Dear Education Leaders,
Welcome! This free weekly Lesson Planning newsletter features summaries
of lesson plans recently published on Education World®, the largest free, independent resource on the Web
for educators. If you enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to forward
it to others. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you may sign
up at http://www.educationworld.com/maillist.shtml.
To unsubscribe, see instructions at the bottom of this newsletter.
Education World remains a free resource thanks to the support of our
advertisers -- so please click on ads of interest and visit our
advertisers' sites. Thank you.
=============================================================================
This week's newsletter is sponsored by Online Degree Directory.
Further your teaching skills with the latest theories and practices -- get a Master of Arts in Education: Curriculum and Instruction. You'll learn practical and relevant information you can instantly apply to your classroom.
Inspire your students and faculty -- get your Doctoral in Education: Leadership for Higher Education. Programs developed in collaboration with the American Association of School Administrators (AASA).
And discover more available programs with FREE Information from Online Universities - Online Degree Directory.
http://www.educationworld.com/OnlineDegree2.shtml
=============================================================================
Volume 11, Issue 21
May 27, 2009
 Ten Games for Classroom Fun
Do you need ideas for occupying students during the last ten minutes of a busy day? Perhaps you want to reward kids at the end of a particularly productive day. These ten games are great for end-of-the-day fun. You can link many of them to classroom curricula too.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson169.shtml
Building Spelling Power
Spelling games and more to help students spell up a s-t-o-r-m.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/spelling.shtml
Reviving Reviews: Refreshing Ideas Students Can't Resist
Five activities for use in all subjects, all grades.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson306.shtml
 End of Year Projects Volume #2
The last few days of the school year are upon you, and you're at a loss for what to do. Do you emphasize fun or attempt to squeeze in some last-minute learning? This week, Education World offers suggestions for keeping kids focused during the last hours of the school year. Included: More than a dozen great end-of-year ideas.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson184.shtml
End-of-Year Projects Volume #1
Keep students engaged til the end.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson268.shtml
 Flag Day
Flag Day, June 14, is a day to honor and learn about the "Stars and Stripes." The American flag has a colorful history and interesting evolution. Education World brings you crafts, games, music, and more to help your students enjoy this star-spangled day.
http://www.educationworld.com/holidays/archives/flag_day.shtml
More Timely Lessons
Fitness Month
What Does Memorial Day Mean to Your Students?
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/physical_fitness.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/holidays/archives/memorial_day.shtml
Lesson Plan of the Day
Click the link above to see dozens of recent Lesson Plans of the Day, including the five lessons below that were posted last week.
 Design a Coin - “Mint” a quarter for your state. (Grades K-12)
Inner Circle/Outer Circle - Debate strategy emphasizes listening. (3-12)
Pet Perspective - Explore the world from a pet's point of view. (K-12)
Fingered Felons - Analyze evidence to solve a classroom crime. (3-8)
Following-Directions Follies - An activity for all ages. (K-12)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/dailylp.shtml
 News for Kids
Apartment, Community Smoking Bans Debated
Have smoking bans in apartments and communities gone too far?
http://www.educationworld.com
/a_lesson/archives/newsforyou.shtml
Friday Fun
Use maps to locate the most unique place names around.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/friday/friday014.shtml
Learning Game of the Week
Explore similarities, differences with this twist on Simon Says.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/learninggame/learninggame013.shtml
Vicki Cobb's Show-Biz Science
Discover how (and why) anti-dandruff shampoos inhibit yeast production.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/showbiz_science/showbiz_science061.shtml
Tech Lesson of the Week
Poetry Slam: PowerPoint Style
Students select poems, create PowerPoint presentations to enhance the poems, and display the presentations as they read their poems aloud.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techlp/techlp018.shtml
 Early Childhood Center
* Rhyme Time
This week's poem for Early Childhood educators:
Getting There (Transportation)
* Early Childhood Teaching Themes
Flag Day
Activities for celebrating the Stars and Stripes.
Celebrate Friendship
Make a friendship fruit salad and more.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_earlychildhood/newsletters/
Reader's Theater
The Incredible Animal Race
Two animal teams compete in the Animal Kingdom’s annual race. A surprising twist brings an amazing finish.
http://www.educationworld.com/
a_curr/reading/ReadersTheater/ReadersTheater014.shtml
Beyond the Spelling List
Add another element to your students' spelling practice.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/reading/tips/tips009.shtml
From the Reading Machine
Charlotte’s Web: Make-Your-Own Comics
Students construct an original comic strip that features the people and creatures of the popular book. (3-6)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/readingmachine/readingmachine033.shtml
From the Writing Center
Reading Response Journals
In an effort to encourage students to think and share more about what they read, some teachers have turned to reading response journals.
