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Volume 11, Issue 29
July 24, 2007

Better Letters: Lesson Plans for Teaching Letter Writing
Is letter writing a lost art? This week Education World provides five new lessons to revive student interest in writing friendly letters. These letter-writing lessons are sure to get your stamp of approval! Included: Links to letter-writing resources, rubrics, and more than ten additional lesson plans.
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson281.shtml

Lit to Fit: Literature Lessons for Every Grade
Instructor Marcia Goudie says, "The Internet has put literature into the teachers' hands." Her Web site -- Children's Literature Activities for the Classroom -- provides lessons for the literary works you teach. Included: Goudie's favorite lesson plan resources for use across the grades.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson150.shtml

Better Book Reports -- 25 Ideas
Tired of the same old book report formats? Do your students grumble every time you mention the words book reports? Spice up those old book reports with some new ideas. Education World presents 25 ideas for you to use or adapt.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson109.shtml

Rock or Feather: A Critical-Thinking Activity
A simple activity can reveal much about the students you work with each day. Students make and defend their choices in this activity, called Rock or Feather? Included: Comments from teachers who've used the activity -- and a printable activity sheet.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson145.shtml

Building on Biographies -- Bringing Real-Life Stories Into Your Curriculum
Who can dispute the value of a good story? Though students may initially view them as dull, biographies are the stuff that great classroom activities are made of -- history, honesty, and heroism. With the help of the Internet, every teacher can bring biographies into their classrooms. Included: Ten activities that begin with biographies.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson185.shtml

Lesson Plan of the Day
See last week's lessons; search lessons by subject.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/dailylp.shtml

Learning Game of the Week
Rewriting History
Students list facts as a review and then alter some of them so that other players can determine which items are true and which are false.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/learninggame/learninggame028.shtml

News for Kids
New D.C. Memorial to Honor Dr. King
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/newsforyou/newsforyou051.shtml

Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks With Jane and Joanne
This week: "Fair Game - Subtraction."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/boxcars/boxcars015.shtml

Show-Biz Science With Vicki Cobb
String Along With Me
Take string and rope apart to discover their strength.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/showbiz_science/showbiz_science028.shtml

Five-Minute Fillers: Volume 36
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/fillers.shtml

Mystery State #49: Use the Clues, Discover the State
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/state.shtml

Writing Bug
Crying Time
Tell about the last time you cried.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/writing_bug/writingbug051.shtml

FROM OUR PRINTABLES LIBRARY

Hunt the Fact Monster
Build reading comprehension and Internet searching skills. Two levels: primary and ele-middle. (Grades 3-9)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/factmonster.shtml

Geography A to Z
Learn about world geography one letter at a time. (Grades 4-8)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/geography_az.shtml

Make Your Own Holiday Work Sheets
Use these holiday templates to make your own activities for any subject. (Grades Pre-K - 5)
http://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/index.shtml#holiday_editable

Sudoku Puzzles
These popular puzzles build critical thinking skills. Thirty-six puzzles in all. (Grades 3-12)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/sudoku.shtml

Dr. Ken Shore: The ABC's of Bullying Prevention
Cyberbullying
"Cyberbullying -- sending humiliating or threatening messages or images through a computer or cell phone -- is a new and growing form of bullying that has emerged with the advent of technology. And it's a problem that schools must deal with."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/shore/shore078.shtml

Max Fischer: Voice of Experience
Making a Difference Is What It's All About
"I'm convinced that a major reason so many young teachers leave the profession by their fifth year is because they haven't yet yet experienced the adrenaline-coursing satisfaction of seeing the finished product."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/voice/voice107.shtml

Emma McDonald: The New Teacher Advisor
Laying the Groundwork
"Every teacher wants to have a smoothly running classroom, but that's difficult to achieve when you don't know where to start. What you need is a vision. Then you need to take that vision and make it a reality."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald001.shtml

Dr. Fred Jones: Tools for Teaching
Bell Work
"'Bell Work' is the work students are doing when the opening bell rings....the work that separates the world of the classroom from the world of play....the work that provides purpose to the process of 'settling in.'"
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/jones/jones020.shtml

Cathy Puett Miller: The Reading Coach
Making the Most of Guided Reading
Researchers identify the ultimate guided-reading goal as helping children learn how to use independent reading strategies successfully. Discover three tips for making the most of guided reading in your classroom.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/miller/miller011.shtml

