Category Archives: Curriculum Resources

June 13, 2012 · 7:19 AM

A Glance Back at A Successful School Year

As many of schools are winding down for the school year, student energy is high, teacher energy low, it is important to look back, reflect and make notes on what worked and what did not, while your mind is still in “school” mode.

As an administrator, I find this is a helpful tool not only in regards to the building standard operating procedures, but in what worked in motivating my team or not. It is just important for an administrator to reflect as it is for a teacher, because it is in the exercise of being a reflective practitioner, do we  continue to grow and challenge ourselves to higher standards.

When I was in the classroom, I would spend the last week of school with my students and the last week after they were gone, to spend a few minutes each day writing in a journal.  I would reflect upon lessons taught, the differentiated tools utilized and next to each reflection, I would put IDEAS on how I could change it up for the following year to ensure more students’ needs were met.

I would spend time thinking about how I felt I impacted my building as a whole…did I contribute to the greater good, was I encouraging to those around me, did I spend most my time picking up versus putting down…This excercise helped me grow as a teacher and an individual.

Although it is easy to get caught up in trying to close down a building and get home to rejuvenate before it all begins again…in a matter of weeks…I encourage you all to pause, reflect and take a good look at how you made a difference this year in the life of a child.

To all the parents, children, teacher and administrators out there, our Unlock the Teacher team would like to say to you…”Job well done!”

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things~

Denise

Recommended summer reading:

“Reeasing the Imagination” by Maxine Greene

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May 25, 2012 · 1:14 AM

Educational Online Resources Recommended byTeachers

Summer Resource Guide

Provided by the St. Regis School and Academy Faculty


 Critical Thinking and all Core Subjects

www.iknowthat.com  Critical thinking and activities in all core subjects

funbrain.com   all sorts of educational fun

www.nick.com/  Nickelodeon/kid games

http://www.learninggamesforkids

http://students.discoveryeducation.com/ Digital media content aligned to state standards and common

Brain Builder Links

Grade 3 http://www.puzzles.com/projects/LogicProblemsArchive.html Logic Puzzles to Play Online or Print Out! http://www.neok12.com/ Educational Videos, Lessons, and Games: Covering all Subject Areas: Grades K-12 http://www.kidskonnect.com/ Kids Konnect: A Safe Internet Gateway for Kids http://www.sikids.com/ Sports Illustrated for Kids http://www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html Cool Games for Kids: Searchable by Grade K-8 http://www.playkidsgames.com/ Games covering a Wide Variety of Subject Areas

Improve Study Skills

http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/index.asp  Includes links to numerous articles about study skills

http://www.infoplease.com/homework/studyskills1.html

Includes helpful tips for effective note taking, test prep, writing essays, reading comprehension, and more

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html  Provides self-help information for improving one’s study skills

Grammar

Grades 6-8

www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/6_8/grammar/ www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games_vocab.htm www.ask.com/English+Grammar+Games www.funenglishgames.com/grammargames.html www.english-online.org.uk/games/gamezone2.htm – 21k www.harcourtschool.com/menus/preview/harcourt_language/grammar_park.ht

Language Arts

Grade 1 http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities.html

Grade 3 www.abcya.com  Grade level lessons in math and language arts. starfall.com   a phonics practice website http://www.k12reader.com/why-read-20-minutes-a-day/  Read 20 minutes a day (at least)

Grades 6-8

www.sadlier-oxford.com For previews of the vocabulary units we use “Vocabulary Workshop – Level C” www.literacyworks.org/learningresources For activities in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and sequencing using real news stories, www.learn4good.com/kids/index.htmlanguage arts skill practice, be sure to click on the first tab –“Languages” http://languagearts.ppst.com power point presentations and practice games on grammar and literary terms.

Math

Grade 1

http://www.mathplayground.com/

Grade 3

www.fun4thebrain.com  Math practice for grades k – 8.

www.gamequarium.com  Practice more than 1,000 different math topics in grades

www.abcya.com  Grade level lessons in math and language arts.