Roving Reporter
Karen Dux’s sixth graders share all the news that's fit to "cast."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev085.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/teacher_feature/teacher_feature179.shtml
Writing Lessons
A Seashell Lesson
Seashells help teach about the importance of including detail in writing. (Grades 3-8)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tsl/archives/05-1/lesson030.shtml
Catchy Captions Inspires Letters to Veterans
A lesson in newspaper photo captions and caption writing. (Grades K-5)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2176.shtml
Writing Bugs
Lost in the Middle of Nowhere
Our old car rattled to a stop in the middle of nowhere…
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/writing_bug/writingbug009.shtml
No More Smiling!
Smiling has just been outlawed in your community…
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/writing_bug/writingbug008.shtml
From the Math Corner
 Go Figure: Vacation Travels
The Gomez family goes on a car trip. Students help Maria keep track of how far from home and how many miles the family travels.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/math/go_figure/go_figure016.shtml
The Math Machine
Traffic Jam
Challenge yourself to solve each puzzle in the minimum number of moves. (Grades K-12)
Send in the Trolls
A fun Web site for teaching about probability. (Grades 2-6) http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/mathmachine/mathmachine032.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/mathmachine/mathmachine017.shtml
Math Mnemonics
Metric Units of Measure
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/mnemonics/mnemonics032.shtml
Math Feature
Math Anxiety
Students with math anxiety have confidence in only one thing -- that they can't do it. You need to prove to them that they can do it. Nine tips for banishing math anxiety from your classroom.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/shore/shore066.shtml
Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks
Math Games With Joanne and Jane
This week: "Factor Find."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/boxcars/boxcars036.shtml
Bulletin Boards That Teach
Building Money $kills -- Learning about money can be fun using this bulletin board idea.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/bullboard/bullboard027.shtml
 Teacher-Submitted Lesson Plans
Teacher Lesson #1
Students "puzzle" over connections between clues as they build vocabulary.
Teacher Lesson #2
Playing cards reinforce mean, median, range concepts.
Teacher Lesson #3
A hot dog is a metaphor for good student writing.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tsl/index.shtml
Tech Lesson of the Week
A PowerPoint Poetry Slam
Students select poems, create PowerPoint presentations to enhance the poems, display the presentations, and read the poems aloud.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techlp/techlp018.shtml
Fact Monster Hunts
Primary Hunt June Hunt #1
Ele-Middle Hunt Hunt #35
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/factmonster.shtml
Every-Day Edits
Primary Edits Edit info about animals from A to Z.
Ele-Middle Edits New editing activities month by month.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/animalsAtoZ.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/edit.shtml
Work Sheet of the Week
"Using a Thesaurus” -- two printable activities.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/worksheets/TCM/lang_arts_3_5.shtml
5-Minute Fillers
Volume 6
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/fillers.shtml
Vocab-ulous!
Words that begin with -cr blends.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/vocabulous/vocabulous029.shtml
FROM OUR PRINTABLES LIBRARY
Readers Theater Scripts
Ready-to-read scripts provide hours of classroom fun. Teacher's Guide included. (Grades 3-6)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/reading/index.shtml#theater
Coloring Calendars
Use these calendar templates to build student skills and for many other purposes. (Grades Pre-K-12) http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/calendar.shtml
Work Sheets from Teacher Created Materials
More than 250 work sheets organized by subject and grade level.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/worksheets/TCM/index.shtml
Where in the World Is Mrs. Waffenschmidt?
Can you figure out where she is this week based on the clues she provides? (Grades 3-8)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/waffenschmidt.shtml
Just for This Month!
See our June Month of Fun, June Word Search, and June Coloring Calendar. PLUS: Create-your-own holiday work sheet templates for Flag Day, Independence Day….
Eric Baylin's Songs to Brighten a Teacher's Day
All the Things We Are
As another school year comes to an end, it's natural to look back on the months -- or the years -- and wonder how our efforts have affected our students.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/baylin/baylin040.shtml
Dr. Fred Jones: Tools for Teaching
Tools for Teaching Implements Response to Intervention
RTI is a multi-level system that focuses on the prevention of learning problems. It is designed to help teachers develop effective instructional practices.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/jones/jones043.shtml
 Leah Davies, The Teacher Counselor
Movement Activities for Elementary Classrooms
Movement activities planned intermittently throughout the day can help children maintain focus on their schoolwork and reenergize themselves. Many teachers wisely initiate such activities, especially during classroom transitions.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/davies/davies007.shtml
Cathy Puett Miller: The Reading Coach
Summertime Reading
Encourage parents to include reading in their summer plans, and help them keep their kids reading by making summertime reading different than “that stuff I do at school.”
