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Creativity in the Modern Classroom

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Free Daily 5 Resources for Intermediate Grades

August 14, 2019 by Wise Guys 6 Comments

We have been working on updating our 18 FREE Daily 5 Resources and hope you can use them in your intermediate classroom. Just click on the titles below and you will be taken to each FREE individual resource. We began the Daily 5 a few years ago, and found it to be an amazing way to help our students become proficient readers and writers! Enjoy!

Daily 5 Free Resources!

  1. Daily 5 Choice Cards for Pocket Charts
    2. Daily 5 Good Fit Books Powerpoint
    3. Daily 5 Signs for Class Library
    4. I PICK Poster
    5. Introduction Powerpoint
    6. Listen to Reading Fiction Worksheet
    7. Listen to Reading Poster
    8. Listen to Reading Nonfiction Worksheet
    9. Listen to Reading Sign Up Chart
    10. Read to Self Poster
    11. Read to Someone Poster
    12. Read to Someone Reminders Poster
    13. Reading Journal
    14. Reflection Sheet for Students
    15. Student Check In Sheet
    16. Weekly Reflection Log
    17. Word Work Poster
    18. Work on Writing Poster

A Must for Guided Reading!

If you like all of our FREE resources, you will not be disappointed with our #1 best seller for guided reading. This contains over 4o activities to use in your guided reading classroom. We have over 25 graphic organizers that are ready to print and use. There are also creative resources such as discussion university and sticky note reading. These help students learn the reading strategies in a fun and engaging way. We also have literature and informational text task cards. These help students to better understand what the terms mean and how to be proficient in each standard area. Check it out here!

Guided Reading Activities and Worksheets (Common Core Aligned)

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“The Daily 5 and CAFE are trademark and copy written content of Educational Design, LLC dba The 2 Sisters. Educational Design, LLC dba The 2 Sisters does not authorize or endorse these materials.

Free Daily 5 Resources

Filed Under: resources Tagged With: activities, Daily 5, free

Why Genius Hour Needs to Be Implemented in Your Classroom

July 27, 2019 by Wise Guys Leave a Comment

We all want our students engaged. With technology ruling the lives of upper elementary and middle school students it is getting harder and harder to keep students’ attention in the classroom. But this trend can stop now. Genius Hour is a time that students will be engaged in their learning. We have our top 5 ways that Genius Hour will transform your classroom in a big way!

1. Spark Curiosity

Students are naturally curious. Imagine telling your class that they get to lead their own learning for a part of the school day. They will look at you like you are crazy, but will be at the edge of their seats to learn more. Let them know that they will be in control of what they want to learn about, a passion that they have! Here is a great video to introduce Genius Hour to your class.

2. Elicit Excitement

We have created an introductory slide show that will build excitement in your classroom. This 15 slide presentation gets your class thinking about how people just like them at one time had a great idea that turned into something much bigger than they thought. By the end of the slide show, your students will be begging you to get started. Here is another video that guides your students through the process of Genius Hour if you choose to use this too.

Make students passions come to life with Genius Hour.

3. Find Internal Motivation

It is hard for many students to be excited about “math” or “writing” class. But knowing that they have a dedicated time each day or week to work on their Genius Hour projects will make all the difference. It will amaze you at how motivated your students will be to work on their projects. It is usually the first question we get in the morning. When that time comes to work on their passion projects they are ready to hit the ground running! We have seen this transfer into other subjects as students now have a purpose for being at school.

4. Show Perseverance

One great trait that Genius Hour will instill in your students is perseverance. The beginning part of the project is always easy where students pick their topics. But when the research process begins that is where you will help your class dive in and dig deeper to find answers to their essential questions. Sometimes it is not easy to find answers, but that is where you teach them not to give up and keep working toward their goal. Below is a handout we give the students that helps them with the research process. As you can see it is detailed and helps provide them with a framework of how to take notes.

5. Build Confidence

As your students near the completion of their passion projects, you will want them to share it with their classmates. Since this is a topic that matters, they will have confidence that will help them to get up in front of their peers. Their presentations will be the culmination of all the hard work that they have put into their projects.

