Cr040

Q&A: Using books
barcodes and DVD's to
enhance literacy
CR readers share ideas
about reading and writing
25 crazy tongue-twisters
with activities to match
Offensive, student
Internet-postings: What
action can you take?
Students teaching Internet
skills to seniors: a win-win
situation
Using primary sources to
study the US Constitution
AND:
CR’s school web site
review
Kick off your summer with our top-ten list of ways to
have Math fun in the sun. See What’s Working p.11.
works to help K-12 teachersand administrators bysharing the success stories,techniques, resources, Writing alternatives
You are not expected to “grade” this response, An alternative-school teacher links writers although your comments could be helpful to the writer. Practice makes permanent and thisassignment will assist you in your writing skills Matthew T.V. Pawlak, Hamilton
and in your editorial ways. Good luck to each Alternative School, South Bend,
of you and write from your heart. Our Universe Indiana:
desires us to connect. Here is our chance.
I have the opportunity to teach college writingat a maximum-security Indiana state prison.
Encouraging readers with
Working with writers in my alternative high book picks
school and those incarcerated, I came up with An Accelerated Reading teacher shares an a journal assignment to assist both sets of stu- dents with editing and commenting appropri- Carol Molz, Clark Davidson
ately on other writers’ work. Students at the correctional facility ended up looking forward School, Goddard, Kansas:
to receiving “their” kids’ journals and the high We do an “A.R. Book Pick of the Month,” school students liked reading the comments which helps in reaching many different levels of readers. After tryouts and consideration of schoolers were reticent to comment for vari- other factors, the top readers in class are cho- sen at the beginning of the year to read to other All in all, this has been a unique opportunity classes. Some criteria in choosing students are:■ Reading with feeling and expression for all of us, and the high school studentslooked forward to the next day’s comments VIEWS YOU CAN USE…
from their fellow students. The offenders thor- oughly enjoyed feeling they were making adifference in high school students’ lives in Additional students may try out during the year writing. Following is the assignment as given.
Reflective Responses: Our Universe requires
Readers take the book home for two nights to us to connect. Here is our chance. Students at not only practice reading orally, but to make up four questions about the book and include four City State Prison will share their thoughts and multiple-choice answers. They take the book feelings through their hand-written, reflective home again to practice before their assigned responses. This is NOT a pen-pal milieu nor reading day. After everyone in this group has is this meant to traffick information (the practiced the book and returned their ques- teacher will be previewing ALL writing). This tions, I make up an A.R. test. I make 10 to 12 assignment is only for you to establish your questions, and of those questions, five are on thoughts in writing and share those thoughts with someone else, a complete stranger in es- sence, who may share your vision and belief Everyone in the class will do a book report and (or who may not, which is fine as well), who art project on our chosen book. We use a hall-way wall to display our book jacket, reports and accompanying art project. As a class we’ll rect errors in grammar, spelling and sentencestructure. This assignment is educational in write the beginning of the report together. Then each student finishes individually, explaining what they like or dislike about the book. This allows the more proficient readers/writers to express themselves, as well as giving less pro- write a reflective response to the statement, ficient students a non-threatening environment question, quote or comment of the day; for example, Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Bud-dhist monk, said, “It is not until we have a After the book jacket, reports and art project toothache that we realize that not having a have been displayed, the readers go to assigned toothache is happiness”; or from an Indian classes throughout the building to read our yogi, “Before speaking, consider whether it is book. This year we are reading and sharing an improvement upon silence.” These reflec- with 15 second- and third-grade classes. This tive responses will be shared by students in program has served well both the competent reader and the struggling reader. It has been grammatical or informational) will be pro- enthusiastically received since inception by both the students and their parents.
WhatThey’re Saying
Lawyers have no tolerance
First Lady puts teacher shortages
for zero tolerance
on her agenda
Zero tolerance has become a one-size-fits-all solution to We’re really desperate. A lot of big school districts al- all problems that schools confront. It has redefined stu- ready have teacher shortages and older teachers will dents as criminals with unfortunate consequences.
be retiring so it’s very important for everyone to valueteachers like we should value teachers. I hope we can —The American Bar Association, in a new report calling encourage young people to choose teaching as a ca- reer… [Teaching is] the most profound profession.
Moving away from the SAT?
—First Lady Laura Bush, announcing a plan to re- We feel that it will be a strong step toward equity in cruit new teachers at the nation’s colleges and mili- higher education. Removing the SAT as an admission re- quirement would open up the doors to students of colors,especially students whose first language is not English.
The reading teacher’s true goals
What is it we really want children to be able to do in
—Kristina Perez of testing-reform group FairTest, quoted order to show that they are successful readers? We in the San Diego Union-Tribune about the University of want them to be able to pick up a book, read it for fun, read it for information, read it because they want to, Time for full-day kindergarten?
and read it because they enjoy the reading process.
Then we will know we have done our job and by our The question of whether to extend the kindergarten day is actions made each child feel special.
actually more complicated than one would think. If youextend the day, you have to have more teachers, more —International Reading Association President supplies, more transportation, more everything. It really Carmelita K. Williams, writing in Reading Today has little to do with education and everything to do withlogistics.
