Concept Map- Pumpkin Time!

 

Pumpkin Time

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses. 
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

I.        Story and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Each student will have a bag of roasted pumpkin seeds for them to snack on in the "story corner". Each bag will have easy directions for making roasted pumpkin seeds that the students can take home with them to make with their parents. I will read "It's Pumpkin Time" by Zoe Hall and show the class the pictures in the book as I read them the story.

A.   Students will gather in the story corner to listen to the story.

1.   Each student will have a bag of roasted pumpkin seeds to snack on during the story.

B.   I will read "It's Pumpkin Time" by Zoe Hall.

II.       Illustrate the story!

After story time, the students will go back to their desks and draw three pictures to illustrate the beginning, middle, and end of the story. There will be a chart in the classroom entitled, "It's Pumpkin Time!"with three columns that say First, Then, and Finally. Each student will hang their picture for the beginning, middle, and end of the story under the appropriate column to illustrate what happened in the story. 

A.   Students will illustrate what happened in the story.

B.   Students will hang their finished illustrations in the appropriate place on the story chart. 
       1. The story chart will be called "It's Pumpkin Time" and will have 3 columns: first, then, and finally. Students will hang their pictures under the appropriate column so that their pictures retell what happened in the story. 

III.      Mini Pumpkin Senses 
          I will have miniature pumpkins for each student to observe and think about how the pumpkins appeal to their five senses: taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound. I will ask for volunteers to describe the pumpkin's taste (pumpkin seeds), texture, smell, sound, and the way it looks. I will make a chart on the board for the 5 senses and write down the student's description under the appropriate column.

A.    Students will observe miniature pumpkins and think about how they appeal to the 5 senses. 
B.    Students will volunteer to help me fill in the chart on the board. 

IV. Painting with Pumpkins!

Once the students have a good understanding of how their pumpkins appeal to their 5 senses, they can decorate their pumpkins with paint. They may paint faces, their names, or anything they'd like on their pumpkins! At the end of the week, the students may take their decorated pumpkins home.

A.   Students will use paint to decorate their miniature pumpkins.

B.   At the end of the week, they may take their painted pumpkins home!

V.       Story sheet

Students will make up their own stories about pumpkins and write them out on the worksheet. After they have written their stories, they can color their pumpkins. When they are finished, students will hang their pumpkin stories in the "Pumpkin Patch" on the front door of the classroom.

A.   Students will come up with their very own pumpkin story.

B.   After they have written and colored their story, students may hang them in the "Pumpkin Patch"

 

Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy

1. What is the purpose of the college and career readiness standards? 
To prepare students for their future.
2. What are the benefits and challenges of the shift reading and writing no-fiction test?
The ability to read well also comes with the ability to write well. Students will learn how to argue and find evidence from a text. They will have more knowledge of language. One of the problems with this was that it didn't work with children that have special needs. 
3. What are the benefits and challenges of having standards for Science, Social Studies, and technical subjects?
The students will gain more knowledge about each of these subjects, which will benefit them in the long run.

Safe Practices for Life Online

1. Facebook, Twitter, and Linked in
2. I found an article on CBS about cyber bullying. A Southbridge student was expelled for cyber bullying his English teacher. Because of this incident, the student had serious consequences that will effect his future.
3. Sexting- sending sexual messages or pictures
cramming- trying to finish everything in a short amount of time
cookies- small piece of data stored on computers
trojan horse- a hacking program
phishing- trying to acquire information such as usernames or passwords
spyware- a software that helps gather information
rootkit- a stealthy type of software
zombie-a computer that has been connected to the internet and compromised by a hacker
4. These screen names are poor choices becasue they are extremely unprofessional as well as inappropriate.
5. Someone might harrass students with such screen names because they draw attention and make it obvious that the person who chose the screen name is young and naive.
6.These screen names reveal too much information about the users because their names are included.
7. i8sushi2- not professional
Soccerstar- good for a child, doesn't reveal personal information
Puppygirl1234- shouldn't have numbers in numerical sequence
Keke1995-too much personal info
Bookworm-good for a child. not too personal
2BorNot2b-unprofessional
Choco-holic-unprofessional
CapitlOfens- confusing
AmrcanIdol2-unprofessional
BellaIsabella-reveals name
DarkAngel666- very unprofessional and number is not okay
Karla-Love-1996- reveals name and date
SimpyMe-unprofessional
gUn4hiRe-very unprofessional
babyfaceLA-target for harrassment
Watup?-same ^^^
8. LA_290
L_22
_LAA_
9. My score was a 2, I need to pick stronger passwords and screen names
10. One of the main reasons that students' passwords are hacked each year is because students share their password with their friends. This means that they can also share it with anyone.
Many think that the main reason passwords get hacked is because someone saw their password being typed in, but this isn't true.
11. I learned that ads that lead to computer viruses can be on ANY website. I have never had to deal with a virus on my computer, but I now know that there are visual signs to look for in an infected computer.I also learned that mal-ware is a software that is intended to damage or disable computer systems. This can download random junk onto your computer. Anyone can get a virus on this computer, and I think that people need to be more mindful of what they click on and what websites they view while on the internet.
12. Are you protecting your identity? Medium Risk
Are you an unwitting accomplice in a crime? Low Risk