Our Genius Hour resource is packed with everything you need to get it up and running in your classroom. We have everything from the introductory slide show, planning pages, note taking, presentation tips, rubrics and so much more.

Give Genius Hour a try in your classroom. You will never regret giving your students power in their learning and watching that power transform your classroom into an engaging and exciting place to learn!

If you would like to be a part of our newsletter that will be full of tips, hints, strategies, and free resources to use in your classroom click here. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: genius hour, genius hour activity, genius hour resource, genius hour upper elementary, passion project

Back to School Freebies

July 21, 2019 by Wise Guys Leave a Comment

We are getting ready to head back to school, and wanted to share with all of you some great FREE resources that we use in our classrooms. Below are our Top 5 Back to School Freebies!

Back to School Freebies

We are getting ready to head back to school, and wanted to share with all of you some great FREE resources that we use in our classrooms. Below are our Top 5 Back to School Freebies!

1. The Daily 5

We have 15 FREE Daily 5 Resources that are ready to use in your grades 3-5 classroom. We have anchor charts, journals, reflection sheets, Power Points and more! You can find them by clicking here.

2. Back to School Checklist

Who doesn’t want a teacher checklist to go through to keep organized and be prepared for the first day of school? We have one, and it’s FREE! Click here to access the checklist.

back to school checklist

3. Interest Inventory

We have a great way to find out what your students like that first week back to school! We have created a student interest inventory that will help you to get to know your students better. You can find it by clicking here.

back to school interest inventory

4. Interactive Foldable

The first week back can be nerve-racking even for students. We have a fun foldable activity that your students will enjoy. Click here to get the foldable template and directions for FREE.

back to school foldable activity

5. August Calendar

Finding an editable teacher calendar can be super hard. But fear not, we have a FREE editable August calendar just for you! There is so much included in this, that you will want to download this right away. Click here or on the image below to get it!

editable august calendar for teacher

We’d love to hear what you do with your students the first week of school. Please share!

If you would like to be a part of our newsletter that will be full of tips, hints, strategies, and free resources to use in your classroom click here. 

top 5 back to school free activities

Title Image Credit: kristinnador

Filed Under: back to school, Featured Posts

Top 5 Ways to Conquer the First Day of School Jitters!

July 21, 2019 by Wise Guys 4 Comments

Beep, beep, beep. The alarm goes off for the first time in over two months. You think to yourself, “Is this real? Did I actually hear my alarm go off?”

Yup, you stare at the clock and it is about two hours earlier than you were used to getting up during the school year. It’s the first day of school!

As you drag your body out of bed, you begin to realize that the first day is probably one of the most important days of the school year. The students are still angels, everyone is smiling, and the energy in the school building is contagious.

But your stomach is churning, and your mind is racing because you feel like it is your first day of attending school all over again. Thoughts race through your mind: “What am I going to wear? Will I make it to school on time? What if my students don’t like me? Will I have any troublemakers right off the bat?…

When you finally arrive at school, the magic starts to happen. You go into TEACHER MODE. Yes, that amazing time when you are in your “zone” like Michael Jordan used to get in during basketball games. You can’t miss. Your list on your desk is a mile long of things to accomplish that first day, but you fill up that cup (with whatever works for you) gaze through your lesson plans and realize there are only a few key things you need to accomplish today.

Below they are listed in no apparent order.

Establish Rapport
On the first day of school, it is crucial that you develop a strong relationship with your students. There are so many ways to do this. For some of you, it may be to read a book that describes who you are, an art project that helps them learn about you, a list of your favorites, or even a PowerPoint presentation about you.

What I have done in the past is create a “Star of the Week” poster. This poster has pictures of myself and my family, places that I have visited, and things I like to do. I also included my 5th grade class photo and report card. The students love trying to find me in the picture and can’t wait for me to reveal what grades I got in school. Whatever your method, establish that connection on the first day!

Go Over Procedures
A must on the first day is to establish procedures. Teachers often take this for granted. They often think their students know how to do things from the previous year. Well, I have learned that the hard way. So, make sure to establish procedures at the beginning of the year.

Here is a list of many of the ones that I go over on the first day: morning routines, lockers, lining up, hallways, lunchroom, fire/tornado drill, sharpening pencils, independent work, and dismissal.

