The Best of the Web: Resources for Middle School Educators
Editor's Note: October has been declared The Month of the Young Adolescent by the National Middle School Association. Thirty organizations have joined NMSA to increase public awareness of the unique needs of young adolescents. Education World is pleased to devote all of this week's stories to the most dedicated group of teachers around -- middle level educators!
"Back in my classroom, I had a bit of a homework crisis. We were off on Wednesday, and on Thursday at least half of my 165 students were unprepared. It was not a good day. My lessons depended on the work being done and I had to spend a great deal of time writing notes home in student planners. It was frustrating to say the least, but it did put things back on track for Friday. Was it the extra day off, or just normal adolescent testing of the limits? I'll never know, but I really dislike days like that, days where I feel more like a cop than a teacher."
"The new Grade 7/8 teacher came into my class and saw students working on longitude and latitude. 'Gee, those books are sure old,' she said. 'Even older than the stuff in my class!' Do you suppose we could apply to the United Nations or something for some used books from developed countries?"
"I like Open House, and am looking forward to bragging about the kids and meeting their families. Some I know from last year -- the Grade 8 students are the ones I worked with before, and they made such striking gains last year One boy in particular has been so gratifying to work with: he really turned his life around. [N]ow he is confident, working hard, showing leadership in class and in sports When you have a part in helping kids like that get it together -- it makes all the you-know-what worthwhile."
Sound familiar? Then you're probably a teacher in a typical middle school!...
The quotes above are extracts from the diaries of two middle school teachers, two daring teachers who for this entire school year are chronicling their efforts, their thoughts, and their frustrations as they help their middle school students survive -- and succeed. Anyone can track the teachers' yearlong journey in Middle School Diaries, one of many teacher-features found at the best middle school resource online, MiddleWeb. The site is packed to overflowing with resources for middle school educators and parents!
SNEAK A PEEK WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING!
Eavesdroppers are welcome to follow the diary deliberations of middle school teachers Debbie Bambino (of Philadelphia) and Susan Smethurst (of Toronto). They're even invited to react to the weekly entries, to question or support the teachers!
Online group therapy? Call it what you will, but teachers around the world are following -- and relating to -- the roller coaster ride of middle school life as these two teachers survive it. In the opening entries of this school year, you might find Bambino or Smethurst
- musing about time demands posed by a student who "has more labels than Campbell's Soup, and a veritable alphabet of diagnoses."
- rethinking the benefits of the self-contained classroom. ("It's much harder to get in the intensive time on task needed by these students when they have to be somewhere else every 40 minutes.")
- having an epiphany. ("When one person [in a meeting] queried how they could 'make' teachers do this and that, something crystallized for me: where is the genuine reform going on that involves classroom teachers as partners in change? Seems like everyone and his brother has a plan for improving the schools -- if it weren't for those dratted teachers!")
- noting how relieved students seem to be ("as if a load were lifted from them") and how smoothly the day seems to go when one particular boy is absent from class that day.
- or bucking political correctness ("John Taylor Gatto, the homeschooling guru, is in town and on a radio interview he decried the use of the bell to start and stop work, arguing that it taught students not to take ownership of their learning. I found myself agreeing with him. I see how students just drop everything when the bell rings and they feel it absolves them of any [need] to finish.")
Want reassurance that you're not alone? The Middle School Diaries are sure to provide it. Join the rest of the lurkers, or the reactors, online at MiddleWeb.
MIDDLEWEB:
HELPING TEACHERS SORT THROUGH THE MUDDLE
It's October, and you feel like you're sinking under all the demands -- of curriculum, administrators, and students -- on your limited time?
Middle School Diaries is just the tip of an iceberg-sized resource called MiddleWeb. The site's content goes deep, offering a lifeboat of ideas, resources, and support to keep busy educators afloat!
MiddleWeb is funded by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, which has been supporting middle-grades reform efforts across the United States for about a decade. Two years ago, the Foundation decided to fund the development of a Web site that would be of interest to middle school educators and others dedicated to improving middle-level education. A grant to the Education Writers Association funded the "Focused Reporting Project," which was charged with development of MiddleWeb.
Directed with aplomb by editor/webmaster John Norton, MiddleWeb should be required reading for anybody teaching (or anybody who plans to teach) ten- to fourteen-year-olds!
