You may have felt the aftershock of an East Coast earthquake yesterday afternoon. The August 23 earthquake was located just outside of Mineral, Virginia and measured 5.9 on the Richter Scale. There has not been an earthquake this powerful in Virginia since 1897!
Your students may have questions regarding earthquakes and their nature. BrainPOP provides a quick video titled Earthquakes and includes a great take-home Experiment for students to do with their family. For the little guys, BrainPOP Jr. hosts Fast Land Changes that may be helpful in explaining Earthquakes to your PK-2 students.
National Geographic is another great resource for discussing Earthquakes with your students. Earthquakes 101 is especially detailed for students in 4th and 5th grades. This online resource includes Questions, Fast Facts, and Vocabulary related to Earthquakes.
Additional Resource
The Three Little Pigs in Earthquake Land K-2
Teachable Moment; Includes a 15 slide PowerPoint regarding yesterday's quake, Grade 5+
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Back to School!
Teachers, keep in mind that our school subscribes to BrainPOP, BrainPOP Jr, and BrainPOP ESL. This month's BrainPOP Spotlight: Back to School. Loads of quick video clips, graphic organizers, lesson plans, and more are available at www.brainpop.com. If you have trouble logging in, or have forgotten the school password please Email sbarracl@access.k12.wv.us.
Please log on to my calendar at any time by clicking on the link Schedule Your TIS located in the right margin of this blog. Simply open the calendar, scroll to find the date and time that you would like to schedule, and type your name in the space provided. You should also indicate the desired amount of time that I will be in your classroom so that no others schedule me in at that time. Please follow-up with a quick Email to let me know what you have in mind. I would love to be included in your Team Meetings this year to discuss your needs and brainstorm ideas! Let's get this party started!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Whole Brain Teaching
I have become inspired by this website. It goes along with what Rhonda and I learned last summer at the APL training but it really shows you how to implement it in your classroom. They have tons of free reading materials, videos, and posters for you to use in your classroom.
***Hint - go to the site from your iPad. Download a PDF, then open it in (top right) iBooks.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Get Set for the WESTEST Lock-In!
On Saturday, April 30 Spring Hill Elementary will host the 4th Annual Get Set for the WESTEST Lock-In! Quest for Excellence. All students in grades 3, 4, and 5 are invited to attend an evening filled with special projects and activities that will help Spring Hill students be better prepared for the upcoming achievement test. Since initiating Get Set for the WESTEST! three years ago, our school has shown great improvement and achieved AYP, as well as earning WV School of Excellence in 2010. We are confident that our students will achieve the goals that have been set before them in 2011.
Our guest speaker for the evening is Bishop Samuel Moore, community leader and former Assistant Principal of Spring Hill Elementary. During the opening assembly, there are several student performances scheduled including a short skit written and directed by SHE students. Other student events include a composition of inspirational songs under the direction of Ms. Kelly Stone and a team competition for an achievement-based rap/ cheer.
Following the opening events, students and staff will participate in a variety of best practice activities. These are designed to prepare them for success on the 2011 WESTEST. We will showcase technology integration throughout the building that target specific learning objectives. During the late-night Brain Break, students will have an opportunity to exercise their brains with a giant inflatable obstacle course, Zumba! dance fitness with community trainers, XBox Kinect Dance Central, and more.
Teachers can access additional information on our Quest for Excellence resource site. Here, you will be able to download the Indiana Jones theme song, access links to some great activities that can be used in your best practice session, and check out a book list that fits our 2011 theme. For more information on Get Set for the WESTEST Lock-In! Quest for Excellence, contact the event coordinators sbarracl@access.k12.wv.us or lpettry@access.k12.wv.us.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Google: Not Just a Search Engine
Yesterday after school, staff at Spring Hill Elementary participated in a Professional Development session delivered via videoconferencing. ISTE's SIGIVC host and Google Certified Teacher Paul Hieronymus from NORT2H (Northern Ohio Research & Training Technology Hub), together with five interactive sites shared just a few of the FREE tools that Google offers to search and collaborate.
You can use Google Earth to simply search for a place or try one of the many advanced features, such as recording a tour or importing GPS data. Google Earth for Educators offers Classroom Resources; lesson plans and ideas on how Google Earth can help students learn. Also available are Tutorials and Tips, Student Showcase, and more.
Looking for a complete, fully interactive, 3D human anatomy model? Google has recently demoed an interesting WebGL application called Body Browser, which lets you explore the human body just like you can explore the world in Google Earth. You can peel back anatomical layers, zoom in, and navigate to parts that interest you. Click to identify anatomy, or search for muscles, organs, bones and more.
