Work History Collage

Purpose:
The work collage may serve several purposes at once. It can be an icebreaker at the beginning of the school year. It can provide the teacher an understanding of the students’ funds of knowledge through learning about the various occupations their families engage in. It can help students to get to know each other and to respect diversity. Finally, the work collage may serve as an informal introduction to the course content and make it personally relevant for the students.

Procedure:
Teacher provides a large number of a variety of magazines and newspapers with photographs and illustrations, enough glue sticks, markers and scissors for the students to share, and a piece of colored construction paper for each student. The teacher asks the students to put their names on the construction paper and to make a collage about occupations/jobs in their immediate or extended family from the magazines provided. This should be information that they are willing to share.
Each student will then post/tape their collage on the classroom walls or board. Everyone will have an opportunity to walk around and look at the collages.
Teacher will then break the classroom into small groups. The task of each group is to discuss what they understand the course content to be (e.g. science, mathematics, language arts) and come up with three examples of an occupation observed in the collages to show how what course covers may apply to real life. In the discussion, the students must refer to the authors of the collages and to each other by name.

Educational Family History - Team Pendants Activity

Educational Family History: Team Pendant/Writing Activity

I thought the idea of having an activity that involved sports and art might be a good way to get the students attention. Many students are going to have a favorite college team, whether it is because they have family members who attended that college, or because there is an athlete they admire on that team. I thought this would be a good way to begin to address educational family history. However, the pendants alone will most likely not provide all the information we would like to know as teachers and so I added a written portion. The written response is more direct and detailed; I believe it will help us get a good idea of the educational history of our students. Due to the nature of the questions I thought it was a good idea to tell them they do not need to put their names on the written response.

Directions for the activity
(These are the directions I would give to the students)

Team Pendants:
Do you have a favorite college sports team? Why are they your favorite…do you have family members who attended this college or university? Is this a college that you would like to attend? Do you really like a particular athlete on this team? Using these questions as a guide, create a team pendant that represents your interest in different universities/colleges. You can put as many schools on your pendant as you like; create the pendant any way you like (draw, use magazine pictures, words, etc.) – be creative! J We will hang the pendants up around the room after they are finished.

Written Response:
After you have completed your team pendant, please write a response explaining why you chose these particular schools. I would also like you to think about some other questions regarding education, and answer any of the following questions you feel comfortable writing about. You do not have to put your name on the written response, this is just a way for me to get to know the class, and the different knowledge and experiences you each bring to our classroom.
Following are some questions to think about while you are writing your response. You do not have to answer all of the questions they are just a guide to get you thinking. Remember, there is not a right or wrong answer!

*What careers interest you?
*Do you think you need to attend college to pursue these careers?
*What about these careers interest you?
*Are you interested in attending a trade school?
*Do you have family members that have attended a college or trade school?
*What type of careers do your family members have or have had in the past?
*Are these careers you would be interested in? Why or why not?
*Do you talk about your education with your family?
(example: what you are currently doing in school, any educational plans for the future)
*Do you currently enjoy school? Have you enjoyed school in the past?
*Does your family encourage your educational goals?
*If there were not any limits, and you could do anything you have dreamed about – what would you do for your first year after high school graduation?

Work History Collage

Reading Level & Learning Style

Learning style inventory 

http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm

This chart helps you determine your learning style; read the word in the left column and then answer the questions in the successive three columns to see how you respond to each situation. Your answers may fall into all three columns, but one column will likely contain the most answers. The dominant column indicates your primary learning style.

(SORRY, THE IMAGE IS NOT UPLOADING I WILL HAVE A HANDOUT FOR YOU IN CLASS)

Try this website:  http://www.cambridge.org/elt/readers/placement_test/RPT_last.swf

 It is a great way to see what level your students are at in their reading. I would use this as a pre-assessment at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the semester/year to see how they have progressed.

This next sample is taken from our Reading book.

Sample Comprehension Inventory

General Directions: Read pages 595-600 in your textbook. Then look up at the board and not the time it took you to complete the selection. Record this time in the space provided on the response sheet. Close your book and answer the first question. You may then open your textbook to answer the remaining questions.

Student Response Form

 

Reading time:____________ min. _______________sec.

I.               Directions: Close your book and answer the following question: In your own words, what was this section about? Use as much space as you need on the back of this page to complete your answer.

II.              Directions: Open your book and answer the following questions.

1-4 True or False statements to align to the text these questions are found directly in the text. These questions relate on the knowledge level of Bloom’s taxonomy.

