Site Reviews: CivilWar@Smithsonian

125 Report Card Comments It's report card time and you face the prospect of writing constructive, insightful, and original comments on a couple dozen report cards or more. Here are 125 positive report card comments for you to use and adapt! Struggling Students? Check out our Needs Improvement Report Card Comments for even more comments!

You've reached the end of another grading period, and what could be more daunting than the task of composing insightful, original, and unique comments about every child in your class? The following positive statements will help you tailor your comments to specific children and highlight their strengths. You can also use our statements to indicate a need for improvement. Turn the words around a bit, and you will transform each into a goal for a child to work toward. Sam cooperates consistently with others becomes Sam needs to cooperate more consistently with others, and Sally uses vivid language in writing may instead read With practice, Sally will learn to use vivid language in her writing. Make Jan seeks new challenges into a request for parental support by changing it to read Please encourage Jan to seek new challenges. Whether you are tweaking statements from this page or creating original ones, check out our Report Card Thesaurus [see bottom of the page] that contains a list of appropriate adjectives and adverbs. There you will find the right words to keep your comments fresh and accurate. We have organized our 125 report card comments by category. Read the entire list or click one of the category links below to jump to that list. AttitudeBehaviorCharacterCommunication SkillsGroup WorkInterests and TalentsParticipationSocial SkillsTime ManagementWork Habits Attitude The student: is an enthusiastic learner who seems to enjoy school. exhibits a positive outlook and attitude in the classroom. appears well rested and ready for each day's activities. shows enthusiasm for classroom activities. shows initiative and looks for new ways to get involved. uses instincts to deal with matters independently and in a positive way. strives to reach their full potential. is committed to doing their best. seeks new challenges. takes responsibility for their learning. Behavior The student: cooperates consistently with the teacher and other students. transitions easily between classroom activities without distraction. is courteous and shows good manners in the classroom. follows classroom rules. conducts themselves with maturity. responds appropriately when corrected. remains focused on the activity at hand. resists the urge to be distracted by other students. is kind and helpful to everyone in the classroom. sets an example of excellence in behavior and cooperation. Character The student: shows respect for teachers and peers. treats school property and the belongings of others with care and respect. is honest and trustworthy in dealings with others. displays good citizenship by assisting other students. joins in school community projects. is concerned about the feelings of peers. faithfully performs classroom tasks. can be depended on to do what they are asked to do. seeks responsibilities and follows through. is thoughtful in interactions with others. is kind, respectful and helpful when interacting with his/her peers is respectful of other students in our classroom and the school community demonstrates responsibility daily by caring for the materials in our classroom carefully and thoughtfully takes his/her classroom jobs seriously and demonstrates responsibility when completing them is always honest and can be counted on to recount information when asked is considerate when interacting with his/her teachers demonstrates his/her manners on a daily basis and is always respectful has incredible self-discipline and always gets his/her work done in a timely manner can be counted on to be one of the first students to begin working on the task that is given perseveres when faced with difficulty by asking questions and trying his/her best does not give up when facing a task that is difficult and always does his/her best is such a caring boy/girl and demonstrates concern for his/her peers demonstrates his/her caring nature when helping his/her peers when they need the assistance is a model citizen in our classroom is demonstrates his/her citizenship in our classroom by helping to keep it clean and taking care of the materials in it can always be counted on to cooperate with his/her peers is able to cooperate and work well with any of the other students in the class is exceptionally organized and takes care of his/her things is always enthusiastic when completing his/her work is agreeable and polite when working with others is thoughtful and kind in his/her interactions with others is creative when problem solving is very hardworking and always completes all of his/her work is patient and kind when working with his/her peers who need extra assistance trustworthy and can always be counted on to step in and help where needed Communication Skills The student: has a well-developed vocabulary. chooses words with care. expresses ideas clearly, both verbally and through writing. has a vibrant imagination and excels in creative writing. has found their voice through poetry writing. uses vivid language in writing. writes clearly and with purpose. writes with depth and insight. can make a logical and persuasive argument. listens to the comments and ideas of others without interrupting. Group Work The student: offers constructive suggestions to peers to enhance their work. accepts the recommendations of peers and acts on them when appropriate. is sensitive to the thoughts and opinions of others in the group. takes on various roles in the work group as needed or assigned. welcomes leadership roles in groups. shows fairness in distributing group tasks. plans and carries out group activities carefully. works democratically with peers. encourages other members of the group. helps to keep the work group focused and on task. Interests and Talents The student: has a well-developed sense of humor. holds many varied interests. has a keen interest that has been shared with the class. displays and talks about personal items from home when they relate to topics of study. provides background knowledge about topics of particular interest to them. has an impressive understanding and depth of knowledge about their interests. seeks additional information independently about classroom topics that pique interest. reads extensively for enjoyment. frequently discusses concepts about which they have read. is a gifted performer. is a talented artist. has a flair for dramatic reading and acting. enjoys sharing their musical talent with the class. Participation The student: listens attentively to the responses of others. follows directions. takes an active role in discussions. enhances group discussion through insightful comments. shares personal experiences and opinions with peers. responds to what has been read or discussed in class and as homework. asks for clarification when needed. regularly volunteers to assist in classroom activities. remains an active learner throughout the school day. Social Skills The student: makes friends quickly in the classroom. is well-liked by classmates. handles disagreements with peers appropriately. treats other students with fairness and understanding. is a valued member of the class. has compassion for peers and others. seems comfortable in new situations. enjoys conversation with friends during free periods. chooses to spend free time with friends. Time Management The student: tackles classroom assignments, tasks, and group work in an organized manner. uses class time wisely. arrives on time for school (and/or class) every day. is well-prepared for class each day. works at an appropriate pace, neither too quickly or slowly. completes assignments in the time allotted. paces work on long-term assignments. sets achievable goals with respect to time. completes make-up work in a timely fashion. Work Habits The student: is a conscientious, hard-working student. works independently. is a self-motivated student. consistently completes homework assignments. puts forth their best effort into homework assignments. exceeds expectations with the quality of their work. readily grasps new concepts and ideas. generates neat and careful work. checks work thoroughly before submitting it. stays on task with little supervision. displays self-discipline. avoids careless errors through attention to detail. uses free minutes of class time constructively. creates impressive home projects. Related: Needs Improvement Report Card Comments for even more comments! Student Certificates! Recognize positive attitudes and achievements with personalized student award certificates! Report Card Thesaurus Looking for some great adverbs and adjectives to bring to life the comments that you put on report cards? Go beyond the stale and repetitive With this list, your notes will always be creative and unique. Adjectives attentive, capable, careful, cheerful, confident, cooperative, courteous, creative, dynamic, eager, energetic, generous, hard-working, helpful, honest, imaginative, independent, industrious, motivated, organized, outgoing, pleasant, polite, resourceful, sincere, unique Adverbs always, commonly, consistently, daily, frequently, monthly, never, occasionally, often, rarely, regularly, typically, usually, weekly Copyright© 2026 Education World

