographs of the relevant U.S. presidents, and information about other important historical events.

Encourage students to make the timeline red, white, and blue! Have students cut a 2-inch strip of red construction paper and mark on it the "Year" reference points; mount a 2-inch strip of blue construction paper below the red strip, and mount a 2-inch strip of white construction paper below the blue. The blue and red areas of the timeline create a backdrop for photos or student-drawn images, including images of U.S. presidents, historic events, and the flag throughout history. The Presidents of the United States Web page, which is part of the White House Web site, provides a good source of presidential images. Several sources of flag images are noted below. The white strip makes a nice backdrop for timeline text.

Internet resources for flag images: If you or your students have Internet access, the following sites are excellent resources for this activity:

Display the timeline(s) on a classroom bulletin board.

Assessment
Create a ten-question quiz about the completed timeline(s). Students will use the timeline(s) displayed as a source as they answer the questions. They should correctly answer at least eight of the ten questions.

Father Knows Best

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Father Knows Best

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Students consider a father's responsibilities and write letters to their fathers or caregivers.

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Subjects: Language Arts

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

describe the responsibilities of fathers,
review the format for a friendly letter, and
write letters to fathers, parents, or caregivers to express thanks.

Keywords
Father's Day, composition, letter, essay, writing, dad, male, role model, hero

Materials Needed

Friendly Letter Format
paper
pencils or pens
computer and printer (optional)

Procedure
Fathers bear responsibilities beyond measure. In addition to providing support for their families, they often share the tough job of making decisions and rules that are sometimes not understood -- or popular -- with their children. However, activities such as this lesson can help kids see that sometimes what dad decides is for the best.

Because students come from varied situations, it is important to be sensitive to children who may not have a "father" at home. The letter assigned in this activity could easily be written to a mother or caregiver and be equally effective.

Begin this lesson with a discussion of the responsibilities of parents. Focus the students on the tasks that fathers may perform and list their suggestions as they brainstorm. These may include but are not limited to:

working (making money)
buying groceries, clothing, house items
car and house maintenance and repair
managing money (paying bills, saving)
lawn care
pet care
housekeeping
caring for children
cooking

Now ask the students to consider what their fathers (or caregivers) do specifically for them. Distribute paper and pencils and have students note three important ways that their fathers care for them.

When they finish, share a story from your experience that describes a decision or rule made by a parent, why you didn't understand it when you were younger, and how you now do understand it. For example, you might explain that you weren't permitted to ride in friends' cars or attend a party with older kids and that you now know that those were not safe practices. Emphasize that you were too young and inexperienced to appreciate the good sense of the rule or decision at the time and why it was the right one. Describe how you recognize that your parent protected you from what could have been a harmful or an uncomfortable situation. Every person has similar revelations throughout childhood -- from not being allowed to cross the street alone to not being permitted to drive without an adult. Discuss some of the experiences your students have had with their parents, particularly their fathers.

Instruct your students to think for a few minutes about a good example of a decision or rule made by their fathers that at the time seemed unfair but now makes sense. Have them make notes about the experience on their paper.

Review the parts of a friendly letter with your students: heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature. You may use your school district's preferred format or the Friendly Letter Format as a guide. On a new sheet of paper, have the students write friendly letters to their fathers or caregivers. Each letter should include an introductory paragraph, a description of three important things the individual does to care for the student, a synopsis of the "memory" of a time when the student didn't understand a decision or rule and how he or she appreciates the logic of it today, and a final paragraph of personal thanks.

Assessment
If time permits, have students read their letters aloud to the group. All acceptable responses will include an introductory paragraph, a description of three important actions performed by the father, a synopsis of a "memory," and a paragraph of thanks.

Create a Class Yearbook

Mon, 26 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Create a Class Yearbook

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Stop the yawns. Put an end to indifference. Revive those often-deadly skill reviews with a game or two! We have six lessons that use popular game formats to spice up what can be boring reviews and tedious skill practice sessions.

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Subjects: Language Arts, Visual Arts, Educational Technology

Grade Levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

create a format for the yearbook pages they and their classmates will make.
create yearbook pages about important memories of the year.
put the pages together in a yearbook.
design a cover for the yearbook.

Keywords
yearbook, end of year, graduation, June

Materials Needed

paper and pens or pencils
digital camera (optional)
art supplies

Procedure
In this activity, each student will create a page in a class yearbook. If available, use a digital camera to take pictures that can be printed and pasted on the pages. Ask students to record vivid memories from the school year on the pages. Younger students can dictate.

