Today I am posting about a product that technically would never had made it on this blog if I didn’t break some rules sometimes. First of all, it’s a tool for making worksheets. Yuck. I know worksheets are a necessary evil sometimes, but they are way, way overused to give students busy work. Secondly, to… Continue reading Wizer
When my students do a Hexagonal Learning activity, one of the groups of hexagons I usually use includes the themes of the story we are discussing. However, I have always struggled with how to help students identify the themes. It is difficult for them to discern the difference between theme and main idea. Yesterday, I… Continue reading Theme
Even though I’ve already mentioned Hexagonal Learning a couple of other times on this blog, it definitely bears repeating. If you want to listen to your students having rich conversations about a topic and to discover how well they understand something they have read or that you have taught, this activity will deliver. And, although… Continue reading Formative Assessment with Hexagonal Learning
On Monday, I wrote about Tarr’s Toolbox and one of the resources you can find there, the “Wheel of Life.” My 4th graders have been reading Tuck Everlasting (R.I.P. Natalie Babbitt, who died October, 2016), which uses wheels and circles for symbolism throughout the novel. They have also been discussing the attributes of the main characters,… Continue reading Tuck Everlasting and the Wheel of Life
Even though I really enjoy hearing the conversations that go on when my students do a Hexagonal Learning activity, my students will tell you that the playlist assessment is actually their favorite when it comes to demonstrating their understanding of a novel. According to them, they enjoy being able to work independently on this assignment, and… Continue reading Formative Assessment with Music Lyrics
thinkLaw is a curriculum that aims to teach critical thinking skills through the use of real legal cases. The program’s founder, Colin Seale, won the “Shark Tank One Day Challenge” in 2016. thinkLaw is aligned with US standards for grades 5-12, but some of the lessons can be used with younger students. To purchase the… Continue reading thinkLaw