Please note: You must install a WebGL-enabled browser. These are available for download at the link above.
Ever wish you could create a personalized, customized search engine that searches only across sites that you specify and displays results that you know will be right for you or your students? Google Custom Search Engine (CSE) allows you do do just that. Want your students to access only child-safe sites? You can pre-select the sites, list them in the settings of your new search engine, and then let your students use it -- knowing that they're searching the web safely. And because you choose the sites to search, they'll get a limited number of highly relevant search results, making the time they spend online more efficient and rewarding. All you need to do is choose the websites and pages you'd like to search, then follow a few simple steps to create a CSE. Think of it as putting the power of Google web search to work for you.
Find out about these programs and so many more at Google for Educators. Here, you’ll find a teacher’s guide to Google Tools for Your Classroom. To spark your imagination, you'll also find examples of innovative ways that other educators are using these tools in the classroom. If you would like to schedule me to work with you or your students on Google Apps, or would like to request a PD session, please contact me at sbarracl@access.k12.wv.us.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Revv Up Your Students' Writing!
J. K. Rowling is the author of the best-selling Harry Potter books, about a young boy who learns to be a magician at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
In several paragraphs, describe your own special school, such as a school for kid spies, superheroes, or fairies.
While reading a newspaper, you stumble across the following classified ad:
Spine-chilling monster needs a loving new home. Already housebroken, somewhat.You reply to this ad and now have a scary monster at home that (you think) will follow your every command. In several short paragraphs, describe your monster, how you found it, and what you do with it.
Very cheeky, needs a lot of attention. Please contact me for more information!
The television series Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide chronicled the crazy escapades of Ned Bigby and his friends, Moze and Cookie, at Polk Middle School. In the series, the kids attempt to navigate the challenges of being at middle school.
Write a survival guide of several paragraphs, explaining what a new student entering your class needs to know to immediately fit in.
In 1928, the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming, by chance, discovered penicillin. Penicillin is an antibiotic that helps fight bacterial infections in your body. Its discovery changed modern medicine.
Think about an amazing invention or discovery that has changed the world and, in several paragraphs, write an expository essay explaining how it works.
A massive snowstorm with very low temperatures, strong winds, and heavy blowing snow is known as a blizzard. A blizzard in 1995 brought meter of snow and temperatures of below -30 degrees c to Minnesota. The blizzard caused almost $82million in damage, and 11 counties in southern Minnesota were declared federal disaster areas.
You are stuck in a terrible snowstorm. In several short paragraphs, tell the story of your rescue.
For more writing resources and ideas, check out these other resources from Scholastic:
Inspire Young Writers
Generate your own story starter with The Story Starter Machine
Writing With Writers
Write It: Publish Your Work
Monday, January 24, 2011
Black History Month
The month of February is packed full of special occasions and holidays to feature in the classroom. Keep in mind that on February 15, in conjunction with Student-Led Conferences your students' Black History Month projects will be displayed in the classroom.
The Underground Railroad: Escape From Slavery
Scholastic features a a unique online experience that encourages students to
follow a network of routes, hiding places and the people who helped enslaved
African Americans escape to freedom. Here, you can access a helpful Teacher Activity Guide , lesson plans and printable work pages, primary sources and more.
BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. also have dozens of videos and activities available to celebrate Black History Month with your students. After viewing a short video about George Washington Carver, make your own peanut, sweet potato, or soybean cookbook! To access the activities, click on the activity link under each video. To see how BrainPOP can be integrated into your classroom, contact me at sbarracl@access.k12.wv.us.
Teacher Vision also has countless resources for Black History Month. You can access many of these activities and resources without subscribing to Teacher Vision, such as the Dreams Poetry Unit.
Celebrate Black History Month with your students by sharing the hard work, struggles and successes of African Americans throughout history with resources from Thinkfinity. Check out ArtsEdge Blues Journey, a video series that explores the Blues.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Christmas Around the World
Christmas Around the World
View more presentations from sbarracl.
During the month of December, students across Cabell County's Title I schools participated in a collaborative videoconferencing project titled, Christmas Around the World. Fifth graders at Spring Hill Elementary had been studying the European countries of Italy, Greece, and France earlier in October. To enrich this study, teachers redesigned the techSteps lesson, Talk to a Topic. After researching the holiday customs of these unique cultures, students used the Keynote Application on the iPad to create presentation slides. During the videoconference, students shared their slides with the partner class and reported on their findings in a one-minute speech. Check out some of their work in the slideshow above!
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