Expanding the definition of
“good” schools
[Still,] it’s inevitable. The all-day programs are going to A much broader menu of “good” schools than reform- reshape kindergarten as we know it. It will be more uni- ers offer is needed. In these years of testing frenzy, form like the first grade. I know some people don’t want schools that are democratic, arts-based and progres- that to happen, but if we’re going to connect kindergarten sive still dot the academic landscape. They are in al- to the first grade, we have to do it.
ternative schools, charter schools, schools-within-a —Nancy L. Karweit, a former early childhood researcher school. But because they lack rigorous assessments at Johns Hopkins University, quoted in the Washington tied to standardized test scores, they are viewed as de- viant and in need of correction rather than workingmodels of the rich and historic goals of tax-supported Freaked out by freak dancing
public schooling. The victory of market-oriented Many school administrators are less than thrilled with reformers has brought us to the unfortunate point in this latest spin on teenage self- expression, and are strug- our two-century history of U.S. public schools gling with how to manage it. Some schools have banned where the best schools are the ones with the highest freak dancing; others have turned up the lighting at dances, cracked down on some forms of attire, or dis-patched chaperones with flashlights to prowl the floor —Stanford professor Larry Cuban, writing in the and pry apart offending youngsters. Some have drawn up guidelines to snuff out only the most potent forms. Oneschool outside Tacoma, Washington, for instance, nowforbids dancing that includes “bending over past a 45-de-gree angle.” —Catherine Gewertz, writing in Education Week about the new dance style that has teens grinding into each www.curriculumreview.com
administrative sites, all running on high- Students teach seniors
ordered it to pay $62,000 in damages to a how to surf
violated, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer with a high-tech learning opportunity for Will one e-book replace
every text in a student’s
nior citizens how to log onto the Internet.
backpack?
through error-strewn, out-of-date texts— helped the folks at Kit Clark Senior Ser- included a parody of an assistant princi- lishers, fearful of yet another report slam- Court judge found that the district over- Christian Science Monitor reports.
stepped its authority in punishing a stu- A follow-up trip to the nonprofit service checkers and instituted extra layers of re- agency revealed that the seniors were en- joying their new skills. After receiving a The site in question “included electroni- online versions of its printed texts, fea- cally altered photos that placed the image and Vy Nguyen and said, “I couldn’t have tual errors, once discovered, will be cor- character having sex,” the paper reports.
the visual resolution of handheld text de- step. This is e-mail. Instant chatting is resulted in judgments against districts in the past, even at the U.S. District Court Millions log on to
online courses
Three out of four two- and four-year U.S.
threatening and successful lawsuits.
online presence, the AP reports. In 1997-98, some 1.4 million students were takingdistance-education courses for credit, ac- Student wins $62,000
Florida passes on
judgment in Web site
prosecution of school
parody site
soared into the millions as e-learning has If you’re planning to punish a student for the creators of a site that “contained al- New Education
Secretary endorses
Thurston School District learned that les- learning technology
If his work as superintendent of the
Surf these Web sites
Houston Independent School District isany indication, new Education SecretaryRod Paige should be a strong supporter How would you do on the SAT today? You can attempt to answer recent SAT I
verbal and math questions by taking an interactive quiz offered by Time.com at classrooms, Wired reports. “The rate at http://www.time.com/time/education/article/0,8599,101063,00.html.
A free literary guide to Romeo & Juliet is available from Vidbook at http://
www.learn-william-shakespeare.com/romeo-juliet/. The site promises a
corner of that district, was tremendous,” “scene-by-scene summation, with key passages from the play and links to the full text. Pictures and video amplify each page, and occasional commentary is pro- vided by a panel of Shakespearean scholars.” directs PT3, a national tech training pro-gram for educators. Currently, Houston Don’t type those URLs. Go to www.curriculumreview.com
boasts one of the nation’s largest ed-tech and link to any Web site mentioned this year! teachers,” the St. Petersburg Times re-ports. Even though the state concluded CR reviews your school’s Web site
the site did not run afoul of obscenitylaws, officials at Springstead High This month: Spalding High School, Griffin, Georgia
School were still considering filing civilsuits against the site owners. And when URL: http://www.spalding.k12.ga.us/shs/index.html
the school complained to the Internet ser-vice provider hosting the parody pages, Comments: “We are a new transition high school and we are proud of
our new Web site,” writes principal Todd J. McGhee. “Our technology director informed us that you recognize Web sites and offer sugges- tions for improvement. We would welcome any advice that you could give us to improve our site. I would also appreciate any positive rec-ognition for our Webmaster, Mr. Jeff Tharpe, math teacher at Spalding Yet another way to
legally battle offensive
Review: This is an appealing, happy site. The center of the homepage
student Web content
features a blue-shaded, black-boxed picture of a cheetah, the school’s Two students at Ohio’s Strongsville High mascot. Paw prints can be spied atop the various section links. A nice innovation here: Underneath the photo, in a very prominent spot, the school marks the week’s student birthdays. Obviously security-con- scious, they only identify the children by first initial and last name.
