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.
Monday, October 27, 2008
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)
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?
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.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
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?
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.
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.
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