Foldable Writing Projects

This is from pinterest and links to a teachers pay teachers site where you can purchase the book, but I just liked the photo as it shows some cool foldable writing assignments.

I have done foldables assignments with the Canada Food Guide in Home Ec this year with grade 6/7s, as well as with flour mixtures for my Grade 8s. They made pyramids, cubes, all with foldable parts to give details about different topics. Love it!


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Beachy Flip-Flop Art

Almost summer... so many awesome sunny art projects on pinterest right now!



You could easily tie this in to a writing assignment also... ah... summer days soon....

Window Flower Box Craft

What a fun way to decorate a wall or area lacking windows... would make a great art project for Spring or parents day.


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Bright Idea: Ways to keep students accountability in group work

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4D Triorama Project

 These look awesome, but complicated. Check out the source link below for step by step instructions with photos to create these cool 4D trioramas.

Source: http://reliefteachingideas.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/4d-trioramas/

Create a Zoo - Science/Math Collaboration Assignment

Collaboration Project (math and science)

Students collaborate and create a giant zoo! First, tape sheets of grid paper together (cut off the white borders). Next, cut out various irregular shapes off the giant grid for the students (see image). Give each student a piece from the grid. Their mission is to figure out the area and perimeter of their land for their exhibit. They choose an animal and plot out important aspects of its habitat. Does their animal live in the arctic, forest, grasslands, or rainforest. Students think about what colors to use to correctly match their animal's habitat. They must make their animal feel at home in its exhibit. Does their animal play in the water, hide in a cave, or roll around in the mud? They add details to the exhibit. Then, they find an image of their animal online and glue it into the habitat they made. When all of the students are finished, they work together and create a zoo! They problem solve where each animal should go. Should the rhinos be near the elephants? They, glue their designs on an oversized sheet of butcher paper. Then, they add paths, signs, and fences.

Via: E is for Explore Blog

Real Life Math Projects.

I love "real life math" lessons. There is a facebook meme going around that talks about how school never taught you to balance a cheque book, pay bills, interest on credit cards, etc. etc. but they were so glad they knew Pythagoras theorem. 

Funny, but comes from truth. I think 'real life math' helps students relate more and be more engaged in going through the process. Here are a few examples from Raki's Rad Resources, another great edu-blog I follow. Though most of her resources are for sale on 'TPT' if you don't want to buy them, they are still awesome starting points to create your own.

I have done shopping projects with budgets to teach tax and shopping and the kids loved it.... 

Grade 2 and 3 students completed a Holiday Shopping Project.  They used websites like www.amazon.com to do mock holiday shopping.  Each student was assigned $100 and chose 3 different presents to purchase.  They then practiced rounding, addition and subtraction while putting together their project sheet. 

One student decided to spend half of his money on a video game for his brother because “he’ll share it  with me!”  It was fun to watch him figure out how to get presents for the rest of his family with the money he had left!

Grade 5 and 6 students completed a Balanced Checkbook Project.  The students were randomly assigned to a job card, which dictated their salary and bills.  Students had to take their annual salary and figure out how much money they would have to work with each month.  Then, they had to balance their checkbook by paying their bills and making a grocery list and estimating a grocery budget.  Students also had the option of buying luxury items and even had a “surprise” – some good and some bad.

Read more and see templates here.

Writing Prompt: What Would the Theme Song to your life be?

 Have students write the song, lyrics, why they chose it. Could do a soundtrack also.

They could embed it on their web site/class website, make a word Cloud with the lyrics, write about it for language arts... endless ways to use this idea.

From classroomcollective.tumblr.com - I found on facebook.

Tech Tuesday: Remind 101

I have blogged about Remind 101 before as a great took to stay n touch with parents and student regarding everything from homework to fieldtrips.


What I like about this post from http://www.twoguysandsomeipads.com is the screen shots and descriptions from the program....

 

Remind 101 is an tool that allows you to text your students or stay in touch with parents in a secure and safe way. Teachers never see student or parent phone numbers, and they will never see the teacher's phone number. Educators can send messages using the mobile app on Android and iOS devices, as well as www.remind101.com.


This tool is great for friendly reminders about field trips, homework, plays, events, or a kind motivational message. Remind 101 has recently redesigned their iOS app with great new features and a teacher resource page to help with any questions.

These pictures are of the newly redesigned Remind 101 iOS app.

Download Remind 101:
iOS
Android 

This is def. something I want to try using.....

The Best part of Me Project

I like this idea. I am a fan of photography and enjoy incorporating it into lessons and projects in my classes. I have printed photos out just on regular paper through the photocopier when I don't have the time or money to print actual photos. This is a neat project that would work well back to school week in September.


http://pinterest.com/pin/61431982390326917/

Father's Day Paper Bag Craft

This is a fairly simple craft to do for Father's Day. I have seen the ties made as part of cards etc. but I like this idea because you can put stuff inside the bag as well.

Source: vippins.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Earth Day Activities

My favourite activity to do on Earth Day is tree planting. In the past we have planned ahead to do tree planting as a class locally. There are some great ideas on this blog I found on pintrest... Try some out tomorrow for EARTH DAY!