Web site, the Cleveland Plain Dealer re- The top of the homepage features a strip of photos featuring groups of students and teachers at work and play, just underneath links to vari- ous site sections, including a search function.
the students, and named the parents asco-defendants for failing to provide The page is chock full of useful information—including a listing of upcoming athletic events, a time-and-temp box provided by AccuWeather, and an interactive poll. When we visited, users were in- said their case would address free-speech vited to “Vote for your Favorite SHS Teacher.” Yet with all that, the issues. One of the teens allegedly entered page isn’t overly crowded or busy-looking. There’s a cohesive graphic sensibility at work here—even the animated cheetah running under stealing a student’s calculator, and called the weather box fits the theme, if not the exact look, of the rest of the for her firing. The chat room was located page. Near the bottom, users will find e-mail links to both the princi- at a site owned by the other student. The pal and the Webmaster. All this and regular updates, too, as evidenced by the “last updated” info at the foot of the page. That might also be a “get people’s attention, that this is a new good spot to let visitors know the location of the school—our only criticism on the front page (although it’s only one quick click to a school map located inside the site). Like that map page, which in-cludes detailed driving directions, the rest of the site presents the info ISP shuts down
users need concisely and completely. Kudos.
school rumors site
Would you like CR to review your school’s Web site? Email the URL, plus a bit of info about what makes your page special, to pegmuntz
@curriculumreview.com. Or fax your request to 800-314-4770.
across Southern California,” had its plugpulled by its Internet service provider re-cently, the L.A. Times reports. With thou- that their children are perfectly safe,” said senior editor Jeff Fox. “Our results sug- gest they should not rely solely on filter- singled out for attack. The site’s Denver- Web filtering software
fails to block 20 percent
terms of service agreement states that it of offensive sites
will not host “content that could be rea- offered poor protection, Consumer Re- ports concluded, Cyber Patrol, Cybersit- good protection. The full review is avail- able at http://www.consumerreports
.org/Special/ConsumerInterest/Reports
/0103fil0.html.
I N E D U C A T I O N
Grades 3-4
Mark Cinco de Mayo with a
cross-curricular unit
“Cinco de Mayo, May 5th, is a national holiday for side and then two on the other side. Ask students Mexico—second only to September 16, Indepen- if they think this ratio is equivalent. Show dence Day,” notes educator Jessica Shaw. “It was on Mexico, France, England and Spain on a world this day, in 1862, that 2,000 poorly trained Mexican map. On a map of Mexico, show the town of peasants, under the command of General Ignacio Puebla. On a U.S. map, identify areas in which Zaragoza, bravely and fiercely fought for their free- many of the citizens are of Mexican ancestry.
dom against a regiment of 6,000 French soldiers Florida, New York.) Write these on the board.
Today, Cinco de Mayo celebrations are one way in D. Numbered Heads Together: Number off stu-
which people celebrate the friendship of the United dents into groups of five or six. Give each group States and Mexico. The Cinco de Mayo victory is a 5-6 questions relating to the Battle of Puebla. After special symbol for all Mexican people who cel- they work together so everyone knows the answers ebrate their rights of freedom and liberty, honor- and can explain them, call out a number; the student ing those who fought, against the odds, for these with that number will answer for the team orally.
One person from each group will get to answer each The following five-period Cinco de Mayo unit time. The class will discuss each group’s answer.
developed by Shaw will help students to: recognize Sample questions: 1. What do you think motivated
that countries have celebrations unique to them; the group of Mexican peasants to fight against the know why Cinco de Mayo is recognized as a na- superior forces of the French soldiers? 2. Do you
tional holiday in Mexico; recall facts from the know of anyone else who would defend their rights events on May 5, 1862; compare and contrast the this way? Do you believe that it is sometimes the opposing viewpoints of the Mexican and French best way to solve a problem? 3. What made Napo-
sides; identify three celebration activities of leon III think he could conquer the Mexicans and Cinco de Mayo and understand their signifi- control the people? Do you think he did it for the cance; recognize that the United States, and the people of France or for himself? 4. Why do you
world, are made up of cultures other than their think it’s important to celebrate this holiday, even own; and recognize and be able to use various though the French eventually conquered Mexico and ruled for a few years? 5. Do you think women
Activities
should have the right to fight in battle? Explain.
A. Brainstorm: Have the class brainstorm holidays
E. Language Integration: Teach some Spanish
with which they are familiar and activities that words relating to Cinco de Mayo. Talk about cog- accompany them. List these on the board.
nates. Practice pronunciation and learn the mean- B. K-W-L Chart: Start a class K-W-L chart. Ask
ings. Provide students with a list of these words.
students what they already know about Cinco de
Tell children to look for new Spanish words all Mayo, if anything, and what they want to know.
Have students start individual charts using the list F. Writing Activity: Have students write in their
you’ve started, along with their own ideas. Every journals. Choices: 1. Write a story using their new time they learn something new relating to Cinco de
Spanish vocabulary words. 2. Write as if they are Mayo, they should record it on their chart.