"Over the last five years, I've spent hundreds of hours visiting middle schools, interviewing teachers, students, and principals, and wrestling with the 'big question': how can schools raise the achievement of all students?" Norton told Education World. "When we began, our primary purpose was to provide resources and information about middle grades reform Today, while we maintain an important focus on reform, we also include resources about curriculum, teaching strategies, school-community relationships, and much more. Anything that will help teachers, principals, and parents make their middle schools work better for kids."
Norton's respect for middle level students and educators shines through in the site's unwavering dedication to its purpose. It's a respect reinforced daily by Norton's contacts with middle school educators. It's a respect that was reinforced at a recent conference on middle-grades reform too Norton had spent days preparing for a live, online presentation about MiddleWeb to conference attendees. Finally, the moment had arrived. The lunch plates were cleared away, the lights went down. As Norton was about to stand face-to-face with an audience of 500 outstanding educators, he logged onto the Internet from his laptop computer and
"I experienced the kind of computer crash hackers only dream of!" he recalls. "I managed to stumble through the presentation, but not without gaining an even greater respect for educators who confront the unknown daily in their schools and classrooms, with grace and style."
WHAT ELSE DOES MIDDLEWEB OFFER?
What else will middle school teachers find at MiddleWeb?... What are you looking for? It's bound to be there! Start your search of the site on its Getting Around at MiddleWeb page. Here you'll find links to many of the best resources around.
- Are you just beginning your middle school teaching career? MiddleWeb offers The First Days of Middle School. The site contains a huge collection of resources designed to support new teachers in grades 5-8 through the first weeks and months of their careers. No first-year teacher should be without this MiddleWeb resource!
- If it's news about topics and issues of interest to middle school professionals that you're looking for, be sure to check out the weekly updates to Middle Grades Newswatch. MiddleWeb sifts through the pages of countless online newspapers to find news of value to middle school teachers. Learn about issues being debated in communities across the U.S., programs that are working, local and national research on topics of interest, and much more that matters to middlers.
- Check out The MiddleWeb Index. It's Middle Web's alternative to search engines. Just click on a topic of interest and find useful documents and links. Among the topics addressed are assessment and evaluation; parents and the public; teacher professional development; and standards-based school reform.
- MiddleWeb's Curriculum and Instruction page is an ever-expanding resource of the best online materials for teaching middle school kids geography, social studies, language arts, math, and science. Best of all, every link has been checked for suitability.
- The Reforming Middle School and School Systems page on MiddleWeb offers in-depth stories from the Focused Reporting Project. Among the recent postings is an editorial, For Many American Middle Schools, Achievement Is Not the Top Priority, that challenges middle-grade educators to reject the thought that "middle schoolers are developmentally unprepared for high academic achievement." Indeed, all of MiddleWeb's resources are bent on exploding that myth and breaking the cycle of underachievement.
- No site is so thorough that it can't benefit from linking to other resources on the Web. So MiddleWeb offers a handily indexed page of Middle Grades Links on topics such as middle grades reform; enriching teaching and learning; grouping, tracking, and grade retention; professional development; urban education; at-risk students; and technology.
- Finally, just in case you can't easily find exactly what you're looking for, MiddleWeb recently introduced its own Search Engine to search the site's 600-plus pages of information.
GO TO MIDDLE-L, THE BEST LISTSERV ON THE INTERNET!
If you haven't joined the Middle-L listserv, you're missing a real adventure! I belong to lots of listservs, but none of them is as consistently active or interesting as Middle-L is! Just check out some of the topics that teachers are talking about on Middle-L this month. (Click Subject in the Current Archive.) Among the topics that got teachers on Middle-L going during the first week of this month were:
- academic inclusion,
- Web sites for teaching about endangered species,
- a debate over teaching evolution and creationism,
- teaching ideas for the novel Flowers for Algernon,
- suggestions for teaching about the Holocaust,
- board games that can be used to teach language arts skills,
- ideas for teaching map skills,
- a discussion of multiple intelligences,
- ideas for rewarding middle schoolers,
- the benefits of e-mail, and
- the pros and cons of WebWhacker.
