8 thinking, writing and discussing activities to hook students

8 thinking, writing and discussing activities to hook students

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Educators know that they must bait their students' brains with activities that will lure their charges into picking up their pens, pencils, or computers, and turning on their minds. Here are 8 activities-4 Free and 4 Priced- that will snag students' attention and empower them to become life-long thinkers, writers and learners.

Teaching Tip: offer one of these activities for students to dig into while you take attendance. Save the  explanation of the day's agenda until after you have baited their brains with a fun and subtle writing and critical thinking activity.

Language Arts Comprehension Check: Ten Sentence Format

NOTE: This freebie is NOT an activity, but an invaluable teaching tool. Students should use it for any expository writing piece- from a warm-up to a complete essay, to a short answer response on a quiz or a test.

This Ten Sentence Format reinforces students' basic understanding of the elements of a good paragraph while they practice writing about literature. It also empowers them to write and develop more in-depth essays since they can expand the format to meet any length requirements by adding more body paragraphs. Perfect for clarifying and reinforcing the parts of an essay, teachers may also use it for an announced or unannounced quiz when they wish to check reading and writing comprehension, and for general writing practice or warm-ups.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Language-Arts-Comprehension-CheckTen-Sentence-Format-16081 (Free)

 The House of Comprehension EBook

(Note:The Ten-Sentence Format is a part of the Writing Module of my teacher resource, The House of Comprehension. 

You can check out the book here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EBook-The-House-of-Comprehension-1557114 $ The House of Comprehension is a resource for ELA teachers in grades 6-9, written to address their efforts to help students comprehend structure in literature. The program presented in this teacher resource offers educators a complete solution -from Planning to Teaching through Assessment - that shows students how each element of literature works with the others to form a solid literary structure. By following this Show Me, Help Me, Let Me program, teachers facilitate their students' understanding of any text.

Comprehension - It's Good to be Me...It's Good to be You

These engaging activities will hook students into reading and writing about any text. The two activities motivate students to delve into the literature's subtext as they explore the characters they meet in their reading, while also allowing students to reveal their own personalities and thoughts. This is a great way for young people to turn their private "The Me You Don't Know" traits and thoughts into their, "The Me I Want You to Know" word pictures that they are willing to share publicly. 

Also, these FREE activities will jump start students' higher level thinking skills and give them a chance to exhibit their thinking in their writing. Although these work as great activities at the beginning of the year for you to get to know your students and for them to learn about each other, they are comprehensive activities throughout the year. 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Comprehension-Its-Good-to-be-Me-Its-Good-to-be-You-859283 (Free)

 Journalism Beat Sheet

Whether Journalism teachers are veterans or rookies, the Beat Sheet is an absolute necessity to teach students reporting procedures and to develop basic interviewing skills. Because it is important for a school newspaper to cover all of the clubs and activities a middle or high school offers, this FREE Beat Sheet presents a succinct way for journalism students to find story ideas they can develop as a blurb for a column or as a News, Features of Sports piece for the newspaper.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Journalism-Beat-Sheet-90452 (Free)

Writing - "Just Say, 'NO!' to Dull Writing"

This year-long "Just Say, 'NO!' to Dull Writing" activity has always been one of my premier writing lesson plans for middle school and high school students. I hand it out the first week of the year, and explain that students are required to refer to it for any writing-graded or nongraded piece- during the whole year. They are to use it to revise warm-ups they want to develop into full length pieces, for short answer assignments during literature studies, for full-length essays or narrative writings, or for projects.  In short- for any and every in-class or homework assignment. Also, I make a poster of it to hang in the classroom and taped a copy of the list to each desk for  continual writing reinforcement. One of my students contacted me from college and asked me to send her a copy she could use in the tutoring center where she mentored peers.  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Just-Say-NO-to-Dull-Writing-1555338 (Free)

Language Arts Activity - "This is My Future"

Here is an activity that helps students get to know peers they view only as acquaintances, and also offers teachers a chance to learn about their students thoughts, beliefs and personalities. In this activity, students consider their futures. What is their dream career? Where do they see themselves in five, ten, fifteen or twenty years? This thinking and writing assignment allows them to ponder who they are now, where they are going, and what they need academically to help them attain their dream. It's also great to use in conjunction with the study of a book such as Into the Wild (Jon Krakauer), The Odyssey (Homer), I Am The Messenger (Markus Zusak) or Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston). In this case, students complete the activity from the point of view of ones of the characters in the book they are studying.