In the lower elementary grades, each yearbook page might follow a distinct template or format. For example, a photo might appear at the top of the page with lines for writing on at the bottom of the page. In other grades, the format can be more flexible. Students might brainstorm a list of categories or prompts to select from as they create their yearbook pages. Sample prompts about the school year almost completed might include the following:

a favorite lesson
a time I really laughed
the best book I read
the most challenging lesson
advice for next year's ___-grade students
the career I want to pursue
something I wish I could do over again
a skill I learned that will serve me well in the future

After students have created their personal yearbook pages (in writing or by using a word processing software program), photocopy individual pages so each student can have a yearbook of their classmates' memories too.

Extension Activities

Encourage students to create covers for their yearbooks. Stage a cover-design contest. Ask students to share their designs and have them vote for the best design. Allow students to select any classmate's design (or their own) to use as a yearbook cover.
Include a few pages at the back of the yearbook for students to write messages to one another. (See An Autograph Book from Yesteryear.)
Post the yearbook online so all students have access to it.

Assessment
Students create thoughtful responses to the yearbook prompts.

Reviving Reviews

Mon, 19 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Reviving Reviews

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Publish Your Lesson on NEA.org!
NEA Members, send us a lesson plan, and we'll publish it on NEA.org. If it works for you, it might work for someone else!

Lesson Plans

Play Ball: A Major League Review Game
In this game, students advance the bases as they give correct answers to review questions. (Grades K-12)
"Concentration" Review Game
Adapt the game of Concentration to review hundreds of skills. Ideas, puzzle sources included. (Grades K-12)
Four-Corner Fun: A Review Game
Multiple choice review questions are center stage in this fun activity that can be used to review any subject matter, any skill. (Grades K-12)
Round Robin Post-It Review
This small-group activity reviews new skills and preps students for tests.
Line-Up Review
"The line-up review is a variation of other teaching strategies I've experimented with," Wisconsin high school teacher Doug Buehl told Education World. "It is ...
Student-Created Study Guides
This activity is for all subjects and emphasizes note-taking and outlining skills.

Field Day Games for Whole-Class Fun

Mon, 12 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Field Day Games for Whole-Class Fun

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Field day games make for whole-class fun. Try the Teacher Sled Race, Water Balloon Volleyball, more!

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NEA Members, send us a lesson plan, and we'll publish it on NEA.org. If it works for you, it might work for someone else!

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Subjects: Physical Education

Grade Levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

follow directions,
work as part of a team to complete a task, and
cheer on their team members and show good sportsmanship.

Keywords
Field day, games, sled, beanbag, balloons, horseshoes, volleyball, hoop

Materials Needed
Following are some materials required to run all the whole-class games listed below; refer to each activity for specific requirements.

string or yarn
balloons
beanbags
Hula Hoops
volleyballs
shower curtain rings
a cheap plastic sled
tug-of-war rope

Activities
The activities in this lesson plan are whole-class activities that could be part of a fun field day.

For additional field day activities, see this week's lessons that offer field day ideas for individual students or small-group/team relays.

Note: A handful of these activities are adapted from ideas published by other sources. Links are provided to those sources. We encourage you to refer to those sources for additional fun ideas.

Balloonathon. Provide each class with a length of string or yarn 50 feet long. (Younger students might use a shorter strand.) Tie together the two loose ends of the yarn, and arrange it on the ground to form a large circle. Arrange students evenly inside the circle and provide each class with a balloon. Explain to students that they must hit or tap their balloon to keep it aloft as long as possible. The team's time ends when the balloon touches the ground or any part of a player's body touches the ground outside the circle. You might give students a couple of practice rounds to help them learn how to control the balloon before the official class-vs.-class competition begins. All classes might do this activity at the same time or, if there are multiple classrooms at each grade level, you might do one grade level competition at a time.

Beanbag Horseshoes. Set up a game area as you would to play horseshoes; instead of setting up stakes, however, lay two Hula Hoops on the ground about 15 to 25 feet apart. (The distance can vary by grade level.) Arrange students into two groups and station each group behind one of the hoops. One at a time, students in one group toss a beanbag toward the hoop at the opposite end of the playing area. Students earn 2 points for each beanbag that lands in the hoop, and 1 point for each beanbag touches the hoop but is not completely inside it. Tally that group's score, then let the other team play. If the teams are two different classes from the same grade, the team with the highest score wins. If the teams are from the same class, add their points together to get a class total.

Hoop Monster. At the beginning of this game, one student holds a Hula Hoop and stands in the middle of an area roughly the size of a basketball court. The other students line up at one end of the court. At a signal, students attempt to walk, run, or otherwise move to the other end of the court. As students move across the court, the "Hoop Monster" tries to catch them by gently snaring them in the hoop. Each student who is caught is given a hoop and named an "Assistant Hoop Monster." When all the students who are not caught reach the other side, another signal is given and students try to move back across the court. Students move back and forth across the court in that manner until all are caught by the Hoop Monsters. How long does it take to capture all the students? (For a variation on this game, and for more hoop games, see the Five Things To Do With a Hoop Web Page from Ayden Elementary School in Pitt County, North Carolina.)