Mexican peasants before or after the battle—what C. Mini-Lecture: After giving a historical overview
are they feeling and doing? 3. Write about three of of the events leading up to the Cinco de Mayo vic- the activities included in the celebration of Cinco de tory, explain that all countries have celebrations Mayo and why these activities are done.
unique to them. Give children a visual representa- G. Corners: Post the following at the front of
tion of the ratio of French army soldiers to the the class: These words were written shortly Mexican peasants by calling six students up into one Benito Juarez, in a proclamation to the Mexican cones. Attach these cones to the piñata with tape.
people: “The government of the republic will fulfill 3. Pour a moderate amount of glue on a margarine
its duty to defend its independence, to repel foreign tub lid. Scrunch squares of tissue paper around the aggression, and accept the struggle to which it has eraser of a pencil. Using the pencil, dip the been provoked, counting on the unanimous spirit of scrunched square into the glue and press on the the Mexicans and on the fact that sooner or later the piñata. Cover the entire piñata with tissue paper cause of rights and justice will triumph.” squares. Attach strips of tissue paper as streamers.
General Lorencz, to his government: “We are so su- 4. Use the knife to cut out a small piece of the
piñata. Fill the piñata with candy, stickers, or other
perior to the Mexicans in race, in organization, in surprises. Attach one end of the wire to either side of discipline, in morality, and in refinement of sensi- the opening, and then replace the small piece and bilities, that as of this moment, at the head of our glue back in place. 5. Hang the piñata, or tie it on a
6,000 valiant soldiers, I am the master of Mexico.” Have students compare these statements. Have cards I. Viva la fiesta! Divide the room into activity cen-
posted in the corners of the room that say “Strongly ters: Tortilla making/Tortilla eating contest; Making Agree, Strongly Disagree, Agree, and Disagree.” tissue paper flowers; Learning the “Raspa” (you’ll Pose the following statements one at a time: 1. Your
need a tape of Mexican songs); Making maracas ideals and values are the only things that determine (place beans in paper bags and decorate); Making your outcomes in all things. 2. It doesn’t matter
sombreros; Breaking piñatas. At fiesta’s end, stu- what the chances are: only your attitude matters. 3.
dents will write a one-page paper summarizing all It’s better to be prepared and not sure of yourself they have learned during Cinco de Mayo week.
then to be unprepared but sure of yourself.
Making sombreros: Get two 45” square pieces of
Have students go to the corner that represents their butcher paper for each child, string, newspapers, view for each statement. Have the students in the wheat paste, tempura paint, brushes, scissors, and se- same corners discuss why they feel the way they do quins. 1. Prepare wheat paste for papier-mâché by
and then one person from each corner will share the mixing flour and water to a consistency slightly thin- group’s ideas. Children may change their minds af- ner than cake batter. 2. Cover one square of butcher
ter talking to the group or listening to someone paper with a thin layer of the mixture and press it to- else’s reasoning. Next, ask students the following gether with the other paper square. 3. While the
three questions and have a small class discussion. 1.
squares are still damp, place them on a child’s head What sort of ideals and values does each man seem and shape the crown of the sombrero. 4. Secure the to have? 2. How could each man’s attitude have
base of the crown around the child’s head with the affected the outcome of the battle and the war? string. 5. Remove the sombrero from the child’s
3. Which man turned out to be right?
head, stuff the crown with newspaper and lay it on a H. Hands-On: Piñatas are a big part of Cinco de
flat surface. Smooth out the brim, trim off the cor- Mayo. Explain that piñatas originated in Italy; by ners and turn the brim up at the edges. Let dry com- the middle of the 16th century, the piñata had filtered pletely. 6. Decorate sombreros with paint and se-
into other countries. In Spain, the piñata was first used for religious purposes such as the first Sunday Making tortillas: Gather 2 1/2 cups corn tortilla
of Lent. The breaking of the piñata was a somber mix, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, electric occasion. Spanish explorers carried the piñata to skillet, fork, spatula, knife, wax paper, and a clean Mexico nearly 400 years ago. The piñata in Mexico had religious significance, but it was used for happyoccasions as well (mostly at Christmas). Besides 1. Mix the tortilla mix with just enough water to
this difference, piñatas in Mexico began to be make the dough stiff enough to roll into a large ball.
2. Divide the dough into many small balls. 3. Flatten
elaborately decorated. Eventually, piñatas were used the small balls with hands on squares of wax paper for all festive occasions in Mexico. Divide students and press evenly flat to about ¼” thickness. 4. Flip
into groups of 5 or 6. Each group will make a piñata tortilla off wax paper onto the lightly oiled electric to hit at during the culminating activity.
skillet. Cook for 10 seconds on one side, flip over Making a piñata: You’ll need a balloon, newspa-
and cook for one minute on the other side, then flip per strips, wheat paste, squares and strips of colorful again and cook for 20 seconds more. 5. Remove tor-
tissue paper, glue, tape, knife, one foot of wire, mar- tillas from the skillet and wrap them in the dish towel garine tub lids, pencil and construction paper. 1.
