the think tank

Monday, March 17, 2014

Stand and Deliver

When I first started teaching, I encouraged my 2nd grade students to "stand" up to "deliver" their answers or comments when speaking in class. Fast forward to 7 years later and my students are still standing and delivering.

I recently had a class visitor ask why do I have students stand when they talk. "That's easy," I replied. It gives the student speaking the spotlight by forcing them to speak using complete sentences and it gives them a sense of what they are saying is important. Also, other students are forced to look at or attend to the speaker. Standing up nice and straight allows more oxygen to travel to the brain and I believe it helps my students focus more on what they are trying to say. I love when my students are intermingled with other students at school. When called upon, they quietly stand, think for a moment and then speak. I can see the pride on their faces as they interact with each other. Here are a few pictures:

What "talk moves" have you incorporated in your class that gives students the power to express themselves?

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/winstonchu161628.html#J2OPJUrrJiQRrCM8.99

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/stand_up.html#zsiWuGTW8MoI9DTu.99

Saturday, March 1, 2014

We Give Books

I have been using a great free resource and I want to share it with everyone. We Give Books is a free online library of children’s books that enables you to view and read over 150 stories on computers and interactive boards. What's more is that it every time you or your students read a book, other children around the world are helped also. Your reading will directly impact the great work of non-profit organizations around the world. Their tagline says it all, “combining the joy of reading with the power of giving.” It’s the perfect tool for parents, teachers, caregivers, and anyone who loves children’s books. I often use it doing whole group reading lessons and as a computer literacy center.

You can sort the books by age level, genre, author, and seasonal selections in the “Featured” section, so everyone can find something they like. Check it out at http://wegivebooks.org. Happy reading!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Parts of a Plant Diagram

We are studying plants in my 2nd grade class. A few weeks ago we planted green bean and basil seeds. My students have had the amazing experience of watching seeds sprout into seedlings and blossom into plants. As a part of this unit, we are also learning about the parts of a plant - stem, leaves, flower and roots. To reinforce learning and to teach flexible thinking skills, I assigned a take home project requiring that students create a "plant" diagram using only materials that they found at home. The results were fabulous. My students and parents really delivered.

Parts of a Plant Diagram

They used aluminum foil, candles, pasta, cereal boxes, teddy bear fur, tissue paper, flower petals, tape, paper towels, pennies and yarn. Okay, you get the picture... the possibilities are endless! If you are interested in this activity click on the caption to see it at my TpT store.