We have created a resource that you can purchase by clicking here that includes a teacher resource page with purpose, teaching ideas, modeling, and role playing that you can do with your class. It also includes a kid friendly poster that you can display in your room. You can find it by clicking on the image below too. 

Back to School Rules and Procedures Now Editable!Take a Tour

That first day it is also important to show your students where other rooms are in the school. You can get creative with this and create a class scavenger hunt, or take a whole class tour to such places as: the secretary’s office, the library, the gym, art and music room, the lunchroom, and any other place that they might visit throughout the school year. This eases a lot of anxiety that students may have.

Build a Classroom Community

Sure you are nervous, but do you remember what it was like to be a student on the first day of school? Think about how a new student to the school feels too! A lot of nervousness can be avoided by doing team-building activities throughout the day.

If you are not familiar with Morning Meeting, this may be something you want to research. Morning Meeting provides students a chance to greet each other, learn about what interests they have, play a cooperative activity together and so much more.

But there are simple games you can play in the classroom that are fun too such as: 7 Up, Silent Ball (toss a ball around the room with no talking), Beach Ball Toss Up (see how long a group can keep it up in the air) and so many more that you have probably done.

You can also do a team building activity like make a puzzle piece for each of your students and then have them put it together to make a puzzle that you can display. The possibilities are endless so make sure to at least do some of them!

Show Them You Care

From the beginning bell to the ending bell, make sure to show your students that you are there for them. You would not believe how important you are in their day.By spending time listening to their stories before attendance, lunch, recess, and other times, you are showing that you care.

Do not pass up the time to connect with students as well if they are working quietly on a project. Make each and every day the best for your students.!

By the end of that first day, your jitters have lifted. You are exhausted, but yet you feel like you connected with your class. You are off to a great start!

How do you prevent those first day jitters? We’d love to hear from you!

If you would like to be a part of our newsletter that will be full of tips, hints, strategies, and free resources to use in your classroom click here. 

top 5 way to conquer first day of school jitters

Filed Under: back to school Tagged With: Beginning o the year, first day

Top 5 Back to School “Must Do” Activities

July 19, 2019 by Wise Guys 3 Comments

Afraid you're going to mess up when it's time to go back to school? Here's our top five activities that we feel everyone should do when back to school rolls around again! They'll set you up for a successful new school year!
Another school year is upon us, and like many, we have been thinking a lot about school over the summer. As veteran teachers, the beginning of the school year still feels like our first year of teaching: the frantic back to school shopping for classroom supplies, the set up and organization of our classrooms, time spent preparing our first week’s lessons, and the meeting of the students on the first day.
As we head back to school in late August, we thought it would be helpful to post our Top 5 Back to School “Must Do” activities. We know that most have your own routines, but we hope that we can help get you in “teacher mode” for the school year!
 

#1. Establish Respect

Starting day one, the students need to respect you as the teacher. Notice we say “teacher” not “dictator” or “disciplinarian.” We use simple techniques right away the first day of class. When the students come in, we use a hand in the air gesture, and take a stopwatch and time how long it takes them to be quiet. No matter how long it took, we always tell them the time, and that they beat the classroom from last year. Starting off with a successful experience helps to build a rapport with the students. We also use a verbal signal if they are talking in groups and need to stop for directions. A simple repetitive clap works well for this. Besides the verbal and non-verbal calls for attention, you also will want to model your expectations for the class as well. The sooner the students learn the expectations, the better as far as classroom management.
 

#2. Create Class Beliefs

One of the most important parts of our first week of school is creating classroom beliefs with our students. We want the students to take ownership as contributing members of the class. In order to do this, we have discussions the first few days about what rules that they have at home and what rules we should have at school. We then take those “rules” and turn them into positive statements. The end result is a class belief’s statement such as: “We will be kind, respectful, responsible and safe. We will have fun and work hard.” When we have our belief statement, we have students create and sign a belief poster and display it in the classroom. Our class beliefs become the foundation for learning in our classroom.
 

#3. Discuss Class Procedures

You can not take for granted that your students know how to line up, when to sharpen a pencil, or even how to be respectful in the hallways. We have created “Back to School Procedures” that we use with our classes the first few weeks of school. We created a simple teacher page that guides you through the procedure. There also is a poster that you can print in color, laminate and use year after year. We have included all of our  11 procedures into a super bundle that you can find here.