to keep them warm. Lightly spread tortillas with but- Prepare wheat paste for papier-mâché by mixing flour and water to a consistency slightly thinner than Making tissue paper flowers: Use 6-by-12-inch
cake batter. Cover the entire surface of an inflated rectangles of various colors of tissue paper. Pinch the balloon with strips of newspaper dipped into the short edges of a rectangle together in the middle and paste mixture. Allow to dry completely. 2. Cut five
half circles from construction paper and bend to form
ting right foot forward. Fourth count, stay put, don’t place a 2-inch square of contrasting colored tissue pa- move! Repeat until chorus begins. Set Two: The per on top. Twist the end of a pipe cleaner around the pairs of children link right elbows and skip around two pieces and fluff out the tissue to make petals.
each other. This lasts for eight counts. Now reversefor eight counts. Continue until the chorus ends and Doing La Raspa: Separate children into pairs and
then repeat La Raspa steps in set one.
arrange them in a large open circle. There are twosets of steps, one set for the music preceding the Assessment
chorus and the second set to follow during the cho- Consider student journal entries, responses to rus. Set One: First count, jump up in place and put discussion questions, responses to guided discus- your right foot forward with toes pointing out. Sec- sion and corners activities, individual K-W-L ond count, jump up in place again, putting left foot charts, student comparisons of holidays, and the forward. Third Count, jump up in place again, put- Grades 3-6
All about alliteration
Help students identify and use alliteration with some wonderfully wacky exercises, which start with the
following list of tongue twisters:
1. Angela Abigail Applewhite ate anchovies and artichokes.
14. Norris Newton never needed new noodles.
2. Bertha Bartholomew blew big, blue bubbles.
15. Patsy planter plucked plump, purple, plastic plums.
3. Clever Clifford Cutter clumsily closed the closet clasps.
16. Quinella Quist quite quickly quelled the quarreling quartet.
4. Dwayne Dwiddle drew a drawing of dreaded Dracula.
17. Randy Rathbone wrapped a rather rare red rabbit.
5. Elmer Elwood eluded eleven elderly elephants.
18. Shelly Sherman shivered in a sheer, short, shirt.
6. Floyd Flingle flipped flat flapjacks.
19. Trina Tweety tripped two twittering twins under a twiggy tree.
7. Greta Gruber grabbed a group of green grapes.
20. Uri Udall usually used his unique, unusual unicycle.
8. Hattie Henderson hated happy healthy hippos.
21. Vicky Vinc viewed a very valuable vase.
9. Ida Ivy identified the ivory iris.
22. Walter Whipple warily warned the weary warrior.
10. Julie Jackson juggled the juicy, jiggly Jell-o.
23. Xerxes Xenon expected to Xerox extra x-rays.
11. Karl Kessler kept the ketchup in the kitchen.
24. Yolana Yvonne Yarger yodeled up yonder yesterday.
12. Lila Ledbetter lugged a lot of little lemons.
25. Zigmund Zane zigzagged through the zany zoo zone.
13. Milton Mallard mailed a mangled mango.
Activities: Have students: Select 10 twisters and il-
about famous people with whom you are familiar.
lustrate them; Extend 10 twisters by adding more Make up twisters about popular products you use.
adjectives and adverbs; and Complete five twisters Share these in class by reading aloud or passing pa- of their own. Other suggestions: Make up twisters Grades 6-8
Searching for onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is the imitation of natural sounds in poeia words that you can. Swap lists between word form. These words help us form mental pic- groups. The other group should write a person’s tures about the things, people or places that are de- name, a place or a thing that first comes to their scribed. Sometimes the word names a thing or ac- tion by copying the sound. For example: Bong! For homework, find at least five examples of onomato- poeia in the comic strip section of the newspaper.
Have students work in groups of three or four.
Students should write five descriptive sentences that Brainstorm for five minutes. List all the onomato- contain at least one example of onomatopoeia. Re- write the sentences and put a blank where the ono- scribes the action and include as many onomato- matopoeia word is located. Exchange the paper poeia words as you can. Students should get in with a neighbor and fill in the blank with an ono- groups of four and let the author read their para- matopoeia word. Compare the sentences. See if you graph. See if the students can choose the picture that changed the meaning of the sentence.
Students should bring in two pictures from maga-zines that show action. Write a paragraph that de- Grades 3-5
Learn about crystals by making rock candy
Rock candy is just crystallized sugar, after all. For do it without a candy thermometer. Don’t stir after this tasty experiment, you’ll need 2 cups water, 5 cups sugar, a pie pan, string or bamboo skewer, Pour the hot liquid into the pan. The string should candy thermometer, foil, and some patience.
be 3/4 inch under the surface of the sugar water.
Get rocking: Stretch the string across a pie pan so it
Cover the pan with foil and don’t touch it for a is suspended across the top. You’ll have to weight week. In seven days, lift out the string or stick and it the ends so that it does not touch the bottom of the will be covered with sugar crystals.
pan. Or you can punch holes in the edge of the pan You can also pour the liquid into a jar. Punch a and tie the string. You can also lay a skewer across bamboo skewer through a plastic coffee-can lid.
Lay the lid over the jar so the skewer hangs down Dissolve the sugar in the water and cook until it the middle of the liquid. Do not let the skewer touch reaches 250 degrees. This temperature is also called the bottom of the jar. In seven days, lift out the hard ball, and most cookbooks will tell you how to skewer and it will be covered with sugar crystals.
