Instructor (1990) articles from March 2005

Instructor (1990) archives from March 2005

Meeting the standards.(education)
March 1, 2005... ARTICLE PAGE THE ARTS GRADES Transform the 36 Understands and applies techniques 3-8 Ordinary Like and processes related to the visual Rene Magritte arts;...

Science & literacy score!(EDITOR'S NOTE)(science teaching methods )(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... IN A SCHOOL IN MINNESOTA, WATER RAINS down on fifth graders as they perform a play about the power of that magical stuff, [H.sub.2]O. Seventh-grade children at the New York City Lab School inject bacterial DNA into a cell, causing it to glow...

Young MacDonalds.(News & Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... In urban areas, far from the American breadbasket, an unexpected subject is beckoning kids. They're studying agriculture--though it's less about traditional farming than it is about the business and technology of agriculture. "We're not trying...

Passion for purple.(News & Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... If red pencil marks cause your students' anxiety levels to shoot through the roof, you can try the kinder, gentler alternative that many teachers now favor: purple ink. "Students seem to respond more favorably to purple," asserts New York City...

Teacher's wish list.(News & Trends; www.theteacherswishlist.com )
March 1, 2005... It's like a bridal registry for the classroom--you can now go to www.theteacherswishlist.com to register for teaching tools and materials, as well as to sign up for free drawings and giveaways. Then send parents and other gift-givers to the...

After the tsunami.(News & Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... American schoolchildren responded with generosity and concern. But relief-agency officials point out that rebuilding in the devastated areas will take a decade or more. In Sri Lanka, more than 350 schools were destroyed or are unusable. Some...

The numbers.(News & Trends)
March 1, 2005... 21 Percentage of elementary- and high-school students with at least one foreign-born parent. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 300 Approximate number of foreign languages spoken in the United States. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 9.8 million...

Penmanship lives!(NEWS TO PERUSE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Handwriting is hot, thanks in part to the new SAT. Starting this month, the test includes a handwritten essay. This addition will even affect your elementary- or middle-school students, since penmanship will take on added importance in the...

We are family.(NEWS TO PERUSE)(Educational videos)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... As many news-watchers know, a video meant to promote diversity and tolerance--featuring SpongeBob, Barney, and other popular children's characters--has been steeped in controversy. On March 11, elementary-school teachers and administrators can...

Slow starters.(NEWS TO PERUSE)(Educational tests)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... A nationwide survey of state testing policies shows that, by the start of this year, only 22 states had administered standards-based tests in English and math in grades 3-8. No Child Left Behind requires all states to administer such tests by...

This month!(News & Trends)
March 1, 2005... MARCH IS... * TUNEFUL Music in Our Schools Month www.menc.org * CRAFTY National Craft Month www.i-craft.com * GOOD FOR YOU National Nutrition Month www.eatright.org * WOMANLY National Women's History Month www.nwhp.org *...

We read ingles.(News & Trends)(striving)
March 1, 2005... That's what children in Chile will say by 2010. Chile, striving to be a major player in the global economic community, has mandated that all elementary- and high-school students pass a standardized listening and reading test in English within a...

Science alive: welcome spring with science resources that catch kids' eyes and captivate young minds.(NEW & NOTEWORTHY)
March 1, 2005... Power of Science: Astronomy Teach planets, stars, comets, meteoroids, time zones, and more with this comprehensive kit--even build a space capsule! $114.95; www.etacuisenaire.com/pos.htm; Gr. 4-6 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tangle DNA...

Electronic music composition talent search.(Contests)
March 1, 2005... Celebrate March's Music in Our Schools Month by entering this electronic music competition, sponsored by the National Association for Music Education (MENC) and the National School Boards Association (NSBA). CATEGORIES: K-5; 6-8; 9-12 ...

National Women's Hall of Fame essay contest.(Contests)
March 1, 2005... This 23rd annual essay and new media contest celebrates more than 30 years of inductees to The National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. GRADES: 4-12 DEADLINE: March 31, 2005 HOW IT WORKS: Essays must relate to the...

HOBO energy challenge.(Contests)
March 1, 2005... Lead your students in a hands-on science investigation using technology, then submit your results to win tech tools for your classroom. CATEGORIES: K-5; 6-8; 9-12 DEADLINE: May 1, 2005 HOW IT WORKS: Before April 1, teachers can...

Wonder world embroidered map set.(GIVEAWAY OF THE MONTH)
March 1, 2005... Explore the world with a wall map from Educational Insights! YOU CAN WIN: A complete map set with labels and monuments. DEADLINE: May 31, 2005 TO ENTER: Check the Reader Action Card after page 64, or send your info to Instructor's...

Teacher discount card.(Giveaways)
March 1, 2005... FREE TO TEACHERS: Educators can now sign up for a free discount card from Teachers DisCount. The card offers savings at many national vendors, including Barnes & Noble, 1800flowers.com, Avis, Working Advantage, and more. [ILLUSTRATION...

