tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55995489275760706642024-03-19T01:47:47.512-07:00One Teacher's AdventuresDiane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-61675725111563491932023-03-31T16:06:00.003-07:002023-03-31T16:06:30.183-07:00Dividing Fractions Using Fraction Strip Diagrams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUz0r62CNdnFM2oNZvVDZ0g3NCS5fVPPY1zHWbcPCjzzcg94w9_LChl8X_BBlZjlxbRit3o3Dwi4SW-4AbSyM3YwZFwsoY8BXg4uYVAnGYG0_dUWBi48WIBCADus6YU4wWawBpWt9lRklX-_D9yELb3wb3RxBy0l9_3945P15MelqLpjK6M3OF0IfY/s1105/fraction%20strips%20cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1105" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUz0r62CNdnFM2oNZvVDZ0g3NCS5fVPPY1zHWbcPCjzzcg94w9_LChl8X_BBlZjlxbRit3o3Dwi4SW-4AbSyM3YwZFwsoY8BXg4uYVAnGYG0_dUWBi48WIBCADus6YU4wWawBpWt9lRklX-_D9yELb3wb3RxBy0l9_3945P15MelqLpjK6M3OF0IfY/w400-h356/fraction%20strips%20cover.png" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dividing fractions can be a difficult concept for students
to understand, but using models such as diagrams or number lines can help to
visualize the process and make it more concrete.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is an explanation of how to divide fractions using
fraction strips:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Use fraction strips to solve 1/2 ÷ 3/4.<br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">1.<span> </span>Think through the problem as "How many groups of 3/4 are needed to cover the area of 1/2?"<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">2.<span> </span> Draw fraction strips to represent each fraction. Make sure they are both the same size.</span></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4syI5qtXzMfR_cQoXR-fmzbkAl3KNWrbKbXNxg1LdQVr23dsvu1VVUv3V6jGdmbKSWwgwUU9MSAA0kowJvQTtE5UICSo8phJnUwF2lTpo-25fkFOnZHmPLHlVXQoapS73UwmRGPzUedBuIOwJS-TaDJxRP-OnSaOz1eO5VxEA3IKZvFpxAUtiEhcq/s789/dividing%20-%20fraction%20strip%20example%201.2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="789" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4syI5qtXzMfR_cQoXR-fmzbkAl3KNWrbKbXNxg1LdQVr23dsvu1VVUv3V6jGdmbKSWwgwUU9MSAA0kowJvQTtE5UICSo8phJnUwF2lTpo-25fkFOnZHmPLHlVXQoapS73UwmRGPzUedBuIOwJS-TaDJxRP-OnSaOz1eO5VxEA3IKZvFpxAUtiEhcq/w400-h241/dividing%20-%20fraction%20strip%20example%201.2.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. Using the diagram, we can see that we would need two out of three of the green boxes to cover the blue area, so we would need 2/3 of a group of 3/4.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVd-aZtEV3v5awidC-QwnSWBN6ceI2o9JiW1UAyvLavwwIbhTDQwEj2tkTPuvrlAeVXG34LPhyYrJsHlT-6Qt1Q4-K1pXxPC77dYDMsmVCf4TeP-5NJO3CqqqNfHAMOXi53LEoqrwzrZM4i0zjRnm11n2sCzyMBdufdQUiGBUkvxaAofFgyItdGU3/s790/dividing%20-%20fraction%20strip%20example%201.3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="790" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVd-aZtEV3v5awidC-QwnSWBN6ceI2o9JiW1UAyvLavwwIbhTDQwEj2tkTPuvrlAeVXG34LPhyYrJsHlT-6Qt1Q4-K1pXxPC77dYDMsmVCf4TeP-5NJO3CqqqNfHAMOXi53LEoqrwzrZM4i0zjRnm11n2sCzyMBdufdQUiGBUkvxaAofFgyItdGU3/w400-h313/dividing%20-%20fraction%20strip%20example%201.3.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, we can solve the question. 1/2 ÷ 3/4 = 2/3.<br />Here is another example: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Use fraction strips to solve 2/3 ÷ 5/12.<br /></b>1.<span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Think through the problem as "How many groups of 5/12 are needed to cover the area of 2/3?"<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. <span> </span>Draw fraction strips to represent each fraction. Make sure they are both the same size.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsa1i1FguGM05RdioNO9EQw6ojGbyrwu9kvuikLxrb6gRHE1lsbItAay8qHysIr8nH-GGyQG8cgdVnmoiCchueuuaG5W8DPck-LRbMBXNahx6hYGH3pnMD3wIfgJP1ZSc_Ys57kkewaumYDGQjEOpx5tWQ9ELYBhtxgctQKo22Bp_ReqWAv1edTC-/s790/dividing%20-%20fraction%20strip%20example%202.2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="790" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsa1i1FguGM05RdioNO9EQw6ojGbyrwu9kvuikLxrb6gRHE1lsbItAay8qHysIr8nH-GGyQG8cgdVnmoiCchueuuaG5W8DPck-LRbMBXNahx6hYGH3pnMD3wIfgJP1ZSc_Ys57kkewaumYDGQjEOpx5tWQ9ELYBhtxgctQKo22Bp_ReqWAv1edTC-/w400-h235/dividing%20-%20fraction%20strip%20example%202.2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. </span>Using the diagram, we can see that we would need one whole group of 5/12, plus three more twelfths, or 3/5 of a group of 5/12 to cover the yellow area of 2/3. </span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoW4KEr-H0Euq9KZbdvmtRwS8P1gNsTmIBqoZxEZ4hTyM5myp2x0zSWVMfmIpnuRG0nqiFijfsvb_jImU2FfwyesSbf6RKhBjSD2636VmxXk7hYfWv2S-A-QZ2ZRDJnQz8ykm7xRPtXq26LwOWccxjKg8aDcIZ7eGdgSES05Kmrp43ZmMjkkbKJzp/s795/dividing%20-%20fraction%20strip%20example%202.3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="795" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoW4KEr-H0Euq9KZbdvmtRwS8P1gNsTmIBqoZxEZ4hTyM5myp2x0zSWVMfmIpnuRG0nqiFijfsvb_jImU2FfwyesSbf6RKhBjSD2636VmxXk7hYfWv2S-A-QZ2ZRDJnQz8ykm7xRPtXq26LwOWccxjKg8aDcIZ7eGdgSES05Kmrp43ZmMjkkbKJzp/w400-h294/dividing%20-%20fraction%20strip%20example%202.3.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />So, we can solve the question. 2/3 ÷ 5/12 = 1 3/5.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">What do you think? Do you use this visual strategy in your classroom? Will this strategy help your students? Let me know in the comments below.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQe97F4ACMXqBGobMmt_r3o0mTG5PV0VFd7jO15zj4KPiye2A9KUBfieFHhGfykm0SMDUssVr1PZ8uM-rFskOq-FRYtMsL3SlkRfOqOxeD4hTEzeE6WxNf1K6zcWjJlGlBtp9VxqCET8FtlyBq9INdYGL0u-lOCzq6kLsTBZEfqshS31jH77JnYUUa/s809/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQe97F4ACMXqBGobMmt_r3o0mTG5PV0VFd7jO15zj4KPiye2A9KUBfieFHhGfykm0SMDUssVr1PZ8uM-rFskOq-FRYtMsL3SlkRfOqOxeD4hTEzeE6WxNf1K6zcWjJlGlBtp9VxqCET8FtlyBq9INdYGL0u-lOCzq6kLsTBZEfqshS31jH77JnYUUa/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-51381866651402006772023-02-02T20:20:00.000-08:002023-02-02T20:20:00.871-08:00Vocabulary Scaling - A Vocab Activity for ANY SUBJECT!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPBhCfSZV2FdsvfT-Eq2Heqlc3BRcA_7Ds3-NBYDhbXzK2VrfD6ZyPL4v3JtQP7ZXe2R3y-VOq7NkQ4BA0qLprzopfF-pfeSkarmoNPomzIHmdjqdosH5nRRbPed0z5A2JXLmESAxzXetIi1GwJUpMmiej8jbVQSebmCHtbC4G0QPSPBmsuakZ8mc/s1050/vocab%20scaling.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPBhCfSZV2FdsvfT-Eq2Heqlc3BRcA_7Ds3-NBYDhbXzK2VrfD6ZyPL4v3JtQP7ZXe2R3y-VOq7NkQ4BA0qLprzopfF-pfeSkarmoNPomzIHmdjqdosH5nRRbPed0z5A2JXLmESAxzXetIi1GwJUpMmiej8jbVQSebmCHtbC4G0QPSPBmsuakZ8mc/w640-h640/vocab%20scaling.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Teaching vocabulary can be a boring task. Here's a fun, interactive activity that will get your students thinking, talking, and engaging with their vocabulary words, whether they are in English, science, math, social studies, or any subject!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vocabulary Scaling</b> is an activity in which the target vocabulary word is placed at the top of a whiteboard or piece of paper, with its opposite word on the bottom. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkzvlf0wUQNefA8BiJa_x8djdfyzFFzdWIfrIsno8tYD6tuYBTvYrNOHWAAORNckqiALqvm0_CuQ3roIIau3YAVyMKhHQCq6j3OhlMihwPPk7HADYsUS3Zn63LOH9AdHSLujOhsLNoeR5P2PVA1dmd70OZjvZT4RugAZYPpajy0byxW9NP7pBYc04/s4032/IMG-3616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkzvlf0wUQNefA8BiJa_x8djdfyzFFzdWIfrIsno8tYD6tuYBTvYrNOHWAAORNckqiALqvm0_CuQ3roIIau3YAVyMKhHQCq6j3OhlMihwPPk7HADYsUS3Zn63LOH9AdHSLujOhsLNoeR5P2PVA1dmd70OZjvZT4RugAZYPpajy0byxW9NP7pBYc04/w300-h400/IMG-3616.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Students then have to generate other words and scale them in between the target word and its opposite. Students need to justify why they put each new word at that particular place on the scale, and they can move a word someone else placed if they can justify it.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TcWhIydqYtVO6iICGDwQAYcgPvReUcJllH-t09i0rMPZWI8gCLvxhIl-pOWmd0pm1poj39z7ngGUy2fIe9Y8eRWgSe81ggNXlmXcMs_oFMy9wn3zNAPitGVeMytjWiOrzxxYuIohrZhEAx7azSUHVedLi7rJfEPUPVrX41THUsMDxobZzFgQRB2c/s4032/IMG-3617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TcWhIydqYtVO6iICGDwQAYcgPvReUcJllH-t09i0rMPZWI8gCLvxhIl-pOWmd0pm1poj39z7ngGUy2fIe9Y8eRWgSe81ggNXlmXcMs_oFMy9wn3zNAPitGVeMytjWiOrzxxYuIohrZhEAx7azSUHVedLi7rJfEPUPVrX41THUsMDxobZzFgQRB2c/w300-h400/IMG-3617.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p><br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">This is a great activity that can bring literacy into your science, math, or social studies classrooms, as it helps to develop listening, speaking, thinking, and comprehension skills. </span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />So, what do you think? Do you already use this in your classroom? Is this something you'd like to bring into your class? Let me know in the comments below.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcd9ATlP22vegtflduaEaOEtq-hGWVD4ptM2GlEx6veUoxrKJ67BKF0cfO2kBAPsOtAhg1vk4keHBQMzDHHr6EG4tFin1DQ_NV20dMpIlH2QLqTnfa5I2dBtIFeksmTrkgfEUuM1ktaB0nTwJMyE3Vu5-Hv5LNLKB20slTRQbi9t7RGJGHMlLT7Vfe/s809/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcd9ATlP22vegtflduaEaOEtq-hGWVD4ptM2GlEx6veUoxrKJ67BKF0cfO2kBAPsOtAhg1vk4keHBQMzDHHr6EG4tFin1DQ_NV20dMpIlH2QLqTnfa5I2dBtIFeksmTrkgfEUuM1ktaB0nTwJMyE3Vu5-Hv5LNLKB20slTRQbi9t7RGJGHMlLT7Vfe/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-65663715417151318532023-01-14T16:30:00.002-08:002023-01-14T16:30:58.596-08:008 Tried and True Formative Assessment Strategies for Middle School<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ff23uYk_TGxswzNXTchOkG-uqPgyiU4O8DciOXu-9dDUYBbbNnYHcFXZGtkutTMm3UoeW0B5D-oZX8bu_wAqblzwL9eIPLM9mhgYLc9alg6d63oKqTPY83vwxQUcB8XPd1koqId9GvNM9ywQG6xzOsG9BPN4JoHLh9_eIeC0jsRL6BLMYuYQY0bO/s1114/cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1114" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ff23uYk_TGxswzNXTchOkG-uqPgyiU4O8DciOXu-9dDUYBbbNnYHcFXZGtkutTMm3UoeW0B5D-oZX8bu_wAqblzwL9eIPLM9mhgYLc9alg6d63oKqTPY83vwxQUcB8XPd1koqId9GvNM9ywQG6xzOsG9BPN4JoHLh9_eIeC0jsRL6BLMYuYQY0bO/w400-h386/cover.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>What is Assessment?</u></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Assessment is an integral part of a teacher's job. Assessment is a systematic measure of how students are learning in order to improve their learning. Effective assessment practices should direct the next steps of the teacher. Both formative and summative assessment practices should be used in every classroom. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>What is Formative Assessment?</u></b></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Kh63rlEzdr0svnKo1aTzenVU7AVYZg6uoxibwfy0iQTg_pW2nbdH36-SVMFKY2yALNu2wAVZ6XWJBE0NcmUN1mwG8ARsMNnp6FR4mqJ-cVklTvg6q1P9lppTekNw_8pKPs5KnOzj_URiY5GMjgqB2JB0bydOz-wE7D7lWTWNZ842gJ7K2GuSgxu2/s1102/chart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="1044" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Kh63rlEzdr0svnKo1aTzenVU7AVYZg6uoxibwfy0iQTg_pW2nbdH36-SVMFKY2yALNu2wAVZ6XWJBE0NcmUN1mwG8ARsMNnp6FR4mqJ-cVklTvg6q1P9lppTekNw_8pKPs5KnOzj_URiY5GMjgqB2JB0bydOz-wE7D7lWTWNZ842gJ7K2GuSgxu2/w379-h400/chart.png" width="379" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Formative assessment is a part of the learning process. It provides teachers with a snapshot of teaching and learning while it is still happening. Formative assessment allows for guided practice for students so that the teacher can check the understanding of their students. Formative assessment allows for the teacher to make adjustments as needed and guides future teaching.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>What are Some Formative Assessment Practices?</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">While this list is far from complete, here are some formative assessment practices that I use in my middle school classroom.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Exit/Entrance Slips</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Exit slips are a quick, written response to a question that a student gives to their teacher at the end of a lesson. It can help the teacher to gauge her students' understanding from that lesson to plan for the next one. Entrance slips are used in a similar way at the beginning of a lesson to check understanding of a previous lesson.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Open-Ended Questions</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Open-ended questions cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." They don't have one "right" answer. Open-ended questions can be used on exit/entrance slips or in the middle of a lesson to help check for understanding. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is a quick visual assessment that I often use in the middle of a lesson, after I have taught something new. If I am introducing a new topic, I might pause and ask my students to show me "thumbs up" if they fully understand and are ready to move on, "thumbs middle" if they are starting to understand but still have questions, or "thumbs down" if they don't have much understanding and want me to start again. It's helpful for me to quickly glance around the classroom to see who needs more support and whether I should move forward or slow down.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Stoplight</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I find this assessment strategy to be a good one to use when you want to gauge whether or not the class is ready to move on to a new topic. On chart paper, draw a traffic light (three vertical circles) and write a question from the topic you are learning. For example, "Can you find the mean, median, and mode for a set of data?" Students will go up to the chart with a green, yellow, or red marker and make a mark on the traffic light. Green means they are already doing it or are able to do it easily. Yellow means it is doable, but they might need support to do it consistently. Red means it is very difficult for them to do it. At the end of the lesson, the teacher can review the traffic light and use it to guide their planning.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. One Minute Summary</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This assessment practice is exactly what it sounds like. The teacher asks the students to take out a piece of paper and write for a minute about the lesson or topic they are studying. Remind your students that because they only have one minute to summarize the topic, they should start with the most important elements. This can help the teacher to see what are the big ideas that the students are picking up.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. Misconceptions</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I really love this method of assessment, as it encourages the students to think. For this assessment practice, the teacher asks the students to write down a misconception that some people might have about the topic they are studying, and what they could say to help clear up the misconception. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Think - Pair - Share</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is a classic teaching technique that also provides formative assessment for teachers. Students are given a question, then they have time to think on their own (possibly to write down ideas as well), then share their ideas with a partner, then finally share out to the class. This can help students to hear from each other and clear up misconceptions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Anonymous Pop Quiz</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">An anonymous pop quiz is a quiz in which students do not record their names. This can be helpful as a formative assessment practice as the teacher can review the data collected from all the students to what areas students are understanding, and where the blind spots are. Students will also like that they don't have to put their names on the quiz.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, what do you think? Do you use these practices in your classroom? Is there anything from this list that you would like to try? Let me know in the comments below.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMDtEqF4wNIge6d2MRT02_1O3G_KmsG4Djxq7kUzP6MlGHHJpD_bCDuouFYzuVu_6XvlcMbYj6SVEkXzmrS2VWXA3RgLk8jYpBQDexub5FJ8qkMEkm7aDmmYRA7gS54xE-Bv7qHF6f40nGpoT2jqs4_AgY4m6Q_36RsUwIzO7uiHXWsfRZISppgA4/s809/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMDtEqF4wNIge6d2MRT02_1O3G_KmsG4Djxq7kUzP6MlGHHJpD_bCDuouFYzuVu_6XvlcMbYj6SVEkXzmrS2VWXA3RgLk8jYpBQDexub5FJ8qkMEkm7aDmmYRA7gS54xE-Bv7qHF6f40nGpoT2jqs4_AgY4m6Q_36RsUwIzO7uiHXWsfRZISppgA4/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-32124073870590987252022-12-29T17:38:00.003-08:002022-12-29T17:41:45.306-08:00Using Autocrat to Automate Report Cards<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-xiz90TAQ6DQOCR4FNTO11aanqUUd1mujWkwb_YMG9BVhM5ENHwfbuX3IK6upJRIEmtJewqeB62SMD6UkomGVVMO833eOhyYaYpuUVe7i-abp-7RWbC-O6UsZxBYvB0mOypvs26cI54qh81Qg4QGcEiLrObIeB9YYocLDafu2Jmgq4hFmt9GbBru/s695/autocrat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="695" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-xiz90TAQ6DQOCR4FNTO11aanqUUd1mujWkwb_YMG9BVhM5ENHwfbuX3IK6upJRIEmtJewqeB62SMD6UkomGVVMO833eOhyYaYpuUVe7i-abp-7RWbC-O6UsZxBYvB0mOypvs26cI54qh81Qg4QGcEiLrObIeB9YYocLDafu2Jmgq4hFmt9GbBru/s320/autocrat.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Have you heard about Autocrat?</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Autocrat is an add-on for Google that allows you to merge information from a Google Sheet into a Google Doc using a template. I learned about this add-on a couple years ago, and now I use it to create report cards, rubrics, student self-assessments, and anything else I can use it for. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Autocrat makes creating report cards super fast and easy because it can be used to automate the creation of the reports. Click on the video below for a demonstration, or read the step-by-step instructions further below to see how it works.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwHf7-Wm-aoXfJaEx4vtbMbvG0V2yO54dnO7NFfyuzgN3XoL8quLz1m9Tuv02ELgHAV0JAWDf5vQQd6YPq0fw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p><p><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">1. Start With a Template</span></u></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Create a template for your report in Google Docs. You can create tags in your template that will be populated by autocrat if they are set up in double brackets, like this: <<tag>></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">See an example template below:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEKyjzTxZl5q8O_RbC5ngsnHGVdLj8oXMb-2gRHviJm5QrOynsqTNCzRo4ceUTxXMGviYA85RIkwcbNwAaYTpbSquNfvKLg_Jdgg1msnmB85WIy2r7zdZIMqzKthiK-9UEYvLwlLpoVnVXIviM3eNA_fTSR_ODo-Oc_CJ_UjFzFpgKBtw6nBHgRUH/s852/AutocratTemplate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="818" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEKyjzTxZl5q8O_RbC5ngsnHGVdLj8oXMb-2gRHviJm5QrOynsqTNCzRo4ceUTxXMGviYA85RIkwcbNwAaYTpbSquNfvKLg_Jdgg1msnmB85WIy2r7zdZIMqzKthiK-9UEYvLwlLpoVnVXIviM3eNA_fTSR_ODo-Oc_CJ_UjFzFpgKBtw6nBHgRUH/w614-h640/AutocratTemplate.png" width="614" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>2. Create a Google Form</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Google Form allows you to easily fill in the information you want auto-populated into your tags. This can include student name, strengths, stretches, or any other information. