When schools are out in the summer, individuals and families often seek fun things to do. Outdoor activities may differ in different parts of the world. What do boys and girls usually do in the summer? What do adults do? One idea is to make a big class list and check off who has done what, and who will do what.
This Hamilton Conservation Authority Facebook link has a list of some ideas: https://www.facebook.com/HamiltonConservation/photos/a.111847857651.118338.7446247651/10152650367427652/?type=1&theater .
If you are teaching during the summer, you could try out some of these activities in school or on a field trip. You could tally up who has done the most things.
I have done 33 things on this list. How about you?
Themes: Canadian Culture, Leisure, Health and Safety
Grammar: Imperatives, cardinal and ordinal numbers, go / try + gerund
Reminder: Start with oral language first. This kind of language development could also be really fun if incorporating TPR (Total Physical Response).
Have fun!
Sunday, 13 July 2014
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
"Eat your Weedies!"
Edible weeds in your neighbourhood? Why not learn about them!
With a teacher experienced in identifying edible weeds, several activities are possible across the levels.
A good resource book like this one can be helpful. You could use it for your own information or adapt it for higher level learners.
You could
1. Talk about learners' own experiences foraging for and growing food. Do TPR to connect actions and vocabulary. See this link for some ideas for Phase I learners on using TPR and song for learning new vocabulary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJuOR9jTpV4
2. Talk about foraging in Canada - do people do it? Where? Why? What times of year?
3. Collect some edible leaves and flowers and have your students take photos of them, or trace / draw them.
4. Compare shapes, sizes and colours of leaves and flowers.
5. Take your class on a walk around the block to pick your own salad. Follow or make a map while you are at it!
6. Sample all the edibles and describe the taste, texture, and smell.
7. Have a local guest speaker come to class and talk about edible weeds.
8. Read a flyer (adapted as necessary) about a course on this topic: http://haltonenvironment.net/?tribe_events=eat-your-weedies-2
9. Find and follow some recipes using edible weeds. Write your own recipe.
10. Read and discuss issues around excessive foraging / harvesting (adapted as necessary): http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/4034957-foraging-is-fine-but-not-on-rbg-property/
Be careful, though! If you cover this topic with your learners, be sure you are providing all the correct and relevant information. Some edible plants may have look alike plants that are poisonous.
With a teacher experienced in identifying edible weeds, several activities are possible across the levels.
A good resource book like this one can be helpful. You could use it for your own information or adapt it for higher level learners.
You could
1. Talk about learners' own experiences foraging for and growing food. Do TPR to connect actions and vocabulary. See this link for some ideas for Phase I learners on using TPR and song for learning new vocabulary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJuOR9jTpV4
2. Talk about foraging in Canada - do people do it? Where? Why? What times of year?
3. Collect some edible leaves and flowers and have your students take photos of them, or trace / draw them.
4. Compare shapes, sizes and colours of leaves and flowers.
5. Take your class on a walk around the block to pick your own salad. Follow or make a map while you are at it!
6. Sample all the edibles and describe the taste, texture, and smell.
7. Have a local guest speaker come to class and talk about edible weeds.
8. Read a flyer (adapted as necessary) about a course on this topic: http://haltonenvironment.net/?tribe_events=eat-your-weedies-2
9. Find and follow some recipes using edible weeds. Write your own recipe.
10. Read and discuss issues around excessive foraging / harvesting (adapted as necessary): http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/4034957-foraging-is-fine-but-not-on-rbg-property/
Garlic Mustard
Some recipes are here: http://the3foragers.blogspot.ca/2014/04/garlic-mustard-recipe-roundup.html
Wood Sorrel (has yellow flowers) - Check out the warnings before you eat this.
Be careful, though! If you cover this topic with your learners, be sure you are providing all the correct and relevant information. Some edible plants may have look alike plants that are poisonous.
Monday, 26 May 2014
Mother's Day
I generally do not do too much for Mother's Day with my learners. It can be a very emotional time, as I have learned. This past Mother's Day, the moms in my class celebrated in the childminding area with their children. They were given some special artwork and enjoyed story time together. One of my students returned to class and said that they had read a beautiful book. I asked her to describe it, and I knew right away it was the book that always makes me cry: Love you Forever by Robert Munsch. As she retold the story, I (of course!), along with some other students, began to cry.
