Youth Voices

Youth Voices is a school-based social network that was started in 2003 by a group of National Writing Project teachers.  This web site provides a forum for students to publish, distribute, and discuss their work with peers from across the country. 

Click HERE to check it out for yourself.

Inspire Your Students to Travel!!!

Commercial Breaks

How many of us use PowerPoint presentations to supplement the lectures we give?
How many students seem bored or start dozing off?

Here is something I got from my advisor in college that helps to rejuvenate student interest.

Commercial Breaks!

Embed subject oriented videos from YouTube into your PowerPoint presentations.

Check out some of these GREAT history oriented YouTube channels...

Crash Course History

Hip Hughes History

TEDed Lesson Worth Sharing

U.S. National Archives

History for Music Lovers

Mr. Zoller's Social Studies Podcast

Disney Education

However, sometimes your students need a 60 second break from all things educational.  Do a Youtube search for 'commercials from the 1950's'.  The results are funny, harmless and can be helpful in waking up the brain.    

Answering a Constructive Response Question

D - define term and state a topic sentence from the question

E - give example(s) from the text

E - explain the example(s)

R - refer back to the question

Define term and state a topic sentence from the question
This means that you define any terms that need to be addressed in your response. Also, you need to begin with a topic sentence. A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main idea of a paragraph.

Give example(s) from the text
As the constructed response question is meant to show how well you comprehend and are able to draw inferences from the prompt, it is essential that you give examples from the text to show how well it supports your answer. 

Explain the example(s)
In addition to the evidence you have cited from the text, you will need to supply your own reasoning for why you think your answer is correct. After stating your example you would explain it fully.  (The EE is repeated when the question asks for two references.)

Refer back to the question
Refer back to what the question asked to conclude your constructed response.

Key Word Outline: Smartphone Lesson

Main Idea: 
Are we over using our cell phones?
Objectives:

• Objectively read and dissect an article
• Clearly state an opinion
• Use examples from the text to defend opinion

Standards Used:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.    
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

Materials:

1. Writing utensil & highlighter
2. Interactive notebook
3. New York Times article
4. Computer, Internet connection, & YouTube web-site
5. Projector

Lesson:

1. Play a short video for students
1. Click the following link to YouTube
   
   Charlene deGuzman stars in I Forgot My Phone
2. Front-load 3 quick vocabulary words
1. anxiety
2. adolescence
3. introvert
3. Read the Times article with students
1. Click the following link to article...
   Turn Off the Phone (and the Tension)
   Source: Jenna Wortham/ New York Times/ August 25, 2012
4. Break the article up into 3 sections and use a KWO method to dissect the text.
1. The first section, the teacher reads and determines 3 important words to highlight
2. The second section, volunteers read and determine 3 important words to highlight
3. The third section, small groups read and determine 3 important words to highlight

Assessment:

3 short answer assessment questions

1. Do you think society in general is "overcommunicarted"?  Explain.
2. Do you feel your life is “overcommunicated”?  Explain.
3. What are some coping strategies you can use to break the hold of your phone and other forms of electronic intrusion?

KWO: Key Word Outline
A key word outline is a mechanism employed by public speakers to concentrate on major points. It is in essence a map of the subject matter, employing keywords to classify most important points and to make certain correct flow of the speech.

The Merits of Merit Pay

Teaching Content IS Teaching Reading

Common Core is Coming

Common Core is Coming

Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire

I can't recommend this book enough!

10 Questions to Ask Your Students on the First Day of School

1. When have you felt particularly successful at school?
2. When have you been the most proud of learning something?
3. What is the easiest part of school?
4. What has been the hardest part of school?
5. What do you like about social studies?
6. When is social studies easy and/or fun for you?
7. When is social studies hard and/or boring for you?
8. What 3 things can I as the teacher do to help you become more successful as a student in this class?
9. What 3 things can you as the student do to help yourself be more successful this year?
10. Why do you think learning social studies is important?
• This is the only question where I volunteer an answer.  I tell them that learning history will help them become active participants in the political process.  (Then I explain that this means they will be better voters.)  However, I also point out that learning history will help to get the jokes in their favorite night time cartoons (The Simpsons, South Park, The Family Guy, Etc.)

Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity

Food for thought....

Teachers Pay Teachers

Teachers Pay Teachers is the first open marketplace for educators to buy, sell, and share their original resources.  

Need Some Inspiration?

Do your students ask you for book suggestions?

Try the HERE to try The Bookerseer literary web project.