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you have a checklist on your form (and choose more than one option), the options will be listed in the order they appear on the form, separated by a comma.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here is an example of a form that could be used with the above template:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQP7t9A01gO9Nx6OqyILTYqJA86UXKpQYydgVwyXd7fHgM_-n8-PLtf2-H5GWKdM1PiWPBV4uvuCCEIHRaGrpj-A5oVzOjBbB_2LjFNcLBup7WmOAt7XqxX0tMzIHbnHf-43G5a3qV33anok0ISQZum7GvFwKDI1QmKq9hAUVr93DlslXWZKTGQkj/s1907/Template2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1907" data-original-width="850" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQP7t9A01gO9Nx6OqyILTYqJA86UXKpQYydgVwyXd7fHgM_-n8-PLtf2-H5GWKdM1PiWPBV4uvuCCEIHRaGrpj-A5oVzOjBbB_2LjFNcLBup7WmOAt7XqxX0tMzIHbnHf-43G5a3qV33anok0ISQZum7GvFwKDI1QmKq9hAUVr93DlslXWZKTGQkj/w286-h640/Template2.png" width="286" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoZxsxJouspF4UigFAjo8hjzEUfL-mPuO8AvH43v5xeRrYdr4Qf1C_LStzCleal16Wp6r-5f_x9kpOyuH2FtOnbFRo7qEwJNFIVjXgpL3n8OoXc1mjK9yckuYXca_vUwDWSxWH8z73_osuepTxmWvaU_SHm8dw22yfCWzkczaQpiN-ZKQjxYqCGcO/s2056/Template3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2056" data-original-width="847" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoZxsxJouspF4UigFAjo8hjzEUfL-mPuO8AvH43v5xeRrYdr4Qf1C_LStzCleal16Wp6r-5f_x9kpOyuH2FtOnbFRo7qEwJNFIVjXgpL3n8OoXc1mjK9yckuYXca_vUwDWSxWH8z73_osuepTxmWvaU_SHm8dw22yfCWzkczaQpiN-ZKQjxYqCGcO/w264-h640/Template3.png" width="264" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Fill in the Form</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Complete the form for each student. Then go to the "Responses" tab and create a spreadsheet.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehwe-MdvhS4SFMEJzMNjPWxOa4hkIcfYMxLuyJfCFhxcAqlONXHKwepfU3OiQYF86Vi4sv7__udy1PF3bKPxvlfhVY7caK_yIP1N9dFF-I_nREbOgOt_A7bZkqXOtpevylZN34jmRqqV9HTx0OP98F2w0Zl9R7y4T7iWU0i_7O1DbYc43eVqDuFgJ/s1788/autocrat2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="1788" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehwe-MdvhS4SFMEJzMNjPWxOa4hkIcfYMxLuyJfCFhxcAqlONXHKwepfU3OiQYF86Vi4sv7__udy1PF3bKPxvlfhVY7caK_yIP1N9dFF-I_nREbOgOt_A7bZkqXOtpevylZN34jmRqqV9HTx0OP98F2w0Zl9R7y4T7iWU0i_7O1DbYc43eVqDuFgJ/w640-h338/autocrat2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmw7S8XfvGEa4Ax5wxc0cBLGb1dEefklkAQdSpbrQaRJuQEIwd0NQq42jDZpLqnNCHmqyDv_CTBwtcXBqpZzfxti5ekFKVoJpjgNxmk59AWVA2IMAhsg5IfdkZOqYpHBy4DOXEqIkkBc2S78OuB2qGFC9a1brl7e-efUQJzgi2fKRUOmQ91SW64QBt/s1838/autocrat3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1838" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmw7S8XfvGEa4Ax5wxc0cBLGb1dEefklkAQdSpbrQaRJuQEIwd0NQq42jDZpLqnNCHmqyDv_CTBwtcXBqpZzfxti5ekFKVoJpjgNxmk59AWVA2IMAhsg5IfdkZOqYpHBy4DOXEqIkkBc2S78OuB2qGFC9a1brl7e-efUQJzgi2fKRUOmQ91SW64QBt/w640-h342/autocrat3.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Launch Autocrat and Set up the Program</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Make sure you have Autocrat downloaded to your Google browser. To get autocrat, click on extensions, then "Get Add-ons" and search for Autocrat.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once you have it installed, launch Autocrat.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVt0MMJqYj9j5gdvqkOxHyFKjlYoq7E2b9hksBOgkQkrsHI8aUe0cQGQU_GOGdMKP0-qLISl8qNkJWC9_CoY4Gsl5TOt2pMKWUvOLZnWnzZcsM73vjIOvZw0p39GJxq9nbygtQzVWynP6EiwsbtptWu7CCfHC_XVxuqsUntYoYsEEcULBLVcvWXVh/s1912/autocrat4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1912" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVt0MMJqYj9j5gdvqkOxHyFKjlYoq7E2b9hksBOgkQkrsHI8aUe0cQGQU_GOGdMKP0-qLISl8qNkJWC9_CoY4Gsl5TOt2pMKWUvOLZnWnzZcsM73vjIOvZw0p39GJxq9nbygtQzVWynP6EiwsbtptWu7CCfHC_XVxuqsUntYoYsEEcULBLVcvWXVh/w640-h206/autocrat4.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then go through the system prompts to find your template, name your job, and map the tags. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz89WVKrhV6ZEQllJb7d5pTfmyZ9ArdCfYqa8SfAtUxOixBvuv-kKnHGHuGyiBMfiHygDiv0qCqCMKPV6twovWXuTw1U4-RCfun2fkWF_xuStltXshbHVjLP7TS2c0P7oElZQQDgtkDM0q4Ecp7av_2lLfPsmt4Dl6OwlmXnuhxTeP8Qu9UO_QBkT/s1856/autocrat5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="1856" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz89WVKrhV6ZEQllJb7d5pTfmyZ9ArdCfYqa8SfAtUxOixBvuv-kKnHGHuGyiBMfiHygDiv0qCqCMKPV6twovWXuTw1U4-RCfun2fkWF_xuStltXshbHVjLP7TS2c0P7oElZQQDgtkDM0q4Ecp7av_2lLfPsmt4Dl6OwlmXnuhxTeP8Qu9UO_QBkT/w640-h312/autocrat5.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDV7QHD71AVwuQoYetx1TMhSP7XXJXbu8zGZeFUkfphOmi3Dd4WmO8aG4AbFvMfr6S4Q0OrQiy_Z2Pw-XyOXNQM-kAEg-EwZMNVKEJdlqjCxt8V0xVZ0720izHcVteslfD2lxK0AHA11XQs_ovb5DbyL04g8isZZEz5szm9H9yLcrzk5xTe_bM5cfT/s1866/autocrat6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="907" data-original-width="1866" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDV7QHD71AVwuQoYetx1TMhSP7XXJXbu8zGZeFUkfphOmi3Dd4WmO8aG4AbFvMfr6S4Q0OrQiy_Z2Pw-XyOXNQM-kAEg-EwZMNVKEJdlqjCxt8V0xVZ0720izHcVteslfD2lxK0AHA11XQs_ovb5DbyL04g8isZZEz5szm9H9yLcrzk5xTe_bM5cfT/w640-h312/autocrat6.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5LAMKspxdn7ft8MrO3eBuigac_FSa4c4RaTJBtBVHeabii-XPxkyON-MfhpOBdFrJgkQdBFXagyAOzqzY6Uem_vrFpDJVdeheQcb215jxM6zjezv1-Oz0RBiST4XhmfxoIJ8cJScLEvSFM0LTp0RzvCg2hFCRLBJaZO7ZSQ2LbZBnKNaWCU7I4ja/s1840/autocrat7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5LAMKspxdn7ft8MrO3eBuigac_FSa4c4RaTJBtBVHeabii-XPxkyON-MfhpOBdFrJgkQdBFXagyAOzqzY6Uem_vrFpDJVdeheQcb215jxM6zjezv1-Oz0RBiST4XhmfxoIJ8cJScLEvSFM0LTp0RzvCg2hFCRLBJaZO7ZSQ2LbZBnKNaWCU7I4ja/w640-h320/autocrat7.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyMs1pVOEEm8iiqg0WT1fviWQLPUCoai2CYcgocLHsLccUvQVqRPfVTrf_V75LoQhBt5TWNwN1NIbXeXVAGN4uNpbky08hKk3MfSmWwF3BRkdFBfGAnmeXbMPs9MCVr5x2zL5mmlZahtFuJosjOFMe84q70O2bqUyMuN2_uHfP80ymsjtTz20vnAe/s1824/autocrat8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1824" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyMs1pVOEEm8iiqg0WT1fviWQLPUCoai2CYcgocLHsLccUvQVqRPfVTrf_V75LoQhBt5TWNwN1NIbXeXVAGN4uNpbky08hKk3MfSmWwF3BRkdFBfGAnmeXbMPs9MCVr5x2zL5mmlZahtFuJosjOFMe84q70O2bqUyMuN2_uHfP80ymsjtTz20vnAe/w640-h324/autocrat8.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Then, run the merge.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBWQYKP89VMyEc2h_geQNPLx2ls56MGR7g0UPFopQI4yhALbllr2nxu6Pc_bPDrsTrNLL1a9XQC_JrpR1zaJ4K6zdnfAScPWYN2YgPOxqQI8ZNf54xUWwq7mwA5Pfax9xwArWcWCp2qcZzWFQPNx93Pl0vkxHrdT_bkZWo5BAwV0KvXOv-Uk1SWgh/s1886/autocrat9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1886" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBWQYKP89VMyEc2h_geQNPLx2ls56MGR7g0UPFopQI4yhALbllr2nxu6Pc_bPDrsTrNLL1a9XQC_JrpR1zaJ4K6zdnfAScPWYN2YgPOxqQI8ZNf54xUWwq7mwA5Pfax9xwArWcWCp2qcZzWFQPNx93Pl0vkxHrdT_bkZWo5BAwV0KvXOv-Uk1SWgh/w640-h328/autocrat9.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Download the Reports</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When the merge is over, you can scroll to the end of your sheet to access the documents. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXhJStlQqpMg7ubBVWLDCSQvIFmIZavHyb3Q5CcLKbm0dlv0FJP8dmNrB9jvP0MbR9kKKEs_EdIum3-38jao3d-oxrd9_DSNv0qROeA8fVrgoJnSS0NGMMJoHoTwkCjp_oG--IIq9z2h5qGuRw5ytbhXxc_j_0MEM-fSaqTcejfLfJd3kBNPvjpUC/s1904/autocrat10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1904" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXhJStlQqpMg7ubBVWLDCSQvIFmIZavHyb3Q5CcLKbm0dlv0FJP8dmNrB9jvP0MbR9kKKEs_EdIum3-38jao3d-oxrd9_DSNv0qROeA8fVrgoJnSS0NGMMJoHoTwkCjp_oG--IIq9z2h5qGuRw5ytbhXxc_j_0MEM-fSaqTcejfLfJd3kBNPvjpUC/w640-h304/autocrat10.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Here is an example of a document after the merge is complete:</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUFzZuFrmxCV7Q_tm67Vk7EyT2HrFttI4o7OCuUqyR5QQMSlTrdW2MBr-GAC5xo4TxnPUaAGNHWo_AbGtFcC-RzquB8EHSqCN7FaldwjOcwsRYZQUfUk088pvqcKOWx6-MiHjvK4_kS_4a59yU4I4ssq7HmyJ0SqTWoyVrX4DfIdOruIsvBS6asqw/s852/AutocratTemplate2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="818" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUFzZuFrmxCV7Q_tm67Vk7EyT2HrFttI4o7OCuUqyR5QQMSlTrdW2MBr-GAC5xo4TxnPUaAGNHWo_AbGtFcC-RzquB8EHSqCN7FaldwjOcwsRYZQUfUk088pvqcKOWx6-MiHjvK4_kS_4a59yU4I4ssq7HmyJ0SqTWoyVrX4DfIdOruIsvBS6asqw/w614-h640/AutocratTemplate2.png" width="614" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Report cards are just the tip of the iceberg for what Autocrat can help you with as a teacher. You could also use it for student self-assessments, to automate rubrics, etc.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, have you used Autocrat in your classroom? What have you used it for? What are you inspired to use it for? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63uQjGbFCqNe219NSetYOc08aRxDYj2RVxzF_MFkL1z4oawRyydGXoYM8s-s6CwiwqzGzvNg5RBhk_k_kEunxcoFOcK4bB1ebv5gHPbY4DiHuu0DiV7w1dseoYGaVsTPEcuJI2ujLUjp2TTktzQ7Sdb2TmZ_fEwMJ02jE78wzdpgGV8isbYsVOpHx/s809/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63uQjGbFCqNe219NSetYOc08aRxDYj2RVxzF_MFkL1z4oawRyydGXoYM8s-s6CwiwqzGzvNg5RBhk_k_kEunxcoFOcK4bB1ebv5gHPbY4DiHuu0DiV7w1dseoYGaVsTPEcuJI2ujLUjp2TTktzQ7Sdb2TmZ_fEwMJ02jE78wzdpgGV8isbYsVOpHx/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-60869862517570623312022-08-13T15:21:00.001-07:002022-08-13T15:21:11.737-07:00Question du Jour - A Quick Speaking/Listening Activity for Core French Classes<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUl7ts4o4aB0a3Jb8cKsrvbKltWRm116bN2Or_EXAoDxPuy4--CM2f_Ur_vIr2WU1ya5qeSBHDqmzaQ9Yk-ZHpFAiGYbpMB6AaoxrsZtt9llOyA1BdvwEKigZf28XXm8VYdnwQOTZgP43lNJmhwK4mailY6LjvvJbs1AhiEvvwnvMFbryHbWgPGtCT/s926/Question%20du%20Jour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="926" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUl7ts4o4aB0a3Jb8cKsrvbKltWRm116bN2Or_EXAoDxPuy4--CM2f_Ur_vIr2WU1ya5qeSBHDqmzaQ9Yk-ZHpFAiGYbpMB6AaoxrsZtt9llOyA1BdvwEKigZf28XXm8VYdnwQOTZgP43lNJmhwK4mailY6LjvvJbs1AhiEvvwnvMFbryHbWgPGtCT/w400-h364/Question%20du%20Jour.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;">Teachers are always asking me how to include more speaking and listening activities into their Core French classrooms. For Core French teachers who may not be fluent in French themselves, it is often daunting to speak French with their students. Here is one activity that I like to do to start off my French class everyday: </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Question du Jour (Question of the Day).</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Why try it? <br /></span></b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is my assurance that every student is speaking French at least once in the block. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How do I implement it?</span></b></span></span><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I create a question, usually something that fits in to the theme or unit we are studying. I usually have the question written on the board as they come into class. A question during a family unit could be “As-tu des cousins ou des cousins?” A question during a sports unit could be “Aimes-tu jouer au football?”</span></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We discuss the question and I ask the student what they think it means. I also use this time to point out grammatical elements/pronunciation of the words so they can make the connection to how the French is written and what it sounds like. Then we brainstorm possible answers. I like to write down the possible outcomes so that the students have a visual to refer to.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Once the class understands the question, everyone stands up. I ask the question to a student, who answers it and asks it to another student. Once a student has answered the question and asked someone else, they sit down.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The question is passed through the classroom in the same way. The last student standing asks me the question to complete the loop.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>How long does it take?</b></div>This activity takes about 10-15 minutes, depending on how long the brainstorming piece takes. Later in the year, my class usually has it down to 8-10 minutes from beginning to end.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br />If you'd like to read more about how I structure my Core French classes, click <a href="https://oneteachersadventures.blogspot.com/2021/08/how-i-structure-my-middle-school-core.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br />This game is a great warm up to use with any French lesson. Pair it with any of <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/One-Teachers-Adventures/Category/FRENCH-All-160349" target="_blank">these resources</a> to have a well-rounded French lesson!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br />So, what do you think? Do you do something similar? Would this warmup work for you and your students? Let me know in the comments below!</span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sVAKyfgxqsc_zWZ9REUAskmgNdtWiHq6lkZdRjJYQkP06EVCf4MOY30dsPmUFNDvuHTirk2LFtRtSZtMEZpn6N0KJV3QNpkl2P7sJvzUM8dTvbOoCTf3A69p4eCT1rizWxBy-RJjr3IrAVzLQkc0EM404Tq0tegWVhgSIVaenIW18MW0hkBrpwpm/s809/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sVAKyfgxqsc_zWZ9REUAskmgNdtWiHq6lkZdRjJYQkP06EVCf4MOY30dsPmUFNDvuHTirk2LFtRtSZtMEZpn6N0KJV3QNpkl2P7sJvzUM8dTvbOoCTf3A69p4eCT1rizWxBy-RJjr3IrAVzLQkc0EM404Tq0tegWVhgSIVaenIW18MW0hkBrpwpm/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-82755392625550584622022-08-02T21:55:00.004-07:002022-08-10T19:10:16.437-07:00One Word Poster and Paragraph - Back to School Activity for Middle School Students<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/One-Word-Poster-and-Paragraph-Back-to-School-Activity-8378077" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="807" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2r_958lN9O0AZleOllTWuru4tc1lUSg7d5K4OAnmIIIIKln1ABn33AYP0gSq8_9_RMwtoSpEPb4cAYMbXsCk2QsycFJIYZPVPAfmjmuFeKN3lzp_DDkB_uLqTcaAXv1tYBQCEMBrpirqwQBhZln6AAsfJ0UbProZ1VgczACx6zameEUMfhAxlPX3E/w400-h366/one%20word.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for a great Back to School activity for middle school? This 3-day lesson asks your students to choose one word to act as their motto to drive them forward this year.</span><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"></p><span style="font-size: large;">Students will create a poster and a paragraph to explain why they chose their word and how they are going to use that word to help them reach their goals.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Students begin by brainstorming a list of character traits that they admire in other people and answering questions such as "What have you always wanted to be able to do?" and "If you had the resources, what would you do for someone else to change their life for the better?" These questions help students to connect with their values and what is important to them.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Next, they work through the writing process to draft and revise a paragraph and poster to share their word to with others.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: large;">I have also used this as a back to school activity and as a New Year's Resolutions activity and I always get amazing results from the students. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: large;">To download the lesson for free, click on the image below, or click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/One-Word-Poster-and-Paragraph-Back-to-School-Activity-8378077" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/One-Word-Poster-and-Paragraph-Back-to-School-Activity-8378077" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1129" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5R7xDumGSql0_YJr5m5EDQmobIGeRyWxix43rpA05bX3nX49ZZi1bInqlJrRuZODtHSyYDdtRuD1H1EAu-6LUQLpODrlFt4eHAVBek21FmzK_Eye9uQuRpAg5fi7AHBiispTxU2pDNinS3Kj3mQk5E4bMFKTUcRcekzL-bqbfGGQapeolb9NQeI5/s320/one%20word.png" width="241" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: large;">So, what do you think? Would you use this in your classroom? Have you done something similar? If so, let me know in the comments!</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZIbIFmQyvanVrP2rRiOuiecGa3RJV6eoNmS2r9-iA67K9BI9vbfIE_eRHgxZeExsiU6rbxRQ7C2ecF9Es4CYpn6M0FEvm0fCRdYYUbxTb7qMNq_AmLJX4kTADHimnKAjsTHASqFnmWBF6c370WJrZTouADrsaDSGt_DCF-QW6qKO_PN0AzJ-3N0w/s809/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZIbIFmQyvanVrP2rRiOuiecGa3RJV6eoNmS2r9-iA67K9BI9vbfIE_eRHgxZeExsiU6rbxRQ7C2ecF9Es4CYpn6M0FEvm0fCRdYYUbxTb7qMNq_AmLJX4kTADHimnKAjsTHASqFnmWBF6c370WJrZTouADrsaDSGt_DCF-QW6qKO_PN0AzJ-3N0w/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span face="Proxima Nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; min-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-71038080398810709342022-07-19T12:47:00.005-07:002022-07-19T12:47:59.483-07:00FREE Emergency Sub Plans for Middle School!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/w305-h400/sub%20plans.png" width="305" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Looking for FREE emergency sub plans for middle school? Look no further. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to receive plans for ELA, Math, French, Science, and Social Studies completely free!</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8v8CcjzNoS12fuxfQejgpNh32_tG1rAFHwU2yrfVz5RWeKyBSFwHkzsQdPydtVitPZ8Weg26C2EPkM_vMG0keNfEaKoRE4ChknPNUbctxHbTYQ34fcZvfQcwctg4i6f0fCCeuiXyYdTmNrclK7G3XNP88IiBljIj-9AHjnXRRkekGub-te89hDl6/s809/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8v8CcjzNoS12fuxfQejgpNh32_tG1rAFHwU2yrfVz5RWeKyBSFwHkzsQdPydtVitPZ8Weg26C2EPkM_vMG0keNfEaKoRE4ChknPNUbctxHbTYQ34fcZvfQcwctg4i6f0fCCeuiXyYdTmNrclK7G3XNP88IiBljIj-9AHjnXRRkekGub-te89hDl6/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-26634233004512595502022-07-17T21:29:00.005-07:002022-07-25T09:12:06.240-07:00Middle School Math Stations - Single Outcome Probability Stations<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8MhmNj7RZdHIZ8pvzoWvl0pBGujD-yJIvOosTWGlLcgjQP5KofCTJpmOWMbUSdfHI-oH0cFGxuTNxo4QZJKB6DXhJm47FPRmjFl1d7E4RY_ctV69gBiaIQ8zL3O9RufPcto-Rg6ca66DqDemGSPvxUFMQMWqA748ff9En1rnjcEnp7fdgXs1og0a/s828/ig.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="828" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8MhmNj7RZdHIZ8pvzoWvl0pBGujD-yJIvOosTWGlLcgjQP5KofCTJpmOWMbUSdfHI-oH0cFGxuTNxo4QZJKB6DXhJm47FPRmjFl1d7E4RY_ctV69gBiaIQ8zL3O9RufPcto-Rg6ca66DqDemGSPvxUFMQMWqA748ff9En1rnjcEnp7fdgXs1og0a/w400-h366/ig.