Here is a link to the book and a bit of the background of the song within it.
http://robertmunsch.com/book/love-you-forever
As a class, we talked about how life changes and we are often in the process of growth / new beginnings and loss. Deep ideas for Mother's Day.
It was interesting, though, to learn that different countries celebrate Mother's Day on different days (e.g., March 8, March 21). Not many of my learner's celebrated Father's Day in their previous countries. This makes for some interesting class discussion!
Here is a link to the book and a bit of the background of the song within it.
http://robertmunsch.com/book/love-you-forever
As a class, we talked about how life changes and we are often in the process of growth / new beginnings and loss. Deep ideas for Mother's Day.
It was interesting, though, to learn that different countries celebrate Mother's Day on different days (e.g., March 8, March 21). Not many of my learner's celebrated Father's Day in their previous countries. This makes for some interesting class discussion!
Monday, 31 March 2014
Winter Salad
Winter time can be a difficult time to find good quality and cheap fresh fruits and vegetables. In my class a few weeks ago, we had some visitors from a local "eat healthy" group demonstrate how to make a delicious salad with us. They brought all the ingredients, and we provided the bowls, forks, and appetites :)
For most guest speakers that come into my classes, I encourage them to use simplified language and make the presentation very visual and experiential. Following this recipe was a great opportunity to build on these learning styles. We adapted the recipe based on what ingredients we had. This concept was a bit freeing for my learners and they began brainstorming ideas to make the recipe their own.
Follow-up: Our community offers a "Good Food Box". This contains many fresh fruits and vegetables at a very low cost. It support local farmers and businesses. Practise reading the program flyer for details about dates, costs, items, and pick-up or delivery locations. Once the food box comes in, talk about the food and share other recipes.
In addition, you could precede or follow up this recipe with studying nutritional facts, reading food labels, and doing a class presentation on a nutrient or mineral.
For most guest speakers that come into my classes, I encourage them to use simplified language and make the presentation very visual and experiential. Following this recipe was a great opportunity to build on these learning styles. We adapted the recipe based on what ingredients we had. This concept was a bit freeing for my learners and they began brainstorming ideas to make the recipe their own.
Our guest speakers brought this recipe. I do not know the source.
Some ingredients:
Great cooking vocabulary!
Chop
Slice
Toss
We sat and enjoyed this delicious and nutritious salad together. It was a social event and we talked about the textures, the tastes, and recipe adaptations.
Our final item: compost! In our city we are lucky to have a great municipal composting program. This all got pitched into the "green" bin.
Outcomes: Following instructions, describing personally relevant experiences, working with others, measurement, asking questions
Follow-up: Our community offers a "Good Food Box". This contains many fresh fruits and vegetables at a very low cost. It support local farmers and businesses. Practise reading the program flyer for details about dates, costs, items, and pick-up or delivery locations. Once the food box comes in, talk about the food and share other recipes.
In addition, you could precede or follow up this recipe with studying nutritional facts, reading food labels, and doing a class presentation on a nutrient or mineral.
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Needs Assessment Tool: Dotmocracy
Every two months, I like to assess what content and activities my students want to stop, continue and start.
One way I do this is a "dotmocracy".
My workplace has suggested a consistent yearly
thematic sequence to cover. However, we can adjust this, extend it, and skip
themes, etc., to meet the needs of our learners. For the topic dotmocracy, I told the students the themes
were Travel and Transportation and Family, and if something else was important,
we could add it. I love what they added!
I gave each student five stickers. They had to choose the five most important things for them right now.
For the classroom activities dotmocracy,
I started the list with activities that are regular weekly activities, and
asked students to brainstorm what we do in class and other activities they
would like to do. I gave each student the same number of stickers as items listed. I asked them to
choose either “do” or “stop” for each one. Then, students
put up their stickers during break.