Grade 4

www.mathcafe.com  Basic math practice and worksheets www.softschools.com  Worksheets and practice of basic math facts www.math.umass.edu/diehl/mysteries.html  Math mysteries www.brainquest.com  Brain teasers www.onlinemathlearning.com  Math learning http://edheads.org/  Logic puzzles www.aplusmath.com/games/index.html  Math games K – 9

Grade 5

https://www.xtramath.org/  assess and track student’s basic math skills by grade level

www.ixl.com  assess and track student’s basic math skills by grade level

http://www.mathplayground.com/  fun math games, puzzles, and videos

http://www.helpingwithmath.com  math skills and worksheets based on Common Core Standards for Mathematics

http://www.mathsisfun.com  math skill explanations, dictionary, worksheets, and puzzles

Grade 1-8

http://www.math-play.com/

http://www.aplusmath.com/

http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/Mathmagician/CATHYMATH.html

http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=12

http://www.aaamath.com/fra.html

http://www.visualfractions.com/

Religion

Grade 7

http://www.loyolapress.com/3-minute-retreats-daily-online-prayer.htm   For a daily 3 minute retreat http://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/   3433 Catholic Prayers for all needs http://www.usccb.org/   daily mass readings and many other resources from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Science

Grade 1 http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities.html

Grade 3

EARTH SCIENCE

http://www.scholastic.com/kids/weather/  Interactive Weather Maker

http://www.quia.com/custom/29main.html  Earth’s Physical Features Games

http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/  Water Cycle Animation

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html  EPA: Water Cycle Interactive Learning Experience

http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/watertreatmentplant/flash/index.html  EPA: Tour a Drinking Water Treatment Plant

LIFE SCIENCE

http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/htbw_main_page.html  Kid’s Health: How the Body Works Videos and More!

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/   Ed Heads: Simple Machine Interactive Learning Experience

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/states_of_matter/ States of Matter Activity

SPACE / TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE

http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/Weblessons/AsTheEarthTurns/default.htm

As the Earth Turns: Causes of Day and Night: Interactive Learning Experience

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.seasonsgame/

Earth in Motion: Causes of Seasons: Interactive Learning Experience

http://esminfo.prenhall.com/science/geoanimations/animations/01_EarthSun_E2.html

Earth’s Revolution Around the Sun and Seasons Interactive Animation

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html NASA Kids’ Club

http://moon.nightskyobserver.com/  Night Sky Observer: Moon Page

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/moon_phases/  Moon Phases Interactive Learning Experience

http://www.astrocentral.co.uk/starting.html  Star Hopping Guide with Animations: Finding Constellations

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm  Kid Astronomy: Facts about Planets, Moons, and other Objects in Space

http://stardate.org/  Current News and Information on Viewing the Night Sky

Grade 4

www.sciencekids.com/gamesactivities.html  Science activities for Elementary levels

Grade 5

http://www.education.com/activity/fifth-grade/science/   hands-on activities that explore 5th grade science topics – plus other subjects as well http://www.chem4kids.com/   basic chemistry information and activities http://www.kidsgeo.com/   geology topics and games and other science topics Star Walk app for iPad – awesome interactive, astronomy guide

http://www.brainpop.com  animated educational site – all subjects also – subscription required

http://science.discovery.com/interactives/literacy/newton/media/newtonfinal415.swf  fun presentation on Newton’s laws of motion

Grade 7

http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/ http://scienceclub.org/scifair.html http://www.sciencebob.com/sciencefair/ideas.php http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities.html

Grade 8

http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/carousel.html Amusement Park Physics

http://zonalandeducation.com/contents/contents.html Zona Land Education

http://www.neok12.com/ Educational Videos, lessons, and games

http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=L639 Make your own cool Tetrahedral Kite

http://www.khanacademy.org/ Khan Academy is your friend!

Social Studies

Grade 1 www.Kids.nationalgeographic.com/ Kid’s games, animals, pictures, stories

www.bensguide.gpo.gov/ U. S.  Government web sites for kids

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/  US government websites for kids

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/  Kids games, animals, pictures, and stories

Grade 3

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/michigan/  Information on Michigan’s Native American Tribes

http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/  Jamestown Interactive Online Adventure

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/interactiveadventures/john-smith/

National Geographic for Kids: On the Trail of Captain John Smith Online Adventure

http://www.americancivilwar.com/civil.html  Information on the Civil War

http://www.civilwar.com/component/option,com_battlemap/  Interactive Civil War Battle Map

http://www.coolmath-games.com/lemonade/  Economics: Lemonade Stand Game

http://www.coolmath-games.com/0-coffee-shop/index.html  Economics: Coffee Shop Game

Grade 5

http://www.educationalrap.com  core subject area topics presented in rap songs – Redcoats vs. Rebels is great!

http://www.kids.gov/k_5/k_5_social.shtml

view the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights; excellent resource for 5th grade S.S. topics

