5 Really Different Things to Do For Back to School

I know that you're beginning to think about the new school year, and trying to decide on your classroom theme (click on "themes" over on the left for lots of ideas, by the way. Some of the links are outdated, but I'm getting to them as fast as I can, and there are still plenty of great ideas). You're praying that the parking lot construction will be finished before school starts or coping with the mice that got into your supply closet over the summer, or adjusting to the news that your entire grade is required to have a "Ratatouille" theme this year.

But it's still July.Take a few minutes to contemplate doing something really different in your classroom this year.

• Build a climbing wall. Maybe a really small climbing wall. Use these alphabet holds from Franklin (or the numerals for a smaller and less expensive one), and bolt them securely to a piece of plywood which you then attach to triangular legs so it will be very secure. Set a good rest mat on the floor in front of it, and prepare to be the coolest classroom in the school, with your multisensory ABC lessons. If you went with the numerals, you could have your little climbers climb out equations.
• Go all-electronic. Give assignments online and have students email them to you. When questions of fact arise, have students go to the computer and look it up. Conduct class discussions via IM when kids are in the computer lab. Set up a class wiki for each unit and leave it up for the final project. Compare the amount of paper you use with the classroom next door and make a power point presentation at the end of the year showing how many trees you saved.
• Set up a class business. Spend the early weeks brainstorming and deciding on a product or service, making a business plan, and creating a marketing and production strategy. Use research skills to determine the likelihood of success, math to keep track of all your expenses and income, writing and art to so your marketing. Let all the students be shareholders, and give the profits to charity at the end of the year -- or build a climbing wall for the second semester!
•  Maybe you're not a business type. What about making your classroom into a culture simulation? Declare yourselves a nation, design a flag, and plan out your government, economy, and geography as a group. Think of the Society for Creative Anachronism or your favorite Massive Multi-player Role Playing Game for inspiration. Develop rules of conduct and discourse that include extra politeness or being very quiet, while you're at it.
• From the very first day, begin every class by having students write for five minutes in their journals while listening to classical music. Set up a pocket chart to keep track of absences and lunch count, and start the day with a calm ritual.

Currently Reading The Little Mermaid By Hans Christian Andersen see related

The Little Mermaid Lesson Plans

"The Little Mermaid" is a story by Hans Christian Andersen. Since it was made into an animated film by Disney, it is well-known and popular, but there may also be confusion in younger students' minds between the two versions.

In Andersen's story, the Little Mermaid is the youngest of six princesses in the parallel universe of the undersea kingdom. When they are old enough, mermaids get to go to the surface to see the land, and all the princesses are curious about it, but the Little Mermaid is the most curious of all. When she goes to the surface, she sees the prince, and falls in love with him. She saves his life (though he doesn't realize it until the end), and decides that she wants to marry him. She goes to a witch in her watery world to ask to be made into a human being. The witch agrees, but tells the Little Mermaid that it will be terribly painful, and also that she will have to pay for it with her beautiful voice. In addition, she will only be able to remain human if the prince loves her and marries her. The morning after he marries someone else, she will become foam on the waves -- essentially, she'll die.

The Little Mermaid agrees. She become human, meets the prince, and charms him with her dancing and her expressive eyes, but he marries someone else. The Little Mermaid's sisters arrive, having struck a deal with the sea witch, and try to get her to save herself by killing the prince. She has the choice of stabbing the prince and letting his blood wash over her legs, at which point she would return to her mermaid state, or allowing herself to die. She dies and goes to heaven.

Language Arts

• In the Disney version, of course, she marries the prince and lives happily ever after. Get out the Venn diagrams and compare the two stories. You can print out figures of the Disney characters and use them as manipulatives for this step.
• The original story has lots of descriptive language. Analyze some of the descriptive paragraphs and challenge students to write further descriptions of the wonderful undersea kingdom.
• Edsitement has an author study for Andersen which includes "The Little Mermaid."
• An online unit for the story uses a strange amalgamation of the original and Disney versions, but it could be a good basic literacy choice for your computer center.
• In mythology, mermaids are lovely creatures who lure sailors to their deaths with their beautiful singing. Read more about mermaids and compare Andersen's Little Mermaid with the traditional stories.
• T.S.Eliot's classic poem "The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock" uses mermaid imagery. Discuss how the mermaid is used in the poem and in the story. Note that coming of age and growing old are themes in the two works, and consider how the mermaids are used by the writers in their musings on growth and change. This is, by the way, a beautiful poem to read aloud. Connect with the Little Mermaid's lovely voice by having students prepare sections as reading performances.