Back to School Rules and Procedures Now Editable!

#4. Establish a Classroom Community

It is extremely important to make every student feel a part of the class and to feel accepted. We purposely do a lot of fun activities at the beginning of the year to have students get up out of their seats and talk with other classmates. When students get to know each other, they realize that they have much more in common than what they thought. This helps to build strong relationships that will last the entire school year. Below is a picture of our classroom bingo game that has the students getting out of their seats and meeting others in the class in order to get a bingo. You can access it by clicking here.
Back to School Bingo Activity

#5. Connect with Your Class

One of the biggest challenges we tackle each school year is getting to know our students. Starting the first week of school we do many activities that allow us to learn more about the class. For example, we often have the students fill out a student interest survey that you can download here for FREE here. It helps you to better understand your students and connect with them.

FREE Back to School Interest Inventory for Grades 3-5
We would love to hear from other educators about what you feel is necessary to do the first few weeks of school. Please feel free to leave comments on our blog!

If you would like to be a part of our newsletter that will be full of tips, hints, strategies, and free resources to use in your classroom click here. 

back to school must do activities

Filed Under: back to school, Featured Posts Tagged With: activities, class community, cooperation, respect, routines

Top 5 Back to School Tips for Balancing Schedules and Routines

July 18, 2019 by Wise Guys 4 Comments

The beginning of the school year is fast approaching. For first year, and even veteran teachers, working on schedules and routines can be a stumbling block. But we have 5 tips that should help you start the year off great.

The beginning of the school year is fast approaching. For first year, and even veteran teachers, working on schedules and routines can be a stumbling block. But we have 5 tips that should help you start the year off great.

1. Make connections with colleagues

In order to make your schedule work, you have to know the extent of how many different educators you may be working with during the school year. There is the special education teacher, the gifted and talented teacher, a Title 1 teacher, the Speech teacher, an ELL (English Language Learners) teacher, and possibly more professionals that you will be sharing students with.  Be thankful that there are so many educators that are there to help your children succeed. Make sure to meet with them before the first day so you can figure out what times these educators will be either taking students out of your room, or working with them in the classroom.

2. Required Minutes

Most states have mandated minutes that you have to teach the core subjects. Your best resource for a sample daily teaching schedule would be a teaching partner at the same grade level, or your principal. If you have a teaching partner, it would be a good idea to look at how the schedule is organized and see if you both agree that you like the way it is set up. If you make changes, make sure to include all the educators that may be affected such as: special education, title 1, ELL, Speech, etc…

3.  Reading Rotations

If you teach guided reading, you know what kind of a headache it can be to fit in all of your groups. We have found that three-twenty minute rotations works best for us. We do not like to have groups bigger than 6 students. So where does that leave the other students that can’t meet during three rotations? We use Daily 3 at the 5th grade level where students have choices between read to self, word work, and work on writing. Here is a blog post we wrote about the Daily 3. We meet with our two lowest groups every day and rotate in the higher groups every other day. It works extremely well!

4. Interventions

Using the RtI (Response to Intervention) framework, it is important to meet the needs of all of your learners. We have a designated 30 minute block of time each day set aside for this to occur. During this time, any classroom teachers at the same grade level as us, along with any resource teachers (special education, Title 1, ELL) will take small groups of students and work on specific standards. This focused time allows us to work closely with those students and really target what they need.

5. Morning Routines

If you want to success to happen right off the bat, you need to have morning routines in place. Nothing is worse than chaos to start the day. Make sure the students know what they are expected to do as they enter the classroom. We wrote a blog post about soft start mornings that has been very popular with educators.

If you liked this blog post,, you will want to check out The First Year Teacher eBook with 29 pages of helpful tips for beginning teachers.

first year teacher ebook

You will also want to check out our companion guide: The First Year Teacher Resources which contains 40 different items you can use your first year of teaching!

first year teacher resource activity guide

Thanks and here is to a successful year of teaching!

If you would like to be a part of our newsletter that will be full of tips, hints, strategies, and free resources to use in your classroom click here. 

