Wrapping up the Year

How do you wrap up the year? There are so many administrative things, and finals, paperwork, cleaning the classroom, but I think it is important to reflect, and to allow your students to reflect on the year and what they have learned as well. I did a project with my AP Environmental Science class a few years ago, and am going to try a variation of it this year with my 7th and 8th graders. Our calendar looks strange this year because we have so many end of the year events. Most of our teaching will be done, and then we have several school days after that. What to do with the students? One answer, of course, is to show movies and have the kids help pack up the classroom. That's fine. And there is some place for that, but I don't really think its the best answer, especially if they are doing that all day long. I think it gives students some good closure and reflection the year, and what they have learned as well. And gives me a new kind of insight into what they got out of the year.
 

Here is a link to the project, and a thumbnail image. I found it a very creative way to have students reflect, and show me, what they thought was important from this year. I hope it is useful and thought-provoking to you as well. In other end of the year news...I am giving a project based final and am thinking about making it like a science fair - design an experiment and write it up. Has anyone done this type of thing as a final project? What suggestions do you have? Am I crazy to even consider doing this at the end of the year?

Cumming Nature Center and Grant Writing

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take my students in a field trip this past week. I teach in an urban, Title I school. I took my students to Cumming Nature Center, which is about a 45 minute bus ride. It was a great experience for me and them!!

Many of my foreign ELL students got off the bus and made comments like "welcome to Sudan"..."this looks like my country"…"I haven't seen anything like this since I left my country."

Many of my native, urban students had never been in the woods, never hiked, never touched much of the outdoors. They screamed when they were asked to look for worms, complained that the grass and trees were itchy, but in the end they liked it.

I had them fill out an evaluation/reflection and asked them if the would do it again (everyone said yes). Thumbs up or thumbs down (all thumbs up and a few drew in horizontal thumbs). What they learned:
- they learned things like -- woodpeckers live in trees
- worms eat dead things and leaves
- you can find worms and salamanders under logs. The salamander was cute. They didn't know that dropping it would hurt it, and apologized (genuinely) when one girl got scared and dropped it.
- they were impressed that the docent had dirt under her nails and was so excited
- they had fun picking up sticks and learning.
- they loved the beaver dam

At the end, the docent asked them to consider hugging a tree. Most of them did, and some said that was their favorite part!!

I think they will remember and understand a lot of ecology better, but I also think there is something so therapeutic and healthy about spending time outside. Many of my students don't get to do that. They live in areas where it's not safe to go outside and play.

I learn as much from seeing them in this setting and seeing what they learn and know and are interested in as they do. One student said he wants to live someplace like that when he grows up. He wouldn't be able to say that, if he had never been exposed!

This was made possible due to the Target field trip grant. If you are considering applying for a grant, do it! Figure out, really, why this will benefit your students, write it down, and apply. It's work to apply, and work to do the permission slips, lunches, bus, medical forms, etc but its worth it!!

If I can ever help you with a grant application or ideas for field trips, please let me know

Freebie!!

If you are interested in a fun, hands on lab to do with your students that you can do with readily available household materials, here is a good one. This is one my students always remember, and they enjoy doing. It's good early in the year to get them excited about science and used to doing stations (they can't really do any damage and the instructions are pretty easy to follow). It's also good at this time of year, when everyone is getting restless.  Just click on the picture

Huge Sale - Teacher Appreciation!!

May 7th is Teacher Appreciation Day!  (Right between my birthday and Mother's Day! -- Hmmm!)  

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Day, Teachers Pay Teachers is having a big sale.  Most stores (including mine), are 20% off, and TpT is giving additional percentage off, so that most things will be 28% off.

This is a 2 day sale - May 7th and May 8th! 

My store is also on sale 20% off through May 9th.

Get your wish list and shopping carts in order, and get ready to be appreciated!  Make the end of your school year a little easier and save some money doing it!  

Secondary Giveaway!

I'm participating in a giveaway! Super Secondary TpT Giveaway! Just in time for Teachers Appreciation Week. 40 Prizes from TpT's Top Secondary Teacher Stores. ONE Grand Prize Winner. Scroll down below and enter to Win...Enter May 1st to May 5th

Here is are direct links to all the products being given raffled off!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

State Testing

Enough has been said about state testing that I will keep this short.  There are so many things that I could say, and most have been said.  I'll keep it short.  As I watched my students endure 3 days of ELA testing, followed by 3 days of math testing, two things came to mind that I wanted to share:

1. If you haven't seen this, please read it.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/04/17/eighth-grader-designs-standardized-test-that-slams-standardized-tests/

She makes some excellent points, and this is very clearly an authentic assessment of a student who can read, write, think critically, be creative, and contribute to society.

2.  We are placing so much value on these tests, and basing teacher's evaluations, student's RTI needs, etc.  There is one major catch (well, more than one, but one that I haven't heard a lot of discussion about).  We read and hear about students who are very stressed about these tests.  I have also seen this.  Many of my students are also very stressed about the state tests too.  However, there are quite a few other students who did not take it seriously.  And in all honesty, why should they....

• they can't really study or prepare well for it, since we don't have much information about it
• they won't get feedback from it, since they will be confidential even after testing is completed
• These tests don't figure into their grades, like Regents exams do.  Regardless of how they do on these tests, they will go on to the next grade.

Teachers pay and evaluation rating may be weighted heavily on these tests, but students won't really see much effect, regardless of how they do.  They need to sit through 9 hours of testing over 2 weeks (if they don't have extended time), but how does it effect them in the long-term?  What is there incentive to take it seriously?  It would be great if there was some intrinsic value or incentive for students to do well on these tests. 

Do your students stress about it?  Do they see the value?  

(from theclosedcampus.org)

Classroom Freebie Submission

I, personally, hate for students to read and answer questions because frequently they do not do a good job of pulling out the information and making it their own.  I prefer to use graphic organizers to help them organize their own information, and to help them pull out their information, rather than only quoting.

For human body systems, I created this organizer to pull together nervous and endocrine systems (body control systems).

It is a freebie on TpT.  Click here or on the picture to check it out!  If you like it, please leave feedback.