Studying the state of Alabama? Perhaps doing a unit on Ornithology? This project based unit is designed to help students study and record information about Alabama’s state bird – the Northern Flicker!
Included: – A map page (for the state) – Scientific classification page – A page for students to give details about the bird’s physical description, habitat, diet, life span and reproduction – A page where students will do additional map work to show where in the U.S. the bird lives in addition to migration information – Coloring page – Several pages on which students can use for expository and/or creative writing as well as sections in which students may draw.
14 pages in all and is designed for different levels / abilities. You can preview a similar product here. This similar product will show you page by page what you can expect in this product (only the bird is different)!
Studying the state of Hawaii? Perhaps doing a unit on Ornithology? This project-based unit is designed to help students study and record information about Hawaii’s state bird – the Nene (Hawaiian Goose)!
Included: – A map page (for the state) – Scientific classification page – A page for students to give details about the bird’s physical description, habitat, diet, life span and reproduction – A page where students will do additional map work to show where in the U.S. the bird lives in addition to migration information – Coloring page – Several pages on which students can use for expository and/or creative writing as well as sections in which students may draw.
14 pages in all and is designed for different levels / abilities. You can preview a similar product here. This similar product will show you page by page what you can expect in this product (only the bird is different)!
Studying the state of Georgia? Perhaps doing a unit on Ornithology? This project-based unit is designed to help students study and record information about Georgia’s state bird – the Brown Thrasher! To learn more, see details below or you can preview a similar product here.
Included: – A map page (for the state) – Scientific classification page – A page for students to give details about the bird’s physical description, habitat, diet, life span and reproduction – A page where students will do additional map work to show where in the U.S. the bird lives in addition to migration information – Coloring page – Several pages on which students can use for expository and/or creative writing as well as sections in which students may draw.
14 pages in all and is designed for different levels / abilities.
Your kiddos will love learning to read with this fun, interactive phonics resource as they actively color, cut, paste, and write and learn words from the -at word family. This product focuses on CVC words but as a bonus, I’ve thrown in some optional CCVC words to expand learning!
Cross-curricular and engaging, this resource will have students use a variety of Language Arts skills and activities as they learn about this important woman of history! Earhart was an American aviation pioneer. She was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, set many other records, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots!
Looking for fun Winter Math activities? Check out my Snowman Graphing for 2nd and 3rd Grades unit. Your students will have fun creating unique ‘dressed’ snowmen. After all are complete, the graphing activity(ies) can begin! Great as a whole class activity, or in cooperative groups and/or centers. This has been created for 2nd and 3rd grades, however younger or older students might enjoy as well.
Combining Geography and Art, students will discover the state flower for each of the 50 U.S. States! Each page has a large state flower to color + the state name. Whether you are studying each state or simply want to provide some fun but educational activities to your classroom, students will enjoy this resource.
This Science resource has been designed to help students learn the phases of cellular division / reproduction through the process of mitosis. Phases outlined: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase and Cytokinesis. I’ve include both color and b/w posters / handout, with and without explanations of what actually occurs during each phase.
A layered research assignment gives students the opportunity to delve deeply into a topic and give students a variety of tasks from which to choose, all designed to guide and build a meaningful learning experience. Also, when using this layered approach, students will move through Bloom’s Taxonomy of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
My Teaching Library offers this easy to use resource that will guide students through (step by step) the three layers of research and can be used with any topic. Since this resource can be used for any topic, it can be used again and again!
The three layers of research: * The first (bottom) layer will give students 9 tasks of which they will perform all of them. This layer will help students get a good grasp of the topic and begin to gather the materials they will need to create a great project, (knowledge and comprehension).
* For the second (middle) layer, students are given 6 tasks of which they will choose to complete 4. Here, students will continue to gain knowledge and comprehension as well as begin applying (application), analyzing (analysis) and even some synthesizing (synthesis) of what is being learned.
* For the third (top) layer, students are given 9 tasks of which they will choose to complete 6. This top layer of tasks is truly designed for students to move further into synthesizing and evaluating (evaluation) of the material that has been studied.
As students progress from one layer to the next using this approach, they will move throughout, up and down, Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning and will have been able to not only learn about their chosen topic but will have demonstrated that learning in tangible ways.
Hey there…If you are a parent, grandparent or future parent, I am writing this blog post to you. This year, as the weather has turned colder and the leaves are falling, I’m reminded of a very important holiday that is just over a month away…Thanksgiving.
I love Thanksgiving! Many years ago, when my son was very young, I decided to start a holiday tradition. That tradition was to never start our Thanksgiving meal without first going around the table and having everyone tell what they are thankful for.
The first few years my son was okay with ‘Momma’s tradition’ but once he was in high school and we began inviting people that were not immediate family (sometimes his friends), he began a little eye rolling. I could just hear his non-spoken words, “Seriously, Mom, this is embarrassing!”