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An InLinkz Link-up

Filed Under: Featured Posts, Uncategorized

Top 5 Classroom Décor Ideas for First Year Teachers

July 16, 2019 by Wise Guys Leave a Comment

The first year of teaching is a challenge. One of the biggest obstacles you will face is finding ways to create an inviting classroom on a fixed budget. Eric and I hope to offer you some tips that will save you both time and money with these top five decorating tips for the classroom!

The first year of teaching is a challenge. One of the biggest obstacles you will face is finding ways to create an inviting classroom on a fixed budget. Eric and I hope to offer you some tips that will save you both time and money.

drt1

1. Back to School Sales

Many teachers hate to see fliers and advertisements out already in June for Back to School sales. But this is a prime opportunity for you to find amazing bargains. Stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, Dollar Stores and others will have items on sale that you can use to help decorate your classroom. Take advantage of these sales.

Also, online retailers such as Amazon will have deals going as well. Don’t forget to shop online for some great bargains.

2. Tablecloths

Yes, you heard us right, tablecloths. These inexpensive household items are great for bulletin boards. They are sturdy, colorful, and last longer than the cheap bulletin board paper. You can use them year after year.

Ideas for decorating the classroom! Pick a theme like this classroom did – Peanuts and Football! (Picture used with permission.)3. Pick a Theme

Depending on your grade level and your interests, you will want to pick a theme for your classroom. We have seen themes range from sports, to jungles, to oceans, to even animals. Whatever theme you pick, you may be able to find discounted items at the above-mentioned stores or even garage sales. Believe it or not, garage sales can offer some great deals for teachers.

4. Name Tags

Many teachers spend money every year on desk name tags, only to have them peel off at least once during the school year. We have found that oil-based pens are a great way to write your students’ names on their desks. They come off easily with a expo marker and magic eraser too!

5. Friends

The best time saver we can recommend for you is your friends. When you are set to start decorating your classroom, enlist the help of your friends. Not only will it save you precious time (that you will need to learn curriculum, lesson plan, read cumulative files…), but it will also be more fun for you as well. Rely on people around you!

If you liked this blog post on our inexpensive ideas for classroom decor, you will want to check out The First Year Teacher eBook with 29 pages of helpful tips for beginning teachers.

This first year teacher ebook will help new teachers with back to school ideas and tips for the whole school year.

You will also want to check out our companion guide: The First Year Teacher Resources which contains 40 different items you can use your first year of teaching!

First Year Teacher Resource Guide

Thanks and here is to a successful first year of teaching!
Brian and Eric
Wise Guys

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Image credits: Flickr CC

Filed Under: Uncategorized

How to Give Encouragement for the New Teacher

July 15, 2019 by Wise Guys 40 Comments

Being a new teacher is extremely daunting, you've gone from having the support of your fellow classmates and instructors to being all by yourself with a classroom of young minds to mold. We've been there, we know the feelings! We've gathered up several veteran teachers to share their collective wisdom for new teachers starting their first year of teaching.

Encouragement for New Teachers

As many of you know, being a new teacher is extremely difficult.  The National Education Association (NEA) states in this article that 50% of teachers leave the profession in the first five to seven years.  And a National Public Radio (NPR) Education article discusses how the loss of new teachers is costing school districts billions of dollars with teacher turnover. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Eric and I have over 50 years of combined teaching experience at the elementary and middle school levels.  We have seen new teachers in our district  and surrounding districts struggle and sometimes leave the profession.  It is up to veteran teachers to step up and help new teachers through their first few years.

We have witnessed first year teachers struggle to the point of wanting to quit within the first few months. There was one teacher who would be crying during lunch and at the end of the day. Eric and I would constantly offer her advice and pointers, but she continued to struggle with the demands of being a new teacher. We took it upon ourselves to be mentors to her and share our ideas and resources, what has worked for us in regard to classroom management, how to deal with parents, and the constant day to day operations of a classroom. The teacher responded well to this, and we feel that we helped her to be a successful teacher in our school district.

Join us for The First Year Teacher Book Tour to get all kinds of encouragement and great advice from veteran teachers, plus enter to win lots of prizes!

What Can Veteran Teachers Do?