Kids vs. Teachers Volleyball. Make a volleyball -- or basketball -- team comprised of the oldest students in your school. That student team will play a game against a team of teachers. (If your school is a primary school, the teacher team might have to play sitting down or on their knees!) To make the game more interesting, students will love it if you turn the volleyball match into a game of Water Balloon Volleyball. (See Water Balloon Volleyball below.)

Musical Hoops. This all-class activity is played like musical chairs; the only difference is that students walk around hoops arranged on the ground instead of around chairs. As the game begins, there should be one less hoop than there are students. Students march around the hoops as the music plays. When the music stops, each student must find an empty hoop to jump into. (If two students ended up in the same hoop, the student who touched a foot in the hoop first is awarded the position in the hoop and the other student is eliminated.) The hoop-less student sits off to the side as another hoop is removed and the music starts again...

Ring-On-The-String. Use the string or yarn from the Balloonathon activity above for this activity. Put a ring (a shower curtain ring will work well) on the string, tie the ends of the string or yarn together, and arrange the string into a circle. Students see how quickly they can pass the ring around the circle. Young students might pass the ring around the circle twice; older students might go for five cycles. The fastest team at each grade level is declared the winner. (See additional activities at Unusual Relay Races from funandgames.org.)

Teacher Sled Race. This activity requires a cheap plastic sled. A teacher sits on a sled with a rope attached to it. Students pull the teacher a specified distance. (The distance will vary depending upon grade.) How long does it take each team of students to pull the teacher to the finish line? Announce each team's time at the award ceremony. (See additional whole-class activities at Field Day from Susan's Physical Education Site.)

Water Balloon Volleyball. Add a little excitement to volleyball games by playing with water balloons instead of volleyballs! The rules are the same and the game is the same -- it's just wetter!

Make the game even more interesting. Instead of using their hands, have students hold onto a large sheet. When the balloon comes over the net, students catch it in the sheet and then flip the sheet to send the balloon back over the net.

More Activity Ideas
For additional whole-class activities, see this week's small-group/team relays activity page. Among the relays that might work well as whole-class activities are the following:

Drop and Pop
Hooping It Up
Obstacle Course
Shoe-er Fun

Assessment
All participants follow the rules and show good sportsmanship.

Kudos by Kiddos

Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Kudos by Kiddos

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

All grade levels celebrate Book Week by having students design new "medals" for children's books!

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Subjects: Language Arts, Fine Arts

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Objectives
Students will:

design a new award for a children's book,
select a book to receive the award,
create a "medal" for the book jacket,
write an explanation of the award and why the book has earned it.

Keywords
medal, book, writing, art, author, Book Week, library, Caldecott, Newbery

Materials Needed

paper
pencils
scissors
aluminum foil
toothpicks

Procedure
Even a kindergartner will suspect a book that features a bronze or silver medal on its cover is something special! In this activity, students create their own awards for books, select an appropriate recipient, and design a silver "medal" for the book's cover.

Introduce students to or review with them the Web pages of the Randolph Caldecott Medal and John Newbery Medal. Both medals are awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, part of the American Library Association. The Caldecott Medal goes to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book, and the Newbery Medal is awarded to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Share with students the titles of some Caldecott or Newbery winners with which they are familiar; you might read aloud some other medal winners and talk about why those books might have been so honored.

Ask students to consider what makes an excellent book. Have them brainstorm qualities they look for in children's books and discuss their ideas. Instruct them to focus on one or a few aspects of a quality book that they have identified and create an award that represents these excellent characteristics. Have the students create a title and description of the medal and draw it on paper.

Next, distribute squares of aluminum foil of about 4 inches on each side. A three-inch circle is a good size for students to work with, but you may choose to allow your students to use any shape that is about three inches in diameter. A small size is preferable to keep the medal from overwhelming the book! Have the students cut the foil into their chosen shape. Also distribute a toothpick to each student. Blunt pencils, pens, or skewers may also be used. (Best is a narrow tool that is not too sharp.) Students should place paper under the foil as they work and draw (engrave) their medal design into the foil with a toothpick.

When the students have finished their medals, they should choose exemplary books that meet the criteria they have set for their awards. Have the students lightly tape their medals to the front of their books and write an explanation that includes the title of the award, an explanation of the award, the characteristics that the award represents, the title of the award-winning book and its author, a description of the book, and how the book meets the award's criteria. Students may present their awards with their honored books and share their original medal creations.