 Authentic or Counterfeit? Low Risk

13.Beta Bot mal-ware blocks users anti-virus programs. This article made me feel a little unsafe because if my computer were to get hacked, I would be in a big mess. I use my computer for almost everything, and I want to make sure that it is safe and protected. 

Arts Integration

This article discusses how education trends use Arts Integration to enhance Common Core. Although the most talked about integration approach is STEM, Arts Integration is just as effective. The article highlights the following main points for Arts Integration: Process Produces Product, Access Points, True Equity, and Analytic Practice. The reason that Arts Integration seems to be hidden from view may be because teachers aren’t confident with their artistic abilities. The teachers may also be nervous to facilitate a lesson that includes authentic arts standards. However, there are keys to using Arts Integration successfully. They are: collaboration between arts and classroom teachers to find naturally-aligned objectives, using an arts area in which the classroom teacher is comfortable, creating a lesson that truly teaches to both standards, and assessing both areas equitably. A few quick sample arts strategies are mirroring, stepping into painting, and call and response. “By fostering a community within our schools where authentic Arts Integration is taking place, we can meet and exceed expectations set by the Common Core and move into a culture of true inquiry and learning.”

I found this article to be very insightful. I had no idea that STEM and Arts Integration were so similar. Although Arts Integration is often looked over, it is just as effective as STEM. I have just recently become interested in art this semester. I am taking Art in the Elementary Classroom, and it is one of the most interesting classes that I’ve ever taken. I have already developed this great appreciation for art in this short amount of time that I’ve been enrolled in the class. Furthermore, I think that it is a great idea to use Arts Integration. I agree with the article where it says, “by taking a traditional approach, we are shortchanging our teachers from the true art of their craft.” This certainly does lead to burnout, and this must change in order for students to succeed. Overall, I think that Arts Integration could be a positive thing and be beneficial to students. As the article states, “Arts Integration allows us to build chefs who make choices—not cooks who merely follow the recipe.”

John Hunter and the World Peace Game

An extraordinary educator, John Hunter, has dedicated his life to helping children realize their full potential. Hunter is the inventor of the World Peace Game, a hands-on political simulation. At his first job interview, he asked the superintendent what he was supposed to do. The superintendent replied with, “what do you want to do?” This gave him the freedom to do whatever he felt would best benefit his students. The World Peace Game started out on a 4x5 piece of plywood in 1978. Hunter had his fourth grade students solve the problems of the world. This game had the students so engaged and interested in what was going on all around the world. John Hunter is such an amazing inspiration to me as a future educator. He is changing the lives of these students, and he is doing it in a remarkable way. Whenever I was in the fourth grade, I knew nothing about other parts of the world. My world consisted of school, church, and my life at home. The fact that these children are learning about the problems of the world and solving them is amazing. Teachers should be able to teach material that students are actually interested in so that they will have a desire to learn. Most teachers today simply lecture and ask the students to take notes, but students want more than this. Interactive and hands-on activities really benefit students this young and allow them to think and learn better. John Hunter's invention of the World Peace Game has definitely been an inspiration to many including myself, and I hope that he will continue to inspire future educators all over the world.