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Are you looking for a way to help your middle school students understand probability? These hands-on math stations are a great way to help students understand the difference between theoretical and experimental probability. </span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">In these stations, students use common materials to complete simple tests in order to calculate probability of a specific event. My students loved these stations so much that they asked if we could spend an extra day with them to see whether the experimental probability would change. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">These allowed for rich classroom discussions on the difference between theory and practice, and some students were able to show extension of the topics by suggesting further tests and trials - including testing 50 times instead of 20, with a hypothesis that the experimental probability would more closely match the theoretical probability with more trials. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Middle-School-Math-Stations-Single-Outcome-Probability-Stations-8298586" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1505" data-original-width="1126" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10om8_Jn6-x5_1pDZhzO-xxfAOKQEXJyvDdY1ohAYbUSqVkvrnnBt-6O_lTYPh75g58J6iWWfVb-7tHEB_a8h_hyw8u6p6Hm0OhTiNWfTMUIaG1E9_upu5ZdTF6SllZAOM4ZNOGE21Fr8Unj50nB0WQVoEtsBHp5T1Fh1z5Yp1wSerCHBV3U4pbif/s320/math%20stations%20-%20probability.png" width="239" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">My probability stations come with 8 different station cards, teacher notes, and almost all materials needed to run the stations. I've even included an answer key for the theoretical probability for each station! Check out two of the station cards below, and click on either card to visit the product page.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Middle-School-Math-Stations-Single-Outcome-Probability-Stations-8298586" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1056" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4DJROYTiK1Cd03WUD9hDwv043NhQAvM2CGiohfNHc7Tjp2gxPuAaRUZpvZqNZckRcbQiVpC1BpF1KXawXz0EjwYJ1laG_eHBmW5vgmJkhIQAxgLRQSTrnPMHmLi9vReotDHqblWyhhcdALFWAQnsxggEYMMdCLDbb56tYYGg3hakpumKKMwpfv9O/w400-h276/Picture1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Middle-School-Math-Stations-Single-Outcome-Probability-Stations-8298586" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1056" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKzOxQqrrWp690_jayGanodshfDvwdXDFc4eyjYn0vtSQ6bAqmTXb30yQXF5l6vJk4B-w8EkPOBBGJe7YP1w-OyaSQ3NiReZhzi5rcSgG3um4XWBjj4S_Vhm8EVJ2gajy0xf84oqK5MWeCnZUtRNTwDZ7b5JblWkT9fjeaewteEqVILeoz9xjKftw/w400-h276/Picture4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, what do you think? Do you use math stations in your middle school classroom? Let me know in the comments below.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0I6IK1rmTH4HoZ018OnGO6KC3e5lQQ71AblqXwa7KRo_1sFFNyBymRymsgSCqBL9LnCubsH8yh7uRovr8v3DJ4RAigKM2elyBRy2Yrpf1N0lRGSceaj-b2apCNewZ3njqr_8DqopxiEwFU8LjcetLzlokESzr5RV6_Ir0QxipByUbkCsi15cHp3W/s809/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0I6IK1rmTH4HoZ018OnGO6KC3e5lQQ71AblqXwa7KRo_1sFFNyBymRymsgSCqBL9LnCubsH8yh7uRovr8v3DJ4RAigKM2elyBRy2Yrpf1N0lRGSceaj-b2apCNewZ3njqr_8DqopxiEwFU8LjcetLzlokESzr5RV6_Ir0QxipByUbkCsi15cHp3W/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></span></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-23857104097657136672022-07-15T14:40:00.002-07:002022-07-20T10:03:04.820-07:00Quick and Easy Student Self-Assessment of Core Competencies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNwG7kTTbbZUx684szeme8UePy1gkS96BsKKrL7_OLjzmPO8ePv8tFDkuc7Rcbjc5o6iLSaygJN5OEq3NSKIKaltt4HX9nS4yFX1a3xitxOxVUPR0-wsJ3Z_ZNOXQLg3rw_DhJLfha1IDbtBeRflzmhUrmboWNP3qK9mmQZl42yoP0Rd8kzYz5PC1/s1195/CC%20reflections.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1195" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNwG7kTTbbZUx684szeme8UePy1gkS96BsKKrL7_OLjzmPO8ePv8tFDkuc7Rcbjc5o6iLSaygJN5OEq3NSKIKaltt4HX9nS4yFX1a3xitxOxVUPR0-wsJ3Z_ZNOXQLg3rw_DhJLfha1IDbtBeRflzmhUrmboWNP3qK9mmQZl42yoP0Rd8kzYz5PC1/w400-h226/CC%20reflections.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you are looking for a way to help your students with self-assessment of the Core Competencies in BC that doesn't feel like a challenge or a burden, look no further! This weekly reflection page has been a game changer in my classroom. Here's how I use it:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the first few weeks of school, I teach the language of the Core Competencies to my middle schoolers. We break apart all seven sub-competencies and create "I Can" statements that are in student-friendly language. Students won't be able to self-assess if they don't have the language of assessment.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">After they are comfortable with the language, we reflect on lessons where one or more competency was really highlighted. For example, in a lesson about finding reliable sources, I can bring the conversation back to the competency of critical thinking. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Then, starting in mid-late October, we begin a weekly reflection of Core Competencies. I use the page below with my students. (If you click on the image, you can access a PDF version of this page).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/18c5s6i1JclHKNNclrDh1vLziSr5OQKg3/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiAkwL7lkRoBQdVU3yz-hmGHKO9rkFB5VocCdHk7KuSs8RXc8usSS9PXToVqvoMtcwbuVHj8-FC-BPzYEZ2ZpZPDimYzn54IRVGW8uk40qA865Gf7M2sxF3X3h5e07BN0IEUheTldXSqamtZo7RxwTsqJxypnwBdA0JPeZBshudCYZbf3jYndPfVC/w640-h480/Weekly%20Reflection.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Every Friday, we pull out our assessment folders and add a new page of the worksheet above. I ask students to highlight one of the "I Can" statements in each of the three big competency categories, then write in the space below how they demonstrated or developed that competency in the previous week. I let them use examples from school or events that happened out of school. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Each week, I challenge the students to choose a different "I Can" statement in each category than the one they chose in the previous week. After about 4 weeks, we can start to see which statements the students are developing well, and which have not yet been selected. We can then use that data to set goals for the future.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1fc-fUa-BBx4U65OuFfyulhwwDr_G4ttI0ifKM5HEYXPMaXNBaY5Q8VBs8tqiAHO9GbCHwIFDycwm6EHV-lXm7gb8mT9tIuaxzztsWkIHzAq3NioOfOxytLtZ9Zft2JX4WqwmTuhrNdGBDs8OyLPNNyEeT-AEb4K_4dg1xJoxtxvZ3cNbgHtIxyG/s4032/example.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1fc-fUa-BBx4U65OuFfyulhwwDr_G4ttI0ifKM5HEYXPMaXNBaY5Q8VBs8tqiAHO9GbCHwIFDycwm6EHV-lXm7gb8mT9tIuaxzztsWkIHzAq3NioOfOxytLtZ9Zft2JX4WqwmTuhrNdGBDs8OyLPNNyEeT-AEb4K_4dg1xJoxtxvZ3cNbgHtIxyG/w640-h480/example.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">When it comes time for report cards to go home, we have a collection of self-assessments that can go home along with the teacher assessment. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If it is report card time for you, check out this selection of <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Over-125-Report-Card-Comments-FREEBIE-1047853" target="_blank">FREE report card comments</a> to help cut your writing time in half!</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What do you think? How do you help your students to self-assess the Core Competencies?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbNEwytweDGI1gLB6eXd0C9ce5VrjLiV7XmZaYI-V9pHPj6pqE4D7N5QQ7-5Z-xVgMf-iUJ63t79pzchPzKCE1uj3kiSmU2NhU2y7EvPepWjXNCz4GolWWrxEvQXYaATC3JIn1dlIzEpNvhNiZgfOlm7hOJxvnWeezNjrhJOAUnpFU5phtQqR2vkT/s809/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbNEwytweDGI1gLB6eXd0C9ce5VrjLiV7XmZaYI-V9pHPj6pqE4D7N5QQ7-5Z-xVgMf-iUJ63t79pzchPzKCE1uj3kiSmU2NhU2y7EvPepWjXNCz4GolWWrxEvQXYaATC3JIn1dlIzEpNvhNiZgfOlm7hOJxvnWeezNjrhJOAUnpFU5phtQqR2vkT/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-29879993483769942642021-10-29T11:45:00.002-07:002022-07-19T12:59:30.569-07:00Middle School Math - Exploring Ratios with Manipulatives<div><span style="font-size: x-large;">This activity is a great low floor, high ceiling hands-on math activity that takes zero prep and had all of my kids fully engaged. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FuBkrGLSOUhyphenhyphenx2sFbZXaRKTcoH_XuL8lobV-7R7kMn2KxceDDgmfYssNGOjVG0zA-q5V16MZUTr4re0URCzigDp2rdKQ_tnHOfv2uJqqFyOpDBYagy-J38aGmvgn0URpLBtIXX4zGlk/s892/manipulatives.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="859" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FuBkrGLSOUhyphenhyphenx2sFbZXaRKTcoH_XuL8lobV-7R7kMn2KxceDDgmfYssNGOjVG0zA-q5V16MZUTr4re0URCzigDp2rdKQ_tnHOfv2uJqqFyOpDBYagy-J38aGmvgn0URpLBtIXX4zGlk/w385-h400/manipulatives.png" width="385" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">My 6th graders this year love to use their hands and build. So, to help them better understand ratios, I decided to bring out the manipulatives. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">First, I asked my students to find one or two partners, then in their groups select a collection of items from our manipulatives bins. I had tangrams, pattern blocks, beads, unifix cubes, cuisinaire rods, and place value blocks, but this could work with any manipulatives that you may have in your classroom.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">When they had their items, I asked them to find as many ratios they could to describe relationships between their items. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidd6kjulYrCpZhEqNsixT-TKK4cy7Dsyu9lal8IH-SDZRftMoQQb7OBVoLllD_0ekbmThzL9cfy7rldubxkZpABnE8RQjt1GKRvRkbfCrz5LfuGuzThdovGpY-joYYysQeEBDpMyu-hbo/s2048/IMG_9514.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidd6kjulYrCpZhEqNsixT-TKK4cy7Dsyu9lal8IH-SDZRftMoQQb7OBVoLllD_0ekbmThzL9cfy7rldubxkZpABnE8RQjt1GKRvRkbfCrz5LfuGuzThdovGpY-joYYysQeEBDpMyu-hbo/w300-h400/IMG_9514.JPEG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">For the collection above, they might find the following ratios.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">triangles to hexagons = 7:3</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">unifix cubes to beads = 5:20</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">green triangles to triangles = 4:7</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">yellow to red = 9:3</span></li></ul><span style="font-size: large;">I gave my students about 15 minutes to find and record as many ratio relationships as they could, in as many ways as possible. When they had found as many as they could, they then we went around to a few different groups to see if they could find even more ratio relationships.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next, I challenged the students to build a design with their items with a green:yellow ratio of 6:4. Here are some of their designs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicl44KGEyDzpFCHwXSdgUa5JfEp3XjXEZqL6tPguEyjweWKPH1h58cblYsXi9G1TWvQBp1GdX64-aciDgk83cV8e2kvhxay9g_z2a4JEZJ4tVyQ_oK_d_EtUPYXGZJhxfhyphenhyphenk1jpg2e7FE/s1825/IMG_9515.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1723" data-original-width="1825" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicl44KGEyDzpFCHwXSdgUa5JfEp3XjXEZqL6tPguEyjweWKPH1h58cblYsXi9G1TWvQBp1GdX64-aciDgk83cV8e2kvhxay9g_z2a4JEZJ4tVyQ_oK_d_EtUPYXGZJhxfhyphenhyphenk1jpg2e7FE/s320/IMG_9515.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurNqJs3atO2ltT-hdzXzsCtE2ZUcLpjCEu4-7XEnTuGFMem2QoZoo7o40tQXBm2OJse92zX8il1zvHOss2DPcVKiw8aVTE8cqvE_7Z5r7HES5oxElO9KzeHqmp6zruKdvaBor0S6PELo/s2048/IMG_9516.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurNqJs3atO2ltT-hdzXzsCtE2ZUcLpjCEu4-7XEnTuGFMem2QoZoo7o40tQXBm2OJse92zX8il1zvHOss2DPcVKiw8aVTE8cqvE_7Z5r7HES5oxElO9KzeHqmp6zruKdvaBor0S6PELo/s320/IMG_9516.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6h4-xWnw9TkIrv_2KD4agiGT8CELlv9zpOgWqdhIo93Ea-3snyky5XpgTpOb76nor4WS2ArsuVgoHCC5et-HZo3E9TMX5e-rvhoigrcXU6jOj3zvCKn9yBB7j1L5YH5AiiCmI4FuVU8/s2048/IMG_9517.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6h4-xWnw9TkIrv_2KD4agiGT8CELlv9zpOgWqdhIo93Ea-3snyky5XpgTpOb76nor4WS2ArsuVgoHCC5et-HZo3E9TMX5e-rvhoigrcXU6jOj3zvCKn9yBB7j1L5YH5AiiCmI4FuVU8/s320/IMG_9517.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbohUhi3MoLkj3AHG_gTfcMu7-WfGC_IiNHKtBogsQ1kP4e33R0V1yT3cz-_KT_NDM1a8Fmvkvsmb9HhA9axQkH9BXM2uRBOEVLlB-M3eIIkiyLNKdZYLC026-MlwUXwTgtUzXHxogZ5I/s2048/IMG_9518.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbohUhi3MoLkj3AHG_gTfcMu7-WfGC_IiNHKtBogsQ1kP4e33R0V1yT3cz-_KT_NDM1a8Fmvkvsmb9HhA9axQkH9BXM2uRBOEVLlB-M3eIIkiyLNKdZYLC026-MlwUXwTgtUzXHxogZ5I/s320/IMG_9518.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXODMwDx0qUAQhjADXT4WwxW5AZVRBio2mPEidUUMsOBXsK7PL_CtDwWJZQfnB1twfOB0euQZXpreyEwXB97EBS5M2czfcZyuPvblkv_3ozUvwZ6TNyE1uh6NRoJpcSxAOkdxkhCJge_Q/s2048/IMG_9522.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXODMwDx0qUAQhjADXT4WwxW5AZVRBio2mPEidUUMsOBXsK7PL_CtDwWJZQfnB1twfOB0euQZXpreyEwXB97EBS5M2czfcZyuPvblkv_3ozUvwZ6TNyE1uh6NRoJpcSxAOkdxkhCJge_Q/s320/IMG_9522.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyhocYhAiHI7XZ__H2fgTGLMpXuKZuZkJuplXpKi92H-tetE7Du_4WB5_UjX4Zol0nvlQ_jt2eUXLmNoJIZXtOKRdYTo5KqYjWptq363txqEdnwUCEUyYF80muID6cTepmkWLzoftQ-Q/s2048/IMG_9523.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyhocYhAiHI7XZ__H2fgTGLMpXuKZuZkJuplXpKi92H-tetE7Du_4WB5_UjX4Zol0nvlQ_jt2eUXLmNoJIZXtOKRdYTo5KqYjWptq363txqEdnwUCEUyYF80muID6cTepmkWLzoftQ-Q/s320/IMG_9523.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqku9dFZgwPNI9KTIEw1gdeY1gv2nMESsBqyyPDHrt5JwCKqAoef61ZF1xzm_QnaMN8N7kYiRzJ6Ps3Yx0_8qVa5drWG5L4p6TwsGNO0nKBlID22k8fvoJa8IQ9xTKTiqsDj44pHUEto/s2048/IMG_9525.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqku9dFZgwPNI9KTIEw1gdeY1gv2nMESsBqyyPDHrt5JwCKqAoef61ZF1xzm_QnaMN8N7kYiRzJ6Ps3Yx0_8qVa5drWG5L4p6TwsGNO0nKBlID22k8fvoJa8IQ9xTKTiqsDj44pHUEto/s320/IMG_9525.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iqgdlLjRBNTYZHlNATFVMKRQ1RUGIClY8fzrfKEmiGdWclLdiYrssqnFcVK1jfPfVyNp2UKMLXU3XgKDe-WUlT5MuwwZMcveSfeLneN9LfJ6nr7Vwp9oZ2SNkL8AIW8mhZslHhuE__Y/s2048/IMG_9526.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iqgdlLjRBNTYZHlNATFVMKRQ1RUGIClY8fzrfKEmiGdWclLdiYrssqnFcVK1jfPfVyNp2UKMLXU3XgKDe-WUlT5MuwwZMcveSfeLneN9LfJ6nr7Vwp9oZ2SNkL8AIW8mhZslHhuE__Y/s320/IMG_9526.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most groups chose to only use green and yellow items, but I was encouraged to see that a few used other colours, as well. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">One group reduced the ratio to its simplest form of green:yellow 3:2 and created this design:</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguO7S83nkuyODem3uQ0FOIPuIsEW0V-yILBnREt4atjacJ2MmkTSONqqt-5nLtC07uM7HAEuD-GH-0wHNdhBjl9CQry4T5rsz8iLLUgZ5xGNYNfAOY2qZoNlM0apWJzFbSbE0i9nXn53c/s2048/IMG_9527.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguO7S83nkuyODem3uQ0FOIPuIsEW0V-yILBnREt4atjacJ2MmkTSONqqt-5nLtC07uM7HAEuD-GH-0wHNdhBjl9CQry4T5rsz8iLLUgZ5xGNYNfAOY2qZoNlM0apWJzFbSbE0i9nXn53c/s320/IMG_9527.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">I loved that this activity allowed all of my students to participate at their own level. My struggling students were able to recognize relationships and record them as ratios in their collections, and still create a design with the given ratio. My proficient students were able to find a lot of relationships between the items in their collections, and were able to record part to whole ratios as fractions. My extending students were able to show the challenge 6:4 in different ways.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you try something like this in your class, let me know how it goes in the comments below.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/s809/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-2246092998785945002021-08-26T12:25:00.002-07:002022-07-19T12:59:51.168-07:00How I structure my Middle School Core French blocks<br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIaTNnfOkidPiI7w8OnikP6kVU4eendGg2705kSyBFezC5Cj_uSpH-Z1Otjqp-D-M-X2tdebd0aBYMm_KhGrYZ0dCZQANC7jBLU2y-W9kQEMIRAYjN-TEYIALWndA3-Q7u_YJ7Cv1J20/s1516/core+french+block+structure.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1516" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIaTNnfOkidPiI7w8OnikP6kVU4eendGg2705kSyBFezC5Cj_uSpH-Z1Otjqp-D-M-X2tdebd0aBYMm_KhGrYZ0dCZQANC7jBLU2y-W9kQEMIRAYjN-TEYIALWndA3-Q7u_YJ7Cv1J20/w400-h290/core+french+block+structure.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The number one question I get asked by colleagues and customers is "How do you structure your Core French blocks?" Because it is such a common request, I thought I'd share it here.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">In my middle school, our blocks are 52 minutes long. I try to fit in some opportunity for students to speak, listen to, read, and write French in every block, but it doesn't always work out that way for timing purposes. If I don't have time and have to cut something, I make sure that I never cut out speaking. I want my students to speak French every single day.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Here is a sample structure for a typical middle school French block:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--></b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Date and Weather report (2-3 minutes)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">a.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">The first unit I teach in Core French
is weather and calendar. This allows for all the students to have familiar
vocabulary and framework so that we can start every day with a brief weather
report. I will welcome the students in French and tell them the date, then I
ask “Quel temps fait-il?” and ask for volunteers to answer, giving the current
weather conditions. I have a class list and check off who answers each day in order
to choose someone new each time. Alternatively, you could assign this task to a
different student each day. Here are the resources I use to introduce <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/La-Meteo-Beginner-French-Weather-Mini-Unit-Grade-4-7-3281211" target="_blank">weather</a> and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Le-Calendrier-French-Calendar-Vocabulary-Activities-and-Quiz-Gr-4-7-3382701" target="_blank">calendar</a> with my students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--></b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;"><b>Question du Jour (10-15 minutes)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">a.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">This is my assurance that every
student is speaking French at least once in the block. For this activity, I
create a question, usually something that fits in to the theme or unit we are studying.
