Builds following-directions skills
Place a slip of paper on each student's desk. That slip should have written
on it a single direction from a sequence of four to five directions. (Examples:
Directions for making chocolate chip cookies, playing baseball, or driving
from school to the library.) Give students five minutes to find the classmates
who have the other parts that complete their set of directions. Then the
classmates stand and read aloud their set of directions in the correct
sequence.
Builds storytelling, sequencing skills
Tell students they will create a story in five minutes. Provide the opening
sentence of the story. Toss a ball to a student. That student must say
the next sentence. Then the student tosses the ball to a classmate. Continue
until time is up.
Extension: Audiotape the activity and transcribe the
tape. Have each student copy his or her sentence onto a piece of drawing
paper and illustrate the sentence. Compile the sentences to form a book
for the classroom library.
Builds math facts or computation skills
Pose the following question to students to start a lively
discussion, or use is as a prompt for a quick journal-writing
activity:
What if you could change one thing about yourself? What would
you change? Why? |
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Here's a quick math facts review that gets students out of their seats.
Gather index cards to match the number of students in the class. Write a
number problem (for example, 5 + 4 or 9 x 3) on half of the cards. Write
the answers to those problems on the other set. Put one card facedown on
each student's desk. Direct students to turn their cards over. Give students
one minute to find the classmate who holds the matching number problem or
answer.
Note: Of course, each solution card should be different
from all theo other solution cards.
Variation: For older students, make the math problems more challenging.
Anagrams are a terrific tool for stimulating students to think critically.
Write the four phrases below on a board or chart. The letters in each
phrase can be rearranged to spell a word. The words all have something
in common. Challenge students to figure out the four words and
what the words have in common.
Adapt the activity for younger students: To make the activity
easier, tell students what the words have in common or arrange students
in pairs to solve the anagram puzzles.
- TUTOR
- CASH FIT
- HOLD PIN
- ROUND ELF
Answers: trout, catfish, dolphin, and flounder are all fish
Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World®
Copyright © 2003 Education World
08/15/2003
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