Reading Tips
Beyond the Spelling List
Add another element to your students' spelling practice.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/reading/tips/tips009.shtml

Teaching With Folktales
Three folktales that will get kids thinking and talking about the importance of cooperation.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson172.shtml

Using Fairy Tales to Debate Ethics
What better way to spark a spirited classroom debate on ethics than by exploring the complex messages found in fairy tales?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr295.shtml

From the Math Corner

Wendy Petti's "Math Cats Math Chat"
A Student-Led Family Math Night
Wendy Petti provides a step-by-step guide to help you plan a student-led Math Family Fun Night at your school.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/mathchat/mathchat002.shtml

Go Figure
Car Shopping
Figure out how far each car has been driven.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/math/go_figure/go_figure008.shtml

Math on the Web
Math Sites to Count On
Dozens of math-related Internet sites that will add to your lessons and multiply your effectiveness.
http://educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson061.shtml

Explain That!
Probability
Probability is a numerical measure of how likely an event is to happen. http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/explainthat/explainthat008.shtml

An Education World Teacher Feature
Family Memories
Parents and kids blossom in family writing class.
http://www.educationworld.com
/a_curr/teacher_feature/teacher_feature127.shtml

Strategy of the Week
Classroom Rules
Classroom management experts discuss how to develop and implement effective classroom rules.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy040.shtml

Tips Library
Classroom Management: Random Selection
Behavior Management: Rewards, Incentives, Cooperation
Motivating Kids: Manipulatives
Book Report Makeover: Book in a Box
Homework Tips: Design Your Own Homework
Best Idea: Scavenger Hunt Review
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/management_tips/management_tips018.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/behaviortips/behaviortips018.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/motivation/motivation018.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/bookreport/bookreport018.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/homeworktips/homeworktips018.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/bestidea/bestidea018.shtml

Brenda's Blog
Is Their Work Really Their Work?
"It’s the teacher’s job to make sure that the student work they’re assessing is indeed the student’s work. Anything less turns education into a charade where students pretend they know something and we give them credit for their pretense."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/dyck/dyck010.shtml

Reflecting Poole
The Best Laid Plans
"This month, let me tell you the tale of my visit to Karnataka state, a state adjoining Andhra Pradesh, in India -- where plans 'oft gang awry.'"
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/poole/poole006.shtml

Nancy Willard's Cyber Savvy
Sex and the Internet: Challenging the Myths
“Some significant misperceptions about online sexual predators must be addressed so we can get to the point of providing accurate guidance to address the real concerns,” says cyber safety expert Nancy Willard as she busts the myths and advises the vulnerable.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/willard/willard006.shtml

Doug Johnson's Tech Proof
Seven Things All Adults Should Know About MySpace
"What's a teacher to do? Stay informed about student uses of technology. Teach students about potential hazards of all online environments. Oh, and remember that we were kids once too and our teachers worried about us."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/johnson/johnson009.shtml

Sites to See
PreK-2 Learning Games
Engaging -- and safe -- sites offering learning games for pre-K-2 students.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech163.shtml

Template of the Week
Newsletter
Edit this template to create your own classroom newsletter.
http://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/newsletter1.doc

Tech Lesson of the Week
Tech in Math
Students create a graph to illustrate the historical actual price vs. the inflation-adjusted price of a gallon of gasoline.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp076.shtml

From Our Archives
The Eight Pillars of Successful Technology Implementation
Integrated education works best when it is well planned, well-integrated, closely monitored as to its effectiveness, and given a fair chance.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech188.shtml

The Best Tech Tools for Teachers
Members of the Education World Tech Team talk about the technology tools they find most useful in their professional lives, and the technology they use most successfully with students.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech234.shtml

Keep Kids Safe Online
These easy-to-implement tips can help students stay safe and avoid viewing inappropriate materials online.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech_tips/tech_tips026.shtml

SchoolNotes
Communicate online with students, parents, colleagues...
http://www.schoolnotes.com

Improving School Culture
What kind of culture pervades your school? Do staff members feel like a family? Or is it like a factory or a Little Shop of Horrors? One way to assess school culture, and then strive to improve it, is through the Center for Improving School Culture's triage survey. Included: Links to the triage survey.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin407.shtml