I usually have the question written on the board as they come into class. A
question during a family unit could be “As-tu des cousins ou des cousins?” A
question during a sports unit could be “Aimes-tu jouer au football?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">b.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">We discuss the question and I ask the
student what they think it means. I also use this time to point out grammatical
elements/pronunciation of the words so they can make the connection to how the French
is written and what it sounds like. Then we brainstorm possible answers. I like
to write down the possible outcomes so that the students have a visual to refer
to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">c.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">Once the class understands the
question, everyone stands up. I ask the question to a student, who answers it and
asks it to another student. Once a student has answered the question and asked
someone else, they sit down.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">d.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">The question is passed through the
classroom in the same way. The last student standing asks me the question to
complete the loop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">e.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">This activity takes about 10-15
minutes, depending on how long the brainstorming piece takes. Later in the
year, my class usually has it down to 8-10 minutes from beginning to end.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--></b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;"><b>Mini lesson (10-15 minutes)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">a.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">After we’ve done the question of the
day, this is where I will teach a mini-lesson. I might introduce new vocabulary
or grammar structures, or review something we’ve done in the past that the
class hasn’t quite grasped. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--></b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;"><b>Independent practice (15-20 minutes)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">a.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">After my mini-lesson, I will give the
students something to work on to practice the skills they’ve just learned. This
could be a worksheet, puzzle, dialogue, poster, etc. Students might be working
independently or with a partner. At the beginning of a new unit, I might use
the mini lesson to introduce a new set of vocabulary, then use the practice
time to give the students puzzles to practice the new words. If I’m teaching a
new verb, the practice might be a game to help conjugate or make sentences.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--></b><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;"><b>Game (5-10 minutes)</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;">a.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">I like to end my French blocks with
games. Some of my students’ favourites are Loto! and Zut! You can read more
about these games (and a few others) <a href="https://oneteachersadventures.blogspot.com/2021/07/10-fun-games-and-activities-for-middle.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">My Beginner French resources include everything you'll need for the independent practice part of your French blocks. They include vocabulary lists, vocabulary puzzles, verbs, grammar, dialogues, reading comprehension activities, and more! I have units on many different themes, including <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/La-famille-A-French-family-unit-with-AVOIR-Distance-Learning-Compatible-1247491" target="_blank">families</a>, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/La-Nourriture-BEGINNER-FRENCH-Food-Unit-Distance-Learning-Compatible-3231270" target="_blank">food</a>, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/La-Musique-A-French-Music-Themed-Unit-1171989" target="_blank">music</a>, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Les-Animaux-de-Compagnie-French-Pets-Unit-Distance-Learning-Compatible-7044192" target="_blank">pets</a>, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Les-Animaux-Unit-Beginner-French-Animals-Unit-for-Grades-4-7-3342808" target="_blank">animals</a>, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Les-Sports-Beginner-French-Sports-Themed-Unit-Distance-Learning-Compatible-2263689" target="_blank">sports</a>, and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/One-Teachers-Adventures/Category/FRENCH-All-160349" target="_blank">more</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So what do you think? Would this structure work for your class? Do you do something differently that you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments below!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s809/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div></div><br />Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-47916856684516607902021-08-12T11:30:00.001-07:002022-07-19T13:00:03.161-07:00Free Back to School French Activity!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoANHTxLNXSAPAF7qga1SQn6ZwZmHzqXfPmek-NI3hwCK5RNl8Z4_W0q9ZobregQ87iCPeu-Q2HicPlsNgsc4lvK16KwUSKxQ7zQOrodbo32GOVn9EUfXIFNDZMcQnz_PWi4rHx5EQrc/s2048/back+to+school.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoANHTxLNXSAPAF7qga1SQn6ZwZmHzqXfPmek-NI3hwCK5RNl8Z4_W0q9ZobregQ87iCPeu-Q2HicPlsNgsc4lvK16KwUSKxQ7zQOrodbo32GOVn9EUfXIFNDZMcQnz_PWi4rHx5EQrc/w400-h266/back+to+school.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Back to School time is just around the corner for us here in BC. For my FSL classes, I like to start the year off with a study (or review) of basic greetings and introductions. That way, we can get to know each other and speak French at the same time.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is a free FSL greetings and introductions packet that can be used with beginner French students or as a review for those kids who may need a reminder after the summer break!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Beginner-French-Greetings-and-Introductions-FREEBIE-5736039" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1129" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuG_X2kM1VFqnILygE5KAaUGoe3ZGVb63G51EAwo9G5aAAZvF2lWTRNI9M164PTiphr2AhOrbc6Mb3QOSTActBharQ8Dpy48rIBb6VXZPrLqrEDwY2Dc0k9P17Nhv6XuTqabU8G_XTuc/w301-h400/greetings.png" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the picture to get this free packet!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">How do you like to begin your year in FSL? Let me know in the comments!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/s809/signature.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div></span></div><br /><p></p>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-89846548274581872792021-08-05T12:30:00.004-07:002023-01-28T14:36:40.859-08:0010 Games for Middle School Math<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5mfnrzhu_h_E_31utOCBqYEzl2ZMeeBcms4ZkZIPlWUcntu61vj0UDT9Jkrsv4mU3-EBGOcd7oUygt1FmAuuvQT9B1OzWmehMNBKAyw-KlaOZ9d8E7nW-h9XQB2dHNKdwc8ZRfA71wE/s1075/math+games+square.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1075" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5mfnrzhu_h_E_31utOCBqYEzl2ZMeeBcms4ZkZIPlWUcntu61vj0UDT9Jkrsv4mU3-EBGOcd7oUygt1FmAuuvQT9B1OzWmehMNBKAyw-KlaOZ9d8E7nW-h9XQB2dHNKdwc8ZRfA71wE/w400-h393/math+games+square.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">I love to add games into my Middle School math lessons. So much learning happens when students play games, not just because the content of the games relates to curriculum, but because when they are playing, they are engaged in the material and are applying theory in a context that makes sense.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here are 10 of my favourite games to play during my math blocks.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">1. Cribbage</span></u></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ttkfRm5pZr4" width="320" youtube-src-id="ttkfRm5pZr4"></iframe></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cribbage is a great game for mental math skills, addition, and strategy.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cribbage Board, Deck of Cards</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be the first to score 121 points</span></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2d24dc25-7fff-a2ba-34b1-9acadb58cb9e"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players: </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2-3</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/cribbage/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How to Play</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://cardgames.io/cribbage/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Play Online</span></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>2. Achi</b></u></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DU_j_ivk0aA" width="320" youtube-src-id="DU_j_ivk0aA"></iframe></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Achi is a simple game, but takes concentration and strategy.</span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Achi Board, 4 pieces for each player</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective:</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> be the first player to get three pieces in a row</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blog.doublehelix.csiro.au/play-achi/#:~:text=Players%20take%20it%20in%20turns,gets%20three%20in%20a%20row!" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How to Play</span></span></a></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://info.mindresearch.org/hubfs/MIND%20Research%20Institute/MathMINDs/Printables/printable-fmn-achi.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Download a printable Achi Board</span></span></a></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><b><u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3. Make 100</span></u></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This game is great to practice basic operations. My students really love it, especially the end when everyone is hovering around 100 and they need to add, then subtract, then add again. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2 dice, paper and pencil</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Be the first to get exactly 100</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2+</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-be28c166-7fff-650a-3eeb-6264900a15a3"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to Play:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take turns rolling 2 dice. You may add, subtract, <span style="font-family: inherit;">multiply or divide the two numbers. Keep a running total. The first player to get a total of exactly 100 is the winner.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">4. Farkle</span></u></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PtZlur9Kmb8" width="320" youtube-src-id="PtZlur9Kmb8"></iframe></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Farkle is a great game for mental math, multiplication, addition, and probability.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 6 dice, paper, pencil</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be the first to score 10 000 points</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2+</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.dicegamedepot.com/farkle-rules/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How to Play</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://cardgames.io/farkle/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Play Online</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><u>5. Yahtzee</u></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sQM7sN4NPz8" width="320" youtube-src-id="sQM7sN4NPz8"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Yahtzee is a great game for addition and multiplication. Players also have to consider probability as part of their strategies.</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 dice, Yahtzee score sheet, pencil</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> To have the highest score after 13 rounds</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2+</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.ultraboardgames.com/yahtzee/game-rules.php" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How to Play</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.memory-improvement-tips.com/support-files/yahtzee-score-sheets.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Download Yahtzee Score Sheet</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8f68f69f-7fff-454b-8035-9d73e38f47b1"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://cardgames.io/yahtzee/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Play Online</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><u>6. Territory</u></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3zzNLpGebEbpK3_fO3QFeyGuYAKZ2czF2AvAKiaufpMZiY2qMxuTwPefxNB1rKgK6a-6biNMhSuULJvudB2B0Y7n39UuajPcSTx1JkqESmZNwfAdrLqPeFcxIOrrlH2trVT3JqdD_X4/s2048/territory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3zzNLpGebEbpK3_fO3QFeyGuYAKZ2czF2AvAKiaufpMZiY2qMxuTwPefxNB1rKgK6a-6biNMhSuULJvudB2B0Y7n39UuajPcSTx1JkqESmZNwfAdrLqPeFcxIOrrlH2trVT3JqdD_X4/w300-h400/territory.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Territory is a great game to practice multiplication and to relate multiplication to area. There are a lot of different ways that this game can be played. I always introduce it to my students the way it is written below, then they come up with new rules and procedures and turn it into something else. This is always a favourite among my class. I have individual white boards with grids on the back, and any time the students have free choice time, they grab one of the boards <span style="font-family: inherit;">and start playing territory.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: 2 dice, grid paper, two different colour markers</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Claim the most territory</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: 2</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9279e689-7fff-37db-a49d-3918f248cc56"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to Play</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Players take turn rolling two dice. After each roll, the player makes an array on the grid using the scores from the dice. Play continues until a player can’t draw an array on the grid (because there isn’t enough open space left). The winner is the player with the most territory claimed.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>7. Chess</u></b></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fKxG8KjH1Qg" width="320" youtube-src-id="fKxG8KjH1Qg"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>C<span style="font-family: inherit;">hess is another favourite in my classroom. My students love it so much, I brought in extra chess sets so that there wasn't such a line for who would play next. It's a game that takes a short time to learn, but a lifetime to master. It's all about strategy and anticipating your opponent's moves.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chess Board with Pieces</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To Checkmate the other player’s king</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.chess.com/learn-how-to-play-chess" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How to Play</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.chess.com/play/computer" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0097a7; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Play Online</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u><b>8. Get to 1000!</b></u></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgX5WMsb9mSdqighXKdxvfndMc04MQxtAg15JxLjiMfNUOCPvwltHBBj9sBRYPeGJQG9zoP3p2NH5MMFqSUe72XNP-KeHnp4NJwBwMVHnjQmupBOANED0LkwJZdp4sHU50YfQEGdjC2E/s2048/get+to+1000+in+play.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgX5WMsb9mSdqighXKdxvfndMc04MQxtAg15JxLjiMfNUOCPvwltHBBj9sBRYPeGJQG9zoP3p2NH5MMFqSUe72XNP-KeHnp4NJwBwMVHnjQmupBOANED0LkwJZdp4sHU50YfQEGdjC2E/w300-h400/get+to+1000+in+play.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Get to 1000 is a staple game in my classroom. I usually play it on the first or second day of the year because it's quick to learn. Then, I can pull it out any time we have a spare 15 minutes and the kids love it. If I am unexpectedly away from school, I can simply tell my sub to play Get to 1000 as the math lesson for the day. I would recommend that you laminate the score sheets, or put them in page protectors and use dry erase markers to play the game. These get used a lot, so I'd <span style="font-family: inherit;">rather not waste so much paper if I don't have to.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 1 die, “Get to 1000” score sheet, pencil</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Be the closest to 1000 without going over after 10 rolls.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2+</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to Play:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roll a die. Decide whether you will multiply the value of the roll by 1, 10, or 100 then complete the multiplication. Add your product to your total. The person who comes closest to 1000 by the end of 10 rolls is the winner. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students can play this in partners, but I like to play it as a whole class. I roll the dice under the document camera, then the class has to make their choices in real time. As we get closer to the end of the ga<span style="font-family: inherit;">me, they start to shout out the numbers they want to fulfil their strategy ("Ms. Wiens, I really need a 3, then a 4 and I'll get 1000 exactly!"). When we play all together, I end the game by asking the class to stand if they think they have the winning score. We go through the players standing to see who has the closest to 1000. </span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are often several winners, and there are only so many choices per roll. It's great to see what kind of strategy emerges. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0c03594a-7fff-1bab-b456-3068c5da5013"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cmqE3ewOyMM2rjCHcd7frtqmbZNfYLqQQOKifYbuG9A/copy" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Download a copy of the score sheet</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u><b>9. Dara</b></u></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwl_aG0LBttJR1CaeU7juEhyFBr0SG7xu-qxv4ua6PDvc605eQ-6z_MOY2sYgGSkHFgfTIxQLAidT3fLXLADQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dara is a game of strategy that comes from Nigeria. It's pretty simple to play, but takes strategy to plan ahead and set up your board to be successful.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Dara Board, 12 pieces for each player</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Be the first to eliminate 10 of your opponent’s pieces.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/dara-game/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How to Play</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/dara_game_board.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0097a7; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Download a printable Dara Board</span></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">10. Fraction War</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghr7LuzcaXDVz2wjhVuQLFAX3ASDGgXgbZ_a1vfqHO3Uva9uWFemb2arKHfd1Uqfc0MwOL61jjoA8zWd4p2_mINDpilPHqeM6B_-tzQtatfJRuv0KeCrPmK3bwVy6Ws6rsrYG6H7IsCk/s2048/fraction+war.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghr7LuzcaXDVz2wjhVuQLFAX3ASDGgXgbZ_a1vfqHO3Uva9uWFemb2arKHfd1Uqfc0MwOL61jjoA8zWd4p2_mINDpilPHqeM6B_-tzQtatfJRuv0KeCrPmK3bwVy6Ws6rsrYG6H7IsCk/w400-h300/fraction+war.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">This game is great for comparing fractions. Since it doesn't matter in this game if there are repeats, I find this is also a great game for all the "odds and ends" decks (extra cards that don't make full decks) that I know are in every middle school math classroom! </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Materials:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Deck of cards with face cards taken out</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Objective:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Win all of your opponent’s cards</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Players:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-28270708-7fff-283f-9f0a-5089201baa3e"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to Play</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: This game is played very similarly to the card game war, but instead of trying to flip the highest card, you want to flip the largest fraction.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Split the deck into two equal halves. Each player takes one half and at the same time, flips two cards face up, one above the other on the table. The two cards make a fraction, using the lower card as the numerator and the higher card as the denominator. The player who makes the larger fraction wins all 4 cards and adds them to their deck. To make it more challenging, the player who has the higher fraction may only take the cards if they can justify how they know it is a higher value. If the fractions are equal, the players flip again and battle for those cards, plus the four new cards. Play continues until one player has captured all of their opponent’s cards. Aces count as 1.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So, which of these games are tried and true in your class? Which of these would you like to try? Do you have other math games that I should know about? Let me know in the comments!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR8ClR5Y1RALqWIZ8mRQnXdsvA3xb-YdRjGxXAWXYC0OsPNBkTn4CJSNxnylhDo2ttaGDdvLPC5f5EGBYLZWbjZm7j89o5wP3L06HDdrr9uTm5-xIcsGQE-hsiSOhPN60T7qXidWcR5E/s809/signature.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR8ClR5Y1RALqWIZ8mRQnXdsvA3xb-YdRjGxXAWXYC0OsPNBkTn4CJSNxnylhDo2ttaGDdvLPC5f5EGBYLZWbjZm7j89o5wP3L06HDdrr9uTm5-xIcsGQE-hsiSOhPN60T7qXidWcR5E/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div></span><p></p>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-37030198947516294932021-07-29T15:55:00.004-07:002022-07-19T13:00:24.966-07:0010 Fun Games and Activities for the Middle School Core French Classroom<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMJy-mh6QJ5KCQOHlT95btqZoDwAOanzw-QjZwH0TVHp3aTCI0AP3kFgXSrSdambORMudaGmpC6P59iP3nGCvjnIB3yacPCvd1Kon-LS7vjjwJTTJyoLZiyAI1h_QmJnApjLCWXj95mk/s1099/fsl.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="982" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMJy-mh6QJ5KCQOHlT95btqZoDwAOanzw-QjZwH0TVHp3aTCI0AP3kFgXSrSdambORMudaGmpC6P59iP3nGCvjnIB3yacPCvd1Kon-LS7vjjwJTTJyoLZiyAI1h_QmJnApjLCWXj95mk/w358-h400/fsl.png" width="358" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">French is one of my favourite subjects to teach, especially at the Middle School level. In BC, students begin taking French in Grade 5. When I get them in Grade 6, they have an initial understanding of vocabulary, and it's amazing to see how much growth can occur in just one year. Last year, my class was so excited in February to be reading (and understanding) this French text during our study of Francophone communities in Canada.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Les-Ressources-De-Mme-Bedard" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o0uWV1NGVeeEqb_XiQdohC32tkmBmD6EVYi4xdmIAd_uGIPAndo6azUA_LbGf0y6jyhsTzVAASN_rSPMi5dRVSouWhUe5UPUS5G2rlYieUAmLHi8soxbiA6srtH2KouhyphenhyphenEpANWfjc7w/w400-h300/francophone.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This text comes from the TpT store Les Ressources de Mme Bedard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here are 10 tried and true activities and games that can bring some variety and fun to your FSL classroom!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>1. Question du Jour (Question of the Day)</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What? (purpose of the activity)</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This activity gives a low-stress
way for every student to speak French everyday, practice asking and answering
questions, and connect letter patterns with pronunciation.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How? (steps)</b><br /></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Create a question. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">I like to ask questions that fit in with the theme of the
unit we’re studying at the time. I usually have the question written on the
board as they come in to class.</span></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Brainstorm possible answers.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">I ask the students to brainstorm how to answer in different
ways and write the answers on the board so that the students feel more
confident and comfortable speaking.</span></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">I go over how to pronounce the question and possible answers
and the students repeat back.</span></li></ul></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">All students stand up. </span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">I ask the question to one student. That student answers,
then asks someone else and so on.</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">Once a student has answered the question, then asked another
one, they sit down.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">The last student standing answers the question, then asks
the question to me to complete the chain.</span></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>2. Grid Puzzle</u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Le-Calendrier-French-Calendar-Vocabulary-Activities-and-Quiz-Gr-4-7-3382701" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="638" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4Ekjx3f_43hvPHIOKTtWzEIdHwJcLY7vsv1Lw9lQaz_DgqaFjnsZuXBOkKRhUov8dG6l9M7JZZQbm0wCjkFN1lTUK415CnF8LVamN_C86WvJtybvjUutkLEZfDn3f34SUcTEvPnaSAc/w389-h400/grid+puzzle.jpg" width="389" /></a></b></span></div><b><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What? (purpose of the activity)</span></b></p></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This activity allows
students to work as part of a team to achieve a goal, and to recognize the
connection between English and French vocabulary.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How? (steps)</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Fill in the 4 x 4 grid so that each French word is facing
its English translation.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Make a copy of the grid for each pair/team. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Cut along the lines so that you have 16 pieces.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Ask the students to piece the puzzle back together so that
all the French words are facing their English translations.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Consider making it a race, and give the first team to
complete the puzzle a prize.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Consider using this as an intro to a new unit to see what
