Cool lessons for the novel

http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/readingliterature/novels/of_mice_and_men/of_mice_and_men.htm
I found this by accident. It has quite a few ideas. Of course -kimskorner is one of my favorite sites.

Neat slideshow

http://www.slideshare.net/jhersh/crucible-notes

This is an interesting slideshow about The Crucible.

Raisin in the Sun

Looking ahead (way ahead!)...when you get into the material that was given to us for teaching Raisin - it suggests using "The 7 Habbits of Highly Effective Teens". Rather than use the notebook ideas (since I don't have enough students for them to each or groups to teach a Habit!)I found a site that I will use instead. It has lots of activities that I think will be more meaningful to my students...

http://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/ss/Curriculum2002.pdf

Night

We are currently working on "Night." Two things I have found to use are:

1) A website that has a map of Wiesel's ordeal and pop-up information windows about each location.

http://www.sd84.k12.id.us/SHS/EDTECHQUEST/2002Night/team277-night/map.html




2) A documentary video "Paper Clips." I am planning on using it as an ending to this unit because it is a little more uplifting and positive. It does show an actual boxcar that was used to transport Jews (now is used to store the paper clips as a memorial) and the DVD also includes aditional interviews with Holocaust Survivors telling about what they went through.

From Amazon.com: Product Description
In 1998, a group of Tennessee schoolchildren embarked on a class project that would change their lives and impact those of countless others around the world. Responding to a history lesson about the Holocaust, the students began collecting 11 million paper clips (a Norwegian symbol of Nazi resistance) to commemorate each of the lives lost in the concentration camps. As news of the Paper Clip Project spread through the Internet, the children found themselves aided by total strangers in their effort to build a permanent memorial to tolerance and diversity in their schoolyard. Filmmakers Elliot Berlin and Joe Fab document the project in their documentary, PAPER CLIPS, for a moving testament to Margaret Mead's assertion that "a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world."

Vocab worksheets

If you'd like to create vocab worksheets to go along with the books, literary terms, or even just using Dolch words, you can download a 30 day trial of Vocabulary Worksheet Factory from http://www.schoolhousetech.com/Products/Vocabulary/Download.aspx . You can use the word lists they have, or create your own. It's only good for 30 days, but you can probably delete it and download it again.

Survivor Man

The Science Channel has a TV show called Survivorman and they have an Alaska episode. The Monroe County Library System has this on DVD. I am going to show the students what winter in Alaska looks like and how to survive. One problem from the show is he catches a rabbit and shows skinning it. It's not bloody, but the idea is squimish. You can always fast forward that part. It's a very interesting show and my own children (6 and 5) love it too.

Carvings

To go along with Touching Spirit Bear book, we did carving yesterday. I gave the students each a bar of ivory soap and a plastic knife. Ivory Soap works the best because other brands tend to break apart(I've tried diffferent kinds). It was interesting to see what kinds of designs and patterns and symbols the kids came up with. Some even painted outlines on them. Then they had to write about why they chose to do that design. It was an intereting activity that kept them busy for the entire class period. Those students not finished could take their soap(not the knife) home and use untensils from home to finish.