Environmental science poster and software.(Giveaways)
March 1, 2005... FREE TO TEACHERS: The Environmental Education and Training Partnership offers many free resources for teachers, including a "Teaching with the Future in Mind" poster and a CD-ROM to help educators incorporate environmental education with...

Pathways to learning resource guide.(Giveaways)
March 1, 2005... FREE TO TEACHERS: Last year, School Specialty Education Essentials asked teachers about what issues were important to them and researched those concerns. Read the results in a 20-page resource guide, available for a limited time with their...

Immigration curriculum project.(Grants)
March 1, 2005... The American Immigration Law Foundation grants awards ranging from $500 to $1,000 to K-12 educators who teach immigration projects. GRADES: K-12 DEADLINE: March 31, 2005 HOW TO APPLY: Download the form at...

ING unsung heroes awards program.(Grants)
March 1, 2005... This program annually awards more than $240,000 to 100 K-12 teachers nationwide. Awards may be used to further current projects within the school or to fund a new curricular or after-school program. DEADLINE: April 30, 2005 HOW TO...

Colleague connections: Great ways to bond with your coworkers, in the teachers' lounge and beyond.(TEACHER TALK)
March 1, 2005... Movie Nights Occasionally a group of teachers at my school gets together for a movie night. We go to one of our homes, rent videos, eat snacks, and just hang out and talk. It's a great way to keep in touch and take a break from school,...

"One of my students lies compulsively. He tells his classmates outrageous stories, and they are starting to tease him about it. What can I do to help?".(CAN YOU HELP?)
March 1, 2005... Help the Child Identify His Behavior. Lying is never an easy hurdle to overcome, especially when it seems the child may not realize how many lies he's telling. I would have a private discussion in which you identify ways to overcome this urge....

Pirates of the classroom: Simple guidelines for motivating your students to become responsible cybercitizens.(ELECTRONIC LEARNING)
March 1, 2005... Do you have bandits in your midst? Not one-eyed swashbucklers stealing gold and jewels, but bright, kind, otherwise law-abiding students pilfering copyrighted materials? Chances are, you do. Students--even the younger ones--are illegally...

Marilyn Burns: on challenging your most capable students.
March 1, 2005... Q How can I challenge my students who are above grade level but still teach to the whole class? Can you suggest easy, meaningful math activities that students can do independently? --Kara Bosco, Grade 3, Griffin Memorial School, Litchfield,...

Art movement: The hood ornament lives.(ChalkTalk )(Don Sommer )(Jud Turner)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Once, the world's streets and roads were art galleries where every automobile's hood was a display stand for an expressive sculpture--a hood ornament, or mascot, to use the preferred term. Like figureheads on sailing ships, lithe animals,...

Social promotion: Should some children be left behind?(ChalkTalk)
March 1, 2005... "Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." --MALCOLM FORBES There's widespread popular and political support for the notion that children who have not satisfied academic requirements for their grade should at...

More teens say "No!" to smoking and drugs.(ChalkTalk)(Monitoring the Future )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Smoking is losing its cool. Three-quarters of teenagers say they would prefer to date a nonsmoker. That's just one encouraging finding in the latest study on smoking and drug use among teens conducted by the University of Michigan for the...

Pop Quiz.(ChalkTalk)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Q: While roughly 70% of high school graduates enter two- or four-year colleges, how many of them take remedial English or math courses in college? A: Transcripts show that 28% take remedial courses immediately, and 53% take remedial...

Tire tip #1.(ChalkTalk)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... CHECK FOR PROPER INFLATION. A recent survey by NHTSA found 30% of cars and light trucks had at least one tire under-inflated by 8 psi or more. Too little air pressure causes heat build-up that could cause a tire to fail. Even slightly low...

Multiple Intelligences: After twenty years.(ChalkTalk)
March 1, 2005... In 1983, Howard Gardner introduced the theory that there are seven types of human intelligence (recently expanded to eight), an idea that has resonated through the educational community ever since. Although Dr. Gardner has said that he was...

Thinking of switching your automobile insurance coverage? Consider these money-saving tips when you shop ...(ChalkTalk)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... 1. TO LEARN IS TO SAVE. Spending 6 hours and less than $50 for a course to improve driving skills could save you 10% off you auto insurance for 3 full years. 2. INSTALL THE RIGHT ANTI-THEFT DEVICE. Not all anti-theft devices are created...

Tire tip #2.(ChalkTalk)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... ARE YOUR TIRES WORN OUT? Worn tires are a serious safety hazard, because a) they are more likely to fail suddenly and b) traction, braking and steering response are reduced. Tire experts say 1/16" is the minimum acceptable tread depth. Check it...

Tire tip #3.(ChalkTalk)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... DAMAGE PATROL. Inspect tires for cuts, abrasions and bulges, especially on the sidewall. Look for glass, nails or stones stuck in the rubber. Make sure the valve stem hasn't been damaged. Examine the wheel rims for dents that could cause a slow...

Finding money-saving rebates, incentives and deals.(ChalkTalk)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Auto makers started offering car buyers rebates, purchase "incentives" and low-rate financing years ago, and haven't been able to stop due to competitive pressure. That's good for buyers. It could save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars....