words they already know or can figure out (by using cognates, etc.), or as a
review game for the end of a unit.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">I like to put a line on the outside edges to give the
students a bit of a clue.</span></li></ul><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>3. Loto! </b></u></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5dJJw5EaA6mD1P38J8PkdV9oVDgSzQAXGtZ7yxeIiyoCTDvnvZMsfFYO7khW1el0UrRcckZDjce4NT61vkEqp29D6Tir_9SHK9hVr7Fj9WTv0JCXNU7cukNs8TP3ryQKyRBJui3tZ7Q/s2048/loto.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5dJJw5EaA6mD1P38J8PkdV9oVDgSzQAXGtZ7yxeIiyoCTDvnvZMsfFYO7khW1el0UrRcckZDjce4NT61vkEqp29D6Tir_9SHK9hVr7Fj9WTv0JCXNU7cukNs8TP3ryQKyRBJui3tZ7Q/w300-h400/loto.jpg" width="300" /></a></u></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What? (purpose of the activity)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a fun review game for vocabulary. It also helps
students to make a connection between how French words are written and how they
are pronounced.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How? (steps)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">This game works like Bingo.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Give your students a blank 4x4 or 5x5 grid and have them
fill each box with a vocabulary word from your unit. I like to give my students
a vocabulary list that they can use to build their Loto board, so that they
have the same words as I do.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Make a copy of each of the vocabulary words for yourself on
small slips of paper and put them in a paper bag.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">One at a time, pull out a vocab word and call it out. If a
student has the word on their board, they can mark the word. I usually give my
students counters, buttons, or other small items to use to mark the squares,
rather than having them cross out the word with pencil. That way, we can re-use
the boards and play again.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">The first student to cross out a full line jumps up and
shouts “Loto!”</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">To win, I have my students tell me the words they marked and
what they mean in English.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">You can set the goal to win as whatever you’d like: one
line, two lines, outside edges, blackout, etc.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">I like this game because as I am calling out the words in
French, the students need to recognize the words as they are written to know
which words have been called. </span></li></ul><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>4. Traversez la classe </u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What? (purpose of the activity)</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This listening
activity gives students a chance to practice vocabulary. It incorporates
physical education, too. My students ask to play this all the time!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How? (steps)</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Move the furniture aside so that you have a clear space in
the classroom, or bring your class to the gym or outside.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Have half the class stand on one side of the space, and half
on the other.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="FR">You will say
“Traversez la classe si tu…” </span>(Cross the room if you…) and fill in the
rest of the sentence with whatever vocabulary you’re working on.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">For example, when I teach my clothing unit, I use “…si tu
portes…” (…if you are wearing…) and fill in clothing words. For an animal unit,
you can use “…si tu as…” (…if you have…) or “…si tu veux…” (…if you want…) then
add an animal word.</span></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Anyone who fits the category runs across the open space.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">You can extend this to make it a tag game as well if you
have someone in the middle of the open space trying to tag the runners.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve also made this more advanced by having the “it” person
come up with the next call.</span></li></ul></ul><p></p><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>5. Trouvez quelqu'un qui... (Find someone who...)</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Au-Restaurant-French-Unit-listening-speaking-reading-writing-activities-7021798?st=5b833ae000a026f6e6e20d772657189a" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jYDy8MyO8jV_JaXjEZBVRrbuuQJN6QftRs7cw63hByQN8_SqbWOLIW0u3GDBKFWwtRJNPa-2yWy_cEgTP7RX_LFnzQcJbNXjStjDfphzMDFBRI51KaQSk2A-ektohuAwZunXi-jTRFM/w300-h400/trouvez.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What? (purpose of the activity)</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a simple speaking/listening activity that gets
students up and moving and talking to each other in French. It helps with
practicing vocabulary and asking and answering questions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How? (steps)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Decide on which questions you will use based on the theme of
your unit. The questions should each begin with “find someone who…” ("trouvez
quelqu’un qui…”)</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">For example, in a food unit, you could use “Aimes-tu
manger…” as your question stem, then fill in each line with a different food.
In a sports unit, your stem could be “Aimes-tu jouer…” with different types of
sports. In a pets unit, you could ask “As-tu des…” and complete the questions
with different animals.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Have the students go to each other and ask them the
questions. Once they find someone who says “oui,” they can record that name on
their page. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Students are not allowed to use the same name more than
once, so they must ask a lot of different people. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">After each student has found someone to fit each question, I
usually go through and ask for volunteers for each question. For example: “Qui
a un chien?” (Who has a dog?). Students respond with the name they recorded on
their form.</span></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>6. Interview and Present</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Les-Animaux-Unit-Beginner-French-Animals-Unit-for-Grades-4-7-3342808?st=ce0d0a16d112c9b8b07ac4ab4e9000dd" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="593" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgK9yy4lzVPX5gG65HSgx8U0fVHlsaCk_RxJjDiZFAO2iuZeIJLf4D6SPIpoTdWaD343QlzUMYPN5N7-IoXih0QitL8v9kiV-hKXb94Jg7OVJggt53A9vvUP8yLgoL5-qpOXiI11yZnc/w313-h400/interview.png" width="313" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What? (purpose of the activity)</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a simple activity that allows students to practice
speaking and listening, and gives them a chance to express their likes and
dislikes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How? (steps)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Separate students into pairs.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Students will ask each other “Est-ce que tu aimes…” or
“Aimes-tu…” (Do you like…) questions. The end of the question will depend on
the vocabulary theme you are working on (food, animals, colours, etc.).</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Students will answer in full sentences, and their partners
will record the answers.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">After each partner has asked and answered their questions,
each student will prepare a short presentation to the class, describing the
likes and dislikes of their partner.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">Mon partenaire s’appelle…</span></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">Mon partenaire aime…</span></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">Mon partneaire n’aime pas…</span></li></ul></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Alternatively, you can have the students write a short
paragraph about their partners’ likes and dislikes.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">You can extend this to have students include reasons for
their likes and dislikes.</span></li></ul><p></p><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>7. This or That? </u></b></span></p><p></p><p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Au-Cinema-Beginner-French-Movies-and-Film-Unit-Distance-Learning-Compatible-7006488?st=313757b1e71e72ac6f32f80414a6cc98" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2W9CJsizDSdb69KYkYNiSWlsmXZ8Wk6gmu9gBYUcFcoxzhbC9soc26coTEeK-V9ey0woaX_-vmbdgKZFvqkMesmpxqcjJh0qvMeJ5HgBPHwsvXUplSIZ9O8FiExadDPMTOzI13Hpnu70/w300-h400/this+or+that.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What? (purpose of the activity)</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This activity gives students a chance to express reasons for
their preferences. It also allows for practice with adverbs of quantity (trop,
assez, beaucoup, etc.) and adjectives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How? (steps) </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Choose two elements that relate to the theme of your unit
(two different animals for an animal unit, two different foods for a food unit,
etc.).</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Have the students choose which one they like better and
describe why.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">This can be done in writing or verbally</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Students can come up with the pairings, or you can decide
for them.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">You could extend this to a whole class activity by having
the students move to one side of the room or the other to indicate their
preferences, then try to persuade others to join their side by offering reasons
for their preferences.</span></li></ul><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>8. Heads Up! (Suis je...) </u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Les-Animaux-Unit-Beginner-French-Animals-Unit-for-Grades-4-7-3342808?st=ce0d0a16d112c9b8b07ac4ab4e9000dd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6R3N45SEDOyOfHzQmUAvxGb-7gU1PXCpSI3WTY3N-HqT3QEkqsuWim_g4O_YPpeWmW-c77zyfG1MwXvXI2fqa_ILqcnnD2Rom_Mc9X4clTS88By2KTB5lp3g4vxj_BApwSnDZKbsUwMY/w300-h400/heads+up.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What? (purpose of the activity)</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a fun, interactive activity to help students practice
vocabulary and ask and answer simple questions. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How? (steps) </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Make flash cards for the vocabulary unit you’re studying, or
have the students make them. (I like to laminate the cards so that they’ll
last). Make enough for each student to have their own.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Each student will get a card and hold it up to their
forehead without looking at it.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Students walk around the room and have other students give
them clues, or act out the word until they guess their own word.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">To guess, students will ask “Suis je…?” (Am I…?). </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Once a student guesses their word, they hand back in the
card but keep playing until everyone
knows their word.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Alternatively, you can give 2 or 3 copies of each card out
and students have to find the other students with the same card.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">You can extend this by having the students ask each other
questions in French to help guess the word.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">For example, if you are using animal vocabulary, your
students can ask “Est-ce que j’habite dans le mer?” <span lang="FR">(Do I live in the ocean) “Est-ce que j’ai une
crinière?” </span>(Do I have a mane), etc.</span></li></ul></ul><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>9. Memory Matching Game</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_sTkKrAPG5X8vOWL0kS9eP8dOBewzpC13qGGyopsOak_xg-C421bwp8W_Ncwqjh4v-eQZV_Rc76ivpnPIfZ5_IGjHRDuuSikRCCGdmtk8LRRJ12tpzAgh_oAR41U3i8oNPqoLvuLmMA/s2048/memory.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_sTkKrAPG5X8vOWL0kS9eP8dOBewzpC13qGGyopsOak_xg-C421bwp8W_Ncwqjh4v-eQZV_Rc76ivpnPIfZ5_IGjHRDuuSikRCCGdmtk8LRRJ12tpzAgh_oAR41U3i8oNPqoLvuLmMA/w300-h400/memory.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What? (purpose of the activity)</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a fun game that students can play on their own in
free time, or with a partner to practice vocabulary words.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How? (steps)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Give students pairs of cards with a French word and a
matching image. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Students turn each card upside down and mix them up so that
they don’t know which card is where.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">One at a time, students turn over two cards. If they are a
match, the student gets to keep the pair and try again. If they are not a
match, the student turns them back over and the other student gets a turn.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Play goes back and forth until all the cards are claimed. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">The player with the most cards at the end of the game is the
winner. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">This can be adapted to include French and English words
(instead of French words and images). You can also get students to create the
cards themselves.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">This can be further extended in higher grades to require
students to create a full sentence using the French word before they can claim
the cards.</span></li></ul><p></p><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>10. Zut!</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONChhDtslUrvS0CjDTc981QKe6soAIQ3Wvd6aXBs4nZBdW8LfBu-PJu2J-wh9_F6Z9b02kW2LFyvdQpa-6dZUb4kd5YcJQ9-TST6Y-ABBtmIbwiHbV3PKHoCXp8_-ViH1higW21uZT7U/s1687/zut.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="1687" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONChhDtslUrvS0CjDTc981QKe6soAIQ3Wvd6aXBs4nZBdW8LfBu-PJu2J-wh9_F6Z9b02kW2LFyvdQpa-6dZUb4kd5YcJQ9-TST6Y-ABBtmIbwiHbV3PKHoCXp8_-ViH1higW21uZT7U/w400-h268/zut.png" width="400" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">What? (purpose of the activity)</span></b></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a fun game that helps students remember French numbers and can tie in to math outcomes about multiples.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How? (steps)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">Ask the students to stand in a circle.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Choose a number to be the "Zut!" </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">One at a time, students count in French around the circle, but for every multiple of your chosen number, the student must say "Zut" instead of the number.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">For example, if the number is 4, then the first student would say "un." The next student says "deux." Then "trois." Then "zut!" (instead of quatre). The next student would go on to "cinq."</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">If a student is supposed to say zut, but says the number, that student is out. A student is also out if they count the wrong number. For example, if they count sept after cinq and forget six. A student is also out if they say zut when it isn't a multiple of the chosen number.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Every time a student is out, the next person starts back at un. I usually start the year by challenging my class to get all the way to 31 without a mistake. It's tricky, but last year's class made it to 31 before winter break!</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Whenever we have a bit of time, my students always ask to play Zut! It's definitely a favourite.</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Bonus Activities using a Verb Ball :</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06UqOJYGh5GRU2MN_p-7J3x_X-6mrhMZPka9On0z-i5O1kRi_irWbGQaWZnq-d5h2B8q4KmFLlWZmCkNfexCNgcv2zv4h2qf8ia29eOVbEmBGqejXIY_kDQxhba0qpWNh4FBgjnIS6r4/s316/verb+ball.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06UqOJYGh5GRU2MN_p-7J3x_X-6mrhMZPka9On0z-i5O1kRi_irWbGQaWZnq-d5h2B8q4KmFLlWZmCkNfexCNgcv2zv4h2qf8ia29eOVbEmBGqejXIY_kDQxhba0qpWNh4FBgjnIS6r4/s16000/verb+ball.jpg" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">There are several
ways to use a “Verb Ball” in your classroom. Here are a few I’ve done:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><u>SET UP:</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Write the standard subject pronouns (je, tu, il, elle,
on, nous, vous, ils, elles) on a beach ball (or other soft ball that can be
passed around the classroom). </span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Make sure to cover the ball with pronouns.</span></span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><u>PRONOUN RECOGNITION:</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Have students pass the ball to one another. </span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The student who catches the ball will translate the
subject pronoun under his or her thumb to English.</span></span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">
</span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">REGULAR VERB ENDINGS:</span></u></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Have students pass the ball to one another. When a
student tosses the ball, he or she will say a regular verb category (ER, RE, or
IR).</span></span></li><li><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The student who catches the ball will give the correct
verb ending for the subject pronoun under his or her thumb.</span></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: black;">VERB CONJUGATION:</span></u></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This works for whatever verb you are working on at the
time. </span></span></li><li><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Have students pass the ball to one another.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The student who catches the ball will conjugate the
verb for the subject pronoun under his or her thumb.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If you are working on a verb group (RE verbs, for
example), the student who tosses the ball can choose a verb for the person who
catches the ball to conjugate.</span></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><span style="font-size: large;">Which of these activities do you think could be useful in your FSL class? What other activities do you use that your kids love? Let me know in the comments.</span><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/s809/signature.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-69593782533054060622021-07-26T17:46:00.009-07:002022-07-19T13:00:35.894-07:00Embracing Student Self-Assessment in Middle School<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHc78D_yripJp7WwH-wa2eAPS1U8MEWhzAn_E3KR9TIakc5nDkZxwP3rVUFFacNGi0LlRNN71WrNcN1sPJJJwNtwN8S-Yj6qWvyhXToJI5emMQA3wqEeQNp-P6svVl6LB0Y_CZ0uqkMA/s2048/Depositphotos_82492514_xl-2015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1637" data-original-width="2048" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHc78D_yripJp7WwH-wa2eAPS1U8MEWhzAn_E3KR9TIakc5nDkZxwP3rVUFFacNGi0LlRNN71WrNcN1sPJJJwNtwN8S-Yj6qWvyhXToJI5emMQA3wqEeQNp-P6svVl6LB0Y_CZ0uqkMA/w405-h324/Depositphotos_82492514_xl-2015.jpg" width="405" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have spent a lot of time over the past few years thinking about assessment. What does it mean? What does it look like in Middle School? How can teachers do it well? What's the "best" way to assess student growth and learning?</span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Assessment has become a passion of mine, and I am ever-evolving on my quest to do it well. Here, I'll share some ideas and observations I've noticed over the past few years in my own classroom and those around me. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>What is assessment?</b></u></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Assessment is the process of gathering information and data in order to gain an understanding of the strengths and struggles of our students and their learning. It is meant to help measure the progress of learning and to inform where to go next.</span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Assessment can take many forms. Teachers (and students and parents) tend to think of testing as assessment. While testing is one way to gather assessment data, it is not the only form of assessment that should be used in a middle school classroom. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">I believe that the most important form of assessment is student self-assessment. If students have a good understanding of how they are doing and where they are on their learning journey, they can better set realistic short- and long-term goals for themselves. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">My personal goal each year is for my students to stop asking me "How am I doing in this class?" and instead have a great answer for me when I ask them "How are you doing in this class?" I never want students to be surprised when a Point of Progress (report card) is sent home. Ideally, they are writing that Point of Progress with me and will be able to talk about their progress with their parents when they get home. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">It takes a lot of time and practice to get to that stage, but I truly believe that the most important skill I can teach to my middle schoolers is how to effectively and accurately assess their own learning. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">So, how do you teach self-assessment skills to middle schoolers?</span></b></u></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Be prepared to put in the time</span></b></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">It starts with an attitude and understanding that this will be a continual process from the first day of school until the last. Teachers need to be willing to put in the time to devote to self-assessment. Luckily, I work in a middle school with self-contained classes, meaning I am a generalist teacher and I have my class all day for all subjects except P.E. and ADST (Applied Design, Skills, and Technology - foods, art, woodshop, coding, etc.). We also do not have prescribed minutes/percentages of our schedule that must be devoted to specific subject areas, so teachers have a lot of flexibility and control over their day-to-day schedules. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a typical week, I set aside 1-3 blocks for students to work on self-assessment. I have had teachers come to me concerned about the time that it takes to teach these self-assessment skills "eating away" at their curricular time for subjects, but I remind them that the Career Education curriculum in B.C. includes self-assessment skills. This work is curricular and is not wasted time.</span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Students need to understand the curriculum</span></b></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">If students are to accurately assess their learning based on the curriculum, they need to know the curriculum. I start off the year by giving the curriculum documents to my students (one subject at a time) and we go through what curricular competencies (skills) we are planning to develop in the year. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Students work in groups to put the curricular competencies into friendlier language so that they can understand what those skills actually mean. I've found that it is really helpful to re-write the competencies into "I can" statements, as it gives the student language right away to begin to assess their own learning.</span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some examples from the <a href="https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/english-language-arts/6/core" target="_blank">BC Grade 6 English Language Arts</a> curriculum:</span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYzQx3VkWbFu3vSP0ccQG-l5CEwwTnjctGDDKrUc9aKTezFHlQLh_8Xly9aX2FlXKQiUOkKwuDsLs2pAoMlFiJ-Jt67grFI5H6nGKKehaXl-C_QYC4ouK-YXoBgNirwFIRzwWB-RiyjI/s948/curr.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="948" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYzQx3VkWbFu3vSP0ccQG-l5CEwwTnjctGDDKrUc9aKTezFHlQLh_8Xly9aX2FlXKQiUOkKwuDsLs2pAoMlFiJ-Jt67grFI5H6nGKKehaXl-C_QYC4ouK-YXoBgNirwFIRzwWB-RiyjI/w640-h401/curr.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Students need to understand the evaluation scale</b></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">In order to evaluate where they are on the marking scale, students need to fully understand what each of the descriptors means. Whether you use traditional letter grades or another evaluation scale, this is key. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am supremely happy that my district has decided to move away from letter grades, and teachers do not need to use them to evaluate student progress anymore. Instead, my district has adopted the <a href="https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/classroom-assessment/student-reporting-policy-pilot" target="_blank">BC Provincial Proficiency Scale</a>. I like that this scale is a strength-based form of assessment and not a deficit-based model like letter grades and percentages. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-56b53dfa-7fff-514f-5357-b5696dd921ea"><img height="187" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/YhQ9SVelm_nIiAlFd4RESHfedtSaBxKk0oKWcE9POEbuwWmp2BeMocVbuJqx5btKLELQQcPV3TJlndZCpqJHxkJoQ7QME7ydu3OZaUUsX7gzmfvYlGmyRIpn1zY1GISS5iuT6VI=w640-h187" title="BC Proficiency Scale" width="640" /></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This scale has 4 descriptors: Emerging, Developing, Proficient, and Extending. The language in the scale is not perfect - for example, what is the difference between complete understanding and sophisticated understanding? </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">To help break down the scale, a team of teachers in my school created a document for students as a guide so that they can place themselves more easily on the scale. </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some of the details of each descriptor:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know I’m working at the </span><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emerging</span><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> level because:</span></span></p><p></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I need an adult to help me start my assignments</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I need an adult close by to help me along the way to finish my work</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I have some understanding or knowledge about what we’re learning</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I may not be able to finish all my work on my own</span></span></p></li></ul><span face="Century Gothic, sans-serif" style="color: red;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know I’m working at the </span><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Developing</span><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> level because:</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I sometimes need reminders to begin or complete tasks</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I can follow examples to create something new</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I need feedback from the teacher to know if I’m on track</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I have a lot of questions, but I might not ask them</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">When I’m comfortable, I can show what I know</span></span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know I’m working at the </span><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Proficient</span><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> level because:</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I can begin and complete my work when I understand the criteria</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I can create something new without a lot of direction from the teacher</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I check my work against criteria and rubrics</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I feel confident about what we’re learning </span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I can show what I know, even if I’m not totally comfortable</span></span></p></li></ul><span face="Century Gothic, sans-serif" style="color: red;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know I’m working at the </span><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Extending</span><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> level because:</span></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I can begin and complete my work independently</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I can create something new and look for ways to exceed the criteria</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I can make connections between what we’re learning and what I’ve learned in the past</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I ask questions to extend my learning</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;">I can show what I know in an interesting, unique, or new way</span></span></p></li></ul><p></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once students are familiar with the language of the descriptors, have students practice discussing and assessing exemplars and previous student work (with names removed). Make sure to show examples at a range of levels and abilities, not just those which are "proficient." This allows them to get used to the language in a safe way before they have to look inward at their own abilities.</span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Decide on your format</b></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once students understand the curriculum and the evaluation scale, you need to decide how they will communicate their learning with you and with their families. There are a variety of formats you and your students could use: journals, portfolios, videos, conversations/conferences, points of progress, etc.</span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are a few formats I've used with students. Note, these are all formats that are useful for summative reporting/communicating with families at the end of a project/reporting period.</span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Point of Progress (Report Card)</b></span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHhdacRcoD_FxdJQNZprNo5VuS1IKQ-nZluw7M-cGrD8CTbJSHiNx55SLT_04c9tI_fgWcAQotXX5knaINZRE-k4C9qRIrAo_iq1py3b_VGL_7fyo1ZY5NyaVR0Etr2fo51XAmPvtwu4/s1502/French+Self-Assess+PoP.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1502" data-original-width="1127" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHhdacRcoD_FxdJQNZprNo5VuS1IKQ-nZluw7M-cGrD8CTbJSHiNx55SLT_04c9tI_fgWcAQotXX5knaINZRE-k4C9qRIrAo_iq1py3b_VGL_7fyo1ZY5NyaVR0Etr2fo51XAmPvtwu4/w480-h640/French+Self-Assess+PoP.png" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">This format is helpful for parents because it looks like a report card, so it is more familiar as a way to communicate student learning than, for example, a portfolio entry. If students and parents are new to student self-assessment, it can be challenging to get them to "buy in." It includes a few curricular competencies, and students assess their proficiency levels on each competency. I had students ask if they could shade a section between two categories (between proficient and developing, for example), which I thought was a great idea. The most important part of this document is their justification of how they know they are working at the level they chose.</span><p></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Portfolios</b></span></li></ul><span style="font-size: large;"><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76k18vrKg4eVuYAOC5uRJNI4zGsWpHohXvYJTJWNnN4CnriyRzI-rgk3Hc7c4iH8mL2lz5VaUcpIDhC3PO1Fyz3Z18b4zcHeYEg0gNujz4sEcb-ixQyyVgf9rVWZ3wRhAbgGpC-QomDM/s781/portf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="781" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76k18vrKg4eVuYAOC5uRJNI4zGsWpHohXvYJTJWNnN4CnriyRzI-rgk3Hc7c4iH8mL2lz5VaUcpIDhC3PO1Fyz3Z18b4zcHeYEg0gNujz4sEcb-ixQyyVgf9rVWZ3wRhAbgGpC-QomDM/w640-h410/portf.png" width="640" /></a></div>I used a few different formats for portfolios this year, but this version was my favourite. For these portfolios, I asked students to choose one of the curricular competencies/skills and reflect on that skill. They needed to include a proficiency scale reflection and evidence as to why they rated themselves the way they did. This student also included a photo of their finished poem (which is unfortunately too blurry to read).<p></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For these portfolios, I assessed the competency/skill that the student assessed. I like that this gives student agency and choice over which standards/skills are being reported on to send home. If they feel like they are doing well on one particular skill, they can reflect on that one, and can wait until later in the year to reflect on skills where they may still be emerging or developing. I sent these home in place of a report card for some of the reporting periods last year.</p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Competency Reflections</b></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnK2tJkerzv2mMjgOhh3qtFGqM5LaVxF35eMaINsOgTUCmUrtt_BpteZldEHxZGnJWgFfF0jmJhqfl76JJlICr1QP4wIb0fsuVXR_b1DVttcpHJWTdFFJxXiWz0z3rrfYiDpgW7Dj7xhA/s1329/french.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="1329" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnK2tJkerzv2mMjgOhh3qtFGqM5LaVxF35eMaINsOgTUCmUrtt_BpteZldEHxZGnJWgFfF0jmJhqfl76JJlICr1QP4wIb0fsuVXR_b1DVttcpHJWTdFFJxXiWz0z3rrfYiDpgW7Dj7xhA/w640-h422/french.png" width="640" /></a></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was an idea I borrowed from a colleague. For these reflections, students choose 2-4 competencies per subject area that they wish to reflect on and explain why they have rated themselves the way they have. With a teacher comment added in, these could be sent home instead of report cards. I am planning to modify this slightly for next year as shown below:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3gQW1-itPoBDtKByo0RholcBk9KuO5Af8F0yBUQASmyAlTZOaZn2NPoGs6Yd36eS1MlebLJoBk280AudcvLyQpDWSFf-goJTrpQZ9CHNGiQLes2dOOzMsUQo62DJOOMF-R7uXgxnA-Q/s1588/science.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1588" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3gQW1-itPoBDtKByo0RholcBk9KuO5Af8F0yBUQASmyAlTZOaZn2NPoGs6Yd36eS1MlebLJoBk280AudcvLyQpDWSFf-goJTrpQZ9CHNGiQLes2dOOzMsUQo62DJOOMF-R7uXgxnA-Q/w640-h434/science.png" width="640" /></a></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I plan to make a Google Document for each student with the competencies for each subject, a section for student notes, and a section for teacher notes. I will have access, as will the student (and maybe even the parent). As we work on different competencies, the students and I can add notes to the document. If parents have access, too, they can check into their child's progress whenever they choose to, and won't have to wait for specific reporting periods for an update. That way, it will become more formative, and not just summative assessment.</p>Let me know in the comments which of these formats you'd like to try or if you have other great self-assessment ideas to share!</span><p></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/s809/signature.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/w200-h108/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><p></p>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-87521890061103085602021-07-19T15:51:00.008-07:002022-07-19T13:01:02.051-07:00Programming Spheros in Middle School<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglthKjSmPUC5Wrzx_SBbfH3VNLuglkLxvYInfj7jGYVwC85czzoy1wJjpuCC84j_8KgKlIXIldqOQdrrZPpi2vWIZXpSG0RbjvT6Vn-pBWa1Jk7pgMHrRwx8ht1WdZxqyYJnBH83jEP6o/s1261/spheros+cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1261" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglthKjSmPUC5Wrzx_SBbfH3VNLuglkLxvYInfj7jGYVwC85czzoy1wJjpuCC84j_8KgKlIXIldqOQdrrZPpi2vWIZXpSG0RbjvT6Vn-pBWa1Jk7pgMHrRwx8ht1WdZxqyYJnBH83jEP6o/w387-h275/spheros+cover.png" width="387" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>This year, I was fortunate enough to collaborate with my amazing Teacher-Librarian to teach my Grade 6 students about </span><a href="https://sphero.com/" target="_blank">Spheros</a></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>What are spheros?</u></b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKbJAMqbejS8dsqHDjRPG_WB6afSdVrA2NRm4YVro4PytdFGfA4o3BLv2oZvmUs4yc7j9EcX-sR-c4hV7VPdSgch5PTtt6aiNHfoGD7H867oORTSCnCTFSYfTrPhFMjRt9B7oblJOWdU/s565/sphero.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="565" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKbJAMqbejS8dsqHDjRPG_WB6afSdVrA2NRm4YVro4PytdFGfA4o3BLv2oZvmUs4yc7j9EcX-sR-c4hV7VPdSgch5PTtt6aiNHfoGD7H867oORTSCnCTFSYfTrPhFMjRt9B7oblJOWdU/w284-h283/sphero.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Spheros are spherical robots that are great for beginners because they are very durable! The library doors were open one day and one of my students made an error in her program and the sphero raced out the door, down the stairs, and ended up behind a vending machine! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>How did we use spheros?</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm not an expert in robotics, but luckily for me (and my students), our Teacher-Librarian is. She began working with my class once a week on programming in a variety of lessons, which culminated in our students working in partners to program the spheros to reach specific coordinates on a coordinate plane. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This group decided to make a right angle triangle with their sphero. You can see where they marked the page with their attempted coordinates, and they were very close to their goal!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwOZq4IxCJsT2E59zp9V1QTUdxlQHvOnt14GLAz2hYqXXpQJHqXr-VlXsj1BQep78Zcc1mzL8w3RsXJC0TdiA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once the students were pretty sure their program was accurate, we dipped the spheros in paint and recorded their journeys.</span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXrTh8FAygtFU2b8LmkdXNkYK7srUwLs59LOwVOcQFF1qLX7EBE5k5tWFf1-tSH_tPz2A_jf3FmD7_vxtAamjYvVx3dvXrUwOuNPn-7SthqTJqbSseHvS_BodoxPjTdmMCi-pjjsgRS8/s982/IMG_8181.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXrTh8FAygtFU2b8LmkdXNkYK7srUwLs59LOwVOcQFF1qLX7EBE5k5tWFf1-tSH_tPz2A_jf3FmD7_vxtAamjYvVx3dvXrUwOuNPn-7SthqTJqbSseHvS_BodoxPjTdmMCi-pjjsgRS8/s320/IMG_8181.JPEG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk_-m2bqEGKXPWFY9JRGzYSvR46WcepFiTVOe8lZPHPASUhFj8yMf0u_5jrnDOY_TnDyXxUTN5qUv6IIYe5KuwqNA4cl_gyf6HXK63RtwqpNCJn-mg6FaP3NFI-oQ7nFJ31f3k5uJc2I/s987/IMG_8182.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMk_-m2bqEGKXPWFY9JRGzYSvR46WcepFiTVOe8lZPHPASUhFj8yMf0u_5jrnDOY_TnDyXxUTN5qUv6IIYe5KuwqNA4cl_gyf6HXK63RtwqpNCJn-mg6FaP3NFI-oQ7nFJ31f3k5uJc2I/s320/IMG_8182.JPEG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILvwuEEHZZpdh7WN4yOR6jZd-k4pGo2LjVh1Lg4uvCOyiXIc3r1d8noJh0z7FfEC_V-WSxRa7KjYb-EfOg1DppXzaDhDvZFYfF0EnUaYblbiQQGQlpMkjuHLETB60aKDkkTVWhj9pJas/s979/IMG_8183.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILvwuEEHZZpdh7WN4yOR6jZd-k4pGo2LjVh1Lg4uvCOyiXIc3r1d8noJh0z7FfEC_V-WSxRa7KjYb-EfOg1DppXzaDhDvZFYfF0EnUaYblbiQQGQlpMkjuHLETB60aKDkkTVWhj9pJas/s320/IMG_8183.JPEG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>What did we learn?</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As you can see from the photos, many groups tried several times with the paint because the paths were not as expected. We didn't account for the extra resistance that the paint would have on the spheros, and a lot of the kids were disappointed that their paint trials weren't as accurate as their original trials. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">However, there was so much discussion and conversation between the partners, and they were using scientific and mathematical language without realizing it. Our principal joined us for the paint day and was super impressed with the level of conversation of these Grade 6 students.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This project fit in so many curricular areas in BC, including ADST (applied Design, Skills, and Technology), Career Education, and Math. The main outcomes we kept coming back to were from Science:</span></p><div class="views-row col-12 col-md mx-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: url("/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/themes/custom/curriculum/images/icons/c_and_c_bullet_black_75.png") !important; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b3b3b; flex: 1 0 0px; font-family: BCSans, Verdana, Arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0.25rem; margin-right: 0.25rem; max-width: 100%; min-height: 1px; padding-left: 30px; padding-right: 15px; position: relative; width: 602.987px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="views-field views-field-nothing" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span class="field-content" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Identify possible sources of error</span></li><li><span class="field-content" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Co-operatively design projects</span></li><li><span class="field-content" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Suggest improvements to their investigation methods</span></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="views-row col-12 col-md mx-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: url("/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/themes/custom/curriculum/images/icons/c_and_c_bullet_black_75.png") !important; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b3b3b; flex: 1 0 0px; font-family: BCSans, Verdana, Arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0.25rem; margin-right: 0.25rem; max-width: 100%; min-height: 1px; padding-left: 30px; padding-right: 15px; position: relative; width: 602.987px;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>My takeaways</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I will definitely try this again, but I think I will need to give them more time. Each week, we had one block of about 45 minutes in the library, but by the end of that block, some teams were just figuring out their codes. In the future, I would give at least 1-1.5 hour blocks to this project so that the students who need more time can have it, and the students who catch on quickly can try another challenge.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also wish we had more time to try the painting again after they realized the resistance and drag of the paint, but we didn't have any more library blocks. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It would be great to let the kids come up with their own challenges or challenges for their classmates, as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Where to go next?</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A Grade 8 teacher in my school also used Spheros with her class. For them, the challenge was to draw an X-House in one continuous line. This could be a challenge for my Grade 6s who finish quickly. Here's a look at one group of Grade 8s!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy8LWEme_-jyJcw017IBuyFnISv0kHe5bZWt5o_TQnIPEMPuiujjBu1s7LZTU2Sfv73ev_74ANJnMzdEe9DiQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00CDTCEWZtaBPwzOlS_fJqzxAF4Hokb0_hxC6yZVPayvhENHgXuQ8OpmB44lmi0DeQV8f-BrRQ6OB46u2Fc3cbyNRn1ww8BXIo-oVe4qtJFi0aKVXPQkRLmUZsforH3pjefqwSWPKvK0/s2048/IMG_7882.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00CDTCEWZtaBPwzOlS_fJqzxAF4Hokb0_hxC6yZVPayvhENHgXuQ8OpmB44lmi0DeQV8f-BrRQ6OB46u2Fc3cbyNRn1ww8BXIo-oVe4qtJFi0aKVXPQkRLmUZsforH3pjefqwSWPKvK0/s320/IMG_7882.JPEG" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'd love to hear how you use Spheros with your middle schoolers! Let me know in the comments below!</span></p><div class="views-row col-12 col-md mx-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: url("/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/themes/custom/curriculum/images/icons/c_and_c_bullet_black_75.png") !important; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b3b3b; flex: 1 0 0px; font-family: BCSans, Verdana, Arial, "sans serif"; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0.25rem; margin-right: 0.25rem; max-width: 100%; min-height: 1px; padding-left: 30px; padding-right: 15px; position: relative; width: 602.987px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/s809/signature.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxb-g0iagbM27KQf7L2_y8bi7iuRM1KBdBkYUCKIOVt2bm5M3pf4n5MoybUAFX80L8VpAinAULqoRUK9SOkM9eq0at0QMLomeL67uN5QMFaQBpOkmQmuWq6zahHgLqFKv8sesK_6DN7g/w204-h110/signature.png" width="204" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div></div></div></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-77482162989156539122020-03-17T22:14:00.001-07:002020-03-17T22:14:47.102-07:00Practical Ideas to Encourage Learning at Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcFv7qTcjK2Vxysnlkj_iHojvIE5VmYaiCUSkFSYL0L1WKQiBfHuUWpcOcd4xNOQoj0SszxVGNRC5DBdnBIWx1dnvy9QOUNCaSZO_5YMhreBC25kVxbhqdhg-GKB11teY-eFAzjLpNMM/s1600/blog1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcFv7qTcjK2Vxysnlkj_iHojvIE5VmYaiCUSkFSYL0L1WKQiBfHuUWpcOcd4xNOQoj0SszxVGNRC5DBdnBIWx1dnvy9QOUNCaSZO_5YMhreBC25kVxbhqdhg-GKB11teY-eFAzjLpNMM/s400/blog1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As schools around the world are closing their doors to in-classroom learning in the hope of slowing the spread of COVID-19, many parents are wondering what they can do to keep their children in a learning frame of mind. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm in BC, Canada, on our scheduled Spring Break right now, but today our province was the latest to announce that students will not be returning to school when Spring Break ends. While that is upsetting, it is absolutely the correct call to make sure that students and staff stay healthy. As of now, we don't know what school will look like for the remainder of the year, and that is, understandably, a cause of concern for many parents. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's important to remember that even though they are out of school, they won't stop learning. People learn. In whatever situation they find themselves, people learn. However, in order to help ease the anxiety, here are a few things that children can do at home with their parents to keep the routine of learning happening during self-isolation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>English:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Write in a journal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Watch a movie together as a family and find the main ideas, make connections to other movies, books, TV shows, real life, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Read a book! As they read, encourage students to:</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">write down any words they don't know. Look up the definitions of the words at dictionary.com and write a few new sentences containing the word.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">respond to what's happening in the book with a journal. They can write from the perspective of a main character or as themselves, asking the characters questions.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">notice the characteristics of the main characters. Who do these characters remind them of? Are they like anyone in real life? Are they like characters from other stories? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">draw pictures of the characters and the settings in the book. Then write new adventures for those characters within the same settings. What would happen if the characters found themselves in completely different settings?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Write a book review or record a YouTube video giving a review of the book. Remember not to give away any spoilers in the review!</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Math:</u></b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Bake together. Ask students to follow a recipe and measure out the ingredients. How about doubling the recipe? How could you half the recipe?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Involve them in grocery shopping. Look online or at flyers to see prices and set a budget. Have students add the prices mentally as you go through the store and estimate the total cost before you get to the register.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Watch some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rDVz_Fb6HQ" target="_blank">TedEd Riddles on YouTube</a> and see if they can solve them faster than you!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Play Yahtzee, Cribbage, or other games that involve counting and strategy.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Solve Sudoku puzzles.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Play <a href="https://www.prodigygame.com/" target="_blank">Prodigy</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Science/Social Studies:</u></b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Follow <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6b17PVsYBQ0ip5gyeme-Q" target="_blank">Crash Course on YouTube</a>. It has videos about history, engineering, biology, A.I., and many other topics. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErKUCncCyBgEdxWAtrj5hg" target="_blank">Hip Hughes History</a> on YouTube. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Ask students to compare the COVID-19 pandemic to other worldwide pandemics (SARS, MERS, Spanish Flu, Black Plague, etc.). How do they compare with each other? What is different? What did we learn from the past that helps us now?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Research how the immune system works to fight diseases.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Other Ideas:</u></b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Play board games.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Play outside or go for a walk (as much as social-distancing allows)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Listen to music and sing songs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Dance. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Make art.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Let students explore their interests. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Talk about the history of your family. Where are your ancestors from? Do you know your genealogy? </span></li>
</ul>
<br /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Remember that your day doesn't have to be scheduled to the minute or include everything that would happen at school. It's okay if your kids sleep in a little later than usual. Letting your kids play, solve problems, and explore their interests will create rich learning opportunities.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Any other ideas I missed? Let me know in the comments below.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR8ClR5Y1RALqWIZ8mRQnXdsvA3xb-YdRjGxXAWXYC0OsPNBkTn4CJSNxnylhDo2ttaGDdvLPC5f5EGBYLZWbjZm7j89o5wP3L06HDdrr9uTm5-xIcsGQE-hsiSOhPN60T7qXidWcR5E/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR8ClR5Y1RALqWIZ8mRQnXdsvA3xb-YdRjGxXAWXYC0OsPNBkTn4CJSNxnylhDo2ttaGDdvLPC5f5EGBYLZWbjZm7j89o5wP3L06HDdrr9uTm5-xIcsGQE-hsiSOhPN60T7qXidWcR5E/s200/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-54541575950431085872020-01-25T11:55:00.005-08:002022-07-26T21:17:35.510-07:00Why I don't take marks off for late work<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUWH1FuxngPVytNH0d-dZzFYk-mTc9yV2X6eg9BXgJPNRF123uB1n94UQ5pIpy27gMtom2Mz5qiXlWcV4PQLT0OdWqSIBpcXes8SIDvAq2CxWhKwhDzGAS7pUL6SzflWOeZSFojs-GzA/s1600/Depositphotos_35544501_xl-2015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUWH1FuxngPVytNH0d-dZzFYk-mTc9yV2X6eg9BXgJPNRF123uB1n94UQ5pIpy27gMtom2Mz5qiXlWcV4PQLT0OdWqSIBpcXes8SIDvAq2CxWhKwhDzGAS7pUL6SzflWOeZSFojs-GzA/s320/Depositphotos_35544501_xl-2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">It is so frustrating to sit down to mark an assignment, and see
that only 60% of students have handed it in! I then have to track down the missing
work. It could be a simple process (reminding students to turn in the
assignment that is finished, but at the bottom of a locker or backpack) or it
could be more complicated and time consuming (supervising the students on my
lunch break or after school to make sure the assignment is completed or calling
home to parents).</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Taking off marks for turning in late work would surely
motivate the students to hand in their work on time, right? And if it doesn’t
truly motivate students, at least it is a deterrent to handing in late work,
right? Maybe not.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As my understanding of assessment has grown and changed, my
thoughts on this topic have changed. When I was a new teacher, I took marks off
for late work, but I don’t anymore. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here’s why.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="text-decoration-line: underline; text-indent: -0.25in;"><u><br /></u></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. I’m assessing curricular competencies and content
outcomes, not work habits</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Each assignment I give my students should be assessing a
specific skill, curricular competency, or content outcome. If my goal is to
assess my students’ ability to construct full sentences in French using the
proper conjugation of the verb “avoir,” then that is what should be marked.