Grade 6

http://games.pppst.com/socialstudies.html

http://www.softschools.com/social_studies/

Grade 8

Colonial Williamsburg

http://www.history.org/almanack/tourTheTown/index.cfm http://www.history.org/history/fife&drum/about.cfm http://www.history.org/history/fife&drum/redregimentals.cfm http://www.history.org/Almanack/life/index.cfm http://www.history.org/Almanack/places/index.cfm

Revolutionary War

http://www.ushistory.org/march/phila/background.htm

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/therevolutionarywar/q.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/10966/index.html

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel03.html

War of 1812

http://miwar1812.weebly.com/games–activities.html

http://www.asailorslifeforme.org/

http://www.aacps.org/aacps/boe/INSTR/CURR/comed/es/webquest/1812/indexjh.html

http://www.usd281.com/warof1812/index.html

http://www.ehow.com/info_8033481_civil-war-camps-kids.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_4874464_civil-war-costumes.html

Civil War

http://www.ehow.com/way_5261035_civil-war-activities-middle-school.html

http://www.shermansmarch.org/index.html

http://www.neok12.com/quiz/CIVWAR04

http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/16-history/264-civil-war.html

Spanish

Grades JK-5

http://www.homeeducationresources.com/FREEspanish.htm

This website has many basic topic worksheets.  Great for all students.  Parents can help younger students with worksheets.

http://www.quia.com/shared/spanish/

This website is a search engine for games made by teachers around the country. One can search for any topics covered in Spanish. Great for all students. Parents would need to help their younger children navigate the site.

http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/spanish_for_children  Games on many topics http://sracaldwell.wikis.birmingham.k12.mi.us/file/view/The-10-Best-Spanish-Websites-for-Kids-12.pdf

This is a pdf file that has active links to many other sites broken down by level.

http://www.kidsspeakspanish.org/esp_Songs.shtml  This website has fun songs that students can sing along with.  Great for JK – 3rd grade.

http://www.spanishtown.ca/spanishforkids/spanishforkids.htm  Great for 1st – 4th grade students.  Covers basic concepts. http://www.abcteach.com/directory/languages/spanish/  Great for 1st – 5th grade students. Parents may need to help younger students navigate site. Many different topics covered by worksheets

http://www.studyspanish.com/

This website has a plethora of topics. One can choose Pronunciation, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Verb drills. Pronunciation would be great for middle school students.  Grammar would be great for 4th – 8th grade students.  Vocabulary would be great for 4th -8th grade students to review and expand their word knowledge. Verb drills would be great for 4th -8th grade students to review and expand their verb knowledge. http://www.spanish.bz/learn-spanish.htm

The topics are found at the bottom of the page. There are many topics. Great for middle school students and grades 4 and 5. They are presented in a lesson format: instruction – worksheet – quiz.

Grades 6-8

www.classzone.com (click on our Avancemos book) www.spanishspanish.com

http://www.uni.edu/becker/Spanish3.html http://www.digitaldialects.com/Spanish.htm http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_es.php# http://www.quia.com/shared/spanish/

From the Media Center

Local Libraries Bloomfield Township Public Library hosts summer reading programs for all age levels. Print titles are available through the children and youth departments and eBooks are available through their web portal.

Bloomfield Township Public Library: http://www.btpl.org/

Getting Started with eBooks: http://www.btpl.org/node/5312

Baldwin Public Library hosts summer reading programs for all age levels. Print titles are available through their children and youth departments and eBooks and eAudio books can be accessed online.

Baldwin Public Library: http://www.baldwinlib.org/

Baldwin Virtual Services:  http://www.baldwinlib.org/eBooks/

Religious Books and Media Christian books are available through this site and are grouped according to age.

For kids: http://www.christianbook.com/kids

For tweens: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_sp?sp=102367

Caldecott Medal and Honor Books Awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal

Newberry Medal and Honor Books Awarded to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal

Reading/Writing Websites for Kids Great Websites for Kids is sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children and provides engaging links to a variety of subjects for all grade levels: http://gws.ala.org/

Book Adventure from Sylvan Learning: http://www.bookadventure.com/Home.aspx

Interactive Writing Games: http://www.funenglishgames.com/writinggames.html

Educational Apps

Reading and literacy come in a variety of platforms, and educational apps are on the rise. Parental discretion is advised when choosing an appropriate educational app for your child. Here are a few links to get you started.

Best Kids Apps (select age):http://www.bestkidsapps.com/category/ages-5-8/

Scholastic Apps: http://www.scholastic.com/apps/

Apple in Education: http://www.apple.com/education/apps/

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things~

Denise

Please note, we would love to share your favorite educational app or website. Just send us an email or leave on our “comments” here and we will be happy to share it with our readers.  When we all share the good in education, we all win!

