Instructor (1990) articles from August 2001

Instructor (1990) archives from August 2001

Gender Gap.(2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress, report)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Fourth-grade girls continue to score higher than boys on reading tests, according to results from the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Its report shows that the gap between girls and boys increased between 1998 and 2000....

Teaching Tolerance Grants Program.(Southern Poverty Law Center)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The Teaching Tolerance project of the Southern Poverty Law Center awards grants of up to $2,000 to K-12 teachers who implement tolerance projects in their schools or communities. There is no deadline for proposals, but applicants should allow...

Pay for Performance.(teachers paid on basis of student success, Iowa)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Iowa recently joined a handful of school districts and public schools around the country that have adopted a controversial system to pay teachers based on their performance and student achievement rather than on the number of years of teaching...

One Clip at a Time.(paper clips sculpture memorial to Holocaust victims by Tennessee school children)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... It started three years ago as a way to pay homage to the 6 million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. Since then it has grown into an international cause for students in a small Tennessee community. After attending a voluntary...

Artful Cover-ups.(students repair book covers, Memphis, Tenessee)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Rather than toss away books with tattered covers, or have them rebound without covers, Jack Maxwell sought out some artistic help--from students. Maxwell, the library media specialist at Hamilton Accelerated Elementary School in Memphis,...

American Music Grants.(National Music Foundation)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... The National Music Foundation is awarding grants of $500 and $1,000 to K-12 teachers with unique lesson plans using American music. The lessons can be in any course and can use any type of American music from blues, to rock, to rap. Three...

Digi-Block[R] Math Grant.(to teachers using Digi-Block Learning System)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Digi-Block, a developer of hands-on math materials for children in grades K-4, is offering a $5,000 math grant. To apply, teachers must develop a plan with clear educational objectives for using the Digi-Block Learning System in their classroom...

If I Could ...(Poem)
August 1, 2001... I would teach each child to be positive, to smile, to love and be loved. I would teach each child to take time to observe some miracle of nature-the song of a bird, the beauty of a snowflake, the orange glow of a winter...

Evewitmess Books.(The Civil War and Epidemic)(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Sharon West, Whippany, NJ, Gr. 6-7 Civil War, By John Stanchak (Dorling Kindersley, 2000) Epidemic, By Brian R. Ward (Dorling Kindersley, 2000) Could ergot, a fungus, have been a causal factor in the Salem Witch scare of 1692? What...

From old classics to new discoveries, which read-alouds do you just adore?(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Hales, by Louis Sachar, is one of the most original books we've read this year. The children loved it, and the humor and suspense kept them wanting to hear more. --Sheri Lewis, Mt. Holly NC, Grade 4 I teach the fifth grade and we have...

The History Our Nation: America's Beginnings.
August 1, 2001... (Education Media, Inc., 2000; distibuted by TMW Media Group) No ordinary history flick, this 48-minute video, one of six in the series America: The Living Dream, tells you everything you've ever wanted to know about Americana, but were...

Read to Me: Raising Kids Who Love to Read.(Review)
August 1, 2001... By Bernice E. Cullinan (Scholastic, 2000) I've encouraged children to love reading for over 20 years, and I wondered what Cullinan's updated edition of her book could offer me. Well, she provides plenty of practical reading and writing...

Improving Spelling Grades.(hints for teachers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Q: My third grade students work hard on their spelling, yet they sometimes spell certain familiar words incorrectly. Afterwards, they often see when a misspelled word "doesn't look right," and can correct it. How can I help them to get it right...

A IS FOR SALAD (PRIMARY).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By Mike Lester. Putnam, 2000; 40 pages; $9.99 (K-3). "A is for salad." What? The silly picture shows an alligator eating the salad. This is a very funny animal alphabet book for kids who will delight in howling, "NO, A isn't for salad. A...

MISS BINDERGARTEN STAYS HOME FROM KINDERGARTEN (PRIMARY).(Joseph Slate)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By Joseph Slate, illustrated by Ashley Wolff. Dutton, 2000; 48 pages; $16.99 (K-2). Poor Miss Bindergarten, black and white dog teacher to 26 animal children, has the flu, so Mr. Tusky, a gentle elephant, must take over for four days of...

JUNIE B. JONES IS A GRADUATION GIRL (PRIMARY).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Review)
August 1, 2001... By Barbara Park, illustrated by Denise Brunkus. Random House, 2001; 69 pages; $11.99 hc; $3.99 pb. (1-5). Many readers have followed Junie B.'s hilarious progress through kindergarten and now she's about to move up and is a little bit...

BULLY (PRIMARY).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By Judith Caseley. Greenwillow, 2001; 32 pages; $15.95 (PreK-3). "You used to be a mouse," Mickey tells his former friend Jack. "And now you've turned into a great big rat!" Jack eats Mickey's cookies at lunch, breaks his pencil with the...