From this, my students have essentially designed the curriculum for the next two months. I look at the most important items and our time-line and see what we can cover. We will do it again in two months. If something was missed and is very important, the students have the opportunity to express it and vote on it again. Also, students can see how many of their peers share their same opinion, needs and wants.
Monday, 30 December 2013
Winter Wishes
The end of the year celebration at school usually includes all students at all levels. The teachers tap into their creativity to meet the needs of the learners. This year, our students ranged from Literacy Foundation to CLB 6. To start off our morning, we designed an activity that included some student collaboration, speaking, fine motor skills, following instructions, and writing.
We started by having students put together a puzzle.
Teachers and higher level students assisted lower level writers by writing down the learners' sentences or words. Students then copied their message onto the paper.
We started by having students put together a puzzle.
I designed the puzzle in Word, saved it in Adobe, and printed it as a poster. I enlarged it to about 375%, so it printed off into sixteen squares. The images I chose were not distinct enough, and we decided to add colours. Students used the colours to determine how the lines matched up. I gave them some clues such as that the puzzle was 4 x 4 squares. I also put up squares six and seven to get them started. Students of all levels participated in this.
This puzzle had the question for our next activity. First, each student expressed their own answers. Some students required a sentence starter, and others said a few sentences.
Then, we moved on to writing our sentences and decorating some winter-themed images.
Teachers and higher level students assisted lower level writers by writing down the learners' sentences or words. Students then copied their message onto the paper.
Happy new year to you all! I hope your winter wishes come true too!
Monday, 14 October 2013
On-going project: Binder Organization
For many of my students, binder organization is a big challenge, or quite low on the priority list. I have promised myself that this will be the year that I incorporate binder organization into the daily lesson plan. And actually be consistent with it!
Some things I have observed about student binders and binder organization:
1. Some students have no binder at all.
2. Binders are often a place to place papers, but generally not securely within the rings.
3. Some binders are organized from back to front, not front to back.
4. Some students do not like to carry binders back and forth from school because of the size. (There were three binders left in my class over the summer vacation!)
5. Most papers are not dated.
6. Separating papers from the morning class and afternoon class is challening.
7. It takes some students a long time to find their homework.
Our tools:
My plan:
After a month or so in school, students will have a sense of what being in my class is like - routines, style, approaches, and types of papers I give out. Students will brainstorm and decide upon categories for binder division so that they are in control of it and remember how to organize it. Students write on the labels, and organize all the papers according to section and date.
The results:
Routines, Activities and Strategies for Literacy Learners
1. Binder Organization - organize it together and maintain it together
2. Respect learners' knowledge and experiences in having them list and decide on the categories as a group.
3. Provide learning strategy instruction. Now that the binders are labelled, teach them how to use this system. This can help them in class and at home.
4. Play a game. Once the binders are organized and the papers are all dated, have a scanning game. For example, find the grammar handout from September 27. Find the citizenship paper from October 10.
Some things I have observed about student binders and binder organization:
1. Some students have no binder at all.
2. Binders are often a place to place papers, but generally not securely within the rings.
3. Some binders are organized from back to front, not front to back.
4. Some students do not like to carry binders back and forth from school because of the size. (There were three binders left in my class over the summer vacation!)
5. Most papers are not dated.
6. Separating papers from the morning class and afternoon class is challening.
7. It takes some students a long time to find their homework.
Our tools:
My plan:
After a month or so in school, students will have a sense of what being in my class is like - routines, style, approaches, and types of papers I give out. Students will brainstorm and decide upon categories for binder division so that they are in control of it and remember how to organize it. Students write on the labels, and organize all the papers according to section and date.
The results:
Headings chosen by the class.
So tidy!
The final test: Hold the binder up and see if any papers fall out.
Success!
1. Binder Organization - organize it together and maintain it together
2. Respect learners' knowledge and experiences in having them list and decide on the categories as a group.
3. Provide learning strategy instruction. Now that the binders are labelled, teach them how to use this system. This can help them in class and at home.
4. Play a game. Once the binders are organized and the papers are all dated, have a scanning game. For example, find the grammar handout from September 27. Find the citizenship paper from October 10.
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