Beginning Touching Spirit Bear ideas

Ok, I am ready to begin the new year. I have been thinking about the theme of relationships and specifically maturity. I am going to begin the year with making a list of what makes a person mature. I am going to put the students into pairs for the following exercise. Then I am going to give the students pictures of famous people (Brittney Spears, Tom Cruise, Tiger Woods etc..) and I'm going to have the students put the pictures in two groups: Mature and Not Mature. After they make their groups, both people must agree, we will discuss how they chose which person to put in each group. These ideas I will use to begin our class list of Mature Traits. From here I will have the pairs discuss a time when they had to act mature. Then I will open the floor for all students who want to share what they discussed. After I will have some kind of writing assignment that will be used as a pre test for writing.
Any one have ideas, I would love to make this a great opening lesson so all the students will buy into it.

FREE book for your summer reading!

I came across an ad in the Scholastic Administrator for a FREE copy of Don Johnston's autobiography, Building Wings.

Don Johnston's auto-biography encourages students to identify their unique learning styles and motivates them to take charge of their learning potential. It is thoughtful reminder to teachers of the critical task of applying different instructional approaches to deliver core subject knowledge. Published by Start-to-Finish.

Click the link below to receive your free copy (limit one per person): http://www.donjohnston.com/offers/buildingwings/buildingwingscompbookoffer.html

Night Websites

Night
Websites:

1. http://www.webenglishteacher.com/wiesel.html
2. http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/wiesel.htm
3. http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/night/nighttg.html
4. http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=884
5. http://www.holocaust-trc.org/night.htm
6. http://academic.kellogg.edu/mandel/Kern.htm
7. http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view_printer_friendly.asp?id=884
8. http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/wie0int-1
9. http://ctap295.borderlink.org/jmcalpin/
10. http://wiki.elearning.ubc.ca/tela/NighT?show_comments=1
11. http://www.teachnlearn.org/HolTeachingGuide.htmhttp://www.learnnc.org/lessons/sandrarhurd952004092

Night and Romeo and Juliet

At the Science Curriculum meeting we will be getting the lesson plans for Night and Romeo and Juliet. If you did not make it there and didn't get it contact your supervisor to get one.

Mississippi Trial 1955 Websites

http://english.byu.edu/Novelinks/Novel%20Pages/Mississippi%20Trial%201955.htm

http://www.chriscrowe.com/civilrights/gallery.html

http://ucwi.org/info.htm
Scroll down for Chris Crowe

http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/emmetttill.html
(words to Bob Dylan song “The Death of Emmit Till)

http://www.heroism.org/class/1950/heroes/till.htm
(actual article) (Historical Document)

http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/resources/lessonplans/hs_es_emmett_till.htm

http://www.state.lib.la.us/la_dyn_templ.cfm?doc_id=417
(study guide)

http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/curric/languagearts/grade8.html#ln
(Go to the letter M)

http://www.grandcanyonreaderaward.org/ayr.htm
(scroll down to Teen books)

Stop school bullying

WOW! What an incredible video from YouTube! Here's the potential of blogging-- to find and share resources like this one, that may not ever make a major media outlet, but are just as powerful and motivating and moving as anything Hollywood has produced!

Do you think your students could appreciate seeing this? Are there any ELA connections? Any bullying themes in any of the literature your students are reading? I also wanted to show you how easy it is to add video to your blog. Send me an email if you need an explanation on how I did it-- it's VERY simple to do!

What is the purpose of this blog?

I'm just an observer here--not sure how much I'll be able to contribute. But I'd like to start a dialogue with all of the authors of this blog on what this blog is supposed to be about.

Remember, what you post here is visible to the whole world (the "blogosphere"). But that's a good thing (as Martha Stewart would say), because who knows what other educators may occasionally drop in to read what you have to say, and to maybe even add a comment or question, or suggestion. My little blog (http://edtechupdate.blogspot.com in case you're interested) has had visitors from Hawaii, China, Australia, South America... either accidentally or on purpose. It's very exciting to think that I have the potential to reach a worldwide audience!!!

I know this whole "blogging" thing is brand new, and you may not know what it's capable of. Might I suggest you read some other blogs? I follow educational technology, and there are MANY outstanding blogs that I read on a regular basis. You can see a list of links to the blogs that I read here: www.bloglines.com/public/jdornberg I'm sure there must be some great ELA curriculum blogs that other organizations or individuals have started. Maybe one of your goals could be to find those and to share them on this blog?

Blogging is all about an exchange of information and ideas, and dialogue. It's sharing, but also discussion. You can rant, but remember EVERYONE IN THE WORLD can read what you've written, so use discretion.

So how about an ELA Curriculum MCISD roll call? Please share some ideas you have for this blog, and add a comment to someone else's post. If you have any questions, please email me at dornberg at misd dot k12 dot mi dot us