This website lists a series of videos teachers could use to help students learn calming techniques. By using these videos, students will improve their mindfulness, focus, attention, and irritability. These techniques are healthy practices and behaviors to maintain and improve personal health.
This video, by The Cooper Institute, discusses muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. After viewing this. students will have a better understanding of each of these fitness components. Because this is a short video, it can be shown in physical education class without using a large amount of activity time.
This novice low to novice mid Spanish activity is geared toward those in grades K-5. This activity teaches students 10 key colors in Spanish by using "De Colores" a traditional folk song sung throughout Latin America and the US. Students start by examining the lyrics of the song and identifying key vocabulary words. Students are then asked to complete a series of 3 worksheets that guide them through identification and use of the target vocabulary words. An assessment is included as well as an optional extension activity that encourages students to connect their color vocabulary to clothing items that have been previously learned.
This Spanish language lesson helps intermediate-high students understand the historical and cultural contexts of sonnets from Spain's Golden Age. Students studying for the AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam will find this unit particularly helpful as they learn the essential vocabulary needed to analyze poetry and write about content and themes. The poems/sonnets in this unit are approached through both reading and listening to the poems set to music. Worksheets are provided to keep students on task as they work. Students use the information gathered through the various activities to write essays about the sonnet, its tone, the literary devices used, and its meaning as it relates to Sor Juana's life. Optional assessments and extension activities are also provided.
This activity is useful for intermediate Spanish learners but can be very beneficial to heritage language learners as well. The poem presented in the lesson is a bridge between two languages. Students whose native language is Spanish and who are English language learners will be able to experience the languages together in one poem. Students whose native language is not Spanish but is other than English will experience a model for writing from their own complex identities in two languages. The activity includes a detailed explanation of the lesson preparation as well as step-by-step instructions for guiding students through the activities and optional extensions. Students begin by writing about someone or something they miss. Intermediate-level Spanish students should write in Spanish. Students will then read and listen to the poem before participating in a group discussion that ties the poem to their original work.
This Spanish language unit is based on the novel Esperanza Rising. The English version of the unit (Link in the comment section) is appropriate for novice learners learning about the culture and the challenges faced by immigrant families in the United States. The Spanish version (linked here) would be a useful unit for heritage speakers or intermediate high Spanish learners. The Lesson plan includes a background description of the novel, and a series of activities that focus on the following topics: Birthdays and Celebrations, Immigration, Farm Laborers, and Literary Analysis. The last activity connects this unit with the standards addressed in Language Arts classes. Four different writing assessments are provided along with an extension activity that focuses on the Spanish language vocabulary used throughout the novel.
This detailed unit is in English but covers a topic important to all upper-level Spanish courses. After reviewing the provided resources, intermediate-mid and intermediate-high students complete a target language essay in which they compare the United Farm Worker's Movement, the leadership of César Chávez, and the legacy of Dolores Huerta to the records, narratives, and perspectives associated with the civil rights and labor movements led by and for African Americans during the 1950s through the 1970s. The resources included in this unit include videos, news articles, poems, interviews, and museum exhibits.
This English language lesson is geared toward Middle School students and is a great way to connect novice language skills to topics covered in social studies classes. Students are introduced to the world of the Aztecs through a series of activities that include videos, map reading, class discussions, and images. There are several worksheets included in which students write-in answers to comprehension questions. For novice learners, they should identify 2-3 target language vocabulary words that can be used to answer each question. (Food, weather, activities, descriptions) and then write a sentence in Spanish (novice mid-high) or English (novice low).
This novice low Spanish activity is geared toward introducing middle school-aged students to a variety of holidays celebrated in Mexico. Students will identify ethnic and religious influences on Mexican culture, understand the meaning and history of Día de Los Muertos, Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Grito de Dolores, and Cinco de Mayo. Students will explore these holidays through a variety of activities that include analyzing photos, building memorial altars, and exploring websites. The provided assessment asks students to compare and contrast one of the holidays with one from the United States.
This unit is based on the novel In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. While the activities and discussion questions are in English, the novel itself and the accompanying activities connect language learners to other classroom subjects as they read about the fight for social justice through the eyes of sisters who dared to confront Trujillo and his dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. This story addresses global challenges, family and community, and personal and public identities. Novice through intermediate low language learners can use this as a cultural unit alongside their language instruction. Intermediate mid to high students can reflect upon this story in the target language as they discuss and write about the topics that are addressed, comparing them to battles for justice fought by those in their own country. An included extention activity asks students to read about others (specifically women) who have shown courage in bringing about social change.
This French lesson is geared toward novice low and novice mid learners in grades K-5. This unit consists of 3 separate lessons. In the first, students identify locations around the world where French is spoken. In the second, students examine photos of French family life and compare visible customs to those they see at home. Finally, students are introduced to French vocabulary used to identify family members. As an optional activity, students can create a family tree to present their own (or make-believe) family.
This unit plan is prepared in English but offers links throughout to French language resources making this suitable for a wide range of high school language learners. Intermediate mid to intermediate high students should use the French language resources as they are introduced to the life and works of Charles Baudelaire, a 19th-century French Symbolist poet who was an admirer of Edgar Allan Poe. As students study the poems and his style, they are challenged to compare Baudelaire's work with other poets. As they work, they will make connections to the literary terms and styles covered in their Language Arts classrooms.