When a student turns in their sentences doesn’t affect their ability to create
the sentences. If the sentences are correct, whenever they are turned in, then the
student has met the intended learning outcome and shows proficiency in that
skill. That is what I am truly assessing.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2. Taking off marks can have the opposite effect than
desired</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">If points are taken off every day that an assignment is late,
then it stands to reason that at some point, the assignment will be worth 0
points. When students reach the stage when their assignments are not worth any
more points, what is the motivation to complete it and turn it in at all? If the goal is for the work to be done, so that the student can demonstrate
a skill or share their thinking on a concept, taking off marks may actually
stop that learning from taking place.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3. It doesn’t make much difference in student behaviour</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">In my experience, taking off marks for late work isn’t the
motivator that teachers hope it will be. When I was a new teacher, I took marks
off for late work, but I still had students who handed in late work. I realize
now that it was a punitive action to take off marks, not an educational action.
It didn’t help my Grade 9 students become more organized or manage their time
better. Those who were already organized benefited, but those who weren’t did
not. Students who were struggling with the material, who didn't have anyone at home to help them, who had busy lives outside of school (part time jobs, sports, etc.), were being treated unfairly.</span></li></ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>So, what should we do instead?</b></span><p></p><ul><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Be mindful of what we are assessing. Is it an
academic skill or a work habit? If it is an academic skill, is time management part of that skill?</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Explicitly teach organizational and time
management skills and strategies.</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Teach students how to prioritize their time.</span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Talk with students who frequently hand in late
assignments to figure out why. Having empathy for our students reduces our
frustration when they don’t behave the way we expect.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">So, what do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Do
you take off marks for late work? Why or why not?</span><p></p>
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<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-17314097272413153052019-07-31T20:10:00.001-07:002022-07-19T13:01:23.049-07:00Systems of Government Game for Middle School<span style="font-size: large;">Teaching systems of government has never been my favourite subject to cover in the Social Studies curriculum. It tends to be a dry topic with very little student engagement. To try and make it more engaging and interesting for our students, a colleague and I came up with a game to introduce the idea of different systems of government.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwENW3XDU15hpttj6Yaf0I2sNpsVs4aJB_3mAISbZLo7XAR_bxCYaGS3UjHWVDi4hl74dIEGGbLsHfIaIqnUQG9EbMh8TrdU0a0Y8a5FLxpo-A4sHKie4RxSd0fX0fD0MGbEUSkMOO7w/s1600/systems+of+government+cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="843" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwENW3XDU15hpttj6Yaf0I2sNpsVs4aJB_3mAISbZLo7XAR_bxCYaGS3UjHWVDi4hl74dIEGGbLsHfIaIqnUQG9EbMh8TrdU0a0Y8a5FLxpo-A4sHKie4RxSd0fX0fD0MGbEUSkMOO7w/s640/systems+of+government+cover.png" width="482" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Materials You'll Need:</u></b></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">10 pieces of paper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">10 glue sticks</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">10 pairs of scissors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">government cards, <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ILkvs_l7NqHNo1h8SUZE5MxGmP51dSwm" target="_blank">downloadable here</a></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Overview:</u></b></span><br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Students are arranged into 5 different groups. Each group represents a different country with a different system of government.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">The teacher will distribute a red government card to each group. Each card represents a different system of government. They are: anarchy, dictatorship, direct democracy, republic, and constitutional monarchy.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ILkvs_l7NqHNo1h8SUZE5MxGmP51dSwm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1098" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQ1ummCvt67-YgSLRFPeE7JcizERZFuy5wSquLUxhuBB52pz5aaHm9NHt3wyzYAutjU8b9sJQXJwptO_D4UbobSZ05DN4K-SZC2fh3FGO_RKVePOJotMl3zQep91CRCvSBDZmR8HffeY/s400/const.mon1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ILkvs_l7NqHNo1h8SUZE5MxGmP51dSwm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1098" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWHUzPfiQvOu_6sRYMQa891uHTtN648UGdkqneFzZunm8mFIosdWaw2Ebft8LJt3c72nQwXMMuoDrR2_ABr9Zra8fNZS4jpzD-KrMZoT2qMHXElZesWJCyPeO92e_NUQBXCw_dAxLEVY/s400/dem1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Each group follows the rules on their card to make the longest paper chain possible with just one piece of paper.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">After each group has begun, there will be a coup in each country and the groups will be given a new blue government card with a new system of government. There is also a new objective - to make a chain with exactly 100 links.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ILkvs_l7NqHNo1h8SUZE5MxGmP51dSwm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1098" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEIyUDdDjrjLT088VrGRT56DAeNIGRB9crNGM1-1mBNJvTIAYb9V1GBRNjQSznWcyr11hK0MMqHmfuNLQwVol1Adyrj-aOTRgWyCTE9K1TkrtQjiEk2cICH-PyiQn8IrZlKxHhgDMBgc/s400/dictatorship2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ILkvs_l7NqHNo1h8SUZE5MxGmP51dSwm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1098" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiswFwSwnK73jVkqZff7TYw_v_pxEyKJsD540tB_jWjhgs1NlPEP91VA8OOVRx8LSxHuvjAHpB6ftwE3cabckvVJqlnVcz1RTs5sfM9yGXBfwlCCtT0C2Ap6HsNqB-aLyJn3VYFtjZzc/s400/anarchy2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">After the game, students can reflect on the government systems, how decisions were made, and which systems they would/would not like to live within.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This game fits into many areas of the BC Grade 6 Curriculum. There are curricular connections for Social Studies, English Language Arts, Career Education, ADST, and Math.</span><br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ILkvs_l7NqHNo1h8SUZE5MxGmP51dSwm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyChyphenhyphen7dkS99EchV7v973bySvvfY3G7HWR4o-_PbrHWx3Wu_7Yp0F0KV4PpIU6usCxwtYUWUFz_ZhFDlo82BDU8xWPPewLAmYF64_no5hjSBE6PfJAWvxUuwt2sdGcEP4I3ietJ6IOgMXk/s640/govgamecurric.png" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To get the complete file with instructions, curricular connections, and government cards, <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ILkvs_l7NqHNo1h8SUZE5MxGmP51dSwm" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We envisioned this as a beginning provocation to introduce different systems of government, but it could be used in the middle of a government unit, at the end for review, or as a jumping off point for any kind of student inquiry to systems of government or country studies. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I hope you and your students have fun playing this game!</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR8ClR5Y1RALqWIZ8mRQnXdsvA3xb-YdRjGxXAWXYC0OsPNBkTn4CJSNxnylhDo2ttaGDdvLPC5f5EGBYLZWbjZm7j89o5wP3L06HDdrr9uTm5-xIcsGQE-hsiSOhPN60T7qXidWcR5E/s1600/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbR8ClR5Y1RALqWIZ8mRQnXdsvA3xb-YdRjGxXAWXYC0OsPNBkTn4CJSNxnylhDo2ttaGDdvLPC5f5EGBYLZWbjZm7j89o5wP3L06HDdrr9uTm5-xIcsGQE-hsiSOhPN60T7qXidWcR5E/s200/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div></span></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-19415042971761281402019-07-05T20:41:00.000-07:002019-07-05T20:45:22.338-07:00Augmented Selfie: A Back-to-School, Get-to-Know-You Activity<span style="font-size: large;">This summer, I'm back in school as a student. I'm participating in a Personalized Learning Summer Institute at the University of Victoria as some summer Professional Development. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our first assignment was to create an Augmented Selfie. We had a lot of freedom over how we wanted to put it together, we just had to make sure that it introduced who we are, what we are interested in, and our strengths. Some ideas were to create a collage, a video, or a photo essay.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I decided to create a <a href="https://www.wordclouds.com/" target="_blank">word cloud</a> for mine. I used words to describe my character, interests, and important people in my life.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqCxW5y8BeSQ1pjhXv6-qG6x0eritK8mZnl0jlKf9SoGXGSqHCHlSzyDntT1CnE-tPcNU-o-XoIfWRA-qOvtBlRKyy9TKzIuHufQ61FV5igAslHUiK0V5qdky3OW1aLgswpyi-E5uiaY/s1600/augmented+selfie+no+boarder.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="941" data-original-width="998" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqCxW5y8BeSQ1pjhXv6-qG6x0eritK8mZnl0jlKf9SoGXGSqHCHlSzyDntT1CnE-tPcNU-o-XoIfWRA-qOvtBlRKyy9TKzIuHufQ61FV5igAslHUiK0V5qdky3OW1aLgswpyi-E5uiaY/s400/augmented+selfie+no+boarder.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The whole time I was creating this, I thought about how I was going to use it as one of my first activities this fall with my new Grade 6 students!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you think? I can't wait to have a display in my classroom with all my new students' augmented selfies!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s200/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-4381849251061195622019-06-27T14:21:00.005-07:002022-07-26T20:56:32.982-07:00Why I don’t use a Rewards System for my Middle Schoolers (and What I Do Instead)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrY3EdWj5WN_xnpYoJWML7N_Ne4RI-O_1qBKkBFInmHlDIQdSVPYaQNztbYaZKXwKdDq8sbeBVlAYPJ7a1DNojKK1JJ7-2OPGMZ_V6necIAE_kGTV4aucMqz9cBc9SCuLyymes-LgSW0/s1600/rewards.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1011" data-original-width="1129" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrY3EdWj5WN_xnpYoJWML7N_Ne4RI-O_1qBKkBFInmHlDIQdSVPYaQNztbYaZKXwKdDq8sbeBVlAYPJ7a1DNojKK1JJ7-2OPGMZ_V6necIAE_kGTV4aucMqz9cBc9SCuLyymes-LgSW0/s400/rewards.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Classroom management is probably the most difficult part of teaching middle schoolers. Having 28-35 pre-teens in one room, all at different academic levels with hormones coursing through their veins leads to a lot of behavioural challenges. I’ve tried many different incentive programs to help my kids to focus and follow expectations, including awarding points, good behaviour tickets, and offering prizes for good behaviour. What I found was that each new management technique worked for a short time, but them fizzled out.</span></div>
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<span>After reflecting on my classroom management rewards strategies, these are some realizations I came to:</span></span><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhjUibBlnrme6W9_6ZZhhxF8E9vNevc5QdReH21Bpm_j6xxFozDkrFXzJ6uSCk_a_qD8w-06XE5s_G4q3quekzgUghgtJXRmxWZmpZHC9rN5sIHUJxB5NMXFpYs1LDlKrIaX1GxIx9QNcqk9LMJckXGO5UPRDeEF09zow-LaGV1BUcf9lwikKhkLL/s929/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="929" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhjUibBlnrme6W9_6ZZhhxF8E9vNevc5QdReH21Bpm_j6xxFozDkrFXzJ6uSCk_a_qD8w-06XE5s_G4q3quekzgUghgtJXRmxWZmpZHC9rN5sIHUJxB5NMXFpYs1LDlKrIaX1GxIx9QNcqk9LMJckXGO5UPRDeEF09zow-LaGV1BUcf9lwikKhkLL/w640-h118/Picture1.png" width="640" /></a></div></span></b></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span>I’ve never liked the idea of pointing out undesirable behaviours (by putting student names on the board, for example). To me, it equates to a public shaming, and I’ve never seen it actually help anyone to change course in their behaviour. It seems, more than anything, to reinforce a belief in students that they are “bad” and have no chance to do better.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<span>That’s why incentive programs seemed to me to be a better solution. I thought I’d reward students for showing desirable behaviour, rather than punishing for undesirable behaviour. Surely seeing their classmates being recognized for doing the right thing would encourage others to try the right thing, too, right? Well, what I found was that the students who are recognized for good behaviour weren’t the ones who need the incentive programs, and the motivation for the other classmates just wasn’t there.</span><br />
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<span>Kids don’t think the same way as adults do. Most won’t reason, on their own, that they can get those rewards, too, if they just do what their classmates are doing. Instead, they start to see the gap between them as the “bad” kids and their classmates, the “good” kids getting wider and wider. Those students who are often in trouble for poor behaviour begin to think that there is nothing they can do to reach the same level of their classmates, so why try at all?</span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSD1mscIi6GyhgQBd6F-1KElEMJYe9AgLncaavY7AUeN4csMLgKZiac6rTO0UbDWfZjhCLzV-rEquPQSU1xgU3BuW-Hu7tyqQNYc21LZjU209s_Nu8w1gYENnp9Qj5bfWyImF5KXXkMo20yEkFZLEprsoOt9YTjWdYosrsATyrGbqYbP_lJd0Ka7qk/s929/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="929" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSD1mscIi6GyhgQBd6F-1KElEMJYe9AgLncaavY7AUeN4csMLgKZiac6rTO0UbDWfZjhCLzV-rEquPQSU1xgU3BuW-Hu7tyqQNYc21LZjU209s_Nu8w1gYENnp9Qj5bfWyImF5KXXkMo20yEkFZLEprsoOt9YTjWdYosrsATyrGbqYbP_lJd0Ka7qk/w640-h120/Picture2.png" width="640" /></a></div></span></b></div><div><div><span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span>This is the biggest realization that I had. For one year in a Grade 7 class, I used a ticket system to help with class management. If students had their agendas signed, they got a ticket. If their home reading was completed, they got a ticket. If their classroom job was completed, they got a ticket. If they were reading silently during literacy block, they got a ticket. You get the idea! At the end of the week, the kids could put all their tickets into a bin and we’d draw for a prize. After a while, some students stopped doing their jobs or reading during literacy, etc. because they didn’t like the prizes, so they had no motivation to get the tickets. Then I was left with a worse situation, as the students started to believe that the only reason to follow basic classroom expectations was to get the ticket, and not because it was simply what was expected. Then I had a harder time teaching them about personal responsibility and that being a part of any community, including a classroom, came with certain expectations and responsibilities.</span><br />
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<span>In the real world, people are not praised or rewarded for doing what’s expected of them. I don’t get a ticket or a prize for returning my shopping cart to the store instead of leaving it in the parking lot when I buy groceries, for example, but I do it because it’s what’s expected. I don’t want to teach my students to expect something every time they meet basic expectations, so I stopped giving out tickets.</span></span><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-l7CKNkOwmwuluVukW7hlSO4IQSACOscv0XZbqHguYqECrn2lE-wHUFEyQi8Ca_Si3Cfkj7b_RO7S3BCS6ZHi8Fm4mReOwOudc12_f5fDpD4iRS4q0Ag0E1EgyamKueBhAhWquW9WIz-x8O9kqLSBuuT1IVGLvyLS8LqA75HrcqwH57hRRlJs2f3K/s929/Picture3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="929" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-l7CKNkOwmwuluVukW7hlSO4IQSACOscv0XZbqHguYqECrn2lE-wHUFEyQi8Ca_Si3Cfkj7b_RO7S3BCS6ZHi8Fm4mReOwOudc12_f5fDpD4iRS4q0Ag0E1EgyamKueBhAhWquW9WIz-x8O9kqLSBuuT1IVGLvyLS8LqA75HrcqwH57hRRlJs2f3K/w640-h120/Picture3.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span> used a class points system with a particularly difficult Grade 5 class I worked with. I started it mid-way through the year to see if it would help them to be kinder to each other and more respectful to me, and especially, to substitute teachers who came into the room. I challenged my class to let me “catch them being good.” When I saw someone being respectful, or helping out someone else, etc. I put a point on the board. When they got to a certain number of points, we had a class prize (watch a movie, have popsicles, etc.).</span><br />
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<span>We did this for about a month and the kids were putting more effort into being kinder to each other. I saw it was working, so I slowed down on catching the good behaviour. After all, the points were meant to help them get into the habit of helping each other. Unfortunately, once the points slowed down and the kids realized they weren’t being recognized for kindness anymore, they stopped being kind. The points hadn’t instilled any sort of intrinsic motivation in them, and because the kids were only doing good deeds for recognition, they stopped when the recognition stopped.</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>So, what can teachers do to help promote positive behaviours?</b></span></span></div><div><b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. </b><b>Rem</b><b>ember that all behaviour comes from somewhere.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">A lot of the time, kids aren't trying to be "bad" when they break expectations. Talk with the student and try to understand where the behaviour is coming from. What is lacking that the child is trying to get? Are they looking for power, love, acceptance, attention, etc.? By trying to understand where the behaviour comes from, I've found I can distance the behaviour from the child and I'm not left in a place of frustration and disappointment, but rather empathy. This allows me to work with the student to help them find what they are needing, and the undesirable behaviours stop.</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Build relationships.</b></span></div><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span>I've found that students will be more motivated to work harder for teachers they like and respect. If I start off by liking and respecting them first, asking about their interests, and sharing some of mine, the kids are much more open to redirection when behaviour starts to slip.</span></span></li></ul><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Set routines from day one.</span></b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Include students in the creation of classroom expectations. I have my own expectations in mind, but still ask the students on day one what kind of class they'd like to learn in. Their suggestions will fit into my plans for classroom expectations, anyway, but by asking for their input, they are invested in making it work. In having consistent routines, the students know what to expect and anxiety is reduced.</span></span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Have consistent consequences in mind for breaking expectations...</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span>...but remember that consequences don't have to include punishment, and consistency doesn't mean that every child must be treated the same. They all come into the class with different backgrounds, and a punishment isn't going to help every child to change their behaviour. </span></span></li></ul><b>5. Provide frequent movement breaks outside the classroom.</b>
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span>I'm lucky to teach at a school surrounded by nature. We have two big fields and forests on two sides of the school. We have a pond across the street and a stream in the back forest. I like to spend as much time outside the classroom as I can. For my more active students, I send them outside to run a lap or two of the school between every block, or more frequently if needed. I can tell when they are about to lose focus and I send them out, not because they are in trouble, but because I don't want them to make choices that will get them into trouble.</span></span></li></ul><b>6. Hold a weekly class meeting.</b></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Throughout the week, the students can anonymously submit topics to our class meeting box. They can write about problems they're having, issues in the class, or anything else they'd like to share. On Fridays, I push all the desks aside and we sit in a circle in the classroom. We start our class meeting with "shout outs" to others. They can be to anyone in their life, but they must be for a positive reason. Students are allowed to pass if they don't feel comfortable sharing. After the positive shout outs, I go to our class meeting box, and read out the topics. Students are able to discuss the topics that were put into the box and decide on possible solutions for the author. It helps to bring us together as a team.</span></span></li></ul><b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Use the term "our classroom" instead of "my classroom."</span></b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">This subtle change reminds students that they are a partner in the classroom and they have expectations to keep it working properly. I remind them that we are all here together as a team, and we can help each other to succeed or help each other to fail. I hope they choose succeed!</span></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What techniques have you found that help promote positive behaviours in your classroom? Are there any ideas here that might work well for you? Let me know in the comments below!<br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div></span></div>
