I am a political junkie, however I am not one to participate in discussions about politics. I find it to be a very personal subject and quite frankly one that can get ugly real quick. I don't think anyone can dispute that this election cycle has been exhausting. I must say that I am looking forward to next Tuesday and hopefully the end of a very long political season. Despite how I feel about the process, I would never take for granted the privilege that I have been given to cast my vote. I think about people who live in some countries where democracy is not an option. They would probably give anything to participate in a free election. There are also people like Karen Cooke who have been out of their native country for so long that they can't vote there. However, they are not a U.S. citizen so they can't vote here either. Lastly I am reminded of my relatives (some are still living) who were denied the right to vote. I have heard firsthand accounts from my grandfather about serving in the military of a country that wouldn't allow him to vote. At 94 years of age, he makes a point to get to the polls to exercise his once denied right. Even if I am dissatisfied with the characteristics of the candidates, I understand that not voting is essentially still a vote. I am proud to say that I participated in early voting this year and I encourage all who are eligible to get to the polls on Tuesday. If for no other reason, vote because you live in a country that gives you the right to do so.
Staff Spotlight
This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Matt Rogers. By now I am sure that you have taken your class to PE and seen the transformation of the gym into a haunted (but not scary) maze of fun. His attention to the design and planning of the games and activities in PE is second to none. In fact, he was recently contacted by Georgia Public Broadcasting because they want to highlight the innovative way that he integrates math into his PE games. In a time where emphasis has been placed on leaving no child behind, Matt has been dedicated to making sure that no child is left on their behind (Matt's own words). In addition, we can always count on Matt to facilitate the best fun run and field day events. I appreciate Matt's creativity and desire to provide the highest quality physical education program possible. Be sure to check out some of his amazing activities on Twitter @mygymlocker.
Scholastic’s Best Kept Secrets: 15 Free Resources to Use Now!
By Genia Connell on January 20, 2016
Honestly, I've always liked to think of myself as a super-user of Scholastic's website. I've been using it a long time — think waiting for the screeching America Online dial-up long time. That's why, two years ago when I was sitting in an auditorium at Scholastic's New York headquarters listening to my friend give a presentation to new teachers on all eScholastic has to offer, I felt a little embarrassed. I didn't know some of the resources she was talking about!
I started scribbling down notes on resource after resource. Some I had used but forgotten about, while others were brand new to me. I began thinking that if I didn't know about many of the resources (and I'm on the site nearly every day), there were probably others who would benefit from hearing about them for the first time, or perhaps being reminded of all Scholastic.com has to offer.
The resources below are perfect to put into your lesson plans right away and are guaranteed to save you planning time when you insert them into your sub plans. So this week I'm happy to share with you a post that was conceived two years ago in that auditorium. I hope you will be as excited about some of the resources as I am!
1. Character Scrapbook
This reading response resource can easily be used to teach character traits or help a student delve deeper into any character — human or animal — from a fiction or nonfiction book. The scrapbook page can be saved and printed. These are also whiteboard-ready and can be done with the whole group. I've had students add their scrapbook pages to their reading response binders.
Additional Resources:
2. StudyJams! Interactive Math and Science Activities
I have no good reason for forgetting to use Study Jams! with my students — I wrote the scripts for 14 of the lessons! But still, I often forget to add them to my plans when I'm introducing new language and concepts, and only seem to remember them when I need a sure-fire way to make a challenging concept clearer. Use these short, engaging, interactive videos to help make difficult ideas in math and science easier for your students to understand.
Additional Resources:
- Overview of Lessons
- "Teach With Scholastic's StudyJams!"
- Scientific Inquiry: 4 StudyJams! Interactive Science Activities
3. Flashlight Readers
Flashlight Readers is an interactive literacy experience. Regardless of whether your students are reading any of the many popular titles, the activities are fun and compelling, inviting students to, "Go inside your favorite books." These are also great to add to a class website because if your students are like mine, they will want to use these activities much longer than class time allows!
Books Featured in Flashlight Readers
| Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo | Hoot by Carl Hiaasen |
| Charlotte's Web by E. B. White | Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan |
| A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin | Inkheart by Cornelia Funke |
| Holes by Louis Sachar | The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins |
| The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick | Author Blue Balliett |
Additional Resources:
4. Word Workshop
If you are looking for a go-to resource for making word walls, name tags, labels for book boxes and containers, or just about anything else that you want printed with an attractive border and font, then Word Workshop is for you! You can print cards in different sizes including half-page, whole page, and Avery-sized labels. I was at the Scholastic booths at ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) and NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) and was surprised that with all the high-tech things out there, it was the Word Workshop that was getting all the love! Once you visit the site, bookmark it! This is one of those resources I sometimes forget about after the start of the school year when the greatest amount of labeling happens in my room. Try it, you'll like it!