III.            Directions. The author does not directly state answers to these questions. You must “read between the lines” to answer them.

5-7 Short answer questions that ask for students to infer truth and statements that align with the text. These questions are found on the comprehension, application and application level of Bloom’s taxonomy.

IV.            Directions: the author does not directly state answers to these questions.

8-10 Short answer questions that ask the students to predict defend and support. These questions are on the synthesis and evaluation levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.

This is a great way to evaluate what your students are getting out of the reading and at what level they are reading at. These questions span the whole spectrum of Bloom’s taxonomy.

Interests and Experiences

Roll Call

I thought a good way to get to know students’ interests and experiences for Funds of Knowledge would be to have a “roll call” list. I compiled a list of questions teachers can ask while taking roll. The answers will be short, and you can elaborate on each question as much as you would like. Each teacher could have a list of these quick “getting-to-know-you” questions to ask intermittently throughout the year. My suggestion would be to always give an answer first so the kids feel more at ease and willing to share. I’m sure there are several more questions I haven’t thought of, so feel free to add them!

1. What is your favorite place you have visited?
2. What is your favorite book?
3. What is your favorite season?
4. What is your favorite TV show?
5. Where were you born?
6. How many places have you lived?
7. What did you do over the weekend?
8. What will you do this weekend?
9. What did you do over the summer?
10. What will you do this summer?
11. Who do you consider a role model?
12. What do you want to be when you grow up?
13. Have you ever had a job?
14. What is your favorite winter activity?
15. What is your favorite musician?
16. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
17. What is one thing you would like to share with the class?
18. What decade would you want to live in?
19. What is your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?
20. Do you have any pets?
21. How many siblings do you have?
22. What is your favorite school subject?
23. What is your favorite out-of-school activity?
24. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?
25. Who is your favorite movie star?
26. What is your favorite movie?
27. What is something you feel like you are really talented in?
28. What have you “mastered”?
29. What hobby would you like to pick up?
30. Who do you think would play you in a movie?
31. What would be your theme song?
32. What is your favorite dessert?
33. What would you be for Halloween?
34. What is your favorite holiday?
35. What is your favorite sport?
36. What is something had so much fun with that you would want to do again?

family work history

We’ve discussed in class how it wouldn’t be a good idea to spend the first two weeks of school focusing solely on discovering our student’s funds of knowledge, or simply stop learning about our students after the first of the year. So I decided to plan my family work history activity to coincide with a history unit on the Industrial Revolution. This lesson would take place a little later in the year. (November/December)

Part of this unit involves students participating in a Read/Think-Pair-Share in which the Industrial Revolution of the 1800’s is compared and contrasted with the more recent technological revolution. Students would be assigned to learn about either the Industrial or Technological Revolution by answering the following questions. (This activity would be incorporated over the course of a few days, allowing students to go home and ask their parents about some of the questions)
Industrial Revolution

1. What new jobs became available during the Industrial Revolution?

2. Do any of these jobs still exist today? If yes, describe the jobs. If no, describe why they no longer exist.


3. Do you have a relative who participated in any of these jobs?

4. Would you like to work at any of these jobs? Why or Why not?

Technological Revolution

1. What new jobs became available during the Technological Revolution?

2. Do you have a family member that participates in any of these jobs?

3. Would you like to work at any of these jobs?

4. Do you think these jobs will still exist in 20 years?

As a pair-
1. Come up with two similarities and two differences between the Industrial and Technological Revolutions.
2. Share the results of the questionnaire.

For homework (individually)

1. Describe your dream job. It can be a job that already exists, or something you make up. In your description, make sure to answer the following questions-
a. What kind of environment will you be working in? (An office, outside, a lab, etc.)
b. What kind of skills or education will you need?
c. Is there someone in your family who has these skills or education back -ground? If so, who, and describe what skills they have? If not, where will you learn these skills?

Share the dream jobs in a whole class discussion.

and there you go.

Family History Lesson Plan.

So I didn't draw general family history, but I did find this lesson plan online. The lesson plan involves having each student design a website detailing their family history. It could be a cool idea if anyone ends up teaching a technology/graphic design class.

Family Educational Background

I had a really hard time coming up with something that wasn't too intrusive, and my activity definitely works best for math and science classes. Any ideas for improvement will be appreciated.

Family Work History

The focus I came up with for my Family Work History questions is more about where the student wants to go when they "grow up."  While the intent is to gather information about their family, the goal is to allow students to reflect on what they've learned from watching their parents work, and how they can utilize that knowledge in their future careers.  