How can we, as educators, administrators, and even parents support new teachers as they enter the profession? We have asked some educators to share one of the biggest lessons that they learned as a new teacher. It should be a lesson from their first or second year of teaching. We are hoping that the advice from these amazing educators will help first year teachers stay in the profession.

Click the following links to read their advice& hop along our Book Tour!
Primary Flourish

4mulaFun

The Teacher’s Studio

Smart Chick Teacher

Along with these veteran teachers’ personal reflections  we’re offering a free mini ebook, “Ten Things to Accomplish Before Back to School.” All you need to do is simply subscribe to our newsletter. It is our hope that this resource provides you with a great starting point for a new teacher.

There is no other profession that has such an impact on the future of children. Let’s do our best to make sure that the adults in front of these children are equipped with the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

First Year Teacher Ebook

Make sure to check out our First Year Teacher eBook filled with pages of ideas, tips, hints, and advice for beginning teachers. This is a “must have” for any new educator. Some of the chapters included in the book focus on the time before the school year starts, a week before the students arrive, the first few weeks, conferences, testing, teacher evaluation, and the end of the school year.

The First Year Teacher eBook

Also, you will not want to miss our First Year Teacher Resource Guide that is loaded with 40 resources ready to use in the classroom. We have included activities for back to school, testing, and the end of the school year. First year teachers will love it!

Remember, you were once a first year teacher. What can you do to ensure the success of new teachers in your district?

If you would like to be a part of our newsletter that will be full of tips, hints, strategies, and free resources to use in your classroom click here. 

Filed Under: back to school, Featured Posts Tagged With: first year teacher, new teacher, teacher tips

Back to School Tips for Social Studies Teachers

July 14, 2019 by Wise Guys Leave a Comment

There are some key ideas and concepts that social studies teachers have to be thinking about as well. We have come up with our top 5 back to school tips for social studies teachers.The school year is about to start for many teachers across the United States. As bulletin boards go up, desks are arranged, and materials are gathered, teachers are preparing for another year with their students. Social studies teachers are looking at curriculum and tweaking lessons. But there are some key ideas and concepts that social studies teachers have to be thinking about as well.

We have come up with our top 5 back to school tips for social studies teachers.

1. Be Social

An integral part of any social studies classroom is to have a teacher who truly gets the word “social” in social studies. This subject area lends itself for open dialogue and respect for each other. In order to do this, you have to get students talking starting day one. What better way to do this then through a fun game of ball toss. Get out a koosh ball, beach ball, or any other soft ball and have students toss it to a classmate. The student who receives the ball needs to share his/her name and then one thing about him/herself. Then it continues until everyone has had a chance to respond. This is a quick and easy way to get the students talking.

Another great way to get students involved right away is through the “Fact or Fiction” game. For the game, students are to share two facts about themselves and one thing that is not true. It is the class’ job to figure out which of the three is fiction. You will be surprised at the facts you will learn about your students that you may go back to throughout the year! When learning about history there are often misconceptions, myths, and fictional reports as well. So this would be something you could share once a week with your class, or even have them look for myths or misconceptions too.

2. Be a Community

In order to build a strong classroom community, you should develop rules/beliefs with your students. Empower them to create an environment where learning can take place. You will have less behavior issues to manage and students will hold each other accountable as well.

Shared decision-making and cooperative learning are important parts of building a classroom community. When you have group projects assigned, it is important to have well-defined roles for each student, and allow them to determine who is responsible for each part. You may have to model what this looks like and sounds like and have students practice to demonstrate their understanding of true cooperative learning. You can also have students come up with cooperative learning contracts that they all must sign. This would tie in well with any lessons on treaties or signed agreements in history.

3. Be Innovative

When we were in school, Social Studies was primarily taught from a textbook. It wasn’t until we were in college classes, that we realized that the textbook is not the “Bible.” It should not be the only source of information for your students. Students need access to both primary and secondary sources. The National Archives is a great website for primary sources spanning from 1754 to the present.

