The Joy of Teaching – Page 45 of 46

April 15, 2014
by Evan-Moor
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“Knock One out of the Park” with Baseball-Themed Lessons and Activities

Major League Baseball (MLB) season is underway across the country, and no matter which team you root for, baseball-themed activities provide a fun way to teach core skills.

April 15 marks Jackie Robinson Day, commemorating April 15, 1947—the day Robinson broke the baseball color barrier when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base. In 1997, MLB universally retired his uniform number, 42, and later established April 15 as an annual day to honor Jackie Robinson. On this day, players and managers can wear number 42. Learning about Jackie Robinson’s great accomplishments—on and off the baseball field—also provides valuable educational experiences for students.

Baseball-themed activities that will be a hit!

Math:

The National Baseball Hall of Fame provides lessons that are correlated to standards and can also be tied to a videoconference or visit:

Geometry lessons: Examine how geometric concepts, such as circumference, area, perimeter, and diameter apply to baseball.
Statistics lessons: Examine how mathematical concepts, such as addition, subtraction, fractions, and decimals apply to baseball.
Economics lessons: Explore economic concepts related to baseball, such as ballpark prices and ballpark goods and services.

“Spinner Math” baseball game for grades 1–3. This math activity provides ideas and patterns for playing a “spinner baseball” game to practice simple addition, averages, and statistics.

Math word problems for grades 6+. This math unit provides daily practice in solving one word problem per day about baseball card collecting.

Reading and Language Arts Baseball Activities:

These downloadable activities from Evan-Moor incorporate the baseball theme, while presenting reading and language arts skill practice:

Grades PreK–K: A baseball take-home story with follow-up activities.
Grades 1–2: A two-page story about the determination of Jim Abbott, a one-handed baseball pitcher, and follow-up activities.
Grades 1–3: Language arts activity in which students play a spelling game and “run” around chairs as bases.
Grades 3–4: A two-page biographical sketch about Jackie Robinson and how he became the first black player in professional baseball. Includes four follow-up activity pages.
Grades 4–6: A two-page biographical sketch on Jackie Robinson and follow-up comprehension and vocabulary activities.
Grade 5: Nonfiction reading articles, written at three levels of difficulty, explore how to find batting averages for players.

Biographies of well-known baseball players are good choices for nonfiction reading practice. This sampling of suggested books will bring baseball nostalgia to your classroom:

Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team, by Audrey Vernick, PreK–2
Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth, by Robert Burleigh, Grades 1–3
Time For Kids: Jackie Robinson: Strong Inside and Out, Grades 2–4
The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth, by Jean L.S. Patrick, Grades 2–3
Long Ball: The Legend and Lore of the Home Run, by Mark Stewart and Mike Kennedy, Grades 5 and up
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America, by Sharon Robinson, Grades 3–6

Science and Social Studies

For science and social studies lessons, the National Baseball Hall of Fame provides lessons such as exploring the forces of motion in the game of baseball, and geographical concepts in relation to baseball stadiums.

Other Classroom Ideas

Make your own trading cards: This interactive site from Read, Write, Think guides students in creating a trading card to profile a fictional character or real person. Students could also design their own trading card using a plain index card and a simple template.

Bulletin boards and more: This Pinterest site is full of baseball-related ideas for the classroom, including bulletin boards such as: “We All Pitch In” (classroom jobs), “Check Out the Line Up” (class photos); and “Catching Compliments” (classroom behavior.)

If you know of helpful resources or lesson ideas to bring America’s favorite pastime to the classroom, please share!

Do you know of helpful resources or lesson ideas to bring America’s favorite pastime to the classroom? If so, please share in the comments section!

For more classroom ideas and free resources, subscribe to Evan-Moor’s education e-newsletter.

Contributing Writer

Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.

April 11, 2014
by Evan-Moor
1 Comment

10 Tips for Avoiding the Summer Brain Drain

Boy playing a game - Avoiding the Summer Brain Drain

Summer vacation is fast approaching. How do you balance summer fun with enrichment for your children? This blog presents some ideas on keeping learning alive over the summer months. Let’s start with the facts on summer learning loss:

All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer.
In a survey of 500 teachers by the National Summer Learning Association, 66% of teachers polled reported that it takes them at least three to four weeks to reteach the previous year’s skills at the beginning of a new school year.
In general, students are more likely to forget what they have learned in mathematics over the summer than they are to lose literacy skills. (Making Summer Count, RAND Corporation, 2011.)