</div></div></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-72742734627658035122017-09-17T11:20:00.003-07:002022-07-19T13:02:14.572-07:00Middle School Classroom Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is my third year at my current school, and my third different classroom! I feel cautiously optimistic that this will be my last move, so I'm making the room my own. This is my Grade 7 classroom:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I asked for tables instead of desks to encourage collaboration and team work</span>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since my students don't have desks, they each have a drawer in the drawer carts to hold their supplies.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Drawers in use.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The pages next to my homework board are cover sheets that list all assignments and due dates for the term. If students are absent, they can check the cover sheets to see what they missed.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Extra assignments are kept by subject folder in the crate. The red baskets are my hand-in baskets. Students are not allowed to hand in assignments to me directly, it all has to go into the bin.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Extra assignments crate.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR23YSXWskbYdlLjl3prGQunzaev4eQtjdlRr39dccElF1vhgnGx8pg40-HfHXf9cloNxgPJ8L1YMibDA7p5t69WUB-y-K8tJMiKaLVqhYGT3zp7gdYb_yMfASXniEvQf3IThZmI_xSQ/s1600/IMG_5566.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR23YSXWskbYdlLjl3prGQunzaev4eQtjdlRr39dccElF1vhgnGx8pg40-HfHXf9cloNxgPJ8L1YMibDA7p5t69WUB-y-K8tJMiKaLVqhYGT3zp7gdYb_yMfASXniEvQf3IThZmI_xSQ/s400/IMG_5566.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My classroom library is organized by genre. Each different genre has a different coloured sticker on the spine so the kids can find them easily.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMq72YDoOTvLbtg_aCYRXtT5OoXDOVGWErq-EopfdfYKEj3zmZsyJfBW_lk6RHnWMySbqYT7PFvX7imevr9H_pvvK5nbcRZkEBIrbAeYUpXNM6r2nvlpk2lKxY7M5RMZxZz9zo3u_5cIE/s1600/IMG_5570.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMq72YDoOTvLbtg_aCYRXtT5OoXDOVGWErq-EopfdfYKEj3zmZsyJfBW_lk6RHnWMySbqYT7PFvX7imevr9H_pvvK5nbcRZkEBIrbAeYUpXNM6r2nvlpk2lKxY7M5RMZxZz9zo3u_5cIE/s400/IMG_5570.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We brainstormed classroom jobs together as a class. Each day, there are two students responsible for each job</span>.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0Ex7dE5fgB_26RXrf4rns-gfRN7HpYhGLre7xrnVLCX8Dg_d5DsMF0l6MnqxL3yCxNv-8C3kWsR8PUnHf2UmfNkUMEeFhNJqrDDAzx45zu8kR06-ypyqBAUgEJxP2DnHvG-EpeqTGiw/s1600/IMG_5573.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0Ex7dE5fgB_26RXrf4rns-gfRN7HpYhGLre7xrnVLCX8Dg_d5DsMF0l6MnqxL3yCxNv-8C3kWsR8PUnHf2UmfNkUMEeFhNJqrDDAzx45zu8kR06-ypyqBAUgEJxP2DnHvG-EpeqTGiw/s400/IMG_5573.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is behind my desk. It has my photocopies for each subject for the week</span>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So that's my classroom so far! What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s1600/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s200/signature.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s1600/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div></div>
Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-68054200215338653072017-08-07T22:07:00.001-07:002017-08-07T22:43:26.696-07:00Make Vocabulary Notes Work for Your Students - Create a Dictionary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGVYK_psdjuqj_ObvQyx7r2yw3d6_h699EBmPuX5CHiZvQglPdrGX4-0owtDX7de5AYbpbJ5ucSyS6YZQ-rHkj2g-ys2PHO1-8Pj67FjxOcP0NZdIqcM1R07Qd59vVlBQoMgEzWh4bc0/s1600/fedictionaryCOVER.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGVYK_psdjuqj_ObvQyx7r2yw3d6_h699EBmPuX5CHiZvQglPdrGX4-0owtDX7de5AYbpbJ5ucSyS6YZQ-rHkj2g-ys2PHO1-8Pj67FjxOcP0NZdIqcM1R07Qd59vVlBQoMgEzWh4bc0/s400/fedictionaryCOVER.png" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't know about your students, but mine don't especially love taking down notes! I don't love notes, either, but they can be a great tool for studying and review if they are set up in a user-friendly way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For French vocabulary review, I like to set up the notes as a French-English dictionary. The students use a notebook and dedicate one page for each letter of the alphabet. I like Hilroy 32-page exercise books because I can pick them up at Walmart the week before school starts for only $0.05 each! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKh-sJ3Ti0Fz28n6qMhJk4XZet2dqiuVMenNNKJd8maTcATlBtle-GLHT3NtzrnzxTog1S06JkeF9CcjUdOo-eZBxMTE-EZBOqOpDtomnB2aHRQkR2k3UyqnhhcQ2X2ye79DaXb4i2MFI/s1600/IMG_5343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKh-sJ3Ti0Fz28n6qMhJk4XZet2dqiuVMenNNKJd8maTcATlBtle-GLHT3NtzrnzxTog1S06JkeF9CcjUdOo-eZBxMTE-EZBOqOpDtomnB2aHRQkR2k3UyqnhhcQ2X2ye79DaXb4i2MFI/s320/IMG_5343.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To jazz up the booklets, you can glue on a simple cover.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEM4zrsY7F90Gy-GwWmbMe2L9b4pWzSbJf3uQ9Vyh-dhRQRIIwwPD5a4yDqmILbVbqxyIbsLUF5HqnbyC8f-HXlYP07RsqNdgUPyhTmno0iQPyWPiyoK9VtmDJEiJEvdMXFybbsjX6KZ0/s1600/IMG_5344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEM4zrsY7F90Gy-GwWmbMe2L9b4pWzSbJf3uQ9Vyh-dhRQRIIwwPD5a4yDqmILbVbqxyIbsLUF5HqnbyC8f-HXlYP07RsqNdgUPyhTmno0iQPyWPiyoK9VtmDJEiJEvdMXFybbsjX6KZ0/s320/IMG_5344.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I spend the first class setting up the book with my students. I use three columns: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">ENGLISH WORD </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I set the alphabet by English word, as it makes it easier for the students to find what they are looking for. </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">FRENCH WORD</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I have my students include an article for all nouns to help them remember the gender of the noun. </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">WORD TYPE </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I ask my students to write the word type (noun, adjective, verb, etc.) to help reinforce grammar and parts of speech.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA9eoqR5SSLU1lMpDXSarTO5FXZe3LoMhUuCGO0XSV9WWmveNsHAJdUVyffY40qC_MR_idnXQ-GPprPdB-xIROM4YQfDfdMLGcWN2lGgee5uNK1CnePFc5TUZv3_Tplmhnd2pbsMEo3Y/s1600/IMG_5345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA9eoqR5SSLU1lMpDXSarTO5FXZe3LoMhUuCGO0XSV9WWmveNsHAJdUVyffY40qC_MR_idnXQ-GPprPdB-xIROM4YQfDfdMLGcWN2lGgee5uNK1CnePFc5TUZv3_Tplmhnd2pbsMEo3Y/s400/IMG_5345.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This method can be used by any student in any grade, and it is personalized to your class! Your students will have the vocabulary they are learning at their fingertips!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They are a great tool for studying, too. It can be used alone, in pairs, or in groups for review! If a student finishes work early, he or she can take out their dictionary and cover the French column and quiz themselves. Students can take the dictionary home on a light homework day and ask a family member to quiz them on vocabulary. Students can quiz each other during class. The best part is they can take the dictionary with them to use the following year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Don't want to set up notebooks? Download and print a version you can photocopy for your students. Click on the picture below!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Create-a-Personalized-French-English-Dictionary-with-Vocabulary-Words-3320961" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Create-a-Personalized-French-English-Dictionary-with-Vocabulary-Words-3320961" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1127" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95Ii348tfKY8a-aS9VU7rlT5L4IUQepgSvkhnO0ywoULQjQn3L2SoAslZb3wgWOLLo7XsKlMtyeHijdfPVeBANsZqH0E73SyzZEOL2-aeUgYkIqGWgG2vWShANvWLCquDWmbi4a9lGU8/s320/French-English+Dictionary.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what do you think? Will you give it a try? Do you already do something similar? Do you have another great way to organize vocabulary? Let me know in the comments below!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWti4feveQTcVbJpFk4SqQHlFmoibHPcOicfMydHdUk4yoObmPaCsUMeMlnevB8_sOKt8xQPkz8t6Rq8m1EMfWx7YXJKCd-BqMAd9QfwgAWSxcAn25vd5kcshJdMjxRSgQwXOghICqaCk/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWti4feveQTcVbJpFk4SqQHlFmoibHPcOicfMydHdUk4yoObmPaCsUMeMlnevB8_sOKt8xQPkz8t6Rq8m1EMfWx7YXJKCd-BqMAd9QfwgAWSxcAn25vd5kcshJdMjxRSgQwXOghICqaCk/s200/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-77783159587344198532017-07-10T21:01:00.002-07:002022-07-19T13:02:31.653-07:00Free French Projects for Grade 6-8 Core French (Fits New BC Curriculum)<span style="font-size: large;">I'm excited to share two <span style="color: red;"><i><b>free</b></i></span> Core French projects that align with the new BC Curriculum for Grade 6-8!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Francophone-Communities-Across-Canada-Project-Completely-Editable-3248067" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Francophone Communities Across Canada Project</u></b></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The first fits in with Grade 6 and Grade 7. It is a Francophone Communities Across Canada Research Project. </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Francophone-Communities-Across-Canada-Project-Completely-Editable-3248067" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Francophone-Communities-Across-Canada-Project-Completely-Editable-3248067" border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="1482" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJoUMun3hHZQhRmGd5ROtCeHK4tNN-7RKQ0zUgAQZT11arDdAMYEiaY9dIEPX7tFHueTGJE1Cu_UTPqocwN1hcDmI7gf2__JMGF-hMFJlUpE0JcGoR78ctXZZGM7bfOfLag4_moX9wHM/s400/francophone+communities.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Grade 6 BC Curriculum Connections:</span></u></b><br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Big Idea</span></u><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Learning about Francophone communities helps us develop cultural awareness.</span></li>
</ul>
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Content </span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Students are expected to know the following:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="views-row views-row-5 conc-cont contextual-links-region">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">There are many Francophone and Francophone Métis communities across Canada</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Basic information about a Francophone or Francophone Métis community in Canada</span></li>
</ul>
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Curricular Competencies</span></u></div>
<div class="views-row views-row-5 conc-cont contextual-links-region">
<span style="font-size: large;">Students are expected to be able to do the following:</span></div>
<div class="views-row views-row-5 conc-cont contextual-links-region">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Demonstrate awareness of Francophone and Francophone Métis communities across Canada</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Recognize that some Francophone communities are connected to First Peoples communities</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Identify and share information about a Francophone community in Canada </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="views-row views-row-5 conc-cont contextual-links-region">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="views-row views-row-6 conc-cont contextual-links-region">
</div>
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Grade 7 BC Curriculum Connections:</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Big Idea</u></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Deepening our knowledge of Francophone communities helps us develop cultural awareness.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Content</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Students are expected to know the following:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Information about Francophone and Francophone Métis communities across Canada
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Francophone people live on First Peoples territories across Canada</span></li>
</ul>
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Curricular Competencies</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Students are expected to be able to do the following:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Identify, share, and compare information about Francophone and Francophone Métis communities in Canada</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Identify cultural aspects of Francophone communities </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Francophone-Country-Project-Completely-Editable-3248133" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Francophone Country Project</b></u></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The second project fits with Grade 7 and Grade 8. It is a Francophone Country Research Project.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Francophone-Country-Project-Completely-Editable-3248133" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Francophone-Country-Project-Completely-Editable-3248133" border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="1482" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRySt0ho5URWJ29anlfdWBBeem6LgKWeKEKrmzbfAhGpdez4tbVV_q7cJxbrhJp3eMRgQzrxOJEUAIt-Uf5GNUsjvREzZduahMcaGyw4Cbof70nNg8d5CQ9LzEo3vltyy9zM2Fj5QNMk/s400/francophone+country+project.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Grade 7 BC Curriculum Connections:</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Big Idea</u></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Deepening our knowledge of Francophone communities helps us develop cultural awareness.</span></li>
</ul>
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Content</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Students are expected to know the following:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Where French is spoken around the world </span></li>
</ul>
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Curricular Competencies</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Students are expected to be able to do the following:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="views-row views-row-10 curric-comp contextual-links-region">
<div class="cc">
<span style="font-size: large;">Share information using more than one mode of presentation</span> </div>
</div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Identify cultural aspects of Francophone communities </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"> Demonstrate basic awareness that there are Francophone communities around the world</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Grade 8 BC Curriculum Connections:</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Big Idea</u></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Acquiring a new language and learning about another culture deepen our understanding of our own language and culture</span></li>
</ul>
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Content</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Students are expected to know the following:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">There are many Francophone communities around the world</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Information about Francophone communities around the world </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cultural aspects of Francophone communities, practices, and traditions </span></li>
</ul>
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Curricular Competencies</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Students are expected to be able to do the following:</span><br />
<div class="views-row views-row-9 curric-comp contextual-links-region">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Identify and share information about Francophone communities around the world</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Describe cultural aspects of Francophone communities, practices, and traditions</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Describe similarities and differences between their own cultural practices and traditions and those of Francophone communities</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="views-row views-row-12 curric-comp contextual-links-region">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Both projects include a project outline/criteria page, marking rubric, and pages to help
students keep track of sources and topics as they take notes. And, both projects are completely editable! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you think? Have you done something similar? Let me know in the comments below.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s1600/signature.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s200/signature.png" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for more great tips and ideas for middle school? Subscribe to my email list and receive an exclusive FREE sub plans resource. It includes plans for math, ELA, science, social studies, and Core French. Click <a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" target="_blank">here</a> to subscribe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://witty-author-6455.ck.page/65acf18d82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpA0krHkmKq080RX6AecQCgE8S0XrGrWSckAoPIpsvlow_R0fdjp6dnUhWwLgsUPCjnYZ5OiMPClTkCtNWgbedoomzy6SIs-kP_qGeHW1TpVbPcTYwK6qP2hMmem8Kv1fcV7zBzDPy-4USx-n0xTn21yC3Tu0o-hMBhBUjlRIaoCh3TaVpYl49Mr/s320/sub%20plans.png" width="244" /></a></div></div>Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5599548927576070664.post-1440019761931665632017-07-03T08:59:00.003-07:002017-07-03T09:00:50.254-07:00New Clip Art: Hobbies!<span style="font-size: large;">I've created a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hobbies-Kids-Clip-Art-Set-20-images-for-personal-or-commercial-use-3194514" target="_blank">new clip art set</a> all about hobbies! In the set, I've included:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">fishing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">playing cards</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">reading</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">gardening</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">odd jobs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">shopping</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">sewing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">cooking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">hiking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">playing on a computer</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Click on the picture to see how you can download the images.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hobbies-Kids-Clip-Art-Set-20-images-for-personal-or-commercial-use-3194514" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hobbies-Kids-Clip-Art-Set-20-images-for-personal-or-commercial-use-3194514" border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="1513" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnq1Wrzy-oxdfISSDbfgnVhtuTbeEvqjGkWy7z1hgG9J2RCYNGNg8sID7YWsmH3_jovYp-UR2EeYnXmF3Z9UD0kYZZnP3Y67c2FZzjQtsBcy2gDtyqZsV8p2pU2cBnkQqJiXDacLUdwY/s640/cover.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you think? What other hobbies would you like to see? Let me know in the comments below!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="809" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosQy_jUzdFAiwnDxXLtck-H1L1heqyhNMfEcRl73JDPorCFjkbeyH5EzciBXmt-wAU_-nxt4UvmcIyQFmcblHYzmmkdR2m4dt7wfyoRPbB45NYf56Y6rtaF0utZQrIsumBeJ8bE8u_lE/s200/signature.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Diane Wienshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935523845826168294noreply@blogger.com0