4-18-2012 Teching Speaking and Listening Strands 4-6

Teching the CCCS

Grades 6-8 ELA

Speaking and Listening

Strands 4-6

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas	Resources
4.      Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.	Making an Argument Developing an Argument Speaking Skills Persuasion map Writing a speech Organizing your speech Coherence and Unity Public Speaking and Listening PowerPoint lessons
5.      Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.	Creating a Multimedia Presentation Teachertube Imagebase: royalty free pictures Free Music Archive Podsafe Audio Wolfram Tones Roxio Photo Show Notaland Big Huge Labs Photovisi ThingLink
6.      Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.	Formal and Informal English Top 10 Things Not to do When Giving a Speech Public Speaking Effective Delivery Helpful Hints for Presenters Adapting to Your Audience

2-17-2012 Argue to Win!

Teching the Core Curriculum Content Standards

Writing Standards

Standard: W 8.1 Grades 6-8

Writing an Argumentative or Persuasive Essay

Text Types and Purposes: STANDARD W 8.1	RESOURCES
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.	Persuasive Writing PowerPoint Lessons  Argument Argue, Persuade, Advise  Letters Persuasive Example Write Source: Persuasive Writing BrainPop 5 Paragraph Essay
Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.	Developing an Argument  Structure Tone and Style Letter Generator   Rate it All Library Thing Good Reads Lunch My Hero Destinations NYT Student Opinions consmr Create Debate Heads Up Riled Up Pros and Cons We Debate It UFeud aMap Debatabase Youth Voices
Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.	Premise and conclusion words   Ask Jeeves for Kids  Ask Earl Encyclopedia Oregon School Library National Geographic Using Examples Debate Graph It's a Fact! Thesis Builder and Outliner Persuasion Map
Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.	Cause/Effect relationships  Cause/Effect transitions Compare/Contrast Combining Sentences using Adjective Clauses Conjunction Practice Transitions Phrases and Clauses
Establish and maintain a formal style.	Formal and Informal Writing Holt Model Essay Holt 2nd Model Essay
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.	Concluding Paragraphs

Please post a comment below if you have a site or lesson idea to share for teaching these concepts.  I would love your input!

12-19-2011 "A Christmas Carol" Published in 1843

CHARLES DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL WAS FIRST PUBLISHED 

ON DECEMBER 19, 1843

Charles Dickens Info:
http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/
http://charlesdickenspage.com/
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/index.html
http://www.dickens-literature.com/
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRdickens.htm

A Christmas Carol Text Online:
http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/DicChri.html
http://www.literature.org/authors/dickens-charles/christmas-carol/chapter-01.html
http://www.stormfax.com/dickens.htm
abridged - http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/carol.htm
MP3 - http://www.wiredforbooks.org/carol/content.htm

LAL Units:
Spark Notes Reader's Guide- http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/christmascarol/
Reading/English questions - http://www.leasttern.com/ChristmasCarol/CCarol.html
Classroom Activities - http://books.simonandschuster.net/tagged_assets/cg05_860_3906.pdf
A Dickens of a Party Webquest - http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson238/dickens_WebQuest.html
Theme - http://www.perryweb.com/Dickens/work_carol.shtml

Activities:
Brainpop - http://www.brainpop.com/english/famousauthorsandbooks/charlesdickens/preview.weml
Trivia - http://www.perryweb.com/Dickens/work_carol_trivia.shtml
Ask Scrooge - http://www.perryweb.com/Dickens/puzzle_scrooge.php
A Christmas Carol Quiz - http://www.perryweb.com/Dickens/puzzle_carol.shtml
Scramble puzzle - http://www.perryweb.com/Dickens/puzzle_carol_scramble.shtml
Victorian Christmas - http://www.scrapalbum.com/vxp1.htm
Dickens & Christmas - http://charlesdickenspage.com/christmas.html
Scrooge's Ghostly Adventure - http://www.dan-dare.org/FreeFun/Games/CMTVMore/AChristmasCarol2/AChristmasCarol2.htm
Scrooge's Soaring Star Ride - http://disney.go.com/games/play3/?content=379318#/games/play3/&content=379318

Historical Look at Victorian Life:
10 Creepy Aspects - http://listverse.com/2009/08/29/top-10-creepy-aspects-of-victorian-life/
Huge Database of info - http://www.victorianweb.org/history/sochistov.html
From About Britain - http://www.aboutbritain.com/articles/life-in-victorian-england.asp
An Introduction - http://www.english.uwosh.edu/roth/VictorianEngland.htm
Family Life - http://www.nettlesworth.durham.sch.uk/time/victorian/vfam.html
Era of Elegance - http://www.erasofelegance.com/history/victorianlife.html
BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/victorian_britain/
Poverty - http://www.hiddenlives.org.uk/articles/poverty.html

12-10-2011 Emily Dickinson's Birthday

ALL THINGS EMILY

Today in History - http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/emily-dickinson-is-born
Brief biography - http://www.biography.com/people/emily-dickinson-9274190
Poems of Emily Dickinson - http://poemhunter.com/emily-dickinson/poems/
Magazine and Journal articles about Emily - http://www.cswnet.com/~erin/edmag.htm
How to Celebrate her Birthday - http://www.weekendnotes.com/how-to-celebrate-emily-dickinsons-birthday-on-december-10/
Much Madness (video) - http://www.pw.org/content/probably_the_most_disturbing_emily_dickinson_video_youll_ever_watch?cmnt_all=1

