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Teaching Language Arts in the Elementary School
September 26
In the News
Bad grades to hurt economy, study finds: http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/092404/met_16727754.shtml
" The number of Jacksonville (FL) public school students who can't read
at grade level would fill half the seats at Alltel Stadium. Same story for the
number of students below grade level in math. If Jacksonville does nothing about
these students, the city's future economic prospects will suffer."
New teaching technique goes to top of the class: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/education.cfm?id=162492005
"A NEW method of teaching primary school children to read and write has
been hailed as a major success after researchers discovered it enabled pupils
to surge years ahead of their contemporaries."
On the Shelf: http://www.noblenet.org/danvers/weblog/blog.htm
A "blog for avid readers" from the Peabody Institute Library, featuring
links to reviews, articles, book-related events, author interviews, etc.
opening hooks - a collection of literary beginnings: http://www.openinghooks.us/
Have you ever picked up a book and became hooked as soon as you read the opening
lines?
This site is a collection of really good opening lines. Each entry has one or
more lines of a book, the book's name and author. You can vote on each one.
You can search for specific books by author and genre. Perhaps your favorite
writers are listed. If not, you can submit them yourself.
Sound Patterns
Practice pronouncing words that begin with the letter
"t" with this poem.
“Tim the Turtle”
Tim the turtle
tried to trot while
taking a short trip.
Tim’s toes tripped.
Then Timmy tipped
and did a turtle flip.
1. Recite the poem to children.
2. Recite the poem again; this time have children “echo” you.
3. Write the poem on the board. Recite the poem again using a pointer. Ask children
to identify all the words in the poem that begin with the letter t.
4. Ask children to identify rhyming words from the poem.
5. Discuss the letters and sounds each rhyming word has in common.
“Tea Time”
Here's a cup
Here's a cup,
And here's a cup,
And here's a pot of tea.
Pour a cup,
And pour a cup,
And have a drink with me.
“I'm a Little Teapot”
I'm a little teapot,
Short and stout.
Here is my handle,
Here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout,
"Tip me over and pour me out."
1. Recite the poems to children.
2. Recite the poems again; this time have children "echo" you.
3. Write the poems on the board. Ask children to identify rhyming words from
the poems.
4. Discuss the letters and sounds each rhyming word has in common.
5. Add movement to each verse. Discuss the vocabulary in the poems and allow
the class to brainstorm appropriate movements.
Integreted Curriculum programs
I have listed many collaborative internet projects at: http://studyplans.com/timely.htm
They are listed by the last date it is possible to register for them.
Michele Dailey wrote on the teachers.net listserv about project based learning: I teach in a school that is about 98% ELL. I believe in project learning because it is authentic assessment. My students have a project due every 2 1/2 weeks that goes with the guided reading book they are currently using. My students have 14 tasks to complete in this period. Most of them are really easy -- like ABC order, Working with Words, etc. They also have a webquest to complete along with the project. They love it and so do my parents. I use only informational text so my kiddos are constantly widening their knowledge base.
Center for Problem Based Learning: http://www.imsa.edu/team/cpbl/cpbl.html
Content Area Reading: http://wps.ablongman.com/ab_mylabschool_demo_1_UB/0,9736,1641430-,00.html
Content area reading modeled
EdTechPost: http://www.edtechpost.ca/mt/
A blog on "Technologies for Learning, Thinking & Collaborating"
High Tech High-A Novel Approach to High School Teaching: http://www.hightechhigh.org/
A group of innovative high school leaders are taking education to the next level,
emphasizing math, science, and engineering and integrating these fields with
other pursuits ranging from art, technology, history, and literature. The goal
of the High-Tech Highs is to better prepare students for the high-tech field,
as well as create a highly educated citizenry. The California charter schools
place special emphasis on teaching students how engineering infiltrates virtually
every other discipline. The schools, which organizers hope to expand nationwide,
partner industry experts with highly-qualified teachers to create a rigorous
and stimulating learning environment that places special emphasis on problem-solving
skills in every subject.
Kathy Nunley's Layered Curriculum: http://www.help4teachers.com/
Reciprocal Teaching: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at6lk38.htm
River of Words: http://www.riverofwords.org/
Connecting Kids to their Watersheds and Imaginations through Poetry & Art
Tips for Using MarcoPolo
MarcoPolo: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/index.aspx
MarcoPolo not only provides lesson plans, student interactives, and Web resources aligned to national content standards, but its professional development resources and paradigm are also aligned to the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS for Teachers).
1. MarcoPolo's Content Partners have produced seven discipline-specific,
standards-based Web sites geared toward K-12 teachers and students. Most lessons
developed by the Partners not only correlate to state and national education
standards for their discipline, but also provide cross-curricular connections
with several other subjects as well.
To promote cross-curricular use, MarcoPolo Partner lessons often refer to lessons
and resources created by other MarcoPolo Partners. Teachers who use the MarcoPolo
Search Engine to search on a specific topic often will find Partner lessons
that satisfy state and national standards across several disciplines.
2. There are many benefits to using a student-centered, hands-on
laboratory setting to present topics in a new light. Students generally gain
a deeper understanding by doing rather than watching. Additional benefits include
learning how to work in a group, employing deductive reasoning skills and having
a greater sense of ownership and accomplishment.
