Don't worry if you are NOT ready for the new school year to start. I am going to share with all my 'Teacher Peeps' some of my most successful, easy, fun, and engaging lessons that they can use when a quick reinforcement or review lesson is needed. These lessons were successful with me and my students, and I hope they are for you and your students also!
At the beginning of school, I like to use my DRAW A PIG lesson, which helps me to get to know my students, how they think, a little about how they follow directions, and how receptive they are to unusual lesson presentations.
DRAW A PIG PERSONALITY TEST
Later in the year/semester, I like to use my DRAW A TREE lesson. During this activity, students will analyze their tree with the information provided in the magazine article. They will determine if their tree represents their personality and explain why or why not.
DRAW A TREE
THE HOUSE lesson is also used at the beginning of the year/semester.
OBJECTIVE: Students will synthesize the information in the story The House by relating knowledge from several perspectives using their background knowledge and the author's purpose for writing The House. EX. - What they think is important, What a home buyer might think is important, and What a thief might think is important to know about the house.
THE HOOK: Have you ever skipped school? How did you feel? Were you afraid of being caught? What would you have done if you were caught? Did you enjoy it as much as you thought you would? What did you do all day?
I used this lesson at the beginning of school to gain my students' trust that I do know what I am doing and because this lesson is so interactive and engaging.
THE HOUSE
If you are lucky and have a classroom filled with technology where every student has access to the Internet, this CAUSE AND EFFECT lesson will be a BIG hit and one that your students will always remember.
I used this lesson for one of my administrative evaluations. This was also the FIRST time in our school that my students were allowed to use their electronic devices...cell phones, iPads, tablets, etc. I had to get special permission due to our school's rule of no personal electronic devices allowed during the school day. This made the activity even more special.
I allowed the students to work with a buddy, in a group of 2-4, or individually. The objective was to get the most CAUSE and EFFECT relationships from the video ‘ THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS WAY TO SHARE A COKE’ as possible. There was a small prize for each class to the one with the most CAUSE and EFFECT relationships.
This was an amazing reinforcement activity for CAUSE and EFFECT. It did seem chaotic due to so much activity going on. It was a successful lesson for my evaluation and a fun and successful activity for my students.
THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS WAY TO SHARE A COKE
The next TWO activities have to do with FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS. Both were so much fun and engaging.
Following Written Directions Even an Alien (YOU) Could Understand...Students write directions for making a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich that an Alien (You) would understand.
Activities Included: Pre and Post Test, Supply List, Teacher Notes, Vocabulary Activity, Extra Practice, and Photos of my students reading their directions to the Alien (Me).
PEANUTBUTTER AND JELLY ACTIVITY
Following Written Directions From a Magazine Article - Making a Paper Airplane
Day 1: Students make their paper airplanes from the directions given in a magazine article.
Day 2: Students have a friendly competition to see whose airplane flies the furthest.
Day 3: Some extra practice Origami Activities are included...A Jumping Frog and A Pelican
Enclosed is a CERTIFICATE for the BEST Paper Airplane. This graphic is a 4 by 4-inch PNG File that can easily be resized to the size you wish/need.
PAPER AIRPLANE ACTIVITY
Are You Left or Right Brained?
This file contains an activity to see if you are right-brained or left-brained. Students will use an Informational text (a magazine article) to find out.
You will find:
The Magazine Article
Answer Key
Student Answer Sheet
3 Printable Right-Brained and Left-Brained Posters
4 Videos
2 Extra Activities
The Videos and Extra Activities Are for Use After the Primary Activity
ARE YOU LEFT BRAINED OR RIGHT BRAINED?
Lather and Nothing Else - STORY ELEMENTS- Use for Review
This was a long activity...a week or more, or 5 or more class periods. But it was an engaging one for my students. One con was that my school was rationing paper, and I had to put in a special request for enough paper for 150 students. If I remember correctly, it took 6 sheets of paper per student. I color-coded my periods with the color paper I provided.
I showed the video first to set the hook. The link is provided for you.
I made a class set of the passage plus a few extras. After the video, I read the passage to my students as they followed along. We discussed anything confusing or anything I thought was important for them to understand the story better.
I let them work in groups of 4, with a buddy, or alone. I passed out the student handout. Once the precious paper was passed out, we made our flipbook, adding the title of the 11 categories on each flap of our flipbook. On top of the colored paper, we put the title: Lather and Nothing Else - Story Elements and our name, date, and period.
I added 3 picture examples of our flipbooks. Once the flipbooks were made and all labeled, my students were on their own. I answered all the questions that came up and kept everyone on task.
This activity reinforced everything that was taught about story elements. It was interactive and engaging. In fact, it was one of my students' favorite activities.
LATHER AND NOTHING ELSE
Figurative Language Colorforms Hands-On Group Activity Using Crayons Fun
What a fun learning activity this is...It is one of my favorite group (4) activities to complete after teaching Figurative Language. I did groups, so I wouldn't need more than 6 baggies of the 6 colors (blue, red, green, purple, orange, and yellow) of crayons or colored pencils. This activity can also be an individual activity, buddy activity or made into a learning center.
Included is a Figurative Language Definition sheet, which I put on the projection screen. I also printed a few for those that needed it right beside them. The definitions help to reinforce what was taught.
I gave the students a little hint on how to get the activity perfect, which you will find in the download...then let them go at it.
The color-coded answer key makes it easy for you to grade.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE COLORFORM
LASTLY, but by no means LEASTLY…POWERPOINT WIMBA LESSONS
I did online tutoring two nights a week for one hour with my students using the WIMBA platform provided to me by my Board of Education. Any student who showed up and participated was given 1 point added to their semester exam. You may think this is a lot of extra points, but when you are teaching remedial Intensive Reading to students in the 9th grade who can’t pass the state reading test, then you know that all extra points are helpful, and the end proof of success is that they finally pass that darn test!
Each of these PowerPoints begins with a PRETEST, which we went over. The model I used for each lesson was the I DO (teach or reteach), WE DO (working together), and YOU DO (students work on their own). Each lesson ends with a POST TEST, which we also go over and is turned in the next day with their YOU DO work to receive their extra point. Some activities can be printed for your students, and many online/self-checking activities. Teachers can pick and choose their activities for their lessons from this PowerPoint. Everything you need for a successful lesson is found in these PowerPoints.
POWERPOINT WIMBA LESSONS
Please note that I did a search of my store for WIMBA. I guess I didn’t add WIMBA to my listings, so there will be other PowerPoint lessons showing up. If it has the LITTLE SCHOOL HOUSE, then it is one of my WIMBA lessons.
Thank you so much for reading my BLOG, and know that each of these lessons will make your job as a teacher easier throughout the year. Also, if you would be so kind as to share my BLOG on your Social Media so other teachers will be able to receive help throughout the school year, I would appreciate it so much!
“Don’t reinvent the Wheel! I’ve done it for you!!! HAPPY TEACHING!!!! Judy