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February 29, 2012 · 10:22 PM

Educational Websites to Utilize in the Classroom for Grades 4-12

At a recent principal’s meeting, the Web 2.0 presenter showcased some fabulous online resources that any 21st century educator could utilize to enhance classroom instruction.

www.qwiki.com

This site includes multimedia components and visual displays for presentations.  *Very user-friendly.

www.lessonstream.org

Present information to students integrating a multimedia format.

www.vocabahead.com

Identify real-life connections between words and their use.  *This is a great tool…words with videos!

www.khanacademy.org

This is a site where students can retell stories to demonstrate an understanding of concepts.

www.bitstrips.com

This is an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G site for teachers to utilize really grades 2 on up.  Students can create animated cartoon strips by utilizing a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events. This site also has a homework component…great vocabulary builder and speaks to the visual learner.

www.60secondrecap.com

Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings or events in a story or drama. *neat site

www.visuwords.com

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

www.owl.emglish.purdue.edu

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

www.froguts.com

Great virtual dissects to utilize in class with students.

www.jeapardylabs.com

Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

www.storybird.com

Add drawings to displays and stories.

This is just a few of the many resources available online. 

 

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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February 3, 2012 · 7:30 PM

March is National Reading Month…Here are some Great Books to Review for Classroom Reading

A Collection of Recommended Books for Children Grades 1-3

GRADE 1

 

Agee, Jon – Milo’s Hat Trick

Bruchac, Joseph – How Chipmunk got his Stripes : A Tale of Bragging and Teasing

Choi, Yangsook – The Name Jar

Eastman, P. D. (Philip D.) – Are you my Mother?

Jenkins, Emily – Five Creatures

Johnson, Crockett – Harold and the Purple Crayon

Kellogg, Steven – A Penguin Pup for Pinkerton

Kimmel, Eric A – Anansi and the Magic Stick

LeSieg, Theo. – Ten Apples up on Top!

Long, Melinda – When Papa Snores

Look, Lenore – Henry’s First-Moon Birthday

Mayer, Mercer – There’s an Alligator Under my Bed  (both my son and daughter loved this one 🙂

McCloskey, Robert – Make way for Ducklings

Middleton, Charlotte – Tabitha’s Terrifically Tough Tooth

Pattou, Edith – Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden

Piper, Watty – The Little Engine that Could

Rey, Margret – The Complete Adventures of Curious George

Rylant, Cynthia – The Great Gracie Chase : Stop that Dog!

Shaw, Nancy (Nancy E.) – Sheep in a Jeep

Showers, Paul – The Listening Walk

Smith, Charles R., Jr – Loki & Alex : The Adventures of a Dog and his Best Friend

Stevens, Janet – And the dish Ran Away with the Spoon

Stewart, Sarah – The Journey

Suen, Anastasia – Hamster Chase

Watt, Melanie – Leon the Chameleon

Wick, Walter – Walter Wick’s Optical Tricks

Winthrop, Elizabeth – Dumpy La Rue

Wood, Audrey – The Napping House

Wood, Audrey – Quick as a Cricket

Recommended authors for Grade 1

Eric Carl ; P. D. Eastman; Dr. Seuss; Kevin Henkes; Laura Joffe Numeroff; Rosemary Wells

Recommended Series for Grade 1

Capucilli, Alyssa Satin – Biscuit

Gantos, Jack – Rotten Ralph

Lobel, Arnold – Frog and Toad All Year

Minarik, Else Holmelund – Little Bear. Pictures by Maurice Sendak (A family favorite!)

Rey, H. A. (Hans Augusto) – Curious George

Rylant, Cynthia – Henry and Mudge

 

GRADE 2

Allard, Harry – Miss Nelson is Back

Allard, Harry – Miss Nelson is Missing!

Arnold, Tedd – No More Water in the Tub!

Arnold, Tedd – The Signmaker’s Assistant

Bercaw, Edna Coe – Halmoni’s Day

Brown, Jeff – Flat Stanley

Cannon, Janell – Stellaluna

Creech, Sharon – Fishing in the Air

Ehlert, Lois – Waiting for Wings

Finchler, Judy – Miss Malarkey Doesn’t Live in Room 10

Guarino, Deborah – Is Your Mama a llama?

