Instructor (1990) articles from March 2002

Instructor (1990) archives from March 2002

The wonder of science. (Editor's Note).
March 1, 2002... I used to be a scientist. Not the kind of scientist you'd imagine, though. I was a backyard scientist, an adventurer elbow-deep in dirt and leaves, butterfly net at the ready, pail slopping over with water. As a child in Michigan, I...

Students' Art for Peace. (What's the Buzz?).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... When children do not share another's language or culture, they still have a way to communicate through the universal language of art. Through Students' Art for Peace, teachers guide their students to draw pictures that convey messages of peace,...

Poetry by Teachers. (What's the Buzz?).(Brief Article)(Bibliography)
March 1, 2002... In the preface to the anthology Bearing Witness: Poetry by Teachers About Teaching (Zephyr Press, 2001), the editor, Margaret Hatcher, writes that the goal of the book was: "...to create a positive, inspirational, yet realistic picture of...

Misunderstood Minds. (What's the Buzz?).(documentary on learning differences)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Every teacher has known a child who struggles in school, and finding the causes and solutions is often a frustrating experience. Misunderstood Minds, a new PBS documentary scheduled to air Wednesday, March 27, 2002, at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local...

Gain an hour in the classroom. (What's the Buzz?).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Are your students listening? Are they following directions? Or do you occasionally have difficulty managing the group so you can focus on the real business of learning? Before you reach for a discipline solution, reach for Lee Canter's new...

Grants for school projects. (Grants & Contests).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The American Honda Foundation is offering grants to K-12 schools and school districts that have come up with ideas for an educational project for use with students in the areas of math, science, technology, or environmental education. The...

Ask Mary.(teachers ask questions regarding students with learning disabilities, journal assignments, other teaching challenges)
March 1, 2002... Learning Disability ? Q I have a student who is reading two grades below level, but her parents refuse to have her tested for a learning disability. How can I convince them? A Rather than getting into a power struggle, focus on what is...

Building community. (Help!).(article examines how to foster a sense of community among students)
March 1, 2002... Problem: Every year in the spring, I involve my class in a community project. ifs always been such a rewarding experience. But this year, I don't think they can handle it. Some of my students are rude, others often bicker, and many don't seem...

Reflecting on test scores: how standardized tests can inform our teaching and improve students' learning. (Test Wise).
March 1, 2002... Teachers and principals get an earful when standardized test scores are reported. Newspapers compare scores across schools. Parents ask questions. Superintendents dispense praise or demand explanations. Publicity surrounding the scores often...

Amazing animal tales: wild or domestic, friendly or fierce, animals and the stories in which they star are endlessly fascinating to children. (Book Talk).(Bibliography)
March 1, 2002... PRIMARY THE EMPEROR LAYS AN EGG By Brenda Z. Guiberson; illustrated by Joan Paley. Henry Holt, 2001; 32 pages; $16.95 (PreK-3). In May, the mother emperor penguin lays her egg, and transfers it onto the feet of the father. With...

Helping language grow: clues to identifying students with language delays -- and easy strategies that help.
March 1, 2002... Five-year-old Kenny is having difficulty in school. He struggles with following simple directions, recalling recent events, participating in conversations, and responding appropriately when classmates speak to him. Most troubling, Kenny often...

Not-so-messy hands-on science: four fascinating and fun science activities that guarantee twice the science learning with only half the mess.
March 1, 2002... Newspapers are spread over tabletops and floor tiling to catch any stray dirt, sand, and gravel that might spill as students investigate "nature's underground washing machine"-that is, how rainwater that seeps into the ground is made drinkable...

We're all different (We're all the same): teach children to embrace diversity and give them a gift they can use throughout their lives.
March 1, 2002... "I am a boy and she is a girl. She has brown skin and I have white skin. We both like to swing on the tire." -- A four-year-old tells his teacher about his new friend. From the moment we are born, we are swept into a never-ending stream of...

Bell to bell teaching: maximize learning from 9:00 to 3:00 with quick transition activities.
March 1, 2002... Five minutes may not seem like much. But if five minutes of learning time disappear from each day in a 180-day school year, that adds up to many lost opportunities. It helps to have quick, meaningful activities on hand to fill moments of...

From our readers. (March Activities).(activities for students)
March 1, 2002... Shamrock Stamps Green peppers aren't just for eating--you can also use them to make shamrocks! Help students slice the peppers crosswise and remove the seeds. They can then dip the peppers in green paint, stamp them on white paper, and add...

March in history.(classing planning activities for events in March )
March 1, 2002... The Iditarod March 6--Since 1973, the Iditarod dogsled race, which runs 1,160 miles from Anchorage to Nome, has been held in Alaska every March. The winning team usually takes 9 to 11 days to complete the course. Iditarod Challenge: If...

Dwelling with the Dinosurs.
March 1, 2002... What would it be like to live with the dinosaurs? Invite students to use their imaginations and our fun, fact-finding activities to find out! Begin your dinosaur unit by introducing students to some of the different dinosaurs to be...