Grades 2-3
Bring the Solar System to life
“The Solar System is a very abstract concept for planet and direct him/her to the correct place.) primary-age children,” notes Sally Spooner of Begin the experiment by having children walk in Sunset Elementary School in Cody, Wyoming.
their path or “orbit” around the sun. Stress that the “This activity was designed to show children the planets never leave their own orbits. This travel ideas of ‘revolution’ and ‘rotation.’” It uses role around the sun is called “revolution.” After the chil- playing to demonstrate the planets’ connection to dren have orbited the sun once, bring in the added concept of “rotation.” While moving around the sun, As a result of this activity, students will be able the children should also start to spin around like to: Make models to represent the planets in com- tops. (Caution them against becoming dizzy.) This parative size; Use their models to demonstrate revolution and rotation of the planets around the Tell children that it takes one year for the earth to re- sun; and Give definitions of “revolution,” “rota- volve around the sun, and it takes one day for the earth to rotate on its own axis. Point out that “rota- Materials: One yellow punch ball, nine balloons of
tion” or spinning on one’s own axis takes much less different colors, chalk or string to mark orbits, re- time than going all the way around the sun, or “revo- source materials to check orbits of the nine planets lution.” Give all children in the class a chance to Activities: Children will blow up a yellow punch
ball to its fullest, as well as balloons of nine differ- After returning to the classroom, demonstrate the ent colors to sizes representing the nine planets.
principle just learned with the globe. Let someone Take the class outside or go into the gym. Have spin the globe and walk around a “sun” to show “ro- nine paths marked on ground or floor with string or tation” and “revolution.” For children who have chalk. Have one student hold each balloon. Another trouble keeping “rotation” and “revolution” straight, student will hold the yellow punch ball, which rep- here’s a tip: the middle sound of “rotation” has the resents the sun. The “sun” stands in the middle of a same vowel sound as “day,” and it takes the earth one circle. The other children take their places on the day to rotate. This same type of activity can be used to marked paths. (Give each child the name of his/her show the relationship between the moon and the earth.
Grades 9-12
In his own words:
George Washington and the U.S.
Constitution
This lesson addresses George Washington’s leader- lessons/gw/humphrey.html
ship in forging a new government for the United George Washington to Henry Lee, October 31, 1786 States after the break from England in 1776. The http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
historical period covered by the documents in the gw/lee.html
lesson ranges from a few days after the Declaration George Washington to James Madison, Jr., Novem- of Independence in 1776, to late May 1790, when Rhode Island became the last of the 13 colonies to http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
ratify the new Constitution. Washington’s own gw/madison.html
words illustrate the events leading to the establish-ment of our national government, and the crucial December 26, 1786
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
Preliminary Activity: Reviewing the events lead-
gw/knox.html
ing to the split between England and the Americancolonies, including the formal Declaration of Inde- pendence on July 4, 1776. Distribute an excerpt of the Letter from George Washington to General http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
Artemas Ward, July 9, 1776, in which he requests gw/knox2.html
that the message of the Declaration of Indepen- Consider such questions as: What evidence of eco- dence be shared with all colonial troops. Excerpt: nomic problems among the states is seen in the let- http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
ters? What is the nature of the “commotions” to gw/trans2.html
which Washington repeatedly refers? What impact Full letter: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/
does Washington think Shays’s Rebellion will have r?ammem/mgw:@field(DOCID+@lit
on the image of the United States in foreign coun- (gw050225))
tries? What, as reflected in his own words, isWashington’s personal view of this domestic crisis? Use the timeline at http://memory.loc.gov/
ammem/gwhtml/gwtime.html to briefly review
Students can prepare a group presentation to share social, economic, and political events in the years excerpts of their document with their classmates.
1776-1790. After winning the War for Indepen- Each group should report, in turn, according to the dence, what were some of the challenges faced by date of their correspondence. Place a large timeline George Washington and his countrymen? What on the board, and ask one member of each group to were some of the perceived weaknesses of govern- write a key phrase from their letter that captures ment under the Articles of Confederation? What George Washington’s growing sense of alarm and exasperation regarding developments inMassachusetts. Students should take notes dur- Discussion: In order to investigate George
Washington’s concerns about the weaknesses ofthe Articles of Confederation and the revolt known George Washington played a key role in the draft- as Shays’s Rebellion, divide the class into six ing of the Constitution of the United States. In or- groups of students, and ask each group to read and der to investigate how deeply involved he was in highlight key passages from excerpts of one of six the political and philosophical development of the document, divide students again into six groups,and distribute to each group excerpts of one of six August 22, 1785
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/
George Washington to Lafayette, March 25, 1787 lessons/gw/mchenry.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
gw/lafayett.html
George Washington to David Humphreys,October 22, 1786 George Washington to James Madison, Jr., March http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
Convention from his vantage point as an eyewitness gw/madison2.html
to the events? What evidence exists of the famous George Washington to David Stuart, July 1, 1787 compromises that occurred there? What doesWashington’s correspondence reveal regarding the http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
struggle in each of the states over the ratification of gw/stuart.html
George Washington to Lafayette, February 7, 1788 Students can report out key passages from their http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
group’s document, presenting the material accord- gw/lafayet2.html
ing to chronological order. Students should take George Washington to Lafayette, May 28, 1788 notes during the presentations, and write a sum- http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
mary of Washington’s unique role as a participant gw/lafayet3.html
and commentator during the writing and ratification of the Constitution of the United States.