Hale, Bruce – The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse

Kvasnosky, Laura McGee – Zelda and Ivy

Leedy, Loreen – Mapping Penny’s World

Lester, Helen – Tacky the Penguin

Markle, Sandra – Outside and Inside Dinosaurs

Palatini, Margie – The Web Files

Prelutsky, Jack – It’s Raining Pigs & Noodles : Poems

Seeger, Pete – Abiyoyo

Silverstein, Shel – The Giving Tree

Simont, Marc – The Stray Dog : From a True Story by Reiko Sassa

Wood, Audrey – King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub

Recommended series for Grade 2

Barrows, Annie – Ivy + Bean

Danziger, Paula – Amber Brown is not a Crayon

Gantos, Jack – Rotten Ralph

Hoban, Russell – Bedtime for Frances

Lobel, Arnold – Frog and Toad are Friends

McDonald, Megan – Judy Moody ( A funny series! 🙂 )

Meadows, Daisy – The Rainbow Magic Collection. Volume 1 , Books 1-4

Meddaugh, Susan – Martha Speaks

Minarik, Else Holmelund – Little Bear. Pictures by Maurice Sendak

Osborne, Mary Pope – Dinosaurs Before Dark

Parish, Peggy – Amelia Bedelia

Park, Barbara – Junie B. Jones and the stupid Smelly Bus

Preller, James – The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster

Rylant, Cynthia – Henry and Mudge

Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman – Nate the Great

Zion, Gene – Harry, the Dirty Dog

 

Grade 3

Allard, Harry – Miss Nelson is Missing!

Artell, Mike – Petite Rouge : a Cajun Red Riding Hood

Barrett, Judi – Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Blume, Judy – Freckle Juice

Cameron, Ann – The Stories Julian Tells

Cherry, Lynne – The Great Kapok Tree : A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest

Cole, Joanna – Bony-legs

Dahl, Roald – Fantastic Mr. Fox

Ernst, Lisa Campbell – Little Red Riding Hood : A Newfangled Prairie Tale

Etra, Jonathan – Aliens for Breakfast

Ferris, Jeri – Go Free or Die : A Story about Harriet Tubman

Ferris, Jeri – What are you Figuring Now?

Ferris, Jeri – Walking the Road to Freedom : A Story about Sojourner Truth

Fleming, Denise – Where Once there was a Wood

Frasier, Debra – Miss Alaineus : A Vocabulary Disaster

George, Jean Craighead – Look to the North : A Wolf Pup Diary

Giff, Patricia Reilly – Oh Boy, Boston!

Hopkins, Lee Bennett – Sports! Sports! Sports! : A  Poetry Collection

Kline, Suzy – Horrible Harry and the Dungeon

Krull, Kathleen – Wilma Unlimited : How Wilma Rudolph became the World’s Fastest Woman

MacLachlan, Patricia – Sarah, Plain and Tall

McGill, Alice – Molly Bannaky

Polacco, Patricia – The Keeping Quilt

Polacco, Patricia – The Bee Tree

Robinson, Barbara – The Best School Year Ever

Rockwell, Thomas – How to Eat Fried Worms

Rodowsky, Colby F – Not my Dog

Seattle, Chief – Brother Eagle, Sister Sky : A Message from Chief Seattle

White, E. B. (Elwyn Brooks) – Charlotte’s wWb

Yolen, Jane – Letting Swift River Go

Recommended series for Grade 3

Adler, David A – Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

Dadey, Debbie – Monsters don’t Scuba Dive

Danziger, Paula – Amber Brown is not a Crayon

Landon, Lucinda – Meg Mackintosh and the Case of the Missing Babe Ruth Baseball : A Solve-it-Yourself Mystery

Osborne, Mary Pope – Dinosaurs before Dark

Peterson, John Lawrence – The Littles

Preller, James – The Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster

Roy, Ron – The Absent Author

Sachar, Louis – Marvin Redpost : Kidnapped at Birth?

Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman – Nate the Great

Sobol, Donald J. – Encyclopedia Brown- Boy Detective

Warner, Gertrude Chandler – The Boxcar Children

 

Recommended authors for Grade 3

Matt Christopher, Beverly Cleary, Barbara Cooney, Robert McCloskey, Patricia McKissack, Allen Say, Jon Scieszka, William Steig, and Chris Van Allsburg.

 

GRADE 4

Barasch, Lynne – Radio Rescue

Blume, Judy – Fudge-a-Mania

Coville, Bruce – My Teacher is an Alien

Dahl, Roald – James and the Giant Peach

Erickson, John R. – The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog

Howe, Deborah – Bunnicula : A Rabbit Tale of Mystery

Lowry, Lois – Anastasia Krupnik

MacLachlan, Patricia – Caleb’s Story

O’Brien, Patrick – The Hindenburg

O’Brien, Robert C – Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Richler, Mordecai – Jacob Two-Two meets the Hooded Fang

Sachar, Louis – Sideways Stories from Wayside School

St. George, Judith – So you want to be President?

