Instructor (1990) articles from August 2004

Instructor (1990) archives from August 2004

Meeting the standards.(Illustration)
August 1, 2004... ARTICLE PAGE LANGUAGE ARTS GRADES "Reading the 41 Understands level-appropriate sight K-2 Room" With words and vocabulary (e.g., words for Pointers ...

Expect the best.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
August 1, 2004... DEPENDING ON A TEACHER'S high or low expectations, a child may take one of two paths. Joey, a first grader whose teacher labeled him "slow," "disinterested," and "uncooperative," was one such child. What might happen as Joey entered second...

Salute to Steig.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed "A Month of William Steig" (May/June 2004). As a librarian, I found the language arts activities, plans, and ideas perfect for finishing up the last month of school with my students. A month of any author...

Japan-O-file.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... You can be sure that Diana Granat's unit on Japan ("A Journey to Japan," March 2004) is going in my Japan file. Each year, my students participate in a "mini museum"--each class researches a country and assembles a display for students and...

1,292 dictionaries and counting.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Your brief article on the Dictionary Project ("News & Trends," March 2003) was a great inspiration to the students and faculty of the College of Education at the University of Missouri. The Dictionary Project's goal is to place a dictionary in...

Mending the gender gap.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Congratulations to Diane Connell on "The New Gender Gap" (March 2004). I agree that the elementary education setting often favors girls. We all need to be reminded that both boys and girls need to have a chance to tap their full intellectual...

Ny state of minds.(News & Trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Since 1995, renowned pediatrician Mel Levine has been spreading the message that "to treat all children equally is to treat them unequally." Dr. Levine is the co-founder of the nonprofit instutute All Kinds of Minds (www.allkindsofminds.org)...

Popcorn to go.(News & Trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Instead of reaching for a bag of greasy chips, hungry students in CA and NV can now pop their coins into one of many new Pop N Go popcorn vending machines, which cook up individual servings of hot, fresh, oil-free popcorn. [ILLUSTRATION...

PURE pressure.(Parents United for Responsible Education)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Chicago parents banded together to transform their school district--and created a model for parents nationwide. The 800 members of Chicago's PURE (Parents United for Responsible Education) have tackled budget crises, discipline, alleged misuse...

Robot on the loose.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Last spring, students at public school MS 390 in the Bronx, New York, welcomed an unusual visitor: a robot by the name of ASIMO. The result of more than 18 years of research by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., ASIMO is the world's only bipedal humanoid...

Japanese internment camp project.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Students at two Arkansas schools have resurrected a largely forgotten piece of their state's history: two WWII Japanese internment camps. The students used Digital Tech Frontier's Virtual Reality Development Lab (VRDL), a "virtual reality kit...

Quidditch, anyone?(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... They may not be zipping around on broomsticks, but students at Windermer Elementary School in Columbus, Ohio, are enjoying the fast pace and physical thrills of a gym-based version of Quidditch. Jodi Palmer, a physical education teacher at the...

Smile, everyone!(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Philip Dale, a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher who has conducted a study of special education services over the past 18 years, has found that a positive, outgoing temperament can help struggling kids beat the odds. This finding...

Energy detectives.(News to Peruse)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Last spring, elementary students in California's Central Valley went on a mission to help lower gas and electric bills. The kids used handheld HOBO data loggers to monitor light usage and temperature in their homes and classrooms. They then...

Hate filing?(News to Peruse)
August 1, 2004... Although teaching has many rewards, organizing all that paperwork isn't one of them. Register yourself or a frazzled colleague at www.ihatefiling.com. There you can join the "I Hate Filing Club" and receive a monthly newsletter on how to make...

Celebrities remember their teachers.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Celebrities haven't forgotten the teachers who have inspired them. Take BRITNEY SPEARS, who still remembers her "awesome" third-grade teacher, Miss Hughes. Basketball star GRANT HILL recalls that "Mr. Slade was my seventh-grade history teacher...

"End of the Day" photo contest.(Contests)
August 1, 2004... Submit your favorite memories from the classroom to Instructor's first-ever "End of the Day" photo contest. Deadline: October 15, 2004 How it works: Any photo from a school activity or field trip is eligible. Brightly-lit and clear...

