More Best Practices for Middle School Classrooms : What Award-Winning Teachers Do

by Randi Stone

• ISBN13: 9781412963428
• ISBN10: 1412963427
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-09
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

Once again, best-selling author Randi Stone brings together best classroom practices tested by award-winning teachers in schools throughout the United States. Written by and for middle school teachers, MORE Best Practices for Middle School Classrooms provides ready-to-go lessons and activities across the curriculum, including specific activities for teaching in science, mathematics, language arts, social studies, music, art, and physical education. Readers will find sections on assessment and technology integration plus special features that include: An environmental science project with ideas for involving the whole school A discussion of what constitutes Internet safety Suggestions from a string specialist about how to assess a middle school orchestra class according to the national standardsAll lessons include a brief description of the objectives, a listing of relevant national or state standards, and a variety of great ideas for new and veteran teachers!

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
About the Author	p. xii
About the Contributors	p. xiii
Classroom Practices across the Curriculum	p. 1
Classroom Management and Community Involvement	p. 2
The Process of Effective Classroom Management	p. 3
Developing Collaboration With Peers	p. 7
Successful Classroom-Management Strategies	p. 11
Taking Ownership	p. 15
Parent Involvement: Heroes Among Us	p. 17
Using Technology in the Classroom	p. 20
Internet Safety	p. 21
Lights, Camera, Action!	p. 24
Using Technology to Teach Language Arts and Social Studies	p. 27
Bridging Nations With Problem-Based Learning	p. 29
Students Create Podcasts	p. 34
Assessment	p. 39
Short-Cycle Assessments	p. 39
Science and Math	p. 45
Teaching Science	p. 46
Science Energy Lesson Including Differentiation and Inclusion	p. 47
Creating Booklets Explaining Energy Transformation	p. 52
Creating a Thriving Prairie	p. 55
Building Scientific Relationships and Inquiry Skills Using Toys	p. 60
It IS Rocket Science	p. 65
Teaching Students About Cells	p. 66
The Sustainable Green Vehicle	p. 69
Teaching Math	p. 74
Coordinate Plane Aerobics	p. 74
How Long Will It Take?	p. 78
The Hallway Crush: How Full Is Full?	p. 82
Maze Madness	p. 91
Scale and Drawing Relationships	p. 95
Language Arts and Social Studies	p. 97
Teaching Language Arts	p. 98
Story Stew	p. 99
Teaching Reading, Writing, and Differentiation	p. 101
Tall Tales	p. 104
Service-Learning Research Project	p. 107
Comparing Formal and Informal Language	p. 111
Teaching Descriptive Writing Using Song Lyrics	p. 113
Teaching Social Studies	p. 117
Historical Character Party	p. 118
America's Dust Bowl	p. 123
Medieval Italy	p. 127
The Workforce	p. 130
War!	p. 136
The Mayflower Compact	p. 143
Graveyard of the Atlantic	p. 146
Music, Art, and Physical Education	p. 149
Celebrating Music and Art	p. 150
Successful Music Through the Use of Standards and Assessment	p. 151
Comics: Integrating Language Arts, Math, and Social Studies With Art	p. 157
Edible Color Wheels: A New Way to Introduce Color Theory	p. 165
Chinese Zodiac: What Animal are You?	p. 167
Physical Education	p. 170
Feel It Today: Warm-Up and Conditioning Routine	p. 170
Spider Web and Human Knot	p. 175
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