Research also shows that small doses of basic skill practice will keep minds sharp over the summer months. In research on learning, it was determined that “spaced practice (once a day for several days) as opposed to one long, concentrated lesson (all day long for just one day) appears to be more effective in facilitating learning.” (Making Summer Count, RAND Corporation, 2011.) Top 10 favorite ideas for summer learning experiences: As a parent of three children, I’ve been met with groans at the suggestion of schoolwork during the summer. However, learning can be “disguised” as summer fun, and basic skill practice can be presented in spaced practice over summer days.

Collect piles of good books and make time to read! Libraries, used-book stores, and thrift stores can provide new reading material.
Enroll in summer reading programs at your local library, or encourage your children to keep a reading log of books.
Be a tourist in your town and visit museums, parks, and interesting sites. Make a “wish list” of activities to do with your children.
Help children create and write a blog about summer adventures. This Pinterest site provides sources for helping kids create their own blog.
Make a journal so that children can write or draw pictures about the events of a given day or week, or write reviews about favorite books, movies, and outings.
Get creative and try new arts and crafts or cooking projects, having your child take the lead in reading directions, gathering supplies, and applying math in measurements. Our favorite projects have been making ice cream from scratch and making soap! This blog provides ideas on using math in the kitchen with young children.
Plant a small vegetable, herb, or flower garden. This website offers many ideas and activities for family gardening activities, including making a “seed bomb,” a windowsill herb garden, and a rainbow fruit salad.
Create an obstacle course outside. Have children plan a design on paper, and then build the course together.
Limit “screen” time (TV, computers, iPads, and other electronic gadgets).
And, most importantly, set aside small periods of time for reading and practice of basic skills (activity books and flashcards are a great resource).

If you’re interested in summer activity books for enrichment, I recommend Evan-Moor’s Daily Summer Activities—from first-hand experience! I’ve used Daily Summer Activities books with my children and appreciate the teacher-developed activities that review all the core skills in reading, math, writing, language arts, and science. The variety of activities and full-color pages present basic skill practice in an activity book format. We are interested in hearing how you keep learning alive over the summer months. Please share your ideas!

Contributing Writer Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.

April 9, 2014
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Earth Day Lesson Ideas: Rainforests

Earth Day (April 22) can easily be integrated into all curricular areas and the Common Core State Standards. Think about it: close reading, op-ed writing, social studies, science, art, music, and math!

Since a study of the rainforests seems to encompass so many aspects of Earth Day and interests elementary-aged children, I used that topic to create a month of learning activities.

Earth Day lesson ideas with a rainforest theme:

Find age-appropriate rainforest articles online and model the highlighting of important facts/phrases with younger students while they use close reading strategies to gather information. The students can then use this highlighted information to write a persuasive piece with evidence on Why People Should Care About Rainforests.
Assign an endangered rainforest animal project for homework or as a small-group project. Click to view a sample assignment.
Using sentence strips or large poster board, have students copy individual facts learned about the rainforest. Then have students write ways they can help save the rainforest.
Do a musical performance, such as The Rumpus in the Rainforest.
Additionally, visit these Pinterest sites for amazing project ideas: Rainforest Crafts and Rainforest Unit Study

Additional Earth Day ideas and resources:

Go to http://www.earthday.org/ with students to learn about the history of Earth Day, what a “Green School” is, and how to make healthy food choices. The students can create a fun “Avatar” online while doing a “Footprint Calculator.”
Have each student make a poster with one tip on how he or she can help the environment, such as: Walk or Ride a Bike to School, Turn off Lights When Leaving a Room, Unplug Cellphone Chargers When Not in Use, Print on Both Sides of Paper, Plant Trees or Bushes, Don’t Keep the Water on When You Brush Your Teeth, Use Public Transportation, etc. Post these colorful illustrated posters around the classroom or school!
Use little peat seed pots (found at any nursery) to begin growing Mother’s Day flowers!

What have you done for Earth Day? Share your projects ideas and stories in the comment section!

For more classroom ideas and free resources, subscribe to Evan-Moor’s education e-newsletter.

Contributing Writer

Alice Evans is a forty-year veteran National Board Certified elementary classroom teacher and a published author. She recently retired from the San Diego Unified School District and has published a children’s chapter book entitled Torrey Pines Summer.