Tang, Greg – The Grapes of Math : Mind Stretching Math Riddles

Thayer, Ernest Lawrence – Casey at the Bat

 

Recommended Series for Grade 4

Abbott, Tony – The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet

Gutman, Dan – Jim & Me : A Baseball Card Adventure

Gutman, Dan – My Weird School Daze!

Osborne, Mary Pope – Dinosaurs before Dark

Scieszka, Jon – Knights of the Kitchen Table

Snicket, Lemony – The Bad Beginning

Wilder, Laura Ingalls – Little House on the Prairie

 

Grade 5

■Avi – Never Mind! : A Twin Novel

Berlin, Eric – The Puzzling World of Winston Breen

Birdsall, Jeanne – The Penderwicks : A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

Bosch, Pseudonymous – The Name of this Book is Secret

Broach, Elise – Masterpiece

Clements, Andrew – No Talking

Codell, Esme Raji – Vive la Paris

Davies, Nicola – Extreme Animals : The Toughest Creatures on Earth

Erdrich, Louise – The Birchbark House

Fleischman, Sid – Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini

Going, K. L. (Kelly L.) – The Liberation of Gabriel King

Gutman, Dan – The Kid who ran for President

Haven, Paul – Two Hot Dogs with Everything

Ibbotson, Eva – The Haunting of Granite Falls

Janeczko, Paul B – A Kick in the Head: an Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms

Juster, Norton – The Phantom Tollbooth

Lange, Karen E – 1607 : A New Look at Jamestown

Lowry, Lois – The Willoughbys

Mercado, Nancy E. – Tripping over the Lunch Lady : and other school stories

Park, Linda Sue – Project Mulberry : A Novel

Yue, Guo – Little Leap Forward : A Boy in Beijing

 

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January 15, 2012 · 10:11 PM

Educational Webinars from an Administrator Tool Kit to STEM Focused Schools

Educational  Webinars

Great resources for teachers…

Administrator Tool Kit~As an administrator, you no doubt wear many hats and do many jobs. Given this, having the right tool for the right job is critical – not only can it make your job easier, but the right tool can help you accomplish tasks faster and often better. Join Steven Anderson @web20classroom as he shares his favorite, must-have Web tools for administrators.

http://simplek12.com/tlc/on-demand/administrator-communication-tools/

Cooking with Bill Nye~Watch Bill Nye boil water. Really. In the process, you may learn something about energy conservation that comes in handy next time you make pasta.

 http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/7761/preview/

Hurricanes~Video, Teacher Guide and so much more. This is a great tool!

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/506/preview/

A New Wave of STEM Focused Schools ~Register for this FREE webinar today!

https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=390894&sessionid=1&key=FBFABD27128029676D4918199CEDA3BB&partnerref=CAL&sourcepage=register

A Fresh Look at Teaching the Diary of Anne Frank~ This webinar includes a complimentary teacher’s guide created with the Holocaust Education Organization Facing History & Ourselves and special Resources for Youth. We highly recommend this one! www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar/archive.html

Helping Kids Understand Viruses and Vaccinations with Sid the Science Kid ~This free webinar provides information and strategies for helping students understand viruses and vaccinations. The website also offers a complimentary resource package. www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar/archive.html

Exploring the Faces of America by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar/archive.html

Media Literacy: 21st Century Skills All Students Need ~Frank Baker

www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/frank-baker-webinar.aspx

 

How to Promote a Learning-Receptive Emotional State ~Judy Willis

www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/judy-willis-brain-and-learning-webinar.aspx

 

Getting to “Got It!” ~Betty Garner

www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/betty-garner-webinar.aspx

 

Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom ~ Carol Tomlinson and Marcia Imbeau

www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/tomlinson-imbeau-webinar.aspx

 

Motivating Students to Achieve Their Highest Potential ~Judy Willis

www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/judy-willis-brain-and-learning-webinar.aspx

 

School Administrators: Leading with Verizon Thinkfinity

http://www.community.thinkfinity.org

 

Think Quest Free Educational Webinars : check out Denise Hobb’s “Innovative Learning”

www.webinarreviews.org/thinkquest-free-educational-webinar/

Education Week (one of my personal favorites) offers many enlightening webinars.  Check out “E-educators’ Evolving Skills”…talk about relevant!