BEATRICE'S GOAT (PRIMARY).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By Page McBrier, illustrated by Lori Lohstoeter. Afterword by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Atheneum, 2001; 32 pages; $16 (K-4). In the small village of Kisinga in western Uganda, Beatrice's life is forever changed thanks to a goat named Mugisa....

DEAR WHISKERS (PRIMARY).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By Ann Whitehead Nagda, illustrated by Stephanie Roth. Holiday House, 2000; 64 pages; $15.95 (2-5). In this book, the fourth graders begin a pen pal project, in which they pretend to be mice and write short "mice letters" to second...

FIRST GRADERS FROM MARS: EPISODE 1: HORUS'S HORRIBLE DAY (PRIMARY).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By Shana Corey, illustrated by Mark Teague. Scholastic, 2001; 32 pages; $14.95 (K-2). Faced with a lot of tough schoolwork and a teasing classmate on his first day back at Mariner Valley Elementary School, Martian first grader, Horus,...

DON'T YOU KNOW THERE'S A WAR ON? (INTERMEDIATE).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By Avi. HarperCollins, 2001; 200 pages; $15.89 (3-7). Home front. Brooklyn, N.Y Monday, March 22, 1943. Our wisecracking narrator, Howie Crispers, 11, breaks his shoelace and pretty soon he's late for school. He sees his school principal on...

THE COLOR OF MY WORDS (INTERMEDIATE).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By Lynn Joseph. HarperCollins, 2000; 138 pages; $14.95 (5-8). Growing up in the politically repressive Dominican Republic, 12-year-old Ana Rosa is a perceptive young writer who loves to observe everything from her perch above her house in...

GOLD DUST (INTERMEDIATE).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By Chris Lynch. HarperCollins, 2000; 208 pages; $15.95 (5-8). In 1974, in the midst of the Boston school bus boycott as white parents were pulling their kids out of soon-to-be-integrated schools and enrolling them in private ones, Richard...

Everyone Succeeds with Poetry Writing.
August 1, 2001... To put your students on the road to successful writing, begin the year with poetry Teaching poetry writing is the best way I know to engage and celebrate all students--not just as writers, but as valued members of the classroom community....

THE COURAGE TO LEARN.(Ruby Bridges and teacher Barbara Henry)(Interview)
August 1, 2001... The story of Ruby Bridges shows that teachers and students can become heroes for each other We all know how hard that first day of school can be for new teachers and new students. Imagine what that first day must have been like for student...

Putting it all together.(mathematics lesson planning)
August 1, 2001... Lesson plans that do the job of linking past, present, and future learning As teachers, we are privileged to guide children through the magical journey that is learning, building a continuum of knowledge that embraces past, present, and...

Boost Writing Skills With Everyday JOURNALING.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Daily journaling can help your students become strong, confident writers The Great Literary Thinker's Journal Journaling is a way to deepen comprehension. Students can make connections to literature by responding to colorful imagery or...

Make Your Class a Community with Kevin Henkes.
August 1, 2001... Will I have friends in class? Will I enjoy my new classroom? Will I fit in? Everyone is nervous the first day back. Help ease those September anxieties with these cross-curricular community-building activities based on popular Kevin Henkes'...

William H. Johnson.(analyzing the artist's work)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Meet the artist * William H. Johnson (1901-1970) is considered one of the greatest African-American artists of the 20th century. Born poor in Florence, South Carolina, Johnson aspired to be an artist even as a child. He lived and worked in New...

JUMP INTO SHAPE POETRY.(John Agard's concrete poetry)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... From jump ropes to jungle animals, give poetry a playful new dimension Begin a new year in poetry with dynamic shape poems, such as John Agard's "Skipping Rope Spell." Reading and writing concrete poems is a great way to spark a child's...

Get Ready To FLY.(lesson plans)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Enjoy the adventure of flight with your student and send them soaring Balloon Rocket Science Propel balloon rockets across the classroom to demonstrate the concept of thrust. First, divide the class into groups of three to build a...

WELCOME TO THE First Day of School!(settling in ideas)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Start this "new year" with the message: "Exciting things happen here." Throw a new school-year bash with plenty of fun getting-to-know-you activities New Year Resolutions * Involve students in the creation of a set of classroom "New...

Math Patterns: Created by kids!
August 1, 2001... The ETA/Cuisenaie[R] 2001 Math Challenge winners share their exciting math puzzles for your class to solve In Instructor's March 2001 issue, we challenged teachers and students across the country to take part in our first-ever...

REV UP WRITERS!(creativity-sparking activities)
August 1, 2001... Start off the year with creativity-sparking activities and writing fun The beginning of the year is a great time to get your students excited about writing and ready to face the many challenges to come. Start the year with these fun and...

One County, 23,000 Laptops.(Henrico County, Virginia schools to lease computers from Apple)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Is the laptop becoming the new backpack? In Henrico County, Virginia, as part of a four-year, $18.5 million technology initiative, school officials are leasing 23,000 laptop computers from Apple Computer for all middle and high school students...