April 3, 2014
by Evan-Moor
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10 Things to Do This Spring Break with Your Kids

If you’re planning a “staycation” this year for spring break, here are 10 things you can do with your child:

1. Camp in the backyard. Set up a campsite in your backyard, including a tent, eating area, and chairs for stargazing. Here are additional tips to help make setting up a campsite in your backyard a breeze.

2. Visit a local museum, zoo, or aquarium. Get the most out of your visit by checking out the venue online to see if there are any special events or feedings planned, and get your child to pick at least one thing to see in order to build excitement and help with the planning.

3. Do some crafts. Some spring break craft ideas include decorating Easter eggs, making jewelry, painting pinwheels, or making puppets. For some additional ideas, visit this site for hundreds of craft ideas.

4. Skype or FaceTime with family and friends. Finally, you have some spare time to catch up with relatives and friends that do not live nearby. Schedule a phone call to give your children some “face time” to catch up. Even if they only share what they have planned for the day, it will be a welcome delight for those who don’t get to hear from you or your children very often.

5. Host a movie night. Invite some friends for a movie night and watch the movie either indoors or outdoors. Here is a list of the top 50 family-friendly movies that you may want to show. Don’t forget the popcorn!

6. Paint a birdhouse. Head to your local craft store to pick up a wooden birdhouse and outdoor paint. Set up an outdoor painting station where your child can paint the birdhouse. Keep in mind that birdhouses make great Father’s Day gifts for dads and grandfathers, so consider painting a birdhouse to match their house or favorite sports team.

7. Create a scrapbook. Purchase a composition book and have your child document each day of spring break with pictures and a few sentences about what he or she did each day.

8. Have a potluck picnic at a park. Gather friends or family and plan a visit to a local park. The potluck menu can include finger sandwiches, carrots, berries, drinks and dessert. Also, plan to take some equipment for fun outdoor activities, such as a jump rope, basketball, sidewalk chalk, or scooters.

9. Plant in your garden. Now is the time to get planting in your garden. Have your child be involved by helping pick out the flowers and vegetables, planting them, and watering them. To help personalize your garden more, plan to make a garden stone of your child’s handprints, footprints, or their own personalized decorations.

10. Cook and bake together. Plan to make at least one meal or dessert together. Some ideas are chocolate chip pancakes, chicken Caesar wraps, or yogurt parfaits. If your kids are feeling a bit adventurous, sign them up for local cooking classes. You may also try any one of these cookbooks:

The Everything Cooking for Kids Cookbook by Ronni Litz Julien
Sesame Street Silly Snacks: Cooking with Kids
Betty Crocker Kids Cook!

What is your favorite thing to do during spring break? If you chose to do any of these ideas, share your pictures with us!

Contributing Writer

Trisha Thomas is the mother of two and serves on the board of directors at a co-op preschool. She has also been a marketer of educational materials for grades PreK–8 for more than 15 years.

March 31, 2014
by Evan-Moor
2 Comments

Overcoming Poetry Phobia with Easy Poetry Lesson Ideas

Founded by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is held every April to celebrate poetry.

However, if you suffer from a little bit of poetry phobia, let me tell you what changed my perspective on teaching poetry. I read a book—Powerful Thoughts in Tiny Packages by Lucy Calkins—and a spark was lit. The book is intended for grades K–2, but I highly recommend it as a springboard for upper grades, as well. Among other things, this book opened my mind to free verse!

The quote, “Poets see the world in different, fresh, and unusual ways” was a clear summation for children and for me as a teacher. In the book, Lucy Calkins has children compare the way a scientist sees a leaf as opposed to the way a poet would! Visit this website to see examples from the book.

Children love having the freedom to be creative and use poetic devices such as metaphors and personification. After showing my students examples of free verse poetry using metaphors, I was truly amazed at how much they loved it and couldn’t wait to get started writing their own poetry. I was also amazed at how prolific all of my students became in filling up their poetry journals.

Here are some great poetry examples to use for modeling:

April Rain Song by Langston Hughes
Fog by Carl Sandburg

Free verse poems like these by Zoë Ryder White are also good examples:

The Pencil Sharpener

I think there are a hundred bees

inside the pencil sharpener

and they buzz

and buzz

until my point

is sharp!