Culminating activity: Ask each student to read
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/
Letter from George Washington to Marquis de gw/madison3.html
Lafayette, June 3, 1790, at http://memory.loc.gov/
Consider such questions as: To whom was the ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/gw/lafayet4.html. After
document written? What role, if any, did this corre- reading the letter, students can write an essay re- spondent play in the American Revolution? What counting the events of 1785-90 that were illumi- was the person’s relationship to Washington? What nated in the lesson activities. They should compare is Washington’s view of the federal convention to and contrast George Washington’s attitude regard- be held in Philadelphia beginning in May 1787? ing the future of the United States at different What does he insist must happen there? How does Washington characterize the proceedings of the Grades 4-8
Top ten ways to have Math fun in the sun
With summer vacation near, the timing is perfect 5. Students rank six different brands of suntan lo-
for these 10 sunny activities from Linda Hobbs, a tion from best buy to worst buy, using prices teacher at Richards R-5 School in West Plains, Missouri. Just ask students to wear or bring sum- 4. Footprints in the sand: Students trace their
right foot on centimeter graph paper and find Activities:
10. Estimate the number of shells in a jar.
3. Each student brings a beach towel. We sit on
9. Groups receive a small snack tray of various
them, find their areas and perimeters, and cal- pieces of fruit. They find the fraction or per- culate how many of a certain towel would be centage that each kind of fruit is of the whole.
needed to cover the entire floor of the room.
2. Design a hat or cap for the beach. Create a
8. Have an inflatable alligator visit the class-
print or radio ad for your cap. Set a price.
room. Before he is blown up, students give es- timates about the dimensions of various parts cap? If your profit is 40 percent of the price of of his body after he’s inflated. Then measure.
each cap, how much will you make by selling100 caps? 7. Have each student bring a pair of sunglasses.
1. Plan a trip to any beach—direct air flight from
graphing opportunities include distances to home. Find the total distance of the trip, the each beach location, favorite things to do at travel time, and the number of gallons of fuel the beach, areas of various tropical islands, 6. Frisbee throw: Students estimate the distance
they can throw and then measure. Groups canfind the average of their throws.
For educators only
sidebars, captions, labels and headlines.
For It, teens who acquire the goal-setting Making the library a
homework haven
motivation, self-confidence, and self-es- concentrate better, and are more satisfied class assignments by setting up organized help get-to-it-later teens become goal-set- homework centers. That’s the message of Creating the Full-Service Homework creative exercises, practical tips, words Center in Your Library. Author Cindy For educators only
Read up on disasters
Forces of nature such as volcanoes, hurri- to: identify and articulate goals; set real- ies, describes what constitutes an effec- tive homework center: a separate space in obstacles and roadblocks; build a support the library, with set hours, clearly defined children’s books as a springboard, Inves- system of helpful peers and adults; think services, and an assigned staff member.
tigating Natural Disasters Through positive, celebrate success and learn from Computers are helpful, but not essential.
Children’s Literature offers grade 3-6 their efforts. (Free Spirit Publishing: 217 teachers and students a participatory ap- and responsible to oversee the program.
fers all the necessary materials for setting For educators only
up a homework haven in your library.
are dedicated to understanding natural di- Foundations of reading
sasters including volcanoes, earthquakes, education
The third edition of Linking Reading As- sessment to Instruction: An Application chapter includes a brief historical account Worktext for Elementary Teachers covers A world of reading
of a natural disaster, followed by a scien- the four components of reading that chil- tific explanation of the natural forces at Improving the nonfiction literacy skills of children’s books, and several critical- reading programs. Windows on Literacy theory in reading instruction to classroom Reading Expeditions texts are aimed at practice by providing, in each chapter, a Help teens set goals
istering, scoring and interpreting reading and shopping with Dad, Windows on Lit- eracy features 120 titles, 40 each for sizes the use of assessment and diagnosis emergent, early and fluent readers. Read- ing Expeditions launches with 30 social rather than for simply giving grades.
science titles in six series: American Communities Across Time, Civilizations Past to Present, Travels Across America, ing to research presented in What Do You Kids Make a Difference, Voices from Really Want? How to Set a Goal and Go America’s Past and Seeds of Change in Navigating the racial
American History. These titles are de- Don’t type those URLs
texts and features, such as tables of con- www.curriculumreview.com
individually face social and cultural is- Cactus: Traditional Stories from Mexicogives readers a glimpse into the living legacy of Mexican folklore. After anoverview of Mexico’s history from the Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-12, provides an opportunity to recognize
the efforts of educators. For a free, 40-page catalog of 200-plus gifts and fes- times, Angel Vigil explores the fascinat- tive materials for Teacher Appreciation Week, call Great Events Publishing at 888-433-8368, or e-mail info@greateventspublishing.com.