Assessment
Collect written work and display with the award-winning books. Evaluate composition according to grade-level writing standards.

Memorial Day Lesson Ideas

Fri, 02 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Memorial Day Lesson Ideas

by Gary Hopkins, Education World®

The first official Memorial Day celebration was held in the United States in May 1868. On that day, which was then called Decoration Day, people remembered the war dead by decorating their graves with flowers. (To learn more about the history of Memorial Day, see Memorial Day History.)

Today, we still take time to honor those who serve and have served, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. But do your students understand the true significance of the day? In order to help them put Memorial Day in perspective, we offer...

9 Lessons for Teaching About Memorial Day

Memorial Day: Graphing Our History of Sacrifice
Using an online graphing tool to graph America's history of war dead helps students understand the significance of Memorial Day.
Thinking About Our Troops
A handful of ways for kids to connect with America's soldiers serving around the globe.
The Wall Inspires Letters to Veterans
Eve Bunting's moving book, The Wall, inspires students to write letters to veterans at local veterans' hospitals.
Mapping Your State's Role in the Vietnam War
Teach the significance of Memorial Day by creating a map showing the hometowns of your state's Vietnam War dead. A stunning visual reminder!
Memorial Day Shoebox Parade
Create a timeline of U.S. conflict and a Memorial Day Shoebox Parade to commemorate soldiers who fought for freedom.
Connecting Kids and Soldiers
While some teachers discuss the war in Iraq with their classes, many others find that both they and their students want to do something concrete to help U.S. troops abroad. We have some suggestions.
Hang a Flag Mural
What better way to greet visitors to your school (or to your Town Hall) than with a student-created flag mural?
Put the "Memory" Back in Memorial Day
How some teachers are stressing the importance of remembering and honoring our nation's fallen servicemen.
Wall of Peace
Commemorate Memorial Day, Veteran's Day or September 11 with this activity for all grade levels.

More Memorial Day Lessons

Organnizers of the Veterans History Project are collecting and preserving "audio- and video-taped oral histories, along with documentary materials such as letters, diaries, maps, photographs, and home movies, of America's war veterans and those who served in support of them." Project organizers invite middle and high school teachers and their students to participate.
How about designing your own Memorial Day WebQuest? Arrange students into groups. Each group will take responsibility for part of a Memorial Day program. Separate groups could handle music, a Memorial Day speech, arranging for special guests, and a poetry reading. Individual students might take responsibility for the opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the playing of Taps.

Mother's Day Curriculum Resources

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Mother's Day Curriculum Resources

Teaching Theme of the Week

by Gary Hopkins, Education World®

Tired of doing the same Mother's Day projects year after year? We have six lesson ideas to help you celebrate mothers on their special day!

Since 1914 -- when Mother's Day was first celebrated as a national holiday in the United States -- the second Sunday in May has always been a special day for children and their mothers. This week, Education World provides five lessons to help you work Mother's Day into your classroom curriculum. Try some Mother's Day Math, turn an old shoe into a memorable gift, or have students consider some simple gifts of time they can give to Mom on her special day. You will find those three activities and two more immediately below. Click any of the five lesson headlines for a complete teaching resource.

Mother's Day Lessons, Activities & Projects

Celebrate With Silhouettes
Students help create keepsake silhouettes, frame them, or use them to make a special Mother's Day card.
The Best Gift, for Shoe-er!
Students turn an old shoe into a memorable planter that's a terrific gift for Mother's Day or any other occasion.
As Good as Gold
Students create a Mother's Day Coupon Book, full of coupons that can be exchanged for special services rendered by students! A work sheet is included.
Make a "Memories of Mom" Memento
Students create a book of collected "memories of mom" as a very special Mother's Day gift. Included: Ten writing prompts for students.
Motherhood Math: Mothers in the Workforce
Grades 3-12 examine the increasing numbers of working mothers.
Mother's Day Magic: Today's Gift, Tomorrow's Treasure
Ideas for unique, inexpensive, easy-to-make Mother's Day gifts.

Mother's Day Sites for Kids

Ideas for Mom!
Make mom a special bookmark with Billy Bear.

Mom's Day Fun at Kaboose
Find projects, activities, e-cards, and more.

Mom's Day Crossword Puzzles
Puzzles at all levels of difficulty.

More Classroom Projects, Activities, Lessons

Happy Mother's Day (Mrs. Bee's Busy Classroom)
Mother's Day Crafts (Enchanted Learning)
Mother's Day Projects (ChildFun)
Mother's Day Craft Activities (Craft Library of homeschoolzone.com)
Mother's Day Crafts (Kaboose)