The questions are:

1. What job do you want to have when you graduate high school/college?

2. What did your parents do when they left school?  (What kind of jobs did they find?)

3. What kind of career do they have now?

4. Would you like to follow in their footsteps?

5. What have you learned from watching your parents work?

6.  What did your parents learn from watching their parents work?

I would make this a writing assignment, and send them home with the above questions so they would be able to discuss with their parents the decisions they made.  While this survey doesn't dig quite as far as some others may, I still believe this would benefit a teacher in understanding more about a students immediate families funds of knowledge.  Of course, if a student would like to go further and gather additional information, that would be ideal. 

Multiple Intelligence: Key

I apologize, here is the key for the multiple intelligence test. I must have deleted it. Sorry! Nevertheless, this is page 1 of 4 to properly use this test. Cheers!

Work History Collage

Multiple Intelligence

Everybody thinks that their kid is brilliant, well we hope that all do! But, in what ways are these children bright? Howard Gardner suggests that everyone poses the ability to learn, process, and complete tasks through different kinds of "intelligences". There are currently nine intelligences that we all poses and utilize. The tool below is to gauge learning pathways through these intelligences and ideas how to apply them in the classroom.

Sorry this is a little jumbled, (had to scan the docs in) but essentially use the key that explain the intelligences, then follow along with the questionnaire, and finally score the questionnaire to confirm the intelligence strengths. I have also scanned in a short "best learning styles" to think about when applying this to curriculum (torques). Be creative, there are more than just examples to apply, try different activities in the class room and you will see what your students strengths are!

Strengths and weaknesses

I found this topic to be somewhat subjective and I had a hard time creating a tool. This is a brief questionnaire I created to get to know the students and get an idea what they care about and how they apply themselves to daily life.

Directions:
To gain a better understanding of who you are here are a few quick and easy questions for you to express who you are and what you are into. This in no way effects your grade, just answer as honestly and clearly as you can.
Place a check in the appropriate box after each statement and fill in the questions at the end of the statement as they apply to you.






This seems like a good tool to get to know their culture, what they feel they are strong doing, and then incorporate aspects of that into the class. Also if there are things they feel less comfortable being involved in or doing then utilize that in lesson planning to challenge them.

I also found a personality test that calculates personality types formulated according to Carl Jung and Isabel Myers-Briggs typology. This could be useful to observe where the students view their strengths & weaknesses. It a free test, though a bit long, so if your going to use this give them some time to get through it.

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

General Family History

Blazon Your History
Design your own personal coat of arms depicting you and your family’s history and interests.
http://www.dresselgenealogy.us/images/empty-coat-of-arms.jpg

Using the template below, illustrate with your own pictures and words (If needed) the four areas of interest listed below.

You must include each of these four areas of interest:
1. Culture-What are your family’s customs, traditions, languages, or holidays?
2. Leisure Activities- What do you and your family do for fun, exercise, or family time?
3. Education – What is your schooling or your family’s schooling or degrees they’ve earned?
4. Work – Where do you and your family or relatives work?

Write your name, motto, or a symbolic word for your family on the ribbon at the bottom.


Blazon Your History (2nd page)

Blazon- to create or describe a coat of arms

Coats of Arms date to the early Middle Ages. In the early twelfth century, helmets and other armor began making it difficult to tell armed warriors apart. The solution was for each knight or soldier to paint something personal on their shield. These designs were important in battle, but they also functioned like team uniforms when knights met in tournaments. Over time, shield emblem designs became enduring symbols of their owners, and of their owners' families.

Different colors represented different ideas on a coat of arms
Yellow or Gold - Generosity
White or Silver - Peace & Sincerity
Black - Constancy (& sometimes Grief)
Blue - Loyalty & Truthfulness
Red - Military Fortitude & Magnanimity
Green - Hope, Joy & sometimes Loyalty
Purple - Royal Majesty, Sovereignty & Justice

Different animals represented different ideas on a coat of arms
Bear - Protectiveness
Bee - Industriousness
Camel - Perseverance
Dog - Loyalty
Double Eagle & Eagle - Leadership & Decisiveness
Dragon - Defender of Treasure
Falcon or Hawk - Eagerness
Fox - Cleverness
Griffin (part eagle, part lion) - Bravery
Horse - Readiness to Serve
Lion - Courage
Pelican - Generosity & Devotion
Raven - Constancy
Snake - Ambition
Stag, Elk or Deer - Peace & Harmony
Tiger - Fierceness & Valor
Unicorn - Extreme courage
Wolf - Constant Vigilance

Neighborhood Environment and Influences

Alright class, I had a heck of time getting this on here in the right format. This blog doesn't want to accept my pictures, so sorry--and it also doesn't have the text boxes that I had put on there for the drawings, but at least the questions are there, so you get the gist!