Ceiling

The ceiling

is the sky

for the classroom.

Encourage students to take ordinary things around the classroom or school, look at them in different ways, and write phrases!

A blank page is like a playground for imagination

My friend is sunshine, brightening my day

An autobiographical poem is a popular and easy idea for students that is also perfect for open house:

Directions: Write a poem about yourself using this form or another poetry form.

Line 1: __ (Your name)  

Line 2: _, _, _ (3 personal characteristics or physical traits) (do you know what these symbols are?)

Line 3: Brother or sister of __ (or son/daughter of)  

Line 4: Who loves __, __, and __ (3 people, things, or ideas)  

Line 5: Who feels __ about __ (1 emotion about 1 thing)  

Line 6: Who needs __, __, and __ (3 things you need)  

Line 7: Who gives __, __, and __ (3 objects you share)  

Line 8: Who fears __, __, and __ (3 items)  

Line 9: Who’d like to see __ (1 place or person)  

Line 10: Who dreams of __ (1 item or idea)

Line 11: A student of __ (your school or teacher’s name)  

Line 12: __ (Nickname or repeat your first name)

Poetry idea: Shape Poems

This downloadable poetry lesson from Evan-Moor’s Writing Poetry with Children helps students create free verse poems in the shape of a sun, kitten, ice cream cone, or other simple shapes.

Remember that reading and interpreting the work of great poets, modeling, charting descriptive words and ideas, and allowing students the freedom to be creative will result in a lifelong love of poetry!

Do you have poetry lesson ideas for National Poetry Month? Please share them with us.

Contributing Writer

Image of Blog Contributor Alice Evans Alice Evans is a forty-year veteran National Board Certified elementary classroom teacher and a published author. She recently retired from the San Diego Unified School District and has published a children’s chapter book entitled Torrey Pines Summer.

March 28, 2014
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

How to Prepare Your Child for Testing Day

Image of mom helping son with homework Between March and June, millions of students across the country will take some form of a standardized test before the school year ends.

Whether your child is in a school that has chosen the new online tests to support Common Core State Standards, or they are implementing traditional assessments with #2 pencils, it is important that you make sure your child is prepared for testing day.

Research

First, I suggest you talk with your child’s teacher(s) and ask what type of test they will be using. Your child’s teacher may have access to or recommendations for test-prep materials. Then, do your own research online, as practice test questions are often available. Practice will help your child feel more comfortable and ready on testing day.

Practice

Once you have the resources ready, work with your child to go through sample test questions. Help your child read the questions carefully and think about the best approach to answering them. As your child answers questions incorrectly, try to provide targeted practice on your own, or request additional help from the teacher to help your child grasp the skill that is needed.

Prepare

You can help your child prepare for tests by doing the following five things every day:

Assist with homework and help ensure your child knows how to read directions carefully.
Create a positive learning environment and encourage good study habits.
Ensure your child has good attendance in school.
Encourage your child to read various types of texts (magazines, textbooks, fiction) to increase vocabulary and reading skills.
Develop a relationship with your child’s teacher so there is open communication and personalized help for your child.

As testing day is approaching, make sure your child brings the correct supplies for the test. Also, be sure that on the week of the test your child gets enough rest and eats healthy, substantial meals, especially the morning of testing day.

After the Test

Once the test has been scored, review the test with your child’s teacher and your child. Depending on the results, discuss next steps.

Test-Prep Resources

Last of all, Evan-Moor offers resources to provide your child skill practice throughout the school year. You may be interested in test-prep resources such as these books and e-books:

Contributing Writer

Trisha Thomas is the mother of two and serves on the board of directors at a co-op preschool. She has also been a marketer of educational materials for grades PreK–8 for more than 15 years.

March 26, 2014
by Evan-Moor
4 Comments

Student-Led Conferences: A Celebration of Learning

image of child reading with parent Six-year-old Sofia arrives at school with her parents. She opens the classroom door and guides them over to her desk. She gathers chairs so she and her parents can cluster together. Amidst the hum of several other students conferencing with their parents, she leads them through a multi-subject portfolio of her work. Sofia reads aloud an “I Can” standard before explaining each work sample. She answers her parents’ questions and demonstrates what she has learned.