Old records, new art!(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... What do a snow board a party hat, a saw blade, and Old Glory have in common? They were all made from old records! Inspired by a project at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, sixth-grade students at the Brookwood School in...

Henri Rousseau. (Masterpiece of the Month).(activities to help students learn about Rousseau)
March 1, 2002... Meet the Artist * (1844-1910) was an artist who followed his own path. Though familiar with the Impressionist and Cubist painting of his time, Rousseau created his own brand of vibrant, colorful pictures, often of imaginary, dream-like...

The Sidewalk Racer. (Poetry Workshop).(teaching poetry appreciation)
March 1, 2002... Lillian Morrison's poems are rich with evocative language and clever poetic techniques. Her love of poetry was first inspired, she says, by the jump rope chants and other game-related rhymes she learned as a child. It is not too surprising...

Lunchbag Science Kits: combine the excitement of grab bags with the wonder of science learning. It's all here--right in the bag!
March 1, 2002... Talk about a bag of tricks! With help from our Lunchbag Science Kits, students are quickly immersed in the scientific method as they investigate topics from buoyancy to magnetism. Each of the four lessons adhere to the National Science...

Color with attitude![TM]. (Advertisement).(ideas for teaching about weather)
March 1, 2002... Wild and Woolly Weather March is here! With its delightful spectrum of weather surprises, this month marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring. From light snowfalls to stormy rains, or even warm breezes, March makes learning about...

Fairy tale 'zines: using fairy tales as inspiration and subject, kids can write and illustrate their own popular-style magazines.
March 1, 2002... Once upon a time there was a way to teach fairy tales that integrated writing with other subjects. It was perfect for learners at all grade levels and resulted in a magazine as a final product. Best of all, the students who took part in the...

Instructor reproducible.(science lesson on discovering magnetic items)
March 1, 2002... Magnetic or not? Attention Young Scientists: In this experiment you must discover which items are magnetic and which are not. Good luck! What You'll Need: 1. A Steel bar magnet 2. A zip-bag labeled "Metal," which contains: ...

Happy birthday Dr. Seuss!(classroom activities inspired by Dr. Seuss books)
March 1, 2002... Celebrate Dr. Seuss Day on March 2nd with these activities inspired by his amazing books! Green Eggs and Ham In a story about prejudging, Sam I Am tries to get his friend to eat green eggs and ham. Ask students to predict what a drink...

Kids and computers: today's tech tools add speed, ease, and fun to schoolwork, but they don't take away the challenges of thinking.
March 1, 2002... The computer makes doing schoolwork easier for me than it was for my mom and dad. For example, when writing book reports and stories, I use Microsoft Word instead of a pen and paper. That way, after my teacher edits my work, I can go back and...

Star software: education software experts Warren Buckleitner and Ann Orr bring you the top software picks of the season. From phonics instruction to reading comprehension, math puzzles to volcanic eruptions-these programs are the cream of the crop.
March 1, 2002... READING & WRITING COSMIC READING JOURNEY [GRADES 2-3 Sunburst Communications, Inc., Win/Mac, $89.95, www.sunburst.com This reading-comprehension program offers instructive exercises based on 100 popular second-and third-grade...

Hardware.(in the classroom)
March 1, 2002... As any teacher with even a single computer in the classroom knows, hardware can be a great boon, making it possible for you to streamline your lesson plans, design exciting tech-based projects, and manage your record-keeping. The more knowledge...

Tech raves.(teachers discuss favorite high tech classroom equipment)
March 1, 2002... Six teachers discuss their favorite pieces of classroom equipment-- high-tech teaching tools that captivate and motivate students. DIGITAL CAMERA Teacher Deirdre Kelly checked out the only digital camera at Lake Sybelia Elementary...

70 top web sites.(web-based resources for teachers)
March 1, 2002... After teaching sixth grade, Emily Beck spent the last four years writing about Web-based resources for teachers. The sites reviewed here first appeared in her columns A+ Web Gallery, Beyond the Web, and Lesson Plan Goldmines (Classroom Connect...

CyberHunt teacher's guide.(questions and web sites on volcanos)
March 1, 2002... Volatile Volcanos Start your online tour of fearsome firespouting volcanos at www.scholastic.com/instructor Write your answers in the spaces below or on a separate sheet of paper. 1. A volcanic eruption occurs when pressures in the...

The moment: at times, the little things in life are what shape us most. (End of the Day).
March 1, 2002... As a teacher, I am often asked about the moment that has left the greatest impression on me. The first time I was asked, I wracked my brain to find the most meaningful event to happen in my classroom. I couldn't come up with one. That I didn't...

Great gadgets.
March 1, 2002... Inspire learning and keep kids engaged with this selection of innovative new tech toys and tools for the classroom. TURBO TWIST SPELLING GRADES 1-8 This excellent spelling tutor provides you with part of a word, or simply blanks...

Education research grants. (Grants & Contests).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The American Educational Research Association is awarding multiple grants for projects in educational research (up to $15,000 for one year and $25,000 for two-year projects). The grants are being offered with support from the National Science...