Brilliant Ideas!

1. BOOKMARKS THE SPOT! Have your students make fun folders and beautiful bookmarks!

Bookmarks are easier to start with. Just get some card stock and slice N dice with a paper cutter into nice rectangular strips. Use custum cut scissors, fun paper punches, stamps and other scrapbooking tools to decorate them! You can also try to completely cover them with interesting vocab words that kids find in their reading.

Folders: You can so the same with folders.
1. Get the large size of construction paper.
2. Fold in half and staple as necessary to make a folder with three-hole clasps in the center. Use a three hole punch and some brads to accomplish this







2. EIGHT STEPS TO MOVIE MAKING GREATNESS: Write, Read, and Direct your own short film:

There's a simple stop-motion animation program that I've been using lately. It's called Frames. I have taught ( well attempted to anyway) an afterschool class for elementary school kids with it. Unless they're strong reader's and strongly computer savvy it can be a bit too challenging. For adults it's great!

Anyway, I've been LONGING to find a way to sneak it into my 4th grade curriculum. Lately, things have gotten a bit droll in the Big District world of public education. ( Seriously, I think the true goal of No Child Left Behind is to numb students to death with boredom so that they are more willing mindless drones to serve the masses.)

So here it is:
1. Step 1: Brainstorm a few ideas for short movie based on what you have available. I tend to prefer legos.
2. Step 2: Shoot the movie. My Macbook Pro comes standard with an integrated camera ( for chatting) and it works great for taking the gazllion quick photos that make up a flip book a.k.a. stop-motion animation.
3. Step 3: Tell you students that you found this curious video online but the problem is it has no sound.
The Challenge: Let students take turns viewing the movie at a station and writing dialogue to go with it.
4. Step 4: Gather all the student ideas and type it up into a super short brief script ( the whole movie should be 2 minutes or less).
5. Step 5: Let students help you revise the script.
6. Step 6: Let students practice reading the script fluently.
7. Step 7: Record their voices and VOILA!! You have yourself a movie.
8. Repeat as necessary.

I happen to already have 2or 3 short filmd under my belt. I could easily just delete the sound and let them come up with something. When your students are above 4th grade or more proficient you can let them make the movies too.

This activity helps students joyfully practice the art of writing, revising using the writing process, and reading fluently with feeling. The reason I the teacher want to retain control of all the computer work is so students can focus on the MAIN GOAL: improving their literacy skills.


Other ideas:

Secret Hidden Vocab word of the day:
1. You can write an extra special vocab word and hang it on the wall of the classroom in plain sight. The first student to notice it, decode it (i.e. if it's "legubrious" it might take 2nd grade level reader time to decipher) and whisper it in your ear gets a sticker or something. They could add these stickers to a special Super Vocabulary bookmark that they keep at their desks. SEE BOOKMARKS THE SPOT.

2. You could do the same type of activity but let them unravel a mystery on the web. Post a riddle on a webpage. Only the correct password unlocks the secret content.