Informational money poster.(Giveaways)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Free to teachers: If you teach a unit on money, this informational poster is a must--a close-up of the new $20 bill is featured, with call-outs describing the new tech-savvy safety features. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Grades: 3-8 How...

Office Depot Teacher Appreciation Breakfasts.(Giveaways)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Free to teachers: Throughout August, Office Depot is again hosting their popular "Teacher Appreciation Breakfasts," held at more than 900 stores nationwide. How to get it: Go to www.school.com to find the dates in your area.

Literacy materials.(Giveaways)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Free to teachers: ReadWriteThink offers a variety of helpful materials on their Web site, including a compare and contrast guide, an alphabet organizer, and more. Grades: K-8 How to get it: Click on "Student Materials" at...

Crisis response documents.(Giveaways)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Free to teachers: The Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress offers a number of useful downloads, including guidelines for teachers on how to respond to a school crisis, a checklist of early warning signs of at-risk behavior, and more. ...

National Geographic Society Grosvenor grants.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The National Geographic Society Education Foundation supports educational programs in three categories: establishing geography's position and importance in the K-12 curriculum, engaging K-12 students in real-world geographic issues, and...

Barbara Bush Foundation literacy grants.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The Barbara Bush Foundation recognizes schools and community programs that have made efforts to improve and expand the literacy of both children and their parents. Last year the foundation awarded more than $500,000 nationwide. Deadline:...

Project Learning Tree GreenWorks! Grants.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Support your students' environmental service learning project by applying for a grant from Project Learning Tree, which range from $50 to $1,000. A special initiative awards wildfire education and management programs larger grants. ...

Maurice R. Robinson mini-grants.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... In honor of the late Maurice R. Robinson, founder of Scholastic, the Constitutional Rights Foundation awards grants to K-12 service learning projects addressing serious community problems. Deadline: October 15, 2004 To apply: Download...

Go back to school with the best.(New & Noteworthy)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Instant Centers Create-Your-Own Tabletop Centers have 13 customizable pockets and can fold compactly in a snap. $29.95; www.learningresources.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Advanced Organization Five Star Advance notebooks each...

Are you ready? Our readers share how they prepare for the first day.(Teacher Talk)
August 1, 2004... A Softer Schedule For me, the first day always feels like day one of my teaching career. Planning a lighter schedule helps to ease my anxieties and those of my students. Still, with talking to parents and going over school business, I...

"Sara cries and clings to her mom every morning. I empathize, but after three weeks, it's interfering with our second-grade morning routine. What should I do?".(Can You Help?)
August 1, 2004... Look for a deeper reason. This young girl has anxiety that needs to be addressed. Try sharing your concern with her parents to gain more insight into this problem, and talk with the child's first-grade teacher to find out if this problem has a...

What do you expect? A teacher's high--or low-expectations can wield a profound influence on students. Here's how to set the bar high for every child.
August 1, 2004... As your new students take their seats on the first day of school, no doubt some quick impressions will leap to mind: She certainly looks enthusiastic and bright... He's daydreaming already... Her second-grade teacher mentioned that she was a...

Building bridges from school to home: meeting the challenge of the positive, productive parent-teacher relationship.
August 1, 2004... There is no more complex and tender geography than the borderlands between families and schools. Everyone believes that parents and teachers should be allies and partners. After all, we are all engaged in the important and precious work of...

Running records every day: revamp your routine to make time for assessment.
August 1, 2004... You may have found yourself thinking upon occasion, "I'd like to do running records, but there just isn't time!" At first glance, establishing the time to regularly do running records for 24 or more students may seem impossible, but consider...

Opening soon! An exciting way to introduce classroom materials and learning areas slowly, safely, and with a sense of ownership and fun.
August 1, 2004... As eager kindergarten students enter the classroom on the first day of school, they see chairs and tables, a paper towel machine, a row of hooks for backpacks, and shelves full of brightly wrapped boxes. Certain areas of the room are hidden...

August activities from our readers.
August 1, 2004... Win a $50 Scholastic gift certificate! Do you have an innovative classroom activity or super organizing tip that you'd like to share? Mail it to Instructor Activities Editor, c/o Scholastic Inc., P.O. Box 713, New York, NY 10013-0711. If...

Does your classroom library stack up?(Classroom Libraries)
August 1, 2004... Take this quiz to find out if your classroom library does the job of helping raise the reading achievement of all of your students. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] 1. & 2. Books A-Plenty Divide your answer to question 1 by your answer to question 2....