More Camputers!(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2001... Classrooms all over the country have more computers than ever before. This year, the number of students per computer has dropped to just under five. The biggest drop? The number of students per internet-ready computer: 7.9, or 3-4 computers per...

Become a World-wise School!(joining the Peace Corps.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Did you know your class can join the Peace Corps? The World-wise School will set up a correspondence match for your class, giving you the chance to integrate technology into your classroom while deepening your students' sense of cultural...

Grants With Smarts.(Citigroup Foundation's K-12 school grants)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Citigroup Foundation makes grants for programs that strengthen K-12 education in low-income neighborhoods. These grants emphasize creation of "smarter schools" and "smarter classrooms" with higher standards for student performance and smaller...

TIP: Bookmark Top Sites.
August 1, 2001... When you find a great site, you can save it for easy reference by clicking on Favorites on the toolbar (top of screen), then choosing "Add Page to Favorites." You can organize fave web sites by topic!

the Standards just a click away.(educational standards)
August 1, 2001... Tap the power of the Internet to help make the standards work for you! For many teachers, standards have became the "straw" that breaks their backs. Even experienced teachers scramble to determine exactly what "teach to the standards"...

ThinkQuest.(educational Web sites for kids)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.Thinkquest.org Looking for educational Web sites that are really aimed at kids? ThinkQuest has a large library of informational sites created by kids (and their teachers) for kids. Every year ThinkQuest requests submissions from...

McREL.(online guide to the education standards)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.mcrel.org What we've been looking for--an authoritative easy-to-use guide to the education standards. Nonprofit educational research group McREL provides an on-line database of standards that is searchable, written in the simplest...

Daily Dose of the Web.(Web site for teachers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.internet4classrooms.com/daily_dose.htm Start the day with quick critical-thinking activities using Daily Dose's great resources. Bookmark this site for daily brain teasers, challenging questions, and math problems geared to all grade...

DiscoverySchool.com.(Web site for teachers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.discoveryschool.com Here is a collection of truly useful teacher tools. By typing in a list of vocabulary words, you can create a glossary list with definitions, pronunciation and more, or make a quick vocabulary quiz. The...

ePALS.com Classroom.(Web site for student e-mail pen-pals)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Exchange www.epals.com If you are looking for e-mail pen-pals for your students, ePALS is the place to go. ePALS is a completely free service that connects educators globally for collaborative projects. You can browse through the mail...

Achievement Award Certificates.(Web site offers free certificates)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.successcertificates.com Reward your students with certificates for every occasion. Visit this site to download hundreds of free certificates including the "Clean Desk Award," "Welcome to the First Day of School," "Great Speller," and...

Blue Web'n.(Web site for teachers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn What you see is what you get with this excellent site. The Content Table makes finding any piece of information, from web-based tutorials to unit and lesson plans, quick and easy--without even typing a...

MacroPolo.(teachers' web site research tool)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.wcom.com/marcopolo When we think of Marco Polo, one word comes to mind--exploration. That is the idea behind this site--to help you explore the Internet in order to find what you need for your classroom. It is a portal that leads you...

Ask CyberScout.(Macmillan/McGraw-Hill web site research service)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.mmhschool.com/tech/askcyberscout.php3 For those of you frustrated with the daunting task of Web research, this site is for you! Ask CyberScout is a service offered to K--8 teachers by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. It is designed to spare you...

National Atlas.(National Atlas of the United States web site)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.nationalatlas.gov Since 1997, the government has been busy at work updating the National Atlas of the United States and making it available via the Web. This site provides many different kinds of multimedia maps that can give you a...

The Amazing Picture Machine.(graphics resource search engine)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... www.ncrtec.org/picture.htm Enter your search word and this search engine delivers photographs, drawings, and other graphical resources. We looked for pictures of frogs, telephones, cars, and rhinoceroses! The Amazing Picture Machine came...

TOP SOFTWARE.(social sciences and geography software)
August 1, 2001... WARREN BUCKLEITNER'S WARREN BUCKLEITNER, a nationally syndicated expert in educational software, can help you put some zip into your social studies lessons with these top software selections. SOCIAL STUDIES & GEOGRAPHY Add that...

e ACTIVITIES.(solar system web sites)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... TECH-BASED LEARNING FOR EVERY CLASSROOM BLAST OFF INTO STUDYING THE SOLAR SYSTEM WITH YOUR STUDENTS AND SUPERCHARGE THEIR COMPUTER SKILLS. EXPLORE THE PLANETS! Starry Night Planet Mobile Start your unit on the solar system by...

Cybervoyage to the Sun.(learning about the solar system)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... Lead your class on a cyberjourney through our solar system and learn fascinating sun facts. Your students can do Instructor's CyberHunt on-line at www.scholastic.com/instructor Suitable for middle and upper graders, the CyberHunt is a great...

The Red Shoe.(judging people)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2001... By nurturing differences, we can learn that there is more than one way to solve a problem On my first day of kindergarten, my teacher, Ms. Hancock, displayed a chart of accomplishments and explained that each of us would be filling our...