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/miller/miller016.shtml
Alma Row's Gadget of the Week
Name Voyager
Find out the popularity of girls' and boys' names from the 1890s to the present. Lots of possibilities for graphing activities.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/gadget/gadget040.shtml
Lorrie Jackson's Techtorial
Fun and Games Replace Drill and Kill
Learn how to select online games and activities for student use, and find game suggestions for all grade levels.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techtorial/techtorial017.shtml
 The Principal Poet
Mr. Ivan, Education World's Principal Poet, presents this week’s poem, “A New Way of Thinking.”
If our ears were little funnels
That hooked up to our brains,
I'll bet all our school learning
Could be done with little pain…
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/columnists/ivan/index
 Voting for Mascots Teaches About Elections, Inspires Fun
It may seem logical to have students cast their own ballots for president when the nation chooses a new leader, but the fact remains that those votes will never truly count. In lieu of those "mock" elections, some schools have students vote on an issue that has real implications. Allowing students to choose a representative symbol -- a school mascot that will encourage, inspire, and sometimes entertain them for years to come -- can be even more powerful. Included: Eight simple lessons that students encounter through the election process.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin567.shtml
 Partners for Student Success
Couplets, Coffee, and Community
Students at one Cleveland school display their writing talents at an annual Coffee House-Poetry Night. It is an opportunity to present their work to an authentic audience of peers, teachers, parents, and community members. And the writing efforts have boosted test scores too.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/partners/partners053.shtml
Strategy of the Week
Teaching With Games
Games can be used to review learned skills and to teach new ones as they build students’ academic confidence, improve problem-solving, and strengthen teacher-student and student-student relationships.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/strategy/strategy065.shtml
A Personal Yearbook Page
Students record their personal photos, memories, and achievements of the year.
http://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/index.shtml#miscellaneous
Featured Articles
Online Games for PreK-2
Whether you're looking for a learning center activity -- or just an activity for yet another indoor recess -- these sites fit the bill.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech163.shtml
Online Games for Grades 3-5
Combine fun and learning by introducing students to some of the most engaging learning games found on the Web.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech168.shtml
Stress Busters
We asked members of the Education World Tech Team for their suggestions for keeping one’s cool despite career challenges and classroom chaos. Discover what they told us.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech242.shtml
‘Dictionary Project’ Will Soon Give Away Its 10 Millionth Dictionary
More than 9.9 million children have received dictionaries thanks to the generosity of sponsors who have participated in The Dictionary Project. Last year, about 2.5 million dictionaries were handed out. Have they handed out dictionaries in your school?  http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/principal_blog/2009_05.shtml
Tips Library
Classroom Management: Managing With Technology
Behavior Management: Student Court
Motivating Kids: Summer Reading Rewards
Book Report Makeover: Keep It Covered!
Homework Tips: Classroom Secretary
Best Idea Ever: Writing Memory Books
Testing Tips: Check Your Work
EdTech Tips: Sort It Out
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/management_tips/management_tips040.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/behaviortips/behaviortips032.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/motivation/motivation021.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/bookreport/bookreport040.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/homeworktips/homeworktips032.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/bestidea/bestidea032.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/testing/testing032.shtml
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech_tips/tech_tips040.shtml
Each week, we ask readers to cast their votes in The Weekly Survey. Cast your vote in this week's question of interest to all educators.
This Week’s Survey Question
What do your students know about composting?
Last Week’s Survey Results
Which statement below best describes the role of teachers in your school when it comes to developing students’ consumer or finance skills?
 Each week, Education World spotlights books of interest to educators. This week, read a brief summary of two more of our "top 50 books for educators."
A First-Year Teacher's Guidebook
This practical book can help not only first-year teachers, but also established professionals, with eminently useful ideas for classroom management, using technology, handling parent conferences, and many other topics. Especially handy for the early-career teacher are sections on teaching in rural and urban settings, education issues, and first day / first week / first month ideas.
Click to learn more or to purchase this book.
Democracy and Education
John Dewey's 1916 book on the interrelationship between education and democracy is as important, as it approaches its centennial, as it was when it was first hailed as a master work. The modern reader of education books will find the sweep and clarity of Dewey's approach to be a refreshing break from the highly specialized and jargon-filled books being churned out today. With no hesitancy, Dewey declares his topics to include, "The Significance of Geography and History," "Educational Values," "Theories of Knowledge," and "Theories of Morals." An essential text for the complete education library!
 Click to learn more or to purchase this book.
Click the icon to the right to see more books and many other products that are available in the Education World MarketPlace.
==========================================================================
 The Best of the WRITING BUG
If you enjoy Education World's weekly WRITING BUG feature, you'll love this book! Education World and the National Education Association (NEA) have joined forces to create a handy, pocket-size booklet with 44 of the most popular Writing Bug story starters. Use these Writing Bug activities to engage your students in effective writing. Each writing prompt will spark students' imaginations, tickle their funny bones, and motivate their pencils.
Included: In this booklet you'll find these Writing Bug titles and many more:
- If I Could Interview Any U.S. President...