Ask students to start this activity by designing a poster that depicts their dream career. If class time permits, they now should write a paragraph explaining the school subjects and necessary skills that they will need to master in order to help them attain their goals. If teachers want to move on more quickly, they can have a few students summarize their designs and then complete the writing aspect at home. When they have finished this activity, teachers may pin up the posters around the classroom so that all of the students can look into their peers' futures. These make a fascinating bulletin board, whether they are personal or fabout a character.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-This-is-My-Future-1145950 ($)

Critical Thinking & Writing Lesson: Four Corners Activity

Engage students by getting them on their feet where they can share their opinions on a variety of contemporary topics. After that, give them time to express their thoughts in writing. These activities allow students to show their analytic and critical-thinking skills in speaking and writing. Also, they offer teachers a clear baseline, so they can assess what areas of writing their students will need to address during the year.

This is an excellent activity because it:

1. Makes the students think

2. Teaches them to express themselves verbally in a non-argumentative manner

3. Requires them to listen to others’ opinions, and 

4. Gets the students actively involved in classroom discussions.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Critical-Thinking-Writing-Lesson-Four-Corners-Activity-45528($)

Writing Activity: My Life's Journey

This activity requires students create a pictorial life map from their birth to the present day. Students should complete the project totally with images and brief captions. Continue the concept of this lesson with your first reading selection that the students will study. Although I have used this assignment in conjunction with teaching The Odyssey, it can accompany any story that involves a journey. It complements a variety of books-fiction and narrative non-fiction- for grades 6-12.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Activity-My-Lifes-Journey-287176($) 

Teaching Tip: Snag students' attention and feed their learning appetites with one-or two of these offerings as appetizers. Try this sequence of activities:

1. Choose a writing activity as students settle in and you take attendance.
2. Select an activity that gets the students talking. Any of these will accomplish that goal.
3. Ask a few students to share their responses for this exercise.
4. Close the class with any instructions re completing the writing activity.

Teacher Bonus: Teacher CLASSMART List

This "Teacher CLASSMART List" is comprised of 12 supplies that will save teachers' sanity during the school year. Three of the Items included are:

1. Hand cleanser (extra-large). Classrooms are Free-Range Germ Zones.

3. Antiseptic cleaning spray. This is a must in Germ Warfare Defense to use with students who sneeze or cough on their homework/ tests and then try to hand in the tainted papers. When they do, smile, hand them the bottle and tell them to go into the hall and de-germ those weapons of mass congestion. This is also a necessity for desk cleaning and purifying the air. and

10. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Just like burgers need fries and eggs need bacon, grading that stack of essays calls for the fruit of the cocoa bean…in any form.

 If you fill your supply closet with these items, you will enjoy a year that is as germ-free, stress-free and headache-free as possible.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Freebie-Teacher-CLASSMART-List-1329512 (Free)

We all know how crucial writing right is in all aspects of students' education: from a warm-up, to a major essay, to standardized testing, to creating skills students will need after high school graduation, and to empower our charges with a lifelong love of the written word. These four free and four paid products offer you the bait you need to hook your students.  As for the CLASSMART List- isn't it time for some coffee, tea or chocolate?

Enjoy a Teach It Now Day Every Day.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Connie

If it’s Autumn, it’s time for… College Recommendation Letters

 It's beginning to look like college application time!

Everywhere teachers go

Is a senior with an app, and an activity sheet to adapt

To a recommendation that makes that student glow.

High school teachers, are you in hiding yet? No, not from administrators in search of your yearly objectives, parents with daily requests for  Bubba and Zelda’s progress in your classes, or students bearing glossy order catalogs for yet another fundraiser, but from seniors-specifically seniors seeking the November 1^st deadline for early admissions.

Oh, don’t forget about those searching for a college with a January deadline or one with rolling admissions – they’ll be ba-a-a-ack for your recommendation that they are sure will guarantee them admission to post high school, academia, but that’s then…not now.

Right now you are staring at papers to grade, plans to prepare, parent night and maybe even midterms. On top of all of that, you already have said, “Okay,” to writing recommendation letters for a dozen students who admission committees will deem anywhere from, “Yes!” to, “Hmmm. Let’s talk about this one” to, “No. Not for us.”  

Writing recommendation letters is a daunting professional task, no matter whether a student has demonstrated superior, above average or average capabilities.  A concise and precise letter that addresses a specific senior’s academic, athletic, extracurricular and community strengths in a way that allows that person to stand out from other equally capable applicants is a stressful  experience.

