Whilst a-browsin' around Pinterest, this display board really caught my eye. The students were given the task of presenting a pictures that they think Dr. Martin Luther King would have shared with the world. The teacher, Lindsey Fuller, provided her class with the opportunity to stage photographs to capture his messages. She got a fantastic response. The children annotated these photographs with captions Instagram-style. They were then mounted on an iPad backing. Have a look at Lindsey's blog post here.
Lindsey has credited Erin from Kleinspiration for the inspiration. Erin's class used this method to show book characters' points of view. It's a fantastic way to undertake a character study in reading or creative writing. Visit Erin's blog post to find a link to templates for this activity.
We're doing another class book (where each pupil writes a page) called "Letters from the Titanic." This week has been heavily Titanic-themed so this gives them an opportunity to show off their knowledge.
I've pitched them with the scenario that they are passengers on board the Titanic who overheard the captain and ship designer saying that the boat has just hit an iceberg and will crash in less than two hours. They must write a letter to a loved one, telling them about the voyage and explaining their feelings. They will then put it in a bottle and send it out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Click on the image below to download the self-assessment rubric that the children will be using to assist them in editing their letters.
Just a quick note to anybody downloading this - the total line should read (/18) not (~/15). Apologies!
As Sunday marks 100 years since the Titanic sank, next Monday is a perfect day for exploring all things Titanic-related in the classroom. Here's an idea of some of the Titanic-themed lessons that I'm planning:
History: KWL chart in project scrapbooks. Complete a 3 page project on the Titanic, aiming to answer the questions asked in the W column. Examine photographs and diary entries. Debate: Was the Titanic unsinkable? (last link from Anseo.net here)
Geography: Map the route of the Titanic. Explore icebergs. Examine the phrase "That's only the tip of the iceberg."
Science: Design paddle boats. I came across a nice construction lesson here.
Music: Listening and responding to "Nearer My God To Thee," a song that was reported to have been played on the ship as it sank. They will then compose a sound story to document the story of the Titanic --> setting off, the buzz on board, hitting the iceberg, sinking, the calm after all of the commotion.
Visual arts: Discussion on warm/cold colours. Paint a picture of the Titanic using mainly cold colours.
Drama: Define class - the differences between first, second and third class. Imagine that they are on the Titanic. One person is a third class passenger, the other is a first class passenger. They become friends but both sets of parents disapprove of the friendship. Hotseat the children and the parents. Generate potential solutions for this conflict.
In the children's individual computer time (in my classroom, all children have two short computer slots each week where they are assigned sites to check out weekly.)
Take a Virtual Dive to the Titanic: This section of the Discovery Channel site focuses on the technology used to explore the wreck of the Titanic. It's a very child-friendly, interactive way of exploring the Titanic. This would certainly appeal to the older classes in primary school.
(I found this on Scoilnet's Titanic page. There you'll find plenty of links for pupils and teachers alike.)
The Encyclopedia Titanica site is also useful for researching projects.
titanic lessons for kids, titanic classroom activities, titanic lesson ideas , titanic resources
My class have been studying the history of schools in Ireland recently. If you are near Dublin, it may be worth bringing your class to the Small Lives photographic exhibition at the National Library's Photographic Archive in Temple Bar. It's running until June 2012. If not, you can view photographs from it on their Flickr site.
The NLI have provided some lesson ideas based on photographs of a classroom in Waterford. Click here to download them.
I also stumbled upon the wonderful AskAboutIreland.ie which is very child-friendly. I set the children the task of researching the history of schools in the country using this site. They loved using it. It's bright, packed with information, activities, illustrations and pictures.
Upon further delving into the site, I found some great resources for SESE and Gaeilge. I particularly like the eBooks of Irish myths and legends. There's an audio option for differentiation too. One reservation I have about the site is that the standard of Gaeilge is quite high and that it may be more suited to scoileanna T1 and only senior classes in scoileanna T2.
My class were hugely interested in Martin Luther King Day so we're going to continue with this topic for an English writing lesson and write their own "I have a dream" speeches. I'm then going to add a cover sheet and bind them together to make a class book. Click on the image below to download my templates for the children (one lower ability, one middle-higher level) and the cover sheet.
Also, here is a video about Martin Luther King from the National Geographic website.
I'm a bit late posting this but it'll do for next year! Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on tomorrow, 16th January, 2012. I found some fantastic resources on various sites.
My favourite ones (and the ones that I'm using in class) are these from www.tes.co.uk. If you're not a member of TES, then register immediately. There are fantastic resources and membership is free. This particular set of activities about Martin Luther King are fantastic as they are differentiated into three levels - lower ability (LA), middle ability (MA) and higher ability (HA).
You can also find more fantastic MLK resources on blogs such as Tara's Fourth Grade Frolics and Donna's Peace, Love and Learning.
And, of course, I'm a big fan of pppst.com and phillipmartin.com (the clipart above is from the latter), click on the image below for more Martin Luther King powerpoints and lesson plans.
To stay with this theme, I'll be exploring racism with my class in drama. In order to do this we'll be looking at the poem, "Walking Black Home" by Benjamin Zephaniah. Here are the activities we'll be doing:
- Picking out favourite images
- Hotseating of the taxi driver and the narrator
- Still image representing the relationship between the taxi driver and the narrator
- Writing a few lines of the thoughts of the narrator or taxi driver
- Discussion on how the conflict could be resolved
- Still image showing their relationship following one of these solutions
Wow, I can't believe it has been nearly a month since I last posted! Things were a bit mad towards the end of the term, getting our winter show piece ready and I then took a well-deserved and well-needed break from all things teaching-related for a fortnight. Anyway, the new term has started and I hope to blast back into the blogosphere again!
Today, I stumbled upon the schools section of the Irish Saorview (digital T.V. service) site. For those teaching in Irish schools, it's definitely worth having a look at the history of Irish television resources, in particular:
And if you're interested in thematic planning. Here are some ideas for integration:
English:
Report writing after conducting the survey (above), reading/ writing reviews of T.V. programmes
Gaeilge:
Téama: An teilifís
Maths:
Strand: Data, strand unit: representing and interpreting data (if using the survey above); Strand: Measures, strand unit: time (reading television timetables)
Geography:
Strand: Human Environments; Strand units: People living and working in the local area,
People living and working in a contrasting part of Ireland (sub-unit: Transport & communication)
Science:
Strand: Energy and forces; Strand units: Magnetism and electricity, sound
Drama/oral language:
Activity as described in the "worksheets for a survey" link above
Music:
Strand: Listening and responding (to music in silent movies), Strand: composing (jingles for T.V. adverts(
Visual arts:
Strand: Construction, Strand unit: Making constructions (Construct a television set for the activity described in the "worksheets for a survey" link above)
Strand: Paint and colour, Strand unit: Making paintings (Design a cover for the RTÉ Guide)
SPHE:
Strand: Myself and the wider world, Strand unit: Media education
Here's a pack of 8 station teaching cards for learning about New Zealand. They're aimed at senior primary school level and would be best suited for Irish primary school teachers.
Enjoy!