My adventure with student-led conferences began about ten years ago. It began when two colleagues and I attended a conference focused on strategies for motivating students. We plunged in nervously, but it was so successful that we never returned to traditional conferences.

What are some benefits of student-led conferences?

Students and parents are motivated and empowered by active participation.
Parents become directly aware of grade-level expectancies and their child’s progress.
Students have the opportunity to synthesize their learning, as well as analyze and drive their own progress—a great way to integrate Common Core methodology.

Getting started:

Custom design student-led conferences to work in your school setting. We decided upon scheduling one or two broad time windows for simultaneous conferences during our regular conference weeks. We estimated that conferences would last about 30 minutes each. We called it the Celebration of Learning.

Plan for the age of your students. We assisted students in putting together their portfolios. A corresponding standard translated into kid-friendly language was attached to each work sample. The week before conferences, we engaged our classes in role-playing practice. This included everything from how to welcome parents to conducting the conference.

Encourage parents not to bring siblings. We wanted parents to pay full attention to their student.

Be flexible. Most families attended the scheduled Celebration of Learning event. This freed up many time slots for anyone needing an alternative appointment.

Provide a list of questions parents can ask their child. Stapled on the back of the portfolios were a set of questions for parents to ask their child. Questions included: What are you really good at in school? What do you need to work on? Are you doing your best? If not, why? How can I help you at home with your schoolwork?

Make it fun! Students were excited to prepare their portfolios and take invitations home for the Celebration of Learning. After their conference, students took their portfolios and a tasty treat to share with their parents.

Back to Sofia’s conference…I hear Sofia ask her parents to help her read at night and log her minutes. She shakes her parents’ hands and thanks them for coming. I talk with Sofia’s family. They are excited to share their observations, acknowledge her progress, and discuss how they can work together at home. They leave together, excited for the next school day.

Marti Beeck started her career in education as a parent volunteer in her three children’s classrooms. Her teaching experience, including adult school, intervention, and the primary classroom, was inspired by her background in psychology and interest in brain-based learning. Marti currently works in the field of educational publishing as an editor.

Science Fair Project Ideas on Poster board

March 21, 2014
by Evan-Moor
1 Comment

Science Fair Project Ideas and a Free E-book to Get You Through!

Download your free e-book for a great science fair project.

I can always tell when science fair projects are due by looking at my Facebook news feed. There are two types of posts I see. The “proud post,” where parents are so proud of their child’s work and excited to share with family and friends. And the “frustrated post,” where parents are scrambling with their child to think of, complete, and finish a reasonably acceptable science fair project. The goal of this post is to put you in the “proud post” category.

First, I’ll start by sharing an excellent resource from the teachers at Evan-Moor, How to Do Science Fair Projects. This free e-book includes step-by-step instructions to get you to the “proud” picture of your child with the project.

Here are three suggestions to get you started:

Let your child decide what he or she wants to do. (This is not your chance to redeem yourself from 5^th grade!)
Start early. Repeat: start early. Like now.
Have fun!

The free e-book guides you and your child through the following steps (thank goodness!):

Selecting a Topic
Designing the Purpose of the Project
Researching the Project
Developing a Hypothesis
Creating a Procedure
Gathering Materials
Creating a Log Sheet
Doing the Experiment
Organizing the Results of the Experiment
Writing the Conclusion
Presenting the Project

In addition to the e-book, check out these valuable resources:

Science Buddies: Science Fair Project Ideas
Science Buddies: Presentation Tips
And for the procrastinators (you know who you are): science fair projects you can do in one night

We’re anxiously awaiting your results. Share your science fair project woes, success stories, and results!

Are you looking for engaging science activities for home? Check out Skill Sharpeners: Science and Skill Sharpeners STEAM for grades PreK–6. These full-color activity books are a great way to boost science skills at home!

For more educational ideas and free printables to use with your child, subscribe to Evan-Moor’s education e-newsletter.

Contributing Writer

Trisha Thomas is the mother of two and serves on the board of directors at a co-op preschool. She has also been a marketer of educational materials for grades PreK–8 for more than 15 years.