Character Education

• Recent polls show that Americans no long consider self-sacrifice a virtue. The story of the Little Mermaid is in some ways about self-sacrifice. Was the mermaid right to give up her own life for that of the prince? If she could have lived and had him die instead, but without stabbing him herself, would that make a difference? This question may seem morbid, but many studies have shown that we tend to make a strong distinction between sins of commission and sins of omission, and it is an interesting ethical question.
• For older students, this lesson on ethics compares a variety of ethical systems. "The Little Mermaid," the Disney version, is used as an example of moral pluralism and acceptance of cultural differences. Even if you don't choose to use this lesson, it might be interesting to discuss whether the story could be said to have cultural sensitivity as one of its lessons.
• The prince,when he realizes that the Little Mermaid was the one who saved his life, tells her that he knows that she, since she is so fond of him, will share his happiness that he is marrying someone else. Is this realistic of him? Had the Little Mermaid been able to speak, what might she have said to him in this scene? Have students role play or write the scene.
• Compare the Little Mermaid with other fairy tale heroines you've studied. She exhibits curiosity, boldness, and initiative, even if she doesn't succeed in her plans. Her sisters, also, take the initiative to try and rescue her, though they don't succeed. Does this make her more admirable than a heroine such as Cinderella or Rapunzel? Have students write persuasive essays on this question.

Science and Technology

• A Learning to Give lesson plan on stewardship of the watershed contains a number of interesting points. Using the Disney version, the lesson connects the Little Mermaid's father with the Greek god Poseidon, bringing in the concept of mythology. Then students are asked to write a letter to Poseidon asking his views on human stewardship of the watershed. I'd have them create a petition online, myself, and get the tech connection as well. There are links to watershed data.
• Another technology lesson plan is a Paint lesson using the Disney version of the story. Check out the main site here.
• Ocean lessons are obvious science connections for this story. Growth and maturation would also be a nice tie-in, if you have that on your list, and I also like the physics of sound for this story. The last link takes you to my post on the subject.

Rock 'n' Roll Classroom Theme

July is a big month in pop music history. It was in July that Billboard started keeping track of which songs were national hits, in July that the first rock album was released (by Bill Haley and the Comets), and in July that the Rolling Stones played their first public performance. It was also in July that Bob Dylan was booed for playing an electric guitar on stage for the first time, but that probably doesn't count.

Why not have a rock music theme for your classroom? Whether it's summer school, Sunday School, or you're getting a jump on next year, you'll find it's a lively theme.

The Carson-Dellosa jukebox is the only choice for a ready-made bulletin board. It's convertible -- with the face and arms it has a goofy friendliness, but you can leave it un-anthropomorphised for a slightly more serious effect. The CD cutouts are also available in packages for use in word walls, desk or cubby labels, and centers.

The "Books Rock" banner can set the tone for your reading corner, and the slogan works for your bulletin board or door, too: "School Rocks!" "Mr/s X's Class Rocks!" "Math Rocks!"

Ask around or search your own attic or garage, and you can probably find some old rock concert posters to decorate the walls. Some teachers like to go with a '50s or '60s look for rock music themes, but you can let this choice be dictated by how much vintage stuff you can find by scrounging around in your friends' or your parents' storage areas. After all, rock music has been around for over half a century, so there's no need to limit yourself to one rock era.

Borders, stickers, die cuts, and so on with musical notes and musical instruments are readily available to round out the look.

Here are some online resources:

• Download Print Shop files to make student photos into "American Idol" posters. Check out the giant keyboard bulletin board at this teacher's site, too.
• The Rock and Roll Library has an impressive collection of lesson plans using rock music across the curriculum.
• The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a collection , too. Check out one on 20th century rock and social protest.

Currently Reading Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? A Fast, Clear, and Fun Explanation of the Economics You Need For Success in Your Career, Business, and Investments (An Uncle Eric Book) By Richard J. Maybury see related

Economics Lessons for Primary Grades

Here's a shout-out to the Farmington GT teachers: by request, a roundup of primary-level economics lessons.

Don't forget to check the "tags" section at left for economics connections to fairy tales, history lessons, science topics, and more.