Have Your Students Write Their Own Poems

Write your own poetry with Instant Poetry Forms- http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm
Read Write Think poetry interactives - http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/2nd/more/poetrykids2.htm
Interactive Poetry Pages - http://csd.net/~cantelow/poem_welcome.html
Interactive Poetry Tools and Lesson Plans - http://www.southjerseyacademy.com/academy/interactive_poetry_tools_and_les.htm
Interactive Poetry Tutorial - http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/poetry/index.html

12-9-2011 15 Fabulous LAL Sites to Plan By

Language Arts Literacy

Sites to Plan By

Looking for a great idea for an upcoming lesson.  Check out these sites for new ideas or activities.

1. Found on a blog from Ireland, Lesson Stream has some great resources including video instruction, lesson plans, aides, and pictures - http://lessonstream.org/browse-lessons/

2. Another blogger in Ireland offered up Mash.ie: Great Links for Teachers, no lumpy bits.  What does 1 trillion dollars look like? was simple yet impressive. - http://www.mash.ie/?field_1=30&field_2=0&s=Search+here+for+Themes&submit=Search+Mash 

3. On this site from the UK, The Woodland's Literacy Zone, there is an entire page of Interactive English Games and Activities. http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy/

4. The four links on this page each lead to a entire page of links that can be used in teaching LAL - http://www.elcerritowire.com/6/la.htm

5. This 6th Grade Language Arts page is filled with links categorized by standards - http://www.willoughby-eastlake.k12.oh.us/classroom/technology/6th_grade_language_arts.htm 

6. These interactives are mostly grammar quiz type activities - http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/tools/english-hs.html#Interactive  

7. Reading Resources pages compiled according to standards - http://www.hamiltonschools.org/~schaferj/TECHINTEGRATION/READING/reading.htm

8. Writing Resources pages compiled according to standards - http://www.hamiltonschools.org/~schaferj/TECHINTEGRATION/WRITING/writing.htm

9. Speaking and Listening resource pages compiled according to standards - http://www.hamiltonschools.org/~schaferj/TECHINTEGRATION/SPEAKING%20AND%20LISTENING/SPEAKANDLISTEN.htm

10. Language resource pages compiled according to standards - http://www.hamiltonschools.org/~schaferj/TECHINTEGRATION/LANGUAGE/LANGUAGE.htm 

11. Instant Poetry Forms from the ETTC, priceless - http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm 

12. Stories and online texts - http://www.internet4classrooms.com/links_grades_kindergarten_12/stories_language_arts_elem.htm 

13. Writing resources for middle and high school - http://www.internet4classrooms.com/lang_write.htm 

14. 7th Grade LAL Skill builders - http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills-7th-langbuilders.htm

15. 8th Grade LAL Skill Builders - http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills-8th-langbuilders.htm

11-17-2011 Prompts and Punctuation

1.      Language Arts:  Prompts and Punctuation - The first site is an amazing list of writing prompts.  The prompts are thought provoking and interesting and may just keep your middle schoolers' attention!  The rest are games to help learn about proper punctuation in a fun way.  Enjoy!

a.      300 Writing Prompts - http://writingprompts.tumblr.com/

b.      Lesson worth reading about Punctuation Inquiry - http://rethinkingschools.org/archive/26_01/26_01_schlessman.shtml

c.       BBC KS1: Alien Punctuation - http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/literacy/punctuation/index.shtml

d.      BBC Punctuation Game: Trapped - http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/english/spelling_grammar/punctuation/play.shtml

e.      Apostrophes for contraction and possession activity - http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/apostrophes_con_poss/eng/Introduction/Plenary.htm

f.        Test Your Comma IQ - http://www.savethecomma.com/game/
g.    Punctuation is Important - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlBfnqgnhzw&feature=player_embedded
h.   14 Punctuation Marks You Never Knew Existed - http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/13-punctuation-marks-that-you-never-knew-existed

11-7-2011 16 Ways to Make Global Connections

1.      Language Arts: Global Connections

a.      http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2007/12/20/a-step-by-step-guide-to-global-collaborations/

b.      http://www.epals.com/

c.       http://www.globalschoolnet.org/

d.      http://globalcollaborations.wikispaces.com/

e.      http://www.ptpi.org/community/SCP.aspx

f.        http://connectingacrosscontinents.wikispaces.com/Presentation

g.      http://aroundtheworldwith80schools.wikispaces.com/

h.      http://www.iearn.org/

i.        http://www.teachersconnecting.com/

j.        http://www.tigweb.org/

k.       http://www.classchats.com/connections/

l.        http://www.rafi.ki/site/

m.    http://www.connectallschools.org/

n.      http://www2.ed.gov/teachers/how/tech/international/guide_pg2.html#resources

o.      http://knol.google.com/k?hd=ns – Knol would be great with Google Apps

p.      http://abookandahug.com/index.php - read and post reviews of books grouped by age.