However, he is now a college graduate, married and expecting his first child and I can honestly say that in the last few years, I’ve seen a shift. Not only are his eyes no longer rolling but his answers are more profound and thoughtful.
Being thankful isn’t just a once a year thing in our home. Our lives haven’t always been easy. Just like every family we’ve had very happy times but we’ve also had some extremely tough times. Those painful times include being homeless after losing everything in Hurricane Katrina, living in less than ideal circumstances, depending on others for food and clothing and I could go on.
However, through it all, I had to make a conscious decision, often daily and sometimes even minute by minute, to choose thankfulness and gratitude.
My name is Lynda Ackert. I am a wife, a mother, a soon-to-be grandmother and the owner of My Teaching Library.
Today, my heart is to write to you about purposeful gratitude. As Thanksgiving approaches, my hope is that this reaches at least one momma (or daddy) that needs to be reminded that our children are always watching and learning from us and how we choose to live life.
Are we demonstrating a life of thankfulness and gratitude?
We can teach every subject (reading, writing, history, math, science…), using the best curriculum on the market, but that curriculum can’t teach our children the most valuable lessons of life. Life will teach these lessons and you are your children’s best teacher.
I do hope you’ll take a little space…right now to ask yourself, “What am I truly thankful for and how am I demonstrating my gratitude in front of my children?”
If anything I’ve written today has touched you in a positive way, please feel free to let me know. You can find me on My Teaching Library’s FB group or you can email me on my website’s contact form.
Typically when I write, I share about the educational products you can find on My Teaching Library but that wasn’t my purpose today. However, in the next couple weeks, I will be sharing some fun, Thanksgiving themed MTL products with you on my FB group. I’ll also be asking parents to share about their special family traditions, so I hope you’ll join me!
Are you preparing to teach High School? Want a list of Language Arts skills covered during 9th-12th grades?
Here are the skills and concepts students should learn during their High School years…
Use agreed-upon rules for formal and informal in small groups.
Pose questions, listen to the ideas of others, and contribute their own information or ideas in group discussions and interviews in order to acquire new knowledge.
Make oral presentations that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience, purpose, and the information to be conveyed.
Acquire new vocabulary and use it correctly in reading and writing.
Describe and analyze the grammatical structure of the English language and the standard English conventions for sentence structure, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling
Describe and analyze how oral dialects differ from each other in English, how they differ from written standard English, and what role standard American English plays in informal and formal communication.
Describe and analyze how the English language has developed and been influenced by other languages.
Decode accurately and understand new words encountered in their reading materials, drawing on a variety of strategies as needed, and then use these words accurately in speaking and writing.
Identify the basic facts and essential ideas in what they have read, heard, or viewed.
Identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the characteristics of different genres.
Identify, analyze and apply knowledge of theme, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
Identify and analyze how an author’s choice of words appeals to the senses, creates imagery, suggests mood, and sets tone.
Compare and contrast similar myths and narratives from different cultures and geographic regions.
Interpret the meaning of literary works, non-fiction, films and media by using different critical lenses and analytic techniques.
Plan and present effective dramatic readings, recitations and performances that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience and purpose.
Write compositions with a clear focus, logically related ideas to develop it, and adequate detail.
Select and use appropriate genres, modes of reasoning, and speaking styles when writing for different audiences and rhetorical purposes.
Demonstrate improvement in organization, content, paragraph development, level of detail, style, tone and word choice in their compositions after revising them.
Use knowledge of standard English conventions to edit their writing.
Use self-generated questions, note-taking, summarizing, precise writing, and outlining to enhance learning when reading or writing.
Use open-ended research questions, different sources of information, and appropriate research methods to gather information for their research projects.
Develop and use appropriate rhetorical, logical, and stylistic criteria for assessing final versions of their compositions or research projects before presenting them to varied audiences
Obtain information by using a variety of media and evaluate the quality of material they obtain.
Explain how the techniques used in electronic media modify traditional forms of discourse for aesthetic and rhetorical purposes.
Design and create coherent media productions with a clear controlling idea, adequate detail, and appropriate consideration of audience, purpose, and medium.
Also, students should have times of dedicated focus on library and study skills, British literature, American literature and World literature. Students should build on the tools of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking (skills presented in both the elementary and middle school grades) and be provided with continued opportunities for developing communication skills, while focusing on analysis of the short story, novel, essay, drama, and poetry. Students should explore the major themes that authors have explored and develop higher critical/analytical reading and thinking skills.
My Teaching Library has many products perfectly designed to help high school students learn and master the skills and concepts listed above.
Complete novel study for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (196 pages). Includes: – Author’s Biography – Novel Introduction – Characters and Themes – Quotes and Analysis – Teaching Guides dividing the novel into 5 sections w/
Chapter Summaries, Thought Questions and Vocabulary
Student Handouts
Student Worksheets, Assessments & Keys – Final Assessments
Concepts covered: – Using Technology / Navigating the Internet – Reading – Improving a Skill for Life – Writing/ Making Words Speak – Writing / Using Strategies to Fine-Tune Writing – Literature/ Discovering the World, Discovering ourselves.