There are plenty of good picture books for this topic:

• How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, by Marjorie Priceman, follows a young baker on a trip around the world to gather up all the ingredients for an apple pie. We've done a complete discussion of this book, with links and activities, so you should go there. But in a capsule, this book is about natural resources and the global economy, on a primary level. Here's another lesson for the book using drama and apples.
• The Ox Cart Man, by Donald Hall, tells the story of a pioneer family producing goods all year and then taking those goods to town to sell and using their profit to buy provisions for the coming year. It's a beautiful book, and the economics lessons -- resources, wants and needs, budgeting, consumption and production --  are obvious. Use Dexter's producer and consumer links in combination with the book to focus on that aspect of the story.
• Abuela's Weave, by Omar S. Castaneda, is a beautiful story about a girl and her Abuela weaving beautiful things and selling them at the market. This is another book that looks at human capital resources, the process of going from raw materials to finished goods, and the exchange of goods for currency. This book also could bring up the question of automation compared with cottage industry.
• Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Saturday, by Judith Viorst, is a little boy's experience of cost opportunity. Alexander's excitement about being rich and his frustrations with spending decisions are a great start for lessons on personal finance.
• Everybody Cooks Rice (and others in the series), by Norah Dooley, shows how people of different cultures meet the same basic human needs.
• Charlie Needs a Cloak, by Tomie de Paola, is a journey from raw materials to finished product. ReadWriteThink has a lesson plan using this book with A Symphony for the Sheep. The focus of the lesson is production and resources.
• The Goat in the Rug, by Charles L. Blood and Martin Link, is a similar story, with the whimsical addition of the goat. A sample lesson from a SPEC book has pictures to color, cut, and paste to retell the process of movement from resources through production to finished goods.
• The Silk Route, by John S. Major (a little more challenging reading, but great for a read-aloud for younger students), shows trade through time and space in wonderful pictures. The Silk Road Project is a wonderful resource for teachers looking at this fascinating part of economics history.
• Money Management International has a list of books with economics lessons about money, financial management, and currency.
• Montgomery County Public schools has a nice collection of economics lessons for picture books.

There are also some excellent online collections of econ lesson plans for young students:

• EconEdLink has an impressive assortment of quick lessons.
• McRel doesn't sort by grade level, but does list the standards associated with each lesson -- a timesaver.
• Andover's Global Economics Curriculum Project covers the basics in step-by-step form. Go to this one first if you aren't completely confident of those basic concepts yourself, and you soon will be.

Ice Cream Lesson Plans

July 8 is National ice Cream Sundae Day, in recognition of the creation of the ice cream sundae in 1881in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. (Or maybe not... read about the controversy at the links below.) According to folklore, ice cream sodas were forbidden on the sabbath, so Edward Berner poured the chocolate syrup used to flavor the sodas over the ice cream, giving birth to the sundae.

Observe the day in the classroom or at home by exploring ice cream and ice cream sundaes across the curriculum:

• Read an article on the history of the ice cream sundae. This is a comfortable read for upper elementary and middle school students, and will give great opportunities to compare data. A longer article  details further data. In short, there are as many competing claims for the first ice cream sundae as for the first Thanksgiving celebration. Prepare a chart showing the different claimants with columns for place, date, inventor, and details. Have older students do some research to find supporting evidence for the claims, and try to draw a conclusion as a class.
• Think about alternate spellings. Old newspaper ads in Two Rivers advertize the "Cherry Sunday," but it is said that some objected to the use of the name of the Christian sabbath for a dessert, so the name was changed to its modern spelling, "sundae," out of respect for those who objected. What other spellings would be possible? Challenge students to come up with other examples of alternate spellings of names, or review homophones. 
• Easy instructions let you make ice cream in the classroom without a machine. The same process is used in a more controlled experiment with great basic chemistry concepts. Watch the process on YouTube without any discussion of solvents, crystals, or emulsion. If you have liquid nitrogen on hand, use this PDF lesson plan to get even more exciting results. Bottom line: for any age and any lab setup, there is an appropriate ice cream making process.
• Microsoft has a lesson plan using ice cream to home PowerPoint skills.
• Science News for Kids has an article on ice cream with good math data to isolate and analyze, plus printable worksheets for science, math, and reading comprehension.
• Practice using bar graphs with a survey of favorite ice cream flavors.
• The Math Forum has a look at Pascal's Triangle in the context of ice cream.
• Enchanted Learning's Ice Cream Theme Page has lots of printables.