--Rachel

Name ______________________

Neighborhood Environment and Influences

1. Where do you live?

 

 

2. What do you live in? Circle one:

              House                                          Apartment             

           

              Condo                                          Other:

        

 

3. Do you know your neighbors?  Yes        No

4.  Are you friends with your neighbors?    Yes     No

5.  What are the people in your neighborhood like? Friendly, Unfriendly, do they share things with you, do you have neighborhood or community gatherings?

 

6.  Do most of your neighbors speak the same language as you?

7.  If not, what languages do they speak?

 

8.  Is there a lot of diversity in your neighborhood, or are most of the people Caucasian, black, Hispanic?

 

9.  Draw a picture of your neighborhood.  Include the following, if they belong in your neighborhood:

park

grocery store

other houses, condos, apartments

golf course

shopping center, etc.

school

restaurants

busy streets

6. How do you get to and from school? (Circle one              Walk                               Drive                     Bicycle                         Bus                            Other: 7. If you walk, draw a picture of your pathway. For example, show the areas you walk through (park, busy street, buildings, neighborhoods). Do you walk by yourself? 8. Do you hang out outside in your neighborhood? 9. If not, why?

 

 

General Family History

Greetings fellow classmates!

My topic is General Family History and what better way to learn history then through a family tree. Ask students to fill out the chart with their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents names. Further, have them write a few facts about each person (you can do this on the same sheet or another one.) The facts can include jobs, hobbies, skills, travels, or any other interesting and random fact. This project will most likely need to be done at home with a parent/gaurdian. It will not only give you information about the family, but it will get parents/guardians involved in their child’s education. Print the chart out on a large (at least 11 in. by 14 in.) paper and let students be as creative as possible.

Good luck!

Click on the links for possible charts.
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3

*If you do not like any of these charts simply search ‘free family tree charts’ and a bunch of links will connect you to the right place.

General Family History and Funds of Knowledge

Each person brings a different perspective to the classroom. Cultural background, family size, family make-up, and family leisure activities are all important factors that provide each person with a unique perspective. As teachers, we need to build strong relationships with our students that allow us to understand something about each student’s perspective. Here are a couple of activities/questionnaires to help gain a little insight into those perspectives. As with most things of this nature, the magic is in the discussion...



Getting to know students and their families

This activity targets information tied to a basic background of students’ family lives, and offers a glimpse of some of the activities students participate in with their families. Information derived from this activity is easily incorporated into curriculum design in most classes, which enriches learning for the entire class. Distribute the questionnaire to students, and give them a few minutes to answer the questions. Let them know that they will be sharing in groups, and that they should not write anything they do not want the class knowing about.
After the class has had a chance to answer most of the questions, divide them into groups of four or five, and share their answers. Circulate around the room to check in with each group. When each person has had time to share with the group, collect the papers and have the groups share any surprising facts learned from the activity.


Name____________________

1) Where were you born (what city?)

2) Where were your parents born (what city?)

3) What are the names and ages of your family members?

4) Who is the oldest family member you know well?
Where does that person live?

5) Have you ever been outside of Utah?
The United States of America?
Where?
When?
Why?

6) What kind of things do you do with your family?
(leisure activities/recreation – Do you attend sporting events, concerts, parties...
Do you garden, spend time outdoors, camp, travel, etc…)

What’s In a Name?

This activity is represented in various incarnations across the web. The idea of this exercise is to find out about the origin of students’ names. While most of us think of our name as little more than the group of sounds we answer to, many names have deep personal and cultural meaning. The more culturally diverse a group is, the more interesting this activity will be. I borrowed some of the questions from Tressa Decker in Elkhart, IN. Her version can be found at –
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3747244

Procedure –
Place the following questions on a piece of paper. Give each student a questionnaire and instruct them to have their parents or guardians help them answer the questions. Let students know that even if they do not know the origin of their names, a quick search on google can turn up some interesting information. During the next class period, break into groups or share as a class if time will permit, and discuss the origins of the names within the classroom.

-----
1) What is your full name?

2) What does your name mean?

3) Are you named after someone? Who?

4) What is the origin of your name? (for example, my name “Jeremy” is of Hebrew origin, and “Ivan” is of Russian origin)

5) What is your nickname? How did you get your nickname?

6) If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

Cheers,

Jeremy