March 19, 2014
by Evan-Moor
2 Comments

Dust Bowl and Depression Era 4th 5th and 6th grades: images, resources and teaching guides

Common Core State Standards, multiple subjects, assessments, and not enough time…sound familiar? Teaching with primary sources is a great way to do it all! Primary sources are documents or physical objects that were present during the event you are studying: pictures, audio recordings, written documents, or even the physical object itself, such as an actual tool used during the event. Primary sources make lessons come alive while also helping you address Common Core State Standards. Here are 5 strategies to meet Common Core State Standards with primary sources. Note that these strategies are presented in the context of a grade 5 unit on The Dust Bowl. 1) Analyzing Visual Images The Library of Congress has a selection of images for classroom use that will fascinate students and spark their imagination. A student worksheet includes a guide that will focus questioning:

Why do you think this image was created?
If this person could talk to you, what would he or she say?
What does this picture make you wonder about?

Meets Common Core State Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.2 Summarize information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.3 Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.

image of teacher's guide from library of congress

2) Analyzing Documents The Library of Congress Teacher’s Guide includes historical background information and suggested teacher activities such as analyzing authentic song lyrics written during the Dust Bowl. A National Archives worksheet asks compelling questions about primary documents. Meets Common Core State Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

3) Audio Recordings – Similarities and Differences After reading song lyrics, students can actually listen to an immigrant singing her own composition describing the Dust Bowl. Ask students:

How is listening to a song different from or similar to reading lyrics?
Is there any difference between listening to a song written by the person who wrote it rather than a professional recording artist?
How is reading a diary different from or similar to hearing a song?

Meets Common Core State Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.6 Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).

4) Compare and Contrast Primary Sources and Secondary Sources After examining both primary and secondary sources conduct a compare and contrast activity. Meets Common Core State Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.5 Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.

5) Compose a Narrative Personal narratives might include: a diary entry of a person selected from a Dust Bowl image, students’ own diary entries if they had lived during the Dust Bowl, or a narrative about one of the characters from a primary source document. Meets Common Core State Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Suggested Read Alouds for the Dust Bowl Unit:

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse This first-person narrative written in free-form poetry documents Billie Jo’s struggles to survive during the Dust Bowl depression years. The diary format captivates students with its simplistic authenticity.

Leah’s Pony by Elizabeth Friedrich; Illustrated by Michael Garland This beautifully illustrated picture book is set in the 1930s Dust Bowl. Upon discovering her family is in jeopardy of losing their farm, Leah is willing to part with her beloved horse to save her father’s tractor at the neighborhood auction.

How have you incorporated primary sources in your lesson plans? Please share!

Contributing Writer Patty Clark has been a classroom teacher for grades K-6, and District Librarian for grades K-8 for the past 25 years. She is passionate about helping others find and use information. Her philosophy is, “It’s not about the amount or the subject matter learned, it’s about the learner discovering the joy in the process that led them to it.”

March 14, 2014
by Evan-Moor
1 Comment

Creating Collaborative Groups with a Deck of Cards

Image of deck of playing cards

A deck of playing cards provides an infinite amount of ways students can be moved around into collaborative groups to share their work or ideas. The notion that students need to get up and locate their group or partners helps stimulate motivation and engagement.

Incorporating kinesthetic techniques into learning environments is an underutilized strategy because it often requires additional time for students to transition between activities. Yet organizing students into groups ahead of time is simple and effective with a deck of playing cards.

One method of diversifying collaborative groupings and increasing engagement is through the use of playing cards. Sorting out the cards ahead of time can help build better types of groups, but a general mix of cards during a spontaneous discussion is just as suitable.

Here are a few ideas on configurations for collaborative discussions/groups:

1) RED & BLACK cards: This is an easy way of separating the class in half for larger group activities such as formulating teams for sports or debate. Image of 2 groups divided by red and black colors

2) SPADES/DIAMONDS/CLOVERS/HEARTS: This is a great way to create groups of four for large groupings such as random station rotations.

3) NUMBERED cards: Sorting students by the numbers on their cards is a quick way to put students in groups of four. This is an excellent way to formulate small discussion groups that are manageable and mixed.

It is important that you always set expectations for behavior and a purpose for the collaboration before deploying your students to find their groups. Students will now look forward to discovering fresh ideas from a wider variety of partners during collaboration. Enjoy!

For more classroom ideas and free resources, subscribe to Evan-Moor’s education e-newsletter.

Contributing Writer:

Image of contributor Roger Nguyen Roger Nguyen is a curriculum coach in the Anaheim City School District, California. For over 10 years, he has taught grades 3–6 and combination classrooms, and has taught gifted and talented students.