125 Report Card Comments

Back to Geography Lesson Plan Where Did Foods Originate? (Foods of the New World and Old World) Subjects Arts & Humanities --Language Arts Educational Technology Science --Agriculture Social Studies --Economics --Geography --History ----U.S. History ----World History --Regions/Cultures Grade K-2 3-5 6-8 9-12 Advanced Brief Description Students explore how New World explorers helped change the Old World's diet (and vice versa). Objectives Students will learn about changes that occurred in the New World and Old World as a result of early exploration. use library and Internet sources to research food origins. (Older students only.) create a bulletin-board map illustrating the many foods that were shared as a result of exploration. Keywords Columbus, explorers, origin, food, timeline, plants, map, New World, Old World, colonies, colonial, crops, media literacy, products, consumer Materials Needed: library and/or Internet access (older students only) outline map of the world (You might print the map on a transparency; then use an overhead projector to project and trace a large outline map of the world onto white paper on a bulletin board.) magazines (optional) Lesson Plan The early explorers to the Americas were exposed to many things they had never seen before. Besides strange people and animals, they were exposed to many foods that were unknown in the Old World. In this lesson, you might post an outline map of the continents on a bulletin board. Have students use library and/or Internet resources (provided below) to research some of the edible items the first explorers saw for the first time in the New World. On the bulletin board, draw an arrow from the New World (the Americas) to the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and post around it drawings or images (from magazines or clip art) of products discovered in the New World and taken back to the Old World. Soon, the explorers would introduce plants/foods from the Old World to the Americas. You might draw a second arrow on the board -- from the Old World to the New World -- and post appropriate drawings or images around it. Adapt the Lesson for Younger Students Younger students will not have the ability to research foods that originated in the New and Old World. You might adapt the lesson by sharing some of the food items in the Food Lists section below. Have students collect or draw pictures of those items for the bulletin board display. Resources In addition to library resources, students might use the following Internet sites as they research the geographic origins of some foods: Curry, Spice, and All Things Nice: Food Origins The Food Timeline Native Foods of the Americas A Harvest Gathered: Food in the New World We Are What We Eat Timeline (Note: This resource is an archived resource; the original page is no longer live and updated.) Food Lists Our research uncovered the Old and New World foods below. Students might find many of those and add them to the bulletin board display. Notice that some items appear on both lists -- beans, for example. There are many varieties of beans, some with New World origins and others with their origins in the Old World. In our research, we found sources that indicate onions originated in the New and sources that indicate onions originated in the Old World. Students might create a special question mark symbol to post next to any item for which contradictory sources can be found Note: The Food Timeline is a resource that documents many Old World products. This resource sets up a number of contradictions. For example: Many sources note that tomatoes originated in the New World; The Food Timeline indicates that tomatoes were introduced to the New World in 1781. The Food Timeline indicates that strawberries and raspberries were available in the 1st century in Europe; other sources identify them as New World commodities. Foods That Originated in the New World: artichokes, avocados, beans (kidney and lima), black walnuts, blueberries, cacao (cocoa/chocolate), cashews, cassava, chestnuts, corn (maize), crab apples, cranberries, gourds, hickory nuts, onions, papayas, peanuts, pecans, peppers (bell peppers, chili peppers), pineapples, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries, squash, strawberries, sunflowers, sweet potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes, turkey, vanilla, wild cherries, wild rice. Foods That Originated in the Old World: apples, bananas, beans (some varieties), beets, broccoli, carrots, cattle (beef), cauliflower, celery, cheese, cherries, chickens, chickpeas, cinnamon, coffee, cows, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger, grapes, honey (honey bees), lemons, lettuce, limes, mangos, oats, okra, olives, onions, oranges, pasta, peaches, pears, peas, pigs, radishes, rice, sheep, spinach, tea, watermelon, wheat, yams. Extension Activities Home-school connection. Have students and their parents search their food cupboards at home; ask each student to bring in two food items whose origin can be traced to a specific place (foreign if possible, domestic if not). Labels from those products will be sufficient, especially if the products are in breakable containers. Place those labels/items around a world map; use yarn to connect each label to the location of its origin on the map. Media literacy. Because students will research many sources, have them list the sources for the information they find about each food item. Have them place an asterisk or checkmark next to the food item each time they find that item in a different source. If students find a food in multiple sources, they might consider it "verified"; those foods they find in only one source might require additional research to verify. Assessment Invite students to agree or disagree with the following statement:The early explorers were surprised by many of the foods they saw in the New World. Have students write a paragraph in support of their opinion. Lesson Plan Source Education World Submitted By Gary Hopkins National Standards LANGUAGE ARTS: EnglishGRADES K - 12NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for UnderstandingNL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research SkillsNL-ENG.K-12.9 Multicultural UnderstandingNL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills SOCIAL SCIENCES: EconomicsGRADES K - 4NSS-EC.K-4.1 Productive ResourcesNSS-EC.K-4.6 Gain from TradeGRADES 5 - 8NSS-EC.5-8.1 Productive ResourcesNSS-EC.5-8.6 Gain from TradeGRADES 9 - 12NSS-EC.9-12.1 Productive ResourcesNSS-EC.9-12.6 Gain from Trade SOCIAL SCIENCES: GeographyGRADES K - 12NSS-G.K-12.1 The World in Spatial TermsNSS-G.K-12.2 Places and Regions SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. HistoryGRADES K - 4NSS-USH.K-4.1 Living and Working together in Families and Communities, Now and Long AgoNSS-USH.K-4.3 The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political HeritageNSS-USH.K-4.4 The History of Peoples of Many Cultures Around the WorldGRADES 5 - 12NSS-USH.5-12.1 Era 1: Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620)NSS-USH.5-12.2 Era 2: Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)NSS-WH.5-12.6 Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770 TECHNOLOGYGRADES K - 12NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and ConceptsNT.K-12.5 Technology Research Tools Find many more great geography lesson ideas and resources in Education World's Geography Center. Click here to return to this week's World of Learning lesson plan page. Updated 10/11/12

Where Did Foods Originate? (Foods of the New World and Old World)

50 "Needs Improvement" Report Card Comments

50 "Needs Improvement" Report Card Comments

	CONTENT: CivilWar@Smithsonian, produced by the National Portrait Gallery, uses the vast resources of the Smithsonian to explore the Civil War.
	SITE DESIGN: The left side menu gives access to the four main areas of the site: The Smithsonian, Collections, Timeline and Resources. Each of the sections has a left side menu for navigating within the section. There is also a handy site index available. Flash Player is needed.
Â	REVIEW: This site offers tons of information and resources about the Civil War for teachers, students or anyone interested in this part of American History. The Smithsonian section discusses the beginning of the war and the museum during that time period. The Collections include Abraham Lincoln, Slavery and Abolition, first blood, soldiering, weapons, leaders, cavalries, navies, life and culture, Appomattox, Winslow Homer, and Matthew Brady. Each topic has an overview page and a link to the artifacts. By clicking on the thumbnails of the various artifacts, ranging from personal effects to portraits, more information is revealed. An interactive timeline is also available that highlights the important events of the war. Additionally a list of print and online resources is provided.
Â	RELATED REVIEWS: History: American History History: Wars Social Science: Political Science Teachers: Grades 6-8 Teachers: Grades 9-12

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