Check out this blog for some amazing ideas - http://anightowlblog.com/2013/04/earth-day-ideas.html

Melted Crayon Art

This blog has some amazing melted crayon art.

Feudal Systems unit Visual Projects from my Grade 8s

So part of the wrap up to our Feudal System unit was to do a visual project of their choice. Some examples from past years classes included stain glass windows, menu's, fashion models (paper dolls, barbie's in outfits etc.) and more.

Here are some of the projects that were turned in:

 This student did a fashion magazine with various outfits from the era:

I was pretty impressed with the different ideas they came up with. I especially liked the creativity of some. When we get back from Spring Break we are starting Castle Building for Socials Studies portion of Humanities and Touching Spirit Bear as our Language Arts portion, novel study.

Macbeth Rap

My friend and colleague did Macbeth with her English class and as a final project a group of students presented this video.... It is amazing!

Art Project: Foreshortening

Another easy and fun art project from Mrs Brown Art Blog:

Students learn about the concept of foreshortening through this fun drawing activity. Foreshortening is the optical illusion that occurs when a part of something moves from one part of space to another. For example... and bridge travels from right in front of us, to far away from us on the other side of a river. The same thing can happen on a smaller level with human limbs. For this project students traced their feet and hands on a paper. They then drew their arms, legs, body and head to create the illusion that the body was further away then the feet and hands. The images all end up looking like the subject is falling toward the viewer.

She even has a Power Point you can download to accompany the lesson.

Matthew's Dream - Leo Lionni Activities

I love some of the cool art projects on the internet. As a TTOC it is important to find art projects that can be done in one day, require little supplies or use materials that are readily available and can be found in any school or classroom.

I also prefer if the art project has a literacy tie-in or lesson in addition to art exploration. Lastly, it doesn't hurt if the project isn't too messy... while it can be fun, as a TTOC, the clean-up process can be more challenging with students you do not know well.

I absolutely love Leo Lionni picture books, one of my favourites is Matthew's Dream:

Matthew dreams of becoming a painter. He lives in a dusty attic with his parents. Through his vivid dreams, he becomes more confident of his decision to create beautiful paintings.

 This art project, using Matthew's Dream caught my eye on Mrs Brown's Art page:

Students read the book Matthew's Dream by Leo Lionni. They then created abstract designs based on the story. This is a great opening project for early in the year as students are getting adjusted to their classmates, the artroom, and the art supplies.

So fun! I can't wait to give this a try. I really suggest checking out Mrs. Brown's Art page. She has several art activities from K-5. I plan to continue to feature a couple on my blog because I just love them so much!

Here are some more activities using Leo Lionni's books:

• http://www.castellaniartmuseum.org/assets/docs/LeoLionniTeacherpacket.pdf
• http://www.mermaidtheatre.ns.ca/repertory/swimmy/Leo%20Lionni%20-%20a%20resource%20guide%20for%20teachers.pdf
• http://www.first-school.ws/activities/books/animals/wild/frederick-leo-lionni.htm
• http://www.readwritethink.org/resources/resource-print.html?id=968

The Dot by Peter Reynolds - Art Lesson

This blog by a BC TTOC had a great Art project she tried recently that I wanted to share. She writes:

Book: The Dot by Peter Reynolds. I was able to find it in the school library and I did not need any other materials other than the students' own pencil crayons and some large square pieces of paper that I took a few minutes to cut from 11x17 sheets. The Dot is a wonderful book about believing in yourself and believing in your artwork. Here is a good synopsis. Peter Reynolds is passionate about inspiring kids to be creative and take risks and to feel proud of and confident in their artwork

She used the art lesson found here after reading the book and showing a short youtube clip of the story.

I can't wait to try this - I love these types of activities and the kids do also! As a TTOC it is always good to have these kinds of lesson plans ready - just in case!

See more Here

Midsummer Night's Dream Facebook Assignment

So I decided to do fake facebook accounts with my Grade 9 Highschool Class for Midsummer Night's Dream. I saw "Shakesbook" and "Fakebook" assignments online and used them as inspiration to create this project. Students had 2 computer lab classes to complete the assignment and most finished easily in that time, while some needed to take extra time at home to finish.

Below I have posted the instructions, marking rubric and sources as well as some links to a few samples from my students.

Fakebook Profile for a Main Character
1. Choose one of the main characters.
2. Create a "fakebook" profile for the character that reflects what you know about them.
3. Write 5 status updates for the character that relate to major events in the plot and
    accurately reflect the characters personality.
4.Create 10 or more responses to the statuses from other characters.
5. You may have MORE posts if you wish.
6. Ensure the statuses are in reverse chronological order with most recent at the top.
7. Include your name and block at the bottom of the page.
8. Save a copy for your files and print a copy to turn in.
Marking Rubric

Minimum 5 Status Updates that reflect characters personalities and refer to major events in the
plot in chronological order. /5

Minimum 10 replies reflect characters personalities and relationships. /5

Profile details reflect character and show understanding of character. /5

Creative, correct formatting, appearance resembles template/examples. /5

Total:    /20

Resources

You may use any of the below resources to create your page or create your own as long as it
contains all the criteria:

1. Fakebook is an online ap. You can click to edit and create a page then save and print.
http://www.classtools.net/fb/home/page
2. Facebook template for Microsoft Word.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/templates/facebook-template-word-TC102239159.aspx

3. I have several templates I will share with the class.

Samples

*Please note at the time of posting these links are active and accurate, but may become unactive or edited in the future without my knowledge. These are a random selection of examples.