With the advancements in technology just over the past ten years, it is also important to involve technology where appropriate. In our classrooms, we visit Google Earth to look at ancient ruins in Mexico, the topography of the land for early American settlements, and monuments that have been built to honor past historical events. We also to like to use QR codes for students with electronic devices to find answers to questions instead of paging through a textbook. One example of this would be our Aztec, Inca, Maya QR Code activity. Our students are able to find out many facts about these three Early American civilizations.
Aztec Inca Maya QR Code Activity

4. Be an Investigator

As a social studies teacher, you need to stay up to date on current events. There are numerous ways to do this: reading the newspaper, checking news websites, and watching local and national news to name a few. Then, it is up to you on how you want to integrate that into your teaching.

One way to address current events with your students is through CNN Student News.  If you have a projection system in your classroom, or if students have access to computers/devices, you can watch the daily news show that keeps your students up to date with current events. It is only 10 minutes so is a great way to either start or end class. You can also have your students report out on current events as well by making it a part of your daily/weekly instruction.

Another way to be an investigator is to look for new developments in past history. You probably remember being taught that Christopher Columbus “discovered” America, and how Paul Revere rode alone to warn the people of Lexington and Concord that the British army was coming. But today we know these both to be not true.  When new discoveries of what took place surface with evidence, use it as a teachable moment with your students.

A final way is to let your students be the investigators on their own. Our Declaration of Independence and Constitution Detectives units are sure to be a hit with your students.

5. Be Prepared

Don’t assume anything with your incoming group of students. Do they know the 8 Strands of Social Studies? Do they know the 5 Themes of Geography? Do they know how to use a social studies textbook? Are they able to cite evidence from a text? These are just some of the basic  concepts and skills that students need to succeed in a social studies classroom. We have created a Back To School Social Studies Skills unit that includes the following resources:
-8 Strands of Social Studies PowerPointHere are fifteen creative back to school social studies activities to use in your classroom.
-8 Strands of Social Studies activity
-Five Themes of Geography PowerPoint
-Textbook Detectives activity
-Understanding Text Features PowerPoint
-Using Text Features to Predict PowerPoint
-Making Inferences in Nonfiction PowerPoint
-How to Cite Evidence
-4 Geography Vocabulary Activities
-Football Geography Activity
-Create Your Own Country Activity
-Childhood Neighborhood Map Activity
-Nonfiction Reading Activity
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Filed Under: back to school, Featured Posts, social studies

How to Spark Engagement with Genius Hour Math!

May 28, 2019 by Wise Guys Leave a Comment

You hear it every year from some students. “I hate math!” Well, it doesn’t have to be this way. With Genius Hour Math implemented in your classroom, watch the negativity disappear with highly-engaging passion projects that students get to select on their own.

Genius Hour is a time set aside for students to work on a project they are passionate about. This typically has been used for any type of concept that students show a deep interest, but we have found Genius Hour Math to be that extra spark that so many struggling math students need.

How Does it Work?

You can decide when to implement Genius Hour Math. Whether it be the first week of school, after winter or spring break, or even at the end of the year when the class, and yourself, is running on empty, the choice is up to you! In our Genius Hour Math resource we have included detailed teacher tips that will walk you through the entire process. No need to guess on how to use the great resources included. We do the dirty work for you!

Why is it so powerful?

The power is in choice. We all know that students learn better when they take part in their learning. That is exactly what Genius Hour Math provides. Students get to pick their project. Whether is be learning about statistics in baseball, creating a city out of geometric shapes, or designing a tree house, students get to decide on the project that interests them!

What results can you expect?

Number one, students will be more excited about math class, and will beg you to work on their Genius Hour project. Second, your class will be more engaged in your normal lessons because they are now looking forward to math class. Third, you should see test scores rise on your everyday curriculum as students begin to develop more confidence in their math abilities.

Is it right for me?

Yes. Plain and simple this will be the best thing you will ever implement into your math instruction. If you want to see student engagement and excitement increase in your classroom, then this resource is right for you.

Start Genius Hour Math now with your class. You won’t regret it!



Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: genius hour, genius hour unit plans, passion project

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Wise Guys from Teachers Pay Teachers Welcome to our site! We have been teaching for over 30 years at the intermediate grade level (4-6). We pride ourselves on creating lessons that are engaging, meaningful, and aligned with the Common Core Standards. We love teaching, and love sharing our resources with other teachers. We hope you can find some activities that you can use in your classroom!

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