My Teaching Library also has several Literary Companions that students need throughout high school!
In fact, there are over 120 ready to download resources on My Teaching Library to help your high school students learn many of the skills and concepts listed above!
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THANK YOU for allowing My Teaching Library to be a part of your teaching journey and if you are not a member of our fb group, I’d love for you to join us!
Are you looking for resources to help kids learn to identify U.S. coins? My Teaching Library has a resource ( Teaching Money – Printable Coin Templates ) that will give you templates of each of these coins (penny, nickel, dime and quarter) that can be printed and used in a variety of ways!
Suggested uses:
Game pieces – print, laminate and cut out to use as game pieces
Center manipulatives – print, laminate and cut out to use in centers for ‘counting money’
Worksheets – print and write on top of each (or give students $ amount task cards) and have students simply color the correct amount
My Teaching Library also has several additional products that you can use when teaching money skills…
In this one week FREE SAMPLE of my entire 3rd Grade Reading Vocabulary unit you’ll find:
A list of vocabulary words for each day (Monday – Thursday) – 24 in all
A total of 8 student worksheets (2 for each day, Monday – Thursday)
On Friday of the week, you may test students however you choose to do so. Examples of assessments might be having each student read each word to you or having students write each word as you say them aloud.
An entire year (36 weeks) of worksheets to help 3rd grade students master over 800+ important reading words. Students that learn to read and understand these words consistently score higher on reading comprehension tests and will be ready to soar in 4th grade!
In addition to learning important 3rd grade level reading vocabulary, students will get plenty of practice in a variety of Language Arts skills such as identifying syllables and parts of speech, sentence writing, the use of punctuation and much more. The complete unit is 450 pages and includes answer keys!
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Ready for your FREE Week of 3rd Grade Reading Vocabulary sample? Click here!
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Looking for reading vocabulary workbooks for other grades? Check out:
Does the picture above remind you of something you’ve ever experienced?
When I was teaching and then after I became a homeschool mom, this was (all too often) ME!
I was always looking for ideas to make learning more fun and develop and nurture a student’s love for learning. I quickly realized that taking a short departure from the curriculum was all it took!
Advantages in taking short departures from scheduled curriculum
What do I mean by a short departure? It’s simply adding a quick, short unit study or bunny trail spurred by something not in the curriculum.
By doing this you can:
– Provide a productive break from the curriculum routine
– Open a child’s mind to new interests
– Continue to provide structure within which students can develop valuable skills in writing, research, observation, reading comprehension, and critical thinking all while widening content area learning in areas like science, geography, history or even math.
Where can you get some ideas?
It can be as simple as a quick trip to My Teaching Library’s Calendar page! On My Teaching Library, I have place hundreds of historical events, observations, holidays, and more on the calendar. I’ve done so to give you some ideas to take little detours in learning!
One thing I learned while teaching is this…Sometimes the most valuable lessons or biggest improvements in a student’s skill set came from what I call a ‘bunny trail’ lesson or a departure from the curriculum.
Finding My Teaching Library’s Calendar page
To check out the MTL calendar, simply go to the home page, scroll down past the “Skills & Concepts to Teach” and keep scrolling until you see Educational Planning Calendar
On May 1st, you’ll see that the first U.S. Postal Card was issued. So, where could you go with this?
Perhaps you could do a quick study on the U.S. postal service. The end product could be asking students to do a timeline of what they found, do an oral report or for older students, create a PowerPoint.
Another idea would be to take the year, 1873, and investigate what other events occurred in the U.S. or even world history during that same year!
Example #2
On June 2, 1924, the U.S. granted citizenship to all Native Americans. WOW, this could lead to so many ‘bunny trail’ possibilities such as…
– A study of citizenship and the benefits that come with being a U.S. citizen
– A study on the process immigrants must go through to become U.S. citizens
– The effects (intended or otherwise) of this act in 1924 on Native Americans
– A study of a specific group of Native Americans, perhaps from your region of the country
-Native American reservations in the U.S. today
I could go on and on!
Finding Resources
I wish I could tell you that My Teaching Library has every resource you’ll ever need for all your ‘detours’. I can’t. However, I’m working on it! LOL
You can always do a key word search to see if MTL does…and remember that if your first key word doesn’t bring up something, try multiple different key words.
What I can do right this moment is to direct you to products that can be used again and again in multiple ‘detour’ studies.
The first is MTL’s Graphic Organizers. This is a set of 80 organizers from Venn diagrams to timelines that can be used for almost any study!
MTL also has Mini-Book Templates! Younger students can use these again and again to make mini-books about things they study.
If you want students to write on a topic, why not have them use MTL’s Newspaper Templates for Expository Writing! These templates can be used across the curriculum, for any study and students love to be a reporter!
I do hope I’ve given you some ideas on how you can expand learning while taking short departures from curriculum!