Any middle school teacher (or interested party) can join the Middle-L listserv. All you need is an email address and access to the Internet.
Joining Middle-L is simple. Click here for subscription options and for directions on how to join/subscribe.
WARNING: BE PREPARED!
WARNING: I told you Middle-L is a popular listserv! Be prepared to be inundated with messages, perhaps 20-30 a day or more! But, in time, you'll get used to weeding through the messages. You'll click on those you're interested in, and hit the delete key to get rid of those that hold no interest. Most posted messages are short and to the point. (Middle school teachers don't have a lot of time to waste.) Another option: Subscribe to the listserv in its digest form. That way, you receive one daily post that includes all the messages for the day.
So, does joining the Middle-L listserv mean that you'll be dragged into the discussion? Not unless you want to be! You can lurk and learn. Or you can jump into the fray by responding to a post or posting a new question about something that you've been thinking about, something that's been bothering you, or something you need help with.
The Middle-L listserv isn't for the faint-hearted. Middle school teachers (like middle school students) come in many shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities -- and they tend to say what's on their minds! Some will get up on their soapboxes. Some will irritate you. (You always have that DELETE key!) But those are some of the things that make Middle-L the always-interesting place that it is. Middle-L moderator Jerry Taylor is the other "always-interesting" element of this list. Even when he's telling off someone, he does it with charm and with wit!
Check out Middle-L. Check out its archive of past discussions. This list might not be for you, but it will be interesting!
NAMLS IS A NAME YOU CAN TRUST!
"As middle school administrators, we are constantly looking for innovative programs and practices to support our staff in their efforts to provide quality learning experiences for our students," says Jerry Singer, a middle school principal in Haysville, Kansas. "Why spend your time constantly looking elsewhere when NAMLS can place what is effective directly into the hands of your staff and community councils?"
So, what, pray tell, is NAMLS?
NAMLS is the National Alliance of Middle Level Schools, a division of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The group is dedicated to helping school leaders implement the recommendations offered in Turning Points: Preparing Youth for the 21st Century, published by the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development.
The site's Frequently Asked Questions page offers answers and resources in response to questions such as
- How do we "detrack" our school when we have students with such a wide range of abilities?
- What are the best resources to assist us as we move from a junior high school program to a middle school program?
- What are the qualities of successful middle school teachers?
- What are the advantages of interdisciplinary teaming at the middle level from the perspectives of teachers, students, and administrators?
A quick peak at the NAMLS Web site reveals some of the other resources the organization provides for school educators:
- The School Directory of Effective Programs directs middle school educators to school leaders who have been involved in programs to implement team-teaching, community service programs, de-tracking, exploratory classes, peer mediation, portfolio assessment, standards-based learning, technology in the curriculum, and much more.
- Special reports, such as Building Effective Middle School Teams.
- Schools in the Middle magazine offers news about current trends in middle school education. Some articles are reprinted on the Web. Among those articles are two from the current issue, The Physiology of Learning: Just What Does Go On in There? and Designing Learning Styles That Embrace Diverse Student Needs.
- Research on topics of interest, including communicating good news about education, improving student achievement, teens' opinions about values education, and standards for student learning.
- Opportunities for Staff Development, including conventions, conferences, one-day institutes, and more on topics ranging from "Starting Out on the Right Foot" to "Strategies for Reaching Disruptive and Angry Youth: Caring Communities."
October has been declared The Month of the Young Adolescent by the National Middle School Association. Thirty organizations have joined the NMSA in this effort to increase public awareness of the unique needs of young adolescents.
"There is no word for this period of a person's life," campaign officials say. "Infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood -- none of these words adequately reflects this important stage. Yet, this is a crucial time when major decisions are made about values, beliefs, and standards -- decisions that shape current and future behaviors."
The NMSA offers suggestions for promoting the Month of the Young Adolescent in communities across the United States, a Resource Guide (a listing of organizations that offer services for and resources to address the needs of young adolescents), and informative articles such as What Does It Mean To Be Thirteen?, by Chris Stevenson.
In addition, the NMSA offers a Resource Center, which includes books, research summaries, and videos on just about any topic of interest to middle level educators, and a page of Web Links that connects middle school professionals to dozens of sites of interest.