What teachers say: looking for a library lift? Discover Instructor readers' best practices for creating, organizing, and celebrating the classroom library.(Classroom Libraries)
August 1, 2004... Use Space Creatively. I use several shelves to divide my library into an entryway, a reading area, and a writing station. The shelves are filled with bins labeled by subject. Corresponding labels on the shelves make clean-up a snap!--Sarah...

"Reading the room" with pointers: make the most of your print-rich classroom with playful pointers that motivate students to practice important literacy skills.(Activity)
August 1, 2004... WHY USE POINTERS? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1 INCREASE MOTIVATION Students love pointers. They often come up with innovative uses for them--and, therefore, new reasons to read. 2 BUILD PRINT AWARENESS When children are asked to find...

The first day! These back-to-school icebreakers are sure to get students excited about meeting new friends, building a classroom community, and celebrating a brand new year.(Activities)
August 1, 2004... Mystery Pen Pals Invite students to make classmate connections through the mail! Begin by giving each student a numbered mailbox: You can use cubbies with numbers, or create a shoebox mail station. (For each box: cut a slit in one of the short...

Word builders: get your writing projects off the ground with Ann Whitford Paul's kid-motivating, construction-inspired poem.(Poetry Workshop)
August 1, 2004... Start your exploration of this wonderful poem with a discussion of any new vocabulary words, such as mortar, frame, or village. (Even one unknown word can interfere with understanding.) Give each child a copy of the Poetry Workshop Reproducible...

Mini-posters: let your students know that you expect their very best with these supportive and inspirational signs.(Motivational)
August 1, 2004... Start the year with high expectations! Positive motivation from teachers--and a positive attitude towards students' learning capabilities--can have a phenomenal effect on students' actual success in the classroom (see "What Do You Expect?" on...

Math shapes up! Develop geometry skills with these standards-based activities.(Activities)
August 1, 2004... Monster Geometry (Using the Reproducible) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To break the ice at the beginning of the year and assess kids' familiarity with geometric terminology, try this bulletin board of "monstrous" geometric shapes. First,...

Physics on the playground: sliding, climbing, swinging--playgrounds are a great place to observe physical forces, such as gravity, momentum, and friction! Invite students outdoors to take a closer look at the science behind the fun with these hands-on activities. Encourage them to predict, observe, and draw conclusions along the way.(Activities)
August 1, 2004... Air Resistance Test [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SCIENCE CONCEPT: Air resistance--the push of air against a moving object--can have a surprising effect on gravity! TRY THIS: Tell your students that a bowling ball and a feather will fall...

Families count! Teach or reinforce essential math skills with getting-to-know-you activities that celebrate all kinds of families.(Activities)
August 1, 2004... Great-Great-Multiplication Your students will be amazed when they use doubling to see how many people are part of their family tree! To begin, draw a figure on the board and label it "me." Then draw two figures underneath. Label this generation...

Deep-sea monsters.(Cyberhunt Activities)
August 1, 2004... Deep below the ocean surface, there lives an entire world of weird, wonderful creatures. Invite students online to learn more about these real deep-sea monsters with the CyberHunt Reproducible, opposite. Then extend the learning with the...

30 new classics: top titles for back-to-school--all perfect stories to set the stage for a reading-filled year.(Book Talk)
August 1, 2004... My Kindergarten By Rosemary Wells. Hyperion, 2004; 96 pages; $16.99; PreK-1. Take a glorious tour through the kindergarten year with Miss Cribbage and her eight animal students. Don't miss the accompanying downloadable songs and stories on...

Helpful homepages: the World Wide Web can be a big place, especially for kids. These purposeful, user-friendly sites will help surfers of all ages navigate the net with ease.(Web Sitings)
August 1, 2004... Class Homepage Builder http://teacher.scholastic.com/tools Start your year and your students' Web searches off right by taking advantage of Scholastic's free homepage builder, which allows you to post homework assignments, showcase...

My new arrivals: each year my new students make a profound "imprint" on me.(End of the Day)
August 1, 2004... They are mine. My new fourth graders arrive in all sizes, shapes, and colors, with all temperaments and dispositions. In these first tentative minutes of the new school year, when I first see this disparate group of nine-year-olds, something...