Link science & literacy: And watch test scores skyrocket.
March 1, 2005... Science is again at the forefront of U.S. classrooms--more dynamic, engaging, and innovative than ever. One reason: The No Child Left Behind Act mandates that during the 2007 school year, students be assessed in science for the first time. As...

Stage a water show.
March 1, 2005... In my new book, The Incredible Water Show, the characters from Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster use an ocean of information to stage an inventive performance about the water cycle. Here's how I turned the story into hands-on science...

"How I did it!" 8 teachers share their top tech solutions.(Illustration)
March 1, 2005... Who doesn't want to save hours of planning per week, as well as create innovative lesson plans that connect with kids? Meet eight teachers around the country who are doing just that by embracing technology in their classrooms, from...

Transform the ordinary like: Rene Magritte.
March 1, 2005... Inspired by Magritte, Maren Berg's fourth graders at Palo Verde School in Palo Alto, California, combine familiar things in an unfamiliar way to make original works of art. First, the students were introduced to Magritte's life and work. They...

Mysterious Magritte: In this Surrealist masterpiece, an unusual spring "rainstorm" astounds and delights the viewer.
March 1, 2005... In the extraordinary world of Rene Magritte, nothing is as expected. Everyday objects are juxtaposed in a startling fashion. Night becomes day, large and small are reversed, and even the laws of gravity are thrown into question. "My painting is...

Larger-than-life scrabble.(FROM OUR READERS)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... My favorite bulletin board works all year round: a giant, wall-size version of Scrabble! The display matches a real Scrabble board but is enlarged to 3' X 3'. I use pushpins for hanging paper letter "tiles" (which have the same letter values as...

The reading garden.(FROM OUR READERS)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... I found the perfect solution for holding and organizing picture books in my third-grade classroom--plastic window boxes. Long, narrow flower bins are ideal for holding oversize books of all different dimensions. Students can easily see the...

Scientist of the day.(FROM OUR READERS)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... To enliven my science lessons, I invite each student to demonstrate for the class an interesting--yet manageable--experiment that he or she has practiced at home. Students select from about 25 experiments that I've pretested and approved....

Critter camouflage: expose the secrets of animal camouflage with these eye-opening science activities, using our bonus "Can You Find Me?" poster at the center of this issue!(ACTIVITIES)
March 1, 2005... Hunting Like a Hawk Even the most effective camouflage can fail if a hidden animal suddenly moves and catches the enemy's eye. Conduct this fun, kinesthetic demonstration to show how movement can attract predators' attention. You will need...

Get to the "root" of prefixes & suffixes: Your students will become master word builders with these vocabulary-expanding prefix and suffix activities.(ACTIVITIES)
March 1, 2005... Wall-of-Words Construction Site Students will love putting on their hard hats and literally building words at this interactive learning center. To prepare, write out a variety of prefixes and suffixes on square-shaped blocks, and base or...

Venus & Serena: rules for living, loving, and winning; Use our exciting activities and reproducible--based on Venus and Serena Williams' new book Serving From the Hip--to boost students' confidence and life skills.(ACTIVITIES)
March 1, 2005... 1 Beware of "Dreamstealers" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LIFE SKILL: Knowing who to ask for help ACTIVITY: The Williamses avoid dreamstealers--those who get in the way of goals. They build "dream teams" instead! Have kids think of...

We need to hear from you!(2005 READER SURVEY)
March 1, 2005... Take this opportunity to share your thoughts with Instructor, and we'll enter you in a drawing to win one of three $100 Scholastic gift certificates! In an upcoming issue, we'll share feedback from all our readers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Egypt's pyramids.(CYBERHUNT TEACHER'S PAGE)
March 1, 2005... CyberHunt Activities DESIGN A PYRAMID http://touregypt.net/featurestories/pyramids.htm Use this site's photos and intricate diagrams to show students how Egypt's pyramids were built. Then invite them to design their own unique...

New read alouds for spring: These 30 best-of-the-year books for K-8 kids demand to be acted out, written about, and shared with your students.(BOOKTALK)(Book Review)
March 1, 2005... Kitten's First Full Moon By Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow, 2004; 32 pages; $15.99; PreK-K. Upon seeing her first full moon, Kitten thinks it's a little bowl of milk in the sky, and she wants it. Such a simple and enticing story calls for being...

Totally gross science sites: the place to find science guaranteed to captivate kids, tickle you, and gross out everyone? The Web!(WEB SITINGS)
March 1, 2005... The Yuckiest http://yucky.kids.discovery.com As anyone who has heard a giggle at the mention of the word butterfly knows, kids can bring bathroom humor to any conversation. That's why they'll love this self-proclaimed "yuckiest site...

A butterfly hatches.(THE CLASS PICTURE)
March 1, 2005... "It's been spectacular to see a miracle happen before our eyes," writes Patti Okui, a teacher at Dayton Elementary School in San Leandro, California, who captured two of her third-grade students closely examining a newly emerged butterfly...