Additional Resources:
5. Planning Calendar
Scholastic offers a full month of linked, timely resources for every month of the year. This calendar is great for planning ahead or to find special events to share with students such as historical dates and author birthdays. You can even print each month to keep this resource at your fingertips.
6. Story Starters
Banish writer's block forever with this fun tool that offers up hundreds of different scenarios for students to write about. It's easy to use, whiteboard ready, and available on iPads. Choose your grade level and the genre you would like, pull the lever, and wait for your writing prompt to appear.
Kids love when prompts like, Write an email to a forgetful sorcerer whose bracelet has magic powersappear. These can be done by individual students or on a whiteboard with a whole class writing to the same prompt.
Additional Resources
7. Poetry Idea Engine
Poetry Idea Engine is a part of the Writing with Writers series, but it deserves a special shout-out of its own. The Poetry Engine guides students through writing four different styles of poetry: haikus, cinquain, limericks, and free verse. Clear, line-by-line directions and fill-in-the-blank examples with this interactive poem builder will quickly help your students become experts at each style.
8. Virtual Field Trips
With Scholastic's Virtual Field Trips teachers can take their students to learn about faraway places and get a firsthand look at history all from the comfort of their classroom. While Scholastic's First Thanksgiving virtual field trip isn't a well-kept secret (it's one of the most trafficked areas of the site), you may not know that there are other virtual field trips your class can take part in:
- Virtual field trip to Ellis Island
- The American Museum of Natural History virtual field trip with Brian Selznick
- Winter's Tail: A Virtual Field Trip to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Florida
Additional Resources:
- "Getting Ready for a Virtual Field Trip"
- Interactive Tour of Ellis Island
- "Take Your Class on the First Thanksgiving Virtual Field Trip"
9. Free Printables
While I love my all-access subscription to Printables and think it's worth every penny, I realize the budget or the situation doesn't always allow for extras. Kudos to Scholastic for offering a very generous number of their printables for free. Look for each month's free p
rintables in your Scholastic newsletter emailed to your inbox each month and be sure to try the dozens of free printables linked in the resource list below.
Free Printable Resources:
- Printables for PreK-K
- Printables for 1st–2nd Grade
- Printables for 3rd–5th Grade
- Printables for 6th–8th Grade
If you like the Scholastic Teachers Facebook page, you'll also find all sorts of free reproducibles delivered right to your newsfeed nearly every day.
My favorite find on the Facebook newsfeed last week was the link to the set of 40 quotes free to print and hang in the classroom. Thanks, Scholastic!
10. Writing With Writers Free Writing Workshops
Created with upper-elementary students in mind, this set of lessons includes writing tutorials from expert authors. Students can learn how to write myths with Jane Yolen, poetry with Jack Prelutsky, and mysteries with Joan Lowery Nixon just to name a few.
Workshops covered:
- Biography Writing
- Descriptive Writing
- Folktale Writing
- Mystery Writing
- Myth Writing
- News Writing
- Poetry Writing
- Speech Writing
- Writing a Book Review
11. Everything You Need — Resources
Think of any topic you want your students to learn more about and Scholastic has probably put everything you need all in one spot for you. There are nearly 100 topics covered. In the Everything You Need collection, you'll find lesson plans, crafts, articles, book lists, and more. You can see them all here and check out just a few below:
- Winter: Everything You Need
- Valentine's Day: Everything You Need
- Graphic Organizers: Everything You Need
- Classroom Library: Everything You Need
- Dr. Seuss: Everything You Need
12. Computer Lab Favorites
Scholastic's Computer Lab Favorites is an area of their site where you will find more than 50 no-prep needed activities for student enrichment in language arts, math, science, social studies, and Spanish. Many are also compatible with interactive whiteboards.
12.5 Interactive Whiteboard Activities
Scholastic has taken some of their best activities and formatted them to work on your interactive whiteboard. Activities are designed for SMART, Promethean, Mimio, and other brands of boards.
13. Daily Starters
This is another one of those things that I used regularly a few years ago, then stopped for no real reason. I've started using Daily Starters again this year, and I've found many more uses for them than just morning work! See my post "Daily Starters to the Rescue" which includes ideas and links to teacher guides for all grade levels.
14. Professional Development Videos and Podcasts
With budgets being slashed, it's often not easy to have access to quality professional development, that's why I was thrilled to discover that Scholastic offers professional development from many experts in education. Watch videos and listen to podcasts from authors such as Pam Allyn, Ruth Culham, Laura Robb, and Jeff Wilhelm. Our district has even provided professional development hours for taking part in Scholastic's podcasts.
15. Freebie Corner
The name alone, Freebie Corner, is enough to appeal to me. Here, you'll find student contests, sweepstakes, free resources, and lesson plans for all grades.
Hopefully this post will have helped you discover a new resource you can use in your classroom or even remind you of a forgotten favorite. I know there are still more parts of the website that deserve to be recognized. If you have a favorite, free Scholastic resource, please share it in the comment section below!
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