www.edweek.org/ew/marketplace/webinars/webinars.html

 

American Statistical Association offers various webinars…currently hosting a K-12 “Meeting within a Meeting” for Science and Math Teachers

www.amstat.org/education/webinars/

 

Exploring Middle School MiddleWeb is a blog powered by Typepad.  They are a promoter of 21st Century Learning and offer live and archived webinars. Check out the latest webinar: The National Middle School Association is teaming up with the NSF-funded Middle School Portal to offer “Free math and Science Webinars”…the goal was to not only make the training affordable but user-friendly; teachers could watch from home.

http://tln.typepad.com/middleweb/2009/05/free-math-science-webinars-for-teacher.html

 

OneNote and Education: This MSDN blog was created to have a dialog about OneNote and education, including sharing ideas, resources, and building community with teachers, students and faculty.

www.blogs.msdn.com

 

These favorite webinars are pulled from the following sites. We recommend these sites as great educational tools and resources:

  • PBS Teachers
  • ASCD
  • Verizon’s Thinkfinity Website

If you have a great webinar to recommend or a site that is indeed a teacher resource, please share it here and we will check it out and give it a “shout”!

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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January 2, 2012 · 12:08 PM

Great Writing Website Resources for Writers Young and Old for 2012

The Key to Unlocking your Writing Potential...Dare to Dream~BIG!

Happy New Year! 2012 is sure to be a fabulous year chuck full of amazing new discoveries. If you are thinking of writing, like to write or have a child or classroom of students who like to write, here are some sites we recommend that provide advice on writing, pay for writing and stand as a good educational resource for writers young and old.

If you have a site that you like or follow an agent who is super fabulous and blogs about writing, please share.  It is in this collaboration and sharing of knowledge that we all grow and learn.

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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October 3, 2011 · 2:11 PM

Wire Sculpture Activity for the Classroom -Teachers Sharing Best Practices

Activity/Lesson: Wire Sculpture Activity

Submitted by: Linda Irwin~ Middle School Social Studies Teacher

School:                St. Mary School, Royal Oak, Michigan

To get to know my students and to do a quick assessment of writing, I utilize this lesson on the first day of Religion class. (Note: This lesson could be utilized for any class.)

  1. I give each student a piece of floral wire. (NOTE: Wire ends can be sharp, so be careful.)
  2. I ask students to think about their lives.
  3. Using wire, students create a design that represents them and their lives.  (e.g. a musical note~if your musical, a tornado~if you feel at times your life is spinning too fast, a flower~if you feel you are growing and changing etc.)
  4. I remind students that there are no wrong designs, that we are all unique.
  5. Once students have created designs, they write/type a five-seven sentence summary, describing why this given design represents them.

I have found this lesson and the student-created designs insightful and have learned a lot about each student through this process.  This is a great lesson that builds self-awareness and trust.

                                                                                     ~Linda Irwin

Thank you, Linda, for sharing this great lesson that speaks to the multiple intelligences and allows students to be creative in writing their thoughts.
 
May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,
Denise
 
 

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September 21, 2011 · 9:36 PM

Odyssey of the Mind and Team Building Lessons for the Classroom and Home

As the school year has just begun and we are busy in schools, I thought I would share a couple of great sites that offer “team building” lessons for students.   We are excited to hear from and meet new teachers this year.  I think that these sites provide  great problem-solving scenarios for students to work through and can enhance any lesson in any discipline and be modified for any age to meet the needs of all students.  Enjoy and have a super school year full of many new discoveries!

Odyssey of the Mind

http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/

Computer Science Unplugged

http://csunplugged.org/

Computer Science Unplugged  is a great site to utilize in the classroom because it offers creative scenarios to solve or work through without utilizing a computer.  This site has various activities for both teachers and parents to utilize with students to enhance team building and higher-order thinking.

I love to know your thoughts, ideas or lessons found successful in enhancing these skills. Please keep sharing. Together we can make a difference!

May we seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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August 29, 2011 · 1:59 PM

F-R-E-E Educational Webinars for Teachers and Parents

Given our economy, professional development has been slim for many educators. There is a plethora of free webinars online. Have fun learning!

Life is busy and for those of us who do not have time to attend a class for learning or pleasure, webinars can be just the tool needed to achieve our goal. Given technology, webinars can be the next best thing for teachers too.