This highly interactive activity is perfect for elementary-aged novice mid and novice high learners studying French. Students are introduced to the caves throughout France as they learn of their geological and cultural importance. As they explore the caves and the cave paintings virtually they keep detailed field notes. Along the way, students learn basic vocabulary related to cave exploration. After completing their research students work together to create their own classroom cave-wall art.
This Chinese lesson revolves around the novel Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, an English language novel that children learning Chinese will find exciting and culturally relevant to their language studies. While the posted age maybe elementary school, this unit is especially useful for intermediate high Chinese language learners, even in high school. After reading the children's novel in Chinese (available for purchase at online retail sites), students can identify how the book illustrates the themes of courage and generosity. Following the activities (using Chinese in class rather than English) students will create their own personal narrative in the target language.
This unit starts with a video introducing students to life in Pompeii. (This video is about 50 minutes long, it may be useful to show select scenes rather than the entire video). Students are then asked to read and translate 2 eyewitness accounts in which Pliny describes what happened the day of the eruption. Public domain versions of these letters are linked within the activity. Afterward, students are asked to examine the ruins using a video tour of the Forum Baths. To end the lesson, a variety of virtual field trip links are provided allowing student groups to each explore a different aspect of life in Pompeii.
This simple mindfulness activity can help reset students’ brains (and yours!) when things get chaotic during the school day. Shifting your focus away from anxious thoughts to non-threatening things in your immediate surroundings can help your body stop producing stress hormones. This exercise was inspired by the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, developed by a therapist and former pilot to help people conquer a fear of flying.
This simple activity allows students to practice mindfulness which can help them better focus and be attentive during class. This activity can help promote stress reduction and calming and is a great strategy and technique when feeling anxious. This website includes 2 sample worksheets that could be used for students to document the objects they see.
Conflict resolution is an important skill that students need to learn – beneficial to them within the classroom as well as in everyday life. Not only will kids use conflict resolution in the classroom, they will also continue to use these skills as they grow. The conflict resolution skills they learn in elementary school will help them solve problems as adults. So how do we teach conflict resolution in the classroom?
There are many steps to teaching conflict resolution. To truly teach conflict resolution, you’ll need to teach your students how to analyze the conflict. They’ll need to be able to identify the problem and try to understand what’s causing it.
A basic belief underlying The Responsive Classroom approach to teaching is that how children learn to treat one another is as important as what they learn in reading, writing, and arithmetic. We believe that social skills such as cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control are essential to children’s academic and social success and we emphasize the teaching of these skills, along with academics, throughout the school day.
This resource provides teachers with classroom strategies to build community, improve communication, and enhance classroom discussion. This resource also has a listing of professional books related to these topics.
This visual organizer breaks down the acronym for setting a SMART Goal and allows students to put their goals on paper. While a simplistic worksheet, this resource can be printed and used during goal-setting activities.
This planner offers a structured guide to help students set meaningful and productive SMART goals. This 7-page document can be printed and copied for student use or assigned digitally for students to complete the fillable pdf.
Students will analyze a self-portrait by Judith Leyster. They will write an "I Am" poem and create a monogram to sign their art.
Students will analyze Odilon Redon's Pandora. They will create a box using two- and three-dimensional symbols to illustrate an emotion. Students will compare and contrast classmates' boxes.
Students will collaborate to compile a list of adjectives describing a hero/heroine. After analyzing Brook Watson's crest, they will design a coat of arms using personal symbols.
Students will explore form in sculptures by Alexander Calder. They will experiment with lines by drawing and creating sculptures.
Students will analyze different artwork to identify texture. They will use different media and tools to create various textures.
Students will analyze different types of shapes in Beasts of the Sea by Henri Matisse. They will create a paper collage using geometric and natural shapes.
Students will analyze the painting, The Hobby Horse, by Robert Peckham. They will draw a portrait of themselves with a favorite toy.
NGAKids Art Zone is a free iPad app. It includes eight interactive activities, a sketchbook, and a personal exhibition space. The activities are designed for children to use independently.
Students will analyze the Terracotta figurine of a camel carrying transport amphorae. They will build a clay sculpture of an animal and present it to the class.
Students will analyze the "Armor of George Clifford, Third Earl of Cumberland." They will compare and contrast the suit of armor to animal "armor." They will sketch a variety of animals with "armor" and how they use it for protection.
Students will analyze the Astor Chinese Garden Court. They will draw a picture of a landscape.
Students will analyze the Narbonne Arch. Groups of three students will collaborate on a drawing of a medieval beast. Finally, students will write a description of their beast.
This unique coloring book provides one page for each letter of the alphabet. On each page, students are introduced to an item of importance to Central America such as animals, artifacts, or art. This resource is bilingual so there is a set in both English and Spanish, along with activities that introduce students to various aspects of Central America and its history. In the elementary classroom, consider providing each student a different letter of the alphabet to color and share with the class. Then, hang all letters up around the room as a constant reminder of the key products from this area of the word.
Students will compare and contrast guls from Arabatchi and Salor tribes. They will create a quartered medallion for a group they belong to - family, sport, club. Once complete, students will analyze the medallions and form groups based on similarities.