Many of the lesson plans developed by the MarcoPolo Partners include hands-on
classroom activities. Teachers can use MarcoPolo resources to combine Internet-based
research with in-class group work to ensure a greater rate of comprehension,
especially in a classroom with different learning styles or multiple intelligences.
3. Combining interactive technology with classroom discussion
can be an effective way to help students with varying skill levels learn and
synthesize new ideas. With the introduction of computers in the classroom, students
have ready access to interactive computer programs that can help them better
understand challenging concepts.
The MarcoPolo Partners often include some type of interactive computer-based
activity in their lesson plans. These programs can help students gain confidence
in their ability to understand new concepts -- such as the pros and cons of
the bartering system, how drawings supplement the written word, or the geometric
properties of lines or shapes.
Use the interactive applets in this lesson to engage students' interest:
"Interactive Geometry Dictionary -- Lines" (K-12) from Illuminations,
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: http://illuminations.nctm.org/mathlets/IGD_lines/index.html
4. E-mail and the Internet provide the means for instant communications
-- sometimes even quicker than reaching someone on the telephone! The Internet
is home to thousands of online communities that bring together people with similar
interests from all over the world.
Many of the MarcoPolo Partner lessons encourage students and teachers to build
a community of users beyond the classroom walls. Students and teachers can collect
different perspectives about their surroundings by using the Internet to exchange
information with classrooms in another city or country.
Connect to an online community in:
"E-Pals Around the World" (6-8) from ReadWriteThink, International
Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=178
"What's the Problem With Digital TV?" (6-12) from EconEdLink, National
Council on Economic Education: http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM189&page=teacher
MarcoGrams are newsletters on a theme sent be MarcoPolo to subscribers.
If you would like to receive the next issue of the MarcoGram by e-mail, please
send a blank message to MarcoGram-Subscribe@marcopoloinfo.com.
An example of a MarcoGram is: MarcoPolo Does a Body Good:
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/8-25-02.html
Sample MarcoPolo Lessons
Business Card Book Reports:
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson143/PlanningSheetforBusinessCard.pdf
Change Is in the Air: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Jan2004.html
On a cold day in December 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright changed history. Although
their Wright Flyer stayed aloft for only 12 seconds and ultimately crashed on
a subsequent attempt, they proved that man could build, fly and control an airborne
machine. Now there are about 30,000 airplane flights originating in the U.S.
each day, transporting people and packages all over the world. The Wright brothers
risked their lives to test their idea and ultimately changed the world. Use
the activities to encourage students to examine the kinds of changes that happen
in and around their world.
Creating Your Report: http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson126/report.pdf
Exploring American Indian and Alaskan Native Traditions: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Nov2003.html
Idaho Forest Products Commission: http://www.idahoforests.org/
This website provides information on the Idaho Forest Products Commission. There
is information that can be used by both teachers and students, such as the tree
trivia section and downloadable lesson plans.
It Makes Good Sense: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Jan2005.html
Our five senses help us to see, hear, smell, taste and touch. The strengths
of these senses vary ? some senses are more heightened than others, some can
diminish with age and some might not be present at all
My Own Business: A Free Internet Course On Starting a Business: http://www.myownbusiness.org/
The Nobel Prize: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Dec2003.html
Oil and Water in the Middle East Region: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/lesson140.aspx
Students use maps and satellite imagery to explore the historical and political
roles of oil and water in the Middle East.
Online Technology Tutorials: http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line2.htm
Ready, Set, Goal!: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Jul2005.html
There really is no substitute for the feeling of a goal accomplished –
in athletic competition or any endeavor. But goals don't just happen. It takes
planning, hard work and commitment to turn dreams into reality. Using lessons
and resources featured in this MarcoGram, students will reflect on their aspirations
and discover some valuable tools to help them reach their goals, both big and
small.
The Red Badge of Courage: A New Kind of Courage: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/lesson132.aspx
Students explore the values of courage and patriotism in Stephen Crane's novel
about the Civil War.
Smart Money: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/MarcoGrams/Oct2003.html
Money. It burns holes in pockets, makes the world go round and is sometimes
the root of all evil. It can't buy you love, but if you put it where your mouth
is, you might get what you're looking for. This month, MarcoPolo features lessons
about making some hard-earned cash -- and spending it responsibly. Use the warm-up
activities below to encourage greater awareness about finance and economics,
then scroll down for links to more lessons and resources.
Solving Problems: http://www.marcopolo-education.org/marcograms/Mar2004.html
Albert Einstein's 125th birthday is celebrated on March 14, also dubbed "Pi
Day" by some clever mathematicians (March is the third month of the year,
and the first three digits of pi are 3.14). Although Einstein was well known
for his ability to solve difficult science problems, he felt he wasn't very
good at mathematics. This MarcoGram features different ways to understand and
solve many types of problems.
What's My Interest?: http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM377
Where Should I Build My Business? http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/11/g912/business.html
Other Interdisiplinary Sites
Journey North: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/
Windows Into Wonderland: http://windowsintowonderland.org
Yellowstone National Park has developed an online series of electronic field
trips and associated curricula. the curricula have been written to meet the
National Science Education Standards and are offered free of charge. There are
also archived electronic field trips for history, art and other science subjects
on the site. The Park Service anticipates bringing new field trips on line every
five or six months.
This site began in March 1998 and was created
by Janet Luch. This page was last updated
on September 25, 2005.
Email to studyplans@yahoo.com.