Related Sites
MORE MIDDLE LEVEL LINKS
Article by Gary Hopkins
CELEBRATE THE MONTH OF THE YOUNG ADOLESCENT!
Education World® Editor-in-Chief
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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© 2022 Education World
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
Having a tough time finding the right words to come up with "areas for improvement" comments on your students' report cards? Check out our helpful suggestions to find just the right one!
The following statements will help you tailor your comments to specific children and highlight their areas for improvement.
Be sure to check out our 125 Report Card Comments for positive comments!
Needs Improvement- all topics
is a hard worker, but has difficulty staying on task.
has a difficult time staying on task and completing his/her work.
needs to be more respectful and courteous to his/her classmates.
needs to listen to directions fully so that he/she can learn to work more independently.
is not demonstrating responsibility and needs to be consistently reminded of how to perform daily classroom tasks.
works well alone, but needs to learn how to work better cooperatively with peers.
does not have a positive attitude about school and the work that needs to be completed.
struggles with completing his/her work in a timely manner.
gives up easily when something is difficult and needs extensive encouragement to attempt the task.
gets along with his/her classmates well, but is very disruptive during full group instruction.
has a difficult time using the materials in the classroom in a respectful and appropriate manner.
has a difficult time concentrating and gets distracted easily.
is having a difficult time with math. Going over _____ at home would help considerably.
is having a very difficult time understanding math concepts for his/her grade level. He/she would benefit from extra assistance.
could benefit from spending time reading with an adult every day.
is enthusiastic, but is not understanding ____. Additional work on these topics would be incredibly helpful.
is having difficulty concentrating during math lessons and is not learning the material that is being taught because of that.
understands math concepts when using manipulatives, but is having a difficult time learning to ____ without them.
is a very enthusiastic reader. He/she needs to continue to work on _____ to make him/her a better reader.
needs to practice reading at home every day to help make him/her a stronger reader.
needs to practice his/her sight words so that he/she knows them on sight and can spell them.
needs to work on his/her spelling. Practicing at home would be very beneficial.
can read words fluently, but has a difficult time with comprehension. Reading with ______ every day would be helpful.
could benefit from working on his/her handwriting. Slowing down and taking more time would help with this.
is having difficulty writing stories. Encouraging him/her to tell stories at home would help with this.
has a difficult time knowing when it is appropriate to share his/her thoughts. We are working on learning when it is a good time to share and when it is a good time to listen.
needs to work on his/her time management skills. _______is able to complete his/her work, but spends too much time on other tasks and rarely completes his/her work.
needs reminders about the daily classroom routine. Talking through the classroom routine at home would be helpful.
is having a difficult time remembering the difference between short and long vowel sounds. Practicing these at home would be very helpful.
is struggling with reading. He/she does not seem to enjoy it and does not want to do it. Choosing books that he/she like and reading them with him/her at home will help build a love of reading.
frequently turns in incomplete homework or does not hand in any homework. Encouraging _______to complete his/her homework would be very helpful.
does not take pride in his/her work. We are working to help him/her feel good about what he/she accomplishes.
does not actively participate in small group activities. Active participation would be beneficial.
has a difficult time remembering to go back and check his/her work. Because of this, there are often spelling and grammar mistakes in his/her work.
does not much effort into his/her writing. As a result, his/her work is often messy and incomplete.
is struggling to understand new concepts in science. Paying closer attention to the class discussions and the readings that we are doing would be beneficial.
is reading significantly below grade level. Intervention is required.
does not write a clear beginning, middle and end when writing a story. We are working to identify the parts of the stories that he/she is writing.
is struggling to use new reading strategies to help him/her read higher level books.
is wonderful at writing creative stories, but needs to work on writing nonfiction and using facts.
has a difficult time understanding how to solve word problems.
needs to slow down and go back and check his/her work to make sure that all answers are correct.
is not completing math work that is on grade level. Intervention is required.
is struggling to understand place value.
is very enthusiastic about math, but struggles to understand basic concepts.
has a difficult time remembering the value of different coins and how to count them. Practicing this at home would be helpful.
would benefit from practicing math facts at home.
is very engaged during whole group math instruction, but struggles to work independently.
is able to correctly answer word problems, but is unable to explain how he/she got the answer.
is having a difficult time comparing numbers.
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