My product, Recommendations – How to Write Recommendation Letters for College Applications, will benefit all of you still leading classrooms- from veterans who desire another option in your repertoire to new hires who have never written a college recommendation. Included in this packet are

Qualities to Address

• academic, athletic and personal prowess;
• points to consider, especially for students whose academic record could benefit from an educator’s viewpoint;
• what to avoid as well as what to include;
•  a basic letter format, and
• a list of adjectives and phrases to guide teachers though the process.

What Each Recommendation Should  Include

• The course(s) you taught this student
• Qualities to Address: The student’s academic strengths, exceptional character traits, extracurricular activities, jobs, awards, etc.
• Points to Consider are exceptional assignments, the student’s attitude toward learning, peer interactions, intellectual curiosity, etc.

What Each Recommendation Letter Should Avoid

•  Repetitive thoughts, comments, generalities
• A  form letter voice and appearance
• Writing more than one page

Letter Format:

Note: The examples in this section are from a letter for an above average student; for all of the letters, I changed the name to the generic John Doe/Jane Doe to protect every

student’s privacy; I also changed the names of anything to do with my school to Blank.

Heading:

To: Dean of Admissions: Yale University

From: Constance Casserly, English Teacher:  Blank High School

Re: John C. Doe (his social security number might be required)

Date: September 22, 2015

Introductory paragraph:

·         Hook

·         Course(s) taught (Point A)

·         Transition sentence addressing the student’s academic/thinking skills

Example:

“One of the most enjoyable aspects of teaching is to encounter a student whose academic abilities, motivation and innovative thinking are so apparent that the young person will never be forgotten. John Doe is such a brilliant star.  He has been a stellar member of the Creative Writing 1, 2, 3 classes since he was a freshman, and is taking the course this year without credit just to hone his writing skills.  

Because of his leadership abilities, his writing prowess and his attention to detail, last year’s staff and I chose him as the Editor-in-Chief of the 2016 edition of Blank, the high school’s literary and art magazine. Consistently, John displays the kind of original thinking, initiative and curiosity that I wish every student possessed.”

Body Paragraph(s):

These can vary from one to four. Just keep the whole letter, including the closing and your signature to one page. (Points B and C)

Example:

“This young man’s divergent thinking skills run the gamut from the concrete to the creative. The slant he takes in his writing reveals his remarkably mature and innovative thought processes, while his work remains insightful, logical and fluent. John can ascertain the subtle nuances of human thought and behavior which he then transposes to his pieces with an astute inner eye. Whether he is mimicking James Joyce’s stream-of-consciousness style or crafting a political thriller, his pieces reveal realistic, dynamic characters, believable plots, suspense and depth.  

During writing analysis sessions, he cogently discusses his thoughts on his work and that of his peers. The high standards that John sets for himself are revealed every time he asks for clarification on critique comments. By not being afraid to question his opinions or those of others, he demonstrates a powerful desire to learn. His emotional maturity commands respect and allows him the freedom to openly demonstrate his flexibility and acceptance of a wide range of people and ideas. John’s writing, which is cerebral and compelling, is a rare gift. Considering the many talented students I have encountered in my two-plus decades of teaching writing, he ranks alongside only a half dozen in regard to his creative flair and his ambition to succeed as a published writer.”

Concluding  Paragraph:

·         Recap student’s strengths

·         Final thought

Example:

“John’s strong drive, combined with his quiet yet congenial nature, makes him a joy to be around. With absolutely no reservations, I recommend him for acceptance to CU Boulder. This talented young man is sure to surmount any challenges you offer him with diligence, perseverance and intelligence.”

Closing:

Sincerely,

(Space for signature)

Type your full name

Also included in this packet is a list of adjectives and phrases to guide teachers though the process. At the end of this offering are three sample letters to show how all of these points can be meshed into a cohesive letter: one each for superior, above average and average students.

Hopefully, Recommendations: How to Write Recommendation Letters for College Applications  will ease your qualms when one of your seniors asks, “Could you please, please write me a recommendation letter?”

Download this teacher resource from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Recommendations-How-to-Write-Recommendation-Letters-for-College-Applications-164973 (8 pages)   $3.50

It's beginning to look like college application time!

But secondary teachers all know

This packet will help them express, their thoughts with such finesse

That their recommendation will make each student glow.

 Enjoy a Teach It Now Day, Every Day,