Huichol bead and yarn art, folk masks,folklórico dance costumes, and Mexicanfolklore. A collection of stories follows, subject fully for classroom presentation.
including classic tales, pourquoi creation day. The fifth novel in the series, Ankiza, follows a tall, attractive African-Ameri- and resistant materials units, and looks at where the subject fits into the school cur- students and adults, the tales may also be along with their mutual friend Maya.
riculum. It includes tips on planning les- and health and safety issues. (Routledge, tions of some of their friends, including dressed to Ankiza causes a private matter Zero in on deadly
to escalate into a public affair, and soon diseases
YA readers learn about public health cri- ses of the past, present—and, possibly, tion. All are compelled to ask themselves the future—in Rosen’s new series Epi- Earth-shaking science
History. The first eight titles in the series cover The Plague, AIDS, Cholera, Influ- Learn About the Earth, Fossils, Earth- enza, Malaria, Polio, Smallpox and Tu- quakes, Volcanoes, and More, children berculosis. Each 64-page hardcover traces the disease from its historic origins or is transmitted and courses of treatment For educators only
startle. For instance, “Individual cases of tinents on a molten mantle of molasses.
Sound designs
They identify rocks and mineralsthrough scratch, streak, dip, and mag- sugar, salt, and alum crystals, “fossiliz- ing” plastic insects and small shells in and textiles. It requires students to work glycerin soap, ice, and plaster of Paris, both practically and theoretically, to in- “real-world” context and relevance and For educators only
students. It also should be interesting, ex- citing and fun. Learning to Teach Design Ode to old Mexico
and Technology in the Secondary School A beautiful tapestry of traditional tales, history, folk arts and dance, Eagle on the Anything you have in your
Education technology can add
DVD or laserdisc collection,
value to printed books
you could look at your books
and classroom projects and
An interview with Sharon Porter
link them together with this
A library media specialist at La Grande Middle School in La Grande, Oregon, barcode software.
Sharon Porter hasn’t once lost her excitement for teaching kids in a 30-year ca- reer. She recently began linking her library’s printed book materials with elec- up in our library that kids can use all of tronic media—including laserdiscs, DVDs and audio CDs—using Bar’n’Coder software from Pioneer. By cross-pollinating the library’s text and multimedia re- sources, Porter has reinvigorated her school’s library and heightened the learning rections up on the walls in case I’m not experiences of her students. For more information, e-mail Porter at sporter@mail.lagrandek12.or.us. In addition, lesson plans and activities that in-
tegrate DVD and laserdisc technologies can be found at the Pioneer Tools 4
Is it a big challenge to
Teachers site at http://www.tools4teachers.com/.
keep print text vital for
today’s children?
It’s harder these days, with them being so
With this set-up, you create
author Virginia Euwer Wolff. It’s about a barcodes that link to
tion a little easier in other ways than just but World War II disrupts their activities.
programs on DVD, laserdisc
One of the girls on the team is Japanese- thetic learners; they need to touch things.
and audio CD?
Yes, and then the kids just run a scanner ther in the downing of the USS Arizona.
over the barcode and the segment plays.
middle school don’t quite have the back- to load the disc in an out—that activity How did you get the idea to
lost her father would be mad at her Japa- link the educational material
stored on DVDs and
laserdiscs with the library’s
didn’t understand the character’s motiva- print texts?
tion. So I made a barcode linked to video How did you get involved in
amassing so many DVD and
would bring the book into the library and laserdisc materials?
say, “I’d like to see this footage.” They encountered. I encountered a lot of really just like the character in the book. That’s put that real-life imagery into fiction.
barcodes up linking to actual pictures of And then it was off
to the races.
gave their presentations, they would read So it was a natural transition
their research, show their illustration, and to employ the ancillary
barcode software.
better reproductions of art on the screen than the art books in the library did. If there to putting barcodes on everything.
there’s a rendition by, say, one of the Im- well. For kids that are hearing-impaired, We’ve had them on T-shirts of the solar this gives them a tool to have captioning a black-and-white drawing in a book.
pect of these titles can be helpful to kids ture was a book called Bat 6, by Oregon also barcode music, so if there’s a book about creating a multimedia
station with barcoding?
fact, some of my students did a biography leave them set up. The hardest part about was the most beautiful piece. I could not believe the sensitivity the kids used in do- How much would it cost a
school library to set up one
station that’s just for laserdiscs, one parents and others; it was just lovely. This of these multimedia stations
with the barcode capability?
How has technology
scanning. So kids can go up to the station changed the school
and expect all the cords to be in place. Itcuts down on a lot of frustration when it What other types of high-
librarian’s job in the past
tech learning software and
30 years?
hardware have you
What portion of your budget
Everything I learned in library school, I introduced into your library
goes toward education
don’t use anymore. Of course, the basic to enhance your students’
technology as compared to
experience?
teachers, that hasn’t changed too much.
everything. In has freed us up to do better it’s hard to walk both worlds, print and media projects here at the middle school.
they use to give a presentation. They can myself to stay in the book world, too.
Do you see any downside?
laserdisc players, so they can incorporate other. It’s real hard to walk that line.
have several computer stations in our li- Do you think e-books will
ever replace the printed
Do you have any advice for
librarians or classroom
attachment to print. I don’t think that will age into the computer and then edit it as teachers who are thinking
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