- The Best Lesson I Ever Learned
- I Got a Postcard from Another Planet
- A Week Without TV
- The Best Invention Ever/The Worst Invention Ever
- Plus 39 more Writing Bug writing prompts!
The Best of WRITING BUG is part of the Teacher Treasure Series, an NEA Professional Library Publication.
http://store.nea.org/NEABookstore/control/productdetails?&item_id=0695X00
==========================================================================
Education World now incorporates www.SchoolNotes.com ~ "everybody on the same page!" The leading school-to-home communications platform, with FREE pages for teachers and automatic notification of parents and students when new homework is posted!
For a modest $24.95 PER YEAR, upgrade to Personal Edition, "Super SchoolNotes," with thousands of resources linked to your state's standards.
Click here for more information.
==========================================================================
MORE FEATURES OF INTEREST
 Reader’s Theater More than two dozen scripts, perfect for the classroom.
Best Books for Teaching About… Booklists for 30 popular teaching themes.
Sign Up for Our Newsletters Ten free newsletters full of practical ideas.
Special Education Center Tools for the special education community.
Techtorials Tutorials take the terror out of tech.
Template Library Explore dozens of templates to meet your every need.
Wire Side Chats Ed World chats with experts from the "education world."
Printables Library 100s of printables!
Meet Our Columnists From across the "education world."
Early Childhood Themes From Sue LaBella.
Stress Kit Tools for catching your breath.
Classroom Management 101 Real tips from real teachers.
News for Kids World news with kids in mind.
==========================================================================
==========================================================================
Ten Rules Kids Won't Learn In School
This is not ha-ha "humor," though many educators may smile in recognition because these pearls of wisdom sound like things we have said to students 100 times before. These rules are frequently seen on the Internet, where they are often attributed to Microsoft's Bill Gates. But the actual author of these rules is Charles J. Sykes. You might want to pick up his book, 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School: Real-World Antidotes to Feel-Good Education, for more, similar wisdom.
- Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase "It's not fair" 86 times a day.
- The real world won't care half as much about your self-esteem as your school does. This may come as a shock to you.
- Sorry, but you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice-president or have a car phone, either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a designer label.
- If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.
- Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger-flipping. They called it "opportunity."
- It's not your parents' fault if you mess up. You're responsible for everything you do. Remember this the next time you say "It's my life" and "You're not my boss."
- Before you were born, your parents were not boring. They got that way paying your bills and having to listen to you.
- Life is not divided into semesters. And you don't get summers off. Not even spring break. You are expected to show up every day for eight hours, and you don't get a new life every 10 weeks.
- Smoking does not make you look cool. Watch an 11-year-old with a butt in his mouth. That's what you look like to anyone over 20.
- Your school may be "outcome-based," but life isn't. In some schools, you're given as many tries as you want to get the answer right. Standards are set low enough so everyone can meet them. This, of course, bears no resemblance to anything in real life -- as you will soon find out.
Guys Only Have One Thing on Their Minds…
A father teased his little daughter by suggesting she liked a certain boy in her kindergarten class. The little girl was quite indignant. "No, daddy, I don't like him!" she stated. "He's only interested in one thing."
Shocked, the daddy cautiously asked what that one thing might be.
"Power Rangers, of course," said the toddler.
Close, But Still Wrong
George: Dad, you know those math problems you helped me with last night?
Father: Yes.
George: Well, every one of them was wrong.
Father: Good grief, what did the teacher say?
George: She didn't yell or anything. In fact, she said to tell you that your answers were closer than any other father's.
Little Johnny Strikes Again
Teacher: What family does the octopus belong to?
Little Johnny: No family I know!
==========================================================================
If you enjoy this Lesson Planning Newsletter, please feel free to forward it to other teachers! If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you may sign up for it -- and any of the other Education World newsletters -- at http://www.educationworld.com/maillist.shtml.
SIGN UP FOR OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS
Have you signed up to receive the...
Education World EDUCATION NEWS HEADLINES NEWSLETTER?
In this newsletter you will find brief summaries and links to about ten education news articles published in the previous week. Some articles highlight education issues of national and international importance; others share interesting local stories about schools and their students.
Would you like to see a sample of the Education News Headlines Newsletter? If so, simply click the link below:
http://www.educationworld.com/newsletters_images/ed_sample.shtml
If you would like to subscribe to the Education News Headlines Newsletter, please click this link:
http://www.educationworld.com/maillist.shtml#headlines
If the Education News Headlines Newsletter is not of interest to you, do you know somebody else who might benefit from it? Perhaps you could pass this information along to that person.
==========================================================================
Education World®
http://www.educationworld.com/
newsletter-lessons@educationworld.com
Education World
1062 Barnes Road Suite 205
Wallingford, CT 06492
==========================================================================
| 
)