Interactive Spinner

1. Interactive Spinner http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/AdjustableSpinner/

2. Extended Writing Activities

3. Alphabet Book • After students have learned vocabulary and information about a topic, instruct students to make an alphabet book about the concepts. • Students may illustrate the book. • Ex: Geometry A is for acute angle. Benefits: Build vocabulary, summarize information, synthesize ideas, make connections

4. Artifact Box • After completing a unit of student, each student creates an artifact box. • Students select items that reflect key concepts or vocabulary from the unit. All artifacts are numbered. • Students write a brief description of the item on an index card, like what one would see when visiting a museum. • Students display their boxes for the class. • Students must browse their classmates’ artifact and identify the importance of each item. Students write their predictions on post-it notes and predictions are placed near the item. • Original authors return to their artifact boxes and read their classmates observations. • All students give a brief description to the class. • Example: After a unit study of the American Revolution, a student might choose to bring in: • Old fashioned letter addressed from West Point, a spy glass, American flag, British Flag • Benedict Arnold

5. Concept Map • Teacher selects key vocabulary from a unit. • Students cut out vocabulary words and sort them into groups. • Students must paste words together, forming a meaningful paragraph. The only words students may add are connecting words like: the, and, are, of, which, etc • Ex: (Show volcano example)

6. Dialogue Journal • As students learn a unit, they write about information learned, questions, and wondering. • Each week students exchange journals. They read the writing and then respond to their classmates. • This could be done within one classroom or across classrooms. • Benefits: • Identify main idea and details, summarize, synthesize information, make generalizations, make connections, build vocabulary, draw conclusions, activate prior knowledge

7. Double-Entry Journal • Students draw a vertical line down their paper. • New ideas, information, and concepts are recorded in the left column. • Connections, questions, and wonderings are recorded on the other side. • Benefits: • Identify main ideas, support details, summarize, synthesize information, make generalizations, make connections

8. Imaginative Letter • Students write letters pretending to be a citizen of the area you are currently studying. They address their letter to a friend “back home.

9. RAFT • Role of the WriterWho are you as the writer? Are you Abraham Lincoln? A warrior? A homeless person? An auto mechanic? The endangered snail darter? • AudienceTo whom are you writing? Is your audience the American people? A friend? Your teacher? Readers of a newspaper? A local bank? • FormatWhat form will the writing take? Is it a letter? A classified ad? A speech? A poem? • TopicWhat's the subject or the point of this piece? Is it to persuade a goddess to spare your life? To plead for a re-test? To call for stricter regulations on logging? http://www.readingquest.org/strat/raft.html

10. Examples : Ballad : Did you know Davy Crockett? He fought with Texas against Mexico. He was a Tennessee volunteer. He died in the Alamo Riddle: I wore small glasses. I was a patriot in the American Revolution. I discovered electricity while flying a kite. Who am I? Rhymes and Riddles Students enjoy using content information to create these

11. Situate a character in the selected genre to interact with information from your unit. Emphasize the importance of using correct facts and details. Characters in Content: Character Created: Young lady tall yesterday angry park friend Content: Equivalent Fractions Placing the character in the content scene: Yesterday I saw a tall young lady walking in the park with a friend. They stopped to rest and share a nutritious snack bar. As they broke it in half, an angry teenaged girl ran up to them to ask for directions to the exit. She was lost. They offered her a portion of their snack bar. Each friend broke her half of the bar into thirds, making a total of 6 pieces and gave the jogger 2 pieces. Each person had 2/6 or 1/3 of the snack.

12. Eyewitness Accounts An eyewitness account is a report prepared by a person “on the scene”. Have students write the information as a reporter for a live newscast. Examples: TopicReporter Pollination * Bee A historical battle *Soldier Oceanography * Shark Moon * Astronaut Measurement * Yardstick Sports *Volleyball Computer Technology * Mouse

13. Community Connections: Write possible solutions to environmental concerns. Write about the cultures of the people in the community to honor diversity Write a biography for an important individual or role model. * Write a letter to a local government official and invite him/her to come and share how they use writing in their jobs.