PBS Teachers Live Should be in Every Teacher’s Toolbox

PBS Teachers Live offers a wealth of webinars in many areas across the disciplines. For example, if a teacher were interested in educating students about Earth Day in April (hopefully), then PBS Teachers Live would be
a valuable tool. Teachers sign up for free and log on to various webinars, full of ideas, lesson plans and across the curriculum connections, to name a few.

Webinars, an Awesome Resource for Educators

After doing some research, here are a few webinar sites across the Internet that is recommended by those within the world of education:

Education Week (one of my personal favorites) offers many enlightening webinars. Check out “E-educators’ Evolving Skills”…talk about relevant!

American Statistical Association offers various webinars…currently hosting a K-12 “Meeting within a Meeting” for Science and Math Teachers

Exploring Middle School MiddleWeb is a blog powered by Typepad. They are a promoter of 21st Century Learning and offer live and archived webinars. Check out the latest webinar: The National Middle School Association is teaming up with the NSF-funded Middle School Portal to offer “Free math and Science Webinars”…the goal was to not only make the training affordable but user friendly; teachers could watch from home.

Webinars and Educational Professional Development

The life of a teacher is very demanding and organization is necessary. This is also true for those entrusted to lead and provide professional development for their educational staff. Given this amazing age of technology, regardless of budget, there is no reason that professional development is not occurring within schools.

All of the webinars posted here in this article, can be utilized to strengthen and enrich any school faculty. Educators can watch at their own pace or gather and watch as a team. This type of professional development is only going to increase not decrease as we progress further into the world of technology. There are many curriculum developers/professional development trainers, who utilize programs like these mentioned to create meaningful professional development for educators around the world.

OneNote and Education:
This MSDN blog was created to have a dialog about OneNote and education, including sharing ideas, resources, and building community with teachers, students and faculty.

Parents are the first teachers. All of these webinars mentioned are open to anyone interested in learning and changing the life of a child. This will be one of many articles written on the topic of professional development within the world of education. There is a plethora of free programs out there for all of us to learn and use, to meet the needs of our children,
our future.

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

 

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August 21, 2011 · 7:04 PM

Teachers are Planters of Seeds…What Kind of Seeds are you Planting?

As I sit and review my notes for Unlock the Teacher‘s first professional development session for the 2011/2012 school year, I reflect and wonder, what
words can I provide that might inspire and instill hope for all the amazing teachable moments that will happen in the life of the teachers with whom I will be speaking to tomorrow. Teaching is SO much more than a job, I honestly believe it is a calling; an urge that a person feels to make a difference, and is played out in the classroom.

We often think about all the teachable moments that happen throughout the school year for our students, our future. However, I also think of the amazing teachable moments that occur for the individual teacher. I hope that at this time of year, the teacher is reflecting and writing a curriculum map for the school year that will be used as a master plan.

The teacher, who starts the school year, is often different from the one who finishes it. Hopefully, this is the case, as a true reflective practitioner will evolve throughout the year as his/her students will…keeping in mind no two students are alike, no school year should ever mirror another for a teacher.

In regards to a teacher’s master curriculum plan, this is just a tool that is utilized to create lessons full of discovery for each quarter, with one scaffolding on the next to ensure that students are maximizing their potential. However, this is just a plan, as all good teachers know, true
“teachable moments” sometimes just happen and must be capitalized on in the moment.

I have chosen the theme of “Teachers are Planters of Seeds” for tomorrow.  I have had the pleasure of working with this staff on curriculum alignment and I am honored to be asked back into their building on their first day back to school before their eager students arrive next week.

I think as teachers, we have the awesome power to create new worlds in our students’ minds. We can take them to places they might not ever get an opportunity to experience, tell them and show them how to achieve the impossible dream OR we can crush the human spirit with one angry glance or snide comment.

Think about what kind of world we hope to have in the future and remember that it all begins with how we treat our children today, what opportunities we provide, what words of encouragement or defeat did we choose to utilize at the moment of chaos in the classroom. When we train our eyes to see the good and choose to use words to share the good, amazing things can happen!

 

Children Learn What They Live

By Dorothy Law Nolte

 

If children live with criticism,
They learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility,
They learn to fight.

If children live with ridicule,
They learn to be shy.

If children live with shame,
They learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement,
They learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance,
They learn to be patient.

If children live with praise,
They learn to appreciate.

If children live with acceptance,
They learn to love.

If children live with approval,
They learn to like themselves.

If children live with honesty,
They learn truthfulness.

If children live with security,
They learn to have faith in themselves and others.

If children live with friendliness,
They learn the world is a nice place in which to live!

 

What kind of seeds are you getting ready to plant this school year?

May we all continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

 

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