Larry Bell's Somebody Needs You
Teach Reading Strategies to Improve Student Test Performance
I have found that many of the best teachers have developed tools to help their students attack reading passages on standardized tests. Those tools help students organize and focus on long, dull reading passages. They help improve students' test scores too.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/columnists/bell/bell008.shtml

Evelyn-Cortez Ford’s Coaching Teachers To Be Leaders
What Do I Do When Teachers Depend Too Much on Me for Leadership?
A group of teachers and the principal assemble for their weekly School Leadership Team meeting. Surprisingly, nobody at the meeting seems ready to share. They seem to be depending too much on the principal for leadership. Why is that? What can be done about it?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/columnists/cortez-ford/cortez-ford007.shtml

Partners for Student Success
Jobs for Community Improve Skills
Students build reading and math skills while taking part in community projects.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/partners/partners008.shtml

"Simple Things You Can Do to Help All Children Read Well..."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin058.shtml

School Uniforms: Panacea or Band-Aid?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin130.shtml

Principal Ideas
Pies and Water Balloons Boost Attendance, Teacher Appreciation Year!, More...
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/ideas/ideas011.shtml

TAKE FIVE for...
Creating a Plan to Raise Test Scores
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/takefive/takefive011.shtml

Pawlas on PR
Make Sure the Open House Experience Is a Good One
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/pawlasPR/pawlasPR004.shtml

Great Meetings
Keeping the Group on Track: Preventative Measures
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/greatmeetings/greatmeetings032.shtml

From the Principal Files
Has Accountability Taken All the Fun Out of Teaching and Learning?
Does the accountability movement in schools force teachers to spend more time teaching to the test? Does the emphasis on testing take all the fun out of teaching? Education World's Principal Files principals share their thoughts about the impact of standards and testing on classroom teachers and students.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin227.shtml

Newsletters 'R Us
Copy and paste this free content into your teacher or school newsletters.
Caught on the Web
Math @ Home
Parent Pointers
Summer Newsletter Clipart
QuotED of the Week
Fun Facts
ABCs of Student Success
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/archives/newsletters.shtml

Soapbox of the Week
One Teacher’s Pitch to be Emperor of Education
Chemistry teacher Dr. Richard Chapleau outlines his formula for school reform, which includes tough measures for teachers and parents.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/soapbox/soapbox009.shtml

Teach for America Diaries
Who's The Teacher?
Will Hobart writes, "When you love everything about yourself, you control your life, your future, your joy. When you accept everything about your class, you control the kind of teacher you are, the kind of education they receive, and play a key role in their futures."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/TFA_diaries/TFA_hobart003.shtml

Wire Side Chats of the Week
Teachers Have It Easy--NOT
Too many people still regard teaching as an easy part-time job at full-time pay. In Teachers Have It Easy, the authors attack those perceptions by citing the long hours, sacrifices, and low salaries imposed on many teachers.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat167.shtml

Businesses Provide Supplies, Grant Money
Office supply companies often find themselves paying to store extra inventory or have it carted away. But the Kids In Need Foundation matches companies with schools that need supplies and helps teachers fund innovative lessons.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat161.shtml

Rethinking Reshaping Schools
For too long, devotion to the traditional school schedule and organization has hindered major school reform, according to education consultant Heidi Hayes Jacobs. Outside-of-the box structures can mean more time for innovative learning strategies.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues/issues417.shtml

Archive Section of the Week
Improvement
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/archives/improvement.shtml

Spotlight on Issues in Education
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
School Buses
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/glossary/a.shtml#adhd
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/glossary/b.shtml#buses

EdScoops: Current Education News Headlines
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/archives/edscoops.shtml

This Week's Survey
Should students be promoted only if they can pass a high-stakes test?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/survey/survey102.shtml

Last Week's Survey Results
Which sex is responsible for the majority of discipline problems in your class?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/survey/survey087.shtml

This week, Education World reviewed three Web sites of interest to educators.

Start Here. Go Places
Info to help students toward business and accounting careers.
http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2007/r0207-12.shtml

HEARTH (Home Economics Archive Research Tradition History)
The home page for home economics.
http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2007/r0207-09.shtml

Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children’s Reading Success
A parenting book – online!
http://www.educationworld.com/awards/2007/r0207-07.shtml

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