Demetrius: http://www.classtools.net/fb/31/BCYd7a

Nick Bottom: http://www.classtools.net/fb/36/WUbGMA

Puck: http://www.classtools.net/fb/56/JegDDX

Hermia: http://www.classtools.net/fb/17/g8mU4D

Lysander: http://www.classtools.net/fb/35/hHdYTW

Nick Bottom: http://www.classtools.net/fb/25/hKJDeB

Helena: http://www.classtools.net/fb/74/BgUNgi

Helena: http://www.classtools.net/fb/67/3Ee2Ci

Twitter
Two students paired up to use twitter to create their own version of the project:

Helena: https://twitter.com/#!/helenalovesdem
Demetrius: https://twitter.com/#!/2cool4helena

Final Projects - Midsummer Night's Dream

I really enjoy giving students choices for final projects. I am in a temporary position until the end of the year and we are doing Grade 9 Midsummer Night's Dream. I believe final projects can be a great way to assess learning in a variety of ways. For my groups I have set-up their final project, which I will share in a future post, but for now, here is a list of ideas that helped motivate me to create some cool options for my class.....

1.

THE DAILY NEWS: Imagine you are an Athenian journalist who wants to report the events of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in your newspaper story. Apply the information given in the play to your story and design an appropriate layout for your newspaper.

2.

THE EVENING NEWS WITH ________________: Write a script for a news broadcast which reports on the events in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Include a weather report, a missing person report, a fast-breaking story, a human-interest angle, a "strange but true" feature, etc. Use at least two anchors to present the broadcast. You may videotape or perform your broadcast for the class.

3.

A BUSY DAY AT THE CASTING AGENCY: A casting agency is where actors are selected to play parts in movies. Suppose you are the head of the largest casting agency in Hollywood, and a large film studio that wants to make a new movie version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream has contracted you. Make up the casting list by deciding which roles will go to which movie or television actors. Decide during what time period your production will take place. Also, write a short synopsis on why you think each actor is "perfect for the role."

4.

YOU’RE THE TALK SHOW HOST: Imagine yourself as a popular talk show host. Your producer tells you that next week you will have the characters of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on your show. As you plan your show, consider such things as the show’s title (for example, "Runaway Athenian Kids"), whom to have in the audience (Athenian teens, nobility, etc.), and your own angle on the story (Fairies and Sprites: can they be trusted?). Write a script, and act it out or videotape it for the class.

5.

COMIC BOOK CREATOR: If you have a natural talent to write a comic book, or you have ever wanted to try to write a comic book, try reproducing A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a comic. Remember that you must use the actual dialogue of the play in order to write your comic; you may edit the text, but you must use enough of the main story to keep the plot true to the story as told in the play.

6.

WANTED: Create a "wanted" poster for Puck, the mischievous sprite. You must include an illustrated "photo," a list of his criminal activities (mischief-making), physical description, aliases, where he was last seen, his probable whereabouts, and any rewards being offered. Who is offering the reward for his capture (think about who in the play might want to capture Puck to keep him from further mischief)? What punishment might he receive if he were captured?

7.

FLOWERS FOR SALE: Create a commercial and print ad campaign for Oberon’s magic flower, the "Love-in-idleness." You must come up with a pitch, a slogan, and one unique way to market your target audience. Who would be the most likely to buy such a product? What would be the best ways to reach this audience—radio, television, direct mail, billboards, magazines, newspapers, Internet ads? Would getting testimonials from several "satisfied customers" be effective? Create your campaign and present it to the class.

8.

FASHION DESIGNER: Fairy Wear is the latest fashion! Create sketches of clothes fit for Titania and Oberon, the Queen and King of the Fairies. Remember, they are the rulers of the natural world, so the clothing should have a "natural" appearance. Then, plan a fashion show to unveil these designs: write a descriptive plan of the show including the brand name, the theme of the show, music used during the show, a script for the host to use to describe the fashions, etc. Then videotape the fashion show using "live" models or dolls!

9.

WEDDING PLANNER: Imagine that you are in charge of the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. There is no limitation on the budget, so you have unlimited resources. What would you plan for the wedding ceremony? The wedding reception? Prepare a detailed schedule and a budget of the event.

10.

CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR: Create a children’s story about the fairies in the play. They can interact with characters from the play or with new characters that you create. Keep in mind the personality of each fairy so that they act in ways that are true to their characters. Illustrate the book with your own drawings, pictures from magazines, or from pictures you design on a computer. Create a cover that displays the title of your book, a scene from the book, and your name. Find a creative way to bind the book together!

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