Teaching Tip of the Week

Teaching Tip of the Week (117)

Saturday, 18 February 2012 17:45

Show Me the Monet (Part 2) (3rd in an Occasional Series Featuring Engaging Classroom Projects) (Teaching Tip #60)

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This week I share photographs of some of the Planets Paintings my students have created over the past few years during our art-science integration project, in which they painted the planets and Sun in the unique style of Impressionist Claude Monet. Last week I introduced the project and described the day-by-day unit plan.

Saturday, 11 February 2012 17:45

Show Me the Monet (Part 1) (3rd in an Occasional Series Featuring Engaging Classroom Projects) (Teaching Tip #59)

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The California Earth science standards for third grade focus on astronomy. The primary standard reads as follows: “Objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns.” The five substandards that develop this idea further mention constellations, the lunar cycle, the definition of a telescope, the planets that orbit the Sun, and the Sun’s position in the sky.

For two of these five substandards, I have created week-long projects that integrate art and science. The first project begins when I present my students with an introduction sheet that contains the following scenario:

Saturday, 04 February 2012 17:45

The Symbol & Landmark Project (Part 3) (2nd in an Occasional Series Featuring Engaging Classroom Projects) (Teaching Tip #58)

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This week I share photographs of some designs my students have created over the past few years for our Symbol & Landmark Project, an engaging social studies unit that helps kids make a personal connection with important content. I introduced the project two weeks ago and described the day-by-day unit plan last week.

Saturday, 28 January 2012 17:45

The Symbol & Landmark Project (Part 2) (2nd in an Occasional Series Featuring Engaging Classroom Projects) (Teaching Tip #57)

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This week I describe the specific unit plan for the Symbol & Landmark Project, an engaging social studies unit that helps kids find relevance in their work and allows them to make a personal connection with important content. I introduced the project last week, and next week I will share pictures of some projects my students have created.

Here is the day-by-day sequence of activities. The unit typically takes two weeks to complete.

Saturday, 21 January 2012 17:45

The Symbol & Landmark Project (Part 1) (2nd in an Occasional Series Featuring Engaging Classroom Projects) (Teaching Tip #56)

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Each September when my students complete our beginning-of-the-year Enthusiasm Survey of the various curricular areas, social studies ranks among the least popular subjects. Author Lee Jenkins once commented that since social studies is about people, it should be one of the most interesting subjects in school because people are interesting. Traditionally, though, the way social studies is taught in schools doesn’t seem to resonate with children because it is difficult for students to see how the content connects to their lives and to find the relevance in what they are studying.

Saturday, 14 January 2012 17:45

Fraction Creatures (Part 2) (1st in an Occasional Series Featuring Engaging Classroom Projects) (Teaching Tip #55)

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Below you will find pictures of several Fraction Creatures my students have made in recent years. As you can see, the kids create a wide variety of creatures, ranging from the cutie pie dog to the ferocious teddy bear. Though the photos show only animal creatures, students also create machines, aliens, flowers, and fantasy creatures. One of my favorite parts of teaching is that I can give directions at the beginning of a project like this, and even though each child is hearing the same instructions, everyone creates something truly unique and different. That fact needs to be celebrated.

Saturday, 07 January 2012 17:45

Fraction Creatures (Part 1) (1st in an Occasional Series Featuring Engaging Classroom Projects) (Teaching Tip #54)

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Before winter break I posted a six-part series on the Math Problem Solving Menus my students work on after they finish the primary math activity of the day. In February, when we begin our Fractions unit, we put the menus aside for a couple weeks, and when my students complete their primary activity, they move directly to their Fraction Creatures.

Student enthusiasm for this project is as high as it is for any project we do all year, and it provides the children with an authentic opportunity to grapple with many of the skills featured in our unit: comparing fractions, finding equivalent fractions, adding fractions with unlike denominators, and determining simplest form. The artistic aspect of the project fosters creativity and promotes the habit of craftsmanship.

Saturday, 17 December 2011 17:45

Math Problem Solving Menus (Part 6): Checking System (The Supermarket Analogy) (Teaching Tip #53)

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The Teaching Tips will focus on the topic of Math Problem Solving Menus during this six-week period.

Week 1: Math Problem Solving Menus: An Introduction
Week 2: Problem Solving Solution Sheet
Week 3: Sample Problem Solving Menu
Week 4: List of Problem Solving Strategies
Week 5: Scoring Rubric
Week 6: Checking System (The Supermarket Analogy)

Saturday, 10 December 2011 17:45

Math Problem Solving Menus (Part 5): Scoring Rubric (Teaching Tip #52)

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The Teaching Tips will focus on the topic of Math Problem Solving Menus during this six-week period.

Week 1: Math Problem Solving Menus: An Introduction
Week 2: Problem Solving Solution Sheet
Week 3: Sample Problem Solving Menu
Week 4: List of Problem Solving Strategies
Week 5: Scoring Rubric
Week 6: Checking System (The Supermarket Analogy)

Saturday, 03 December 2011 17:45

Math Problem Solving Menus (Part 4): List of Problem Solving Strategies (Teaching Tip #51)

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The Teaching Tips will focus on the topic of Math Problem Solving Menus during this six-week period.

Week 1: Math Problem Solving Menus: An Introduction
Week 2: Problem Solving Solution Sheet
Week 3: Sample Problem Solving Menu
Week 4: List of Problem Solving Strategies
Week 5: Scoring Rubric
Week 6: Checking System (The Supermarket Analogy)

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